ESMERALDA by molasses - 1/640 - BOTTLE - Chilean Navy Training Ship

[molasses]

 

Finished Ogallala and can now get back to work on Esmeralda. I hadn't intended to take this much time away from Esmeralda but Ogallala turned into a much more comprehensive project than I had originally planned. I did find some more, useful, photos of E for some details on deck and aloft and kept her in mind during my side journey. I learned a few things from O that I will apply to E and I have a bit of re-work to do and some details to add before I pick up where I left off. I'll post my progress soon.

 

I came across an interesting variation on a ship in a bottle with Esmeralda as the subject but the method is a bit too ephemeral for my taste. 

 

 

Dave

[molasses]

Welcome to resumption of work on Esmeralda.

I haven't worked on it in over a year so picking up where I left off was a bit difficult. I decided I have some re-work to do to incorporate some techniques I learned or improved upon since the last work done. I also have a lazy streak.

 

There are a large number of round port lights on most of the deck hatches that I didn't originally intend to reproduce but decided I can't leave off. I realized I could do them as decals on the eight hatches and prepared them on the computer and printed them on decal stock along with the yellow metal stern relief detail and name.

 

Hatch cover details and stern relief decals.

 

Before applying the decals to the tops of the white deck hatches.

 

After applying the decals. The difference is more noticeable when you click the image. There are 146 port lights in the hatch covers.

 

To do the stern detail I had to photo-shop the relief from a photo of it and adjust that image for the curvature of the stern to print it on a flat surface and for the distortion from the angle the photo was taken. I also had to do some color correction to make it look bright and shiny (the photo was taken on a dark, overcast day so the relief looked very dull). then reduce it for the model.

 

Esmeralda's stern relief. I have to wait about 24 hours before coating all the decals with a couple coats of artist's matte varnish.

 

The photo from which I extracted the stern relief.

 

I realized while I was making the decals that this was the way I should have done the port lights on the hull. Live and learn. If I ever decide to do Esmeralda's sister ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano (a topsail schooner while E is a barquentine), any of the Gorch Fock sisters and clones (nine of them) or any ship with lots of port lights, I'll know what to do.

 

 

Dave

Edited January 21, 2015 by Dave Fellingham

[mtaylor]

Nice to see you resuming work on this one, Dave.  I would think you're right about the decals.  Beats trying to paint them and get them all the same size and in the right place.  Looks great!!!

[michael mott]

Great to see you back on the ship Dave

 

Michael

[cog]

Good solution. I could not see you painting awaytiny  specks/dots on the hatches, at least not 146.

 

Sometimes you need some time off to refresh your perspective. Looking forward to more updates

[Mirabell61]

fantastic work Dave,

 

just had a look at your log, Looks great, never seen so much lovely Details on a bottle ship

 

Nils

[Omega1234]

Hi Dave

 

Decals - A very nice and ingenious solution to the fine detail work.  They look great.

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[captainbob]

I've been missing the progress on the Esmeralda.  Glad its back.

 

Bob

[molasses]

 

Sometimes you need some time off to refresh your perspective.

 

That's one way to rationalize my laziness.    I'm very pleased to be back to work on Esmeralda and sharing my progress with my friends here. Thanks to all for the "welcome back".

 

Dave

Edited January 21, 2015 by Dave Fellingham

[Chasseur]

Nice to see some progress on the White Lady. I havn't had a chance to do anything on my build.

"Too busy" with work, some renovations at home, and at Mom's house.

Jeff

[Guillermo Gallardo]

Dear Dave

Congratulations about your work. Let me ask you about blueprints used to build Esmeralda ship model.

[molasses]

I'm working almost exclusively from photos. I was unable to find any plans for Esmeralda or her sister ship Juan Sebastian Elcano. I did find a low-res drawing of the weather deck and the deck below which gave me my deck outline and helped with my best guess at the waterline shape. I also had the dimensions (OA length, WL length, beam, mast heights, etc.) which I used to extrapolate other dimensions from the scores of photos I collected from the web.

 

Deck plan used. The lower deck shows the hull shape at the lower deck which I used to make my best guess

at the waterline. The three images below are lower-res versions (for posting here) of high-res images (up to

6 MB) I found and used for my deck detailing.

 

 

 

 

I also used numerous on-deck photos and video tours of the weather deck for specific details and as checks against my extrapolated dimensions. In most cases I have two or more photos of a specific detail from different angles.

 

Spar dimensions were easy to derive; there are numerous photos of Esmeralda under sail in which the spars are parallel or near parallel to the plane of the camera lens. It's easy to compare that length to the WL length or the total mast height in several photos to come up with a number at E's scale (1/640).

 

That's my long answer. My short answer would have to be, "I'm eye-balling it."

 

Dave 

[Chasseur]

Dave,

you are a very talented guy. I have no doubts you'll do justice to the build.

A very cool shot of the sailors furling sails. She must have a crew of over a hundred men.

Jeff

[molasses]

 

A very cool shot of the sailors furling sails. She must have a crew of over a hundred men.
Jeff

 

If you liked that shot you'll love this one:

 

300 crew + 90 Chilean Navy midshipmen

 

[IgorSky]

I'm working almost exclusively from photos. I was unable to find any plans for Esmeralda or her sister ship Juan Sebastian Elcano.

Hi Dave,

I have two sets of drawings of Juan Sebastian Elcano (7,5 Mb and 23 Mb). I will try to find the links to a resource where it is possible to download them or I can send them to your e-mail address if it is necessary for you.

 

Best Regards!

Igor.

[molasses]

Hi Dave,

I have two sets of drawings of Juan Sebastian Elcano (7,5 Mb and 23 Mb). I will try to find the links to a resource where it is possible to download them or I can send them to your e-mail address if it is necessary for you.

 

Best Regards!

Igor.

 

Where were you two and a half years ago?    I'm at 95%+ done fabricating with only deck details left.  And I do not want to find that I have a bunch of mistakes to correct.

Seriously, Igor, I appreciate the offer but I really don't need them.

[Guillermo Gallardo]

Many thanks, Dave. Your answer is what I expected, skill and effort have been your main tools.

 

Igor, your drawings are going to be well appreciated.

[IgorSky]

Hi Guillermo Gallardo ,

 

I have sent PM to you.

 

Best Regards!

Igor.

[molasses]

 

Time to post some progress.

 

I'm basically focusing on deck details near and on the lower bridge just forward of the main mast.

 

The flying bridge with radar units on roof and the boat with davits and containers below the boat.

 

I drew the components I needed for the flying bridge on the computer and printed them out on card stock. 

 

Flying bridge parts with X-acto blade for size reference. Yes, I freaked out seeing

them life size and wondering how I was going to cut out all those windows (22).

 

But I surprised myself and all went well. Mostly complete flying bridge.

 

I made the radar cage from 40 gauge (.0035 inch / 0.09 mm) wire with top and bottom made from a narrow strip and two discs of card stock. Other radar is a bug pin with the head built up with a couple dips in gesso. The roof of the lower bridge has two holes drilled in it to receive the two pins which will be cut shorter later - they are much too useful now as handles. Some detailing remains.

 

I worked on the davits, boats and containers as single assemblies on bases from paper. This is essentially the same as on the ship (except the base is a thick steel plate) and works out well for me.

 

Six containers, two davits and a boat.

 

The containers were made from basswood sanded to diameter then cut off to length. I made lots so I could use those that were closest in length, even a couple thousandths difference in length at this size is noticeable. Davits and cradles made from 30 gauge wire. Boats were made the same as the others made earlier. The boats need thwarts, oars, rudders and tillers.

 

These three assemblies will be glued to their places after the ship is in the bottle. At least that's the plan. I may be able to install the boat & davits assemblies before but I won't know until later - it seems better to plan for the worst case at this point. 

 

I also made two of these racks with three more containers each.

I've assumed these containers hold inflatable life rafts - sixteen total.

 

One of three fire hose reels on deck.

 

Here's the group photo including the motor launch at far right which is now just a 

painted hull needing floor boards, seating, motor compartment, tiller and rudder.

 

 

 

Dave

[Chasseur]

Excellent detail at this scale Dave. I forgot about your mini clothes pins for holders. I really do need to make myself some! The white lady is coming along nicely.

Jeff

[mtaylor]

Amazing....

[molasses]

Jeff,

 

If you look closely you may notice three sizes of clothespins. Here in the States the mini clothes pins can be found at Walmart in the craft section and the small ones in the office supply section. It seems strange they are in different sections but they are.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Dave Fellingham

[mtaylor]

The mini's are in the office supply section because they were originally being sold as "paper clamps".  Yeah.. bizarre, I know.

[cog]

Stunning ... silence

[Chasseur]

Guys thanks for the tip about Walmart. I shall have to pay them a visit .... Jeff