Le Soleil Royal by EJ_L - FINISHED - Sergal - Scale 1:77 - 1669 Version

[EJ_L]

Don, I had not seen that site but I am very excited about it now! I was never very happy with the kit provided castings of the guns so this may take care of that problem. Thanks for keeping me in mind!

 

On a quick update, I've been working on the bottom tier of windows. This one I am having to build a little different than the upper two as this tier is not going to have the blue paint but instead it will match the mahogany that is on the sides. I decided that I would wrap whichever color the sides are around the stern. Therefore the upper two tiers are blue while the bottom is mahogany. The issue with this plan is that finding a paint or stain to match the mahogany has proven difficult and so a new solution was chosen. I am now inlaying actual mahogany into the posts and panels to achieve the look I want. This obviously take a bit more time that just painting would have but, I get the color match I wanted. I will upload pictures soon. 

[EJ_L]

Merry Christmas to all! Been a relaxing day for me which was nice and needed. Also got in some good build time which allowed me to finish up the lower tier of windows. Now I can install the entire panel to the ship and close out the stern planking. I still have several details left to model but many of those are dependent upon the balconies being set and the hull planking in place.

 

Also, I have decided to leave out any glass in the windows. Seeing into the cabins is already becoming difficult and all the test pieces I used didn't help things. I also worry about dust getting on them in the future and obscuring the view further. I think that is a detail that I can live without in order to preserve the interior view.  

[Old Collingwood]

41 minutes ago, EJ_L said:

Merry Christmas to all! Been a relaxing day for me which was nice and needed. Also got in some good build time which allowed me to finish up the lower tier of windows. Now I can install the entire panel to the ship and close out the stern planking. I still have several details left to model but many of those are dependent upon the balconies being set and the hull planking in place.

 

Also, I have decided to leave out any glass in the windows. Seeing into the cabins is already becoming difficult and all the test pieces I used didn't help things. I also worry about dust getting on them in the future and obscuring the view further. I think that is a detail that I can live without in order to preserve the interior view.  

She is looking fabulous  all that attention to detail is really paying off,  happy holidays to you.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

looks really nice !     {lucky guy......no snow!}  hope you had a super Christmas!

[yancovitch]

good idea about leaving off the window panes.....that's what i did on the confed.....not worth the hassle and they don't look good when marred in anyway......looking super.....congrats.......

[EJ_L]

Just a quick update today. I have started to secure and close up the stern. Set the windows in place and started to plank over the substrate panel locking everything in. Almost all of this planking will eventually be covered up with the decorations but this gives me an even plane to start building them. 

 

Next up I will start to fit the balconies. This will allow me to establish deck and ceiling elevations at each tier so I can begin to cut the wood for carving decorations. My plan is to fully torture myself by attempting to carve everything. Needless to say, this will be time consuming and I will probably jump back and forth between this and rigging canons. 

 

As always, thank you to all those who have commented, liked and just followed along. More to come soon! 

[EJ_L]

Started building the balconies and quarter galleys. Lots of guess work here and a bunch of building and rebuilding to try to figure out how but they are coming along. Yes, there will be a third one at the bottom. Just haven’t got to it yet.

[Hubac's Historian]

Hey EJ - the stern is really coming along nicely.  The windows look terrific and I agree that leaving out the glass is a wise move.

 

The quarter galleries are a daunting task on this model.  If I may make a suggestion, while it is still early in the construction phase: I think that if I were building this same model - rather than plank over these vertical framing ribs for the upper finishing of the QG - I would carve a solid piece of close-grained wood (maybe poplar, because it will be painted and poplar is easily worked).  This affords the builder an opportunity to improve the outline of the upper finishing and the depth of it’s shape.  The complicating factor, of course, is whether re-shaping the upper finishing will make it more difficult to use the kit supplied ornament.

 

Either way, it will turn out well.  To my mind, though, this is one area where an upgrade is worth considering.

[EJ_L]

Thanks Marc! I'm still experimenting with the top of the quarter galley as I'm trying to figure out exactly how it is built especially on the aft side under the statues. I have a plan in place that I am trying since these photos were taken so I will let you all know how it turns out. I did think about carving the tops out of a solid piece and dug around in the wood scraps out in the shop yesterday to find some that may work. My current plan still has me planking the roof mostly out of stubborn persistence to see if I can do it this way and make it look good.  

 

As for the ornamentation, I am using the kit supplied ones for reference and spacing but my plan is to carve them myself. Not yet sure how well they will turn out but I am looking forward to trying!

 

Anyway, probably won't be too many updates for the next several days. A friend of mine from the Navy is coming to visit over New Years and so there won't be much if any ship building going on. We are going to try to get the curio cabinet that will house La Couronne (and a bunch of the Admiral's collectables) built so there will be some ship related work happening.

 

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year and I wish you all a wonderful 2018!

[testazyk]

Hi EJ--Your build continues to look great and I know you have your hands full with the stern, but I wanted to get your (and anyone else's) thoughts on the installation of the head rails.  The kit comes with these clunky brass castings which can be made to look fairly good I think but clearly require some degree of bending (so that the aft end is flat against the front of the forecastle by the cat davits and the forward end is flat against the bowsprit.  I'm at the point where I'm putting in the small deck under the bowsprit where the heads are and I've been test fitting the headrails to make sure everything is straight and has clearance, etc.    I have visions of breaking the brass headrails when I try to bend them (which will force me to make my own which I should probably do anyway) and I'm wondering if you've given any thought to how to bend those things without coming to grief.  My only thought is making a jig, heating them on the stove and molding them to the jig.  I'd be interested in your thoughts.  Thanks!!

[EJ_L]

Tom, I'm not really sure how I would go about trying to bend the precast head rails. I havn't even looked at them to be honest as I intend to build mine out of wood. I would imagine that heating them up and gently applying pressure would give you the result you need if you are not wanting to build them yourself. Hopefully someone has a better idea or has done it themselves.

[yancovitch]

hmmm...notice that you didn't follow the deck camber or curvature at the stern.....maybe the kit was designed that way...either way it will still look fantastic.....

[EJ_L]

Vic, No I did not follow the deck camber. Oversight on my part when I detailed the interiors that I thought about way to late to convince myself it was worth the change. Funny part was I made sure the rest of the decks did maintain the proper camber. Don't know why I did not translate that thought into the cabin builds.

Thanks for still liking it though!

[zappto]

Stern looks terrific, I like your work on windows. Will you place some glass?

[EJ_L]

No glass in the windows. I thought about it a lot and tried a couple different materials and discovered that it is easier to look inside the cabins without the glass than with it and also I fear that the glass will get dust built up in the individual panes and I will have no way of cleaning them off. I decided that was a detail I could live without as its absence allows for better viewing of other details. Kind of like leaving the hull planking off  to view framing.

[EJ_L]

I do have a picture update coming soon. Last night I finished constructing one of the quarter galley tops. I still have the decorations to put on but the surface is built. It actually went a bit easier than I had anticipated which was a nice change. Tonight I am going to finish painting it and then I need to dig through the scrap wood box in the shop to find some good material for carving blanks.

[EJ_L]

Here it is, the first completed quarter galleys roof. Starting to add the first of the decorative trim. I’ve also started to carve the upper wreath. So far so good. 

[KenW]

Looking good!  What kind of wood are you carving?

Looks like you don't have problems with splitting.

Cheers

[EJ_L]

Ken, this piece is just basswood. I have a bunch of it laying around so I figured it would work for some of the simpler carvings. I'm probably going to switch to something harder like boxwood for the statues and ornaments that need to take on more detail.

[EJ_L]

First carving has been completed and installed. A few defects but overall I’m satisfied especially considering my limited carving experience. 

[Old Collingwood]

That looks really nice  stands out from the blue really well.

 

OC.

[yancovitch]

nice job....looks like you're gonna succeed

[BLACK VIKING]

Well all I can say is wow .  Well done my friend, looking forward to the next update 

 

Martyn

[Hubac's Historian]

The upper finishing came out really well, EJ, and your carving is a vast improvement over the kit fitting.  Keep going, and you’ll be a carving pro before this model is even completed.  Great work!

[Hubac's Historian]

I encourage you to carve the same ornament for the starboard side, before moving on to the next ornament.  The reason being that your carving technique will improve as you go, and you want to have consistency from one side to the other.  That way, your improvement will be more evenly dispersed throughout the whole composition of the stern.

[KenW]

The carving looks great!  Outstanding!

[EJ_L]

Thank you for all the encouraging comments and likes. This is one of the most anticipated and dreaded portions of this build but I am feeling more and more pleased that I took the path to make my own decorations. 

 

Marc, you have given some very wise advise. I had originally planned on completing one side before switching to the other but now I am thinking that you are correct in thinking that it may be best to work them both together. As you said, that will keep the quality of the carvings more closely matched from side to side and as they (hopefully) improve over time, both sides of the model will improve as one. I think I will finish up with the pieces I am on now so I don't lose that train of thought and then fall back a little to catch the other side up so I can begin decorating evenly.

 

I'll have some pictures of where I am at soon. I'm fighting another round of sickness (story of my life for the last 3 years) so I don't know when they will be up but probably within the next few days.

 

Thanks again for stopping in and happy building!

[Baker]

Nice work EJ

And i hope you get better soon.

Greetings

 

 

[yancovitch]

haha...quit eating sugar, and most problems will be solved .....at least that's what i'm working on....i have a lot more compassion for drug addicts now

Edited January 8, 2018 by yancovitch

[md1400cs]

Nice EJ, carving really separates the novices (me) from the pros - Good start indeed!!