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

[EJ_L]

Port side gun ports are in place, hull is sanded and ready for the second planking! 

 

Started working on the stern below the cabin balconies. Framed up the stern ports and planked up to the balconies with the finish layer.

 

Going to take a break on her for a little while now before I really dive into the second planking. There is a lot of it but the second layer tends to go faster than the first and once I get going on it, I like to see it to the end. So before that I want to work some more on La Couronne as she is nearing completion. I may push to finish her up before I return to this log so it may be awhile before there are any new progress pics on here.

 

 

 

[Sjors]

Beautiful view EJ.

You have planked that stern just great!

 

Sjors

 

[Hubac's Historian]

Great start to the transom, EJ.  You were right to shorten the height of the chase ports; it will make a big difference in the finished model.

[donrobinson]

Great progress EJ, I'll see you over on La Couronne. I'm hoping that when these two are done you will build something that is easier to spell

[ca.shipwright]

Ditto Sjors

[EJ_L]

Sjors, Marc, Don, Michael, thank you all for the compliments!

 

I wasn't entirely sure what the intentions of the kit were with the original chase ports being so big. From what I have see on most ships, they were either the same size as the side ports or smaller as the guns for those ports were often a much smaller caliber or even just a swivel gun. If the instructions addressed it, I either couldn't find it or it was in a language I do not read and did not feel like translating out of laziness.  The stern below the balconies has been a large mystery on this build as what little is shown of the stern all focuses on the decorations and not the structure. That is understandable to an extent as most people build this ship for her decorations and not those 4 chase ports or the rudder but, it would have still been nice to have a little more detail shown on one of the drawings....

 

Don, well I do not know if you will get your wish very soon as the next build that I plan on once La Couronne is done will be a scratch build cross section of La Couronne but, at least you won't have to learn how to spell a new name!   The next full ship build that I am planning is looking like the Royal Louis. My plan is to show the evolution of French ships of the line during the 17th century. Royal Louis would make a great one to end the century on however, there is little information, drawings etc., for me to go off of to model that particular version well. The only kit available is of the Royal Louis of around 1779. While not of the 17th century actually about 100 years after Soleil Royal, I think this may be a better presentation. With the slow changes of ship building and rigging practices, the early attempts by the French are well shown now with Couronne and S.R.. Modeling a comparable ship that now carries the full range of nautical changes that have evolved of the century of time will, in my opinion, be a more dramatic display. However, that build is far down the road as the funding for that project does not yet exist and I do want to do my cross sections for each ship I build.

[mtaylor]

EJ,

 

As I understand it, the chase ports (early on) were used not just for guns. The guns weren't permanently installed there but stowed off to the side. They used the ports for ventilation and also for loading and off-loading any cargo/stores.  

 

If I'm wrong and have misunderstood their functions, I hope someone will let me know.

[md1400cs]

EJ,

 

Just catching up - as all have just posted - stern and all of its details - looking very good. Nice update.

 

 

[EJ_L]

Now that La Couronne is done I've returned to S.R. to begin the second planking. To start that I have located the two wales in between the lower and middle gun decks. Those were about the easiest to locate as I have the gun ports for reference. These will be my guides to base all the rest of the hull planking off of. 

 

And the work begins with the first sections going in place and continuing down the hull with planks below the first wale going in next and then the bottom wale for that section completing the run. I always enjoy seeing color going onto the hull. Makes me feel like I'm bringing her to life.

[BLACK VIKING]

I have been looking forward to seeing the second planking going on and I can't wait to start on mine . Lovely work EJ 

Martyn

[EJ_L]

More work on the first runs of planks and wales and one side is now complete! Making my way around the bow and getting ready to start the same run on the starboard side.

 

As always, thanks for looking in!

[Sjors]

EJ,

 

When you finish planking, let me know......

 

Sjors

[EJ_L]

Sjors, 

 

As long as I don't start another build I might be done in a month or 2 but, the odds of me not starting another project of some sort are very small... In fact I need to get to work on a book case for the Admiral and the display case for La Couronne in addition to finishing repairing a bench that sits on our porch. It has just been way to hot out side lately (over 100 F) so I have not been in the mood to work in the wood shop lately.

 

Oh, and there is the cross section scratch build that I am in the planning stages of for La Couronne also. Hmm.... guess I better get off of here and get working on something!

[Sjors]

I just wanna say......i have also a planking thing😄

Take two build and restore the rest.

But first make the Admiral happy and give her the bookcase......🙃

 

Sjors

[testazyk]

Hi EJ--Loving your work on this build.  I'm bashing this kit right now and had the same problems you did on gunport alignment and I agree with you that the problem is lack of a fixed reference point--you have to worry about the decorative pieces on the gunwales, the locations of the chainwales and the height of the upper deck guns all in relation to whether the gun deck ports are in position around the mythical line of those decks.  Bottom line--we should invest in a wood filler company.

 

I'm not sure if you addressed it in your narrative, but I'm wondering where you are going to put the power supply for your lights.  I'm planning to make the base a box that can accommodate the batteries, but not sure how close to the ship I want to put the switch. 

[EJ_L]

Tom,

 

Thanks for the nice words and good luck to you on your own build! As to the power supply, my lights work off of a 9volt battery. I bought a small push button switch to control them and I plan on mounting them in or on the display base. Exact method will be determined when I actually build the base. For now I have just made sure to leave myself plenty of extra wire out the bottom so I don't end up to short. 

 

Now to the update. I got the first row of planks and wales on the starboard side this week and today I worked on the beakhead bulkhead. Gun ports framed, bowsprit hole shaped and test fitted and the beakhead deck planked also. Now to start laying out the next run of wales and planks.

 

Enjoy the pictures!

[testazyk]

Hi EJ--I'm thinking the same thing.  I've got two AAA batteries and my experience with that kind of battery is that you can't leave them in the holder unused for too long so I'll probably be putting them in and taking them out a lot.  I'm thinking of a box in the base I can easily slide in and out.   You're probably a better electrician than I am but I've been testing my lights regularly to make sure that the G-forces of drilling, sanding, etc., haven't knocked loose any connections. (FYI, they have and I've always found the problem immediately after making the connections inaccessible!--great fun).  Good luck.

 

[EJ_L]

Progress has slowed a little this week due to not feeling very good but, my brain keeps turning with things to do. One of those things is the color blue to be used on the upper planking. My plan is to pre-paint as much of the planking needed for this are prior to installing it on the ship so I only have to worry about touch ups later on. Fewer chances of getting paint where I do not want it to go that way. So I am in need of a blue to use and or suggestions of what I should be trying to achieve when mixing paints. My backup plan is to try to match the blue used on La Couronne as I like the look of it. From what I have seen in paintings of S.R. however, I have seen it both darker and lighter. Hoping one of you other French ship modelers may have come across an accepted shade of blue for French vessels of the era.

[Hubac's Historian]

The question of what shade of blue would be appropriate is a difficult one to answer.  The deep, ultramarine blue which was made from pulverized lapis, would have been exhorbitantly expensive to make, and so in my opinion - I believe it would have been present on SR, but used selectively, as an accent color.  Most of the upper bulwarks, I believe would he a lighter shade of blue.  Given SR's special status within the fleet, however, it is possible that they spared no expense and did her whole upper works in ultra-marine blue.  In the absence of more in-depth research, I don't think there is a completely right or wrong answer.  For guidance, though, one can look to the restored interiors of Versailles, which presumably, would be painted in shades that mimic period colours.

 

The most I could determine, so far, was that other shades of blue could be more cheaply produced from oxides of copper.  Later, when I get home, I'll post a pic of a colour scheme that I personally like and plan to use.

[Hubac's Historian]

I haven't made my mind up about this completely yet, but at first I was liking this muted grayish blue from Versailles, as the primary blue, with ultramarine accents on select areas of the stern quarters and tafferal:

 

I think the gilt work shows up really nicely against this color.

 

But, then, I saw this model and it got me to thinking about the way this brighter, light blue plays against the yellow ochre:

 

 

I really like this as a primary combination, where most of the panel framing would be in this yellow ochre, while reserving the gilt work for the large and important figurative carvings and certain essential accent carvings, i.e. anything that directly references the sun, or the Sun King, himself.  In this scheme, I would still use Ultramarine blue as a secondary, accent color.  This second approach may or may not be accurately reflective of what was being done at the time, but artistically, I just like it.

[mtdoramike]

This kit was always on my to do list, but like the old saying goes, "To many kits, not enough time".

 

 

mike

[EJ_L]

Mike, I think that is a problem we all face. There are so many great ships out there and unfortunately only so much time to build them in. I am glad I got started in this hobby early so that while I know I can't build them all, I hope I can at least get to the ones on the top of my list!

 

Marc, thanks for all of that information. I agree that the brighter light blue with the yellow ochre certainly has an appeal and, in my opinion, would be more in keeping with the flashy, extravagant wealth boasting of the time. The versailles grey reminds me too much of the haze grey that I saw plenty of during my time in the Navy and while it does great today, trying to hide the ship was not really what they were going for back then. I may be way off base but I would think that the brighter blue if not the full ultra marine would have been used just to show off how much money the crown could afford to spend.

 

I will probably play around with a few colors and see what I like best. I also really like the idea of using the yellow ochre on the majority of the carvings and gilding just the specific sun king ones. Looks like a trip to the hobby store is on the to do list this weekend!

[BLACK VIKING]

I was thinking the same EJ . I was not to convinced on what blue to use? And also was her hull painted with white stuff or just left natural wood 

Martyn 

[Hubac's Historian]

I was surprised at how little I was able to find out about period paint color and it's usage.  In the end, there seems to be enough credible period portraiture of the ship to suggest that full ultra-marine was a plausible possibility.  I'm thinking, in particular, of the lludolf Bakhuizen portrait of her at the Battle of Barfleur.  In the end though, a ship like SR1, because of its uncertainties, leaves open a certain amount of lattitude for making artistic choices.

 

Yellow ochre was certainly in use among the Dutch and English, during this time period, so it is reasonable to suppose that the French adopted the same practice.  Personally, I think that gilding loses its visual impact when everyhing is covered in gilt.  I think that ochre and gold can work to accentuate each other, and the ochre will also show the weather washes nicely, in the creases and crevices.

 

The other thing I like about that corvette model I posted are the white window frames.  They pop really nicely on that model.

[Hubac's Historian]

A separate artistic choice I am considering is painting the exposed limbs, faces and hair of the Asia, Europe, America and Africa figures semi-gloss or matte black and their costumes in gilt.  Again, the black helps to break up the gilt and give definition to their individual costumes and head dresses.  Just a thought.

[EJ_L]

Martyn,

Personally I prefer to leave the hulls the natural wood color even if they were painted white. I like natural wood colors and figure if I am going to take the time and money to use nice wood then I want it to be seen. Exceptions are made of course. If the hull is copper or if it is more of a modern ship with fiberglass or metal hulls. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference especially for home displays.

 

On the blue color, of the things to consider is the fact that this is all taken from the individual artists and what they had to use. Much like the other issues of perspective that can distort the accuracy of layout of the ship, the color may easily off due to the colors the artist had available to use. It is known that blues are an expensive color and more so back then. Perhaps the ship was all done in ultra marine but the artists may have diluted his blue down to stretch it out further making a lighter blue instead. The crown may have had money to waste on extravagance but, the artist who is unfortunately our only source of color information, probably did not have that luxury.

 

Unless we get lucky and some undiscovered treasure trove of records turns up that says Soleil Royal was painted in Ultra Marine Blue by order of the King, I think we are left to what looks good on us and what was known to be used in the time.

[EJ_L]

That would look good. The contrast between the black and gilt would look very nice and that level of detail was not unheard of, case in point the paint details on Vasa.

[BLACK VIKING]

Thanks for the response EJ I must admit I love the colour of the wood so I won't be painting mine with white stuff and as for the gold on the carvings that is a brilliant idea with the yellow ochre and gold. Trouble is we will never know what colour she was as she is under a car park in Cherbourg so probably not a lot left 

 

Martyn

[EJ_L]

It's actually surprising that no one has excavated down to the remains for samples to analyze. It would be very hit and miss as there is no guarantee what parts were buried but it is possible to find paint pigments to determine what colors were used if you happen to get a piece of wood that was painted and still has those pigments intact. Long shot at best and probably not going to happen due to the costs involved. Better hope is for some unknown painting or book of record to turn up with the information.

 

While I have a few minutes, here is a quick update on the planking process. Slowly creeping forward, still a lot to do.

[popeye the sailor]

yes sir......you still have a lot of ground {hull} to cover   looks very nice!    how about 'grabber blue'.......rather than me cluttering your log with a picture of one of my models.....look in the gallery for either the Nordkap,  or the Mary Ann.    that's grabber blue....not as neon looking.