Sonny Skipper Posted November 16, 2021 Share #1 Posted November 16, 2021 Hello, I’m new to this forum and would like to share my build of the Spanish frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. I’ve put a short history from the actual ship below which I’ve found on the Occre website. This is my second wooden model build (my first being the Amati Nina) and I am very much liking it. I’ve started with the model in august 2020 and it is now almost nearing completion. I hope you’ll enjoy this thread as much as I have been building it. Kind regards, Jason (aka Sonny Skipper) The frigate "Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes" was built in 1788 in Havana owned by the Spanish Royal Navy and equipped with 34 cannons. Having left Montevideo on August 9, 1804 he was loaded with gold, silver, copper, tin, wool vicuna, Peruvian bark and cinnamon. On October 5, 1804 takes place the Battle of Cape Santa Maria, where a projectile of the English fleet, hit the Santa Barbara, causing their tragic and fast sinking. The company Odyssey, using a modern and sensitive sonar discovered in May 2007 in the Gulf of Cadiz, the wreck of the frigate. Using an underwater robot controlled from the surface and operating at about 1,100 meters deep recover the sunken treasure of Mercedes. 500,000 silver coins and gold. (Pieces of eight and escudos minted in Lima, Peru in 1803) is the largest sunken treasure has been recovered to date. Currently, the National Archaeological Museum in Cartagena, displays some of the recovered patrimony of the frigate. Enjoy the historical spanish frigate, with the assembling the ship model of the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes. The kit is ready to mount with a high quality of assembling pieces. Keith Black, BobG, GrandpaPhil and 6 others 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce d Posted November 16, 2021 Share #2 Posted November 16, 2021 Hello Sonny Skipper, and welcome to MSW. Nice looking model, and it is good to see this subject. May I suggest you also post in the 'new member introductions' thread? Glad to have you aboard. Regards, Bruce Keith Black, Sonny Skipper and Ryland Craze 3 Quote 🌻 STAY SAFE A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin current builds: HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted November 16, 2021 Author Share #3 Posted November 16, 2021 Thank you Bruce D, glad to be aboard MSW. I will look into the new member thread. Kind regards. Keith Black, bruce d and Ryland Craze 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancooper Posted November 16, 2021 Share #4 Posted November 16, 2021 Hello fellow countryman, welcome on board. Very nice work you've put into the Mercedes, I love it. Just last week there was documentary about the finding of the wreck on History channel, well actually it was a bit more about the legal fight over the ownership of it. Keith Black and Sonny Skipper 2 Quote On the bench : Revell's Calypso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted November 16, 2021 Author Share #5 Posted November 16, 2021 Thank you, Dan Cooper. I think I have seen something similar on NatGeo Channel’s Drain the Oceans. Also thank you for liking the model. Keith Black 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancooper Posted November 16, 2021 Share #6 Posted November 16, 2021 Ah, yes indeed I was wrong about the channel, it was indeed in the "Drain the Oceans"-series. Keith Black 1 Quote On the bench : Revell's Calypso Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobG Posted November 16, 2021 Share #7 Posted November 16, 2021 (edited) She looks gorgeous, Jason! It looks like you've got a nice friend lying on the couch to keep you company too. Edited November 16, 2021 by BobG Keith Black 1 Quote Bob Garcia "Measure once, cuss twice!" Current Builds: Hms Brig-Sloop Flirt 1782 - Vanguard Models Pen Duick - Artesania Latina 1:28 Completed: Medway Longboat 1742 - Syren Ship Model Co. Member of the Nautical Research Guild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted November 17, 2021 Author Share #8 Posted November 17, 2021 Thank you BobG. Yeah, our dog really loves the couch. I think the build of my model ship goes too slow for him and he’s having trouble keeping his eyes open. 😉 Keith Black and Baker 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baker Posted November 17, 2021 Share #9 Posted November 17, 2021 Very nice work. Congrats 👍 Keith Black and Sonny Skipper 2 Quote Regards, Patrick Finished : Soleil Royal Heller 1/100 Wasa Billing Boats Bounty Revell 1/110 plastic (semi scratch) Pelican / Golden Hind 1/45 scratch Current build : Mary Rose 1/50 scratch Gallery : Revell Bounty Pelican/Golden hind 1/45 scratch To do : Prins Willem Corel, Le Tonnant Corel, Yacht d'Oro Corel, Thermopylae Sergal Shore leave, non ship models build logs : ADGZ M35 funkwagen 1/72 Einhets Pkw. Kfz.2 and 4 1/72 Autoblinda AB40 1/72 122mm A-19 & 152mm ML-20 & 12.8cm Pak.44 {K8 1/2} 1/72 10.5cm Howitzer 16 on Mark. VI(e) Centurion Mk.1 conversion M29 Weasel 1/72 SAM6 1/72 T26 Finland T26 TN 1/72 Autoprotetto S37 1/72 Opel Blitz buses 1/72 Boxer and MAN trucks 1/72 Hetzer38(t) Starr 1/72 Si vis pacem, para bellum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted November 17, 2021 Author Share #10 Posted November 17, 2021 Thank you Backer. I see you have built the Wasa. Will have a look at your building log. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted November 17, 2021 Author Share #11 Posted November 17, 2021 So, a little update on the NS Mercedes. I have finished the backstays on all three masts. Not a whole lot of work, but a very slow progress. I was looking forward to the rigging when I was building this ship, but I must confess that I will be happy when the riggings are over. 🙂 The ropes from the Occre kit are not the best in its class, to say the least. I've used Beeswax to stop the fraying of the ropes. It will have to do for now, maybe in the future I will have to look for another brand of ropes. Kind regards, Keith Black and GrandpaPhil 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted November 17, 2021 Author Share #12 Posted November 17, 2021 Just a couple more pictures of NS Mercedes and Nina. Keith Black, GrandpaPhil and Barbossa 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted December 3, 2021 Author Share #13 Posted December 3, 2021 So, i have been working some more on the fore-mast and installed the yards. Progress is slow, but then again, this isn’t a race. Hope you enjoy the photos. Keith Black, Dempsey, BobG and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
challenger86 Posted February 6, 2022 Share #14 Posted February 6, 2022 Great build! Love the progress. Quick question, I noticed you have a finished base and stand for the ship. Was this something you purchased as extra? Keith Black 1 Quote Current build: Duyfken Completed build: NS Mercedes Completed build: HMS Victory Completed build: Bluenose Schooner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
challenger86 Posted February 6, 2022 Share #15 Posted February 6, 2022 (edited) Sonny, another quick question…from the Photo instruction #95, part #139, did you have to make your own or was this a specific supplied part? My kit doesn’t seem to have this part, as in the photo, the middle of this part has a hole in it. Written instructions do not indicate to use a brass wire to make up this part. Also my kit came with wooden belaying pins whereas the instructions mention it to be metal pins. Other observations, you have applied copper strips to the hull, my kit did not come with copper. Edited February 6, 2022 by challenger86 Keith Black 1 Quote Current build: Duyfken Completed build: NS Mercedes Completed build: HMS Victory Completed build: Bluenose Schooner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share #16 Posted February 13, 2022 Hello Challenger 86, The base and stand was ordered as an extra from Occre. I believe it was originally made for their Santisima Trinidad model. I just bought some extra brass stands to put on the base. kind regards, Sonny Skipper Keith Black 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share #17 Posted February 13, 2022 BobG, Keith Black and GrandpaPhil 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share #18 Posted February 13, 2022 Finished the ship. Decided to leave the sails of so to be able to admire the rigging. Kind regards. Keith Black 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share #19 Posted February 13, 2022 Hello Challenger86, I decided to make the copper hull myself. I think it enhance the appearance of the model. I made the copper tiles from 5 mm copper tape using a pouncing wheel to recreate the copper tiles. B41EE86F-8D32-45C6-B6F7-D59CE2E27DA6.heic 7D9D7C4E-1E51-41A1-A977-4BF0284D375A.heic 66041DDE-5FD3-4E0B-9062-66A01CEC699D.heic Keith Black 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted February 13, 2022 Author Share #20 Posted February 13, 2022 BobG, ccoyle and Keith Black 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanyed Posted February 14, 2022 Share #21 Posted February 14, 2022 (edited) Hi Sonny, Have you checked out the tutorial on copper sheathing? https://thenrg.org/resources/Documents/articles/CopperSheathingaHull.pdf The plates would have had nail dents about 0.005" diameter at your scale, thus barely visible, rather than huge raised bumps. Keep in mind the plates should be overlapping about 1.5" (full scale) on both the short and long edges. Allan Edited February 14, 2022 by allanyed Sonny Skipper 1 Quote PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series. Click on http://trafalgar.tv There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time. THANK YOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted February 20, 2022 Author Share #22 Posted February 20, 2022 Hello Allanyed, Thanks for the info. I didn’t know about the tutorial on MSG. It’s my first time doing copper tiles on a model and I got the idea on YouTube from a guy named John Builds Iconic Models. Kind regards, Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanyed Posted February 20, 2022 Share #23 Posted February 20, 2022 Hi Sonny Thanks for that lead for the videos. I did some searching and found his episode 60 on HMS Victory which has him making the sheathing. I cannot speak for the rest of his videos, but this particular episode really is a disservice to those trying to research how the coppering really looked. He makes the incorrect huge pimples like most kit plates have rather than tiny dents which would have been correct. Cheers Allan Quote PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series. Click on http://trafalgar.tv There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time. THANK YOU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidG Posted February 22, 2022 Share #24 Posted February 22, 2022 Hi Sonny, you did a great job on the model, I particularly like your work on the head and the shrouds. Very neat. I build the same ship for a long time, it is interesting, mine is sold under the Occre Diana name, but the model itself seems exactly the same. Sonny Skipper 1 Quote Past builds: Prins Willem, Amati Coca Current Build: Occre Diana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Skipper Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share #25 Posted March 2, 2022 Hello DavidG, Thank you for your comment. I believe the Diana and the NS Mercedes where of the same class of frigates. They do look very similar indeed, although I believe the Diana has some more cannons on board. Kind regards, Sonny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandpaPhil Posted May 22, 2022 Share #26 Posted May 22, 2022 Well done! Sonny Skipper 1 Quote Building: 1:64 HMS Revenge (Victory Models plans) 1:64 Cat Esther (17th Century Dutch Merchant Ships) On the building slip: 1:72 French Ironclad Magenta (original shipyard plans) On hold: 1:98 Mantua HMS Victory (kit bash), 1:96 Shipyard HMS Mercury Favorite finished builds: 1:60 Sampang Good Fortune (Amati plans), 1:200 Orel Ironclad Solferino, 1:72 Schooner Hannah (Hahn plans), 1:72 Privateer Prince de Neufchatel (Chapelle plans), Model Shipways Sultana, Heller La Reale, Encore USS Olympia Goal: Become better than I was yesterday "The hardest part is deciding to try." - me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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