HMS Victory by Malcolm Brown - Heller - 1/100 - PLASTIC

[Malcolm Brown]

While I’m new to MSW I am not new to model ship building. In my earlier life, I built two period sailing ships: Heller 1/200 L'indomptable and the Revell 1/96 Elizabethan Man ‘O War. Sadly, these did not survive the decades since I built them. My current project is the Heller 1/100 HMS Victory. While I say ‘current’ my story is similar to that of others in this forum. I bought my kit around about 1984 but a busy career and family life meant the project became an on-again off-again proposition. Clearly, more off than on. I am now retired and motivated to push this project to completion. The hull of my model is mostly complete but the rigging is a whole other challenge and I will need help. And lots of it. Ian Grant, who completed a fabulous rendition of this model has already been immensely helpful to me. A few pictures follow:

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I’m told this is a 1st generation kit, C1979. I believe Heller is now into its 3rd iteration. Hard to believe but in 1984 this kit was $CDN180!

I am re-doing the bowsprit standing and running rigging since I originally rigged it per the kit instructions. That is simply no longer acceptable 😊

I’m glad I completed most of the finicky painting - aft gingerbreads, balusters, coats of arms, etc. (quoting Billy Joel) “when I wore a younger man’s clothes” 😉 Good news is, while my eyesight isn’t as sharp as it once was, my hand is still pretty steady.

I built this temporary enclosure to protect the model while also helping to keep it dust free. It still managed to collect dust!

My main work area (I have another for sub-assemblies) looks quite ‘proper’ with the Brown Bess musket on the wall (I fashioned a whole new forestock for it), the contemporary picture of Victory in Portsmouth Harbour and the Victory crest. My wife says it looks like a shrine…and I’m ok with that too 😁

You can tell by this picture of my bar area that I’m all things ‘Nelson’ - the Britannia Triumphant poster, the rum ration cup with Nelson’s image, Nelson’s portrait (I also have a same sized portrait of Lady Hamilton) and the battle line serving tray. Since I was a very young lad, Horatio Nelson has always been my #1 hero. In my adult life I can honestly say I have never missed recognising Trafalgar Day (Oct 21st). Whether in quiet contemplation or a raised glass. Or both 😁

[ccoyle]

Hello, Malcolm. Although she is most famous for her actions in 1805, Victory was launched in 1765, so I have moved your build into the proper section.

 

Cheers!

[Malcolm Brown]

5 minutes ago, ccoyle said:

Hello, Malcolm. Although she is most famous for her actions in 1805, Victory was launched in 1765, so I have moved your build into the proper section.

 

Cheers!

Thank you! I just sent you a query on that very topic 😁 Much appreciated!!!

[Malcolm Brown]

I have been aboard Victory in Portsmouth Harbour on three occasions. The first was in 1983 when my wife and I were on our honeymoon. I took a few photos and when it came to painting the hull, I used the photos to colour match to my model. What it boiled down to was Humbrol #74 Matt sunflower yellow with a ‘few’ drops of Humbrol #60 Matt burnt orange. Not sure how accurate it is based on more recent discussions, but I’m satisfied with the outcome. As can be seen, Victory was undergoing fairly extensive restoration at the time. Note the early Ford Capris in the lower left next to what I believe is a Ford Cortina😁

[Hubac's Historian]

Hi Malcolm!  I love your Victory.  I’ll enjoy watching you bring her to completion.

[Malcolm Brown]

I had originally rigged the bowsprit according to the vague Heller instructions and using some homemade rigging bits. That was about 15 years ago. I didn’t know what anything was called back then and some or most of the aftermarket stuff, particularly that which is specific to the Heller kit and scale, wasn’t available, e.g., etched brass parts, resin parts, wooden blocks, deadeyes, etc. I used some wire to approximate the appearance of the hearts for both the bowsprit shrouds and the bobstays. I also used natural coloured instead of black thread for the shroud and stays. All of this has been removed and will be corrected in the next iteration. Also, the original flying jib boom supplied by Heller is far too flimsy and would bend easily once any rigging tension is applied. Same goes for the dolphin striker. I used a carbon fibre rod for the jib boom and a carbon fibre flat for the dolphin striker. I note others in this forum have used brass rods, etc. I  like the carbine fibre because it can be sanded and tapered as needed and can be easily drilled. Fortunately, I figured this much out way back when. This is is how it looked originally. Note to self: either buy a proper camera or improve the lighting in your work area 🤦‍♂️

[Ian_Grant]

On 2/20/2024 at 11:21 AM, Malcolm Brown said:

I have been aboard Victory in Portsmouth Harbour on three occasions. The first was in 1983 when my wife and I were on our honeymoon.

I'm sure it was always her dream to see this ship, Malcolm. HaHa. Welcome to MSW; I am your newest follower.

 

Seeing the photo with the foremast head in place reminds me to recommend:

 

By all means glue the mast heads on, but leave off the cleats on the side faces on fore and main (for the jeer block lashings) and any rigging blocks for now. Reason being is that it is far easier to loop (the served) shroud pairs around a suitably sized drill or dowel for seizing then slip them over the masthead and down, rather than trying to seize each in turn around the masthead. Once the shrouds are in place the mast cap and topmast (and the jeer block cleats) can be added.

[Malcolm Brown]

22 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

I'm sure it was always her dream to see this ship, Malcolm. HaHa. Welcome to MSW; I am your newest follower.

 

Seeing the photo with the foremast head in place reminds me to recommend:

 

By all means glue the mast heads on, but leave off the cleats on the side faces on fore and main (for the jeer block lashings) and any rigging blocks for now. Reason being is that it is far easier to loop (the served) shroud pairs around a suitably sized drill or dowel for seizing then slip them over the masthead and down, rather than trying to seize each in turn around the masthead. Once the shrouds are in place the mast cap and topmast (and the jeer block cleats) can be added.

LOL thanks, Ian! You have no idea how glad I am that you’re following my build. And many thanks for that advice about the mastheads! 😁 Speaking of “served shroud pairs”, my Syren serving machine is in the mail (and guess who will be racing to our mailbox to be first!😂).

[Hubac's Historian]

On 2/23/2024 at 6:07 PM, Ian_Grant said:

I'm sure it was always her dream to see this ship, Malcolm. HaHa. Welcome to MSW; I am your newest follower.

 

Seeing the photo with the foremast head in place reminds me to recommend:

 

By all means glue the mast heads on, but leave off the cleats on the side faces on fore and main (for the jeer block lashings) and any rigging blocks for now. Reason being is that it is far easier to loop (the served) shroud pairs around a suitably sized drill or dowel for seizing then slip them over the masthead and down, rather than trying to seize each in turn around the masthead. Once the shrouds are in place the mast cap and topmast (and the jeer block cleats) can be added.

Ian, your insights into this kit are just incredible.  It would never have occurred to me to think this far ahead.

[Ian_Grant]

Not at all; I just remember the problems I encountered with the kit, and what I did to get around them. Photos trigger the nightmares again. 😉

 

By the way Malcolm, don't forget about the extra eyebolts at the mast feet for the truss pendants, like we talked about during your visit.

[Malcolm Brown]

15 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

By the way Malcolm, don't forget about the extra eyebolts at the mast feet for the truss pendants, like we talked about during your visit.

Thanks, Ian! It’s on my ‘to do’ list but the reminder is appreciated 😊

[Malcolm Brown]

Much of mine time lately has been spent researching. And while it’s redundant to say in this forum, I do have most of the usual ‘suspects’ as far as printed material is concerned. Longridge, of course, has long been considered the bible for builders of Victory and other ships of the line from that period. But it’s a heavy read. I find myself reading and re-reading the same sections, and then flipping to other sections to find the appropriate picture or set of pictures. For example, as part of my bowsprit do-over, I received Dafi’s improved resin knighthead. Thanks to Longridge (and a nudge from Ian), I now have a good understanding of the various purchases on the knighthead. But I also wanted to account for how the lines/ropes are routed, what fittings they pass through, how/where they’re affixed to the bowsprit, etc., etc. After pouring through Longridge’s copious text and multiple figures, plates and plans, and other sources as well, I thought I could distill all of this into a single diagramme for the bowsprit standing rigging. Let’s just say, it’s a work in progress 😁

In the meantime, I have set up the knighthead per Longridge and Dafi’s instruction set (3 ring bolts and 1 cleat per side). In the same mailing, I also received the resin bitts and etched plates for the gun port lids and gratings. I have most of the other plates already.

 

[Malcolm Brown]

A few other mods I’ve been working on include: replaced skylight with Dafi’s etched brass version. I glued a thin strip of carbon fibre to give the base some added thickness. Added etched brass hammock cranes with integrated fire bucket holders to the poop deck. For some added detail, I printed a tiny picture of King George III coat of arms and added this to the bulkhead directly above the binnacle. Speaking of the binnacle, I rather made a mess folding the brass etched version so opted to stick with the original plastic one from Heller. I’ll add the eyebolts and tie-down lines later. Outer hammock cranes are yet to be added. Since I built the hull several years ago, I’ll be replacing all of the other original plastic hammock cranes with Dafi’s etched pieces. I fashioned railings for the ladders from the poop deck to the quarter deck. I discovered my Dremel tool could double as a mini-lathe. Pictured is an early proto-type with more size reduction yet to go. I pre-drilled it to accept a 0.4mm wire railing.

I suspect the netting I added to the railing may, in fact, be more of a modern day measure to keep the tourists safe vs being historically accurate.

It was educational for me just to learn what those two rather nondescript looking boxes at the back of the taffrail were in the first place. Who knew they were signal flag lockers. That said, I couldn’t resist the challenge of modifying these to include the segments for the various flags. At this scale I managed to cram in only 10 segments suggesting the good admiral would have to have used some sort of shorthand messaging. Otherwise, I fear any signal instructions provided from the flagship could easily be misconstrued. God forbid had the fleet misinterpreted the message to split the “French line” as being, don’t forget the “French wine” 😁Ok, that was pretty sad🤦‍♂️ I also added a wooden cross piece between the two knees to support the ensign staff. On the deck between the knees I added a block of wood to act as the the step for the ensign staff. Btw, is the flag staff natural wood colour, painted black or the lower portion only black?

 

 

[Malcolm Brown]

On 2/20/2024 at 10:57 PM, Hubac's Historian said:

Hi Malcolm!  I love your Victory.  I’ll enjoy watching you bring her to completion.

Thank you so much!! I hope I can do her Justice but with the help of the good folk on MSW, I believe I have a pretty good chance of doing so 😊 

[Hubac's Historian]

Trust me - justice is being served, here.  Great modifications!

[Ian_Grant]

I really like the look of your deck Malcolm. And your quarterdeck rail netting... I take it that's your new stuff, compared to the bulwark netting?

Like the coat of arms too.

[Malcolm Brown]

12 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

I really like the look of your deck Malcolm. And your quarterdeck rail netting... I take it that's your new stuff, compared to the bulwark netting?

Like the coat of arms too.

Thanks so much, Ian! Yes, the poop deck and quarterdeck netting is all new and was supplied by Dafi. I’m still figuring out how best to work with it but on the quarterdeck rail, here’s what I did. I cut a slightly larger than needed piece of the netting and spray painted it white. This gives it a bit more substance and was also recommended by Dafi. I initially tried staining it by dipping a small sample into some tea. I thought it might emerge looking like an aged bit of rope. Not!! It totally resisted the tea (I should buy some shirts made from that material 😂). I then laid out the netting on my work table (I had previously stuck down some clear packing tape to make the surface more stick resistant) and taped down the edges with some painters tape. I put a few drops of white glue on a scrap piece of paper and drew a white thread all the way through. I then stretched the thread along the edges of the netting and let it set. So, essentially framing the netting in cotton. Seems to work ok. Makes it easier to handle and manipulate the netting so I will follow this process as I replace the rest of the bulwark netting - as you noted. Which also means removing all of the plastic hammock cranes supplied by Heller, filling the gaps, drilling holes to accept the etched brass cranes, etc 😜

Edited February 26 by Malcolm Brown

[Malcolm Brown]

I’m starting to learn how to speak “Longridge”. But what I find helpful is if I can render Longridge’s copious text and multiple figures, plans and plates into a simplified, ‘actionable’ picture, i.e., what I can build at the ‘dock yard’. Compared to other parts of the Victory, the bowsprit rigging is comparatively straight forward 🤔 Good place to start. Thanks to Longridge, and Dafi’s revised assembly instructions for the resin parts - which are nothing short of BRILLIANT  (thank you, Dafi!!) -  these issues have been mostly resolved. The first image is my rough, hand drawn take of the bowsprit shrouds and bobstays. I had originally thought that a single collar would support both port-side and starboard-side hearts for the shrouds. Seemed logical, but not so (see 2nd image). By all means, shout out if you see any errors.

Fortunately, Longridge gives the exact order in which these collars are assembled on the stop cleats on the bowsprit (per figure 118, page 187).

On the practical side, I followed Dafi’s example and created a simple jig to tie-off the bowsprit shroud and bobstay collars. Pictured is a work-in-progress shroud collar with unequal legs, followed by a bobstay collar with equal legs.

For fun, I superimposed my assembled shroud and bobstay collars atop a copy of Dafi’s revised assembly instructions (Dafi’s sheet #53). The scales are obviously different but for comparison purposes I substituted a Canadian penny. While the copper penny is no longer legal tender in Canada you could argue the size difference roughly corresponds to the relative dollar values 😜

Here’s a test fit of one of the bobstays on the first stop cleat on the bowsprit. It fit very well and I’m reasonably satisfied with the appearance but wondering if there’s too many turns on the serving. Any thoughts? Next stop, yet to be deciphered, is the knighthead and all of those ’purchases’.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 29 by Malcolm Brown

[Ian_Grant]

Mon Dieu, monsieur!  You are going to the nth degree in details Malcolm. Congratulations and if you keep this up your ship will be magnifique!

 

Edited February 29 by Ian_Grant

[dafi]

Wonderfully done! Congrats!

Please allow me a remark: The 3rd boobstay that splits into two legs is not the optimal solution. It is shown in Longridge and other literature, also it was featured for many years on the exhibut in P. The preferred solution would be to be fixed in a new hole just underneath the upper two ones.

 

XXXDAn

[Malcolm Brown]

10 hours ago, Ian_Grant said:

Mon Dieu, monsieur!  You are going to the nth degree in details Malcolm. Congratulations and if you keep this up your ship will be magnifique!

 

Merci beaucoup, Monsier Grant!! So much rigging. So little time 😁

[Malcolm Brown]

3 hours ago, dafi said:

The preferred solution would be to be fixed in a new hole just underneath the upper two ones.

Thank you for this feedback, Dafi!  That certainly would simplify things since the 3rd bobstay is considerably longer than the other two, is hauled quite far back on the bow and requires the two splices. Got it! 😁👍

Edited February 29 by Malcolm Brown

[Malcolm Brown]

One of the things I struggled with while assembling the collars for the bowsprit shrouds and bobstays was keeping a reasonable round opening for the eyes that would be lashed together around the bowsprit. The fact that these are wrapped around a push pin does not leave much tolerance. A couple became misshapened, one closed altogether which I had to redo. For experiment, I tied-off an eye, as above, then soaked it in CA. After hardening, I gently reamed the eye open with with one of my small hand drills. Here’s how that looks. Could almost substitute for a small thimble?

[Malcolm Brown]

My wife was remarking on the sheer volume of pine cones that dropped on our property this year. All of which will need to be picked up…

…then I showed her this! 😱

Edited March 2 by Malcolm Brown

[Malcolm Brown]

"Oh Victory!, Victory!, how you distract my poor brain."
Those were some of the last words spoken by Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson on the 21st of October, 1805. Mortally wounded, Nelson lay below deck in the surgeon’s quarters while the battle raged above. 

Whether the good admiral was expressing anxious anticipation of a British victory or, he was reflecting on his flagship each time the mighty ship shook to the roar of her guns, his words echo in my head every day. But it's the myriad lines/ropes and their associated blocks, hearts, deadeyes, thimbles, eyes and hooks that need to be ‘seized’, ‘served’, 'sized', ‘spliced’, ‘stropped’, ‘lashed’, ‘wormed’, ‘parceled’, ‘gammoned’, ‘snaked’ and ‘frapped’ that are "distracting MY poor brain". But I wouldn't have it any other way! 😃In my never ending quest to render words into pictures here's my 'simplified' (hardly) take on the bowsprit standing rigging. The first picture is a sort of consolidated view focusing on the lines/ropes that 'reeve' through the Dolphin Striker, the outer ends of which terminate elsewhere on the bowsprit/jib boom/flying jib boom. The other two pictures are my take on how those lines are routed and eventually 'purchase' on the knighthead. I still have plenty of research/questions to go but please fire away with any suggestions, comments, corrections, etc. 👍

Knighthead Purchases:

[Malcolm Brown]

Took a break from drawing pictures to actually installing something on the Victory 😀 The collars and hearts I had previously assembled went on the bowsprit today. It seems I was a little generous with the length of the legs so the spliced eyes came together on top of the bowsprit and look a bit clumpy. Not super happy with it but I expect once the additional hearts, shrouds and bobstays are in place it won’t be so obvious. Going forward, I’ll definitely be refining some of my seizing and splicing techniques. Needle and thread definitely the way to go. Btw, all of the visible natural thread is the ‘old’ version and will be removed.

[dafi]

Do not worry - looking great!

 

XXXDAn

[Malcolm Brown]

A few questions re: lanyards and bobstays for my learned MSW colleagues:

1a. It’s not 100% clear to me how hearts are lashed together.  As best as I’ve been able to gather, the lanyard starts with an eye splice through one of the hearts but how does the lanyard tie-off at the end - does it wrap around the shroud/bobstay where the end is spliced?

1b. What is the length or span of the lanyard at this scale or is it by eye?

2. The bobstays pass through the holes in the “knee of the head” and then spliced on the fore side. Two independent lengths of the same rope then take a turn around the heart and are spliced together at the heart?  Hopefully the attached pictures, will help clarify my questions. To be clear, in the latter case it’s the same rope but I coloured each segment for clarity. Thanks!!

Edited March 11 by Malcolm Brown

[dafi]

Laniard imho ok, but see my scribble for the rest. The joint of the ropes is hidden underneath the seizing.

 

XXXDAn

[Malcolm Brown]

2 hours ago, dafi said:

The joint of the ropes is hidden underneath the seizing.

Many thanks, Dafi, it’s perfectly clear to me now!!  I’m relieved to see that I don’t have to wrap both segments around the heart as I was showing in my chicken scratch diagramme 😁👍