mtdoramike Posted December 12, 2015 Share #1 Posted December 12, 2015 I wasn't going to do a build log on this next project, but after checking on the forums, I found only a few builds of the fine ship model kit. I bought this kit from a forum member some time ago with the intent on building it as a donation project once I finished the Latina Victory Library donation project. I will start the build in a month or so once I have taken a break from the Victory build. This would just be my observations of the kit, manufacture and content. I also will not make a decision as to who or what organization will be the benefactor of the Montane's donation until I'm about 3/4 of the way through the build as to not place any added pressure on myself while building. I went ahead and ordered a nice brass & black plaque for her, don't it look classy? This kit produces a large model at 49 inches long and will need a display case at 55" x 42" x 22". The average cost of this kit in the U.S. runs around $899.00 if you can find one because they don't seem to be that common. A little back ground on the ship: The figurehead of this ship is not the royal lion but a “Montañes” (highlander), in gratitude for the financial contribution towards her construction made by the people of the mountains. She was launched in Ferrol on 14th May 1794. It is said that she was an extraordinary vessel, whether sailing close to the wind, running free or with a following wind, and that, more than any other ship, she kept her batteries out of the water. She was engaged in a number of battles, including Trafalgar, where she mounted 76 guns and 4 carronades with mortars, located on her quarter deck. On 6th March 1810, in a violent storm, she sank off the Bay of Cadiz. mike mtaylor, maggsl_01, coxswain and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted December 12, 2015 The only change to this would be if I get the opportunity to build a Sovereign of the seas, which is my dream model to build. mike GLakie and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jparsley Posted December 13, 2015 Share #3 Posted December 13, 2015 mike i am so interested in following this build i sure hope you get rested up soon and begin this marvel mtaylor, Canute, GLakie and 1 other 4 Quote USF Constellation 1/85 AL Jparsley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share #4 Posted December 13, 2015 Thanks JP, it is a very interesting ship for sure and it seems a fairly rare one to be modeled as well. I found only one or two builds on this beauty on YouTube, but at least there are a couple for viewing in case I hit a snag or want to change something. mike Canute, GLakie and mtaylor 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 13, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted December 13, 2015 (edited) Not letting the cat out of the bag, but I have spoken to a representative from my local Hospital, who would be interested in displaying this model at their hospital if I decided to donate it to them. But I'm not really entertaining any plans on that aspect yet until I get quite further into the build. I'm also hoping to find a business or group who would be willing to supply the display case or fund the display case on this donation because on the last one almost got me kicked out of the house when I told my wife that not only was I buying the kit, supplying all the materials, and spending 2500 hours building the model, I'm also supplying the $900.00 display case. That went over about like a rock. mike Edited December 13, 2015 by mtdoramike Landlubber Mike, Altduck, coxswain and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jparsley Posted December 13, 2015 Share #6 Posted December 13, 2015 Tell you what I'll supply the case if you donate the ship to me lol My ice asked me how much trouble do you think you'd be in if you spent that much time and money then just to donate an expensive case I said with my head down "a lot " mtdoramike, Canute, GLakie and 1 other 4 Quote USF Constellation 1/85 AL Jparsley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted December 14, 2015 hahahahahahahaha, Yep I know the feeling. Canute and GLakie 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted December 25, 2015 Well I'm getting about ready to start the Montanes Build after a nice break from building the Victory. Now this was not a new kit when I purchased it, which was from a forum member last year hence the tape all over it to secure it while shipping. I went through and did a inventory and all parts seem to be present along with 7 sheets of plans. Now this would not be a beginner kit especially for someone in the United States unless you speak Spanish, which I don't because the instruction booklet is written in Spanish only. I'm sure this kit was for the Overseas market and was purchased in Spain. This little issue doesn't phase me though because I rarely ever follow instructions and mainly build by plans. Now the construction booklet is great with colored photos, which will help during the build if needed. I assume if you can find a Montanes kit in the U.S. it would have English translated instruction, if you can find one. I love a good challenge and this will add to the challenge. I noticed while unpacking the kit contents that the keel and frames seem to be made with a thin plywood of like 1/8" thick, which I thought was a bit thin for this size model because the Victory keel and frames were twice as thick, but it also made the final product quite heavy. toms10, dgbot, Canute and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jparsley Posted December 25, 2015 Share #9 Posted December 25, 2015 Nice looking kit Can't wait to see it take shape Merry Christmas my friend mtaylor, Canute, mtdoramike and 1 other 4 Quote USF Constellation 1/85 AL Jparsley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 25, 2015 Author Share #10 Posted December 25, 2015 To you as well JP. mike Canute, GLakie and mtaylor 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share #11 Posted December 29, 2015 (edited) Here is a little progress on the Montanes. The frames went into the keel slots with ease and a nice tight fit, unlike the Latina Victory, which was quite sloppy and loose. Also, the decking went in rather easily, and I have to say out of all the models that I have built, the decking just slipped in with very little trimming and filing. To me, most deckings on models were always way off and needed all kinds of trimming to get it to fit decent. Now this model has a white cast metal stern plate, which I always hate on ship models and I usually opt to replace and build up my own out of wood. But I will see how this one looks before passing judgement on it since I have seen a few videos of the construction of this model on Youtube and thought the stern section looked rather good. But we'll see, I'm not even close to worrying about that part yet. Also the parts list is posing a tad bit of a problem since it doesn't offer English translation, but I'm muddling along with it and have only had to check out some translation issues a few time on the computer. I'm curious to know if OcCre every really intended for a western release of this kit and a few others because of the lack of English translation in the kit information. mike Edited December 29, 2015 by mtdoramike Canute, toms10, GLakie and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted December 30, 2015 Share #12 Posted December 30, 2015 Mike, Have a look at Garward's build: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/82-montanes-by-garward-occre/ I think he's the only one who's finished it.. and then went on to win medals with it. Canute, GLakie and toms10 3 Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted December 30, 2015 Thanks for the link Mark, actually I have seen his build log quite a while back and his work on this model is amazing to say the least. I will be using this link and his build as references for my build. I'm going to do the same with mine where he used quite a bit of filler blocks between the frames, which will aid in fairing the hull planking since the frames are quite thin for a model of this size in my opinion. mike toms10, Canute, GLakie and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms10 Posted December 30, 2015 Share #14 Posted December 30, 2015 Mike, just tagging along as this model has always appealed to me but at this point it is out of my price range. I will wait till my skills improve before I lay down that kind of cash. Good luck with your build and whomever receives this donation will be quite lucky. I saw the pics of the one you donated to the library... beautiful piece of work. Tom Canute, GLakie, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote Attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure. Finished: Charles W. Morgan, scratch 1:96 https://modelshipworld.com/topic/30666-charles-w-morgan-1841-scratch-196-pob-by-toms10 Finished: HMS Leopard, scratch 1:85 https://modelshipworld.com/gallery/album/2403-hms-leopard-scale-185 Finished: Constellation AL Kit, scale - 1:85 http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/1383-constellation-al-185-by-tom-szabo/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jparsley Posted December 30, 2015 Share #15 Posted December 30, 2015 Hey tom tagging along too huh I'm the same with the skill level I have for this model vs price range I can't wait to see this girl take shape mtdoramike, Canute, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote USF Constellation 1/85 AL Jparsley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLakie Posted December 30, 2015 Share #16 Posted December 30, 2015 Ah -- Finally found your build Mike. Hope it ain't too late to pull up a barrel out in the wings. Canute, mtdoramike and mtaylor 3 Quote GEORGE Don't be bound by the limits of what you already know, be unlimited by what you are willing to learn. Member of the Nautical Research Guild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted December 30, 2015 Mike, just tagging along as this model has always appealed to me but at this point it is out of my price range. I will wait till my skills improve before I lay down that kind of cash. Good luck with your build and whomever receives this donation will be quite lucky. I saw the pics of the one you donated to the library... beautiful piece of work. Tom Thank you for the kind words Tom, I have to admit it turned out quite nice indeed. mike Canute, GLakie and mtaylor 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share #18 Posted December 30, 2015 While glancing at the pictorial illustrations, it shows that they recommend planking the false decks before installing them. I never do this and I will not do it on this model either. Yes, it might be easier planking the deck on a flat surface but and here are a few big buts: Most false decks never fit well right out of the box and must be coaxed and adjusted and even twisted a little to fit, secondly most ships have a slight arch to the deck from side to side and not flat, three I can get a much better and closer fit with the planking boards once the false deck is mounted, fourth most plank on frame or bulkhead kits actually require you to mount the bulk heads to the false keel and then place the deck on before securing the bulk heads with glue and this kit is no exception to this. So I glued and nailed the decking down and then mixed up a fairly thin mixture of wood glue and water and then using a stiff paint brush, I covered the joints with the glue mixture which is thin enough to whisk into the joints for a better glue job. Canute, toms10, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share #19 Posted January 2, 2016 Here is the piece of Black Walnut that I will use to make the display base for the Montanes. I do love black walnut. I also just started planking the lower false decking. mike GLakie, Canute, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLakie Posted January 2, 2016 Share #20 Posted January 2, 2016 That's a nice piece of wood for a base, and should make a beautiful finish to set her on. mtaylor, mtdoramike and Canute 3 Quote GEORGE Don't be bound by the limits of what you already know, be unlimited by what you are willing to learn. Member of the Nautical Research Guild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share #21 Posted January 2, 2016 I hope so, at $38.00 shipped, it wasn't all that cheap. mike GLakie and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 2, 2016 Author Share #22 Posted January 2, 2016 I spent a little time working on the Highlander figure head. Not completely sold on the colorations yet, but it's starting to grow on me. mike mtaylor, toms10, coxswain and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share #23 Posted January 5, 2016 Got the black walnut base and put a clear finish over it. Man that is one beautiful piece of wood. mike Canute, coxswain, GLakie and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLakie Posted January 5, 2016 Share #24 Posted January 5, 2016 Wow! It's almost a shame to cover that grain up with a ship! Canute, mtaylor and mtdoramike 3 Quote GEORGE Don't be bound by the limits of what you already know, be unlimited by what you are willing to learn. Member of the Nautical Research Guild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share #25 Posted January 6, 2016 hahahahahaha I know what you mean George, I was thinking the same thing. But a nice model deserves a nice base I reckon. mike Canute, mtaylor and GLakie 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLakie Posted January 6, 2016 Share #26 Posted January 6, 2016 Well I DID say "almost". That'll make a beautiful stand base! mtaylor, mtdoramike and Canute 3 Quote GEORGE Don't be bound by the limits of what you already know, be unlimited by what you are willing to learn. Member of the Nautical Research Guild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share #27 Posted January 8, 2016 I made a tad more progress on the Montanes this week. I got the lower deck planked. These have got to be the smallest planks that I have ever planked with at 1mm x 3mm. I'm sure I have planked with some as small or maybe even smaller, but I can't remember that far back. mike Canute, Seventynet, marktiedens and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLakie Posted January 8, 2016 Share #28 Posted January 8, 2016 They turned out good Mike, despite their small size. Nice work! mtaylor, Canute, toms10 and 2 others 5 Quote GEORGE Don't be bound by the limits of what you already know, be unlimited by what you are willing to learn. Member of the Nautical Research Guild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 9, 2016 Author Share #29 Posted January 9, 2016 Thanks George, it sure took a while. It would have been easier to plank the decks before installation, but I prefer to do them this way even though it takes a bit longer. mike Canute, Seventynet, GLakie and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtdoramike Posted January 15, 2016 Author Share #30 Posted January 15, 2016 Received this name plate in the mail this morning. Not bad for $1.75 cents. mike mtaylor, marktiedens, Seventynet and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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