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

[popeye the sailor]

it's OK about the flag EJ..........I never saw it before you corrected the mistake       I've  gotten the discoloration from the Ca as well.......I use white glue instead

[testazyk]

On 1/13/2019 at 4:40 PM, EJ_L said:

The bulkhead under the forecastle was much like those towards the stern for the officers quarters. They provided compartmentalized space for private rooms or storage or to get out of the weather. I cannot say for certain if this feature was on SR but, I have seen it on many similar ships and figured it may well have been there. 

 

With any bulkhead on a gun deck, they could easily be removed by the carpenter and his mates when the decks were cleared for action. As you said, the sailors would need to have clear space for easy movement during a fight so the cabin bulkheads were designed to be held in place with pins that could be removed when needed. 

 

 

Hi EJ--That makes a lot of sense.  I know that they had movable screens in the stern cabins to open up the gun decks.   But it seems like a lot of unnecessary bother to have one under the focsle--and why did they put trap doors in it?  Anyway, it's an interesting feature.  Thanks!

[EJ_L]

Channels are going up.

 

I’m holding off on installing the chains on the mizzenmast channel. I’m working on creating some additional scroll work to fit in these spaces and need access below this channel.

 

I’m not sure yet to the how and what these decorations will look like or even if this is a good idea but, I’m gonna try anyway! 

[yancovitch]

nice...are  you going to put any decorations on the sides of the stern galleries, behind the balconies?

[EJ_L]

I don't know yet. Honestly, that has been a bare spot that has long bothered me. With an enclosed QG, they would not have decoration as it would not be seen. With them open, I do not know. I'm sketching some different designs for the other bare places for fill ins. I'm taking a lot of creative free will in these designs as none of the more "traditional" decorative designs fit the spaces this kit left me with. With some luck, I might just make something that looks okay...

[yancovitch]

i think that on the plastic version, some open the galleries, and place the removed decorations on the hull behind were they  were....

[popeye the sailor]

..a continued great job EJ.........she's looking awesome!

[KenW]

Looking good EJ.  Keep it up.

[testazyk]

Hi EJ--I think some decorations under the channels would look good--maybe some little fleur de lis? 

 

Also, I have my question of the week.  Do you know how crew would have accessed the poop deck so they could work with flags, lanterns, etc.?  I would have expected there to be ladders up from the deck below, but the plans don't indicate any and I've never seen any ladders in any of the photos of other builds I've seen.  With the doors and windows all across the bulkhead below the poop deck  I can understand why the kit doesn't include a ladder, and there certainly wouldn't have been a hatch into the cabins below.  Looks like you are not including a ladder but I'd be interested in your thoughts.  Thanks!

 

Tom

[EJ_L]

Tom, good question and one I have wondered about myself often. On past builds I have usually built and placed a ladder to the poop deck (poop royal on this ship?) as those seem to be the only practical way of gaining access to this deck. Much the same as you, I have been looking through plans and other models of Soleil Royal and have not seen any ladders placed. This has been one of those unsure things for me as to what would be correct. Common sense is telling me that there should be one, but common sense has been overridden several times on these ships.

 

I'm hoping that additional digging will reveal the solution or that one of the experts may know and share. The plus side is that they are easy to access so if I need to add them or just decide to add them regardless, it can be done almost whenever. 

 

On an update note, I do not have pictures yet, but I have been working on additional decorations. Fleur-de-lis are indeed being used as well as some scroll work. I should have some pictures ready this week.

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

I found these curtosy of the net  - not sure if they help?

 

OC.

[Hubac's Historian]

Hello EJ,

 

It is an annoying void in kits of SR that there is no representation of reasonable access to the poop and poop-royal decks.  Here is what is presented for the St Philippe monographie:

 

I will, myself, create this sort of bridge platform (although, here, the so-called bridge is really the roof-deck over an officers sleeping berth) over my aft-most quarter deck gun, in order to create access to my poop deck.  I may, though, create a different Dutch-style (reverse curve) bulkhead for the poop-royal deck with treads attached directly to the bulkhead.  What’s left of my poop-royal deck will be significantly lower and somewhat shorter than what the stock kit allows for.

Edited January 28, 2019 by Hubac's Historian

[EJ_L]

O.C., Marc, thank you both for the images. I will most likely add in the ladders as I would think I would rather err on the side of them existing. without just raises too many questions. Another item has been added to the build list....

[testazyk]

Thanks very much guys--great discussion.  The challenge I've got (and I think EJ too) is that we've installed the windows and doors in the bulkhead so ladders and threads aren't the best option--you need to be a chess player  and think 12 steps ahead with this kit instead of the usual six or so.  I know it will be totally incorrect, but I'm thinking of a hatch in the poop royal behind the port door with a ladder going down to the poop.  I have no idea what would have been housed in that room (officer's dining?  probably no one's sleeping quarters) but it would be a logical solution from a building perspective if not from a ship layout perspective.  

[Hubac's Historian]

If you take a look at Michel Saunier’s build log for SR, you will see that the poop royal houses, if I remember, 5 sleeping berths.

[testazyk]

Thanks for reminding me of that amazing build.  I could say that the room belongs to a junior officer who just has to deal with people using his room!

[EJ_L]

I am fortunate in that I did think about this problem back when I was building the bulkheads. I set my cabin doors inboard by one window space in order to leave room for a possible ladder. I had questioned the lack of access back then and had just not come to a resolution in the months since.

 

With the heavy changes that I did to the ship to allow me to build out the interiors, I had to largely scrap what I was given on the plans as a design for these bulkheads. While creating a lot more work, it also gave me the freedom to modify them to better fit some details. It has also made fitting other things a pain as the unchanged kit no longer works right with the modified areas. All in what makes modeling fun!     

Edited January 29, 2019 by EJ_L

[EJ_L]

Slight distraction was waiting for me when I got home from work tonight. May not get a lot of building done today.  

[Fright]

E.J.  Enjoy your reading. The work on your ship is really amazing and shows off some of your excellent skills!

[EJ_L]

More decorations are in place. Now I can finish installing the chains for the dead eyes. 

[CDW]

Wow, this looks amazing. All that hard work you've done is really coming together down the stretch. 

[yancovitch]

 yea.....it's lookin pretty flashy......

[popeye the sailor]

she's coming along great EJ.........the added decorations and dead eye / channels look really super.   very nice work  

[EJ_L]

Started construction of the port lids. Got the lids themselves built this weekend and am now starting to fit the hardware. Did a test fit on the first one and it seems to be working fine. Now to blacken the hardware and assemble all 58 lids. 

 

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

They look mighty fine.

 

OC.

[Fright]

Awesome work !!!

[EJ_L]

All the port lids have been created and I have started to install them. First 10 are in place along with the cannon for that port. I still need to touch up the paint and adjust the lids, but I am moving along. 

[EJ_L]

Port broadside is armed and ready. Now to repeat on the starboard side. 

[Old Collingwood]

Beautiful work.

 

OC.

[md1400cs]

O.C. has this right.

And when you have also done all of the gilded carvings for this current project of yours E.J  it becomes even more impressive !!