ancre Le Fleuron by Gaetan Bordeleau - FINISHED - 1:24

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

A little update for this Friday, I did retouch horizontal curving alignment of the tiles for the windows, I still will have to do some realignment. Now working on port and taking pictures give no mercy. On the second picture I draw a red line to show that some realignment will be needed.  Nothing is glued yet, so that realignment can be done when necessary. It is easier to see on a picture of the model than on the model itself.

[Mau]

Hi Gaetan, your model is wonderful! I'll follow your posts with great interest.

It´s incredible how the light effect modify the colors of the wood. And the photos of the 74 cannons ship are also amazing. The cooper sheathing is superb!

 

Mauricio

[michael mott]

Gaetan, I like the table. on the shelf is a red English Locomotive, that looks like a Great Western Hall class that was used in the Harry Potter Films. I recognized the type because I grew up 5 miles down the main line from Paddington Station.

 

Michael

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Mauricio and you know that I will follow your posts also.

 

Michael, lucky guy,  I like those lines. It was a kit  similar to this one:  http://www.djhmodelloco.co.uk/prodpage.asp?productid=3047

 

Gaetan

[SJSoane]

 

Gaetan,

 

You are a master of the craft. There are so many curving, flowing lines in the stern, and all fair together beautifully, Can you imagine how the shipwrights originally conceived of those forms? There must have been some trial and error when building the ship itself.

 

Best wishes,

 

Mark

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Mark, you understand exactly the idea. In a way the drawing is only a guide, the builder to succeed only needs flowing lines. I do not think that certain lines can be drawn on the first try. In this case horizontal curves are surely established before the vertical ones. Dry fit  with the brass nails is a very forgiving way, but even with this, I do not succeed all the parts in  the first try, sometimes it easily can go up to 4 or 5 try. Also in this case the thickness change, by example on the first picture, the thickness of the molding changes and in the second picture there are 4 layers to apply, you just have to guess which one you apply first. Finally to add some icing on the cake, there is  a lot of discrepancies in the drawings

Gaetan

[SJSoane]

 

Gaetan, 

 

Oh my, the close-up and the drawing show that it is even more complex than I first realized! What a masterful job.

 

I am glad to hear that you sometimes make a part four or five times. My reject parts box is overflowing...

 

Mark

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Adding 1 part at the time.

[Mirabell61]

lovely work Gaetan

 

 

Nils

[dvm27]

Masterful work, Gaetan, especialy all those narrow rebates.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Thank you Sirs,

 

This afternnon, I did read some pages about varnish made from simples but efficient recipes, often gum (sometimes incenses) for characteristics and color + oil: varnish.

I have interest for a black varnish made with asphalt and tung oil but tung oil does not dissolve well asphalt pigments. Turpentine helps this dissolution and acts as the binder.  

Hydrocarbon increases the acidity of the asphalt. Is this acidity high enough that it must be neutralize? I do not know. Apparently bee wax acts as a neutralizer, but I did not see any references on Internet. Here is what I saw.

 Bee wax is use as a binder, it has antibacterial properties and was one as the main ingredient for the mummification. Asphalt was also a ingredient. I did not see any references as neutralizing for acid, to the contray, bee wax contains certain acids.

 In 2009, a team had a look under the microscope  to the varnish used by Antonio Stradivari. His varnish is composed of 2 fine layers. The first one, oil based and the second one, oil and pine resin (probably a form of turpentine) with pigments for the color (visual effect).

 

If anone wants to help to make the recipe he is more than welcome.

[druxey]

Asphalt or bitumen in varnishes or other finishes are a problem. These never fully oxidize of polymerize and remain slightly liquid. An example is in old oil paintings and furniture where the bitumen browns form an 'alligator skin' all across the surface. Other earth brown pigments do not do this.

 

Lovely work on your quarter galleries, Gaetan!

Edited February 8, 2014 by druxey

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Druxey, as usual you are right, though asphalt aging effect is also interesting. May be some day I will find a replacement. I will have a look at this place:

 

http://www.kamapigment.com/store/index.asp?lang=0&catpage=2401

 

For now, another turn of the wheel.

[druxey]

Love the 'melting' effect of those window munions!

[Vivian Galad]

State of the Art!

Edited February 12, 2014 by Vivian Galad

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Druxey, another kind of unusual window will be install on the top of this on.

 

Vivian, would you beleive me if I tell you that it is easier to  build from scratch than from a kit!

[dgbot]

I think the reason for this is you have total control over the build and you can make sure the measuremnet oare correct and to your standards.

David B

[Vivian Galad]

Gaetan, David may be right. The freedom to work the kit seems far away from building from scratch, but to get there, too, I think is good to know some things from kit building. But POF is really the work to do, the next step. Yours is beautiful and I love the small scales. 1:24 is a dream to me.

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Vivian and David,

Kit is not an oblige way to begin in this hobby.

The first important points are the plans.

Kits are not so far from scratch.

Planking a kit or planking a scratch is the samething,

the difference is just that one has more details than the other.

[Alex M]

Hi Gaetan,

 

what a incredible puzzle work on those beautiful galleries! Awesome.

 

Alex

[gjdale]

Simply beautiful work Gaetan - a joy to behold.

[Vivian Galad]

Gaetan, just some thoughts: As I haven´t that experience with using much of the tools of the craft, a kit makes my path easier. If I had to begin from a plan, scratch, I would have to sort out the wood I would use, where to get them and so on. I know only one supplier for wood here in Brazil, since our common wood shops are a little sparse on catalog. Getting to the tools again, would have to learn how to design the pieces, chose the right tools to cut the wood and be able to get those tools - since the wood from the kits come sorted, the bulkheads pre-cut (on pob) and the instructions to show us what to do next, in my view the kit is easier than the scratch, and while modifying kits I´m learning steps I´ll use on scratch. Sure I could begin on scratch, but would take lots of time to learn some basics, to buy some tools and to achieve some skills. But then, I did nothing on scratch yet

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Vivian,

Skills only come with practice, but  I am telling you, Plans are the key to open this treasure.

If you want the most detailed plans available, Jean Boudriot is the man. Not only he will provide the good information, but he will do ALL the research for you.

If you want plans with methods on how to do it David Antscherl is the man.

With the coming of Internet, you have now Forums where many peoples to help you.

With organism as Nautical Research Guild you can now have your own private mentor.

For wood planking, Hobby millusa.com can provide all the precut wood you need, this means no big power tools to buy.

For the tools, the main reason I use a lot of tools is just to go faster. Many tools make the work easier to do, but they are not absolutely essentials. You cannot buy all the tools you could dream the first year you begin to make model ship. To get tools is a long process, before to buy a tool you have to need it and you have to know that it exists then you need the money to buy it.  

At the end, you chose the way you prefer kit or scratch, but kit or scratch need time to learn the way, the first scratch will always be difficult, but the learning curve will be much faster.

When you like to build with your hands, you find the time to do it and for a young person like you, there is still plenty of time in front of you.  

[dgbot]

Gaetan I agree with you one hundred percent.  To me a good set of detailed plans is crucial to everything I do.  I would estimate that at least 80% to 90% of the kits being sold have incomplete plans or the wrong plans altogether.  That is why I look for more information.  From a museum, archive, photos, the company, etc.  On my Benjamin W. Latham I did a lot of detailed research down to the kind of pumps and toggle bolts it used.  This is what makes it fun.  Many years ago I was asked to build a kit from Dikar.  All I remember about the thing was that it was a French frigate.  But the entire rigging was all English.  And I turned it down.  Plans are the key.

David B

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

David, you are right research, can be very motivating.

As you say a good set of detailed plans is the key.

A detailed cannon is always nicer to look than a rough cannon shape!

[Meredith]

Ahh - but how to use those plans is just one big mystery to me so far!!! That is more daunting to me - just where and how to start. I have read about them. I have watched DVD on it - but still it's not 100% clear. But this build s just sensational

[Gaetan Bordeleau]

Meredith,

 

I do not know which plans you talk about.

 

Where and how to start?

 

There are many peoples who are ready to help you if you just ask.

There are mentor whos can guide you personnally through NRG.

There are books written by David and Ed who show you all the main avenues.

Answers do exist,  and just like flowers are just waiting to be pick.

[Meredith]

Yes I know the answers are there.. I just have to figure what to ask I just find the plans a bit daunting.But like most things - once your take the plunge and start - it becomes much easier.

 

I saw the NRG mentor program - It sounded very interesting.

[AntonyUK]

Hello Gaetan.

Very nice build.

And I agree with you regarding scratch building.

Some people in our local group of modellers struggle to interpret plans and detailed drawings so starting scratch building is not always for the novice.

I think that forums like this are a very good help to scratch building.

 

Regards Antony

[Mau]

Gaetan, you are a master! It’s delightful to see your work in progress. I saw that you use small brass nails to secure the moldings in place. After that you glue it using the nails as a guide and simply cut it and do some refinement, or use another type of nail, like copper wire?

 

About plans I can only agree with you. The ANCRE’s monographs plans are very good and precise. And Boudriot’s 74 gun books have the best sketches I’ve ever seen.  

 

And Vivian, I also live in Sao Paulo and some years ago, I stood exactly where you now stand, fascinated with the hobby and always wanting to do some more. I built some kits (including a Chinese Junk from Amati) and now I’m building my first scratch POF Les Gros Ventre, since Gaetan has become my NGR mentor, I felt more confident, and with his big help my learning curve sped a lot. As I believe that knowledge must be shared, I can give you some short cuts in terms of tools and woods available in Brazil. Write me a private message, so we can speak in Portuguese.

 

Mauricio