Saint Philippe 1693 by CRI-CRI - scale 1/72 - French warship from Lemineur monograph

[Bill Morrison]

I'm impressed!  If you can, can we please have a detailed explanation about how you made them?  They look great!

 

Bill

[CRI-CRI]

No comment :

 

 

[CRI-CRI]

Following works :

 

 

 

 

[CRI-CRI]

Adding some details on upper gun-ports :

 

 

[CRI-CRI]

Grey color for the layout base of the model :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Simulation of the final presentation :

 

 

 

[CRI-CRI]

Right side of ship completed, next step, first battery with twenty-eight brass guns :

[Bill Morrison]

She's beautiful! Your model is a tribute to your obvious skill!

Bill

[CRI-CRI]

I received my guns of first battery (they will be grey-green colored, they were the only brass guns of this ship) :

 

 

[CRI-CRI]

Prototype of simplified gun carriage of 1st battery (twenty eight to do...) :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Preparing cut of gun carriages :

 

[CRI-CRI]

The modeller shall rejoice :

 

 

... with a circumstance adapted music :

 

 

 

[bruce d]

Very nice performance, thank you. 

Your Saint just gets better and better. 

[CRI-CRI]

First group of low battery guns cut :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Following cut of guns carriages :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Colour of low battery guns

 

The low battery of the Saint Philippe is the only bronze one of the ship, which poses the problem of its color. Indeed, bronze contains copper, which can give several varieties of grey green by corrosion in a wet environment

 

To summarize, in the presence of water charged in CO², the grey green formed is copper hydro-carbonate, which shoots frankly on the grey-green, as its name indicates. In contrast, in the marine environment, salt from spray forms a copper chloride, which rather pulls on the greenish-brown

 

For model making, there is the possibility to soak the cannons in water with added cooking salt, and vinegar to accelerate the reaction, which is nevertheless very slow. or ammonia vapours (faster, but very toxic)

 

There is also the satin paint, with an exact color difficult to find

 

Finally, it remains the solution to allow the natural aging of the brass, which will brown slightly over time, and lose all alone its glittering aspect :

 

 

For other batteries, iron made, the classic tourmaline, or browner, works well and fairly quickly since brass is an alloy containing zinc that blackens on contact with selenium salts (a bath of fifteen minutes is enough to blacken the brass)

 

I admit that I do not know what to do, since the model is made of natural wood, I am wary of painted or stained accessories

 

I’m interested in your opinion

 

Thank you in advance  

[CRI-CRI]

Following cut of guns carriages of first low battery (left side done, fourteen pieces = 50 %) :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Painted test of old gun's color :

 

[Roger Pellett]

Your “green” bronze gun color looks perfect!

[GrandpaPhil]

The green gun looks really good!

 

I like to add a drybrushed highlight coat to models for depth and shading.

[mtaylor]

Here's an article that might help.... https://thenrg.org/resources/Documents/articles/MetalBlackeningGuide.pdf

[CRI-CRI]

Thanks Mark

 

Much preparations can be found on line

 

For fast darken effect on brass (selenium) :

 

For more slow grey-green effect on brass (unknown composition I hav'nt tested) :

 

Before, the piece must be well cleaned with acetone

 

After, a stop vernish can be required, I use simple water, and finish with a light polish by smooth clothe 

 

[CRI-CRI]

Cut of twenty-one carriage sides about twenty-eight = 75% done :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Cut of twenty-four carriage sides about twenty-eight = 86% done :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Result with grey-green patine, at 60° C :

 

[CRI-CRI]

I think that the best for these guns is the natural unvernished brass, which will become weathered alone  😀

 

 

[mtaylor]

7 hours ago, CRI-CRI said:

I think that the best for these guns is the natural unvernished brass, which will become weathered alone  😀

 

 

That does take time to happen but yes, just make sure there's no fingerprints on the guns.   As it is, your method looks very good to my eye.

[CRI-CRI]

All carriages sides cut (twenty-eight done) :

 

 

 

[CRI-CRI]

First duplicata of low battery gun (all carriages are now ready for receive their guns) :

 

[CRI-CRI]

Beginning installation of guns on carriages for the first thirty-two pounder battery :