Thermopylae by tomasg (Timotej ,Tristan) - Sergal - Scale 1:124

[tomasg]

Hello everybody.

So this is our first log on MSW. A brief introduction before i begin with the log. It all started as i begin to work on my Le Superbe (log to follow, if there is some interest) after a long long time. In fact i stopped working on it after the birth of my first son, Timotej, ten years ago. So now after ten years and with two sons, the second one is Tristan (eight years old), i ended building a new model.

It was logic, as they where very attracted by the Le Superbe, even more so after i started to work on her again. After some time and a lot of offerings for help from both of them , i decided that it was better to start a new one with them. There s a shop in Trieste not to far away from where we live, where i bought all of my previous kits. Thermopylae was almost a random choice, the choice of the kits in the shop was not very large. I know it s not the best choice for a first build, even less for someone that young, but the whole idea is for them to assist me, another reason is that i think that after some time they ll find it boring and will give up on the build, so i would have to finish it myself, more on that later.

 

Ok now the more interesting part, this is my fifth build and also my fifth Mantua group (Mantua, Sergal, Panart) kit. I have no experience with other manufacturers, because when i stared there was no internet It s a classic kit, with all the good and the bad things. One thing worth to mention is that this must be a newer kit, as the etched brass parts are being replaced with wood etched parts, see the stickers on the box and picturs in the log for that. By far the most difficult thing is the scale of the model, being 42 and having a strong dioptrie of -6 and and what is worse a slight predioptrie. In comparison Le Superbe looks gigantic. 

 

We started the build a month ago, the pictures i took so far where not meant for a log, so they are not very detailed, but i ll take more step by step ones in the future. So here we go, the most sweet moment, at home inspecting the kit:

 

 

 

[tomasg]

Is there a way to add some text below the pictures in the post, i mean kind of adding a picture and then writing a comment?

Anyway here the work has started:

 

 

[tomasg]

Ah the joy of the first planking

[tomasg]

I did most of the work, obviously, but they where happy to help The planking of the deck was one of the parts where they where able to work on a lot. Also panting stuff is something they can do also.

[tomasg]

I am posting this way because i was afraid that it would be too much pictures for a single post. Sanding is another thing they enjoyed As it was the varnishing.....

Edited December 17, 2013 by tomasg

[tomasg]

Proud of "their" first planking

[tomasg]

Here are some detailed pictures of the planking, i must say that it was a challenge, the first layer is 1,5 mm x 3 mm, the second one is 0,5 mm x 3 mm, not much room for a lot of sanding  As always, the wood is beautiful in the kits, the second layer is walnut, but i find it a bit light and a bit reddish in tone. 

[tomasg]

Some more....

[tomasg]

I decided to paint the inner side of the bulwarks white, because the superstructure would be a combination of white and another color....

Edited December 17, 2013 by tomasg

[NenadM]

Very nice work on planking

 

I ll follow with great interest

 

Keep on good work

 

BTW Thermopylae is a famous ship, one of the fastest of her time. Her 1872 race with Cutty Sark is legendary in "wool trading" days, at the near end of sail ship era. I think that "wool trading" races could be very interesting for your kids and you 

 

Nenad

Edited December 17, 2013 by Nenad M

[tomasg]

After a long discussion between the three builders and the fourth family member and after some testing we came to the joint decision to deviate from the blue color on the box, instead opting for the green! Pictures and research of the Thermopylae on the web helped here:

 

 

[NenadM]

Is there a way to add some text below the pictures in the post, i mean kind of adding a picture and then writing a comment?

Anyway here the work has started:

 

Yes, there is a way. Switch to More Reply Options, chose picture, move cursor to place in text you want picture, and clik on link "add" to place

[tomasg]

Outer handrail, it s stated to be basswood in the plans, but it s very different then the deck planks that are basswood. But i think it gets together well with the green....

Edited December 17, 2013 by tomasg

[tomasg]

Added the ones that go on the hull.

[tomasg]

As the senior builder does the tricky work, the younger builders do other stuff:

[tomasg]

The crew quartres and other stuff is just dry mounted....

 

Sorry for my basic english, i ll try to look at the instructions in english the plans in the future before posting, to use the correct naming of things.

 

This is it for now, any questions, suggestions and critique is always welcomed...

 

 

[tomasg]

Yes, there is a way. Switch to More Reply Options, chose picture, move cursor to place in text you want picture, and clik on link "add" to place

Thank you Nenad for the kind words and the tip!

[tomasg]

For size comparison, let see if i manage to do the text and pictures togheter...

 

 

another  one...

 

 

ah...yes!

[Sailor1234567890]

Wow, nice work. What scales are those ships to? Both are beautiful examples of the ship designer and ship builder's arts.

[tomasg]

Wow, nice work. What scales are those ships to? Both are beautiful examples of the ship designer and ship builder's arts.

Thank you for the kind words, the Thermopylae is 1: 124, the Le Superbe is 1: 75, i have to check the dimensions in real life, but i think they where similar...

[tomasg]

Thank you for the kind words, the Thermopylae is 1: 124, the Le Superbe is 1: 75, i have to check the dimensions in real life, but i think they where similar...

I am surprised, the Thermopylae was longer 65 m to 55 m of the Le Superbe.

Edited December 17, 2013 by tomasg

[Sailor1234567890]

That's a significant difference. Le Superbe was a warship and likely 15 feet or so more in the beam. Likely deeper as well. She certainly has a much different prismatic coefficient so she's a MUCH bigger ship even if she's 10m shorter. Probably twice the tonnage or more.  I wonder how their sail areas compared? Thermopylae likely has a larger sail area, significantly I'd say.

[tomasg]

You can see some basic info on the two links, there s info on the sails of the Le Superbe, which was of a well know Temerarie class, but no info on the sail area of the Thermopylae, which was grater for sure...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermopylae_(clipper)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ship_Superbe_(1784)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%A9m%C3%A9raire_class_ship_of_the_line

 

Tomas

[tomasg]

Time for an update....installing the port shutters, as always the instructions are way too detailed about it 

 

 

 

those used to be made of etched brass so....thats where they where

 

 

as i side note, i figured out what are those small pieces with two holes in them....still trying to solve the enigma of the larger ones...remember they where made of brass once, any ideas?

 

 

not very easy to get the position of the port shutters

 

 

this is the result

 

 

 

 

Time for some ornaments

 

 

 

i guess they are of average quality found in kits, i did some adjustments to them, making them similar, the tools i use for such work in the second pic. I got a lot of experience with them building the San Felipe. The one at the stern needed a lot of bending of course, basic rule is to do it slowly and gradually.

 

The figurehead was way to thin to mount it on the keel, i did both widen it and shaved the keel, before gluing it i checked her high with the bowsprit that goes above her 

 

 

The last two pieces, that i don t know how are called, wheren t problematic, apart from the fact that they are very "raw". So the final results:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That s it for today...

 

Tomas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bedford]

Looking very nice. I made this model years ago when it still had the etched brass fittings which were rather nice.

 

You and your fellow shipwrights are doing a good job with what you have. I tried to recall where the pieces with 2 holes in them went but can't for the life of me.

 

She is a beautiful model when finished. I made mine as a gift for a 21st and have not seen it for several years and I miss it.

 

Steve

[tomasg]

Looking very nice. I made this model years ago when it still had the etched brass fittings which were rather nice.

 

You and your fellow shipwrights are doing a good job with what you have. I tried to recall where the pieces with 2 holes in them went but can't for the life of me.

 

She is a beautiful model when finished. I made mine as a gift for a 21st and have not seen it for several years and I miss it.

 

Steve

Thank you Steve, yes it s a little mystery but sooner or later i ll find out what they are for   in my humble opinion even the die cast metal parts that i installed today would look better if they where made from a thinner etched brass, maybe glued first on a wooden support of the exact shape and then glued in place, just like with Le Suprebe. They are just too think and "raw" for such a small scale.

 

Tomas

[Sailor1234567890]

The funny shaped pieces that seem a bit brown look like the ends of either the pumps or winches to me. There should be some sort of piece to connect them. either throws for the pump heads or drums for the cargo winches.

[Sailor1234567890]

Those pieces either side of the figurehead are called trailboards.

[tomasg]

Those pieces either side of the figurehead are called trailboards.

Thank you, so trailboards, there is no mention at all of them in the instructions so i couldn t get the translation anywhere. Yes the brown pieces are the two lateral parts of what is called "windlass" in the instructions. It s the larger rectangular ones with two holes in them i am wondering about.

[Sailor1234567890]

I supose I was a little off in my guess then. A windlass is for the anchor. Winches would be for the cargo. A windlass has an axle that turns on a horizontal axis. A capstan turns on a vertical axis. I have no idea about those other parts either....  There's no description or name for them in the instructions? Maybe a picture of where they go? If you have that I could probably tell you what they are. They are an odd looking part considering the cabin ends with port lights are already installed on the model.