Roter Lowe by Stevinne - Mamoli - 1:55 - Dutch-built Galleon

[Stevinne]

It has been slow but steady work on the hull over the summer. Usually two or four planks per weekend, but I have finally completed the first layer of the lower hull. If anyone is ever building this kit, please take my advice and install balsa bow fillers between the frames. I'd thought about it, decided I didn't need them, and started regretting it almost immediately. This was my first galleon-type ship, and it is now my opinion that on these craft, bow fillers are a must.

Sir Francis Drake, who has been watching my work said "I told you so."

I have to say the wood was nice to work with.

I need to do some stealers around the stern and then I will plank the deck and install the cabin facings before finishing the first layer of bow planking.

 

Edited October 10, 2017 by Stevinne

[zappto]

Hi, this is nice work indeed, will you cover stern on the second planking?

Edited October 10, 2017 by zappto

[Baker]

It starts to look nice.
Filler blocks are indeed handy to work with.

[EJ_L]

Planking is looking nice! Slow and steady is producing a nice hull.

 

Filler blocks are a must do step for me on any P.O.B. build. The spacing between the bulkheads especially at the bow is just too great to support the planks properly without fillers. They are a life saver! 

[Stevinne]

With the weather warming up, and my son finally completing his Eagle Scout project, I have some time to get back to work. Over the weekend I headed out to my unheated garage work area and completed the first layer of planks. I actually overplanked the forecastle and had to remove one run after looking closely at the drawings.

I'm finding the instructions really hard to follow on this build. Also, I'm very stingy with wood. I was reading Fred Hocker's great book on the Vasa, and he talked about how the Dutch craftsmen would be careful not to waste any wood. I make the Dutchmen look generous. Still, I finished the first run of planking with one plank left to spare - and that would have been used if I hadn't saved every scrap and used them when they fit. Not giving me a lot of confidence about finishing this build without a materials run to Model Expo.

Next up, planking the stern and the facings on the various cabin walls.

Edited March 18, 2018 by Stevinne

[Stevinne]

Working on the stern, filling gaps between the various decks with 1.5x5mm planking.

[EricWilliamMarshall]

How goes the build?

[Stevinne]

Been a while, and I'm sorry. I'd like to say that in the intervening months I had gotten better at the mandolin and learned the banjo, but that might be exaggerating things. I had hoped that by now I'd be out of the unheated garage and into an indoor shipyard, but this virus lockdown has delayed my daughter's plans on moving out of the room that I have been quietly coveting since she completed her masters degree, since here they aren't sending out inspectors to issue CO's. Can't complain though. With my son back from college for the rest of the year, and my daughter pretty much prevented from going anywhere during the evening and my wife's library closed, we are all home together and getting along surprisingly well. I'm sure that I, at least, will always appreciate this extra, unexpected time together before my kids truly become adults. One of the problems with no dedicated build space is that I have no place to permanently hang my plans. Earlier this week, during lunch while working from home, I laid them out on the table and traced the lines onto a piece of wax paper and compared them to my model in preparation for the second layer of planking. I outlined the curve of the planks that I need to sand on the forecastle leading to the waist, and found that I had cut a little too much from the planking leading from the stern to the waist. Since this model will be double planked, not too big a deal. Rather than tearing all the planks off, I just added extensions. My next task is covering these with artist's paste and then sanding flat and then cutting gunports on the stern as well as a cutout for the tiller to enter the hull.   

Edited April 6, 2020 by Stevinne

[Stevinne]

Taking a look at my log, I realize I had skipped a step. A couple of months ago I planked the facings of the cabins. I wasn't particularly happy with how they turned out, (maybe that's why I didn't post pictures) particularly the facing of the stern castle leading to the waist. On reflection, I probably should have planked them once I installed the false fronts and before I did the hull planking. I also starting from the top and worked my way down, since I had to leave the posts for the rails uncovered. That led to some difficulties when I got close to the deck. Something to consider if you are ever building this kit. My plan now is to add a water/glue mixture to the gaps once I remove the frames and see if sawdust might hide some sins. My other regret is that I didn't plank the deck before I planked the hull. I did this because the frames continue up above the deck. The idea is that the frames lend support while planking the hull and are then cut off, the nubs sanded down and then the deck planked. But now it is going to be difficult to make the deck planking in the big opening in the waist leading to the stern castle look good. Oh well, a hobby is supposed to fill the time, right?

Edited April 6, 2020 by Stevinne

[EricWilliamMarshall]

VTHokiEE suggested balsa filler to me for my last build. I found it easier to work with than sawdust and glue. It was water soluble, creamy, sanded well and took stain. Just for the record I got: Hobbico HobbyLite Filler Balsa. 

 

 

[EricWilliamMarshall]

And for the record, from the ‘outside’, the build looks great! I look forward to more. I’m having a challenge to get time to work on my build as well, in this time of plague. On the the other hand, I’ve never had a spot to hang my plans. I did see another build log where an easel was used for the plans and another who made a frame from PVC pipes for the plans. As fate would have it, I have a banjo - I’m gloriously awful at it.  

[Stevinne]

9 hours ago, EricWilliamMarshall said:

And for the record, from the ‘outside’, the build looks great! I look forward to more. I’m having a challenge to get time to work on my build as well, in this time of plague. On the the other hand, I’ve never had a spot to hang my plans. I did see another build log where an easel was used for the plans and another who made a frame from PVC pipes for the plans. As fate would have it, I have a banjo - I’m gloriously awful at it.  

The problem, I find, with being bad at banjo is that the things are so godawful loud. I can play my electric guitar with the headphones on and not bother anyone. I need to close the door when I pick up the mandolin, but it can also be played pretty softly. But the banjo? That sends folks running for the hills when I attempt it.

Edited April 6, 2020 by Stevinne

[EricWilliamMarshall]

27 minutes ago, Stevinne said:

godawful loud

That is so true!!! I imagine tuba players have the same issue. I’m much better at my ‘quieter’ instruments. But only due to my desire to stay married...

[Stevinne]

7 hours ago, EricWilliamMarshall said:

That is so true!!! I imagine tuba players have the same issue. I’m much better at my ‘quieter’ instruments. But only due to my desire to stay married...

I also play the tin whistle and recorder and have been threatening to learn the bagpipes, but had the same fears about maintaining my marital status. This year for Christmas I got an electronic bagpipe chanter that allows you to play while wearing headphones. I think it was a subtle comment on my playing.

[Stevinne]

I figure since I am moving forward, I'll post some pictures of the jig I used to determine the angle of curve for the bulwark. My wife saw me cutting out the stern piece and wanted to know why I was making a wax paper jack-o-lantern.

[Stevinne]

On 10/10/2017 at 1:14 AM, zappto said:

Hi, this is nice work indeed, will you cover stern on the second planking?

Zappto, Sorry for not responding sooner. Yes, the stern gets a covered during the second planking. I will do it first, and then the rest of the hull. This way, the ends of the stern planking will be covered by the ends of the hull plank, which should make it look better when viewed from the side.

[Stevinne]

On 7/6/2017 at 10:03 AM, Jean-Pierre said:

Oh, just a little detail: the name Roter Löwe is German, so I suppose the ship is from one of the German states, and not Dutch (from the Netherlands)

 

 

Jean-Pierre, you are right. The ship history that came with the kit said she was a ship used by the Elector of Brandenburg. She was built in the Netherlands and then sold to him. That's why I called it Dutch. It looks like she served in the Baltic around Konigsberg. 

[Stevinne]

Going a little covid-stir-crazy, so broke out the Dremel tool today and filed the bulwarks to the curved outline from the plans. Fairly easy to do, though the Dremel quickly takes wood away and I have one divit that I will need to fill when I sandwich it between two layers of second planking.

[S.Coleman]

My opinion is i love mamoli kits. Personal preference. Your doing a great job. Its coming along nicely. Checkout my mamoli build of the Friesland if you have time. The log is still on this  site. Looking forward to the next layer planking.

[John hagelberg]

Hi been working on 5 different model timber ships in between this kit gallion roter lowe

Its pretty hard with the small.timber in lays of the decorations finnaly got bottom half finnished dont know how to attach the photo

[Stevinne]

Finally got back to work. I'd tried planking the stern earlier, but for some reason the glue didn't hold very well and I had some loose planks. I wound up pulling off everything I'd done, giving the plywood back plates a good sanding and starting over. This time it seemed to work. The kit comes with pre-cut gunport lids. I didn't cut the plywood backplate to accomodate them, since trying to cut a hole for the tiller proved difficult. Instead, I decided to glue them on, then plank around them to try to give them less of a "pasted on" feel. Now that I've done it, I really can't tell the difference and it probably wasn't worth the extra work. I will place the hinges and the line used to open the port later on, as I'm afraid they'll get knocked loose in the building. Once I complete second planking the rest of the hull, I will sand everything and use a little watery glue to help hide spots where the plywood shows through.

Edited October 30, 2021 by Stevinne

[Stevinne]

I know folks like Mamoli kits. Here's my problem with them. I find the instructions very complicated, requiring me to jump to multiple sheets and the box top to figure out what materials I should be using.

Edited August 26, 2022 by Stevinne

[Stevinne]

Have a little time on my hands, so did some more work on the second layer of planking. Not as tight as I would have liked, but this is my first time working on this type of hull shape and it gave me trouble. I also need to clean up some stray wood glue (those white patches about 3/4s of the way down the bow). My next ship is going to require me to really school myself on planking technique. You also can't see it in this photo, but the second layer of planking has also shown me the necessity of really making sure I do a good job of fairing the bulkheads. This ship has more lumps and bumps than my 62-year-old frame, which is depressing. I had a question about the beakhead. I always imagined that on real ships, this was compass wood pretty much made of a single piece, but the photo on the kit box appears to show the beakhead either planked or with faux plank lines drawn. Not sure how to approach it.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Stevinne

[Baker]

Great work.

There are quite a few nice examples of a beakhead.

I'll look for it, but you'll have to give me a few days. I'm quite busy at the moment 😉

[Baker]

On 8/26/2022 at 11:13 PM, Stevinne said:

Not sure how to approach it.

I hope this helps.

Batavia replica   link pictures removed 

(This site is no longer in use, Baker april 2024)

 

plan

A Roter Lowe, step by step (beakhead starts somewhere at post 260)

 

 

Edited April 14 by Baker

[Stevinne]

7 hours ago, Baker said:

I hope this helps.

Batavia replica    pictures link

 

plan

A Roter Lowe, step by step (beakhead starts somewhere at post 260)

 

 

Patrick,

Thanks for the help. Going through Ondras' build log answered the question and also left me incredibly impressed.

[Stevinne]

Some additional second-layer planking completed.

[Stevinne]

Had a health scare recently, so while I was on Amazon ordering up some CA remover, I also ordered an electric shut-off timer that I can plug my planking heating tool into and not worry about inadvertently burning down the house around my family's ears if things go south for me again while I'm working on the model. When I was a kid, my great-grandmother's summer house had a similar analog egg-timer/electric outlet set up as part of a drop-down ironing board built into the kitchen wall. It struck me, even as someone very young, to be an eminently practical and elegant set up. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Stevinne

[Stevinne]

I was looking over photos of the replica ship Batavia that Baker thoughtfully provided. My one takeaway was that I might need to rethink my plan to paint the gilded pieces provided with the kit. I thought ships of the era probably didn't have as much glitter as my kit implied, but the Batavia does seem to have more than I would have thought. Also, looking at the photos, I was wondering what is the point of this planking at the bow. It looks almost like a second layer of planking, maybe to provide extra protection when muscling through the waves? These photos were a big help, so I really appreciate being directed to them.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Stevinne

[Stevinne]

Moving on to the starboard side. On the port side, I did the second layer of planking by running alternating touches of CA and wood glue on the plank and then applying it to the hull. I found that to be very messy, since anytime the plank touched some already applied wood, the glue would leave a mark. On this side, I'm tacking the plank to the bow with some CA, and then applying the glue to the hull and then pushing the planks into place and then running the plank-bending tool over them to make the glue set quickly. It seems to give me better control so far.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Stevinne