Soleil Royal by Hubac's Historian - Heller - An Extensive Modification and Partial Scratch-Build

[yancovitch]

ha....how about securing the cotton-spandex? sail at four corners horizontally, laying saran wrap over it and filling it with some light-weight sand like material, so it will stretch on two...hmmm i guess three planes, then coating the sail with starch, thinned white glue...etc etc.....ha.....probably not the answer, but food for thought 😀

[druxey]

Enjoy vacation time, Marc!

[Bill97]

Marc this is the way I have done it in the past that should work very well for you to get the dramatically billowing topsail. Find something that resembles the shape you want like a soup can, shot glass, etc. for a mold.  Something that has a roundness roughly the shape of the arc you want. Cut out and do what ever sewing needs to be done on your sailcloth. Then simply lay the sail over the mold and apply numerous coats of diluted white craft glue (Elmer’s). The more coats you add the stiffer the billowed sail will be. Once it drys hard you can do further trimming and shaping. Then paint it to achieve the aged effect you desire. This process always works great for me. 

[Hubac's Historian]

That is an approach that I may be able to adapt Bill.  Because it is difficult to find cloth that looks good at this scale, I was planning to make my sails from Modelspan tissue - the stuff airplane modelers cover their fuselages with.  In that scenario, you allow the sail area to hang down through a cut opening, and then you wet the material with your thinned glue medium.  It produces nicely billowing sails.

 

What I want is a little more extreme, though, so maybe I can adapt your technique and carve the billowing shape out of something soft, like a block of balsa, and then glass the surface of my form with something that the glue medium won’t stick to - maybe epoxy?  Back in the pattern shop of Steinway, we used to use this phenolic resin-coated plywood for jig and fixture forms because glue didn’t stick to it.  Maybe that kind if resin can be purchased in liquid form somewhere.

 

I would also glue-in thin-gauge wire around the perimeter, to be concealed by the bolt ropes.  Thanks for the suggestion Bill, I’ve been grappling with how to approach that problem for some time.  If I can pull it off, it will look amazing!

 

Thank you all for the vacation well-wishes.  I am looking forward to some time away from NYC.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Hubac's Historian

[Ian_Grant]

1 hour ago, Hubac's Historian said:

Thank you all for the vacation well-wishes.  I am looking forward to some time away from NYC.

........ and smoke from Canada ...... 🫢

[yancovitch]

hey.....it's not our  fault!😁

[shipmodel]

Hi Marc - 

 

Lovely work on the figures.  They should set off the stern quite impressively.

As for the sails, read through my build of the Queen Anne's Revenge.  I did a lot of experimenting to make the billowed sails, although not to the extreme that you want to take them, given how they look in the drawing.  The scale is quite different, so the materials will have to be substituted, but there should be some techniques there you can profitably use.

 

Looking forward to watching her top hamper rise.

 

Enjoy the vacation

 

Dan

[wefalck]

That's an interesting approach, washes with paints that contain flakes of metal. Have to keep this in mind for certain applications ...

[EricWilliamMarshall]

Enjoy your time away! Your ship and your blog are an absolute delight! Reading this makes me feel like I’m being truly wasteful with my time!

[Hubac's Historian]

Thank you, Eric!  I thought I might get in some ship-time tonight, but getting back in the swing of life after vacation took precedence, unfortunately.  I appreciate the kind words, though.

[Hubac's Historian]

It has been a minute, and I still haven’t gotten to all of my paint corrections, or the glamour shots, but I have been taking the necessary time to as nearly as I can, perfect the crowning of the stern.

 

Once I had secured the backboard, and installed two pre-painted moulding strips to the outside edges of the backboard, I turned my attention to fitting the side-lantern box mounts.  Time and again on this build, despite careful pre-fitting of sub-assemblies, I have been amazed to discover just how much additional tweaking of a part becomes necessary, when it must finally seat next to an adjoining assembly.

 

For these lantern boxes, I had carefully set the quarter pieces (that support the boxes) so that the boxes met the sheer-line.  Nevertheless, that was before the aft upper bulwark had been secured to the model - after which, it takes on a more bellied shape.  Adding to that complication are the fact that my upper bulwark extensions flare out a bit, also, the aft rake of each upper bulwark piece is slightly different from one side to the other, AND, the transom camber introduces another angle to this compound-geometry soup.

 

I spent quite a lot of time filing-in the required geometry and shimming beneath the starboard lantern box before I was satisfied with the way that these pieces married into the astrological band of carvings on the backboard.  I only had to use a little bit of filler at the top of each box, but this was an acceptable outcome as this joint is mostly covered by the legs of horse and camel:

Above, you can finally see the degree to which my transom winds out of square.  This is really the only vantage point where it jumps out at you.  All things considered, it is acceptable to me.

 

The above picture already shows the thickening I added to the backboard, in order to make a reasonable seat for the Europe and Asia carvings.  Initially, I was going to double-plank with 1/32” styrene strip to make up this thickness, but I ultimately decided it would be much easier to make a close-fitting card template and transfer that to two layers of styrene sheet:

The trick to doing this in layers is recognizing that the top edge of this reverse-curve tafferal must bevel down to follow the sheer.  So, first I fit the inner layer, traced the tafferal line and removed waste close to the line, so that it would be easier to gauge where the outer layer needed to end up.  Ultimately, that’s how I determine the spacing of my scribed planking layout.  I haven’t had to use too much putty on this model, but a little was necessary on the inboard corners of this piece:

With that much established, I could do the final fitting of the Europe and Asia carvings.  Again, these were initially fitted to the backboard when it was flat and significantly thinner.  Despite all of the material I added to the inside face of the backboard, these carvings still extended past the inside surface.  It is quite difficult, without resorting to transfer paper, to gauge a good fit when you can’t clearly see the joint line.

 

Rather than add a third styrene shim, I decided to round down the bottom line of each carving:

This rounding isn’t a bad thing, as it adds a little shape and dimension to the inner surface of the carving, while leaving a little bit of the ledge visible:

The whole objective of all of this was to make the reverse-curve profile of the tafferal apparent on the inboard face of the model, as these carvings would have been scribed to this profile, in actual practice.

 

It is very difficult, however, to make a tafferal cap-rail, at scale, that follows this complicated shape.  My solution was to add an in-board half-round moulding that completes the illusion.  I love using painter’s tape to transfer exact shapes:

Above, I found it much easier to shape the top half of the half-round while the moulding was still part of the sheet.  Obviously, the thing becomes very flimsy, when you cut out the bottom profile.

I decided to leave a slight step, and I am toying with the idea of picking-out this moulding in yellow ocher, just to emphasize the detail.  Opinions are certainly welcome on this small detail.  In the end, though, I may just paint it flat black like the rest of the top-cap:

Next, I secured Europe and Asia.  For a little extra bond insurance, I decided to experiment with an idea.  I used a #11 blade to scrape thin shavings of styrene:

After a liberal application of liquid plastic cement to the bottom of the carving, I bedded a thin layer of shavings over the glue.  Another application of cement turns those shavings into plastic goo.  I got a little bit of squeeze-out, which won’t be difficult to clean, but I am satisfied that I have a strong bond, here:

All of this fiddling and filing makes a mess of the paint-work, and the model is full of plastic dust, at the moment, but here are a few perspective shots:

With those carvings in place, the model just barely still fits inside the folding halves of its build-box - less than a 1/16” to spare!  I’ll make a small relief in the box leaves, as insurance against catching the nose of these carvings.

 

The other thing I managed to establish is the stern perspective of the Africa carving:

Between a pair of vertical parallel lines, I transferred elevations of key reference features from the sheer view.  I used a steel ruler much the same way that you would on a full-size drafting table; I simply aligned the top and bottom hash marks for 1” with the left  vertical margin, to ensure a square transfer of points.

 

Undoubtedly, there is some margin of error, here, so my primary reference will be the stern view, as that is what determines how the figure seats and fits in relation to the quarter piece.  Any discrepancies in the sheer view will be reconciled to the stern view.

 

Later, I’ll get to sheer and stern elevations for the port side figure of the Americas.  This will be trickier, as I have no original Berain sheer drawing to refer to.  In that instance, I suppose I will start by drawing the stern view and transfer points for the sheer view.

 

Well, that has all been quite a mouthful!  Thank you all for looking in and sticking around.  I’m gearing-up for another busy school year of coaching youth sports and ferrying kids all over creation.  I hope to continue making reasonable progress on the ship, as we go.

 

All the best,

 

Marc

Edited August 24, 2023 by Hubac's Historian

[druxey]

Whew! You made an excellent job of the tafferel edge/rail. Would the top have been black and the edges gold?

[Hubac's Historian]

Thanks Druxey!  The top would definitely have been black.  Conventionally, speaking, gold or a simulated gold would have been likely for the moulded edge, but I am sticking with the latter 17th C. mandate to reduce gold work.  I will match the ocher on the outboard profile, and save gold strictly for ornaments.  I have chosen this approach largely for the high-contrast impact that allows the ornaments to really stand-out.

[John Ott]

I feel like framing that side view. You'd better think about getting some good photography and making prints when you're done. We can hang them over our workbenches to remind us what all is possible building in styrene.

[Hubac's Historian]

It is very kind of you to say so, John, and I would certainly encourage you to do the same with your own transformative rendition of the ship.  Speaking of which, how’s she coming?

[t_corret]

Shep Paine and the Historex catalogue recommended making a liquid sprue from plastic shavings and glue. After painting it on and drying, a hot needle or blade could super--detail textures of hair or other finicky effects. Congrats on a wonderful masterpiece!

[Hubac's Historian]

That is an interesting idea for low-relief detailing T_C.  I will have to keep that in mind for the future.  One question:  what exactly is “Shep Paine and the Historex catalogue”?

 

I really appreciate your continued interest and your compliments of the project!

[Bill97]

Marc your ship will have to be in a museum or on display somewhere when finished. No way it should set on a shelf in your home for only a few to see. It is an absolute work of art. Incredible job my friend. 

[yancovitch]

absolutely.....ha........yesterday, my couronne ended up in a hotel lobby in prince rupert bc.....better than rotting away in someone's basement, which is where it was.....six hour journey each way......no more piano no more boats now.....officially retired😁

[Hubac's Historian]

Thank you very much guys!  Never say never, Vic, although I’m so glad to hear your Couronne is on display!

[Jeff T]

Marc, I continue to be amazed with your precision work.  The painting is gorgeous, but so is the scratch building?  How do you get such crisp edges that seem to fit so tightly when you cut your styrene?  I made styrene rectangles for two tables for my galleon, and my initial attempts cutting along straight lines failed.  I finally ended up using a paper cutter, and still had difficulty keeping right angles and perpendicular edges.

[t_corret]

I forget how many "hobbies" there are! I mostly build and paint toy soldiers. One of the first series of fine model kits of tiny men was French, from a company called Historex. The soldiers are 56mm tall when built from a bag of a hundred parts or more, not all of which are used. Historex used white styrene and modelers began making truly expressive and dynamic figures and dioramas. Shep Paine was an American painter and model maker who used Historex as the basis of little gems of model-making. Google should give great images. The liquid sprue super detailing may not represent the wood carving you are so adept at recreating, since most modelers use it for hair and fur. All the best, sir.

[Hubac's Historian]

I will look that up T_C.  Thanks for the reference!

 

Hi Jeff.  What I do with my styrene, when I need to cut a straight edge, is that I make a series of shallow passes with a matte knife against a steel ruler.  It is not necessary to cut all the way through.  You can snap along the score line.  I then true the snapped edge against a homemade sanding stick with 100 grit paper double stuck to it.  Lastly, I always sand both broad surfaces to level the mushrooming that develops from the matte knife and to take away the plasticky appearance of the material;  this is the key to a nice paintable surface.

 

Oh, and another thing - I will “break” any super sharp edges, just as one would if they were making a piece of furniture.  Those sharp corners don’t hold paint well, and they tend to look a little severe.  A few scraping passes along an edge with a no. 11 blade does the trick.

 

When it comes to joining two curved surfaces, such as the large figures to the tafferal, I make sure to backlight the joint so that I can see whether I actually have touched down along the joint.  Mostly, it’s just a patient process that takes as long as it takes - I’ll spend a couple of hours trying to get one joint where I want it to be.

 

Another thing I like to do, after those large figures have cured (the initial liquid plastic cement), is that I will come back with liquid, brushable CA - the Crazy Glue brand - and that will wick into and fill any remaining gaps in a joint, while ensuring a super strong bond.  Much of the model is constructed in this way and it is way stronger than it really needs to be.  This is my compulsiveness at play.

 

Thank you, guys, for the likes and comments!

Edited August 27, 2023 by Hubac's Historian

[Jeff T]

Thanks for your very detailed tutorial!

[Hubac's Historian]

Yesterday witnessed the arrival of our first adult dining table and chairs which, sadly, ushers out the butcher block trestle table that was my work station and the backdrop of this project for the past six years.  It was a bitter-sweet day because I love that old workhorse of a table.  I bought it second-hand for $50 and refinished the top three times.  On the other hand, it is very nice to walk into our place and immediately see a touch of sophistication.  There will be no painting or gluing on that marble-top table, though!

 

Fortunately, IKEA makes a very nice birch gate-leg table with built-in drawer storage, which will soon become my new designated work station.  In the meantime, though, I wanted to get the model to a stage of crispness and clarity before I had no place for paint re-touching.

 

Please forgive me my self-indulgence.  Here is where we are at, presently:

I am very satisfied with the head-grating, and the way that all of the head elements integrated together:

One thing that was niggling on my conscience, though, was the fact that the aft headrail rosettes were glued under tension.  I have a solid welded bond, and I did wick CA into the joins, where I could, but I wanted a little extra insurance.  My solution was to drill two small holes a side, through the third headrail and upper bulwarks, to feed a length of annealed wire.  You can see where I painted over the exposed wire with red:

And inside, you can see how I twisted the wire ends taught, and then fixed the whole thing in-place with liquid CA.  This is all minimally detectable and will quickly fade out of view with everything else that will be going on around it.  I feel better now 🙂

I made a start at roughing out the figure of Africa.  I had quite a lot of the same wood (linden, maybe) that I used for the lower quarter galleries.

Unfortunately, this material really isn’t suitable for carving fine detail.  I will have to get my hands on a little boxwood, or some fruit wood like apple or pear.

 

A little fun with pictures.  Here, the juxtaposition with John Ott’s near-Van de Velde:

As I’ve said before, Heller really does manage to capture the early sheer of these ships very well.  Despite it’s many imperfections, my hypothetical recreation does, I think, capture something of the essence of what may have been.

 

Moving forward, I have been figuring out where I will source line and blocks and pins and cleats.  I really like the blocks from Dockyard Models, and the polyester rope from Ropes of Scale.  I can get most accessories I need from Dockyard, but anything else I will obtain from HisModel.

 

For the time being, and until the new worktable arrives, Soleil Royal Redux will shelter in her dry-dock:

I will occupy myself, until then, taking measurements of the materials I need, and developing an understanding of what needs to be done with the rigging.  Along those literal “lines,” John Ott has been a tremendous help in sharing his sources, and the rig and belay plan that he has developed for his model.  My belay plan will likely look a little different, but only because I do not intend to make the same use of pinrails.

 

If anyone is not yet aware, John has begun a build log for his magnificent Soleil Royal of 1693, which can be found here:

 

 

Many thanks to you John, for your help and generosity, and to all of you for sticking with this project for such an absurdly long time.  It is greatly appreciated!

Edited September 7, 2023 by Hubac's Historian

[Bill97]

Absolutely beautiful Marc. Hopefully you will become just as comfortable at your new work station and your inspiration will continue to flow through it. 

[druxey]

Do self-indulge us with your photos any time, Marc!

[yancovitch]

WOW that is super.....totally took away the ugly feeling of the heller hull......really looks like a 1st rate now.........formidable!!

Edited September 6, 2023 by yancovitch

[72Nova]

Just a masterful and well engineered job on this kit Marc 👍 and I second your fancy on the Dockyard Model blocks, It's what I use and the best I've seen IMO.

 

Michael D.

[Blue Ensign]

Simply magnificent Marc, what a display of artistry👏

 

B.E.