Le Mirage by Sjors - FINISHED - Corel - Wood - 1:75

[Sjors]

Here is the re-post of my Le Mirage which I started in March 2012.

 

Hello my friends,

 

I ordered the Le Mirage last friday. Hopefully she will arrive next thursday.

This is a build for an advanced level, so this will bea real challenge for me.

I know I will ask for help and assistance with this build.

But with a lot of patience, the help of all off you and Anja, I know I can handle it.

 

On the internet I couldn't find any (additional) information or photo's of the 'real'Le Mirage

 

Le MIRAGE - FRENCH WARSHIP

 

MIRAGE - 17th century France saw a fierce rivalry between naval architects, artists and craftsmen, as each tried to outdo the other in constructing the finest and most lavish ship. A fine example of these excesses is the Mirage, built during the reign of Louis XIV in 1675.

 

 

Corel’s plank-on-bulkhead kit Mirage, is an accurate reproduction of this sumptuous vessel.

Figurehead, transom ornamentation, windows, lanterns and many other decorative parts are furnished in gleaming gilded cast metal.

84 burnished metal guns serve as armament, and perfectly aligned gunports open and close.

Double planking is comprised of lime wood for the fist layer.

Outer planking is done in a variety of hardwoods for a subtle contrast in colors.

Fittings include pre-carved ship’s boat, laser cut grating strips, cast metal anchor, brass belaying pins, wooden blocks and deadeyes, four diameters of rigging line and silk-screened flags and pennants.

Three sheets of plans and illustrated instructions are suited for the advanced
modeler.

 

 

Length 34-1/4"

Height 31"

Scale 1:75

Edited November 29, 2013 by Sjors

[Sjors]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello my friends,

Le Mirage has docked 

"... Il n'y rien qui trappe tante les yeux, ni marque tant la magnificence du Roi que bien orner les vaisseux comme les plus beaux qui aient encore paru à la mer ... "

Freely translated it means: "... There is nothing so pleasing to the eye, nor to the glory of the King, then the ships to beautify the finest that ever appeared at sea ..."

With these words, Jean Baptist Colbert, minister of Louis XIV, gave a new impetus to the growth of the French navy and the manner how to conceive the warships of the 16th century.

In fact, the period between the 16th century and the midth of the following one, may be considered the golden period of the sailing ships; a period which even some essentially sea-going characteristics of the men of war were sacrified to the exigencies of aesthetics.

This resulted in a tight rivalry between architects, artists and woodworking masters to apply decorations and trimmings. The masters of the ship, once arrived in the open sea, hurried to remove these 'obstacles' to make their ship easier to handle.

The reproduction to scale of ships of this type is obviously not very easy. Remember that in this period the shipwrightstransmitted their secrets from father to son without leaving written notes.

I want to thank you all in advance for your help and

assistance with this build.

 

 

 

Enjoy watching!

 

Sjors

Edited February 16, 2013 by Sjors

[Sjors]

I couldn't wait to get started, so here is the start of my build.








 

[Sjors]

Keel segments are glued in place.

The frames matches the ones one the drawing, but they don't fit onto the keel, as the photo shows.

Necessary adjustments to the depth on the joines of the frames are needed to make them fit (picture No. 4)

 

 

[Sjors]

Filed all the frames to fit the keel and dry fit them in place. The leveling is good.

Next is filing and fitting the spars (longitudinal beams) into the frames.

So, nothing is glued yet!

 

[Sjors]

The longerons and deck are not glued.
I've checkt all the frames and they are level.

The deck not fits just a little adjustment.

A few pictures to enjoy.

 

[Sjors]

While trying to dry fit the front deck, I noticed that the frame was to high and had to be lowered.

Now all the decks are dry fit into place.
More than in my previous build, I need to look far ahead before I'm going to do anything. And also having the written manual in Dutch and in English is a real challenge.

[Sjors]

Ok, there we go again.
The planks are following the slots

Everything is still dry fit.

 

[Sjors]

Just a little update.

I grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns and this isthe result!

 

[Sjors]

When the planking is finished, the frames will be higher than the planking and according to the manual I have to ' break them off 

But I will not do that.

I will neatly cut them to size.
And by the looks of it, a lot of sanding will be needed.

 

Edited February 16, 2013 by Sjors

[Sjors]

Someone  give me the hint to drill the holes for the false canons with a block.
I'll make a block by 10x10 mm and then drill the holes.
Here are the result.

 

[Sjors]

The false gun ports are in place.

I let everything dry and then the plank that goes under it.
After that I can go on with the rest of the planking.
And then.......sanding. a lot!
But that's part of the business.

 

[Sjors]

I drill the holes for the guns and for the picture I place them.
It look on the picture that they are not straight, but that is the angle of the camera.
When I look closely, they are good.

 

[Sjors]

A little update......

 

[Sjors]

Because I have not faired frame 3 enough, I have to try to sanding it at much as possible.

I think it works out .

 

[Sjors]

I use the camera from my HD cam so you really see everything.....
I even think to much
For some reason at the bottom it looks if I was seasick.
I have no idea why, maybe one frame is to high or the others are to low?
Or is this the normal way for a French ship?
I really don't know.
If somebody has an answer, please tell me.
And don't say that I'm an I.......
Watch the pictures and don't run away.
 

[Sjors]

The second layer of planks are going on the right direction.
I love double planking.
I don't like the bump in the hull because frame 7 was to big.
So, I removed a few pieces of planks, sanded the frame and put new planks in it.
What I can see now it is much better.

 

[Sjors]

Here are the pictures of the closed hull.

As you can see I used a lot of wood filler.

After a lot of sanding the hull is now smooth  and ready for the second planking.
The stern deck is fitted in place, but not glued yet.

First I have to make the deck beams.

The forecastle deck isn't straight so I have do do some adjusting to make it fit right.

 

 

[Sjors]

Notice the mast hole.
There is a beam under it that I have to remove a bit.

 

[Sjors]

I found out something ........
The deck beam that was going through the mast hole to the deckis also the support for the mast

You can see it at picture 2 at the bottom.
First I cut the beam as you can see at picture 1.

And that was wrong.

So I made a new beam It's always nice when something is clear.....
Or I can keep saying to myself, look forward!

 

[Sjors]

I plank the lower deck with leftovers.....
I glued the beams and dry fit the main deck.
Just how it looks when you are looking true the hatches.
I plank the hole deck.

 

[Sjors]

The planking of the bow transom is done.
Only a little varnish.
The doors are from......cardboard!
I think they had no wood left .
I don't like it at all.
I have to scratch new ones......and I need only 4 of them

 

[Sjors]

The stern is planked but no varnish yet.
I'll will be doing that when the double planking is also finished.
That's my next step in this build.

 

[Sjors]

Around the gun ports there is Palm wood.
So that's the only tropical in this area....
The hull is gonna have 3 colors.
Below the 3 planks of Palm there is coming 3 planks dark nuts wood, then 4 planks Palm wood, 4 planks dark nuts wood and then to the keel with light nuts wood.
Then to the top again with dark nuts wood......
So it's gonna be colorful.
The picture are from the starboard side.
First I have to go to the port side and plank there.

 

[Sjors]

A few pictures of the second planking.

 

[Sjors]

So, again a few picture of my progress.
The dark spot that you see on picture 3 is not glue but water......
I clean a little

 

[Sjors]

I found out that I came 2 planks to short.
So I take other planks and hoping that they match.
As you can see, I'm at the top.
Now I can begin to the lower part of the hull.
But still no varnish on it.
When I'm finish double planking, she get her varnish.

 

[Sjors]

Finally the second planking is done!
I know I did it not the right way, but I like it.
It looks good, so you can now look for your self.
The last picture shows you how it's gonna look like when there is varnish over it.

 

[Sjors]

More time to do something.
The varnish is on the Mirage.
It is still wet but I want to show the pictures to you.
Maybe there is coming an other layer of varnish.
But first I want to see how it looks when it is dry.

 

[Sjors]

After a week with long hours of work I have only glued the deck to the hull.

Because we don't have clamps that fit , we had an other solution.
Now you also known what we have for dinner the rest of the week.....
And you can also see what we are drinking.

And I have remove the top of the frames.
I was thinking what I want to use, a knife.....saw....or dynamite?
So dynamite was not allowed by Anja so I use a saw.
I was to fanatic that I cut one to many.......
No problem, I scratch a new one
It only holds a deck beam.