Le Soleil Royal by Bill97 - FINISHED - Heller - 1/100

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, just cut the old rope, tie the new one on, and pull the new rope through using the old rope.

[popeye2sea]

9 hours ago, Veszett Roka said:

Braided ropes still in use today, although not hemp but nylon, and not only 3 line but 6 or 8.

 

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanrope.com%2Fpub%2Fmedia%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct%2Fcache%2Fd3ceb0298ce06b26d9e80afba584030f%2Fa%2Fn%2Fanchor_rodes_8strand_800_6.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanrope.com%2Frope%2Fanchor-rodes.html&tbnid=X6vJkL8Iieeh1M&vet=12ahUKEwi6tfas2_j7AhX087sIHcoGCcQQMyhaegUIARCMAQ..i&docid=50IWRblxZN8tqM&w=300&h=300&q=historical braided anchor rope&client=firefox-b-d&ved=2ahUKEwi6tfas2_j7AhX087sIHcoGCcQQMyhaegUIARCMAQ

True, rope of braided construction does exist and can be used for an anchor rode, but that is not the same as laying up a flat or sennit braid with three ropes as Bill did for his model. Two totally different things.

Plus, I don't think braided construction rope (mostly constructed from nylon or other man made fibers) existed in the 17th century.

 

Regards,

Henry

[Bill97]

Henry I ordered some 2mm rope. Will switch it out when I get it. Luckily the decks are still open at the front so I can easily switch it out. 
 

In other news I adapted your support timbers at the knees but changed it up a little. I noticed that the piece supported by the timbers was molded to reflect two beams that the decking layer on. I added evergreen along the sides to give it a little more weight similar to the top edge of the UB. With that in mind, and my construction knowledge, I reasoned the beams needed to be supported by timbers. Timbers support the beam, the beam supports the decking. So I went with two sets of support timbers, one set at each beam. As you did, I made them wide enough to later accept some molded ornamentation. 

[Bill97]

Marc whenever I read through your build I have to stop and look at your beautiful paint job. These three of the bow area caught my attention this evening. This is a true work of art my friend. I am so hopeful if I am patient I can come close to what you have done. Looking at them gives me second thoughts about adding the anchor lining while I still have a chance. I really like the way that looks. I may even go back and read through the early pages to find your process for making the bolt heads, especially on the wales.  I remember reading that somewhere in your blog. I notice you have ropes in both holes on each side instead of just the two inside ones as shown in the Heller instructions.?

[Hubac's Historian]

Thank you so much, Bill!  The bow has really been a tremendous challenge for me, given the changes I wanted to make.

 

All I can say about backtracking, a bit, to add details is that paint is pretty easy to scrape, and I have never, personally, regretted the extra time to try and make a detail “pop!”

 

98% of what you see on my log is just 🕰️.  I am extremely slow in my execution.

 

Also, I’m not so up on my understanding of the various anchors carried, but a ship like SR, would have had two per side.

Edited December 16, 2022 by Hubac's Historian

[Bill97]

Yes Marc I believe I am having a complete change of mind set about my build speed. There is truly some kind eye opening when I realize I do not have to build at this pace. It is really kind of exciting to think about going back and adding “pop”!  The best feeling about it is that I am not going back thinking “oh no look at this screw up I have to some how fix”.  This is going to be a pleasant go back and add pop detail to a model that looks perfectly fine as is, but will improve greatly with the added attention. I did find in your blog the part about using .02 evergreen to make the bolts. 

[Hubac's Historian]

I think you will enjoy that process.  For me, it was the realization that “WOW - I can add a few artfully arranged bits of extra plastic and suddenly this magical transformation takes place and my model is bound together with representational “iron” work!”  It was much easier to do than I had ever previously imagined.  Paying attention to scale is the main thing:

 

1/8”=1’

1/16” = 6”

1/32” = 3”

1/64” = not important

[Bill97]

I have my 1/100 scale converter on my phone I refer to often. 😊

You would think this old brain could do that calculation without help. Nope! 

[Bill97]

What do you think Marc?  I added the anchor lining to both the port and starboard sides. Now I am using .02 mm styrene strips placed in .02 mm drilled holes to form the bolts. Once the glue drys I will clip the styrene strips close to the lining (not flush). Paint the ends sticking out and hopefully resemble bolts. If this works out I will probably do the same the lengths of the wales. I will have quite a bit of paint touch up to do and maybe re gold leaf the figure head. You may notice a cannon barrel missing from the top left hatch. As we all know, they are susceptible to getting knocked loose. Luckily it was on the deck still open on the ends. 

[Hubac's Historian]

The lining looks great, Bill!

[Bill97]

Clipped styrene ends. Not to difficult a process. Probably commit to doing the wales. 

[Ian_Grant]

Didn't Marc somehow melt the ends into more of a bolt head shape, I dimly recall?

Or was it some other upgrade he made which involved heat?

[Hubac's Historian]

Yes, I referenced a link to the process, a page or two earlier in Bill’s log.

[Bill97]

Yes. That will be a bit later. Right now Marc it is your fault my eyes or crossing! 😀

[Hubac's Historian]

A good trick is to level these down to a uniform height with a sanding stick; less is more, so I’d go pretty low.

[Bill97]

I plan to clip them pretty short. Just enough to resemble a bolt head. Above Ian references you melting the ends. I thought you said something about that as well. I looked back in your blog to the comments from Dan and you. Around comment 236 or so. You and talk about clipping them off and using an emmory board but I don’t find anything about heat. Did I miss that somewhere?

 

One suggestion, which might speed up the bolting process a bit - drill shallow holes with an 0.022" bit, dip the end of your 0.020" rod into some glue and insert into the hole, clip close with cuticle nippers.  No need to cut such small discs off the rod and try to apply them individually. 

 

I've just been experimenting with Dan's suggestion for the through bolting, and it really works like a charm!  There is no excess glue and you can emmory board them to height immediately.  

[Hubac's Historian]

Okay, I see the confusion.  That discussion centered specifically around my treatment of the wale scarf joints.  I had decided to mimic something from an influential Dutch modeler that I had met in Amsterdam in 2003.

 

Herbert Thomesan represents the scarf joint bolting this way:

When I started this process on the wales, I began by bolting the scarf joints that I had scribed.  At the time, I was slicing heavy 1/32” segments of .020 styrene rod and then attempting to pick them up with the tip of a knife and stand them on-end, where I wanted them.  This was extremely difficult to do.  And, it was impossible to maintain any uniformity; it is amazing what minuscule differences your eyes can perceive!

 

This is where Dan came in with his suggestion to drill into the wales to receive the rod, and then to subsequently clip and file them to a uniform height.  I followed his advice and it worked like magic.  These were the scarf joints, only.

 

After that, I made an artistic decision; I wanted to highlight the scarf joints with the hard tipped bolts, and differentiate from the regular wale bolting with soft-headed bolts.  That is where I developed this idea of “flashing” thin slivers of rod with a wand lighter for a domed appearance.

 

In reality - the bolt-head profile would have been the same, whether it was on a scarf, or anywhere else on the wale.  The difference would have been in the bolting pattern.  I decided, though, that I wanted to call more attention to the detail of scarfing the wales.

 

I hope that all makes sense.

 

 

[Hubac's Historian]

In your present situation, Bill, I would simply sand your bolt-rods down to a uniform height above the wales.  In a previous post, I joked that 1/64” doesn’t matter, but that’s really about what you are aiming for, here; if it is just perceptible to your eye, it will be twice-so, under paint.  Paint will also soften the top of your bolt heads, and to some degree, add to the softer domed appearance.  Go

for a light 1/64”.  

[Bill97]

Marc that is what I will try for. Thanks 

This is a pretty nice step back. Glad I decided to do it. 

[Bill97]

Marc I notice in the photos, I assume those are from Herbert, that he spaced the bolts on the wales differently than you did and I have started doing.  He has a pair together, then moves down the wale for another pair, and so on. You and I have a constant pattern of top of alternating top bottom bolts. 

[Hubac's Historian]

Yes, in this regard I have chosen to bolt the wales more regularly, as I have seen in contemporary portraits of French ships.

 

Herbert primarily modes the Dutch fleet, but even these Van de Velde portraits of Dutch ships show more consistent bolting of the wales:

Bow of SR:

Stern of DR:

Edited December 19, 2022 by Hubac's Historian

[Bill97]

This is the process I am using to get them cut uniformly. I cut a piece of .01 mm evergreen and drilled a hole in it. I then place the hole over the “bolt” and press my clipper up to the evergreen and clip off the bolt. This gives me a uniform .01 mm bolt. I also tried a .02 mm piece of Evergreen as the shield getting a .02mm bolt. You mentioned 1/64” which is .015 mm. Was not sure if I should go up to .02 mm or down to .01 mm bolt. 

[Hubac's Historian]

What you’re doing should be just fine, Bill.

[Bill97]

Thanks Marc. 

[Bill97]

Like most everyone else my time in the “boat yard” over the next several days will be quite limited. So much to do and get done for Christmas!  Hope to find a little time here and there but we will see. All you guys have a Merry Christmas and safe New Year. Will get back after them bolts in 2023! 😊

[Hubac's Historian]

I wish the same for you and your family Bill.

 

Happy Holidays!

[Bill97]

Pssst! 🤫

Don’t tell my wife I snuck into the ship yard when I was supposed to be doing other Christmas prep chores. 

I installed my new appropriate anchor rope, trimmed all the bolts on the lower wale even, gave that wale a coat of paint, and started adding the bolts to the second wale. I accidentally cut a few bolts on the lower wale flush with the wale so had to replace them. 

Now to quickly get back to what I was supposed to be doing!

[Hubac's Historian]

The snipped bolt heads look perfect under paint.  Your technique worked really well.  Now, hurry out of the shipyard!

[Ian_Grant]

Nice looking bolts, Bill.  And the anchor lining. I'm taking notes for my alleged future build. 😃

[Bill97]

Thanks guys. How cold are you today?  Here in Louisville we are starting the morning at -5 degrees!  Not going anywhere today, except maybe to the shipyard for a while 😀.