HMS Ontario by myxyzptlyk - MarisStella - 1:48

[myxyzptlyk2003]

When I saw this kit released I was intrigued and thought I would give it try.   Love the subject/size. etc.       Just a bit of background.    Some of you may remember this user name from years ago on other forums.   I've been building kits for at least 20 years and have completed many.    I've got about 10 completed kits in cases distributed around the house  (large house) with the largest being the Caldercraft Victory.    I would rate my skills as moderate.        Love building models of all types but ships hold a special place.    Also pretty much stick with the kit and almost no modifying/bashing.

 

  

 

[myxyzptlyk2003]

 I tend to work on models as I feel the urge.    At 70 years old and with so many ships completed I do have issues with space.  Also I am still working full time so modeling time is somewhat limite.     And with so many great kits out there and coming out I have decided that I am going to only complete the hulls of the ships and put those in cases.    I never found the rigging of these ships to be a particular challenge.   So with the years left to me I'll be limiting myself to just the hulls.      I've got a number of kits on the shelf and am really looking forward to the next Vanguard kit of the Sphinx.     Also have the old Amati HMS Prince (mint in box) that will probably be my 3rd kit after the Vanguard one.     That Amati Prince will be the second time I have built it.    FIrst time was about 20 years ago in my early modeling days.    

[Beef Wellington]

Very interested in following along, this subject and kit doesn't seem to pop up too often.

[Matt D]

I’m looking forward to watching your progress.  This looks like a really interesting kit.  I hope it goes well for you.

[Ian_Grant]

I don't remember seeing your user name before, but I do remember Mr. Myxyzptlyk from 60's Superman comics!  😁😃As I recall, he would appear from time to time to foment mischief, and Superman had to trick him into saying his name backwards which  forced him to return to his own dimension or some such.🤪

[myxyzptlyk2003]

One of the nicer little point on this kit is that the bearding line is etched on the keel parts.    The etching is only on one side but once that is cleared it's easy to replicate on the other side.      The keel is made from 6 mm walnut and is made up of 9 different parts which fit together very well.

[myxyzptlyk2003]

This weekend I was able to get the basic hull structure completed with the gun deck subfloor placed.     So far the construction is pretty straightforward.   But I definitely see some issues cropping up in the future.   Not too hard to solve but it will take some ingenuity.    As I look ahead the instructions leave quite a bit to be desired.   In the past, kit instructions would generally tell you what types of wood stock to use and usually give you dimensions.   In these instructions it continually refers you to the plan sheets which are to  scale.   So you have to measure off the plans and then choose a corresponding wood stock to manufacture any pieces.   There are lots of computer generated pictures but little in the way of descriptions.

 

With this kit you really have to think and plan the construction phases.   For instance, if you follow the instructions it talks about planking the inner bulkheads and to remember that the inner planking is to butt up against the transom.   But the pictures and instructions don't talk about installing the transom.   So unless you install the transom first you can't accurately butt the planking.  

 

In someone's previous build of this model they mention there is really no way shown to install the transom.   You are left to create your own method.  And the instructions say as much.   Plus there is almost no connection point for the transom.   For the most part it is just going to hang out there at the stern until the outer planking can be installed.    It's going to be very fragile.

 

Construction order as listed is probably not the best.    The hull filler blocks are not to be fitted until the upper inner planking is done.     It will be vastly better to install these before any planking commences. 

 

As you can see in the 3rd picture.   The position of the mainmast has a bulkhead running right through it.   No mention is made of modifying the bulkhead.  Why was that not accounted for in the design????

 

All in all, I still love the model.   But this will be by far the most difficult model that I have ever built primarily due to the lack of directions.

[Dimitris.]

Very challenging to my novice eyes. Will keep following your build as it's quite interesting.  

[David Lester]

Good Morning,

You are not alone in finding this kit to be a real challenge. I'm sure by now you've seen my abortive build log and how I ended up abandoning this project.  While I look forward to some challenge in every project, I found the tsunami of problems this one presented to be both perplexing and overwhelming. You've identified a few already. I don't mean to be too discouraging, but there are many more to come.

 

It sounds as though you have some experience, so with any luck you'll be able to overcome the inherent problems. I sincerely wish you every success and I will be following with interest to see how you solve the various issues!

 

All the best,

David

[myxyzptlyk2003]

Thanks David

Yes.   I am sure there are lots more coming.   And while I would prefer a straightforward built with instructions guiding my way  (like Vanguard Models kits do) , I do find some kind of perverse enjoyment in trying to solve problems.   Given my experience I'm pretty confident that I will be able to plug along since I really want a model of this ship.

 

gary

[myxyzptlyk2003]

I've spent the past several weeks thinking about how I want to proceed. Per the instructions it is time to apply the inner planking.   But in my mind to that correctly and most easily  the transom needs to be fitted.     The kit now comes with a number of pieces to form the transom or you can order separately the 3d resin transom assembly (which I did).     While you can get a nicely detailed transom with the laser cut pieces since there are no attachment points for the transom it would be difficult to get the shape correct unless you build your own ribs.  

I decided to use the 3d resin piece.    With all the complex curves on this piece planking the outside areas would probably prove to be beyond my skills.   But since this whole transom is painted I'll forego the planking.

There are a set of photo etched windows for the transom.   The instructions state those photo etched windows cannot be used with the 3d resin transom.    My trial fitting of those windows seems that you indeed can with very nice results.

 

 

 

[myxyzptlyk2003]

After attaching the transom it is time to work on the gun deck itself.   This kit includes the laser cut deck that you install first and then a whole set of laser cut planks.   These planks on the gun deck are pretty much not going to be visible so it would be possible to skip these entirely but I will work on them for practice as the same method is used on the upper deck.

 

After this step I should be able to begin the inner walls.

[myxyzptlyk2003]

I should mention too that the instructions say nothing about adding filler blocks (although material is supplied), sanding and fairing the hull.    I think this should be done before adding the transom.     Given all the sanding that will be done, the rather fragile attachment of the transom would probably give all kinds of trouble. 

 

Per David Lester's terminated build, I am guessing the error about the forward frames has been corrected as I see no problem in the area he illustrated. 

[myxyzptlyk2003]

Hi

With the work week coming up and my Vanguard HMS Sphinx scheduled to be delivered Friday, it may be awhile before I have another update.    I will be putting this project on the shelf for the while but definitely plan on finishing this.  Really looking forward to the Vanguard kit if only for the very detailed instructions and superb materials. 

 

I will say the support from Zorn is topnotch.   But that being said this is still the hardest kit I have ever tried to assemble.  And largely because of the vagueness of any directions if they exist.   I've built over 20 kits over the years and have never had the issues I have had with this one.    Very, very hard build.  You probably need scratch building expertise to really handle this kit.

 

The latest pictures show the upper hull planking before any filler or sanding.   The cannon ports have been cut from the outside but not drilled through.    And I've got lots of measuring and cutting to get the side profile correct. 

 

[David Lester]

Well, you're doing a lot better than I did. You're finding it simply the hardest kit you've ever built. I found it to be quite literally impossible!

It's looking pretty good to me and congratulations on persevering.

David

[MarisStella.hr]

 

Hello, 

Thank you very much myxyzptlyk, your work is really appreciated...

 

After covid, crises and earthquakes, and after terrible two years with many different problems we had, here I read the forum again...

David, Bob, this what you have written explains that you are not familiar with the facts how we work.

 

MarisStella creates projects, reconstructions of the authentic ships, in scale. Different modelers with models made from our projects are present on the competitions all the time, they win medals and cups constantly. Two models that you have mentioned here, Stilac and Ragusian Galley are well known models, medal winners in several occasions. Batelina is a part of our beginner course. My colleague runs a ship modelling school, working with children and adult experienced modelers. 

Of course, when you are mentioning Batelina that was completed as your first model, it was expectable that Stilac will not be completed without knowing skills that differ these two. There is one complete step in skills between these two... 

Please, let me explain closely.

 

I wrote this text one day ago, trying to explain the matter about HMS Ontario. I will repeat it here.

Let’s start from the beginning…

 

I would like to explain to you what the purpose of creating HMS Ontario model was and how it has become a kit.

MarisStella, from its beginnings, is doing reconstructions of vessels, creating authentic copies of the ships. Our intention is to create a model. A model is always an original ship reduced (transferred) in scale. Dimensions and sizes of the elements are not of approximate size, but exactly as it is in real life, on the real vessel. We use solid wood or plywood. This is all because we are dealing with the (call them officially) museum quality models. The main purpose of having such models is attendance at competitions. Almost all of our models won the medals or cups. Ontario is prepared for been present on competitions that follow.

Besides, it is a real treat for collectors of real ship models to own such models. They are not roughly accurate, they are accurate. Made of such materials and according to a decent project, their longevity is guaranteed.

To make these models available to the other modelers, we have created kits. We have never wanted to reshape accurate projects and to make common kits where, very often, elements are not in scale, but they are adjusted to the available materials. This was a terrible position to decide what to do about this. Then we have decided to keep the accuracy and to ask from modelers to follow the drawings and to create the elements like they are in the drawing.

 

The main point is to follow the drawings. It is important to transfer the model from the drawing to the real object, to create a model that is done exactly like the one on the drawing is. The elements on the drawings are not adjusted to the available material. Contrary: the available materials have to be adjusted to the elements on the drawings. This means that a modeler have to create wooden elements from the wooden materials (wooden strips or wooden blocks). These elements, like it is mentioned, have to be absolutely equal to the ones on the drawings. Very often a modeler has to cut and sand available wooden materials to create the elements equal to the drawn ones. This is the main point of our models: to get the real elements in scale.

 

For doing this, if a modeler has no any experience, we suggest to follow our ship modeling courses. We were not repeating courses from a project to a project. If someone is an experienced modeler, it is normally that he will not need explanations in beveling or bending strips. But if you have no experience, and you really want to built a real model in scale, you are very welcome. Our courses guide you through the beginning to the level of the independent making of a model according to any design (drawing)...

 

But still, these are kits we are talking about. The most of the elements are laser cut, or they are photo-etched, figures or 3D print. 

 

The ships that are in MarisStella line, in production, in this moment, are not hard to build. But the knowledge of the reading of the drawings is the basic thing. We are relied on real ships, real models. The drawings are the main media of transferring it to the modelers. Here is no way of creating an accurate ship model without knowing of how to read the drawings. Ships were not the block set, they are composed of many different shapes.

 

Experience is important to make a model. In our course, we have three basic models as the first introduction to the ship modeling: Trupa, Optimist dinghy and Batelina. After these models we have prepared  simple ships for the further build like Trajta, or an artistic representation of St. Jerome for example. These are simple models to build and at these projects new modeler learns how to build a model through the practice. Repeating of these actions is required. That way the modeler gets experience. Experience and knowledge makes a good modeler .... Stilac and Ragusian Galley are after to come. There is some planking experience needed to complete these models. And of course, through all of these courses, new modeler will learn how to read drawings. Experienced modelers will found these models be a real enjoyment, not hard to complete. They constantly build models from our offer worldwide and we are really happy to see well done models.

 

HMS Ontario is a model, as I have said, a project, prepared for the competitions. Its size is 31.89'' , 81.0cm. The scale is 1:48. It is an advanced project, but we are making it to be close to the modelers of all skills. The work of myxyzptlyk is very appreciated. Thank you very much myxyzptlyk. You are constructing this model in a very good way. When you plank the hull completely, you can say that you have completed it because, after hull planking, all other activities about it are much simpler... But it requires some time to complete, this is a ship model. Of course, not to much of time. This model cannot be completed in two months...  As I have mentioned, everything is present in the drawings... 

Our next task is to create a course that will present HMS Ontario as a complete course for the not experienced modelers, maybe I could say for the beginners. It will be a thick booklet with photographs of all the steps of building this model, introducing a beginner with every step of constructing.  A project like this one is a great thing and I am very happy to have a honor to work on it. Many less experienced modelers ask about it. We will give our best to create an advanced book to them , so they will be able to build this model without some extra experience.

 

Now I am in contact with modelers that are constructing this models, HMS Ontario, from our kits. Most of them are intermediate level, so I can say for sure, in this moment, this is an intermediate level.

 

Another very interesting fact is that we have many problems regarding this product particularly:  It is tried to be devalued. This is happening from the moment when it was announced as a new project.  Low kicks everywhere. It is very hard to function worldwide, but it is challenging :):)

 

I have just received an email, here I will share it with you here. This model has been done according to our new set of Upgraded instructions. It was build with a pleasure. It is an imaginary concept of St. Jerome, on the top of the photographs...

And here is an another model, Ragusian Galleon, real ship model, below...

and here are, at the bottom, couple of photographs from the Stilac booklet that was mentioned earlier. It shows the complexity of that model :

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by MarisStella.hr

[James H]

1 hour ago, MarisStella.hr said:

Moderators, this what you have written explains that you are not familiar with the facts how we work.

Hi Zoran,

I don't see any posts by any MSW moderator on this topic.

 

 

Quote

Another very interesting fact is that we have many problems regarding this product particularly:  It is tried to be devalued. This is happening from the moment when it was announced as a new project.  Low kicks everywhere. It is very hard to function worldwide, but it is challenging :):)

How did this happen, and where? Why would people wish to devalue your work on this project?

 

 

Quote

I have just received an email, here I will share it with you here. This model has been done according to our new set of Upgraded instructions. It was build with a pleasure. It is an imaginary concept of St. Jerome, on the top of the photographs...

And here is an another model, Ragusian Galleon, real ship model, below...

and here are, at the bottom, couple of photographs from the Stilac booklet that was mentioned earlier. It shows the complexity of that model :

There's no doubt that MarisStella have some amazing and amazingly beautiful ships/products in their range, and many fine vessels I would one day to like to try. Without derailing this build log, here is a review of one such kit:

 

 

[MarisStella.hr]

Hello James... oops... I replaced NRG member emblems with moderators... I was off the forum for ages... This was new emblem for me... I have just replaced that words in the text above...

 

The other quote, childish play actually, but it is like it is... I couldn't expose details, it would pull anatomy of the market...  It is really simpatico... I was telling about the problems that created this kit...

 

About the Galley.... thank you very much...

 

 

Thanks James

 

 

Zoran

 

[BobG]

20 hours ago, myxyzptlyk2003 said:

I will say the support from Zorn is topnotch.   But that being said this is still the hardest kit I have ever tried to assemble.  And largely because of the vagueness of any directions if they exist.   I've built over 20 kits over the years and have never had the issues I have had with this one.    Very, very hard build.  You probably need scratch building expertise to really handle this kit.

I deleted my previous post and will keep this as brief as possible.

 

Maris Stella has a beautiful line of interesting models and Zoran is always willing to help. My first build was the Maris Stella Batelina. It is a lovely small boat. Then I began building the Stilac but I had trouble understanding the instructions and I put the model on the shelf. Next, I successfully built the Medway Longboat by Syren, which I feel is at least an intermediate level model, because the instructions were so good and I learned so much.  

 

I like the Maris Stella line of models a lot. However, I do believe that there is room for significant improvement in the instructions.  

 

 

[MarisStella.hr]

Hello Bob. Could you please tell me do you have these attached instruction?

XX13_kolor_ŠTILAC_.pdf

 

Zoran

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by MarisStella.hr