HMS Victory by Seahorse - Corel - 1:98 Scale - Cross-Section

[Seahorse]

Purchased this Corel kit around 40 years ago in Genoa Italy. At that time, in a previous life, I was a Marine Engineer on a container ship that continually circumnavigated the world, with lots of stops in Genoa and the UK etc....plenty of opportunities to buy kits, books and modelling tools. My intention was to ultimately build a full model of the Victory from a Corel kit. The Cross-Section was to be my apprenticeship in Period Ship modelling.

 

Anyway, as it does, life took over and the kit found its way into the back of a cupboard gathering dust. Three children later and after a long career in the marine industry, I finally retired from the Merchant Navy and started a 5 year renovation of our house. During this period I also managed to acquire a Corel Kit of the complete Victory model, which true to form, also made its way into the back of the cupboard to share the dust collection.

 

Lots of advice on here as to the difficulties involved building the full Corel Victory, mainly due to the poor instructions supplied etc. This along with recognising my own penchant for completely ignoring manuals anyway, I thought it finally time to start the Cross- Section. What could go wrong..??

 

I have no intention of trying to create a "museum quality  build" (there are plenty of them on here to admire)...!! Having said that, I have only kept the parts list for reference. The model will be built from the plans supplied and I will build to the best of my ability. Hopefully I will learn from my mistakes. After all, I have I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to build full size 1:1 scale ships, in yards  in Hamburg, Singapore and Australia.....no building instructions, just a specification and lots of technical drawings.

 

Time to jump right in...Firstly, I didn't like the building jig arrangement. It limits opportunities to physically handle the hull...Besides, the wine was far too good to be put into service for an extended period.

 

To overcome this issue I made a "strong-back" from cedar. This, combined with some sturdy elastic bands will hold the hull in the correct shape when removing it from the jig.

 

 

 

[Seahorse]

Time to fit the keel. While doing this I quickly came to the opinion the raw edges of the plywood hull plug would seriously detract from the final look of the model. Having just completed some marquetry work, I was fortunate enough to have some interesting veneers at hand. These could be employed to give  the impression of a "built-up" frame...impression being the operative word here !!!

 

I chose some Japanese Cork Tree veneer,  as it was just grained enough to give the look  I was after.

 

Below is a Marquetry impression of Hokusai's famous painting of The Great Wave.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

Now for some planking. After referring to the parts list and some quick measurements with a set of vernier callipers, it was now time to break out the glue.

 

Planks we cut to length using a guillotine, cleaned up, and lightly sanded before installing.

 

BTW, I regularly place the hull back in the jig to check for accuracy.

 

Next comes the Orlop Deck.

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

Orlop deck completed and installed....continue planking up to next deck level.

[Seahorse]

Reference material acquired to assist in the construction of both the Cross-Section model, and full Corel Kit of HMS Victory.

 

The Anatomy of Nelsons Ships was purchased from Maritime Models Greenwich in 1977...Obviously both these model kits have been on my "To-Do" list for quite a while now. (I think Maritime Models Greenwich is now long gone..??).

 

While in Greenwich, I was fortunate enough to take the opportunity to crawl all over the Cutty Sark.....Those were the days when the public had full access to the vessel..

 

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Seahorse

[Dlowder]

I'll follow this since I'm building one also. I agree about the veneer improving it. I just got in some really thin walnut I plan to do the same thing with.

[Seahorse]

1 hour ago, Dlowder said:

I'll follow this since I'm building one also. I agree about the veneer improving it. I just got in some really thin walnut I plan to do the same thing with.

I only had a very limited amount of veneer off cuts to work with....Difficult to get the grain to go exactly where I wanted it and only enough to do the "display" face of the model. However, I think the veneer is far better than raw plywood.

 

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

Slow progress today, mainly due to the fact that it was a beautiful sunny Autumn day here in Australia. It was simply much nicer just sitting watching the waves break on our local beach.

 

Commenced work on the gun deck. Caution required here to ensure the mast step is located accurately and consistently on each deck.

 

Started marking out gun port door holes.

[kostas_gr]

good start on this cross section. I have finished mine few months ago, I really enjoyed the whole process.

There were few things in this kit that I didnt liked them at all, so I changed them. Becouse of those changes I had to improve a lot of other things.

[Seahorse]

19 hours ago, kostas_gr said:

good start on this cross section. I have finished mine few months ago, I really enjoyed the whole process.

There were few things in this kit that I didnt liked them at all, so I changed them. Becouse of those changes I had to improve a lot of other things.

Thanks Kostas, I am sticking mainly to the plans, as I am treating the whole build as a learning exercise. If I see an opportunity for improvement, I will take it, However, basically, my intention is that it will be constructed using the materials and plans provided by Corel, with limited modifications. I don't want too many distractions, as, like you, I also have a full Corel HMS Victory kit, waiting to be started.

 

My ship used to call into Piraeus regularly, consequently, I had plenty of opportunities to visit Athens....a beautiful city.

Edited March 23, 2022 by Seahorse

[Wawona59]

Hello Seahorse, 

 

My name is John Newcome, (Wawona59).  I'm a newbie  to the MSW group.  Like many, I'm re-discovering ship modeling now that I'm approaching retirement.

 

I really like  the work that you have done so far on the Victory cross section.  With all of the references you have, you could have some fun filling up the interior.  You could install hammocks, cannons and equipment,  lowered sailor's mess tables, half-eaten meals, battle remnants, etc. etc.  This could be very interesting.  While not my primary interest, I could consider building one of these cross sections as a lamp with the center tube representing a mast.

 

I really like what  you've started!  Have fun and be creative. Most importantly, enjoy yourself.   I will be following this build.

 

May you have fair winds and a calm sea

,

 

John (Wawona59)

[Seahorse]

Steady progress today. Gun Deck completed and installed. Dimensions recorded for location of mast support so that it can be replicated and placed accurately on the next deck.

 

Gunport openings completed and external planking glued up.

 

Next come the two ladders between the Gun and Orlop decks. Made but not to be installed till after stanchions have been fitted.

Edited March 23, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

On 3/23/2022 at 2:47 PM, Wawona59 said:

Hello Seahorse, 

 

My name is John Newcome, (Wawona59).  I'm a newbie  to the MSW group.  Like many, I'm re-discovering ship modeling now that I'm approaching retirement.

 

I really like  the work that you have done so far on the Victory cross section.  With all of the references you have, you could have some fun filling up the interior.  You could install hammocks, cannons and equipment,  lowered sailor's mess tables, half-eaten meals, battle remnants, etc. etc.  This could be very interesting.  While not my primary interest, I could consider building one of these cross sections as a lamp with the center tube representing a mast.

 

I really like what  you've started!  Have fun and be creative. Most importantly, enjoy yourself.   I will be following this build.

 

May you have fair winds and a calm sea

,

 

John (Wawona59)

 

Hello John, Probably like a lot of the members on here, we never had the luxury or opportunity to dedicate large chunks of time to a hobby like this, until we approached or hit retirement. 

 

I am enjoying this build, but want to keep it simple as possible so that I don't stress over it, or suffer burnout due to overcomplicating things.

 

Thanks for your kind words John. It is so nice to be on a forum that has such a positive and constructive vibe...

 

BTW my real name is Steve Taylor .

Edited March 27, 2022 by Seahorse

[Wawona59]

Hello Steve,

Welcome to the MSW forum.  I hope you don't stress too much on the Victory project.  Modeling isn't about stress or building to another person's deadline.  It's about enjoying the building process and sharing with other like-minded modelers.  Enjoy your build.

[Seahorse]

4 hours ago, Wawona59 said:

Hello Steve,

Welcome to the MSW forum.  I hope you don't stress too much on the Victory project.  Modeling isn't about stress or building to another person's deadline.  It's about enjoying the building process and sharing with other like-minded modelers.  Enjoy your build.

I find in my case, stress is more to do with over realistic expectations of my own ability. Probably brought about during my early years training to be a Marine Engineer. I had one particular supervisor who generously took me under his wing and imparted on to me a great deal of his extensive practical knowledge. Whenever I started to become too big for my boots and full of my own importance however, he would bring me back to earth very quickly with a particularly cutting statement..."Do your BEST Steve...it only has to be rough"..!!!

 

Thanks for the welcome.

[Seahorse]

Slow progress today due to other more pressing issues.

 

Made up some spacers to impart the correct camber to the decks before installing the stanchions.

 

Used Loctite GO2 Gel as an adhesive. This is a slow setting cyanoacrylate that allows time to overlay the hull on the plans and make adjustments and achieve correct alignment.

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

Steady progress today. Fitting the stanchions so that the correct camber and alignment was achieved was not an easy task. Patience is necessary and constant checking against the plans required.

 

Next the ladders. Initial impression was the ladder appeared oversize and not to scale...this was remedied slightly with some steady sanding which resulted in a reasonable outcome. Unfortunately the first tread worked out to be on the same level as the gun deck....I won't be losing any sleep over this as I can remove the top tread at my leisure before staining and varnishing.

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Seahorse

[allanyed]

Looking good!

 

One thing to consider for the future, the head ledges on the coamings sit on top of the coaming pieces rather than the other way around and are rounded versus flat.  Out of curiosity, did the kit instruct the configuration you used?  It would be a shame that they did not research properly to have this done correctly.

 

Allan

Edited March 25, 2022 by allanyed

[Seahorse]

Thanks Allan.

 

Decks have been built as per drawings provided and using the template provided. (See image below).

 

This is a very old kit, which possibly may have since been superseded by updates to the kit itself. These updates may reflect traditional build methods more accurately..?

 

I think the intention of this kit is to provide a simple, non intimidating introduction to Period Ship model building. Nothing overly complicated, and the potential to timely complete quite an attractive model, even by beginners new to the hobby.

 

I am struggling however, particularly with the quality and erratic dimensions of some of the materials provided, which ranges from excellent, to very very poor.. Fingers crossed this frustration may have been rectified in later kits

 

Constantly having to re-work some areas due to material dimensional inconsistencies, which as you can imagine, is very frustrating and time consuming.

 

I have made a few small errors to date, but am not beating myself up over these, as the intention of this build is follow the plans provided and learn from my mistakes. At the same time, hopefully becoming more experienced in interpreting the Corel Naval Architects intentions..... Before tackling a larger, much more complicated Corel kit.

 

Thanks again for your input...

 

Rgds

 

SteveT

Edited March 26, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

Rainy weather here, so today was more about drinking tea and eating cake, rather than model boat building.

 

Consequently progress was slow, but steady. Commenced work on the Middle Deck, and when I tired of that, it was time for some gratings and another ladder.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

It continues to rain here on the East Coast, so a lot of time spent staring out the window daydreaming.

 

Consequently, progress on the model remains slow. But none the less, another deck was completed and the test fit was a success.

 

Now to mark out the gun and entry ports.

 

Did a quick inventory of remaining parts and found the length of 1.5mm brass rod missing....fingers crossed that is all that is.

 

Some time also spent designing a display case....daydreaming helps immensely with the creative process.

 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by Seahorse

[allanyed]

On 3/25/2022 at 9:01 PM, Seahorse said:

Before tackling a larger, much more complicated Corel kit.

I understand a challenge, but why go with an inaccurate, poorly designed kit when there are several brands that offer accurately designed and great quality materials, Syren, Model Shipways offerings from David Antscherl's designs  and Vanguard?    

 

Allan

 

 

Edited March 29, 2022 by allanyed

[Seahorse]

9 hours ago, allanyed said:

I understand a challenge, but why go with an inaccurate, poorly designed kit when there are several brands that offer accurately designed and great quality materials, Syren, Model Shipways offerings from David Antscherl's designs  and Vanguard?    

 

Allan

 

 

Greetings Allan,

 

I understand where you are coming from. However, I must say the Corel Victory cross-section holds a lot of sentimental value for me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I purchased it in Genoa over 40 years ago. A time when Period ship modelling kits were in their infancy. Since then it has survived numerous moves and gathered a lot of dust, but was always in the back of my mind, that I would one day get around to building it.

 

To help put things in perspective a little, I also have a DiAgostini Victory Cross Section waiting in the wings. Not saying it would necessarily meet all the criteria of design and materials quality you suggest, but to me it does not have the emotional pull the Corel kit has. I bought the DiAgostini kit for the reasons you suggest....more modern, more accurate, supposedly well designed etc. I tossed up between both kits...which one to build?? Ultimately the Corel kit ticked all the boxes for me, despite some of its obvious short comings. 

 

When I complete the Corel Kit, I hope to be able to say my apprenticeship is complete.  I will have a better grasp on model building, be more selective in what I build next, and hopefully, the errors I make in this build will not be repeated in the future builds.

 

I appreciate your suggestions and will certainly take a long at look at the kit manufacturers you mention, but for the moment and for my first build, If I can complete the kit to my own personal satisfaction, I will be very happy.

 

Appreciate your input.

 

Rgds

 

Steve

Edited March 29, 2022 by Seahorse

[allanyed]

Steve, 

Extremely well said!!  

Allan

[tomganc]

That's really nice and neat build. I like your attention to the details and gosh the ago of the kit says it all. Wonderful piece of modelling.

 

Regards

Tom

[Seahorse]

On 3/30/2022 at 7:15 PM, tomganc said:

That's really nice and neat build. I like your attention to the details and gosh the ago of the kit says it all. Wonderful piece of modelling.

 

Regards

Tom

Greetings Tom,

 

Encouraging words indeed from a modeller of your ability Tom.  Thank you for taking the time offer your support and thoughts, which are greatly appreciated. I am a long, long way from ever achieving builds anywhere near your standard of workmanship. 

 

I am more familiar with working with steel and machinery parts than wood. I am finding the transition slightly challenging but hugely enjoyable.

 

It is great pleasure to find a forum like MSW,  where the membership are so positive and encouraging.....To all who have taken the time to respond to this build...THANK YOU.

 

Steve

Edited April 1, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

Slow and steady at the moment. Progress all the same.

 

It will be nice to finish it off to the stage where I can sand away all the handling marks, glue stains, furry edges etc

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Seahorse

[Seahorse]

Progress may be slow..but I do have an excuse....

 

Started reading COMMANDER by Stephen Taylor. A real page turner!!. 

 

I have quite an extensive collection of maritime fiction books by the likes of C S Forrester, Richard Woodman, Alexander Kent etc, but am not a fan of Patrick O'brien.

 

This book by Stephen Taylor is well worth the time and effort. Unfortunately, it eats into time that could be spent more productively modelling. None the less, I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in this genre.

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Seahorse

[allanyed]

I see that the book is about Pellew and I plan to order it on my Kindle.  I read the two fiction series about Thomas Kydd  by Stockwin and the Alan Lewrie series by Dewey Lambdin both of which were fun so you might want to give one or both a try if you have not done so already. 

Allan 

[Seahorse]

7 hours ago, allanyed said:

I see that the book is about Pellew and I plan to order it on my Kindle.  I read the two fiction series about Thomas Kydd  by Stockwin and the Alan Lewrie series by Dewey Lambdin both of which were fun so you might want to give one or both a try if you have not done so already. 

Allan 

Thanks Allan...Always on the lookout for a new authors.

 

Gulp!!...There are 25 volumes in the Alan Lewrie series. I may purchase a couple to see if I like his style.

 

You won't be disappointed with "COMMANDER". My preference is for fact over fiction, so this book has my name all over it..!! Actually that is very true, as my name is Stephen Taylor is as well....!!!