Sovereign of the Seas by 72Nova - Airfix - PLASTIC

[72Nova]

The next project is this vintage 60's Airfix kit # 1908-400, this looks to be one of the first releases molded in black. This model is void of any planking so I'm proceeding with scribing in some above the waterline only, I'm not too concerned with the remainder of the hull as it will just receive some texture using 80 grit and be finished with the tallow coating, also another area in question is whether or not I want to create the round tuck, but I still have time to make that decision . Thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

[Baker]

I'm in the front row 😉

[kirill4]

Good day,

It would be very interesting, for sure! I would like to be in the front row as well!

What is the actual scale of this kit? 

[kirill4]

Regarding round or square tuck... it is interesting question :))) , in my personal point of vew , it must be like more as Batavia tuck were made, if You saw that book of  archeological artefacts of Batavia? There is article about Batavua wreak hull planking including section of tuck ...roughly say ,they used hard bended planks our suitable shape of the natural wood to create smooth transition from side to tuck planking...but in this shape, it is something between round and square tuck as I could guess:)))

https://cloud.mail.ru/public/w1qG/kKQKZi814

Edited November 19, 2023 by kirill4

[72Nova]

Hi Kirill,

I could go either way on the tuck but when I reach the point of removing the molded-on rudder and scratch building a new one, I'll give the rounded tuck some more thought, regarding the scale the box says 1/600, in the instructions it list a constant scale of 1" to 50ft but I'm inclined to say it's more like 1:160 scale. 

 

Michael D.

[Baker]

Batavia.
The curved planks on the stern are a protective layer of soft wood against shipworm.

An early form of copper plating.

[72Nova]

I'm modifying the galleries as close to Payne's painting/print as possible, the Airfix piece does provide a good starting base though with very little but tedious mods thus far with the relocation of the corbels and fabricating an additional one being the biggest challenge.

 

Michael D.

 

[Mark P]

Good Evening Michael;

 

There has been considerable discussion on this forum previously regarding whether the Sovereign had a round or square tuck, so I won't go over it all again; suffice to say that it is there to be found if you are really interested. I can say that the late and much-missed Frank Fox, widely regarded as the foremost expert of his time in 17th century ships, was firmly of the opinion that she had a round tuck stern. 

 

I wish you a successful completion of your model, with only you being aware of the small regrets! (why did I not change that when I could!)

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

Edited November 23, 2023 by Mark P

[72Nova]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for chiming in, I am indeed going with the round tuck as seen in these preliminary mock up pictures, I think I'm pretty close but not sure if the angled planking continues up into the gun port area? my thinking they are horizontal in that area.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

With some of the railings needing work I started with the Qtr railing first, once again trying to bring it more in line with Paynes painting, with just a few cuts and moving it aft, a majority of the original railing will be used with just small section needing to be fabricated at the break of the Qtr deck area.

 

Michael D.

 

[Hubac's Historian]

You are off to a smashing start, Michael.  How's the condition of the plastic?  Do you find that it is at all brittle or still pliable?  As for square vs. round tuck, I think it likely that she had a round tuck.  Your mock-up looks spot-on.  Planking across the aft-transom ports should be horizontal, though.  The tuck planking ends at the wing-transom.

[Ian_Grant]

Michael, I bought this same kit at a church garage sale. Nothing had been done to it. All the parts seem to be present, but many of the tiny masts/spars are warped or broken, enough that I would need to make wood replacements. I pondered how to tie off real shrouds at the deadeyes, among other things. In the end I shelved it for now. I will be keenly interested to see what you do with this kit in creating your next masterpiece, to guide me in a possible future build. If my eyes hold up. ☺️

[72Nova]

Hi Marc,

The plastic is much stiffer but still pliable compared to the reissued Vasa kit and no warpage on the spars and masts at all which is quite surpising. I will not attempt to scribe the planks on the entire the hull but will highlight them in the tuck area.

Hi Ian,

I wasn't sure what to expect of this kit except worse regarding warped parts as the seller did not provide enough pics so I was prepared to fashion the spars out of wood, but I got lucky, Hopefully this build will be of use to you when do decide to tackle it, fortunately my eyes aren't too bad, I do use glasses for distance but I just use my trusty 1.75 readers for modeling.

 

Work still continuing on the railings, I'm using .020"x.020" styrene to perform the mods. I need to mock up the deck to get a sense of I go about it at the waist but the one-piece deck was too cumbersome to handle, so I cut in half. Initially I was going to plank the inside bulwarks to add thickness, but in stock fashion they look good. Thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

 

[72Nova]

My focus is now on the decks as this will be arguably the most time consuming modification, I started with moving the fore mast forward about an 1/2", up next, I will be removing the existing gratings and making new ones and as far as their locations?, well I've seen quite a few different variations that do not correspond with what's in McKay's book , but I'll figure it out, then I need to rework the bulkheads, all fun stuff.

 

Michael D.

'

Edited November 28, 2023 by 72Nova

[Ian_Grant]

Hi Michael; I see you cut the quarterdeck off of the maindeck. Why is that please?

[72Nova]

Hi Ian,

I find it more manageable while I make the modifications/ repeated test fits and it will be so much easier to glue to hull in sections  as I work towards the poop deck.

 

Michael D

[72Nova]

With the deck surgery ongoing I took a little time to rework the lower fore mast, introducing taper and fabricating the hounds, also I pulled a mold of the figures on the outside of the bulwarks and attached them to the inside for added detail and a finished look. All of this is still in the rough in stage of course and just amazed how soft and bendy the plastic is for it's age. 

 

Michael D.

 

[Ian_Grant]

Nice!

[Hubac's Historian]

That's a really nice touch to flesh-out the hancing ornaments on the inside of the bulwarks!

[72Nova]

Thank you Marc. The mockup of the forecastle bulkhead is ongoing, but I'm shooting for something like on the HMS Prince of 1670 where the belfry is somewhat integrated into the bulkhead and not sitting on top of the forecastle deck, there will be single doors either side of the belfry, just giving you an idea where I'm heading with this. Also I cut in the entry port on the larboard side only, still a lot of work lies ahead.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

I've changed my initial design of the belfry as it seemed too closed off, so this is what I have come with and once I add the gilded decorations it should like a reasonable representation of what this area could've looked like, I know with the belfry at the forecastle and the added entry port, this more or less represents her around 1660. Everything is still in dry fit stage. Thanks for looking.

 

Michael D.

[kirill4]

Good day Michael,

This is the model ,where some interesting details could be found... prototype(1671) ,as I could understood from model description,was made in old fasion style, even bowsprit still placed not in central line...guess some of details of this model  still could be usefull for SOS in some respect..

[fmodajr]

Hello Michael,

Finally able to catch up with your new project here. 

It will be fun to watch your progress!!

Frank

 

[72Nova]

Thanks Kirill, that will definitely be of some use. The forecastle bulkhead is slowly taking shape, next I will need to fabricate the railing and the more elaborate main curved deck bulkhead at the Qtr deck.

 

Michael D.

[kirill4]

Will try artificial gold potal'?

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by kirill4

[72Nova]

I'm using the same 24carat gold leaf I used on the Reale De France.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

The prototype railing actually turned out ok, so I just finished it off and looks pretty good to my eye, completed the hatch, coamings, deck staining and the cut out for the tie halliard.

 

Michael D.

[72Nova]

Checking the fit of the beakhead bulkhead revealed some work needed to the port side corner, off by approximately  1/8", just a little too much to force it to fit without creating other alignment issues. I'll try placing the corner of the bulwark in boiled water and manipulate into shape, if doesn't work I'll make a horizontal cut underneath the molding below the gun to lean the bulwark outward.

 

Michael D.

 

 

'

[72Nova]

I figured it would be best to start making the necessary modifications to the beakhead area starting with continuing the middle deck out past the beakhead bulkhead and extending the keel/stem up into the area in preparation for relocating the bowsprit off center, still much more work needed but looking reasonably worthy thus far for all the effort.

 

Michael D.

 

[72Nova]

All of the reworking of the beakhead required fabricating a new bowsprit as the supplied one was about 1" too short after the mods, I left a slight crown in it and is positioned on top as would be in real case scenario and extends out at a 30 degree angle, which was the toughest part of the process. I think it's looking pretty close scale wise but still more work needed.

 

Michael D.