Sovereign of the Seas by Tallshiptragic - Sergal - 1/78

[*Hans*]

Haha - nice!

 

Please let him show his painting when he is finished!

[Tallshiptragic]

On 22/05/2017 at 8:31 PM, *Hans* said:

Haha - nice!

 

Please let him show his painting when he is finished!

Here is my Van der Velde's sovereign sketch haha I used cigarette paper for the parchment paper, worked well I think.

[Hennie]

Just didn't look for a few days... your are going very fast!! Looks great Anton.

 

Hennie

[S.Coleman]

Looking very good. You used exactly the same way that I use to plank my gun ports lids. Best way by far. 

The weathering looks amazing. Is this done by a weathering kit?

[Tallshiptragic]

Thanks for looking in guys. 

 

The weathering for the guns is green chrome copper from Vallejo pigments same brand as the gold for the decorations and the hull is a mixture of oak wood stain added by dry brushing (coat the brush lightly and brush it off so there's barely any left on the brush before dabbing it on) and drybrushing with browns and yellows.

[Tallshiptragic]

Have been going over one of the deck fittings provided and have also noted that a lot of these will also need replacing/ modifications. One of the most notable items are the capstan and gratings. The gratings are too large at 2mm thickness. At this scale a mans foot would almost go straight through these so I'll need to make up some at 1mm thicknesses. 

 

The other is the capstan which is too late for the period. The provided kit version is something you would find on the Victory and not on a ship of the 17th century. So I've made up a new one that suits. Originally I thought I'd use the kit parts, utilizing the lower barrel and with dowel making a new top but once test fitting it was just too large. So using smaller diameter dowel I made a new one. This isn't finished and only the basic shaft of the capstan but the size and style is better I think. Below I've attached pics of the two I've made followed with the kit version and a contemporary model of the Prince at Greenwich showing the earlier style of capstan.

[Tallshiptragic]

So I found some spare 1.5mm walnut gratings from some kit in my box of spares. Thought a perfect compromise to my too large grating issue. 

 

For those that don't know these gratings are/were covered up at sea with individual boards and then a canvas cover which was tarred. They may have been opened in calmer weather for ventilation and obviously access to the holds. So a couple things you will see that I've changed is my gratings on the upper gun deck are three same sized openings over one long opening in the hull, with beams between the three sections. Sergal suggests two different sized gratings not connected on this deck. Considering nearly every large warship of the period and later shows that nearly the entire central section of these decks was gratings I've done the same. This is also similar on the Prince models, the Vasa and most paintings of ships of the time. 

 

With the covers ive placed a few planks over the central grating to show the grating yet also the cover planks. It's also possible that the coverings over the gratings were almost like unhinged hatches as the wreck of the Vasa has shown. Also this helps as I don't have enough gratings to change all of them so covering some up leaves me with ample. 

[Tallshiptragic]

While waiting for things to dry, I started making up the shingles for the quarter gallery turrets. I use a leather hole punch which has various sizes on there to punch out .5mm ash veneer strips. Using the cast brass turrets as templates I carved out new turrets with jelatong - nice closed grain wood which is perfect for carving larger shapes. Once painted they should come up well I think. Once these are done I'll be doing the same to the belfry roof.

[Tallshiptragic]

Update on the central turret. Shingles have been added, next to do the decorative beams on the sides which define the shape and originally would have been structural.

[*Hans*]

Nice details! To "cover" the gratings issue for the Batavia I suggest in the building instructions to cover some of the gratings with canvas. This is in fact just dark red painted cloth.

 

And this is the drawing of a 17th century capstan - just as you have made it.  I think yours is pretty correct.

 

 

[Tallshiptragic]

Thanks Hans, a few more details to add including the chocks on deck but once complete it should look the part. 

 

I've finished the port central turret now, and have attached pics of the finished version and painted alongside the kit offering. Now only five to go. I've used the cupids from the kit for atop the central turret, though I may change this later. There are also two lanterns on the two astriding turrets on each quarter gallery. Though the kit versions are too large so these will definitely need replacing. 

[Tallshiptragic]

Just a test as I can't seem to post on my own thread.

[Tallshiptragic]

Just another test as I again tried to post an update. Both with and without pics and no luck.

[Tallshiptragic]

Decided to make up the rudder. The kit rudder is a single piece of walnut showing a reasonable shape. I've tapered the lower part of the rudder to match the tapering of the stern post and cut notches for the pintels. Sergal supplies four pintels and hinges in quite thick brass which I think too large for scale and not enough of them. So using the rudder from the model of HMS Prince (Greenwich museum) I've added six pintels and iron straps with ash veneer. I also used styrene rods and will use styrene bolt heads to finish the hinges. As these will be painted I'm not fussed that they're not brass. 

 

[Tallshiptragic]

Yay that post worked! Perhaps I had too many words in the original... it was long. I'll add the pics to go along with that.

[Sjors]

Anton,

 

You talk to much 😁😁😁😁😁

But still, great job!

 

Sjors

[S.Coleman]

That certainly is a rather nice looking rudder you have built up. Good work.

[Tallshiptragic]

Thanks guys

Been a busy weekend with the three kids but have managed some more shingles on the port quarter continued into the stern counter above the dead lights.

[Tallshiptragic]

Painted and complete apart from the two lanterns either side.

[Tallshiptragic]

Finally finished of the figures for the hances between the waist and f'cstle and quarter decks. These are depicted as the Greek god Aeolus forward and Neptune aft on port and according to Haynes the stb has Jupiter forward and Mars aft. Basically half naked bearded male gods seated with either a spear or trident.. the spears and trident I haven't made as yet however.

[Tallshiptragic]

As I'm in my sculpting mode, I've decided to continue with the stern. I've already showed how I make my sculptures with the effigy of Victory as the central piece on the stern.

 

On the port side (Victory's dexter right side) is Jason wearing a crown and holding an oar on the frontispiece. Then there is Neptune the god of the waves riding a seahorse (this seahorse has a literal head of a horse with mane and a fish tail. I've yet to make Neptunes trident which will be slightly be hidden and held in his left hand. 

 

On Victory's sinister side (starboard) Hercules holds a club suggesting England is as fierce on land as she is at sea.  Aeolus god of wind here rides an eagle opposite Neptune.

 

Below all this above the royal crest is a helmeted man facing to his right (port) holding a staff. This is believed to represent King Charles the first. 

 

The great lantern is suspended above victory on the taffrail aided by carved feathers from victory's crown. Either side of the great lantern are two solitary figures forming the quarter pieces. Port is a crowned lion sitting behind the crest of St George representing England and on starboard is a unicorn again behind a crest which I assume to be the crest of Scotland. Both these figures front paws grasp onto a sphere and septre. Of course to show that King Charles was king of England and Scotland. The kit lion and unicorn are actually pretty accurate so apart from adding a few items I have used them as a base.

 

I was originally thinking about changing the lantern thinking it too large however upon further reading, the great lantern could actually hold 10 men inside... so while I'll modify this piece it stays as the size is quite correct. 

[Tallshiptragic]

[*Hans*]

Nice sculpting! What stuff do you use for this? Two component product?

[Tallshiptragic]

Thanks Hans, it's miliput 2 part modeling putty. It air dries and doesn't shrink like some modeling clay.

[Tallshiptragic]

Finished off the transom counter decorations today! Basically all the decorations are now finished. There maybe a few more little items but the bulk of them are now done. I was hesitant about modifying the kit because of these, but I'm very happy with the outcome  

 

So what we have are four stern chasers on the middle gun deck level surrounded by round floral decorations. This brings the total number of stern chasers to 10.

 

Between each pair of stern chasers is a small man crouching holding up an orb. This is Atlas supported the globe. Flanking the globe are the head and wings of angels. Flanking a small pedestal of which atlas stands are two fish lying on their heads with tails curled upwards. Below this and above are grotesque gargoyle heads. 

 

The last piece to make is a rather large gargoyle head on the top of the rudder post - Vasa has a lions head in the same place. 

 

 

[Tallshiptragic]

A contrasting view of my modified stern based on descriptions in Sephtons book, the Ley painting of Sovereigns stern and the sergal/Mantua kit version. I want to change a couple carvings below the higher tier of windows but basically I'm happy with how it's turned out. What a difference to the kit. Also note I've yet to make up the smaller lanterns on the quarter galleries- again the kit ones are just too large.

[Tallshiptragic]

Sovereign temporarily placed in her future home for display. The colours work well with the wood of the buffet

[*Hans*]

Nice globe you have! Is this still somewhere for sale?

(btw - the ship looks nice as well)

[Tallshiptragic]

Haha thanks Hans. Well the globe was purchased from the Sacré-Cœur in Paris about... 15 years ago my friend. It is however a French miniature globe from 1740 if that helps  

[md1400cs]

Anton,

 

Been following - need to say that your gilded detail work is very creative - and works very well visually on your build - Nice work indeed.

 

Cheers,