Can she be saved?

[Edwardkenway]

After rummaging about in the attic for my paints, glue etc I  came across this poor girl whom I thought had been consigned to the bin years ago.

My question is can she be saved and given a makeover.? Any suggestions and tips would be greatly appreciated. 

[Sea Hoss]

If it's plastic, I'd toss it...

[capnharv2]

Plastic or not, almost anything can be saved and/or restored.

 

The real question is-are the time and money spent on a project like this worth it to you?

 

[GrandpaPhil]

I agree, the real question is how badly you want to restore it.  

 

I’d start by pulling off the broken parts and doing a good solid damage assessment on what your base looks like.  Then I would assemble my materials and plans to begin replacing the damaged parts.

[ccoyle]

You could always convert it to a hull model.

[GrandpaPhil]

Also remember, if the hull is okay, masting and rigging aren’t bad to replace.  

 

It’s time consuming, but isn’t everything with this hobby?

 

If you decide to restore the model, be patient, take your time and enjoy the process.  Use it as a learning tool.

[Lucius Molchany]

yes cut away all of the rigging and assess what you will need to bring it back.Looks like the hull is in good shape.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

She’s fine. Nothing looks as broken as a broken ship model, this may not be as bad as it looks. Try to save the shrouds if you can, otherwise I’d throw away all the rigging and sytematicaly re-rig her. If you can get her down to just the masts and the shrouds the rest is child’s play.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

The nice thing about a plastic kit is you can take it right into the shower with you and wash away every bit of dust, something you can’t do with wood. But I’d discard the plastic spars after using them as patterns to make wooden replacements.

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday Edward.

Firstly I would remove the jumble of broken masts, spars etc.

You may be pleasantly surprised if the hull is O.K.

If she is plastic I would also replace what I could with timber.

I stress this is the way I would go and others may advise a different path.

Wishing you all the best ,

Mark.

[Jim Rogers]

Make a Diorama out of her. Strip her down, put in a yard setting on blocks and then do as you please with restoring the rigging.

[coxswain]

Good suggestions, all!  Would also be a great start for an 'after the battle' diorama - just a little tweaking here and there, put some crew to work cutting away spars/rigging, maybe add a few holes in the hull - one man's trash is another man's treasure.........in any case please keep us in the loop!  Steve M

Edited May 14, 2019 by coxswain

[peveka]

Battle diorama comes to mind. I would show the loser too ... 

 

Best of luck!

Cheers

Pieter

[Edwardkenway]

Thanks for all suggestions, I will have a think and will probably have a go at something over the winter months.

[Lucius Molchany]

or build a shipyard diorama where she is in dry Dock awaiting the installation of the masts.

[Keith Black]

Placing a British ship to scale next to her would make a pretty realistic sea battle scene as the French vessel is shot to heck. The trick is finding a somewhat damaged British ship. 

[Javlin]

Whats those build were it's just the hull,deck and part a mast???

 

This is one

 

[Bob Cleek]

Good advice from all above! Whether you have the plans may be a determining factor. Whether you're interested in restoring her is a question you'll have to answer yourself.

 

I'll add another option, perhaps with tongue in cheek, but your dilemma brought to mind a solution from my childhood regarding the disposition of unwanted models...

 

1.   Get a bunch of friends together with a case of beer or a couple of bottles of the hard stuff.

2.   Get a digital video camera and tripod (a cell phone would do) and set them up on the shore of a suitable pond. at dusk

3.   Fill her with zip-loc bags full of diesel fuel and firecrackers (or cherry bombs, if those are still obtainable!) with the fuses tied together.

4.   Start the video camera, light the fuse, and push her out onto the pond.

5.   Enjoy!

6.   Post the video on MSW!

 

Remember, it's not real fun unless your mother tells you it might put your eye out.

 

[mtaylor]

1 hour ago, Bob Cleek said:

Good advice from all above! Whether you have the plans may be a determining factor. Whether you're interested in restoring her is a question you'll have to answer yourself.

 

I'll add another option, perhaps with tongue in cheek, but your dilemma brought to mind a solution from my childhood regarding the disposition of unwanted models...

 

1.   Get a bunch of friends together with a case of beer or a couple of bottles of the hard stuff.

2.   Get a digital video camera and tripod (a cell phone would do) and set them up on the shore of a suitable pond. at dusk

3.   Fill her with zip-loc bags full of diesel fuel and firecrackers (or cherry bombs, if those are still obtainable!) with the fuses tied together.

4.   Start the video camera, light the fuse, and push her out onto the pond.

5.   Enjoy!

6.   Post the video on MSW!

 

Remember, it's not real fun unless your mother tells you it might put your eye out.

 

I'd be careful with that one.  I've heard of people getting into some minor trouble for "polluting".  But, most of us have probably done it.  Even floated some and shot at them with a BB gun.

[Bob Cleek]

12 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

I'd be careful with that one.  I've heard of people getting into some minor trouble for "polluting". 

I think there's sufficient "socially redeeming value" in recreating the demise of Orient at the Battle of the Nile to risk it. 

 

[mtaylor]

Good point.  

[allanyed]

Javelin

The style you show appears to be a plank on bulk head version of models commonly known as Admiralty or Navy Board Style.  These were plank on frame, albeit, not normally showing actual framing practice such as in the example of a contemporary Navy Board model from the National Maritime Museum (Royal Museums Greenwich)  below.    Allan

[MikeSweeney]

Late to the party but I'd save it. I specialize in buying up lost model ships at garage sales etc that are partial builds and/or missing parts kits. I tear them down, strip paint and rebuild them. It's really a lot of fun and a nice challenge for the evening. I just finished two, Stag Hound and USCG Eagle.. both were garage sale finds and had been partial builds then left for years. Both turned out really well. I had to buy partial kits and make some parts but in the end, I was pretty happy with them. The nice thing is the partial kit in a beat up box or zip lock is cheap.. compared a sealed "collectors" kit
 

 

[PlasticShipwright21]

 

 

I’m new to ship modeling, but I do like collecting and restoring “basket case” stuff. I guess that’s why I’m a preservationist as a day job... in any case I’d try and cut the rigging free and see what repair the masts might need, and what shape the hull is in (looks ok but maybe in need of a repaint. Then the next step is up to you, I suppose, depending on what kind of model you want in the end.

 

It might be interesting to try and model her as a ship in ordinary: you could have fairly bare masts and build a superstructure over the deck. The faded paint might even be appropriate if she’s a captured French ship that’s been sitting around in some English port for a while. And it’d be a unique subject!

Edited April 9, 2023 by PlasticShipwright21
Added image.

[Jaager]

This is bringing back my teenage years,  I remember a Revel Cutty Sark - whose rigging defeated me - zero outside references then.  I think a plastic Constitution and a Corsair II (?).

The memory that sticks is that at most any scale, plastic is a really poor material to use for the spars (masts and yards).   Even if it is a plastic kit, for the masting and rigging, it is time to go scratch with wood and scale appropriate cordage.

[Capt Mongo]

It appears as though she had a rather unfortunate encounter with the Royal Navy and came off second best.  Masts and rudder shot away, and all...  She hasn't struck yet, so bring alongside and standby the boarding party...!  Take her a prize.  Tow her to port and make repairs.  She'll fetch a pretty penny for the King.

Cut away all the rigging and start over.  The masts and spars appear repairable.  By the looks of it the masts are broken off at or near deck-level.  Rather than try to pull them out from the hull try to repair them by inserting telescoping plastic tube inside the original mast to make a reinforced splice.  It looks like many of the gun port lids are missing.  Something like those shouldn't be too hard to scratch-build from plastic card.

[NoelSmith]

Restoring a model although perceived as being a bit daunting can actually be quite a bit of fun and rescue a model that would otherwise get binned.

Yes it will take time, but that is not what this is all about. It is more about the challenge of making a silk purse from a sow's ear.

And do you know what? As it's an old model, what have you got to lose by trying apart from some of your time?

In fact by doing a restoration, it will make you think in a different way to building a straight kit and the great bonus is by doing, the skills you will get to learn by having a go.

Once you get going problems will seem to sort themselves out along the way with a bit of lateral thinking. and what better way to learn about fully replacing masts and yards and  rigging a ship model?

Good luck with your endeavours as I reckon you will get a very nice model out of this with a bit of application.

Looks like Heller's Superbe and is an attractive looking ship well worth restoring.

 

Mike Sweeney appears to like restorations judging by his garage sale acquisitions.

Edited September 2, 2023 by NoelSmith