HMS Bellona by Frecap - Corel - 1:100

[Frecap]

Hello everyone! I spent the past week fixing the location of the gun ports on the main deck. I had to raise them 2-3 mm and cover the bottom part with a walnut rail insert. I probably should have matched the rail better in color, but it turned out the way it turned out. The inserts are visible in the photo, but the general appearance of the model does not catch the eye.  I also started making frames for the main deck gun ports. The slats for them were previously painted in a dull red color.

[harlequin]

gun ports looking spot on....i had several issues with my gun ports which is documented in my build log, but yours are coming along nicely.   

[Frecap]

24 minutes ago, harlequin said:

gun ports looking spot on....i had several issues with my gun ports which is documented in my build log, but yours are coming along nicely.   

Hi, Harlequin! Thank you for the feedback, I'm trying my best!) Before building my model, I carefully reviewed everything I could find on this topic. Including your excellent work. I've learned a lot from it!) And I'll keep learning more!)

[Frecap]

Hi!

I wanted to see more small details on the model. I decided to start with the gratings on the main deck. As suggested by Corel, I made the grate comings out of light beech wood. However, I was disappointed with the result. The finished product almost blends in with the light deck. It doesn't look good. Therefore, I decided to add a thin, darker rail on top. Here's what I got.

[Frecap]

But then, looking at the photos of the museum models, as well as the photos of the HMS Victory, I decided that the shape of the grates should be the same as it is there – rounded at the top. During the processing, all the thin slats were worn down, and the grates became light again. Therefore, I had to redo them for the third time. I made the camings out of dark walnut and gave them the desired shape. Here is what I got:

[Frecap]

Since the structure of dark walnut slats contains even darker, almost black fibers, the slats look overly contrasting on a light-colored deck.

[Frecap]

I don't want to remake the grates a third time. Can someone tell me how to lighten dark wood?

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Frecap, I think they look great. Fine work!

[Nearshore]

Hi Frecap,

I think the grattings look great. I like what you did with the capstans. I will have to rethink mine, i like the detail you are presenting.

 

Nearshore

[Frecap]

16 hours ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Hi Frecap, I think they look great. Fine work!

Hi, Paul! Thank you for your feedback! I think the  comings of the gratings should be lighter. I'll try some bleach.

[Frecap]

12 hours ago, Nearshore said:

Hi Frecap,

I think the grattings look great. I like what you did with the capstans. I will have to rethink mine, i like the detail you are presenting.

 

Nearshore

Hi, Nearshore! Thank you for your feedback! When making the cable reels, I didn't use all the details suggested by Corel. I made  the cheeks them from walnut wood planks, following the shape described in Brian Lavery's book "Anatomy." I used squares of black paper to model the holes for the bars.

I really like your work. It looks great! I've been following your publications with interest even before I started creating my own model.

Edited July 8 by Frecap

[Frecap]

Hello everyone!

 I haven't figured out how to make the  moldings of gratings  lighter yet, so I've been busy with other things. I've made the afterdeck and balcony decking and started working on the aft gallery. I've attached the parts that give it the desired shape, and to achieve the correct positioning of the moldings, I've used double-sided tape to attach the windows and brass photo-etched decor. I don't like the way it looks, and I won't be using these parts. It's just to help me understand where to attach the moldings.

[Frecap]

Hello everyone!
I decided to make a stern sink, not an imitation, as Corel suggests, but as it was on the prototype and on the museum models. To do this, I had to cut out a part of the afterdeck deck. There is a beautiful decor on the inside of the sink, but I'm not a good artist, so I just painted it red. I may add an applique later. I also experimented with the colors of the exterior paint and the decor of the side balconies. I'm not very satisfied with the result, so I'll probably redo it.

[Frecap]

I don't like the way Corel's proposed aft gallery bulkhead looks, so I decided to do it my way. At this scale, the window frames should be very thin. I don't know how to make them out of wood, so I printed them on a 3D printer. Same with the columns. I used a smartphone screen protector as a glazing simulation. I painted the wall of the frame opposite the window frames a dark gray color. In my opinion, it turned out better than the stock version. I like it. I think I'll tear off the stock bulkheads of the forecastle and quarterdeck and make them the same way.

 

Edited July 31 by Frecap

[Nearshore]

Hi Frecap,

 

They look fantastic. Great job!!

 

Nearshore

[Andy Thurston]

Hi Frecap
I love what you've done at the stern on your Bellona model!  You've really got the curvature in the wood done excellently.  I hope I can achieve the same with my build, though I'm a long way behind you, so that'll come much later.
Best wishes,
Andy

[Frecap]

Hello everyone!
 While I'm trying to figure out the sequence of work on the quarterdeck deck, I'm slowly getting into various small tasks. For some reason, nothing happens until you put your hands to it) So I started working on the cannons, but I'll post photos of these projects later. In the meantime, as planned, I replaced the quarterdeck and forecastle bulkheads, making them similar to the aft gallery bulkhead. I've already installed the forecastle bulkhead, and I'll install the quarterdeck bulkhead once the deck is completed.

[Nearshore]

Hi Frecap,

I really like what you have done with the bulkheads. They look much better than the PE parts that are supplied with the kit. You are doing a very nice job and you are inhancing the look of this kit with the parts you are making from scatch. Looking forward to seeing more of your inovated ideas and technics. Your Bellona is looking great!!

 

Nearshore

[Frecap]

Hello everyone!

I want to work on the stern gallery, install the windows, columns, decor, and fences. However, the many small and fragile details that make up this structure can be easily damaged during subsequent work. Therefore, I am postponing it for now. However, the decorative roof above the upper tier of the side balconies does not protrude much, and it can be completed now. Thomas Slade's model doesn't have these elements, but Charles Middleton's model, which is also referenced by Brian Lavery in his ship anatomy, and other similar models, features this element as if it were made from potsherds with semi-circular edges, but at a scale of 1:100, these curves are so small that I couldn't figure out how to create them. I tried to add a drawn element, but it looked poor. I need to create it in three dimensions. From the very beginning, I decided to use paper. It's quite thick, like for watercolors. To draw this image, I used a 2 mm steel tube, which I traced with a pencil and then cut out with scissors. However, I wasn't satisfied with the result. The image was too large, and it looked unnatural on the model. In the end, I simply ground the tube on a sandstone at an angle, like a syringe needle, and used it to cut out the desired ornament from the paper. This small detail included four layers of paper, which provided the necessary size and volume. After painting and installing it in place, I got what I needed. The upper railing of the side sinks on the Charles Middleton model is also decorated with openwork. Initially, I also made an imitation of it, then tried a drawing, but it was terrible, so I decided to make this railing out of wooden slats. It wasn't perfect, but it was definitely better than what it was. I will install it later, along with the rest of the stern gallery elements.

[Ronald-V]

Those rooftiles are very nice looking! Nice creative solution!

[Nearshore]

 

Hi Frecap,

 

What a great idea on the roof tiles. They look fantastic!!

 

 

[Frecap]

Hello everyone!

Bellona had a long sailboat-like life. Apparently, she went through a number of repairs during this time. The original painted bottom was covered with copper sheathing, and the pattern on the sides changed several times... Although Charles Middleton's model is not a Bellona-class model, it provides us with an idea of one of the possible paint schemes. I believe that each modeler has the freedom to determine how their ship will look. I would like to follow historical accuracy, but at the same time I want to do what I like personally. And the color scheme of the Middleton model is not very satisfied. In addition, the material that I got in the set of Corel is completely inconsistent with this model. But I want to observe some points. Such as the black color of the barhout and the blue background with ornamentation on the bulwarks, stern and fore. I don't know if I'll be able to draw an ornament on a blue background, but I've decided to create the background itself. This is the point where I have to make a decision about the sequence of further work... Until the quarterdeck deck is installed, I can't accurately calculate the location of the gun ports on it. In turn, it's better to paint the outer side when the gun ports are in place. And the main deck guns should be installed after the painting. It's a vicious cycle. Therefore, I've decided to paint the sides first and make adjustments later. So far it has turned out like this…

[Ronald-V]

Really love the colors!  

[Nearshore]

Wow!! she is really taking shape. I like the colors you selected. You are  doing a very good job. I am looking forward to your progress.

[Frecap]

 Hello everyone!

 When painting the model, in addition to the sides, the bulkhead of the Beak-head should also be painted blue. Therefore, I focused on this part of the model. I laid the deck and installed the roundhouse cabins, decorating them with rails. However, after assembling the Beak-head, I noticed a serious issue. In previous steps, I had made a mistake during the assembly process. As you can see in the photos, the upper part of the right bulwark has shifted significantly to the right. This definitely needs to be fixed while it's still possible. I'm thinking about the best way to do this. It might involve cutting off a portion of the bulwark from the outside and adding to it from the inside. It will take some time, but I hope the result is worth it!

 

[Frecap]

After analyzing the results of the painting, I realized that there were some nuances in my work that I didn't like. During the installation of the final trim, I encountered a problem where the L-shaped rails for the rails were difficult to bend, and in many places, they broke, causing chips and a less-than-ideal result. Although subsequent sanding improved the appearance, the rails still had a non-square cross-section. I don't have extensive experience in such tasks. I wouldn't use L-shaped rails now. I would simply stick a square rail on top of the skin and use a pear rail. On prototypes, rails almost always have a non-square, but a figured profile of various shapes. In a hundredth scale, this can certainly be neglected, but as I think, small details always decorate the model. I decided to make a profile on the rails. To do this, from an old valve from the engine, I made an appropriate tool with a profile groove 1 mm wide.

 

By using this tool to cut a rail along its length, i can create a corresponding profile.

 

This can be done on the model, but it's much better to do it in advance and glue the finished profile. The rail from the COREL kit is quite loose, crumbles, and the profile is of poor quality.

 

Since I still need to fix the bulwark on the beak-head, I decided to replace all the rails on the sides and stern. I will have to cut off all the old rails and glue new ones in their place. To do this, I purchased 1x1 mm pear rails. They are perfectly profiled by my tool, and their color is more suitable to the overall color scheme of the model. In addition, I hope that this will allow for a more accurate distinction between painted and unpainted surfaces. I have already replaced some of the rails on the aft gallery and on the stern.

I'll try it on the sides.