HMS Victory by Paul0367 - Constructo - Scale 1:94 - First wooden ship build

[Paul0367]

Well, I can not believe two months has passed since I last posted. If i'm honest the Victory has been waiting for me to get my act together and tackle the spars (tedious) as they are. Well the day has come when all are completed. Canons are still waiting for there strappings too.

[mtdoramike]

beautiful work on the spars. But if you think that was tedious, wait until you get started on all those cannon. I was beginning to wonder what happened to you  

 

mike

[Paul0367]

Oh yes I'm still here, I was looking at your model in the final resting place and all the trouble you went too getting her there. She looks stunning Mike.

Mine will be completed one day but I'm in no rush and lifes complexities get in the way sometimes and other hobbies of course. She sits in her own room out of the way waiting to grow. The structures are complete now its just the canons (ahh) / nettings / ratlines / rigging / sails, if I make my mind up to have her dressed in sails, to do.

 

Hope your well

[Submarineman]

Good to see that you are back on track

[Paul0367]

Submarineman hows yours coming along

[Submarineman]

Hi Paul,

It's still not started- house move, boxes in loft and garage so need to empty those and set up workshop. Wife won't let me build indoors!!!! Busily collecting all the tools, additional materials etc. so still looking on enviously at others progress.

[Paul0367]

I am lucky I have a designated room where I can leave her and go back when the mood takes me. Other hobby gets in the way at the moment. Well I had a go at the hammock milarky to see what lies ahead. The diaganol ropes are a bit of a strange one, some books show them others don't but I opted for the show them as its my artistic licence as MIke once said

[Guest]

Wow...just spent the past hour clicking through this. "holy poop!" was uttered more than once. Difficult to imagine this is a first ship build. I've been lurking build threads for months and this could easily pass for master class. Did you have prior experience with scale modeling in other genres?

Most inspirational.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Sunsanvil

[Paul0367]

First of all thank you for nice comment. Much appreciated. Well this is my first attempt at a ship and wood one too, I have made kits in the past but non are of ships. Normally vehicles and planes and 22 to 26 years later those kits survive to this day due to glass cases I made for them, older than my children, they have also survived two house moves.

Edited July 20, 2016 by Paul0367

[Paul0367]

Well its the show the canon ritual time, a few more fitting to add and I will actual start fitting them

[mtdoramike]

Beautiful, I love the cannon that Constructo uses in their kits. They really spare no expense on their fittings most of the time. You will have a tone of work installing them.

 

 

mike

[Submarineman]

Hi Paul, started prepping for model build, numbering parts etc, getting more toys and tools. How the hell you got to the standard of build with the crappy plans I will never know. All I can say is well done. Thinking of painting mine to the new colours (apparent original 1805 colours). Waiting for RN Museum to tell me the actual colours though.

[mtdoramike]

Hi Paul, started prepping for model build, numbering parts etc, getting more toys and tools. How the hell you got to the standard of build with the crappy plans I will never know. All I can say is well done. Thinking of painting mine to the new colours (apparent original 1805 colours). Waiting for RN Museum to tell me the actual colours though.

Are you referring to the plans or the instructions, Constructo plans are quite detailed and really leave very little to doubt if you have any experience building model ships. But the instructions are a whole other deal being hard to translate even when they are supposed to be in english. If you need further help, I would suggest the Anatomy of the Ship HMS Victory, which gives very detailed information about the ship as well as several plan views. I found the book quite helpful especially when rigging the Bow sprit.

 

mike

[Paul0367]

Mike, spot on, Books, books and more books for reference material, I have many but the bible is the one Mike has kindly pointed out. this book is very good, we are then left to make the parts, Oh I have not given up but I have not touched my ship since the last pictures posted. I am at the rigging stage and I am waiting for the winter nights to draw me back. I feel the rigging is going to be a challenge but only time will tell. Mike the Vic was to be when you hung up your tweezers and glasses, have you stopped now or have you started a new project.

Edited September 24, 2016 by Paul0367

[cobra1951]

Hi Paul

             How are you finding the quality of the instructions and materials with Constructo kits

[Paul0367]

The insructions I cannot compair as its my first ship build but saying that I have got this far so they must be eligible. the wood in the kit is beautiful and any extra I have purchased for added detail is nothing like the quality... I would have loved a scrap part built model on ebay just for the wood alone as a doner for detailing

[cobra1951]

 I liked the use of the different colour woods to represent the striping on Victory they work well together and allow the use of stain to let the natural beauty of the grain to show

[Paul0367]

I started the build with the intent to paint but as she took shape I just liked the natural look, that said I did ponder the thought for quite a while. I even posted the question for feed back

[Paul0367]

Still here, still visiting the ship room albeit not enough. well I was not happy with the kit using brass eye loops for post and a bit of twine for the hand rail... shame as there is some loveley detail in areas but this was a constructo bad day. Clearly my rails are work in progress.

[chris watton]

For a first wooden ship build, you are doing a stunning job. Very well done, it looks great!

[Submarineman]

Are you referring to the plans or the instructions, Constructo plans are quite detailed and really leave very little to doubt if you have any experience building model ships. But the instructions are a whole other deal being hard to translate even when they are supposed to be in english. If you need further help, I would suggest the Anatomy of the Ship HMS Victory, which gives very detailed information about the ship as well as several plan views. I found the book quite helpful especially when rigging the Bow sprit.

 

mike

Yes the plans are OK but instructions not so good - I agree that the reference books are absolutely fantastic and tend to check, check again and double check against those to get the best picture.

 

Paul has created a masterclass Which are equal to if not superior to the reference books- must have about ten now and still counting.

 

Once again well done Paul. I hope my model turns out somewhere near his.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Submarineman

[Paul0367]

I know, I know slow progress but hey there's no rush. ( blame the drone ) Well I have completed the stair handrails now, well one of them, still to sand and varnish but generally completed, this was supposed to be fitted by constucto using brass loops and a bit of string.... I have to finish all the deck stuff now before I can start the rigging and fitting of my completed spars....

[Paul0367]

Well its getting cold outside and flying a drone in that weather is proving too chilly so the ship gets some attension.....I am still adding the deck detailing prior to the fitting the spars and tackling the rigging.....

 

Please note if your behind my stage and are building this same kit because the instructions don't bother to do this, when making the stair runners ( see picture )  make them narrower( arrowed thinner one ) than they were for the stairs dropping to the lower decks, These stairs are a lot thinner in total diameter and will be out of scale using the runners at the same thickness as the other stairs and at the kits standard supplied thickness.....Oh and also the stairs in the kit are in the incorrect position.        ( Whoops Constructo, not again )

 

NB, I have not fitted my stairs yet but just positioned for a photo to help explain the below....

 

The stairs dropping from the upper deck to the middle deck are not in the correct position on the plans, The stairs towards the bow are ok but the sets to the aft of the ship have been put in the same opposite position as the bow but they should be between the fifth and sixth beam, Taking beam one being from the bow end.... see pictures and all will be clear.

 

 

[Paul0367]

Well I have spent the last 12+ months avoiding this process and I have finally made a start on the canons.... yes rigging the canons... I was doing the stairs and rails but found the Constructo diagram falls short on the brass eye bolts part 242 there are more on the real ship, so I am waiting for more to be delivered...

[mtdoramike]

beautiful work, makes you think you are on a real ship.

 

 

mike

[leginseel]

I've been looking though your log in absolute awe!!  I have a Constructo Bounty waiting in UK for me to bring back to Turkey to build after Xmas.  This will be my first build and your comments and pointers from your log are invaluable.  If I can come close to match this level of workmanship I will be amazed but the bar is set and I'm really looking forward to getting started.  Thank you again for your log.

Cheers

Nigel

[Paul0367]

Cheers Mike,,,, To kind. Oh! I hope the ships are still being built by yourself as I do recall the Victory was to be your last, hope there was a change of mind.

 

Nigel, Again, thank you, I'm sure you have been informed by many but get yourself an army of books for reference material, there is only so far a plan and basic instruction book can guide / show you. I know I have beat up on Constructo from time to time in my topic but somethings they messed up on were quite big, if the accuracy is wanted. There is a lot of scope for additional detail on these kits but this is entirely at the builder discretion and bear in mind much of it also gets hidden later on.   

When I started my wife was shocked when I said I wanted a ship to build, having never touched a model ship, I saw one when I was on school trip and remember thinking how stunning a model a ship was, Well I just think there the nicest looking model sat in any environment. The dream kit for me is the Caldercraft version, larger in scale better by design but its what you pay for and I did not justify the cost of that model to cut my teeth on. So many abandoned kits on that popular selling site.

 

Enjoy it, don't rush it, When it gets on top of you, stop! make a brew and have a break, it will look different after. Well look at the gaps / breaks I have had during my build, It is always going to be there when your ready to pick it back up.... Make sure you keep us updated on here too.

 

 

Paul

 

Any issues you hit just shout 

[Paul0367]

You may find in quite a few cases that some of your best work will be covered up at a later stage ,remember this when rigging the cannons ?Only consolation is you know it,s there . Still lookin great !!!!!

This is beginning to hit home as the canons draw to completion 

[mtdoramike]

Hey Paul, I'm currently working on the Montanes, which will be my last ship model. I'm at the rigging stages on her at this time. I will also be starting the Dumas Chris Craft 1954 Commander Express 36" radio control boat in March once I finish the Montanes. I wanted a change of pace from ship models, which Is why I chose to do the Commander R/C boat.

 

 

mike

[Paul0367]

Mike, behave, rigging another already after the Victory you finished....You fancy a trip to the uk to rig mine...

Well I have fixed the first bank of canons to the decks now 16 months after avoiding them, just a few additional ropes to be added. I have also fitted the platforms upto to poop deck and made the stairs to be fitted but not took any pictures yet. I had to make my canon blocks as the stock ones I looked at were just too big

Edited December 3, 2016 by Paul0367