HMS Bellerophon 1786 by fake johnbull - Amati/Victory Models - 1/72

[Guido54]

Hi Mitsuaki,

 

Magnificent work !

[Ray]

Hi Mitsuaki great to see you are back and have your reloaded on the new site it has been missed I look forward to updates of your super work

Ray

[rdsaplala]

Splendid work, Mitsuaki, she's looking great!

[knightyo]

I noticed this build log right when I got up today; brewed a nice hot cup of coffee, and have spent the last hour thoroughly enjoying each entry.   Outstanding attention to detail, and descriptions.   Great work!!

 

Alan

[fake johnbull]

Hello Jason, Guido54, Ray, Aldo and Alan,

 

Thank you for kind words

 

BTW, the model was displayed at exhibition of Yokohama Sailing-Ship Modelers Club of this spring. Bellow is link to gallery page of the exhibition. Please enjoy beautiful works of the club members. Of course my model is also included in the list.

 

http://ysmc-world.la.coocan.jp/exhibition/ex2013/ex2013.html

 

 

Regards,

[druxey]

Well done, Mitsuaki. The headwork is the most challenging part of a model from this era. Your kit-bash version is terrific. 

[fake johnbull]

Hello druxey,

 

Thank you for your kind word

 

Before starting of head construction, it was very anxious matter to finish head successfully. But careful procedure resolved everything. Especially template for cathead bracket was the key to successful result.

 

Regards,

[ZyXuz]

excellent work!!

Incredible craving skill 

[RMC]

Hi Mitsuaki

 

I have just rediscovered you wonderful log. I am at the stage of contemplating coppering my Vanguard - something I have not done before. Fortunately I had actually downloaded your coppering from the old website, but this log.is even more helpful.

 

I would be grateful if you could answer two questions.

 

1. To be completely sure - you cut  the plates for the stealers to approximately the required shape, but slightly larger. You stick them on. You then partially overlap those plates with the next row of complete plates leaving no gap between the rows of plates. (I hope this makes sense.)  Any overlapping causes no problem?

 

2. Each row of plates supplied in the kit comprises seven plates. Where possible, did you apply the complete row of seven plates, or apply each plate separately?

 

Welcome back.

 

Regards Bob (RMC)

[freewheelinguy]

Mitsuaki,

 

Wonderful to see you back, my friend and taking the time to repost.  Always enjoy reading and learning from your updates. You always come up with great solutions on areas I find most difficult.  Thanks.

[fake johnbull]

Hello ZyXuz, Bob and Len,

 

Thank you for your kind words  I really realise this is a great place to share our knowledge and experience each other. I myself study many things from other member as I noted time to time.

 

To Bob,

Yes, you are exactly right about interpretation on my coppering procedure. If copper plates have nails represented by "stamp" as can be seen on many kits from other manufactures, it would cause some problem when overlapping them. But copper plates included in Victory Models kits are photo-etched ones and have no protrusion on their surface, so overlapping of plates doesn't cause any problem.

 

I separated all copper plates. Perhaps unseparated plates would fit well only to keel and garboard strake because of fuller hull shape of wooden warships, although I maybe try fitting unseparated rows in the case of clipper ship

 

Hope these helps.

 

Kindest regards,

[RMC]

Mitsuaki:  Before making your masts, make sure the boarding pike rings fit.  See my latest post.

 

Bob (RMC)

[Jim Lad]

It's nice to see an update on your beautiful model, Mitsuaki!

 

John

[fake johnbull]

Hello Bob and John,

 

Thank you for your comments   

 

Bob, thank you for your warning on mast construction, though It will take some months (or many years ) for me till I go into mast construction. It is very appreciate to avoid possible error from others' experience. Also reading discussion between you and Len, I again realized the importance to read instructions.

 

 

BTW, I'm preparing for presentation at seminar of Yokohama Sailingship Modelers Club of next month and writing resume now. (http://ysmc-world.la.coocan.jp/event/kenkyuukai.html) 

 

 

Of course I will include introducing our forum to club members in my presentation. I really hope both of forum members and club members enjoying our contents each other.

 

 

Regards,

[mtaylor]

Mitsuaki,

 

I too hope we get the chance to enjoy each others comments and techniques.  Good luck with the presentation. I wish I could be there for it.

[glbarlow]

Very nice work.  Just starting my Vanguard, I really like the "walnut square" idea you used for gun ports way back at your beginning.  Your log will be a nice reference for me.

[James H]

How's this one progressing? Getting ideas for future work  

[fake johnbull]

Hello James,

Thank you for salvaging my topic from bottom of the thread list!

 

Daily life, work and other projects have been preventing me from proceeding the Bellerophon, but I hope I will soon restart her after finishing 1/400 miniature model of US side wheel steamer Powhatan. This model is being built as part of diorama of Commodore Perry's second expedition to Japan. The diorama will be exhibited at Yokohama Sailingship Modelers Club exhibition which will be held coming September.

 

Regards,

[James H]

53 minutes ago, fake johnbull said:

Hello James,

Thank you for salvaging my topic from bottom of the thread list!

 

Daily life, work and other projects have been preventing me from proceeding the Bellerophon, but I hope I will soon restart her after finishing 1/400 miniature model of US side wheel steamer Powhatan. This model is being built as part of diorama of Commodore Perry's second expedition to Japan. The diorama will be exhibited at Yokohama Sailingship Modelers Club exhibition which will be held coming September.

 

Regards,

 

Hi Mitsuaki,

 

You've certainly not let the grass grow! More great work. I love the Corvette. I built the HMCS Snowberry a lot of years ago.

 

Thanks for letting me know the status of Bellerophon too. I'm quite inquisitive of this kit at the moment as I will have one delivered here on Monday and also want to build the Bellerophon from the 3 options. 

 

BTW, I was in Japan a few weeks ago for the Shizuoka Hobby Fair and passed through Yokohama on the Shinkansen on the way from Tokyo Akihabara to Shizuoka. What a great country! Very sorry to leave it.

[RMC]

Good to have you back Mitsuaki.  I finally finished my Vanguard - only took 5 years.   I look forward to following your progress with Bellerophon.

 

All The best Bob (rmc)

Edited May 31, 2018 by RMC

[fake johnbull]

James,

 

It is very coincident because I also went to Shizuoka three weeks ago with my Snowberry!

 

BTW, I gathered my tweets on building records of Snowberry.

Although all texts written in Japanese, English captions on images will help to understand how I modified the Revell 1/144 kit. Although auto English translation isn't perfect, it also help your understanding.

https://togetter.com/li/1194066

 

Bob,

Congratulation to completion of your Vanguard. I started my Bellerophon about a decade ago, but still requiring to finish hull fittings

I will refer your rigging when I start rigging my model

 

Edited June 1, 2018 by fake johnbull

[fake johnbull]

Daily life and other modelling projects had been preventing me from building of Bellerophon, but some progress has been achieved while I had been offline from this forum. Bellow is records of how I made gunport lids, gun barrels, channels and chains.

 

At the re-start of my building log, I’m going to write about gunport lids firstly.

 

 

Gunport lids

 

Gunport lids were individually made because they have different sections according to their position and running of wale. I firstly cut backing of lid from 0.5mm maple sheet and glue outer panel of 1 x 5mm walnut strip including in the kit. Walnut strips were laid so that they are fitting to running of planking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of lids are covering area of wale. They were made from thicker walnut material and also shaped so that each of their section is fitting to running of wale.

 

 

Lid hinges are modified from kit PE parts. I’m sorry I’ve forgotten whose idea it was, but I remember this is idea I found on this forum. I modified kit PE hinge to workable as he did. Peak of kit PE hinge are shortened, thinned and rounded. Pintles are made from 0.5 mm brass rod and 0.5 x 0.2 mm brass strip.

 

 

 

 

 

Position of each hinge is determined with jig. Position of hole to pass through lid topping lift rope is also determined with jig.

 

 

 

Home-made rings are added to inside of each lid. Passing kit eyebolt through lid from outside, then bend the other end of eyebolt to grab home-made ring.

 

 

 

 

Gunport wriggles are made from 0.5 mm plastic square rod and 0.25 x 0.75 mm plastic strip. My method of making wriggle was inspired by Mr. Philip Reed’s book treating HMS Majestic. Mr. Reed firstly made outer section of wriggle then reduced size of former and made inner section of wriggle, but I prepared former integrating both of larger and smaller section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Covering of lid topping lift hole is made from heat shrink tube. Also I’m sorry I’ve forgotten who is the man firstly posted this idea, but I’m satisfied with its result.

 

Next I will write about gun barrels.

[bruce d]

Hello Mitsuaki,

I have not seen your log before, it is very impressive. I like the jigs, I will watch if you don't mind?

 

Regards,

Bruce

[AON]

Welcome back Mitsuaki-san!

I had found your last build quite a few years ago and found it to be very educational.

I look forward to following your future posts.

[mtaylor]

Welcome back, Mitsuaki,.

 

I'm happy to see your return.   The gun ports came out very well.

[fake johnbull]

Bruce, Alan and Mark,

Thank you for your kind comments😄 I'm now preparing text about gun barrel making. Please look forward it.

 

Regards,

[fake johnbull]

Gun barrels

 

One of my disappointments of the kit is size and shape of cannon barrels which are coming from stock store of Amati. They are smaller than they should be and muzzle shape is also bad comparing with many reference sources.

 

Best resolution should be turning brass rod and chemically blackening them, but my first attempt of turning with electric drill turned out to be sad result...

 

 

The advent of free 3D modelling software and 3D printing are gospel for me. Although the popular Fusion 360 was impossible to install to my PC (I’m still using 32bit PC), free software called DS Mechanical worked enough instead of Fusion 360.

 

After some trial and error, data of barrels is completed. They are basically simple design to turn section 360 degree and adding trunnion, breech ring and vent field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sizes are slightly different by info sources, but this time I’m relied on AOTS Bellona.

 

Printing is next subject. I firstly asked 3D printing agency, but printing each barrels one by one is very costly. At that time I didn’t have technique of multiplying of data to print at once. Fortunately one of my fellow modeller who is producing some nice 3D printing kit (including HMS Furious as she was firstly designed with two 18 inch single guns) printed barrels by his courtesy. Bellow is his shop URL.

 

https://flotilla-models.booth.pm/

 

Bellows are comparing of 3D gun barrels with kit part and my first attempting of turning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test fitting of guns on decks.

 

 

 

 

Next, I will post about figurehead improvement.

[fake johnbull]

Figurehead

 

In Royal Naval Museum Portsmouth, remains head of figurehead which is said saved by Rear Admiral Maitland (former captain of Bellerophon and Napoleon surrender fame) when Bellerophon was dismantled.

 

 

 

Although whole figurehead isn’t preserved, helmet of figurehead is different from kit part. So I tried improving it.

 

Kit figurehead part seems to be aluminium diecast and hard than white metal. But I could remove excessive portion of helmet with electric tool. Other details are formed with epoxy putty.

 

 

 

 

 

Next, I will post about channels.

[fake johnbull]

Channels

 

Channels are basically lasercut walnut included in the kit, but I added some modification. Curved strips cut from 0.5 mm maple sheet were laid down to represent actual channel construction.

 

Outermost strips were glued with larger size, then cut along outline of kit parts after glue dried.

 

 

 

Both ends of kit channel parts were cut and thicker walnut pieces were glued instead. Then undersides of end pieces were tapered towards outboard as dummy effect of reduction of thickness of channel towards outboard.

 

 

 

 

 

As reinforcement of channels, diagonal iron bar PE parts are included in the kit like HMS Victory today in Portsmouth. It may be correct for Victory modernized with flash stern in 1803, but I felt it would be slightly modern method for ship of the line with open stern gallery. So I added knee on the channels. They were made from excessive 1.5 mm limewood in the kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After glued with epoxy glue tightly, channels are blackened with black dye and ebony colour Watco oil.

Guns were painted in black and temporary fitted to starboard only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this status, my model was displayed at annual exhibition of our club last year.

 

 

At link below, other images of my model at that time can be viewed with more excellent photography of our club member.

 

http://ysmc.la.coocan.jp/exhibition/ex2019/34.html

 

Next, I will post about deadeye chains.

[AON]

Good morning (evening)

 

I find what you've done to the figurehead to be amazing!  Very nice job.

 

It is too bad they didn't provide something representative of the original figurehead with the kit as it must have been very impressive as described (Bellerophon mounted on Pegasus with his Javelin).

 

The size of the 3D printed gun barrels poking out the gun ports look much better also.

 

I am so glad you are back.