Sovereign of the Seas 1637 by Ulises Victoria - Mantua/Sergal - 1/78

[Ulises Victoria]

Just to start my build log. Nothing to post yet!!!

 

 

[ccoyle]

Don Dressel of the Ship Modelers Association spent ten years bashing this kit -- ended up using only the profile former and bulkheads and pretty much nothing else. Spectacular model, though, even out-of-the-box.

[md1400cs]

Ulises,

 

OK - glad you set up a log - I'm on board - Good luck. 

PS: The McKay book is excellent - though it has some critics that make good points, otherwise superb, and great plates within - very useful source.

The Sergal instructions are IMO almost useless  lol.......

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by md1400cs

[EJ_L]

I've got my chair pulled up and ready to watch. This is a ship that is moving up my next in line projects and to have two excellent builders, yourself and Michael working on them currently will likely cause that urge to increase.

[marktiedens]

Looks like you have the older version - I did this one a number of years ago & it builds into an impressive model despite the inaccuracies.  I`ll be watching also.  I wish that book was available back then.

 

 

Mark

[md1400cs]

59 minutes ago, marktiedens said:

Looks like you have the older version - I did this one a number of years ago & it builds into an impressive model despite the inaccuracies.  I`ll be watching also.  I wish that book was available back then.

 

 

Mark

I have both kits - this one (green box) is current kit packaging - Vintage kit had a blue box, and all metal bits were in packet trays. Current kit includes eight blister packs - along with excellent part locations images within blisters for actual bit locations. Also all plan sheets were 1:1 with vintage kit - the image looks to be reduced size sheets from curent kit based on how sheets are folded.

 

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by md1400cs

[marktiedens]

13 hours ago, md1400cs said:

I have both kits - this one (green box) is current kit packaging - Vintage kit had a blue box, and all metal bits were in packet trays. Current kit includes eight blister packs - along with excellent part locations images within blisters for actual bit locations. Also all plan sheets were 1:1 with vintage kit - the image looks to be reduced size sheets from curent kit based on how sheets are folded.

 

 

 

I must have got the odd one - my kit was in a green box just like in the first post, but all the decorations were in trays - no blister packs, no etched decks or planking.  That was back in the late 80`s if I remember right.

 

Mark

 

 

Mark

[Ulises Victoria]

I bought mine in 2017 from Marisstella. All golden parts come in sealed blisters as those pictured above. So I think I got the newest version.

 

[Ulises Victoria]

I will start posting photos of my build. Lets start with a short tour of my workshop. Shall we?

 

This table is for all the electric equipment:

 

 

This is the drawing board table for all the plans instructions and paperwork:

 

An improvised painting booth, very seldom used...

 

Main assembly table, where all the small parts are worked on:

 

Ship assembly table, where work on the actual ship is done... that black platform goes down...

 

...and up... and can be fixed at any height in between...

 

The indispensable coffee station

 

Construction photos:

 

Assembling the bulkheads and making sure they are perfectly perpendicular...

 

All bulkheads glued and two first false decks nailed and glued...

 

 

I substituted the kit's blocks with Chuck's.... no comparison whatsoever... Splendid work, Chuck!!!

 

These may have been overkill, as the ones with the kit are pretty good, and a simple bath in black ink would get the same results... oh well...

 

 

That's it for today folks. See you soon!!!

 

 

[zappto]

Good luck with this spectacular ship. Will be good to watch your build!

[gagliano1770]

An enviable shop setup! Good luck with this one. I've always admired that kit.

[Ulises Victoria]

 

Hello all. Thanks for visiting.

I finished gluing all the bulkheads and placing false decks No. 19 and 20

Also in place are all 44 dummy guns supports.

The very first plank is fixed only at the tip.

 

 

I just noticed an issue in the instructions.

They say to place that first plank at the point where the red arrow is:

By doing so, the first plank would be placed in-between false decks aligned with lower No 19 deck, according to this drawing: ...

 

 

But in the ship, if I align the plank with that point, it will go aligned with upper deck No. 20.

 

 

 

In fact, the placement of the decks in the drawing does not correspond with the kit.

 

Previous builders of this kit: is this going o be a problem further?

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Ulises Victoria

[md1400cs]

Ulises,

 

 IMO!!! toss the instructions -

I also had big problems at the onset. If I might be so presumptuous - you will have much better luck if, at this stage, if you were to look at my log -  and just follow my detailed lead - took me a while to figure it out -

Also DON'T follow the instruction book for placement of the upper and lower canon templates IMO! - you would have to sort of guess where you just positioned those too small dummy cannon vertical anchoring wood bits, to cut the square openings for the canon openings..

 

Up to you, but for this part of the build - I knew it would cause me grief later on had I followed the Sergal booklet 

 

Oh can you imagine it also wants you to glue on all the gilded bits BEFORE even adding second planking hmmm???

 

Regards,

 

[Ulises Victoria]

Thank you Michael. 

I will definitely go to your log!!!!

Best regards!

[md1400cs]

Ulises,

 

I hope that it is helpful 👌

[Ulises Victoria]

Small update:

Attached first 6 rows of first planking. I used a hair curler to bend the wood. After many tries, I've found this works best for me.

 

I used high density Styrofoam to fill the space between the keel and first bulkhead

 

I am staining the deck fixtures with walnut stain. They provide a nice contrast against the orange stain of the decks.

 

 

Nothing glued or completely finished here.

 

Have a nice day all, and thanks for visiting.

 

 

 

[Hubac's Historian]

That is an excellent application for styrofoam!

[Ulises Victoria]

Another small update and question to other Sergal kit builders:

 

One thing that I don't like about this kit so far, is that almost everything comes pre made. It is almost like a plastic kit but in wood. (Except for the hull planking, of course)

That IMO is good and bad: 1.- good because it saves time. I'm almost 73. If you see in my signature below what I have in my stash, I may not live enough to build them all, a bunch of heavy weights... so... less time is good; and 2.- bad because it takes away from the challenge. You may say, OK... scratch those parts instead of using the ones in the kit... please see point # 1.- 😉 Forget about buying new kits. I lost hope that I will ever buy that 1/64 Victory that is supposedly coming. 😪

 

Case in point, the decks. The planking is already scribed. I am, however, punching the nailing of the deck planks with an awl I made with a hand drill and a small nail. What I do is draw a faint pencil line as a guide, and punch the holes.

 

When done, I use a fine sponge sanding block to erase the pencil lines. This at the same time, fills the holes with wood dust. When stained, the dust becomes darker.

 

Its one of those details that is better "perceived" than "seen"

 

To those of you that don't know: those weren't actually nails... the nail was driven deeper below the deck surface, and then a wooden plug was hammered in. This was done to prevent corrosion and rusting of the nails. So, filling the holes with wood dust is actually more accurate.

 

Now a question for you Sergal builders... what in the heck those green circled numbers mean in the instructions??? I've given up trying to figure it out!!!

 

Thanks for watching!!! Be happy!!!!

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Ulises Victoria

[Ulises Victoria]

Update June 24 2021. (So no one was able to answer my question in the last post?) 😥

 

I decided to deviate a bit from de instructions, and decided to build and place all decks, before proceeding to finish the first planking. Hope will not regret this decision later  😯. I actually did in one step, as you will see below...

 

This is the paraphernalia I use to glue the decks to the frames. I don't want to use nails as in some places they will be highly visible and will detract from the look of the deck.

 

 

 

The instructions say cut 19mm long pieces of wood to form the steps of the ladders.

Well... at 19mm they don't fit in the opening of the deck. I had to cut a small notch in the wood for them to fit. This would had been easily fixed by cutting the steps 1 or 2 mm shorter... unfortunately, I decided to build all the available ladders in one sit. (Regret) (I know... some cleaning needed!!!)

 

 

I inserted the masts and bowsprit to check for proper fit and alignment.

 

 

I had to heavily modify the lower part of the bowsprit. If inserted in the deck opening as is, it resulted in a ridiculously steep angle.

 

 

Reasonably OK alignment of masts and bowsprit.

 

 

Those white pieces you see over a blue strip of masking tape, are temporary holders. They will help in the construction of the bulwarks and will be removed later.

 

 

 

As always, thank you very much for visiting. I wish you all a happy day!!!

 

 

[Baker]

41 minutes ago, Ulises Victoria said:

(So no one was able to answer my question in the last post?)

I was curious about this too 😉

 

Nice work 

[md1400cs]

From build booket to references on large folding sheets.

 

[Ulises Victoria]

Thank you, my friend!

 

[Ulises Victoria]

Hello guys. I am curious about one thing.

In my previous post  I mentioned having to modify the lower part of the bowsprit so it can have a proper fit.

 

If I insert the 10mm dowel in the opening as is, this is the resulting angle...

 

way too steep, in my opinion... so I modified the part like this:

 

 

this way, the dowel can be inserted...

 

 

and now the angle is this...

 

 

More accurate, I think.. so I'm curious about anybody else having this problem with this kit... (those of you that built it or are in the process of)

and how did you solve it?

 

Best regards!

 

[Baker]

I actually had the same problem with my Pelican (scratchbuild) and solved it the same way you did.

Glue well so that it does not break later during rigging.

[Hubac's Historian]

Here are a pair of fairly spectacular portraits of the Sovereign, in her original incarnation. The first Van de Velde portrait shows the correct bowsprit entry angle:

 

 

This second portrait, in colors, is really fascinating because it illuminates pretty clearly how the particular compartmentalization of the ornamental frieze is organized, visually.  In the pen and ink drawing, this impression flattens out a bit.

 

In life, she must certainly have lived up to her moniker as the “Golden Devil.”

[Ulises Victoria]

Thank you Hubac!!! Impressive!

[Hubac's Historian]

No problemo!  Another interesting detail is the anti-chaffing protection, over the tops of the gammoning.  I have never seen that detail before. but it makes perfect sense.  Most likely, it is leather that is nailed to the sprit-mast.

[Ulises Victoria]

Update as of Sept 16 2021. (Our Independence Day, BTW)

I have been so slow with this build, mainly because I am very disappointed at it. I have seen bad instructions, but these.... !!!! they break all records. (I hear you, Michael... please spare me the "I told you")

 

Anyway, slow as it is, here is some update:

 

I submerged these parts in water overnight so they can bend around this tube

 

 

 

Using rubber bands and whatever I can find to keep this part in place while the glue dries

 

 

 

 

 

 

All these walls in place, which actually was a mistake. I decided to finish the first planking of the ship at this moment, and now its going to be a problem to turn the hull upside-down to plank the lower part. Oh well... sometimes I feel like quitting, bit that's not in my nature!

 

Thank you all for watching!

 

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Ulises Victoria

[Bill Morrison]

Wow!!!  This is one of my favorite ships.  You had better believe that I will follow along!

 

Bill

[md1400cs]

55 minutes ago, Ulises Victoria said:

(I hear you, Michael... please spare me the "I told you")

Ulises Sorry about that - I new that if I had followed the instructions it would have created that big problem with my Sergal Sovereign -  You will sort it out I'm sure.

FYI - since mine is mostly scratch built the Sergal instructions were of little use. But as you also "see" the Sergal build instructions are "assss" backwards. 

Especially after initial framing (which I of course followed) --  Now good luck perfectly locating the hull cannon door openings to the inside dummy cannon drill locations - that's another issue with Sergal's very poor construction instructions.

 

You are doing fine work so far.