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

[testazyk]

I agree with Hubac and the others that ultramarine is the way to go.  Really works with the wood tone you have.

[EJ_L]

Good build weekend. Added the lowest wale to both sides and have started the process of laying out dimensions and strake widths. I'm planning on starting the lower hull planking tomorrow if all goes good. Still have a lot to do but I'm gaining ground bit by bit!

 

I also started did some more test painting and I am liking the ultramarine more and more. I think the dark blue will look a lot better and since it is almost certain that it was used on S.R., just not for sure how much was used on her, I figure I cannot be too far wrong with the choice.

[testazyk]

You left the hardest part for last!  Are you going to work toward the middle or top to bottom or bottom up?

[CédricL]

Hello EJ_L,

 

The question of the blue "shade" is quite difficult to answer via a computer screen (too much parameters). But at least, I can say that this blue should not be present under the sixth wale, who has yet to be placed.

About those wales, it's maybe a distorsion effect of the picture but it seems that the fifth one is not paralell to the 4th at the prow.

But otherwise, it's indeed a really nice work you're doing, knowing that this kits is not the best men can expect.

 

Have a nice day.

 

[testazyk]

Hi Cedric--I think it's the combined effect of the way the picture is taken and the optical illusion that occurs because the gun ports aren't parallel to the wales (they aren't supposed to be).  If you count the number of planks between each wale they are consistent. 

[EJ_L]

Cedric,

 

Thanks, for that information of the blue not being under the sixth wale. That was going to be one of my upcoming questions as I have contradicting pictures of that and was not certain which was correct.

 

As to the wales being parallel or not, yes and no would be the answers. While the spacing is measured out the same and the planks are the same widths and count there is probably some slight variance to the wales themselves as they wrap around the bow. Those are some fairly thick pieces of walnut that I was bending and those bends are not the smoothest, plus there is some tilt to them as they lay on the hull. Combine all of that and the image distortion of the picture plus the gun ports that do not follow a straight line and the hull curvature and it is easy to see unevenness. In fact it has been driving me nuts trying to decide if what I am seeing is correct or not. I will measure time and again and then lay a wale or some planks and have to stop and completely remeasure everything as I begin to doubt and second guess myself.

 

I will admit that this has been by far the hardest hull I have ever tried to lay out. Redo has been the word of the build so far. I still enjoy every bit of it which I guess makes me a little crazy!

[yancovitch]

gee what a nice fellow this EJ is

[EJ_L]

Not related to the build but here are a couple pictures from today's eclipse from my house. Sorry for the brown haze, that is not air pollution just he make shift filter I used for my camera as all of the solar filters sold out around here before I could buy one and I didn't want to pay to have one shipped overnight. I've included a picture of the unfiltered sky for proof! Haha!

[EJ_L]

Done looking at the sun and I'm back to work on planking. Moving along fairly smoothly so far this week. I managed to get a small section done but I have not been able to work on her to many hours the past few days. Hoping to get a little more build time in the back half of the week and with some luck, I will be back with a more impressive update! 

[popeye the sailor]

where you painted the blue.......are you going to plank and paint,  or simply paint over what's there?   you should plank,  then paint due to the lessening of thickness of the bulwarks....upper hull.   good to see your planking the bottom......it will look better fully planked as well. 

[EJ_L]

I will plank the entire hull twice. Starting where I did was the easiest point for me as the ports gave me the best references to dimension the wales and it now provides two fixed locations for a more accurate measurement and layout of the lower planking and the tapers I will need there.

 

Where the blue is smeared on the upper bulwarks now is just some extra paint from my test samples. That area will get covered up with the veneer planking. I wanted to get an idea of what the blue would look like on the actual ship spread out over a bigger area. It is not painted well nor evenly since it was just extra but it showed me what I wanted to see when comparing the two colors I was debating between. My plan is to paint the wood prior to installing it on the ship so that the only painting that will need to be done will be touch ups where I make cuts for ports and butt joints.

[popeye the sailor]

thought you would be.........couldn't see you doing it any other way     it's best to eat the whole elephant......and not just the parts you like      

[EJ_L]

I've reached the keel! 22 strakes is what it takes to go from lowest wale to the keel. Now carry that across the hull.

 

Double, triple and quadruple checking measurements as I go. It is easier to make minor adjustments over the entire hull than have to have drops, stealers or planks that are extremely different in widths.

 

Now that the keel has been reached I know for certain how many strakes it will take and can keep them in line as I progress to the bow. The bow will require very careful attention as each strake will narrow considerably as they make the curve in order to not need stealers or drop planks.

[yancovitch]

really nice planking job....fraid i've always been guilty of just using long strips....shame on me :)....just never had the patience...congrats!.....vic

[BLACK VIKING]

I must admit I am the same as Vic and use long strips but now I seen you're planking the next one I will try shorter ones as it looks brilliant . Very nicely done EJ 

 

Martyn

[EJ_L]

I may be tormenting myself with all the extra work required to use small planks rather than lay a full strip but, I have found that for me, it is easier to keep my layout for the strakes and make those small adjustments when something starts to get off. Also I don't have to com back later and scribe in all the butt joints in the planking. The only downfall that I really run into is that edge bending is harder with short pieces. Not impossible but harder. Spiling techniques get used a bit more with short pieces. 

 

Thanks everyone for the comments, likes and following along. I've gone a bit further last night and plan on getting more done today so another update will be coming soon!

[ca.shipwright]

E J

Great job on the planking. I know from experience on my Vicki that scale length planking adds several months to this tedious task. You have extraordinary patience. Drive on!

 

Regards

 

IMO - the French Blue looks much more "royal" than the Ultramarine Blue. A little dulling with a day of gray or black should take the glare off.

[md1400cs]

EJ,

 

Catching up--- yup that planking is very nice indeed. On my next build I will have to add that level of details to the hull. Hoping this wont "disappear" after sanding and such?

 

Cheers,

[EJ_L]

Michael,

 

I did this same method on La Couronne and once the final sanding is done I wipe the hull with both an alcohol wipe and then a tack cloth. This pulls up loose sanding dust that fills the joints and then when the finish is applied the joints are clearly visible yet subtle. The hull doesn't look "striped" with lines but they are there to see. 

 

Something I did notice though while looking back at those pictures is I need to find a better way of protecting the hull after it is finished. These long builds leave a lot of time for wear and tear on them. I may need to look into lining the cradle with felt or foam. Hmm.... things to think about. 

[CédricL]

Good morning EJ_L,

 

I feel quite sorry not to have seen this sooner but, just for your information, note that the sternpost must be placed on the keel. Yours is just alongside. Also, the three first planks (strakes ?) near the keel must cover the sternpost, following ones will be stopped just before.

Well, hope this will help you for your next project !

 

Have a nice day.

 

[EJ_L]

Cedric,

 

No worries on the correction but I do have a follow up question on it. When the planks overlap the stern post do they create a "step" like the below sketch on the left or are they notched into the post so that it is straight like the sketch on the right? I'm not so far as to rule out going back in and changing it I just want to make sure I get the change right!

 

Thanks for the help and suggestions and forgive the rough drawings. I had to do them quickly on my lunch break.

[Elijah]

Nice planking EJ! Have you been doing a lot of spiling on a hull like that?

[EJ_L]

Thanks Elijah! i have not had to do any yet but when I get to the bow I anticipate having to do some there. The leading planks should be reaching there towards the end of the week so I should know then.

[testazyk]

Not to be a purist, but neither of your keel drawings is exactly right.  Apparently on actual ships they cut a groove in the keel that was called the "rabbet line."  At the stern it was practically a  vertical right angle but angled out forward and amidships so that the first plank sat flush in the cutout.  I've never done a rabbet line on any of my ships mainly because I've found it practically impossible to get it just right. 

[EJ_L]

Tom, I knew that there is a rabbet in the keel which I rarely actually cut but can often be simulated by tucking the planking into the veneer on the keel. I thought there was something similar to that on the stern post which is why I have always stopped my planking at the post and not run over it. If like Cedric has told me the first three strakes run out over the post, (which makes sense as it would help tie it to the ship for added stability and strength) then how far out would they go and again, how does that blend into the post or do they do something different? Do they terminate into a rabbet before the aft most edge of the post? How far into the post would they go then? Please be a purist as I really do want to know if I am building wrong. I don't always correct right away but I always file the information away for future use. In this case, I am likely to fix it as it is an easy enough fix as soon as I understand fully what it should look like. 

 

As for the current progress, I have extended the planking a bit further down the hull in the slow march towards the bow. As anyone following the thread has noticed I may be redoing some of the work at the stern but the quest to reach the bow is still moving forward! As always thanks for the comments, likes and following along!

[testazyk]

Hi EJ--

 

Not sure how well they will come out, but I scanned a couple of pages from books that talk about rabbets.  The first is from Longridges Anatomy of Nelson's Ships and the second two are from Ben Lankford's book.  Hope this helps!

[CédricL]

Good morning all,

 

Not sure that at such scale a rabbet would have sense. The bottom-hull planking of a ship as le SR was more or less 4 to 4,5 inches thick. Here works EJ_L with a double planking, the outside being really thin. So I think that making rabbets will be extremely difficult, not to say useless.

Well, about the planking itself, it's a really nice work but maybe could de lenght of the planks have been greater amidships, usually for such a first rate, lenghts between 5-6 meters (at the prow) up to 12-15 meters (amidship) were used a that time. But that's just a small detail.

 

Good work EJ_L.

Have a nice day

 

 

 

[Ulises Victoria]

Hello EJ. This planking looks like what I have been trying to accomplish for a long time with no success! I will keep this thread in mind when I start planking my future projects.

Best

 

Ulises

[EJ_L]

Ah, I did not know that the planking lengths changed amidships. I have been under the impression that they remained the same length or as close to it as possible across the entire hull with the obvious statement of the ends at the bow and stern being shorter. It makes sense from a materials perspective. I guess I have been looking to long at the even, symmetrical patterns that are always stressed in model planking more than actual practices. 

 

Looks like I have a lot more reading to do. Good thing the temperatures are starting to slowly drop to make sitting on my deck reading more enjoyable!  

[ca.shipwright]

E J

The drawing on the right is the correct representation. Using this, you will not have to veneer the keel. Remember the garboard strake lies flat on the center keel over the dead wood in front of the  rudder post. As you go forward this plank twists to lie flat against the hull and runs flat all the way to the bow. Since you have not cut the rabbet, you can bevel the lower edge of the garboard strake so that it will "tuck" into the keel.  Like so end view

       

 

         

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