Royal Louis 1780 by EJ_L - Mamoli - Scale 1:90

[Old Collingwood]

3 minutes ago, md1400cs said:

OC, noted - don't want to step on E.Js log, but I keep an eye on both your logs, so if needed I'll post on mine as needed.

 

Regards,

 

Thanks mate,   indeed  sorry EJ  for the diversion.

 

OC.

[EJ_L]

No problem O.C. and Michael. The whole point is to educate and share and I'm sure that we three are not the only ones to struggle with sails!

 

Brief update, I have gone about as far as I can with the interior of the Admiral's cabin at till the hull is planked. Then I can build out the side walls, add furniture, secure the light and close off the stern. I'm also thinking about displaying the guns inboard and stored at least on one side. Reason being, it would give another view port into the cabin and also show how the guns would have been stored when not in use.

 

So with that completed for now, I am turning my attention to the deck planking. I have found it easier to install this planking before the hull and it will also facilitate getting the forward cabin bulkhead installed as well as the bulkheads for the forecastle cabin.

[Old Collingwood]

Looking great  - very 3 diensional.

 

OC.

[EJ_L]

Deck planking is coming along. I’ve had to make a few alterations and add some leveling fill to the sub strate as the laser cut was off center at the masts and hatch ways and the frame bulkheads created some hills and valleys that needed leveling. 

 

Before I take the planking to the edges, I will need to adjust the thicknesses of the frames so that they will fit within the planks and also conform to the hull shape. 

[Ulises Victoria]

Sorry I'm late. 

You are up to a very nice start E.J. Replacing the metal porthole frames with wood ones is a wise move I wish I did when in this stage.

Will keep following your build as I am sure I'm going to learn plenty of things that can be applied to any ship model, whatever that is!!!

 

Best wishes

 

[EJ_L]

At long last I’ve returned to this build. Spent some hours routing the wiring for the cabin lights where it needs to travel through the hull. This has allowed me to start the first planking layer. So tonight I cut the rabbet along the keel and have laid the first couple of strakes. 

 

Once I get the first layer of planking up that will allow me to cut away the oversized deck and hull supports and finish deck planking and the interior buildouts and also continue. 

 

Lots more to come as the ship starts to take shape. 

[Old Collingwood]

Great to see you back on her.

 

OC.

[EJ_L]

It is good to be back. I wasn't planning on staying away for as long as I did, but every time I finished something on Soleil Royal, I kept deciding to do one more item. Then I found myself close to finishing the hull work and had to continue till it was done. Now, I can work on R.L. for a while as I am no where near ready to begin rigging.  

[EJ_L]

Planking is moving along fairly well. No, the planking is not the greatest job but as this is the first layer, sanding and filler will take care of the imperfections and the veneer layer will make everything look nice. It will be done correctly. 

 

It has been a while since I have planked a round up stern, most of the ship’s I have been building are square stern. Round up takes a lot more planning on the plank widths to make it right. 

 

I also layed out the gun ports and drilled the corners so I do not loose the locates during sanding. 

 

The planking around the cabins has been left off in order to allow the interior builds to continue easier. These pieces will be installed later. 

 

Now I have to repeat the process on the opposite side. Lots of work still to go. 

[Old Collingwood]

Very nice work.

 

OC.

[EJ_L]

After a nice vacation with the admiral followed by the past few days of being sick, I have managed to get in some more build time and now have the starboard side planked as well. Next, sanding and smoothing of the hull. A lot of work to do in that regard. 

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Hope your feeling better,   thats some fine progress  keep up the good work.

 

OC.

[EJ_L]

Beautiful weather this weekend allowed for some quality time in the wood shop. In addition to some much needed spring cleaning and work on a couple of other unfinished projects, I did get in some time with Royal Louis. 

 

Fairing work on the hull. Lots of sanding filling and sanding and now I have the hull smoothed out to where I can begin laying out the planking pattern. 

 

Once the pattern is laid on the hull, I can then see how much more wood I will need to order. I plan on using mahogany again for the lower hull. That is what I’ve used on the other two French builds and I think I want to keep them all the same for continuity. With that in mind, the wales will again be in walnut along with much of the trim pieces. For the upper works, I’m thinking about using yellow heart. I’m gonna rip some down and see how it finishes out alongside the other woods. We shall see. 

 

For now, here are a few pics. Hope everyone is having a great day and for those celebrating, happy Easter! 

 

[Hubac's Historian]

Hi EJ - I’m glad to see progress on RL; she’s coming along nicely.

 

Take this with a grain of salt, please, but it seems as though there are peaks and valleys along the lower planking of the waist, that could do with some filler to level them out.  From these pictures, it is hard to say whether that is really happening, or if it is a trick of light and perspective.

 

I don’t mean to be a pain, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

[EJ_L]

Well, your not wrong! The picture does make it look a lot worse than it actually is, but it also highlights the areas better than what my eye was catching earlier. I flipped the hull back over and ran a straight edge over the hull and while most of the areas are okay, there are a few that will get more filler. No worries about mentioning it Marc, I take critique well even if I don't always change the error, I file it away for future advise. Its hard to grow and learn if you don't listen to others and their advice!

 

I was far more focused on the bow and stern today that I am not completely surprised that I missed them. Pictures do a great job of highlighting bad spots and another set of eyes is even more helpful. I will take her back out to shop and do some more work. I have the time and its better to make it right now than be stuck with a bad hull later.

[EJ_L]

Hull work has resumed. Spent some time working filler and sanding the hull and now I’ve got her to where I can start working on planking. 

 

With that done, I laid out the wale lines and making sure both sides are an even match. Now I get to punch the gun ports. Once those are opened up, I can install the framing. I’m thinking of using bloodwood to simulate the red paint of the gun port frames and inside the lids. I would like to avoid using paints on the build with the exceptions of the carvings. 

 

More to follow in the coming days and weeks. Good to be back on this build. 😀

 

[Old Collingwood]

Good to see you back on her EJ.

 

OC.

[Ulises Victoria]

Good to see you're back at it.

Fond memories of when I was at that stage!!!

 

Best regards!!!

[EJ_L]

Thank you! It is good to be back on this build. I'm ready to get the hull shaped up and the finish planking started. Should be lots of development ahead!

[Hubac's Historian]

The hull looks like it faired out nicely, EJ!

[Snow]

Great to see your back 

Love this ship please keep posting. I love your work mate

Good health and high tides

Cheers snowy

[md1400cs]

Nice -- I'm tempted to work on two at a time but just no room haha 

[EJ_L]

I've loved having two projects going at the same time, but I am fortunate to have plenty of room for it, especially when considering the sizes of my current builds. There would have been no way to have done this at my old house.

 

Thanks to everyone for the nice words, likes and following along. I do not have any current pictures, but I have been busy punching the gun ports. I've completed the starboard side and am over halfway done with the port side. I should have them all cut out in another session or two. This weekend for sure unless life gets in the way.  

 

Once they are all opened up, I will rip down some blood wood for the sills and jambs and start installing them. I also need to rip some more walnut strips for the wales as I will be ready to install them once the gun port frames are complete.

 

I promise pictures soon!

[EJ_L]

I’ve finished punching the gun port openings. 92 ports are now ready for framing. 

 

[KenW]

So far looking good.  Excellent work.

[EJ_L]

First two rows of gun ports have been framed. I left them sticking past the hull slightly so that I can shape them to conform to the hull curvature. Now to make the opposite side match. 

 

The upper gun deck will go in a bit later. Part of that work will be removing the false frames of the kit and replacing them with more accurate framing for bulkhead thickness. 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Very tidy work - those gun ports look a treat  -  really nice on the eye.

 

OC.

[BLACK VIKING]

Lovely work Ej she will complement the SR . Pulling up a chair for this one mate .

Martyn

[EJ_L]

If there has been one good thing to all of the rain we have been getting here, I’ve had a lot of time to work on the ship. This was taken a few days ago as I was pulling into work. Fortunately, it hadn’t submerged the road in though a lot of places around us were underwater. We are on a slight hill which helped. 

 

I finished he’s installing the rest of the gun port frames on the lower and middle decks. Both sides are now complete. With the frames installed and sanded to fit the contours of the hull, I was able to start the outer planking. 

 

First the three rows of lower wales. Once those were in place, I laid the first band of planks at the lower gun deck. I’m now repeating that process on the opposite side. Then it will be a matter of repeating the pattern of Wales and planks till I reach the upper deck. 

 

Lots of work still to go so thank you all for settling in and sticking around on these long builds! 😀

[Hubac's Historian]

I like the scarfed lower wales, EJ - very clean and neat looking.  Did the stock come pre-cut, or dis you make a jig?