La Couronne by EJ_L - FINISHED - Corel - 1:100 - 1637 Version

[mtaylor]

5 minutes ago, Roadking said:

I'm working on my first build and my attitude is changing as I work. Things aren't "good enough" any more. 

 

Youre all driving me crazy with the quality of your work. 

Welcome to the wonderful of "re-do's" or "do-overs".     It pretty much seems to be a way of life around here.  

[md1400cs]

EJ,

 

Nice she will certainly sail in 017 (;-)

 

CHeers

[EJ_L]

Thank you to everyone for the nice compliments! I am still far from an expert at this and there are many others on here far better than myself so the kind words mean a lot.

 

Re-dos and start overs are definitely a major component to this hobby but that is usually a sign that you are learning and growing in your understanding of ship construction and the skills to build them. Go ahead though and curse me if you want, I feel the same when looking at some of those other works on here myself. If that cursing is because I inspired you to do something better then I will gladly take it! Inspiration and motivation is what this community is all about and I am proud that I can contribute to that.

 

Anton, I share that same sentiment on having builds from the same time period to compare with. Many of the things I have don on her were inspired from other S.o.t.S. and Vasa builds. While they are not exactly the same many of the features and practices of the era are close enough that they are interchangeable.

 

Again thank you to all for the compliments and the likes! Helps to keep me motivated and pushing myself for better!

[EJ_L]

Had a few productive evenings and topped out the fore mast along with stays and shrouds. With the top gallant in place the fore mast is ready for yards. Next I get to repeat this process for the main mast top gallant and then the mizzen top mast. Fortunately these masts are rather simple and the rigging is minimal at this level so they are going relatively fast. I plan on topping out all three masts before switching back to S.R. so more updates soon!!

 

I will also take some better pictures on the next update. Didn't really see that it was kind of fuzzy until I posted. Eyes are getting tired though I cannot imagine why....

[donrobinson]

Looks good E.J. I am not sure if is just a photographic illusion, but what are those two white things by the foremast? Looks like they are attached to the stay

[Tallshiptragic]

Look like paint brushes to me

[EJ_L]

They are 17th century cruise missiles. 

 

No, they are paint brushes in their holder. I will take a better photo later of the ship. Here is the brush holder that is causing the illusion.

[donrobinson]

Now I can see it, dah on me, need more coffee

[Hubac's Historian]

She's really taking shape, EJ.  It's amazing how big these models are.

[ca.shipwright]

E J

A great looking gun carriage

 

Regards

[EJ_L]

To me what makes the size even more impressive is that it is such a small scale at 1:100! While I would love to build one of these at a 1:48 scale or even large at a 1:10, I think I would need to add another bay onto my garage to house her when done!

[yancovitch]

yea...where to put it....where to put it.....i know all about that......hmmmm....i never knew if the ties for the deadeyes should be natural or black, and still don't know.....

[EJ_L]

You could almost dock yours in a harbor!

 

As for the ties on the deadeyes I have seen arguments for both. As they are adjustable for the shroud tension they would probably be more natural as they would not be covered in tar but, due to their close proximity to the stays and shrouds which are covered, they would probably be blackened due to rub off. I do not know if there is a completely right or wrong answer to that question....

[EJ_L]

Quick update although these pics are a few days old now as I am further along. All the masts are now at full height and the stays are complete on the main mast. Mizzen mast only has the shrouds and ratlines rigged at the moment. The fore stays on the mizzen top are a crazy rigging of crows feet that extend out to both aft edges of the main mast lower shrouds. I know how to rig them but, I do not yet know how the crew would have applied tension to them. I have not yet found any leading line that could be hauled in to tension the lines. I suppose it could be done out on the ends of the crows feet where they attach to the shrouds but that does not jive with the way the other crows feet are rigged. To me these would be dead ends and not where adjustments would be made. I'm gonna do some more reading and see if I can find that aha! moment.

 

These pictures do not show the mizzen mast work but you can enjoy the rest of the model.  

[yancovitch]

yea....was always a mystery to me too.....:)

[Tallshiptragic]

The leading line would run from the lowest block on the shroud attaching to another tackle on deck through which the leading line would then be fixed to a cleat on deck or rail. Sometimes it suggests the line would lead direct to a cleat but this would enable tension either hauling or easing to be uncontrolled so leading to a tackle and then on deck makes the most sense to my mind. 

 

This is set up makes sense when you consider the spritsail topmast on the bowsprit- the backstay would run to the forestay or foretopmast stay through blocks and then a leading block on the bowsprit being made fast to a cleat on the forepeak. I hope that makes sense.

[EJ_L]

Here she is fully masted with all of her stays and shrouds in place! Another big milestone was just completed and I am excited! Next up I start building the yards. It is hard to believe that I have come this far with her and that the end is in sight. Still have a bunch of tricky work to do so can't celebrate too much but, maybe a drink or two...

 

I did find a solution to the tension line for the mizzen fore stays. One of the versions of the crows feet rig in Anderson's book showed an additional block with a line that was placed in between the top block of the crows foot and the actual stay. This line lead down to another block on deck that could be used to tighten the rig. While Anderson has it listed as a late 17th century development, the rigging pattern of the crows foot best matched the one on my rigging sheets. Also as Anderson's books typically specialized in English rigging and this was a french ship I took the liberty of giving the French the benefit of the doubt that they made this modification before the English.

[woodo]

Looks fantastic E.J. .....a feast for the eye.

Your buildingspeed is terrifying now and then........

 

 

[EJ_L]

Thank you very much. I am fortunate to have a lot of free time right now which has helped with the building speed although it has still taken a long time. Just the rigging for the stays on the mizzenmast mast took me 8 hours this week! I can usually work in 2-3 hours of build time a night. I only have a few months left of that and then the Admiral finishes her masters program and will be home more in the evenings. While I know it will reduce my build time it will be nice to have her back home more as I have not seen her much in the past 2 years. 

In all reality, it would benefit me to slow down a little more. There have been many things on this build that had I done so I could have made look even better. Hopefully that lesson will sink in sometime soon! 😜

[KenW]

You have a really great model going there!

One question:  How did you determine which woods, and their pattern, for the hull?  Was that part of the kit's instructions?

Thanks.

[EJ_L]

Thanks Ken! To answer your question simply, yes, no and lots of guess work!

 

Actually for the outer hull I followed the pattern from the instructions and picture on the box for the most part. The only major change to the pattern is that the kit wanted me to have a golden colored band of planking at the uppermost section at the poop deck. I did not think that would look good and so I replaced that with more blue. Fortunately the kit provided me with plenty of dyed wood so I had extra without having to try to match new paint. (Now I also have a bundle of dyed gold/yellow wood planking for some future project) The lower hull was called to be mahogany planked which I did but, I did not use the wood provided. I purchased new mahogany from Crown Timberyard as the kit wood was not the best in terms of straight cuts and would not have made as nice of planking job. I did use the kit wood for smaller areas such as the turrets and quarter galleys as well as decorations and trim. The walnut wood for the wales and other trim pieces was kit provided and called for.

 

The interior planking is also a combination of woods. The decking was kit provided but the bulkheads I replaced with Pear, (also from Crown). The actual decorations and layout were vague at best on the instructions and even looking at other models revealed no two builds the same in terms of layout and extent of decorations and wood used. Therefore everything inside the ship is mostly my imagination inspired by other builds.

 

I am actually in the process of choosing what I want to use for my S.R. build right now. I'm trying to determine if the kit wood will be fine or if I want to replace it and what color combination will work. After working with the mahogany I got from Crown Timberyard, I am tempted to use it again for S.R. as it has turned out beautiful in my opinion and looks good next to the blue which I will need a lot of for S.R..

[EJ_L]

No new work as I am still building interiors on S.R. however, as I am nearing the end of this build (relatively speaking) I am thinking of the next project which I intend to be a scratch build cross section of La Couronne. I have decided that I will do mid ship at the main mast but my current debate is scale. I am going back and forth between two options and so opinions and/or suggestions are welcome. Something to keep in mind is that I plan on displaying both models together when they are done.

 

The first idea is to keep the 1:100 scale that the Couronne is built at. This would make the cross section look like I sliced a section directly from La Couronne. At this scale I would also build the entire main mast. Down side of course is that I am stuck detailing again at a small scale. 

 

The second idea is to enlarge the cross section. I will have to play around with dimensions to see what would work best. This plan brings up another question. Do I maintain the full mast or stop at the main top? Keeping the main mast means I would probably have to keep the scale still fairly small however, stopping at the main top would mean larger scale and better details for inside the hull which to me is the whole point of a cross section.

 

I would love for ideas and suggestions as I plan on pairing all my builds with their cross sections to complete the display.

[yancovitch]

hmmmmmm.....nice idea....i would build it a scaly where naval figures are available to purchase if possible....really adds to perspective me thinks....

[EJ_L]

That has been one of my thoughts as well. I would like to add people and so I am thinking, depending upon what the actual dimensions come out to be 1:87 or 1:72 is most likely but 1:48 would be nice and big also and could lend to some great detailing but I have to see how big that would make the model.

[mtaylor]

EJ,

 

Find out where you would display her first then work from there.  To build at a size you like, may not help if you can't display her.   This is one of the "chicken/egg" problems that I think most of us have run into.

[EJ_L]

You are right in that thinking. Luckily I am building the case myself so I can make it however big I need but as I want to have the case done long before the cross section will be complete.... it is indeed a chicken/egg issue.

[yancovitch]

hmmmm.....i wonder if moving the yards diagonally would be acceptable.....case wouldn't have to be as deep....but maybe that's a no no ??

[EJ_L]

Technically, they would not be diagonal unless sailing however, as I am building for my own enjoyment, I could place them however I want! 

 

I am planning on setting them square however which makes her width about twelve inches and so my case ill probably end up around 14 inches deep. that would be too deep for most of my standard depth cabinets and shelves but I am planning on building a new curio style cabinet that is designed around La Couronne as a focal point. The rest of the spaces will be for other collectables of the Admiral and myself. 

[yancovitch]

ha....mine will be three feet wide....don't think i'll build a cabinet...

[EJ_L]

You may need to build an actual dock for her!