HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[Kevin]

i copied this from the prototype page

 

[mtaylor]

Thanks Kevin.  I've done my due diligence and if I have to... it's white   I'm hoping my planking will look good enough without paint.

[mtaylor]

Update.   I was planking from top toward the bottom and bottom up (I had divided the hull into 3 zones per tutorial).  Low and behold, somewhere I messed up.  Could have the lining off of things but ended having to jerry rig the middle section.   I ran the "normal" planks as far down as I could and then "cheated".   My fix will be to sand and fill and sand then paint.  I've looked at some period paintings and realized I can do white stuff up to the water line (normal) and then run the black on wales on down to the water line and hide some ills.   I screwed up, realized it, and will at this point make it look good since ripping off planks isn't an option.  The first layer is pretty thin and even soaking the pear planks with alcohol I ran into issues.    Such is life.  I took a look at the Belle Poule which is on hold and the planking there looks better.  Not sure what I did differently... thicker planks maybe?  Filled in between bulkheads?  

 

I still need to work on the planking on the the other side and triple check more for my peace of mind and to work on getting it right even though the paint will hide it.   

 

I'm thinking on the paint not to paint the keel, stern post, and stem and call it "artistic license".... but I probably will just paint.

 

Here's the pick of the side that's been planked.  from a distance (across the room  it looks pretty good all things considered though I feel like I lost my touch.

 

 

 

[Jasseji]

21 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Update.   I was planking from top toward the bottom and bottom up (I had divided the hull into 3 zones per tutorial).  Low and behold, somewhere I messed up.  Could have the lining off of things but ended having to jerry rig the middle section.   I ran the "normal" planks as far down as I could and then "cheated".   My fix will be to sand and fill and sand then paint.  I've looked at some period paintings and realized I can do white stuff up to the water line (normal) and then run the black on wales on down to the water line and hide some ills.   I screwed up, realized it, and will at this point make it look good since ripping off planks isn't an option.  The first layer is pretty thin and even soaking the pear planks with alcohol I ran into issues.    Such is life.  I took a look at the Belle Poule which is on hold and the planking there looks better.  Not sure what I did differently... thicker planks maybe?  Filled in between bulkheads?  

 

I still need to work on the planking on the the other side and triple check more for my peace of mind and to work on getting it right even though the paint will hide it.   

 

I'm thinking on the paint not to paint the keel, stern post, and stem and call it "artistic license".... but I probably will just paint.

 

Here's the pick of the side that's been planked.  from a distance (across the room  it looks pretty good all things considered though I feel like I lost my touch.

 

 

 

I was looking at paintings and also at the surviving ships of the Era (Victory, Trincomalee, Unicorn, Constitution) and obviously they are all painted black.

 

While it's definitely/propably not 100% how they looked at launch (and the 2 Leda class being later ships), it's definitely not wrong to paint black, alhough i would love to have some kind of contrast, hence my considerations between white and ochre below the wales (i can start white, go ochre and then black if it doesnt look good :D)

[gjdale]

Looks pretty good from here Mark.

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the likes and gentle comments.  If you saw it up close and personal I think you'd agree with my sentiments.  I'm trying to avoid the same issues while finishing up the starboard side.   

[Moonbug]

Hey Mark - as someone who struggles with planking, I still admire your work here.  Also understanding we are rightfully our own strictest critics.

 

[allanyed]

Mark,

Thus an advantage of building POF. Some contemporary models are planked from the bottom up a few strakes if any at all  and from the top down to just below the wales leaving a big area un-planked.  After going to all the work to loft, build and raise frames, I like to leave an area of framing exposed which gives the advantage of not having to worry about those last few strakes. 😀

Allan

[EricWilliamMarshall]

15 hours ago, mtaylor said:

Low and behold, somewhere I messed up.

I sorry to hear of your heart ache. Hopefully the hurt will pass quickly and you find a way forward. I believe it happens to all of us; certainly me! Regards

[mtaylor]

Due to some foul ups early in the planking, I figured out what I did wrong compared to my other models which involved miss sanding the taper of the planks.  About 50% would have been a better choice and bit better quality control on the taper to get it more uniform.  Too late to fix the starboard side so I did the best I could and it's now planked.  Live and re-learn.

 

I plan on painting per my previous post but still deciding on "artistic" changes like not painting over the keel but... still thinking about it.

 

I took the easy way out on the remaining planks and just cut each one in half and planked a way.  Now comes the sand-fill-sand-rinse-repeat until everything is nice and smooth.

 

After spending several hours cleaning up the shop, here's the progress photo of the starboard side.  

[chris watton]

If the bottom is painted white, and the main wale is in place, there is not a lot of actual pear planking visible, so do not worry too much. Anyway, no matter how precise the planking, there is always a hell of a lot of filling and sanding required between coats of white paint.

[mtaylor]

Thanks, Chris.  I'll be sanding, etc. starting in about an hour.  I'm just basically see what she looks like after sanding and filling.

[Old Collingwood]

"sore fingers and muscle y arms"     are appropriate   terms for the result of the next stage.

 

OC.

[chris watton]

For tapering the planks, I learned very early on that scientific methods go out the window very early on, unless you are a master craftsman and get the tapering and bevelling perfect on each plank, based on calculations painstakingly made before the first plank is even laid (talking about my own miserable experience, I know different modellers have their own way, and no doubt achieve better results than me - a few tapers not quite right can ruin the calculations..).

 

Since then, and for years, well, decades, now, I mark out and taper/bevel one plank per side at a time. Usually I just need a couple of 'fill in' strips to close the gaps when I reach the bottom, and the usual stealers at the stern. All of my models have had either a copper or white bottom, so odd width strips at the bottom make no difference to the overall appearance of the completed model.

 

In short, it is all too easy to overthink the planking, just try and take it one plank (per side) at a time.

 

Again, I stress this is my personal method, others will have their own (and in some cases, better) ways - but I used to have to build decent looking prototypes to deadlines a lot of the time, so used methods that were comfortable to me, using a ruler, pen and Stanley Knife.

[BobG]

1 hour ago, mtaylor said:

Live and re-learn.

 

I have found that this is not only true in ship modeling but it's also true in life in general.

 

She's coming along nicely, Mark, and my guess is that she'll be pretty darn good once you're finished. 👍

[glbarlow]

2 hours ago, mtaylor said:

just cut each one in half and planked

May I suggest next time at least using overlapping thirds so all the joints aren’t in one place. 

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the support and comments.   

 

I will say, this is NOT the fault of the kit.  I just blew it is all.  As for the joints on this side being all in a row, it was intentional.  I did shift on the other side (the first one I finished).  Both sides were about a 3rd of the way done working one plank at a time and alternating between sides.  Then I just focused on the first side and realized I messed up the planking.  So finished the second side realizing that sand-fill-sand and paint was the answer at this point.

 

Chris has a good method.   I looked again at Belle Poule and the photos, etc. of the ill-fated Licorne.  I know damn well I can do better and will next time.  Be a bit better organized, etc. 

 

Now to carry on and do the best I can do and learn from it... or maybe it's "re-learn" from it.  

 

 

[EricWilliamMarshall]

Carry on! I think this where a lot of folks throw in the towel and take up bowling, gardening, etc. The ship will look great when finished!

[Barbossa]

Hi Mark,

 

The next time better and re-learn sounds very familiar to me : I've lost count how many times it occurred to me.

However, as mentioned here-above, painting & sanding should do the trick.

 

Carry on.

[mtaylor]

Thanks. 

 

I do need to remember my dad's words: "There's never been a perfect human being".  The fix for planking is underway.

[DaveBaxt]

Hi Mark. As for me by the time I finished the rigging on my last ship I had forgot how to do the planking  on my current ship and had to relearn it. On my current ship I have just finished the planking and I am trying to get one step ahead and re learn the rigging whilst doing the deck fittings. So frustrating having to re learn everything before you can learn something new but I am hoping each time a little bit more sticks. I also have a number of senior moments too!

              Keep up the good work Mark . I love following your blog and you great way of showing how you carry out your work and the responses you get are very informative. I look forward to your progress. Best regards Dave

[BobG]

I was looking at my Medway Longboat today and I couldn't remember how I did several things on it. Oh well, it looks like I may not be the only one this happens to!

[mtaylor]

Update... somewhat.  I have the starboard side, sanded, filled, and I think ready for paint though painting is down the road a ways.    Starting the other side of sand-fill-sand-fill... ad infinitum ad nauseam. I'll clean up the stern all at once after the port side is done.   Here's pics.... 

[Blue Ensign]

Getting there Mark, 👍

 

B.E.

[Moonbug]

She’s looking good Mark - I feel your pain of ad nauseam.  

[TBlack]

Lookin' crisp!

[mtaylor]

Thanks for looking in and your comments.  For the most part, I'm taking the day off from sanding.  Need to clear sinuses among other things.  

[Malcolm Greig]

Mark

 

Thanks for sharing your build. Plenty to learn here.  Planking sure is a challenge and a bit of a struggle.  I'm enjoying your build.

 

regards

 

Malcolm

[mtaylor]

Thanks for the likes, the comments, and following along.

 

The other side is now finish sanded.   I think when I get to the step for painting, I may need to do some more sanding and possibly filling.   I'm at the point of ready to do the first markup of the waterline.  Need to dig out the plans.   And.....  I will be painting the wales and planking down to the water line black. I had some serious issues (mine not the kit) with the stern planking area and had to fix it with quite a bit of homemade filler.  Now to get a grip mentally and work through my issues.  I'd like to be a lot further along when I go in for my heart surgery.  I'm goal setting, I know... usually a bad thing but in this case, being close will count.

 

Here's a pic of the other side sanded.....

 

[Glen McGuire]

Looking great, Mark.  Prayers for you going into heart surgery.