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

[Hubac's Historian]

I would leave well enough alone, Bill.  The additional windows give the stern view the extra visual “ballast” it needs, IMO.

[Ian_Grant]

Really Bill, at this point I would not risk it. As I recall the transom plastic is pretty thick and as you say you might damage your balconies, or the gallery floors you added. Stick to your "officers only" story. 👍

[Hubac's Historian]

I also agree with what Ian is saying, here.  The plastic in this kit is “chewy” for lack of a better descriptor, and difficult to cut into cleanly.

[Ferrus Manus]

I would play it safe, Bill. The doors look great, and they could serve a practical purpose as an obstacle for any potential enemy boarding parties on the balconies. 

[Bill97]

Henry do you have anything in your kit that looks like the item circled in my photo?  It is the bottom of the large center lantern. I have the four numbered parts but my 199 and 200 don’t have the same bottom end. 

[Ferrus Manus]

It isn't shaped like that. Check the blue, white, or gold sprue trees. It looks like that, but the parts fold up into that shape. The newer instructions omit that step, however the part looks sort of like a blooming flower. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Ferrus Manus

[Bill97]

Ferrus is this the little guy you are talking about?

 

Marc, Ian, and Ferrus thanks for the thumbs up on leaving the doors alone. I really did not want to mess with them, but I was concerned if I didn’t you guys would demote me down to rank amateur! 😀

[Ferrus Manus]

Yep! 

[Bill97]

Thanks Ferrus. So I just close them up like a flower around the base of the lantern?  Will let you know how it comes out. 

[popeye2sea]

That is the piece.  There is also another  2 parts that will come in handy here. One is shaped like a cylinder, the other is a ring. You use them to push the "petals" up evenly so that the tops of the crown can be fixed properly around the base of the lantern. Mine were labelled "x" and "y" and molded in clear plastic.

 

Regards,

Henry

[Bill97]

Yes Henry I see those in the kit. No idea what they were for!  MSW comes to the rescue again. 😊

[Ian_Grant]

2 hours ago, Bill97 said:

<snip..snip>

Marc, Ian, and Ferrus thanks for the thumbs up on leaving the doors alone. I really did not want to mess with them, but I was concerned if I didn’t you guys would demote me down to rank amateur! 😀

 

Don't worry, no rank amateur could produce the SR you 🫵 are bringing to life!   🤙

[Ferrus Manus]

Professional amateur, here. When i eventually get the confidence to do a SR, i'd be happy to come within a few light years of yours. 

[Bill97]

Well guys thank you for your kind words. Ian, Marc, and Henry everything I have done and will do I learned from you guys. You were definitely great teachers. Ferrus should I dig into  MSW for builds you are working on?  Henry I may need a class on using parts X and Y. Will let you know. 

[Ferrus Manus]

Of course! Same page, kits from 1500 to 1750.

[Ferrus Manus]

Also, Bill, I can see an error you've committed, that needs to be fixed before the rigging begins. Or, rather, it's the lack of an error that i'm concerned with. Take a look at the forecastle of the ship. The fore knighthead, that block with sheaves directly behind the mainmast, is centered right behind it. Now, no one would ever be expected to know this, and you were just following the directions. However, when  it comes time for the rigging, the fore course halyard will foul against the mainstay. The knighthead needs to be moved slightly off-center to avoid this. If i were you, i would do this now instead of later.

 

I will reiterate, your SR is incredible. I just want to save you some major grief in the future. 

[Bill97]

Yea Ferrus that is something Henry suggested to me a while back that I have procrastinated doing. 

[Bill97]

All of the touch up putty, sanding, and painting of the side galleries complete. Now to add a repair some gold leaf here and there and then I am ready for all the statuary. I noticed that I have broken off one of the acorn shaped tops on the side gallery. Not sure if I should just cut the other one off or try to craft a new replacement. 

[Ferrus Manus]

I think it needs to be done now, or at least as soon as reasonably achievable. Every step you do, it will be harder to re-do the knighthead. I have procrastinated on stuff before, and regretted it. 

[Bill97]

Ok enough procrastinating. Repositioning of the fore knighthead in process. A little putty and deck paint touch up still needed. Then will be good to go. 

[Ferrus Manus]

Dude, that's almost perfect. I had the idea to "swap" the deck piece and knighthead, and you executed it perfectly. 

[popeye2sea]

Good job with the re-positioned halliard knight.

 

Regards,

Henry

[Ian_Grant]

OK, I'm a little confused about this interference of foreyard halyard and mainstay. According to Heller the mainstay splits around the foremast which is in agreement with Anderson for the first half of the 17th century. He says the collar was long enough for the deadeye or block on the mainstay to lie abaft the foremast (pg 100).  So we have a stay rope passing each side of the foremast. It seems to me that a central knighthead for the halyard makes sense since the tackle from the halyard block to knighthead is then in the "shadow" of the foremast. Doesn't moving the knighthead to one side mean that the stay on that side will then interfere with the tackle?

 

Note I haven't built this thing yet so I may be talking out of my a*s here......

[Bill97]

Oh no Ian. Let’s figure this out for sure before I refinish the deck. I may have to move the knighthead back to where it was. I actually found the look of the knighthead being off center a bit odd but moved it anyway because I understood that to be the way it should be. Henry need you in on this debate. 

Edited May 27, 2023 by Bill97

[Ferrus Manus]

The instructions clearly show the mainstay attaching to the collar around the foremast, which is just large enough to encompass the mast, then continuing down to the bowsprit. At least, that's what the older instructions show. There is no mention whatsoever of the stay splitting far enough away to allow for the halyard as well. Plus, off-center knightheads are the norm for this very reason. 

[Bill97]

Ok so I am leaving the knighthead off center?  Just out of curiosity I looked at a number of other Soleli Royal builds here on MSW and don’t find this issue addressed anywhere else. Since I have already moved it I am inclined to go with Henry and Ferrus. Not based on any nautical research or expertise I have. Just the fact you guys sound pretty convincing. On the other hand I have always trusted your advice Ian. Marc I consider you the expert on the Soleli Royal. What say you?  While I wait for a unanimous decision I will return to the stern of the ship for continuation of attaching statuary and additional gold leaf. Thanks guys for your debate and final conclusion. Very much appreciated. 

[Hubac's Historian]

 

Henry has been a pretty clear voice to me on the practicalities of rigging and his arguments make sense to me.  I’ve made my forecastle deck, but I haven’t pierced it for anything yet. When I do, I will follow Henry’s advice, here.

[Ian_Grant]

•  

I looked through Heller's drawings again. I see what Ferrus is saying - one of the large drawings shows the two mainstay links becoming one immediately behind the foremast, and also the knighthead is further back than I thought. From what Anderson said I had pictured the collar ending further away from the mast, and the halyard tackle passing up immediately behind the mast and through the collar loop. But this would mean a VERY long collar. So I vote with Ferrus and Henry now.

 

Sorry to have brought up this whole digression. From now on, I'm 🤐

Edited May 28, 2023 by Ian_Grant
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[Hubac's Historian]

By the way, I’m no expert - especially when it comes to rigging.  I haven’t really sorted through all of this yet, but I found an alternative belay plan somewhere on the net by a German builder.  I took a few screen shots for future reference:

 

[Ian_Grant]

Marc,  Don't know how you find all this great info!  I browsed through his belaying plans and he, perhaps not coincidentally, has drawings for many ships of which you can buy plans drawn by Harold Underhill. I think this is the guy who drew my Preussen belaying plan.

 

Great find! 👍

 

Postscript:  I did some screen captures and when I magnify the image the belay names are illegible. I imported to "paint" ...... is there a better way?

Edited May 28, 2023 by Ian_Grant