HMS Sphinx 1775 by Ronald-V - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[Der Alte Rentner]

35 minutes ago, Ronald-V said:

Take your time...and for me, I only work on it when I feel like it. As soon as it starts to get frustrating or I want to finish something quickly to get to the next step, I walk away and pick it up again when I really feel like it.

Excellent advice!  

[Frecap]

Ronald, hi!

I like your well-equipped workspace. Doing what you love becomes even more enjoyable when you do it in a comfortable and cozy environment! I also want to compliment you on your choice of color scheme for your model. The colors all blend well together. I especially like your blue XF-18. By the time I asked you about it, I had already painted the case, otherwise I would have used this particular color. I used Russian-made paint, and I had to mix several colors to achieve a more or less accurate match. But it's what it is. In addition, I have a different material and color for the case. Now I'm also thinking about what color to paint the decor. In my opinion, the color should be somewhere between gold and ivory. The time has not yet come to make a decision, so I will be watching your experiment with interest. I am confident that it will turn out beautifully!) Good luck and happy holidays!

Sincerely, FriCap

[Ronald-V]

1 hour ago, Frecap said:

Ronald, hi!

I like your well-equipped workspace. Doing what you love becomes even more enjoyable when you do it in a comfortable and cozy environment! I also want to compliment you on your choice of color scheme for your model. The colors all blend well together. I especially like your blue XF-18. By the time I asked you about it, I had already painted the case, otherwise I would have used this particular color. I used Russian-made paint, and I had to mix several colors to achieve a more or less accurate match. But it's what it is. In addition, I have a different material and color for the case. Now I'm also thinking about what color to paint the decor. In my opinion, the color should be somewhere between gold and ivory. The time has not yet come to make a decision, so I will be watching your experiment with interest. I am confident that it will turn out beautifully!) Good luck and happy holidays!

Sincerely, FriCap

Thanks Frecap! Yes color choice is not an easy task, because it can make or break a model in my opinion. We will see how it's going to turn out...will be exciting!

[Ronald-V]

Just received this. I've been looking for a good magnifying glass for a while. I always used a headband with a small magnifying glass over my eyes... but what I always found annoying about that was, for example, when I was painting, it was nice to have a magnified image while painting, but as soon as you had to dip your brush in the paint pot, you always had to look past it to avoid getting cross-eyed and nauseous, haha. Now I've tried a few standing desk magnifying glasses, but I found them all too big and bulky for my narrow table. And this one is just right, magnifies well, has nice "daylight," and a flexible arm. I know it's a good brand because my mother, a painter, has been using a larger version of this brand for years. They're not cheap (in my opinion), but quality comes at a price.  

 

[Der Alte Rentner]

I like the idea of it, especially the part about being able to look away from what you're working on and having that in focus. But it seems to me that if you are moving between areas that you're working on, you've got to move the magnifier.  Also the box does not indicate the level of magnification. I know in my case I'm using pretty strong magnification on my Mr Magoo glasses. Still worth investigating. I'll look it up. Let your fans know how it works for you.

Edited December 30, 2025 by Der Alte Rentner

[Ronald-V]

2 minutes ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

I like the idea of it, especially the part about being able to look away from what you're working on and having that in focus. But it seems to me that if you are moving between areas that you're working on, you've got to move the magnifier.  Also the box does not indicate the level of magnification. I know in my case I'm using pretty strong magnification on my Mr Magoo glasses. Still worth investigating. I'll look it up. Let your fans know how it works for you.

It's 1,75x magnifying...for me that's more then enough  

 

I get your point on moving around, but then I can always use the headband with the magnifying glass. For me it was the point of a stand alone magnifyer so I can work on a particular spot without seeing everything around me up-close

[Ronald-V]

Update:

 

I'm going to split the decoration of the stern into multiple updates, otherwise it will be too much to fit into one post...or I'll just have to take fewer pictures haha 😄

 

First, I ran into a problem in one of the side galleries. I noticed a crack had developed. It's winter here in the Netherlands, and I think the temperature fluctuations from the cold at night and the heater on during the day are responsible. There's not much you can do about it other than try to repair it. I poured as much PVA as possible into it and then painted over it with the off-white paint. I'm happy with the result, considering the limited space.

 

 

Then I started fitting the acetate laser-cut windows. These needed some sanding to get a good fit. I did this by sanding the windows over a piece of 180-grit sandpaper, trying to get them as straight as possible, while still respecting the corners. There's some leeway, of course, since the PE windows cover any seams.

 

 

Note...the windows have specific shapes, including those for the side galleries. I got a bit excited and cut them all out, so I had to check later exactly which window opening they should go in. Chris did laser-cut them in that order, but I initially overlooked that.

 

 

The manual uses clear varnish to secure the windows. For some reason, I felt it would be better and more secure to use CA. For the decoration on the side of the hull, I definitely want to experiment with the "varnish method" because it's so delicate. But here, I prefer using CA. Using gloves, CA gel, a toothpick, and a magnifying glass, I very carefully applied tiny drops to the windows and glued them in place, both for the acetate and PE windows.

 

 

A random photo of a brush...I received this one this week and I'm very happy with it! These are such lovely brushes for creating beautiful, smooth strokes.

 

 

The next step was painting the PE windows and some decorative pieces. In the order of the photos:

1 first masking

2 then applying a laquer-based primer

3 then color (Vallejo gold brown 158)

4 shadows, and highlights using a rust wash for the darker areas and ochre yellow for the highlights.

 

Applied the primer with a (very large😄 spraycan) and the base color with an airbrush. Wash and highlights with a brush.

Last photo a bit weird out of focus...sorry about that. And already cut some pieces loose there   

 

 

Before I could install the PE windows, I noticed that bare wood would be visible at the bottom of the windows when I installed the decorative columns on the sides. These are slightly higher than the windows, so the wooden QG rails would go slightly above and below the windows. Before it would become a real pain to paint neatly along the windows, I quickly painted that area also blue.

 

 

After I'd installed all the windows in the QG and stern, it was time for the columns between the stern windows. These are connected by a long PE rail (veeeery thin). Very beautiful, of course, but also quite a challenge to glue (at least I thought so). I first tried applying a drop of CA gel to each column with a toothpick and then starting at one end to glue everything in one go. This went horribly wrong, but luckily I could scrape it off without any problems (only one column was stuck; the rest were already dry, haha). I cleaned off all the CA gel with acetone and tried again. This time I only glued the two middle columns first, as it's easier to align them. Then I carefully glued the other columns by applying two drops of CA gel under each column with a needle. Maybe I'm being captain obvious to some here, but who knows, maybe someone will find this useful. It was a lot easier this way. Using a toothpick and a clamp, I was able to very carefully lift the remaining columns (without bending the thin strip, but using its resilience) so that there was enough space underneath to deposit a needle with a drop of glue.

 

 

Okay, that's it for now. You can see the progress in the photos below. I think I'll continue with the wooden "upper counter rail" under the columns first, because I think I'll need it again to align the columns on the QG. It's probably a bit vague now, but it will become clearer with photos later.

 

 

[Der Alte Rentner]

Wow that is absolutely incredible! Kudos to Chris for designing a kit where the PE and acetate windows fit so well. How much easier the Constitution would have been with that level of planning on the part of the kit makers.

 

Your laser focused attention to detail in the execution of the build raises the bar several levels and sets the new standard.  

 

Your Sphinx is simly Gorgeous.

[DocRob]

58 minutes ago, Ronald-V said:

The manual uses clear varnish to secure the windows. For some reason, I felt it would be better and more secure to use CA. For the decoration on the side of the hull, I definitely want to experiment with the "varnish method" because it's so delicate. But here, I prefer using CA. Using gloves, CA gel, a toothpick, and a magnifying glass, I very carefully applied tiny drops to the windows and glued them in place, both for the acetate and PE windows.

Have you already glued the clear acetate window panes in place, using CA. If not, a word of warning, many CA glues tend to fog clear parts, when curing. There are even residues visible often on painted bordering parts. It´s always better to try on a spare piece.
By the way, very nice work Ronald, when I start my Sphinx, I will dig into your log for sure.

Cheers Rob

[Ronald-V]

1 hour ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Wow that is absolutely incredible! Kudos to Chris for designing a kit where the PE and acetate windows fit so well. How much easier the Constitution would have been with that level of planning on the part of the kit makers.

 

Your laser focused attention to detail in the execution of the build raises the bar several levels and sets the new standard.  

 

Your Sphinx is simly Gorgeous.

Thank you so much! Yes the design of Chris is very acurate, it's a joy to watch it fit together. It baffles me how people can design this stuff...you do not only need a very analytical mind, but also be very creative to come with all those design solutions...very impressing, but I guess the decades of experience Chris has helps with this  

 

23 minutes ago, DocRob said:

Have you already glued the clear acetate window panes in place, using CA. If not, a word of warning, many CA glues tend to fog clear parts, when curing. There are even residues visible often on painted bordering parts. It´s always better to try on a spare piece.
By the way, very nice work Ronald, when I start my Sphinx, I will dig into your log for sure.

Cheers Rob

Thanks for the tip and compliment Rob! Yes i'm aware that CA can fog the glass, that's why I was very, very careful!  

I just trusted the strength and convenience of CA in this a little bit more than varnish, but that's just based on a feeling. Varnish works probably just as well if you look at the prototype.

[Russ2025]

1 hour ago, Der Alte Rentner said:

Wow that is absolutely incredible! Kudos to Chris for designing a kit where the PE and acetate windows fit so well. How much easier the Constitution would have been with that level of planning on the part of the kit makers.

 

Your laser focused attention to detail in the execution of the build raises the bar several levels and sets the new standard.  

 

Your Sphinx is simly Gorgeous.

and likewise for the photography!

[Bomber_County]

Suggest using this, it dries clear and has been used in plastic modelling for years and does not fog.

 

 

 

[Ronald-V]

14 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

Suggest using this, it dries clear and has been used in plastic modelling for years and does not fog.

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip! I'm aware that there are these kind of glues, but after having a expensive last month 😉, I just used a glue that I had lying around 🙂

[RossR]

Your painting of the PE parts is fantastic.  The columns look incredible.

 

[Admiral Rick]

Beautiful build and very impressive.     Best Rick

 

[Ronald-V]

14 hours ago, Russ2025 said:

and likewise for the photography!

 

7 hours ago, RossR said:

Your painting of the PE parts is fantastic.  The columns look incredible.

 

Thank you Russ and Ross! 😁🙏

 

6 hours ago, Admiral Rick said:

Beautiful build and very impressive.     Best Rick

 

Thank you very much Rick!

 

And also everyone for stopping by and liking...I really appreciate it! 🙂

Edited Sunday at 06:57 AM by Ronald-V

[AJohnson]

Really impressive and precise work, your log is a joy to read through 

[Ronald-V]

2 hours ago, AJohnson said:

Really impressive and precise work, your log is a joy to read through 

Thanks Andrew! 🙏