Hermione by MESSIS - FINISHED - Artesania Latina - 1/89

[MESSIS]

Just a few days ago I received the Hermione kit and an extra kit of its crew from AL. 

 

I boght it from the L Hermione Lafayette Museum in Rochefort France. It was the only supplier offering together both ship and crew kit. And more to that it offered the chepeast price including shipping. 

 

The best thing was that  it arrived from France to Cyprus in only 4  days! Incredible!

 

Here is my invoice.

[MESSIS]

I opened the kit and I was very happy with what I saw. Great and tidy packing. Materials... wood, cast, etch, etc. everything is first class quality.

The instructions in a dvd with more than 350 pages ( pdf ), colour pictures and text in three languages. Plus a number of videos explaining various building technics and  procedures. Also a part's list , varius other small drawings, templates, paints katalogue, etc. and a colour drawing 1/1 scale with all the ships views. 

 

I never had such a wonderfull and fine made kitt. Am dying to start building.

[mojofilter]

MESSIS -

 

Very nice looking kit.  1/89 scale?  Interesting.  I assume her crew is the same scale.  What will be the overall length of the ship?

How is the quality of the deadeyes and blocks?

I'll be watching - Good luck with her.

 

- Tim

[MESSIS]

Yes Tim  the crew is also made by AL in same scale representing that crew which sailed 1780 the ship to America carrying Marq. De La Fayette to the American revolution.

 

As I said all materials deadeyes, blocks  incl. are top quality. Lenght 750 mm

 

Christos

[donrobinson]

Looks like she will be a lot of fun. Good luck

[S.Coleman]

Crew included. Now that's a difference.  Looks like a great kit. All the best.

[MESSIS]

No crew wasnt included. AL offers the crew kit as an extra kit. But is designd specially for that ship kit.... scale is the same and it represents the crew that sailed the ship in 1780

[MESSIS]

Dry dock has bussines

Here I go..... started with keel and bulkheads. Then the cannon deck and some sanding with my dremmel, to round up edges for the upcoming planking.

[MESSIS]

Planking went well. The wood was very flexible after soaking in warm water bending was easy.

[MESSIS]

Shipyard in panik

And as everthyng was running smoothly... a thunder has fallen in the shipyard -when- after completing planking between cannon deck and upper deck (16 planks, 4 strakes in each side), I found out my mesuarments were wrong. The distances from bulkhead to bulkhead were misscalculated. So! Had to take the planks out. So most of them became not usable any more. Now am doing planking again and hopping planks wood want come short.

[donrobinson]

unfortunate, but we have all experienced this sort of thing. It will all work out 

[MESSIS]

Shipyard under cotroll!

Back in controll again! I tried to restore as much of the discarded wood I could. Soaking helped taking glued planks apart again.... not always.

But now the shipyard is enjoying the work again.  "No jobs lost and no strikes were held!" All the planking from the cannon deck and upwards, is finnished and the accurancy was within +/- 1mm. Am satisfied with that. 

[MESSIS]

Its going slower but its going the way I want it.... accurate!

 

So I had to draw the cannon oppenings and the clear the oppenings. So the process is: drill holes 2mm diam, about 5 to 6 of yhem in each oppening. The connect them together with a knife or another sort of cutting bit. And at the last stage use fine files and sand paper. 

[MESSIS]

Be carefull to hold the dimension of the oppening 9x9 mm and ofcourse hold all oppenings on the same curve, which I choose to draw with the help of a bleu tape, as to prevent the oppenings from being untidy at the end (make a zic zack line instead of a nice  curve).

[MESSIS]

Thats how it came out. Now I have to try and correct some diviations. I think I shall manage that  because I have allready made some mesuarements and  there is not more than +/- 1mm diviation, in any of the oppenings or towards the curve.

[Tallshiptragic]

She's looking good messis, the ports are always worrying to cut but measure twice (in my case 5 haha) and cut once. I do the same as you, drill out then a sharp scalpel leaving enough extra to file down. Are you lining the ports also? If so make sure that you'll need the port to be larger to accommodate. Depending of course what you use for the lining. I always make them larger by 1mm and trim the lining to suit as the second planking will cover it up anyway. Keep up the good work.

[MESSIS]

Very good comments Tallshiptragic! Yes am going to use linning so I did the ports 9x9 so that after the linning 0.5mm, the end dimension is going to become 8x8mm. But you are right, I just stop working but am still worryed until I resume work and mesuare once more, hopping that mistakes made can still be corrected.

[Tallshiptragic]

From the looks of it, she is looking very neat and sharp. 

[MESSIS]

Do you think 1 mm divation is acceptable to the eye, or I should not tolared it and try to correct it?

[Tallshiptragic]

In the scheme of things 1mm isn't so bad, but saying that my lower ports are 15mm so not so noticeable with those. I'd probably fill it or scrap the extra if need be otherwise I'd always know it wasn't quite right haha but that's me

[MESSIS]

You are demanding.... but so am I. So I ll try and make new clean mesuarments diviation from the curve on the top and bottom  of the ports  and dimensions of the  port it self in hight. The width of the ports is ok, have  allready mesuared and the diviation are less than 0.5 mm.

[Dilbert55]

There is no second exterior planking on this ship. There is a bit on the interior on the second deck only. 

[Lucius Molchany]

Nice job!the ports look good!

[MESSIS]

Dilbet55 no there is none at all. Its single planking all the way. Dont know about philo456's model, his kit is a different version than mine.

[Tallshiptragic]

Ah so even more reason to make sure the dimensions are exact

[MESSIS]

Yes Tallshiptragic. Was going to anyway. I said you so. Am goin to remesuare and ajust if and where is needed

[Dilbert55]

I'm just a bit ahead of you on the same kit which I think was recently updated by Artesania. Perhaps it previously had a second (cover) planking? It's the first kit (3rd for me) that came with digital instructions on a DVD and was a challenge to plank knowing there wasn't any error covering second layer. Currently deciding if I continue to finish or paint. 

  

[MESSIS]

Dilbert55 yes you are infront of me.... thats sure. Listen painting will do what a second planking may be was going to do. It will cover up all mistakes. So go ahead und its going to be ok.

[MESSIS]

Shipyard wont close down Eastern Holidays. No overtime allowances to be payed. (Sorry guys)

 

So... just finished the gun ports. Deviations  less than 1mm. Double checked and minor corrections made either by shiming/linning (end linning is still for later on) or by sanding.

 

Now ready for the hull planking. Think its a challenge though the planking instructions of AL are very detailed. Also planking the two decks helped me a lot to get the feeling of the planking wood and  the touch of the planking it self. It definitly prepared me well for the "main" planking.

[Costas]

γεια σου Χρηστο.

 

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