HMS Spartiate by Admiral Beez - Heller - 1/150 - PLASTIC - kit-bashing the Heller Le Superbe

[Bill Morrison]

It looks great!!!!  I apologize for my last entry. I have been wrestling with severe health problems dealing with a broken hip and shattered knee, and I had neglected to read your entire build log.  Your approach is showing that the effort to build a real model out of a plastic kit is phenomenal!  I am most impressed!

 

Bill

Edited September 24, 2022 by Bill Morrison

[Admiral Beez]

6 hours ago, Bill Morrison said:

It looks great!!!!  I apologize for my last entry. I have been wrestling with severe health problems dealing with a broken hip and shattered knee, and I had neglected to read your entire build log.  Your approach is showing that the effort to build a real model out of a plastic kit is phenomenal!  I am most impressed!

 

Bill

What’s really helped me is joining the local model boat club.   Wherever you are there’s likely likeminded folks that can provide guidance or at worst motivation and encouragement. 

[Admiral Beez]

Here’s my model guide for the stern gallery.   Shown at https://www.modelships.de/Vanguard/Vanguard_eng.htm

I need to improve my straight line work.  But we’ll get there.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Now I’m wondering if this model above of HMS Vanguard has a stern gallery that is atypically garish for the Royal Navy.  Do I have too much red?  Perhaps the windows on the balcony should be yellow ochre like the rest?  Some examples below.  Thoughts?

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Stern gallery now in place.  Of course these Heller instructions are rubbish, and made no mention to first install the two stern chaser 32 pounders, so now I’ll have to shave the carriages so I can fit the guns through the ports.  Lesson once again is to read four or five steps ahead and to always ask what Heller omitted.  
 

The stern gallery needs more work, including filling joints and sharpening up painted lines and decorations.  My painting skills still need improvement.  The upper deck and poop deck are just temporarily placed for planning purposes.  I’ve also reinstalled the rudder.
 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Beef Wellington]

Hi Beez, think your toned down stern is much more in keeping.  You're making great progress.

[Admiral Beez]

Goodness but did I struggle to get my mind around the bowsprit.  The Heller instructions are terrible.  Thankfully I could use others’ builds of the same kit, plus the box art as a guide.   Upon close examination under my magnifier light I saw that there were very slight score marks on the bowsprit to show where the small pieces are affixed.  I also filled the bowsprit with toothpicks to give it resistance from bending.

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

I wanted to ask the forum’s advice on the bowsprit of my model.  The forward part that goes through the block or plate is beside rather than on top of the bowsprit. This matches the model’s instructions and the original builder’s plans from France.  But on HMS Victory this forward part sits directly on top of the bowsprit.  What do you think?

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[ccoyle]

I'd follow the plans. It looks a little odd, but marine engineers often come up with different solutions for the same problem. It will make a nice conversation starter when viewers ask why that piece appears to be crooked -- kind of like the canted engines that some aeronautical engineers opted to use to offset yaw in their designs.

[Admiral Beez]

On 12/9/2022 at 8:08 AM, ccoyle said:

I'd follow the plans. It looks a little odd, but marine engineers often come up with different solutions for the same problem. It will make a nice conversation starter when viewers ask why that piece appears to be crooked -- kind of like the canted engines that some aeronautical engineers opted to use to offset yaw in their designs.

I agree, and will leave it as.  I do wonder if the British upon capturing these ships converted the bowsprit to look like the below on HMS Victory.

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[ccoyle]

6 minutes ago, Admiral Beez said:

I do wonder if the British upon capturing these ships converted the bowsprit to look like the below on HMS Victory.

 

I'd be inclined to believe that they would modify captured vessels to configurations they were familiar with.

[Admiral Beez]

Looks okay.  I free handed the metal hoops around the bowsprit.  Perhaps I should have taped them, so I may return to it, though I’m happy enough I think.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Beef Wellington]

I would suggest using think back card or tape as you suggest.  Think you will get a much better result that you ae happy with.

[Admiral Beez]

On 12/13/2022 at 5:34 PM, Beef Wellington said:

I would suggest using think back card or tape as you suggest.  Think you will get a much better result that you ae happy with.

I agree. I painted the bowsprit over and will use my tape.

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Taping and painting the boats.  The kit instructs that they be stacked, but I’m thinking of mounting them on spars across the waste.  If so, I’ll need to make up some seats.   I’m using this model as a guide, https://www.modelships.de/Vanguard/dEL4A0625.jpg

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

I had some taping overflow, but I’m happy with the boats now.  I’ve just finished clear coating them.  The Heller kit has all three boats stacked, but I want to put them two across on spars on the waist.  To make that look right I may need to create some seats or cross bars on the otherwise empty boats.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

I've clear coated the quarterdeck, waist and forecastle and now added the black wash.  I looks a little too green compared to the main deck seen through the waist, not sure why, but there's no going back, so I will add a little more wash to the main deck to match.  Well, since the paint is clearcoat sealed I could try to rinse away some of the wash.  I'm not sure our ship's Captain would allow his decks to look so, but perhaps we've just returned from a long mission in the North Atlantic where the hollystoning was postponed. 

 

I need to get some more clamps to glue this new deck to the hull sides.  My trick for gluing is to scrape off the primer so that the plastic cement can adhere, plus I put super glue on a few spots to help it stay in place.  My painting skills or patience still need work, but we're making progress.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Upper deck install.

 

 

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

I’m not entirely happy with the fit on this kit, or at least my build attempt.  There’s a gap where the forecastle deck meets the starboard hull side, despite my clamping.  And another gap above the side stern gallery windows and the side gallery ceiling.  I’ll hide the first with some filler and the railings that come next, and the latter I’ll mock up some cuttings from the sprue.   I have a lot of touch up painting to do, as you can see - I rough paint prior to assembly, but with these acrylic paints I find they smudge and come off until you do the final clear coat sealing.   I have to remind myself that this is my training boat, having no built any model kits in over twenty years.  I’m learning a lot.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

I’ve custom made thwarts for the larger boat.  I used 2.5 mm styrene c-channel strips for the thwarts (seats) and fabricated the bow piece from a number plate off the sprew.  I used the spacing on the small boats seats to space my custom ones.  Then I prime coated, wood-tone painted, clear coated and then distressed each piece with a diluted black wash. 
 

Next step is the create the spars across the waist that the boats sit upon.   Unlike the French who spent their days in port prettying ship, the British were at sea in all weathers on blockade, so the boats had to be easily on hand.  I’ve got 3mm square profile styrene strips primed and ready for painting to create the cross beams and columns.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Fabricating and installing breech rope from thread pulled through beeswax and affixed to the pommel on each quarterdeck 12 pounder cannon with instant glue.  Rope will be cut to meet inner hull side when cannon is permanently installed.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

We’ve caused problems, and solved those and others.   I found out why my deck colours didn’t match - obviously I used the wrong paint!  When I bought the kit I also bought buff colour paint intending to mix with yellow to paint the hull sides.  But then I bought Yellow Ocre for the sides, putting the Buff paint away for future projects.  But then it came time to paint the upper decks and I grabbed the Buff instead of the Deck Tan I’d used on the lower deck.

 

But it all ends well, since my cannon ropes frayed (see cannon below), requiring me to rip out the cannons.  Thankfully the kit has an extra sprue of cannons, and besides I’m replacing the forecastle 12 pounders with vacuum formed 32 pdr cannonades a friend in my model club made for me - so the destruction of a few cannons in the removal process isn’t so bad.  And, since the deck is now scratched up from canon removal I can repaint with the proper Deck Tan paint, clear coat and add my diluted black wash to match the lower deck.

 

My friend above from the Toronto model boat club (I highly recommend joining such clubs) also made me oars for the boats, and gave me better string for the cannons.  See below, note the oar in the boat.  I’ve also made the skid beams from 2.5 mm square styrene strips, to hold the boats. 
 

And a reason for joining clubs is advice when all seems lost.  The starboard (larboard) forecastle deck edge would not meet up with the hull side, no matter my clamps.  The club recommended I used children’s white craft glue to fill the gap.  And it worked perfectly, see below.  I took the opportunity to glue over gaps in the stern gallery and quarterdeck to hull sides.  Once the glue dries I’ll paint all with the Deck Tan and then restring the cannons and get back to it.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[TomRigg]

Irrelevant Trivia:

I have a copy of the AotS USS Constitution book.

There's a 1/150 scale plan on the inside of the fly cover. Place one hull half of Le Superbe on the drawing and guess what? 

USS Constitution is bigger!

Tom

[Admiral Beez]

Deck repainted the correct tan colour.  Custom skid beams installed to hold the boats.  I’m now touching up the paint before applying clear coat so I can add the diluted black wash to the deck.  

Some good advice I received on using kid’s white glue as filler, add some talcum powder to thicken it, and add a couple of drops of the colour you’re going to paint over the glue.  Lastly, make sure you clear coat to seal the glue, as it will dry and crack over the years otherwise.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Side railings and hammock stowage railings now attached.  You wouldn't know I had to use white glue to fill the gap in the deck to hull mating.  Deck is now painted the correct tan, ready for clear coating and black wash.  I'm especially pleased with my custom skid beams for the boats.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Boats and custom-made 3D printed oars installed, deck repainted and “weathered”, exterior sail platforms attached.  Last step is to rope up and install the quarterdeck cannons and forecastle cannonades.  And then we’re off to the masts.  Gun port lids will be last, due to risk of knocking them off in handling the ship.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

My fine line painting still needs improvement, but I’m finally happy with my blue trim.  We’re starting to look more and more like the professional model of HMS Vanguard that is my guide, see first post.

 

Advice I would give myself?  Don’t worry what the lower decks look like, you can’t see them. So when you’re attaching those cannons, generously cement them onto the deck before you paint the guns and the deck.  I’ve had the ship fall on its side and a cannon break loose due to a failure of CA glue between the pre-painted gun and painted deck, and had shake it out and then shave down the trunnions so I could insert the gun and carriage through the gun port.  I call this my “learning ship” for a reason.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Admiral Beez]

Gunport lids drilled and painted.   I broke three micro bits on my Dremel, but they’re very cheap on Amazon.  Check out the custom resin cast carronades my friend made for me.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Admiral Beez

[Beef Wellington]

Those carronades are a nice touch, looking good.

[Admiral Beez]

On 4/24/2023 at 3:30 PM, Beef Wellington said:

Those carronades are a nice touch, looking good.

Thanks.  I realized after I posted that pic that I had one of the carriages or slides for the carronades backwards.  The furthest one is run out but I’ve got the gun pointing the wrong way.    My friend who resin cast the guns made two sets of slides, one run out and the other run in.  I’ll be putting all four run out, to match the long guns.

HMS Victory only had one carronade per side on the forecastle, and none on the poopdeck, but I’m going for four total up front, and none on the poop.  I’d need to find something smaller than a 64 pounder for the poopdeck.    Presumably part of efficiency in sprue tooling and/or production, the kit does come with an few extra 12 pounder barrels and carriage bases, but not sides, I could mock up something for the poop deck.

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Admiral Beez