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

[EJ_L]

Just a quick update, I'm building and starting to place the canons. Getting all the dummy ones as well as the less detailed ones installed now. These have gone together quickly and so I'm enjoying some "fast" work for a change. Still have some angle adjusting to make on the dummy guns but as they are just dry fitted that id no problem. Also I have discovered that I am short 8 guns. Why you would package only 56 guns for a 64 gun ship I don't know. I guess they wanted me to close more of the gun ports. So I will not be installing either the bow or stern guns till I can get some more ordered. At least I can get all the gun deck ones installed so I can build the spar deck without holdup. 

 

I am hoping to log in some good build time this weekend as the past couple of weeks have been slower. The Admiral and I are have been busy with selling our house/starting to build a new one. Although this has slowed down the ship build, if everything falls into place, in 6 months give or take a bit I will have a brand new and much bigger shipyard! This has been about 8 years in the making so keeping those fingers crossed.

 

Now to the picture! Better and more to follow.

[cobra1951]

Always annoys me when manufacturers scrimp on parts . I would rather have to pay a bit extra for the kit and have a complete one, rather than having to order parts at additional cost and more postage.

 

The cannons look good in place and when you make the adjustments they will look great :)

[EJ_L]

I agree. When you are already paying hundreds of dollars for kit I would expect it to be a complete kit or yes, pay a little more to make it a complete kit. I have started to wonder and do some of the math to figure out if it's better to buy kits or try to piece them together by buying the materials and plans yourself separately. Most of us already replace much of the wood, rigging lines, blocks and trim pieces anyway. My biggest reason for not doing this is mainly due to my limited carving skills. I need all those tiny trim pieces even with their bad appearances as I have not yet got my skills up high enough to use my own. (I'm working on this!) Personally I am planning on one more kit purchase before I try to completely scratch build a ship. This isn't set in stone but unless I quickly develop amazing carving skills or someone starts selling just the trim pieces for all these ships, I think I will need to do another kit. I will just have to continue to plan on spending the extra money to replace or add those parts that are either missing or bad quality.  

[cobra1951]

This is one of the downsides of Internet or mail order buying. They have your money before you can check it out and if you decide to return it then you end up paying the cost of returning it. Kits were much better when you could walk into a local shop and look before you buy, unfortunately the local model shops are now few and far between

[EJ_L]

I do wish I had some more options for local hobby stores. Aside from Hobby Lobby and Michael's which are fine stores for some things but not for scale models we only have a Hobby Town USA. They do carry a lot of good misc. supplies and tools and they do have a decent model ship selection but rarely what I'm after. Great for beginners though. This forces me to order online which is typically okay as I try to buy from smaller hobby stores and trustworthy people, mainly the stores located on the home page of this site. I don't think that the problems are with them as it is with the manufacturers. Even quality manufactures can leave stuff out or not specify what comes in the kits.

 

Also, no matter what model it is, car, train, ship etc., what is typically kit supplied is typically a standard, cheaper product. This is so that the kits can be more affordable especially to newcomers. If there were no cheap model kits to start with would most of us be in this hobby? I do not think that I would have wanted to try something this complicated the first time out if I had to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on one kit not counting tools and supplies.

 

All that being said I do think that on these nicer kits that do cost hundreds and thousands of dollars that the manufacturer/distributor should do a better job of making sure that all the bits and pieces are included and up to a higher standard of quality. I know I would be willing to pay more for a kit that I didn't have to replace half of the supplied material. As things sit now I usually plan on spending about half the cost of the kit in extra purchases to meet my standards. However, you can make a perfectly nice looking model using just the supplies provided. It all depends upon a persons skill level and how far they want to take a build in terms of accuracy and detail. 

[cobra1951]

I have always said if you want accuracy don't buy a kit lol

[ca.shipwright]

There has always been issues with the "count" of the pieces in a kit. I can't imagine working a job where I would have to spend 8 hours a day counting split rings, nails, and 20 different sizes of wood strips with 100% accuracy. Possibly our expectations exceed reality

 

Model Shipways has always replaced broken parts, missing parts, or lost parts promptly and without charge for the parts or postage. Corel, Mantua-Sergal, and Artesenia Latina have all replaced parts for me as well.

 

The problem is (and I am guilty of this as well), is we don't find out the part is missing until we need to use it. This definitely raises the stress level. The solution is to inventory the kit upon opening and then contact the manufacturer with the entire list of shortages. This will prevent a lot of heartburn. It's also worth noting that there is always something to do like building deck furniture or assembling masts while we wait for the missing plank to show up.

 

As for using 3rd party parts like blocks, rope, and other fixtures. This is up to the modeler. I know my skills are not at that level where these parts will make a difference in how the completed model looks. Maybe one day.

 

But as they say, this is a hobby to be enjoyed not one to agonize over.

 

Regards

[EJ_L]

Michael, I completely agree with you in that I would hate to spend days on days counting out all those little pieces. I have had to order replacement part for kits before and have all ways had good responses from Model Shipways who I have bought a lot of models from over the years. This is even common in model railroad kits and model cars also. It's still frustrating but like you said, I have plenty to work on.

 

The only time this was a major problem was several years ago I was building the Victory out of plastic and I received two starboard hull halves and no port side. It took a couple weeks to get a replacement from Heller but they did it for no cost. (If anyone needs an extra starboard hull half I still have it.) That wait slowed me down on that particular build but I still had other things to do. I think I built canons while I waited.

 

Yes, we should all take lesson and inventory the parts when we get them, believe me, I'm counting the other stuff now before I order replacement canons, I had just assumed that I had 64 canons as this is a 64 canon ship. Everyone knows what assuming does to a person....  

 

Anyway, I'm still moving along happily. I think to day will be a busy day building carriages and aligning the dummy guns.

[WackoWolf]

I am still to this day ASSUMING that I hit the lottery LOL

[francisb]

Hi your Couronne is looking great! Have just got back to working on mine as we have been away a while hope to add some more to my log in a few days

best wishes Mark

[EJ_L]

Thanks Mark! It has been a bit slower this past week as life has been getting in the way of ship building. Combine that with the slow process of building canons and not much gets done. On the plus side I see some free time coming up this week and so I hope to have some more updates to share.

 

Good to hear you are back at it with yours. I look forward to seeing what you have done.

[EJ_L]

Canon building is progressing nicely. Only three more to build for the upper gun deck. Fortunately for this deck only 8 of the guns are visible and will receive full rigging. The others on this deck are covered up and so will not get as much detail. If my plans for the day continue as I hope I will have all the canons built and rigging well under way.

[EJ_L]

More pieces being made ready for assembly. Should be able to start rigging the canons in place this weekend.

[cobra1951]

Hi EJ

        I see you are fixing the eye pins to the blocks in the proper manner using rope, not with twisted brass wire like some manufacturers expect.

Nice job

[EJ_L]

Thanks. I don't know why they say to twist wire around the blocks. Its really not any easier to do that than to seize the block and its far from accurate.

[cobra1951]

I agree with that, and seizing the block looks so much better too, the section deck builds i am doing say to use brass but i prefer to use the rope

Edited May 28, 2016 by Cobr@

[francisb]

Hi, you have really made great progress with her! Are the blocks ,rope etc included in the kit or did you have some set aside?The cannons should look good fully rigged not easy to do on a small scale!

best wishes Mark

[EJ_L]

Mark,

Thank you very much! Yes, the kit did contain blocks and rigging line as well as everything that a person would need to complete the kit. It was short some of the canons and I plan to order more soon though the ship could be completed with some of the gun ports closed. That being said I am using parts I have in my extras from past builds as well as custom built parts and some newly ordered parts. I don't think I have built a model, be it a car, train, building or ship in many long years that only used parts from the kit.

[EJ_L]

All canons have been installed on the upper gun deck. Most are on a simple carriage without rigging as details will not be seen once the remaining decks are in place. The four canons on either side of the cargo hatches are the only ones on this deck to receive full rigging since those will be the only ones visible from above. Granted even they will not be easy to see once the spar deck and ships boat are in place. There was a lot of learning and trial procedures that took place with these guns. Trying to find the best ways to rig the guns so the ones on the spar deck that will be completely visible will look awesome.

 

Now that the canons are installed I will finish cleaning up a couple details and then I will be installing the spar deck and up another level I will go. It is an exciting step as this next deck is when I really start installing the heavy details. Support columns, arches, interior bulkhead planking, ladders and railings and many more items will be getting installed.  

[cobra1951]

Great job on those cannons

[Elijah]

They look great! Nice job!

[md1400cs]

E.J.,

 

Excellent detail with your carriages. If this is just an indication of when you will add your "heavy details" well hmmm...Exciting indeed - for those of us following your log. This looks to be an awesome build indeed. Enjoy!!

 

Cheers,

 

Michael

[EJ_L]

Bob, Elijah and Michael than you for the compliments and the likes from everyone else as well. As we all know it is always nice to see our work appreciated by others. 

 

I'm hard at work planking the spar deck now and the interior bulkheads. Once that is done I have lots of work to do building columns and arches to support the deck. I've been looking forward to building those and having them installed as to me they are the first of the interior decorative pieces.

[EJ_L]

I got the spar deck planked this week. Still have a lot of work to do on this deck but with the deck planks in place the trim boards can go on. First though I will clean up the bulkheads and plank them in the inside to make a nice, clean finish on this deck as most of the inner bulkheads are exposed at this level. The other good part of this is that I will be able to do the final trim and shape to the upper portion of the ship.

 

I have what is looking like a productive ship building weekend on schedule so we shall see what I can come up with next.

[cobra1951]

Looks all ship shape to me

[EJ_L]

So far my weekend of ship building is off to a great start. Got a lot of planking done on the inside bulkheads on the spar deck. Also started to set in place the gunwales which is finally adding a nice finished look. I will add those pictures probably tomorrow. Today though is mostly to showcase the first of many columns and supports that I am making to support the spar deck. These I am hand shaping out of walnut as the kit does not indicate anything to support the deck and I guess assumes it just floats in space defying physics. I am estimating I will need 12-14 of these columns but now that my first one has been a success I can make them a little faster so it shouldn't take too long. In any case, this is one of the things that I am glad I am adding as it will make a much nicer ship than if there were nothing there.

Edited June 5, 2016 by EJ_L

[cobra1951]

Nice job on the support pillars EJ i like them

But a poor show on the kit manufacturers part for not supplying what seem like essential parts, they could have at least designed the kit with some cross beams for deck support

Edited June 5, 2016 by Cobr@

[EJ_L]

Thanks Bob!

 

The planned supports were massive, out of scale arches built into the bulkheads. I have left them in for the primary deck support but only after extensive modifications to make them look a lot better. I'm still not completely happy with them but I moved on. I figure there are more important things to fret over.

 

I have noticed that one of the downfalls to POB kits is that often the manufacturers make the upper deck supports and frames much thicker and out of scale then they should be. I understand how this happens as they are made from a uniform piece of wood and where it will not be seen it is fine. However, on a ship like this one where parts are exposed or they create the top rail, they will not work. I have removed everything that was preformed on the bulkhead above the spar deck and hindsight being what it is, I wish I would have just cut them off at the upper gun deck and built my own framing from there. Oh well, live and learn for the next one.   

[md1400cs]

EJ_L

 

What Bob said +

 

Hindsight, in this hobby, is one of the most powerful catalysts for frustration. You are not the Lone Ranger. I'm sure all 22,000 members here have, at one time or two,  suffered from this as well - Ha Ha

 

PS: Very nice update looking very good.

[cobra1951]

Hi EJ

         Right attitude, don't let it get to you and learn from the errors you find along the way