La Niña by Digitalis - Artesania Latina - 1/65 - First Build

[Digitalis]

Well, here we are—my first dive into ship-building, and the package just landed on my doorstep today! I’m a total rookie in this hobby, so here’s my unfiltered take straight out of the box.
 

I’ll be honest: I was a bit underwhelmed by this kit. From what I’d gathered online, some builders used to get a detailed 1:1 scale ship plans—nothing like that here, though. Zero. Just a single sheet listing the panels. No paper manual, no basic “here’s your stuff” checklist. Instead, they threw in a CD. A CD! In 2025? My PC doesn’t even have a CD drive. Guess I’m stuck digging around online for help.
 

The parts themselves? Mostly solid, though one panel showed up with a slight bend. And the sails? They came folded with obvious creases, when they could’ve just been laid flat in that big box. Anyway, before I dive into the build, I’ll try to find a list to confirm I’ve got all the pieces. Once that’s sorted, I’ll be documenting this whole adventure here—bumps and all. I’m counting on you veterans out there to toss me your best tips, fixes, or any upgrades to make this ship shine. Let’s do this!
 

[gsdpic]

Yes, some, if not all of the AL kits have all the documentation on a CD.  You should also be able to download it from their web site.  Go to the main page of MSW, to the list of sponsors, including AL.  Click on their logo to go to their site then search for your kit and look for a link to instructions, which should also include a list of parts.  When I built an AL kit (the sopwith camel) I copied the instructions to an iPad and used that to look at them while building.  It was still a bit awkward, always fearing that I had glue or paint on my finger before touching the iPad, but I can certainly understand why they do it.

 

Good luck with the build.

 

[Digitalis]

13 minutes ago, gsdpic said:

Yes, some, if not all of the AL kits have all the documentation on a CD. 

 

I may have to work from a phone or printouts since I don’t have an iPad. I just wish it came with 1:1 scale plans so I could double-check the measurements for positioning. I will have to make due for now. Thanks!

[Knocklouder]

Good luck on your journey !!  There are some really great logs for this ship here, and all the help in the world. I agree that it would be nice to have a 1:1 plan, best of luck.     

Bob  M.

[ccoyle]

Good luck on your project! I have tagged your log as a first build -- this is to let folks know you may need more than the usual amount of help and encouragement.

[Digitalis]

1 hour ago, ccoyle said:

Good luck on your project! I have tagged your log as a first build -- this is to let folks know you may need more than the usual amount of help and encouragement.

Thank you all!!

[Digitalis]

After finding the instruction manual online, I tried to check if I had all the pieces. It didn’t go well. As a beginner, the parts list was just numbers and names, and half the time I had no idea what they meant—no pictures or diagrams to help. I figured out some of the obvious ones on the precut sheets, and a few planks had tags with their sizes, but others had nothing. I couldn’t tell what was what. So, I decided to just start following the instructions and hope the descriptions and photos would make sense as I went (knock on wood I have everything I need).
 

I didn’t have much time today, so I kept it simple: sanding and dry-fitting the ship’s skeleton. While doing that, I was wondering if there was a better way to get the lasercut pieces off the board. My X-Acto knife blade was a bit thicker than the cuts, and I was worried I’d break something if I pushed too hard.

A couple questions if anyone has any suggestions:

• The instructions say only to glue the frame 10 and stay 11. Does this mean I'm not supposed to glue the rest???
• Also they recommend a "white glue" I just got Titebond II & Starbond2 Cyanoacrylate, should I be getting a different kind?

 

Edited yesterday at 03:40 AM by Digitalis

[Nirvana]

Take the CD to someone who has a drive.

It should contained a printable file.

You should be able to print out the instructions at a printing.

Good luck

[Dr PR]

Digitalis (Foxglove?),

 

A lot of experienced builders prefer Titebond II so it is OK.

 

White glue (Elmer's Glue-All) is probably cheaper. When you get to the rigging stage you might want to set some. It's greatest advantage is that it dries invisible without leaving a film or stain. That may be why they recommend it.

 

If you got plans off the web site you might look at them to see if there is a drawing sheet (or two). You can take the file to a print shop and have the sheets printed to scale.

 

As far as the CD goes, the kit may have been manufactured years ago when CD/DVD players were common, and has been sitting on the shelf somewhere since then.

 

Good luck on your build. Don't let the kit's shortcomings prevent you from doing your best. And you should know from the very beginning that you will make mistakes, and your second ship model build will be a lot better than your first!

 

 

[SaltyScot]

13 hours ago, Knocklouder said:

There are some really great logs for this ship here, and all the help in the world.

 

I totally agree with Bob here, don't get bogged down and frustrated, reach out to those here who are ALWAYS willing to help a newbie (I am quite new myself). What  he said about looking into other blogs is also important. Find other builds of your model on here (use the search option top right on the homepage) and read through them. That way, you can perhaps find mistakes that were made or tips that the other builders dropped in to help out at a certain point. 

8 hours ago, Dr PR said:

And you should know from the very beginning that you will make mistakes, and your second ship model build will be a lot better than your first!

 

These are true words. I found my first build to be a very steep learning curve but it was also very enjoyable. Stick to it and, no matter how it goes, you will be proud of what you turn out which will then inspire and motivate you for your second build. 

 

Good luck!!

[Digitalis]

11 hours ago, Nirvana said:

Take the CD to someone who has a drive.

It should contained a printable file.

You should be able to print out the instructions at a printing.

Good luck

Thanks! I successfully printed from the files I downloaded from the internet, and they appear to be nearly similar to the contents of the CD from what I was able to research.

Edited yesterday at 03:26 PM by Digitalis

[Digitalis]

10 hours ago, Dr PR said:

Digitalis (Foxglove?),

 

If you got plans off the web site you might look at them to see if there is a drawing sheet (or two). You can take the file to a print shop and have the sheets printed to scale.

 Digitalis (Digital IS = Digital Intelligence System) Though I fondly remember my childhood days of snatching foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) flower, pinching it shut with one hand, and slapping it with the other to burst it into a quick, crisp pop—a poor kid’s substitute for bubble wrap XD

As for the plans, that was the original idea, but sadly, they don’t even offer them digitally. They do have a photograph page showing front, back, and top views, yet since these images include perspective, they’re far from ideal compared to having each element—like the masts—separated for precise alignment

[Digitalis]

1 hour ago, SaltyScot said:

 

Find other builds of your model on here (use the search option top right on the homepage) and read through them. That way, you can perhaps find mistakes that were made or tips that the other builders dropped in to help out at a certain point. 

 

I looked around for those but couldn’t find a single completed build from Artesania Latina. The PDF document listing all the builds only includes 9 logs for La Niña, and just 3 were completed, all from the Amati kit. However, after some research, I discovered that only two users, Jerry and MateuszPL, appear to have finished their builds, even though they are not listed as completed

I also noticed that none of the blue links in the document work on my end, so I ended up searching for the users’ names to find their logs.

Edited yesterday at 03:09 PM by Digitalis

[SaltyScot]

When I started and was planning to build the Endeavour, that is what I put in the search box "Endeavour". That way, anything related to that name popped up and I could select the build logs that were appropriate at leisure.

[Digitalis]

As usual, I didn’t have much time today, but I managed to carefully glue the hull frame together. I ensured each section was aligned at a 90-degree angle to the keel. Since the panel was slightly warped, I used rubber bands and clips to apply pressure where needed. I just hope this doesn’t cause any issues later on

 

[Digitalis]

While reading the next steps in my wooden ship model instructions, I noticed they recommend attaching the deck using nails. However, I’ve watched several videos where builders deliberately avoid nails, opting for glue instead. I’m inclined to try the nail-free approach unless you think nails are the better option here, any insights on that?

Additionally, I’m wondering if it might be smarter to plank the deck before attaching it to the hull. My thought is that planking it flat could simplify the process, avoiding the challenge of working around the hull’s curve. I’d love to hear your thoughts or any recommendations you might have!

[SaltyScot]

On a scale this size I would personally recommend not using nails for the deck, glueing it will be much better. I usually plank my deck once it is on. Have you read up on planking patterns for this build? Another tip, and I know this one is a bit late but if your false keel is warped (that's the bit your bulkheads got glued to), you should lay it on a flat surface with something to weigh it down before adding the bulkheads. An even better solution, and this you can still do, is to make a temporary base to keep the keel straight. Just take a flat piece of wood and screw two slats along its length that "pinch" the keel as it slots into them. Make sure the slats run parallel to the straight edge of the base plank and run true along its length. You can work on the model with it sitting on this stand too. If you have problems understanding what I mean, let me know and I will send you a sketch.

[Digitalis]

1 hour ago, SaltyScot said:

On a scale this size I would personally recommend not using nails for the deck, glueing it will be much better. I usually plank my deck once it is on. Have you read up on planking patterns for this build? Another tip, and I know this one is a bit late but if your false keel is warped (that's the bit your bulkheads got glued to), you should lay it on a flat surface with something to weigh it down before adding the bulkheads. An even better solution, and this you can still do, is to make a temporary base to keep the keel straight. Just take a flat piece of wood and screw two slats along its length that "pinch" the keel as it slots into them. Make sure the slats run parallel to the straight edge of the base plank and run true along its length. You can work on the model with it sitting on this stand too. If you have problems understanding what I mean, let me know and I will send you a sketch.

Thanks, that makes sense! The keel seems okay so far, but I’ll keep an eye out for warping. Great tip for future builds. I like the two-plank idea to stabilize it; I was thinking something similar for my vise. For the false deck, I’m leaning toward planking it before attaching it to the keel. Not having to worry about the curves and bulkheads might make trimming easier that way. Any downsides I should know about? I’m still open to suggestions as I figure out the pros and cons.

About planking patterns, are they for the hull, deck, or both? I’ve researched period ships like this and see “shift of three” or “shift of four” recommended probably for the deck, but maybe the hull too? I can’t find clear pictures to show what those look like. So far, I’ve found these but dont know if they refer to the deck or the hull, or what determines the length of each plank. If anyone has better examples or tips, that’d be great! 

Edited 8 hours ago by Digitalis

[AON]

It is good practise to specify your sources if you can. Sometimes they are found on the internet with no original source give which makes it tough. Your images above are from the Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850 (pg 58) and are for hull planking.

 

Planks were usually 20 to 24 feet long with one source suggesting up to 36 feet long.

 

After 1850 deck planks were normally nailed with spikes to the beam below with a wooden plug inserted in the countersunk hole above the nail, grain oriented to blend into the deck. Prior to 1850 it could be treenails (dowels) or spikes.

 

Here is a PDF copy of a presentation I did for our local club, Model Shipwrights of Niagara (https://mson.ca) that might be of some help to you. It is entitled Treenails but covers deck and hull planking.

Treenails - Alan O'Neill - 15MAR2022.pdf

Edited 7 hours ago by AON

[Digitalis]

11 minutes ago, AON said:

It is good practise to specify your sources if you can.

 

Thanks for clarifying that those images are for a different type of ship!  I found them in a Google image search that was sourced from this forum, so I’m not sure of the original source.

I’m still trying to understand what “shift of three” and “shift of four” planking patterns look like, some people suggested them for a ship like mine, so any visuals or descriptions would help.

Your Treenails presentation is a great reference, and I’ll keep it handy as I get better at this hobby. Right now, I’m just working on figuring out a planking pattern and proper lengths I should be using for this type of ship. I’m also tempted to try the wooden plug idea with toothpicks, it could be overkill, but it might pay off for bigger builds later... With that in mind I think I will prepare by getting the 5" MAK stainless steel Parallel Pliers, as they may come in handy

In the meantime, if you or anyone has tips or examples of hull planking patterns and lengths that’d would make this caravel even better, I’d love to hear them!

[AON]

I believe the types of shift are explained in the PDF.

PM me if you indeed need more explanation.

I won't be able to respond until late today as I need to get ready to go to our local monthly club meeting today.

[Digitalis]

Thank you! Yes, I did see that, but I was under the impression you were referring to ships from the 1700s or 1800s. Since the images you shared were of the English Man of War from 1650–1850, I thought they might not apply to my ship.

I was just looking for a simple image reference of the pattern and some recommendations of plank length at my 1/65 scale, the whole presentation, while great, feels a bit too advanced for my current skill set. It covers many historical precedents and jumps between actual ship measurements and models, which I really appreciate, but it’s more than I can take on right now

[SaltyScot]

Here is an image of your ship being built on another forum (Ships of Scale). I believe you have to be a member to view build logs in there. I just joined to be able to see different logs of the Lynx I am doing right now. This is not a very technical planking pattern. Because you know the size of that deck piece you can (kinda) work out the plank lengths from the picture.

 

 

 

Here, from the same forum, is a finished model (of another ship) showing the tree nails penciled in (see the builders comment at the top of the image):

 

 

Right here is a blog in this forum with some good info on deck planking and planking patterns, it also has a conversion chart for mm to inches. And here is @Knocklouder's build log for La Niña. He explains his planking method on page 1 I believe. Another link here goes into a bit of detail about planking patterns and overall deck planking. Last link here from this forum on plank lengths. Hope this helps!

 

 

Edited 4 hours ago by SaltyScot
Image removed

[Knocklouder]

This is what I use to figure out my decks. It help me out. DECK PLANKING.pdf Hope it helps. 

Knocklouder. 

[Digitalis]

This is an excellent reference, exactly what I was looking for! Thank you all so much; this is incredibly helpful. I’ll also make sure to check out the other forum

[SaltyScot]

1 hour ago, Knocklouder said:

This is what I use to figure out my decks. It help me out. DECK PLANKING.pdf Hope it helps. 

Knocklouder. 

 

That is good. I will be stashing that away too. Many thanks, sir!