HMS ROYAL KATHERINE 1664 by Doris - 1/55 - CARD

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

That's is my favourite bit of your marvelous work as well. I'm very impressed the way you can mold what you make into something spectacular. 

Greg 

[Anja]

Hello dear Doris,

 

What a pleasure it is to welcome you back.  I missed you and your beautiful work.

 

Good luck with your new adventure, but knowing you, she will turn out great.

 

Regards,

Anja

[Hubac's Historian]

Hi Doris,

 

What sort of card stock do you use?  Is it specialty cardboard that you might buy at an artist's supply?  I was thinking I might adapt some of your technique to my model of Soleil Royal.  I'll need to create new interior structural support and cambered deck beams because I am scratch-building all new decks in this, otherwise, plastic kit.  My thought was that card would be easier to layout, cut and shape than styrene sheet, as an underlayment for what will ultimately be wooden strip planking.  Or, would it not be advisable to glue wood strip to cardboard false decks, because of humidity fluctuations between different materials?  Is that why you use plastic foils to simulate decking?

[amateur]

Hi Doris,

 

Great you're back.

And with a formidable ship!

 

Jan

 

[donrobinson]

Amazing work Doris, will be an absolute pleasure to follow.

[michael mott]

Doris I am curious about your use of different glues and where you would use them. Your work always looks so clean, could you say a little about your use of glues and your thoughts about them.

Especially where you layer one thickness of card over another, as in the planking.

Thank you

 

Michael

[popeye the sailor]

very good progress Doris.......the hull is coming along great!  

[DORIS]

16 hours ago, Greg the peg leg sailor said:

I've also got 2 hand raised cocktails. 

I wouldn't let them near my model incase their beaks start to chew. One is a girl and she's is only for me and the other is a boy and he will go to anyone. He's a huge talker..... about 50 words in his vocabulary and he whistles 2 songs.

Greg 

That´s  lovely. I like animals, they can always bring us a fun. 

 

 

 

 

[DORIS]

15 hours ago, Hubac'sHistorian said:

Hi Doris,

 

What sort of card stock do you use?  Is it specialty cardboard that you might buy at an artist's supply?  I was thinking I might adapt some of your technique to my model of Soleil Royal.  I'll need to create new interior structural support and cambered deck beams because I am scratch-building all new decks in this, otherwise, plastic kit.  My thought was that card would be easier to layout, cut and shape than styrene sheet, as an underlayment for what will ultimately be wooden strip planking.  Or, would it not be advisable to glue wood strip to cardboard false decks, because of humidity fluctuations between different materials?  Is that why you use plastic foils to simulate decking?

Well, I use common cards available in a stationery or shops for modelers. Here is the shop, where I ordered material for this project:
https://www.promodely.cz/07-5
The most suitable is the tough cardboard, which is used for example as a support for table calendars.
If you want to use this material, it is O.K. for other modification - you can glue wooden strips on it or use plastic foils - it is easier. But remember - it is necessary to prepare the surface thoroughly, it is oversprayed with suitable paint and clear varnish at first to protect it against humidity and other influences. The surface must be very smooth to keep the foil strips reliably.  
In this case, there are never problems with the durability of the result.

[DORIS]

14 hours ago, michael mott said:

Doris I am curious about your use of different glues and where you would use them. Your work always looks so clean, could you say a little about your use of glues and your thoughts about them.

Especially where you layer one thickness of card over another, as in the planking.

Thank you

 

Michael

Maybe you will be surprised, but I use common glues - for paper/card and wood dispersion white glue:
https://www.zbozi.cz/vyrobek/herkules-universalni-lepidlo-pro-domacnost-130-g/?varianta=130-g
And for plastic or metal parts and also the sculptures made of clay I use Superglue.
I always try to keep my hands clean, so I have a damp cloth somewhere close to clean my hands during the work.

Kind reagards,

Doris

[DORIS]

Dear friends, thank you very much for your comments.  It is a pleasure and honour for me, that you like my work.

Here is the hull oversprayed with acrylic paints and body spray + primer used for cars. After grinding I will start to change it into a wooden look using strips of various  types od foils. I have already written many details about this technology, so if you are interest in that, please refer at my building log Royal Caroline.

[DORIS]

Wooden-look planking on underwater part of the hull.

[DORIS]

On the recommendation of the Captain K.L., who is an excellent expert in the field of  shipbuiliding and the history, I have decided to add another layer of planking = the girdling.  Some information about this technology, that was used on real ships in 17th century,  you can find in the book by Brian Lavery: The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815; pages 57, 60. 
More information are also in the Czech forum, but you need to use translator.

http://modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=177&t=110763&start=105#p2001324

http://modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=177&t=110763&start=105#p2001751

 

 

[DORIS]

And here I am starting with the surface finishing..... Again with foil stripes, that I attach using hot air/hair dryer....

 

 

[DORIS]

The girdling is probably unknown technology in ship modeling, but the relevant records prove that it was necessary to perform on some ships, whose hull had excessive draft and lower gunports were just above water. The girdling helped to improve the displacement. Of course, it was an unnatural interference into the original construction.
My target is to make the model as accurate as possible based on historical accuracy, and according to records Royal Katherine was girdled soon after launching.

[amateur]

are the treenails drawn with a sharp pencil?

If so, how do you prevent from rubbin gthem off when you handle the ship?

 

Jan

[DORIS]

6 hours ago, amateur said:

are the treenails drawn with a sharp pencil?

If so, how do you prevent from rubbin gthem off when you handle the ship?

 

Jan

The treenails and bolts are imitated using soft graphite and in the end oversprayed by matt clear varnish. BTW, soon there will be finished the podestal and the ship will be placed on it.

Best regards,

Doris

[giampieroricci]

I wonder why use cardboard?
Is it  easier to make it with wood?

[DORIS]

29 minutes ago, giampieroricci said:

I wonder why use cardboard?
Is it  easier to make it with wood?

For me no, I make models of card and paper almost 35 years. It is much easier to use card  for me - I do not need any special tools, have reliable and verified technologies which allow me to achieve expected results and the durability of such models is without changes for over many years - I can say, it is comparable to wooden models.

[WBlakeny]

It's amazing what you can do with card and paper. 

[gjdale]

What a delight to see you back again Doris. Like so many others, I look forward to following another of your masterpieces.

[Captain Slog]

Welcome back Doris, this will be a joy to follow another master piece in the making!

 

cheers

Slog

[Hubac's Historian]

Doris,

I really am so floored by what you do.  As is the case with your other models that I have seen, the Royal Katherine is so cleanly worked and her lines are so fair - if I didn't know it was a model, I would swear it were the real thing springing up before our eyes.  You have such a strong sense for how the architecture of these floating batteries should look.  And your resourcefullness, in finding such creative ways to simulate realistic details, makes you a ship-modeling genius in my eyes.

 

You answer one question for me and I have ten new ones.  Rather than ask those questions now, though, I will do as you suggested and read through your Royal Caroline build log.

 

The basic question your models provoke is this:  with results so clean and fair, using such simple materials and tools - why build a ship-model any other way?

 

Well, I will be watching with great fascination from here on out!

 

 

[giampieroricci]

You are really great with cardboard!

[shipmodel]

Hi Doris - 

 

Beautiful work, as always.  Your build logs have elevated my own work, even on such different subjects as the ocean liners that I have built.

 

I have one small question - do you think that your entry port is too far aft?  Is there enough room for the crew to secure the train and breeching tackle for the gun immediately aft of the port?  How will the steps for the gangway run up to the top rail?  I have seen the painting of the ship with this feature placed as you have it, but I can't figure out how it would work.

 

Thanks

 

Dan

 

[Hubac's Historian]

On the subject of girdling, I remember reading some time ago that there were problems with the Katherine after her launch, in terms of her handling characteristics.  The inclusion of this detail, is a very nice touch, and a subject that one rarely ever considers when thinking about ship models.

[archjofo]

Hello Doris,

It is a great pleasure that you are back with a great model building project.
I am very happy about it.
Again a wonderful model construction project, which I can follow with great interest.
I admire your art to create these beautiful models.

[Hubac's Historian]

You seem to work at a steady pace with tremendous progress in a short timeframe.  How long did it take you to research and develop plans for Katherine?

[DORIS]

Dear friends,

I appreciate all your comments a lot and thank you very much for your compliments. I am really pleased you like my work.

 

 

6 hours ago, shipmodel said:

Hi Doris - 

 

Beautiful work, as always.  Your build logs have elevated my own work, even on such different subjects as the ocean liners that I have built.

 

I have one small question - do you think that your entry port is too far aft?  Is there enough room for the crew to secure the train and breeching tackle for the gun immediately aft of the port?  How will the steps for the gangway run up to the top rail?  I have seen the painting of the ship with this feature placed as you have it, but I can't figure out how it would work.

 

Thanks

 

Dan

 

Dear Dan,
Thank you very much for the right remark. Yes, the entrance is close to the slot, although it corresponds to painting, but from a practical point of view this would not be ideal. I will think about it. I browse many ship models from museum, and really there is often the entrance situated in the center between the slots. 

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/65963.html

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/65964.html

http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/65962.html

But for example on the model of HMS Prince there is the entrance also very close to the slot. 

What is right now? Steps will only run up to this entrance, no longer to the top rail. There will be not such a problem to place them suitably.

 

Kind regards,

Doris

[DORIS]

1 hour ago, Hubac'sHistorian said:

You seem to work at a steady pace with tremendous progress in a short timeframe.  How long did it take you to research and develop plans for Katherine?

Well, about several weeks but plenty of details are solved during construction and modified as needed.