HMS Victory by JPett - Corel - 1:98

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

First and foremost "Welcome to my Log"

 

From the manufacturer

 

Corel's H.M.S. Victory is designed with a double planked hull in limewood and walnut, with tanganyka strips for planking the deck. All wooden parts are laser-cut to facilitate assembly. Lanterns, railings and other fittings are brass, gilded cast metal and walnut. One hundred cast metal cannon and carronades are burnished for an authentic appearance. Brass gunport frames open and close with hinged lids. Display stand, five diameters or rigging, flags and hammock netting are provided. Fourteen sheets of plans plus an instruction book guarantee a faithful replica.

 

 

I bought this kit on a whim, my shipbuilding had stalled, it was on one of ME's Super sales (reduced twice), and I was weak, in need of a fix. I had been eyeballing the kit for the last nine months, following similar builds here on MSW, pondering whether or not I would ever be up to this task (this last part is still TBA) and of course watching the price.The owners of Model Expo's recent post regarding their desire to sell may have had some influence on my decision to pull the trigger on this purchase.

 

Regardless I have opened the can and we are now officially at "doors"
 

As this will be a side project for at least the next year (maybe two) please understand future posts maybe few and far between. I have decided to tackle one of my demons on this kit and that is to build it completely using OOB rules (out of box). No upgrades, no side projects, no, I think this would be better if's, but just as Corel designed it along with a practicum of sorts here on MSW. Official OOB modeling rules do allow for painting and I might go there.

 

With that said I will start this build off with a review

 

The box is in a word "packed" and weighs about 11 pounds. Parts were well packaged and in typical Corel fashion; all bulkheads and many parts are precut and bagged. The included lumber was all first rate, cleanly cut, and I would believe "hand picked". I did not find one unusable piece in the entire kit. The Strip lumber was packaged separately in its own box; some bundled by size and type, others a jumbled assortment which will require some effort to sort and identify. Cast pieces come in their own vacuum formed organizer and most are either the gilded brass or the bronzed finish common in most of Corel's offerings. Detail is nice, a step up from the Britannia I have seen included in many other kits . Fourteen sheets ( 2 full sized, 12 half sized ) show both 2D and 3D images of construction steps and various details are included. Accompanying all this are what might be the worst instructions in the industry. Yes that little book is all you get. On a scale of 10, 0 being no instructions I will generously rate this at a 3. In Corel's defense it is listed as an advanced kit and the little book does include what could be considered a basic outline.

 

Conclusion:

Corel's version of the HMS Victory looks to be a great kit. Wood and parts are for the most part "top notch". I found one small knot in a 1mm by 1mm strip of walnut and no laser burn what so ever. I do however have some reservations regarding the pressed wood used for the stern and some trim pieces but do not believe them to be a major concern.

 

Overall, I am very happy with my purchase  at this point and would have little hesitation recommending this kit . Value wise it is untouchable.

 

　

Next on my list is to complete the inventory process, and post some close ups. If there is anything you would like to see, now would be a good time to ask.

　

[jbford]

There is some mention in the description for this kit that instructions and parts are included for building two different ways, perhaps as admiralty style.

If this is the case it would be nice to have your comments on this as you study the plans and materials.

thanks.

 

JB Ford

[Shipyard sid]

Greetings

Well here we go with another victory build!! And the kit packaging itself looks really good. I look forward to following your build throughout its progress. Just enjoy yourself. Best wishes DAVID

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

Thanks for coming aboard

 

JB: I did a Google search and found that there are some vendors stating this "which BTW is a stretch". What I believe they are saying is you can build it "fully rigged" or as a "hull only" which in my opinion is not truly an admiralty model with exposed frames and deck structure. There is no option that I see included with this kit to build it any other way but fully planked.  You could however build and display just the hull only which would make a very impressive display piece.

 

David: Thx, I had some difficulty finding information regarding this kit and thought I would start off by addressing this for others. So far I have been spending my time deciphering the "little book" and getting familiar with the plans.  It really is a nice kit and I look forward to years of enjoyment.

 

 

Back to the build: Time 3hrs (inventory and misc.). Total 3hrs

 

As per the "little book" I have acquired a piece of 5/8' composite particle board to make a keel jig from my local Home Depot. I found it in the scrap pile ( 51 cents). The good folks at HD even cut it down to a reasonable 12" by 24" for no additional charge. I am currently using it to take a very slight warp out of the main keel section (Part# 15). I noticed it did not lie perfectly flat while doing my inventory, which BTW is not complete. I wetted one side of the part to introduce some moisture and it currently sits on a glass table top sandwiched between the composite board. I threw a dumbbell on top for good measure. I will check it in a day or two.

 

The inventory: Aside from the slight warp in the keel there was some minor damage to one of the ships boats (repaired) and another seems to have some staining or discoloration in the wood. It can be seen in the upper left of the first picture in the original post. My plan for now is to see if it can be sanded or bleached out.

 

Accounting issues: Corel uses what they call "plate numbers" (the number assigned to the part on the plan) which referances a list in the 'Little Book" to identify parts . Using this to do an inventory has proved to be a bit of a challenge. Problems occur when the same "raw" wood is used by multiple parts. An example would be Plate# 101 Vertical Strake and #105 Port-post. It is the same wood but referanced as another plate number in the list. They do share a part number "LS 229"  found in a right hand column which is how I confirmed this. My plan is to inventory everything, see what is missing, and then try to find it on the list already counted as something esle.  I have also not yet found anything documenting quantities. All the major parts are all there as per the plans and judging buy the counts I am getting there seems to be plenty of everything else. If I find the time I will post an inventory list. Please do not hold me to this as there are 400 plate numbers.

 

Back to the count

[Blue Ensign]

A new adventure starts, I wish you much enjoyment of your new project JP.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[augie]

Well, apparently you've gone and done it!  Sounds like you're happy based on your early impressions of the kit.

 

I wish you tremendous success on the major adventure.

 

That said, HMS Victory is my all time favorite ship.  Having walked her decks almost 40 years ago, she is something I shall never forget.  The experience was made all the more enjoyable by the folks who manned her back then happily providing details and tall tales of her history. However, as a model she intimidates me.  I don't have the skills at this point to tackle her....and probably never will.

 

I do have the Corel Victory cross section sitting on my desk for the past 25 years.  It's a creditable version and has stood the test of time .... uncased!!!!  So I know what their plans or plates look like.  But you have 14 sheets!  You're going to need a bigger house

 

Sorry to hear about the warp.  Get it dead straight before you grab the glue.  I know you know how important this is.

 

Safe voyage, JP!  I'll be following.

[patrickmil]

This looks like it's going to be a ton of fun JP. The parts all look nice and I'm looking forward to following along while you plug away with the precision we're all used to.

[Ferit]

Ahoy JPett,

I hope it's going smoothly... I can imagine your excitement in front of a new pretty joy, a very attractive vocation...

[Sjors]

Hi Jp,

 

I will follow you closely on this one.

I build the Le Mirage from Corel and I find the drawings terrible !

I have only two sheets with the overall picture and one manual

The manual only saying, do this on that.

And that's it !

I've made a few mistakes because it was not clear what goes where.

My plans are dating 1975…...

Maybe you have newer plans

I don't want you to feel miserable so please,start with it and enjoy your self !

Have a good and smooth time with the victory !

 

[md1400cs]

JPett,

 

Congrats !! This is one is so intimidating. "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!" 

 

I think that most of us, at one time or an other, have dreamed of building something as perfect as this ship.

I have, at least, had the pleasure of boarding her for a wonderfully perfect day.

 

I will enjoy following your work. You certainly have the skill set. Cheers to you...

 

Regards,

 

Michael

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

B.E.: Welcome aboard

 

Augie: You know I know, don't we both know 'lol"  

 

Patrick: I think plug says it all

 

Ferit: TY but I think we both know if it went smoothly it would not be a ship model

 

Sjors: I read you log, your build is beautiful and yes the manual scares me.

 

Michael: Always a pleasure to have you aboard.

 

 

Back to the build: Time 1hr (Keel and Bulkheads.). Total 4hrs

 

I have postponed the inventory until I can secure some small re-sealable bags to repackage the bitts.

 

The keel section was fully healed after its weight training

 

Well it seems I have my work cut out for me right out of the gate. I decided to start checking the keel fit and bulkheads and found they will all need to be adjusted. I like to think if a block of wood was shipped all over the world it would be a different size depending on the humidity level and air pressure of its current location: That and blaming someone will not magically fix this.

 

For now my focus is on the keel section as three bulkheads attach to part 16 and the remaining bulkheads will be attached to number 15; so these two parts need to be properly aligned. The bulkheads I will deal with later. As per the "little book" I checked the parts against the plans and found that a slight adjustment on both parts might do the trick. I used my calipers to confirm the parts on the plan would actually fit correctly and started deducing from there. Two problems, One, Corel does not supply you with an image directly addressing this. This does not mean there isn't something in the plans I can not use; I just have to find it. And two, it looks like if I were to just sand down the bottom of 16 I would be golden. Sadly I know where that can lead "lol"

 

I have posted a pic, please feel free to comment as I will not be getting back to this for a day or two and as always appreciate input.

Edited October 7, 2013 by JPett

[Ferit]

Ahoy JPett,

I would like to learn why you have left untouched your potential builds on the shelf awaiting you with patience for a long while and begun the very new one.. .

[augie]

I'm delighted the heat treating worked.

 

Not so sure what's going on with the 'discrepancy' between those 2 bulkheads.  Obviously the slots need to be tweaked to get them to mate, but that bottom overhang on 16 is strange.  Sure there's no 'false keel' to be attached to 15?

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

Ferit: First and foremost I have not abandoned my first. Most of my free time goes to her. Why I have started this I am sure could only be answered by spending a couple thousand dollars on a couch

 

Augie: There is no additional piece. My first thought too. After my post I found a drawing on plate #2 which shows the top half of the hull. Using that drawing I should be able to confirm alignment. I want to use the bulkheads to check my findings which also need some minor sanding. I am seeing that all the pieces that make up the hull require some attention. I can tell right now this might be a while and it looks like I have my work cut out for me

 

Welcome to model ship building

Edited September 28, 2013 by JPett

[Sjors]

 JP,

 

The only thing I can say and maybe it helps, when you at a part of the build, check all the drawings if it goes that way.

See if you need to drill holes in it ( cross trees for example ) and more of that funny stuff.

There is one thing that you learn……check everything and look forward !

 

 

Edited September 28, 2013 by Sjors

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

Sjors: I agree "I think" lol

 

Back to the build: Time .5hr (Keel and Bulkheads.). Total 4.5hrs

 

While waiting for the parts to dry elsewhere I decided to do a quick overlay to see if I could spot a quick fix. As it turned out I found a small clue. Sadly I do not see this as a completely correcting the problem but it does seem to be a place to start. The problem, the amount that the image shows that could be removed from the bottom of part #16 does not match the amount needed for proper alignment.

 

Next step will be to scan this section of the plans for complete accuracy and then do a print and paste on part #16

Edited October 7, 2013 by JPett

[Trussben]

Well JP, you have jumped in the deep end of kit building that's for sure :-))

I'm sure with the lessons you have already learned you will do a great job.

I will follow with interest.

 

Ben

[mtaylor]

Carry on, sir.  You've picked a fine project to apply what you've learned from the Snake. 

[sport29652]

JP, I though I saw you asking victory questions in another thread. Your skill will do this kit justice, I just hope you don't forget about the snake. I'm ridding your coat tails on that one. Funny how I was eyeballing the same kit. I decided to hold out for the Essex though (when it's corrected of course).

[Erik Nyren]

Hello J Pett, great to see you buildlog up. I seem to remember the same problems with part 15-16 on my kit although it was a long time ago. I had a look at the ship and theres no false keel. I simply glued the pieces together and then sanded down the excess of part 16 to achieve a straight keel. I have attached a few pics of how this stage looked on my kit. 

 

Regards

Erik

[augie]

Erik's comments tell us you can proceed and nothing will jump out and bite you in 6 months.  MSW works!

[patrickmil]

Hey JP, I think Erik has a good idea with sanding down part 16, but you could also consider gluing a strip of wood to the bottom of 15 as well. I don't think either way would hurt in the long run. ... I think.... lol

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

Ben: Welcome Aboard, I will go with "hopefully"

 

Mark: Ditto on my response to Ben

 

Eric (Sport): You really are asking for it on all fronts. I think we share a common trait  

 

Erik N: Thank you very much for taking the time to post those most helpful images.

 

Augie: Really now, I would not would bet a nickel on that first comment  but I will second the second. I would be lost without the help I have received here on MSW.

 

Patrick: Did Augie coach you or just pay you "lol"

 

 

Back to the build: Time .5hr (Keel and Bulkheads.). Total 5hrs

 

Just to be safe I scanned the plans, cutting out part# 16 and first tested it against part number #15 (keel) on the plans and found the gap between the tab and the slot is in the plans. Perhaps something goes there, maybe it is an expansion joint,  I do not know but have removed it from the list of current problems. I should point out that I tested my scan against the original on the plans before I did anything. Next I tested my cutout on the actual part and confirmed my original findings that a small amount could be removed. Not enough to correct the problem but some. Then I aligned the part (with the cut out) to the keel (#15) on the plans and found that the keel is also short. The overage on part #16 and the shortage on part number 15 causing the problem.

 

Simply put I can glue the parts and sand off the excess just as Erik suggested and according to Augie I should have no problems for the next 6 months, although gluing a strip along the bottom of 15 would also work just as Patrick suggested but because this did not come with a guarantee of no problems for 6 months I will have to go with plan A.

 

I think I am good here, problem solved 

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2013 by JPett

[augie]

Hahahaha.  You're in rare form today.  Never realized how much we missed you during your sabbatical

[Ferit]

Ahoy JPett,

May I ask a question, a question about your preference; you had allowed that at the start...

The false keel is plywood I see from here... Through thin face of the plywood it could be seen all its layers even if it is painted.

To plank the plywood of the false keel would not have perfect result in my opinion. Are you thinking to reproduce the false keel in scracth while you are at the beginning? Only the parts which could be seen out of the hull... Sorry for the intervention...

Edited October 2, 2013 by ashiponthehorizon

[patrickmil]

JP, glad to see you have a plan of attack on this, and it's always goood to see that some parts in our kits actually do match up with our plans.

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

Augie: Words are fun. They can be many other things but fun is the best  

 

Ferit: Starting trouble already I see  (most likely stain, maybe some planking but no to the extras)

 

Patrick: Yes, I would rate the quality as very high.

 

Back to the build: Time 7hr (Bulkheads and base). Total 12hrs

 

Yes, call me slow as I have 12 full hours on this build already and have not yet glued a part. I also have no plans on doing so in the next few days. This is only a ruff fit, although I am very happy with it. It seems that Corel feels that the shipbuilder should "fit" all the bulkheads and I think this is a good idea. Much better then relying on someone else for this most important part of the build. I first sanded the bulkhead slots for the keel. I checked each bulkhead to the plans, penciling in lines to guide (or save me from) my sanding. In the beginning I sanded the bulkheads for a snug fit but when I started the stringers I saw this as a mistake. It is my opinion that these parts should float "just a tiny bit". This was pointed out to me by the keel jig I built (and yes "A"; those are treenails). A snug fit required perfection otherwise any discrepancy would add a little twist the hull. The keel jig was a very good investment of both time and money. Not only does it hold everything nicely but it highlights any little twist you put into your build. This is my first Keel jig but I won't build without one again.  It was also helpful to confirm that the bulkheads 5-10 were fully inserted. Due to the shortness on part 16 mine rides a little high and I had to resort to a shim to do this.

 

Next I moved on to the stringers. I started at B11 and B4, filling in the middle. Then I did the bow (B1-B3) and the stern (B12-B14) making sure the stringers dropped in with no required effort but with as little excess as possible. This was a slow process for me. I did learn some tricks which I will share. I found that you could pull up a bulkhead and lay it at an angle keeping the bulkhead keel slot in the keel, just not in the slot in the keel and align the bulkhead top with the one either before or after it to confirm your measurements before sanding. This method sometimes conflicted with my original assessment causing me to recheck what I thought need to be sanded.  Flipping the bulkhead and checking it from both sides was another great way to double check work. I found it invaluable while doing the keel slots.

 

Next I have the decks and I am also soaking some battens to check my work, Then I have to make the call on whether or not I will be doing any pre-work on the gunports; see my post here http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/3815-cutting-gunports-into-bulkheads/?p=107735. Then I want to finish sand any bulkhead areas that will be seen on the completed model. Some look like they will be a pain to do later.

 

For now I must go off and see another, before she gets jealous

Edited October 6, 2013 by JPett

[augie]

She looks very straight and true at this point JP.  Who knows, at this rate you may not need any glue     

[JPett]

Ahoy Mates

 

Augie. Sure would make any redos a lot easier

 

Back to the build: Time 2hr (Bulkheads) Total 14hrs

 

Boy does time fly

 

First I sanded down the stern piece to match the keel. I experimented before removing the excess by rounding this small section to see how it would look. Wow, did it look bad. I decided I would address this at a later date, removed the wood and moved on to the bulkheads in the back. Why Ferit: Why "lol"

 

After tacking a few bulkheads ( 12,11,10,9, 8) progress ground to a halt. Thankfully they are only tacked with PVA. My plan was to tack everything and then once it all was good to go; go back and glue everything using fillets of thinned PVC. I also decided to tack the bulkheads in with pretty much everything else in place. Took me a while to come up with a working combination. I did have to remove one bulkhead to accommodate the square but felt doing them any other way could lead to small discrepancies that might negatively impact my previous work

 

As a test and because it did not line up "perfectly" I already removed B8.

 

My problem and the cause of the shutdown. The termination of planking as of right now makes no sense. To my knowledge the instructions and even some pics I have seen do not show a rabbet, but in true Corel form there is an image of what could be one in the plates

 

Anyone having any information on this, your two cents would be greatly appreciated.

 

Standing by

Edited October 7, 2013 by JPett

[Sjors]

Hi JP,

 

I don't have a rabbit either…….

For the rest it is looking great !

Keep on going like this !!!!

 

Edited October 7, 2013 by Sjors