PHOENIX 1787 by ccoyle - Master Korabel - 1/72 - Russian brigantine of the Black Sea Fleet

[ccoyle]

Introduction

 

Welcome to my build log for Master Korabel's Phoenix (styled on the box as 'Brigantine Phoenix').

 

Photo courtesy of Master Korabel

 

I'll start this log off by sharing a brief history of the ship, my reasons for choosing this particular kit, and some thoughts about how I'd like the model to look like when she's finished.

 

This is Master Korabel's description of the ship (edited):

"Cruiser Vessel 12 gun brigantine 'Phoenix' became part of the Black Sea Fleet in 1787.  The crew included 52 people.  It participated in the war with Turkey in 1787-1791.  In 1788, as part of the squadron of Rear Admiral Count M.I. Voinovich, it went to sea in search of the enemy and took part in the battle near the island of Fidonisi.  In 1789, as part of the detachments and squadrons, repeatedly went to sea in search of Turkish ships.  It then participated in the war with France, 1798-1800, where it was used as a transport ship.  In November 1798, this ship went to Sebastapol to Corfu with the provisions of the squadron of Vice Admiral F.F. Ushakov."

 

There are several build logs for this kit already resident on MSW, which you can find listed here; at least two have been finished. I chose to add mine to this group for the following reasons:

• I like the subject -- that's always important when embarking on a build that may take several years to complete.
• Having built their cannon-armed yawl ('Canon Jolle'), I really like Master Korabel's kits. Their materials and plans are very good (with a few exceptions, which I will note in an ensuing post). One feature that I particularly appreciate is the laser-cut planking, which eliminates the need for spiling, a chore I do not enjoy.
• At 1/72 scale, the finished model will not be overly large, an important consideration in my household. Plus, that's the same scale as for the yawl, and it is also a common scale for card model sailing subjects.
• And finally, this kit will be my attempt to build the model that HMS Fly was supposed to be -- my one effort to pull off a nice-looking, square-rigged ship before retreating back into the shadowy world of building card airplanes.

 

There's still plenty of time, of course, to decide on how I'd like the model to be finished, and I have done a lot of browsing online to see how others have finished theirs. Most builders opt to have leave their models largely unpainted, and that is certainly an option thanks to Master Korabel's use of very nice woods in their kits. However, one finished Phoenix has singularly caught my attention:

 

 

I wish I could give the builder of this model the credit he deserves, but shortly after I found this photo, the website on which it was hosted disappeared, which is a shame, because there were more photos of this beautiful model that I would have liked to use for reference. The thing that really strikes me about this model is that despite what one might think at first glance, the model's hull is not coppered. Nope, that's just the natural tone of the walnut veneer used in the kit. It's like the best of both worlds -- both a fantastic paint job and some lovely bare wood.

 

Anyways, that'll do for an introduction. In my next post, we'll take a look at an unboxing.

[Dave_E]

Im in. 🍿🥤😁

[ccoyle]

Unboxing Pt. I: Instructions & Plans

 

There's a lot of info on the box lid, both in Russian and in English.

 

 

It probably goes without saying that in the current geopolitical climate, the supply of kits from our friends at Master Korabel (MK) has more or less dried up. I was fortunate enough to snag this one before they disappeared completely.

 

An important item of note on the box lid is this:

 

As you can see, there are two available versions of the kit: the basic MK0401 kit and the deluxe MK0401P version. The deluxe version includes a ship's boat and deluxe blocks. One thing to be mindful of if you are shopping for this kit is that it has been out for some time now, and the contents have evolved over the years. Newer examples provide, among other things, high-quality resin parts in place of some of the older cast metal fittings. Happily for me, I received one of the newer kits.

 

The first impression one gets upon opening the box is that everything is nicely packed.

 

 

The yellow booklet is a set of photo instructions that cover construction of the hull.

 

 

 

 

There are two complete sets of written instructions, one each in Russian and English. These instructions complement the photo instructions and cover the entire build process through masting and rigging.

 

 

 

The instructions also include keys to all of the various wood parts billets . . .

 

 

. . . and 1:1 sail patterns. A suit of pre-sewn sails can be ordered separately, but I will not use them, since they suffer from all of the out-of-scale issues that normally plague such sails. I haven't yet decided whether to add sails or leave the model bare-poled (it looks good either way), but if I go for sails, I will make them myself.

 

 

Several pages of the instructions are devoted to illustrations of the various types of rope work needed to complete the model.

 

 

Separate instructions cover the construction of the upgraded binnacle and windlass.

 

 

 

There are four sheets of masting and rigging diagrams . . .

 

 

. . . as well as four sheets of full-sized plans.

 

 

And lastly there's something that I think is a nice touch -- a spreadsheet that lists all of the various rigging lines along with the blocks they require, the plan sheets they can found on, and the alphanumeric designation used for each.

 

 

In the next post, we'll look at parts and fittings.

 

[Knocklouder]

Good luck on your journey.   

[ccoyle]

Unboxing Part II: Parts and Fittings

 

After all of the paperwork is removed, one sees an intriguing collection of plastic bags and boxes.

 

 

Let's explore! First we have the ship's boat and binnacle mini-kits.

 

 

The pumps and windlass are also separate mini-kits. The other bags contain small billets of wood containing laser-cut parts for things like gun carriages and headworks.

 

 

Then we have a small compartmented box. This will do nicely for storing spinners for trout fishing after the model is built. 😋

 

 

Inside the box we find metal fittings, resin cannon, grating strips, laser-cut cleats, and push-pins to use during planking. Separate bags contain brass nails, brass belaying pins, resin quarter badges, stern lantern parts, and deluxe blocks. The blocks are very nice and definitely a cut (or several cuts) above the usual kit-grade blocks one usually encounters.

 

 

Rigging line. If you have read my cannon yawl log, then you know that the line used in MK kits is, um . . . not good. It neither looks like miniature rope, nor is it easy to work with. This, sadly, is the one thing that detracts from an MK kit. I plan to replace all of the kit line -- yes, all of it -- with after-market rope from a source such as Syren. But that will be quite a ways down the road.

 

 

Several more individually-wrapped items include finely-detailed resin stern ornamentation, dowels for masts and spars (each already cut to the correct length), printed flags, and laser-engraved wooden name plates. Unlike the yawl kit, this kit includes a name plate in English in addition to one in Russian. There are also several small frets of PE brass parts. Some of those parts are the original brass versions of the head decorations that are now provided as laser-cut wooden parts.

 

 

And lastly we have the many sheets of laser-cut parts. I didn't want to unwrap these right away, but I can tell that these parts are up to MK's high standards: great wood, clean cutting, and minimal char. Parts that require fairing have laser-engraved fairing lines to indicate how much wood needs to be removed.

 

 

And that's it. Look for first cuts to start soon, but I do need to start by checking that I have all the necessary stuff on hand for working with wood -- it's been a while since I've worked on the hull structure of a wooden ship.

 

Cheers!

[RossR]

Excited to follow along.  

[ccoyle]

6 minutes ago, RossR said:

Excited to follow along.

 

Hopefully this one won't take 17 years! 😅

[aliluke]

Keen to watch this one. MK has long been on my list of intriguing kits. 17 years though...not sure if I have that many left in the tank.😁

[ccoyle]

My dog has earned her way onto Santa's naughty list -- forever.*

 

 

*I may feel differently about this tomorrow, but not right now. 😑😑😑 I'd be less angry if her depredation didn't mean having to cut out a replacement from the thickest plywood in the kit -- 4 mm.   😑😑😑

 

Hmm . . . looking at the picture just now, I realize there might just be an easier way to fix this. Stay tuned.

[AJohnson]

Bad doggy! 🐶 Hopefully a fix or replacement will not be too difficult.  I’ve done as much to my own models through dropping them off the workbench (Trial has suffered in this way 🤐)

I do have a badly chewed pair of binoculars from a long time gone pooch called Mac, annoying as hell at the time, but I look on them fondly now with a chuckle.  
Post frustration and fix this too will become part of your doggies litany of misdeeds to look back on! 🤣

[Blue Ensign]

That's the trouble with canine assistants, my spaniel considers anything that hits the floor is his. I have to take great care, particularly with stuff that may harm him.  I was once missing a needle; that cost me £200 for x-rays, and I then found the needle on the kitchen floor, well away from my workshop.

 

I'm sure you will get around this Chris, an interesting build you have chosen, and I look forward to seeing progress.

 

B.E.

 

 

 

 

[DocRob]

What a nice little ship Chris and your pre chosen paint scheme looks outstanding and supports the sleek lines of the vessel. Like you, I have to finish my first square rigged ship with my DoK still lacking most of the rigging. I hope you have more guts than me and have a nice and soon outcome.

 

Cheers Rob

[Dave_E]

She still loves you! 👍😀

[ccoyle]

Well, I haven't got Phoenix fixed yet, but I did assemble my new office chair -- a late Christmas present to myself to replace the abomination that was the old chair.

 

 

Note: That is not my modeling desk. 😅

[ccoyle]

So, sweet Keeva is off the hook now.

 

To effect the repair, I first needed to get the main hull plate and profile former assembled. Here's the plate with its beveling completed.

 

 

After gluing those two pieces together and letting them cure, it was time to 'fix' the broken bulkhead. It turns out the damage was not as catastrophic as it looked at first glance. The main part of the bulkhead was broken in half; after beveling the two halves, I glued each in separately. The bulkhead had a long stem that fills most of the remaining slot. The original stem was munched beyond repair, but it was a simple matter to make a replacement from scrap plywood.

 

 

All done! Now there remains a lot of beveling and gluing of the remaining bulkheads. I probably won't post another pic until that task is done.

[ccoyle]

Got the rest of the bulkheads installed.

 

 

The next steps involve flipping the hull over and adding the upper structure (in progress).

 

 

My cutting mat is eleven inches wide, so you can see it's not a large model.

 

Cheers for now!

[ccoyle]

A bit more progress . . .

 

There's a series of filler "blocks" at the bow and stern. Instead of being the typical balsa or basswood blocks, the filler is built up from multiple layers of laser-cut plywood pieces. Three such pieces are provided at the stern, each marked with beveling lines. Once those are glued in, the gaps are filled with scrap plywood. A channel for the tiller must also be drilled out.

 

 

In the next image, you can see how I penciled the edges of the laser-cut pieces so that I wouldn't remove too much material from the filler pieces when sanding them down to the correct (hopefully) shape. The counter is soaked in water, bent, and glued into position (there's a notch that fits over a nub on the profile former, enabling proper positioning). The counter must be tacked into place until the glue sets.

 

 

While that sets, I decided to skip ahead a little and work on the bow filler pieces. No difficulties there.

 

 

You might notice the number "29R" on the top piece. It's nice that the parts are marked L and R on the plans and instructions, instead of L and P as in Polish kits, which takes getting used to.

 

Lastly, there is a beam to install right before the first quarterdeck bulkhead. This will support the aft end of the main deck. Once that's glued and clamped, some waiting is in order to allow everything to set.

 

 

I have half a mind to fire up a card model to work on during the intermittent waiting times required for this build.

 

[ccoyle]

The stern structure is now complete. Next up will be the amidships upper bulkheads.

 

[ccoyle]

The upper bulkheads are in place. The upper hull strip, which is marked with the gun port locations, is temporarily clipped to the bulkhead extensions; this is then used to align the gun port frames. Here's half of those in place -- I didn't want to do both sides at the same time, because I had visions of myself repeatedly knocking the clothespins loose. There's no rush.

 

[Dave_E]

I've never watched you build a wooden ship. This is fun! 😀

[ccoyle]

1 hour ago, Dave_E said:

I've never watched you build a wooden ship.

 

Here's some light reading for ya. 😉

[ccoyle]

Okay, the next step is a little bit of a logistical challenge. The thingy on the right is a jig for aligning the bow frames while glue sets. The challenge is, I'm supposed to glue the bow frames in, add the sub-deck, tack down the sub-deck, and, finally, temporarily secure the jig in place -- all before the glue sets. I mean, the MK guys know that wood glue sets up pretty quickly, right? Right??

 

 

As you can see, there's a laser-engraved center line on the sub-deck. The instructions don't say anything about cutting the sub-deck into halves, but I assume that's what the line is for. So my plan is to cut the deck into two halves and then do the aforementioned tasks one side at a time -- should be more manageable. Cross your fingers!

 

[aliluke]

Hey Chris

I recommend a two part epoxy glue. It takes ages to set - 24 hours - and you can rock around with it for fifteen or so minutes at the very least. I use Epiglass Epiglue. You can change the setting times by the ratio of the two mixtures Downside is, that when it cures you'll never get it apart again but it gives you plenty of time to adjust pieces. It doesn't smell very nice but it is seriously strong when it sets. Standard wood glues will set much quicker. Epiglass gives you a lot of time to adjust things but then they can't be undone...I use it often. Toss a coin? But with epoxy you get all the time you need to adjust.

[GrandpaPhil]

Looking good!
 

Is the centerline for planking alignment?

 

Also, PVA sets up in about 15-20 minutes, allowing some time to work.

[ccoyle]

36 minutes ago, GrandpaPhil said:

Is the centerline for planking alignment?

 

Not likely. The main "deck" is a single piece of laser-engraved veneer. But even if someone wanted to use individual planks, the line will be back in place once the two false deck halves are glued in.

[ccoyle]

And that's all for this afternoon.

 

[Ronald-V]

I've learned with building the Sphinx that diluted PVA gives you also more time jiggle around before it sets. Nice progress so far! Master Korabel and Vanguard Models are both quite innovative with their designs. 

Edited January 10 by mugje

[ccoyle]

1 hour ago, mugje said:

Master Korabel and Vanguard Models are both quite innovative with there designs. 

 

Love both of their design philosophies. The MK hull structure feels incredibly solid and hefty -- I saw this with their Cannon Jolle kit as well. I have not had a single one of the plywood frame extensions snap off yet, even the beveled ones; this is an object lesson some manufacturers could stand taking to heart.

 

I came across another potential color scheme I really like. This builder chose to stick with the natural wood theme and painted the hull decorations with an orange-toned shade of ochre that I think complements the wood very nicely. I knew I was going to end up waffling on this particular decision! 😬

 

[Thukydides]

1 hour ago, ccoyle said:

I knew I was going to end up waffling on this particular decision! 😬

That is the problem, there are so many different compelling ways to theme the model. They all involve tradeoffs in terms of what they show and so I am very sympathetic as I am constantly torn as to what I like the best. This is particularly true when these things take potentially years to build so whatever you decide you are stuck in that theme for a while.

[rlwhitt]

4 hours ago, ccoyle said:

 

Love both of their design philosophies. The MK hull structure feels incredibly solid and hefty -- I saw this with their Cannon Jolle kit as well. I have not had a single one of the plywood frame extensions snap off yet, even the beveled ones; this is an object lesson some manufacturers could stand taking to heart.

 

I came across another potential color scheme I really like. This builder chose to stick with the natural wood theme and painted the hull decorations with an orange-toned shade of ochre that I think complements the wood very nicely. I knew I was going to end up waffling on this particular decision! 😬

 

 

That's a nice look.  Do you know if they used actual orange tinted paint, or perhaps orange shellac?