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

BLACK VIKING · May 6, 2019

Well saved with the tyre m8 it must have been a really scary . The Sol is looking stunning.

Martyn

EJ_L · May 6, 2019

I'm not sure what caused it to blow. I did not see anything on the roadway, but more than likely it was damaged earlier and chose that moment to go. The tires and quality tires and were not in bad shape with only about 35,000 miles on them. I am going to have the repair shop look and see if they notice anything when they pull it off the rim or if there has been any similar issues with the same type of tire. I will likely replace all of them anyway just to keep the balance even across the truck. Fortunately, I have a second truck that I drive for work so I'm not stranded. Not something I want to experience again though.

As for the ship, thank you all for the likes, compliments and critiques. As always, they are greatly appreciated.

md1400cs · May 6, 2019

E.J.

Good save on your part - looks as if your wheel also took a hit?

MJD

EJ_L · May 6, 2019

I think the wheel is okay. I have not seen any visible damage, but won't know for certain till I get the tire off and check it out. I'm hoping not, but would not surprise me if it did.

GrandpaPhil · May 7, 2019

Bummer on the tire!

Nice work on the model!

EJ_L · May 10, 2019

Attaching blocks to the bowsprit. Trying to rig as much as possible before securing it in place.

EJ_L · May 12, 2019

Bowsprit top is secured. The bowsprit itself is still loose. I think I will wait to secure it until the topmast and yard are in place and I am ready to run the rigging. It is just easier to work on it loose and it’s nice to be able to remove it when moving the entire ship around.

Well, time to let the workers have some time off from this yard and wake up those on Royal Louis. I think I am going to log in some hours on that build for awhile. See you all either over there, or back here when I return! 😀

Hubac's Historian · May 12, 2019

The tops all came out really nicely, EJ!

John Allen · May 12, 2019

EJ,

Finally caught up, first class my friend. Kudos on a scale from 1 to 10 a 15 :cheers: stay fit, hale and hearty.

John

EJ_L · May 12, 2019

Thanks Marc and John for those kind words and to everyone for the likes and following along on this long journey.

I love the look of the round tops used in those early centuries. They offer some style as well as function and also, in my opinion, look like what one would expect to see that high up on a mast; a working platform with rails to prevent falling. When they turned to more square tops with only a rail on the aft side for securing working lines, they became a minimalist work platform only. Granted, they functioned better with the sails and improving the sailing qualities of the ships is the more important thing.

Still, I like the look of them far better though, they are a pain to build.

popeye the sailor · May 23, 2019

I only put the like on that one 'cuz you included progress. how old are those tires anyway? change the others if they are over ten years old. ....bad sidewall, it looks like glad your OK. superb progress on your vessel.....she's look'in sweet!

EJ_L · May 24, 2019

They were just under 8 years, low mileage and still good treads on them. I think part of the problem comes from the fact that it doesn't get driven very often. I have a company truck that I use for work, and a lot of daily driving. That truck only really gets used on the weekends, which I don't really go that many places, or on vacation trips. Lack of use can be just as harmful on tires as wearing them out as they can dry rot and you don't notice it.

I did get them replaced this week and we looked to see if we could tell what may have caused it, but nothing was obvious. I called around to a few of my mechanic friends and they all agree that most modern tires are only designed to last about 8 years. Once they hit that time frame, regardless of usage, they become more prone to failure. Or, it was simply a chance accident. The worst part is it drained my hobby funds!

As for the ship, thank you very much for the kind words. She is safely under plastic for a while as I work on Royal Louis. I will return after I tire of installing planking to continue rigging. In the meantime, I am looking into the running rigging a little deeper than usual as I am debating on installing sails, probably furled, on her. Even furled, I will still need to add in a lot more rigging that is largely undocumented on the provided plan sheets which means reading deeper into other source materials. Anderson is a huge help here. Also, there are the sails themselves. I am still looking into a suitable material for them and techniques to make them look good. Lots of good lunch time reading through other build logs for guidance.

CDW · May 24, 2019

Some years ago, I think it was Firestone who produced a crop of bad tires that would come apart at the sidewalls. It caused more than a few fatalities before the company confessed to the problem. But like Denis said, it definitely looks like the sidewalls on these failed.

Once before I read where tires that have never been used will go bad over time just sitting on the rack, and that buyers need to be wary of the date of manufacture of the tires we're buying. I believe (if I remember correctly) the date of manufacture is in coded print on the sidewall somewhere.

Oh well, you're safe which is the most important thing. Back to modeling, dude!

EJ_L · July 21, 2019

Back on the build! Resumes working on the spritsail topmast and now have all the wood components built and fitted but not yet glued. I am preparing the ropes to make the shrouds now and will be adding them as well as the ratlines as the week goes on.

Still trying to decide if/how I want to add sails. I am going to try to get out to the fabric store soon and see what I can find. I don’t want to install the yards till they are added if that is the route I am going to take. More to follow soon!

EJ_L · August 1, 2019

Shroud work on the bowsprit topmast and the foremast as well as adding blocks and pendants for the running rigging. Slow process but it’s coming along.

testazyk · August 1, 2019

Looking good and you're in the fun part now! I was wondering what made you decide to put the railings around the top? Haven't seen that before.

EJ_L · August 1, 2019

Tom, the round top with railings were common practice until the around the start of the 18th century. That is when they slowly began to change over to the more commonly seen squarish tops with the rounded front corners and no rails or only the one aft for rigging. When exactly the changes started is hard to say as with most nautical changes, they were slow and happened over decades. The reasoning for the changes had to do with sail clearances and operation.

Here are a couple of pictures I pulled off google search real fast this morning showing the round tops on the Vasa and the Kalmar Nyckel.

Old Collingwood · August 1, 2019

Fine work there EJ nice to see you back on her.

OC.

testazyk · August 1, 2019

Thanks! That is one of the interesting challenges with bashing this kit--the actual ships that still exist like the Wasa and the Victory are 100 years earlier and later, so you have to extrapolate! Whether or not the actual ship had them, I think they are a nice addition.

EJ_L · August 5, 2019

Foremast shrouds have been fitted and temporarily tensioned. None of this has been secured permanently yet but I need to have them in place for spacings and the fitting of other items.

Working on ratting down down the spritsail topmast shrouds. Once they are done, I will fix the bowsprit to the hull with gammons and will be able to start fitting the fore and main stays.

EJ_L · August 8, 2019

More rigging going up. The bowsprit has been set and gammoning in place. Set the forestay which will likely be the last piece of rigging on the foremast for the time being. Next up I will fall back to set the stays and shrouds on the main and mizzen masts.

EJ_L · August 14, 2019

Mizzen and main fore stays in place.

Old Collingwood · August 14, 2019

Excellent work with the stays.

OC.

popeye the sailor · August 14, 2019

very nice start to the rigging phase!

md1400cs · August 15, 2019

NIce - as always

Hubac's Historian · August 16, 2019

Hi EJ,

Have you found that there is a particular order of rigging a model like this that prevents line-sag as you work your way up?

My first attempt at rigging SR started well, but before I knew it, my line tension was all off, and the topmast and t’gallants were raking aft at an un-natural angle; more like violin bows. The fact that the masts were made of plastic was a contributing factor, but I’ve seen plenty of plastic modelers succeed in smaller scales without their spritsail topmast looking like a fish-hook. Any advice on that front?

Old Collingwood · August 16, 2019

30 minutes ago, Hubac's Historian said:

Hi EJ,

Have you found that there is a particular order of rigging a model like this that prevents line-sag as you work your way up?

My first attempt at rigging SR started well, but before I knew it, my line tension was all off, and the topmast and t’gallants were raking aft at an un-natural angle; more like violin bows. The fact that the masts were made of plastic was a contributing factor, but I’ve seen plenty of plastic modelers succeed in smaller scales without their spritsail topmast looking like a fish-hook. Any advice on that front?

I had to jump in here if EJ doesn't mind, with my peal build I put wood dowels inside the plastic masts and use wood spars, this helps to strengthen everything to do with the riging.

OC.

EJ_L · August 16, 2019

Thank you everyone for the kind words and likes.

To try to answer the rigging questions, for a plastic model I've done what O.C. has said and inserted metal rods for strength and/or used wood instead.

On wood models, I'm still figuring it out... 🙄

What I've learned that does make a difference is that you will often have to readjust the tension of the lines as rigging progresses upward. Either leaving lines loose or under temporary tension is recommended so that the lines can be undone and tightened as needed. Also, work in balance. For every forward stay placed, install an aft stay and the same port and starboard. For example, do not tighten all the starboard shrouds before the port shrouds or the will pull to the side and straitening it back out once it is tight can be difficult. Instead, work it from both sides one pair at a time. Do this for the top and topgallant masts as well. Once all the masts are in place with their stays and shrouds, then all the lines can be tensioned to balance out.

Where I still struggle is with the running rigging, particularly where it has blocks that attached to the forestays. On a real vessel, the stays would be heavy and under enough tension that the pull force from the running rigging would not pull them out of line. On a model however, those lines are nowhere near heavy enough to resist the pull of the lines as they pass through blocks or the more complicated crows feet. To get the rigging to look correct, remain tensioned and not pull out place is a balancing act that I have not yet mastered.

In short work in balance and be prepared to rework the lines as you progress. And if anyone else has suggestions, please share!

Hubac's Historian · August 16, 2019

That is excellent advice, EJ & OC! It sounds as though the key is to not lock in your belaying points until all of the rigging is in place. And, as you say EJ, to take a balanced approach to the work.

EJ_L · August 25, 2019

Another progress update on rigging. All of the lower shrouds have been created and places though not fully secured.

Moving upward to the topmasts next. Once the topmasts are built and secured, the tops can be fully installed which will allow for the crowsfoot rigging on the forestays at the fore and main masts.

As always, thanks for following along!