Ulises Victoria

Hello friends. Is anyone familiar with this kit? Is it worth it? SR is one of my all time favorite subjects.

Thank you!

Update that is not an update.

Hello guys. Not sure if I should call this post an update.

These strips were cut to length, stained and put to dry to be used later as first deck planks:

After doing the caulk simulation process, I just didn't like the outcome, so I decided to do it all over again, and ordered some new planks from Joe Volpe at Modelers Sawmill (See Home page.)

Obviously that will take some time to arrive. (BTW kudos to Joe Volpe for an outstanding attention to detail and client needs).

So while waiting for my planks to arrive, I filled the middle gap in the false deck boards:

and proceeded to round the corners of the frames so that the planks will lie flat over them.

So that's it. Sorry to dissapoint. Not much of an update, is it?

It will get better as soon as Joe sends my order

Best regards.

Hello all.

This is my Build log of Artesania Latina's HMS Surprise in 1/48

This kit is big. 1334 mm long.

I started this after bagging my previous Sovereign of the Seas project, which was a real disappointment for me.

So far, I've put more hours in this project in a day, than what I put in the SotS in a week.

Here is my start.

Technical data of the kit:

The instructions manual. 117 pages in seven languages, with photos (not drawings) of the actual build, and very detailed:

Example of the plans in 1/1 scale relative to the kit, printed in full color and in heavy gloss paper:

False keel and frames already fitted and glued:

Lower false deck in place. Done after a lot of nailing, gluing and of course, cursing.

False lower deck ready for planking. For this I am going to use this article by a fellow modeler member related to deck planking and different plank patterns

http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/Framing_and_Planking/Deck_PlankingIIbuttshifts.pdf

5 hours ago, EJ_L said:

I will keep an eye out for your Surprise build log. Good luck on that build!

Thanks EJ. So far, I've put more hours in the Surprise in one day, than I put in the SotS in a week.

Hello all. Long time no see. Many of you will surely be surprised with this notice. I decided to stop working on the SotS. I've never seen a set of instructions this poor and, out of logic and explanations. I admit the ship is spectacular, but the kit, in my opinion is not. Or maybe I am not at the required level to build this kit, and I "chew more than I can swallow". Basically I lost motivation to keep working on it. Building became a chore instead of a pleasure. I simply can not build something I don't enjoy. Period. It was a tough decision to make.

As a modeler friend of mine said when I told him this: It's like a divorce... painful but it has to be done.

So I started work on the gargantuan HMS Surprise by A.L. in 1/48. (1,334 mm long). The plans are printed in gloss paper in full color in 1/1 scale relative to the kit. The instruction booklet is 117 pages long in 7 languages with detailed full color photos (not drawings) of the build (emphasis in "detailed"). Every single step is photographed and explained. Awesome attention to detail. Kudos to A.L. I don't regret my choice.

I will start a build log as soon as I get a new camera, as the one I had quit working.  (And don't say: "just like the owner") 🤨

See y'all!

Update as of Sept 16 2021. (Our Independence Day, BTW)

I have been so slow with this build, mainly because I am very disappointed at it. I have seen bad instructions, but these.... !!!! they break all records. (I hear you, Michael... please spare me the "I told you")

Anyway, slow as it is, here is some update:

I submerged these parts in water overnight so they can bend around this tube

Using rubber bands and whatever I can find to keep this part in place while the glue dries

All these walls in place, which actually was a mistake. I decided to finish the first planking of the ship at this moment, and now its going to be a problem to turn the hull upside-down to plank the lower part. Oh well... sometimes I feel like quitting, bit that's not in my nature!

Thank you all for watching!

1 hour ago, Gregory said:

I know how I will be making most of my lashings from now on..  

 

How I used to make them is embarrassing..

Same here. Incredible how we complicate things!!!

I don't remember having seeing a video more illustrative than this one. This lady is amazing. I hope you enjoy it and learn from it as much as I did.

Thank you Hubac!!! Impressive!

Hello guys. I am curious about one thing.

In my previous post  I mentioned having to modify the lower part of the bowsprit so it can have a proper fit.

If I insert the 10mm dowel in the opening as is, this is the resulting angle...

way too steep, in my opinion... so I modified the part like this:

this way, the dowel can be inserted...

and now the angle is this...

More accurate, I think.. so I'm curious about anybody else having this problem with this kit... (those of you that built it or are in the process of)

and how did you solve it?

Best regards!

Thank you, my friend!

Update June 24 2021. (So no one was able to answer my question in the last post?) 😥

I decided to deviate a bit from de instructions, and decided to build and place all decks, before proceeding to finish the first planking. Hope will not regret this decision later  😯. I actually did in one step, as you will see below...

This is the paraphernalia I use to glue the decks to the frames. I don't want to use nails as in some places they will be highly visible and will detract from the look of the deck.

The instructions say cut 19mm long pieces of wood to form the steps of the ladders.

Well... at 19mm they don't fit in the opening of the deck. I had to cut a small notch in the wood for them to fit. This would had been easily fixed by cutting the steps 1 or 2 mm shorter... unfortunately, I decided to build all the available ladders in one sit. (Regret) (I know... some cleaning needed!!!)

I inserted the masts and bowsprit to check for proper fit and alignment.

I had to heavily modify the lower part of the bowsprit. If inserted in the deck opening as is, it resulted in a ridiculously steep angle.

Reasonably OK alignment of masts and bowsprit.

Those white pieces you see over a blue strip of masking tape, are temporary holders. They will help in the construction of the bulwarks and will be removed later.

As always, thank you very much for visiting. I wish you all a happy day!!!

Another small update and question to other Sergal kit builders:

One thing that I don't like about this kit so far, is that almost everything comes pre made. It is almost like a plastic kit but in wood. (Except for the hull planking, of course)

That IMO is good and bad: 1.- good because it saves time. I'm almost 73. If you see in my signature below what I have in my stash, I may not live enough to build them all, a bunch of heavy weights... so... less time is good; and 2.- bad because it takes away from the challenge. You may say, OK... scratch those parts instead of using the ones in the kit... please see point # 1.- 😉 Forget about buying new kits. I lost hope that I will ever buy that 1/64 Victory that is supposedly coming. 😪

Case in point, the decks. The planking is already scribed. I am, however, punching the nailing of the deck planks with an awl I made with a hand drill and a small nail. What I do is draw a faint pencil line as a guide, and punch the holes.

When done, I use a fine sponge sanding block to erase the pencil lines. This at the same time, fills the holes with wood dust. When stained, the dust becomes darker.

Its one of those details that is better "perceived" than "seen"

To those of you that don't know: those weren't actually nails... the nail was driven deeper below the deck surface, and then a wooden plug was hammered in. This was done to prevent corrosion and rusting of the nails. So, filling the holes with wood dust is actually more accurate.

Now a question for you Sergal builders... what in the heck those green circled numbers mean in the instructions??? I've given up trying to figure it out!!!

Thanks for watching!!! Be happy!!!!

Small update:

Attached first 6 rows of first planking. I used a hair curler to bend the wood. After many tries, I've found this works best for me.

I used high density Styrofoam to fill the space between the keel and first bulkhead

I am staining the deck fixtures with walnut stain. They provide a nice contrast against the orange stain of the decks.

Nothing glued or completely finished here.

Have a nice day all, and thanks for visiting.

Hello Michael. Could you post some details about that Amati set of decorations for the SotS?

Thank you Michael. 

I will definitely go to your log!!!!

Best regards!

I always thought that the measurements given in kit boxes were taken from the most protruding part in the rear, to the tip of the bowsprit. I mean something like what you'd measure to build a case, for example.

Who is wrong???

DeAgostini SotS:

MODEL DETAILS

I will start posting photos of my build. Lets start with a short tour of my workshop. Shall we?

This table is for all the electric equipment:

This is the drawing board table for all the plans instructions and paperwork:

An improvised painting booth, very seldom used...

Main assembly table, where all the small parts are worked on:

Ship assembly table, where work on the actual ship is done... that black platform goes down...

...and up... and can be fixed at any height in between...

The indispensable coffee station

Construction photos:

Assembling the bulkheads and making sure they are perfectly perpendicular...

All bulkheads glued and two first false decks nailed and glued...

I substituted the kit's blocks with Chuck's.... no comparison whatsoever... Splendid work, Chuck!!!

These may have been overkill, as the ones with the kit are pretty good, and a simple bath in black ink would get the same results... oh well...

That's it for today folks. See you soon!!!

I bought mine in 2017 from Marisstella. All golden parts come in sealed blisters as those pictured above. So I think I got the newest version.

Hello Michael. I am in awe at your build so far. I don't think I will go with that much bashing in my SotS build, but I might take one or two ideas from you.

Best regards, mi amigo. Best wishes!!!

Just to start my build log. Nothing to post yet!!!

Thank you all for your kind words!

Michael... I am following your SotS log already. Haven't had the time to see it in detail, but I will tonight!!!

Again a big thank you all, guys!

Last update and big mistake

The 19th of this month (May) I tied the very last of the rigging lines according to the instructions:

Rest of these last days have been spent making and placing rope coils in belaying pins, cleats, etc... Also did some cleaning. I know understand why scrubbing the decks was such a hated job among sailors   (Still some more cleaning to do...)

Those large nails were used to keep the shape of those coils hanging from the rails...

The big mistake I refer to above, was leaving the making and placement of the ship in its display base for the last step. This beast is heavy and I am having trouble handling it myself. I am going to have to ask for help!

Here is the (almost) completed ship. This was started in April 2014. A lot of time, but big changes came to my life in this period. Not going to get into that now! 

Next project:

Thank you all for visiting and for your constructive criticism. Happy to belong to this group.