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

[Tallshiptragic]

Hi Hans  when I get in my zone.... haha

 

oh and I'm still planning on building the Batavia! I haven't forgotten you!

 

 

[Tallshiptragic]

Continued work on the upper decks, this time the upper bulwarks. I've used the provided walnut posts though modified. These are nice walnut pieces though too think and deep for my interpretation so the pieces have been trimmed down quite a bit. Sergal again to me have over engineered these pieces by suggesting they are planked on both sides replicating the hull inner and outer planking. I don't think this was to be the case as the norm on other vessels was just the planking son the outer side of these supports. So I've built up mine with the inner sides exposed showing the supports. Of course I could be incorrect but I prefer it. 

 

So with the supports trimmed for use on the upper decks they were pinned with brass rod into the capping rails and the outer side planked. Still to be sanded and then coaming to the tops and bottom will be added. I'm also considering painting these bulwarks red with gold trim rather than black which matches that of British ships of the middle to late 17th century. Though I've yet to settle on that idea. 

 

Also interesting note, these upper bulwarks were the only panels on the upper hull not covered in carvings.

[Tallshiptragic]

The crew seem a little more comfortable now the bulwarks are installed, well even only on the port side

[*Hans*]

1 hour ago, Tallshiptragic said:

Hi Hans  when I get in my zone.... haha

 

oh and I'm still planning on building the Batavia! I haven't forgotten you!

 

 

Well - I'm just busy with a new ship - De zeven Provinciën.  You might like that one as well..

[Tallshiptragic]

De Provinciën would make a perfect companion with my Sovereign  what scale and do you have a build log of the prototype?

[*Hans*]

6 hours ago, Tallshiptragic said:

De Provinciën would make a perfect companion with my Sovereign  what scale and do you have a build log of the prototype?

I am building this one in 1:72, so slightly larger than your Sovereign.

 

I am finishing another ship - the Dordrecht - and than will start a build log on the Zeven Provinciën. I am about as far as you are (but still not all the ornaments in place).

[Tallshiptragic]

Feel free to post a pic of De Provinciën though

[*Hans*]

OK - I am a bit further as seen on the picture. In the back you'll see the Dordrecht.

And this is a part of the stern:

 

 

[Tallshiptragic]

Ah she looks good! How long till production??

[*Hans*]

Anton,

 

I'm aiming for end of 2017 - but this might be optimistic.

[Tallshiptragic]

Finally an accurate kit of a Dutch 17th century warship to come though! Luckily I have plenty to keep me busy, including the Batavia.

[S.Coleman]

Haven't check in for a while, Far out you have made some good quality progress. It's looking top dollar. Nice work. 

[Tallshiptragic]

Just a sideon view as she is now. I think the red is a nice contrast with all the black and gold so far. Also figured I'll paint it red first as I can always paint over it black if I wasn't happy, so critiques are most welcome  

 

Also planning on making the spar decks above the waist and half deck... now it's described from the early 17th century as either gratings over beams or light fir planks. The few models I've seen with these have a mixture of either idea but I'd like to go with what was most probable. From the Payne's engraving it shows a full deck of what appears to be grating over the entire waist. On Van der Velde's there is a deck... but it's not detailed as to whether it's planks or gratings. Opinions please

 

So the pics below;

detail from a painting of the Prince Royal which actually looks to be netting?!? Or very large gratings... 

 

the next is a detail from Paynes engraving of the Sovereign showing a similar deck which is most likely gratings also..

 

A model of the Prince Royal from the Tower of London showing beams and light spars over the f'cstle, waist and half deck. This is neither gratings or planks but more like frames for a covered awning?!? Though could still have enough strength for crew to walk over. 

 

Finally my Sovereign now with the red uppermost panels.

[Tallshiptragic]

16 minutes ago, S.Coleman said:

Haven't check in for a while, Far out you have made some good quality progress. It's looking top dollar. Nice work. 

Thanks mate, waiting for my new contract to start so making the most of my time off for building. The girls are also keen to see progress haha nice to have the support at home

[Tallshiptragic]

To throw another pic in the mix showing the spar decks is this one which is based on a model in Greenwich which is styled just like the model built sometime in the 1930's from memory showing two strips of gratings over the halfdeck and waist. 

[Tallshiptragic]

Not much today, just continued working on the rails above the waist. Love these pegs as they provide good pressure without too much weight on the thin wood.

[Hennie]

Looking really great Anton. I will follow you.

 

Hennie

[md1400cs]

Anton,

 

That full length profile photo is beautiful indeed. !!

 

Cheers,

[Tallshiptragic]

Thanks for the comments guys  

 

Havent done too much work on her today just working out the spar decks above the waist and half deck. However have done a little more on the inner bulwarks between the decks and some weathering trials on the bronze guns. 

 

Having an original Sergal release of this kit all my metal fittings including guns are actually brass and have thus in time naturally discoloured and formed a dark patina. It actually gives a rather authentic look to what the bronze guns may have looked when not polished. Saying that, these ships were in the sea and as a result affected by the salt spray. So basing my ideas from Dutch paintings of the time and the marvelous diorama of the Dutch fleet in Texel after the four days battle in which 6 British warships were captured including the Swiftsure which is depicted in the diorama - if you do not know what I'm referring too, google Artitec Texel warship diorama - I've decided to give my guns a weathered look. This is that greenish colour of which bronze guns turn after sea salt and water dry with the air. 

 

Anyway picked up some Vallejo weathering pigments and gave my bow chasers a trial run. See what you think.

[Tallshiptragic]

As a note to the bulwarks above, there is no real description to what was on them. If they had open walkways or any carvings at all. Again all the paintings/ engravings etc the lower parts are concealed under the spar decks... so I've gone with the suggested decorations from the kit. While this will be covered on my model also, it does fit in with the rest of the ships topsides covered in carvings. I'm happy with the result so far.

[FrozenRabbit471]

On 2017-5-8 at 5:09 AM, Tallshiptragic said:

Again more building, this time the quarter galleries  the forward deck extensions have had to be extended and the lower row of dead lights (windows) need to be larger to match those of the level above... I don't understand why sergal had these half the size of the others? 

 

Also ive yet to do, but the underside will be built up with an incline again to match the sketch I'm using as my base. She's coming along now and now really resembles the Sovereign! 😁

Holy cow🤤 and I thought I had my hands full with my Rotterdam¡

[Tallshiptragic]

Haha thanks mate, just in a different way.

[Tallshiptragic]

Thought I'd show some pics of the Artitec diorama of Texel roads after the four days battle in 1666. An amazing work by artitec where the models are CAD designed resin and pe models after the sketches of Van der Velde. 

 

The first pic pic is just a bronze gun with the green patina.

 

Second is a Dutch VOC vessel hollandia,

next is the Dutch flagship De Zeven Provinciën, then the captured British ship Swiftsure. A total of six British ships were captured during the four days battle and only four Dutch ships sunk.

A shot of the Provinciën from the port quarter. Another two Dutch warships and finally a statenjacht sailing past the swiftsure.

[Tallshiptragic]

A few more dummy cannon in place after the weathering treatments. These aren't glued just tight in their slots to see how she looks.

[Tallshiptragic]

Have also begun the weathering of the hull itself- the exposed planks that is. Building up darker areas around the large bolts and port openings. The scuttles are still to be added so I'll address those once they're fitted.

[Sjors]

You want to be finished at the end of the month ????????

 

Looks great !

 

Sjors

[Tallshiptragic]

Hahaha no not at all. If I finish I'll have to find something else to build!

 

[EJ_L]

I will admit, this is probably the fastest S.o.t.S. build I have seen but, with the excellent workmanship you continue to display I cannot fault you on speed. In fact it is even more impressive! 

 

The weathering is also coming along very well.  

[Tallshiptragic]

Thank you very much EJ  it does help having the free time to build.

 

Played with some of the gun ports on the port side. I'll be building her with closed starboard ports and open port side. On one of the original engravings presented to King Charles which the ports are closed, there are lion heads on the outsides of the port lids which would be an interesting look. On various prints of the ship the middle and upper gun port lids have on them painted the St George Cross - white background and Red Cross. There isn't anything shown on the lower gun deck lids which could have had lions heads like the Vasa and what is shown on some engravings, however on the Van der Velde sketch of which I've referred too for most of my build, only the two upper rows with the St George cross are shown and nothing on the lower lids. 

 

Ive attached pics of how I go about the lids,  using ply for the insert piece which is added to strips of planks matching that out the outer hull. Hinges added (I've used the kit ones provided) and attached to the hull. The tops of the brass hinge are over engineered to fit over brass rod to fit over. As these are over scale, on the closed ports these will be trimmed down and I'll make my own hinges on the hull. For the open ports these I find are perfect to fit into the hull side itself. I incise a bit of plank and this brass tab is slid in place and glued. Brass rod is added above to represent the hinge itself. I don't have these working so it looks right even though it doesn't move anything. Single eyelets will be added to the center of the lids with brass eyes for which the inside line will be added. These I've yet to attach. 

[Tallshiptragic]

Just for a bit of fun... and a lot of putty, I decided as I refer to Van der Velde quite a bit that he should visit my shipyard