HMS Victory by robipod - Caldercraft - 1805 version - first build

[robipod]

[This is a rebuild of my original posts]

Here is the start of my build log. Have not done anything like this before so please bear with me. Sometimes I have too much verbiage – what do I mean sometimes!

A short deviation:  Back in ’83, no not 1883, I flew over the pond to visit the Victory as I had just finished a model of her. I brought a piece of the Victory back here to Canada (given to me) and decided that someday I would build another and put that real piece of the Victory into the next model. That time came last October/November 2009, (can it really be twenty-seven years). I started to look at my photos from ’83. Don’t know what possessed me to start but start I did.

After looking at my photos and digging out the slides and prints, I ended up scanning about 45 images that I had taken that wet soggy rainy day in October. I know most of you remember we didn't have digital cameras back then. (Do you think the young ones these days could survive without their instant digital images and have to wait a week or two for the pictures to get back after we mailed them to Kodak for processing?)  Those pictures I took just weren't enough. And I don’t feel like booking a flight to London these days. So, how could I build a much better Victory with more real reference pictures of her in Portsmouth? The first challenge was more images and books. The internet is here now, I remember when it wasn't!

It took a while to figure out what kit to purchase but time and time again from MSW members and other forum sites this Caldercraft kit appears to be one of the best manufactured. I must admit the 1:64 model of Victory with complete details would have been my purchase if it was on the market from Chris Watton and Amati. I really wanted to do all the decks and will be fiddling the Jotika interior with some smoke and mirrors that I hope will work. 

My quest for new knowledge of course started with the internet. I am amazed at how much info is buried in those bits and bytes throughout the world. Why wasn't this around when I built my first Victory? My internet surfing shows me there is lots of data on the Jotika / Caldercraft Victory and there are many builds of the Jotika kit with extensive photos etc.  What is packed in the box and the contents is well documented. I see no advantage to repeating those excellent reviews. 

As I haven’t built any models for almost thirty years it was like starting over.  And where did I start this time-- I started with Google and typed in “HMS Victory”. After visiting many sites, the first one being the official site and clicking countless numbers of those crazy links I decided to buy some books .

Ordered these books: 

1.    HMS Victory Her Construction, Career and Restoration by Alan McGowan

2.    The Anatomy of Nelson’s Ships by C Nepean Longridge

3.    The Ship Model Builder’s Assistant by Charles G. Davis

4.    Anatomy of the Ship The 100- Gun Ship Victory by John McKay

I dug out some books I had from way back:

1.    Ship Models from Kits by Colin Riches

2.    Trafalgar The Nelson Touch by David Howarth

3.    Sailing Ships, A Rand McNally Color Illustrated Guide by Attilio Cucari

4.    HMS Victory Souvenir Guide Book – bought in Portsmouth ‘83

And went to the library and found these books: (it would have been great to find more but I’m in a land locked city close to mountains. No oceans here so not much maritime information available at the library. Oh well, they got $12 out of me and I got my lifetime library card for these two books:

1.    Ship Modelling from Stem to Stern by Milton Roth 

2.    Wooden Ship-Building by Charles Desmond

I can’t believe how much I've read about the Victory, Nelson and the Royal Navy in these past few months. I’m tempted to suggest that building the model is only part of the process. I am stoked to have discovered so much more about the Victory this time around. The internet is a wealth of knowledge and it would have been cool to have it around on the first go-around. Figure I haven’t done so much reading etc. since university!

My career path has taken me along the computer highway so I am no stranger to these machines and software. I decided early that I would use the computer to retain the data. I’m sure most of you do too.

 

 

One very useful internet tool for me has been Yahoo babel fish. This translates an internet page. It proved very useful because one can choose “all languages” in the search engines. When I found a page in a language I could not understand I used this link on a new tab: http://ca.babelfish.yahoo.com and copied the web address onto the babel fish page. Try it, the translation is not perfect but one can get a better gist of the page if you don’t understand the language.

This is turning into a book! Back to the pictures!  I started to find pictures just with the Google search. By typing “HMS Victory” in the search box, letting it find the sites and then clicking up at the top on images… voila... Image after image. It is truly amazing how many photos are on the net. And what fun it is to go to every photo. There are videos as well. Clicking on the video option lists many videos. Strangely enough, not many individuals have posted a walking tour HD video of the Victory. I’ve only found one good one. 

Here are the search engines that I use for general items and photos: Google, Bing, Yahoo, and sometimes Alta Vista.  I found Truveo.com is great for videos as is YouTube. Just going to their home page and typing HMS Victory brought many videos to view. One of the best places to find photos is Flickr from Yahoo.   

 

[robipod]

That took care of the pictures and books. I’ve now gone through the images and stored over 1400 to use on my build. My attention then turned on how to use the photos and catalogue them.  My solution was to take the plans of the decks and scan into images along with a side view.  I linked images to their points on the decks, masts, bow, stern, and sides using CorelDraw (Adobe Illustrator will do as well).  Decided to colour code my links, green being a view “straight on at that point” and blue being looking up, red is a general view in a particular direction. Arrows indicate the direction of the view. I hope to be able to use this during the final phase of the rigging and deck detail. 

Here is a sample of the poop and quarter decks and masts. When I click on one of my links the image comes up in my case with the Microsoft Picture Viewer.

 

 

 

 

I haven’t used all the images in this reference but enough that I can make a quick click and see any part of the outer hull or decks at just about any location. 

 

Of course the next was to order the kit. I decided to order from Rick Sousha, from The Modeler’s Workshop in Montreal. Rick is the official distributor of Jotika models for Canada and I have been totally satisfied with his service. He is a great person to deal with and I know he sends orders all over North America.

Rick ordered the kit from Jotika and it took about six weeks to arrive. Jotika did not have any in stop so I had to wait until they built a few new kits. I was actually pleased with this because I knew that my kit was ‘fresh’ from the factory. The day it arrived the postal carrier was very pleased that I came out to help her carry it to the door. As everyone indicates on their reviews, it is a big and heavy package.

I concluded from other accounts that counting the items was very important when the model arrived. It took a couple days and I did find one item missing from ‘extras’ that I had ordered. That was solved by a local supplier so I was off to the building stage.

The kit is awesome and I am truly impressed. It goes together like the plans suggest. What I want to show you at this stage are the modifications I decided to build into the model before I mounted the gun patterns on the sides.

I was a bit torn by the two lower gun decks being outfitted with cannon dummy barrels and decided to try to something different. Initially phoned Jotika and talked about putting guns in with carriages etc. but found out they do not produce the scaled carriages for the 24 and 12 pdr guns. The plans suggest painting the dummy barrel strips and the area inside a matte black. Not much will be seen once the gun port lids and openings have been completed so painting the area black made sense.

But, not for me – no black paint. Decided to try to ‘fake’ the interior by mounting an image of a gun carriage and the inside of the gun deck onto the dummy barrel strips. As there will be very little of the interior showing it was full computer imaging ahead. I know all the purists will not be pleased with this but, what the heck. It’s my model and I’m really having a blast putting these extras into play.

I also decided that the gun decks should have flickering LED lamps  . I must also thank Pompey (another MSW member) for his assistance. You can see Pompey’s lighting solutions for HMS Victory on this build at http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/2415-hms-victory-by-pompey-caldercraft-172-1805/

 

Edited June 5, 2013 by robipod

[robipod]

Now to look back and bring you up to date. 

 

The box arrived. The postal worker was very happy to only have to deliver it once.. 

 

Started to build the frames etc. and then really went to the modification department.

 

 

I decided to make the gunports of the lower and middle decks a bit more interesting by creating an illusion of the ship's interior.

 

To make this along the deck decided to use some .05 mm veneer that I got my hands on and use glossy photo paper in the printer, my Coreldraw program and some of the images from the internet. Had to choose what I considered best images to manipulate. As each deck is coloured differently on the interior I chose two different 'insides'.

 

 

On the Caldercraft / Jotika lower and middle gun decks the dummy barrel strips run along the deck. By creating a 'photo curtain' I was able to transform the interior of the dummy ports.

 

 

I created the 'deck interior' in Coreldraw and printed on photo paper. Oh, to seal the photo paper I used a spray can of Testors Decal Bonder spray. I figured after a few years without a seal, the paper might fade in the 'dark interior'. Well, my interior was going to be lit so it couldn't fade all that much. The spray seemed to work well. Won't know for sure for another twenty or so years. The paper is mounted on .05 mm veneer. Easy to cut and forms a stiff back.

 

 

[robipod]

Here is a series of photos showing you the process I used to mount the interior gun ports. You can see the designs I chose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[robipod]

As I decided to add lighting to the interior (flickering - an ambitious project at the time). I had to put the LED lights and wires into the lower and middle decks. 

 

Decided to paint the interior of the gunport patterns white so they will reflect lighting. 

Here are the decks sealed now with the gunport patterns.

Went a bit further and decided to open up the stern.

I've done it now. Really opened it up. 

Laid the middle gun deck floor.

 

 

[robipod]

One item I did build that has come in so handy is a turntable for the model. I can remember my first ones and just cringed each time I had to pick up and turn the model around. Came up with this somewhat simple solution.

Took a piece of 3/4 inch pressboard and made this up. Strongly recommend something to turn your model will save you time.

I thought of letting everyone know this idea a we bit along in my build. Didn't think of it before. [the beauty of re-doing]

You can see a video of this here: 

I sure progressed fast. LOL... That's it for tonight.

 

 

[robipod]

Here is a very quick way of bringing up to date.

Working on the wales at the moment. Am looking forward to painting the hull black/yellow. 

 

 

The lighting system worked out somewhat okay.  Must admit I took lots of time making 12 gun ports flickering and when it came to the end I decided that the flickering lights needed to be supplemented. I know, less lighting the better for the ship when she sailed... so I went out at Christmas time and found a 24 light battery powered - all wired - LED system. It has created the lighting that I was expecting for the lower and middle gun decks. 

 

For the interior of the middle gun deck I strung a couple LED strips inside the middle gun deck (see following) and the electrical shop sold me an AC power adapter that will power all the remaining LED strings that I put on the ceiling of the upper gun deck. As these lights are very bright I painted them to cut the brightness and covered a few up. They only can be purchased in specific groups. Oh well.

The video shows how the lighting is coming along. 

 

Back to the wales....

Edited April 21, 2013 by robipod

[robipod]

Just finishing off the lower wales on both sides and reading Gil's uploads as I go along. It is just plank after plank. Lots of work on re jigging the gun ports with the new planks. 

But going to sunshine Friday so will be able to ride my other plank. http://www.skibanff.com/conditions/cams/

[gil middleton]

What fun to see how you are treating the lower decks.  Like most of us, I've been focused on organizing and reposting our own build logs, without taking the time to enjoy all the great logs out there. Your computer skills speak for themselves, especially to those of us just emerging from the the dark ages. I look forward to seeing "inside" the lower decks as she progresses and wish I had added interior lighting (If only I had thought of it). Again, thanks for your help in recovering my "old" build log.  Cheers, Gil

[Fortres]

Computer technologies is good.
But, that you will say concerning distinctions between the construction of corps on "Anatomy of The Ships -  HMS Victory" of John McCay and type of ship today?

Forehand of upper deck ahead beakhead bulkhead on a modern ship lifted on 1-1,5 foot by comparison to pictures from McCay and is at one level with the grate of latrine(grating).Before grating stood higher than nasal part of upper deck...
 

Edited February 28, 2013 by Fortres

[Patrick Haw]

Rob,

 

It's really great to see your log back up and running.  Your work is just terrific.  I'm way behind you, on second planking right now, but logs like yours are an inspiration to take my time and get it right!  Look forward to seeing more of your progress.

 

Patrick

[Shipyard sid]

Hello rob

Totally agree with patrick, welcome back with your cracking build. I look forward to your progress which

I will follow with interest. Enjoy your build DAVID

[robipod]

A comment to Fortress. Is there a reply somewhere that I'm missing.... If they had digital cameras and facebook etc. back in the 17 and 18 hundreds we would sure have all the information we ever needed on any ship of the line. As each one was different and as  they were modified and fixed 'on-the-fly' after battle we will probably never really know the exact location or height of any specific original piece of the ship. I figure they may have changed things around on-board after the first time she sailed. That was the advantage they had. They could modify on the go, making their ships better for sailing and fighting. Doesn't that then give us the go-ahead to modify-on-the go. Make it work the best way we can. It is always going to be a guess because they built their ships so much differently than we do now. I am not too worried about the changes they've made over the current years. I just believe it is one awesome ship and we are fortunate that the Royal Navy has kept her around for so long. When I sat on the keel and saw the workers' markings from the original days back there in the 1700 's I was so caught up in the history that I was touching and seeing. It was an experience. Here is what I saw back on my visit to HMS Victory -- nothing compared to what you see now... the hold was completely open. She was under a refit and it was an inspiring visit. These are not pictures of the interior of my model Victory... LOL... it's the real one!

Fortress, hope I am not being too harsh here. For you, it seems the changes made in somewhat recent times are 'not perhaps what they should be". I just don't know and do not know how we will ever find out. However, thank you very much for pointing out to me that that there is a difference in height. I did not know.

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2013 by robipod

[robipod]

Have finished the wales! Yippeeeee! That took a bit but must admit that I went boarding more than I was intending... the snowfall in the mountains has been awesome. Not sure how all of you did your gun port linings but I decided to keep the frames not glued until this point in time. Starting to realign the gun ports linings. Am still happy with the 'fake' interior on the lower decks.

[Fortres]

 robipod,
your opinion can not offend me.
Vice versa, it adds new knowledge to the studied question.
The change of height upper deck before beakhead bulkhead found a reflection even in kit, that sell in shops.For example, firm JoTiKa and Shipyard in the models show not heaved up nasal part of upper deck and step formed by the grate of latrine.

garyshipwright considers that a deck it was heaved up from the change of form of main head rail approximately after 1830.

 In Goodwin's "English Man of War" it is said that a nasal deck(prow deck) after 1676 was always done by lifted, what a bowsprit passed through this part of deck and did not pass through beakhead bulkhead and did not weaken her.

In any case is a question this interesting, because shows the type of ship in a certain period.

Konstantin.

[joshukr]

robipod,

 

What a beautiful boat you have done. I love your work bench too. I wish I had that setup. I look forward to following your build.  Good luck with everything else. 

[robipod]

Josh - I was laughing at myself the other day when I was looking at the model and figured how far I've got to move the desk away from the wall after mounting the bowsprit. I may have to re-configure the room. Don't really have all that much extra space in there.  If there is a table you can drill a hole and put something like I was able to do it will save so much time. Was looking at those 'kitchen lazy susans' at the stores but they just didn't seem solid enough. My first models I created on the dining room table... that eventually was banned... LOL... Rob

Edited March 10, 2013 by robipod

[robipod]

Wales done, gun port linings fitted but not glued in place. I will just keep them safe in their locations and when I get the sides complete will take them out to paint the yellow ochre.  Now, will play with the lighting tonight just to check that i don't need any foil on more of the decks of the gun ports. [Oh, guess I didn't mention that I crushed some aluminum foil to give it many angles and placed them on the deck (back corner directly under the light beam of the LED) of the gun ports I have my 'flickering lights'. The flickering lights are not as bright as the non-flicker ones so I found this reflected the light quite well back in and around the inside of the gun port area. As a side point I got this idea from an ancient palace I visited in India where the builders had covered the whole ceiling with crushed glass - two candles lit the whole room - it was amazing how the reflected light bounced everywhere. As I didn't have much crushed glass- pop is in cans and plastic here -- figured I would crush the aluminum foil. As mentioned works quite well. You may remember from my early post that I painted the inside of the gun port pattern white where I had a 'flickering light'.] Onward! but first a shreddin' day tomorrow!

Edited March 11, 2013 by robipod

[st george]

Hi Rob,

 

Great to see you log, I missed it the first time round. I do like you workbench and the way you are doing the lower gun decks.

 

David

[robipod]

Thanks David. Making these modifications make it really 'my build'... figuring all the things I had to do before sealing the lower decks was hit and miss. Looking back I would like to have lowered the canon mounts a bit but... can't do anything now... the big question for me is how is it going to look having the gun barrels stick out from the background. Guess if it really messes up I can always paint the inside flat black. But I suspect it will be ok.

Just finished checking out the lighting system. Seems ok. Now to turn the page on the manual. Well, will turn it on Tuesday. Better get things ready for the day in the mountains.

[robipod]

Thinking of either painting or starting copper tiles while away today... hmmmmm... 

probably paint... LOL... nope didn't think that much... like those two pirates on the top of the helmet...

Edited March 12, 2013 by robipod

[robipod]

Figured you might be interested in these photos of mine from a visit to Victory... Enjoy .. If I remember correctly you are seeing the fixing of the refit of 1806 or 1815 in Portsmouth.. could be wrong...

 

Edited March 26, 2013 by robipod

[Fortres]

Rob, thank you !
A photo is actual - deserve attention.
If possible - specify more detailed information - when were these photos done, what period they behave to, where they are proposed or published ?
With kind regards, Konstantin.

[robipod]

Konstantin

I should have mentioned above the photos are at the beakhead on my trip in '83. (the trip date is in my huge preamble... LOL... guess it was too much to say at the beginning). As indicated, I was told this area had not been worked on since about the extensive 1815 refit. I took the pictures. Have more. Will post one a week. I had flown over the pond just to see Victory and ended up running out of colour film while on-board and threw in b&w. Back then, they did not allow photos to be taken so I felt pretty fortunate that the staffer who took me around after the official tour allowed me to shoot away. 

Rob

Edited March 15, 2013 by robipod

[BolianAdmiral]

Wow... very nice work... and the interiors! I like your attention to detail... a great build so far!

[robipod]

First coat of caldercraft admiratly yellow ochre. Am pleasantly surprised. Will have some sanding and fix up but very little. Better do the other side too.

 

[robipod]

Port side first coat.. I watered down the paint a bit for this first coat. Seems to be ok?

Have touch up on red ochre but this is just the first coat of yellow. My goal was to keep a smooth hull so the planks other than wales did not show up on the paint job. Am pleased with this result so far. I can't believe how much time I took sanding and filling even little spots. Have a few to fix up but won't be major. No puns intended.

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2013 by robipod

[robipod]

Here are a couple more inside shots of HMS Victory - the real one

 

Edited March 26, 2013 by robipod

[gil middleton]

Hi Rob.  It will be great fun to see your ship with interior views and lighting develope.  With all your references and a previous Victory build, this one should be a classic. It is certainly starting out that way. Warm regards, Gil

[robipod]

Thanks Gil appreciate your comment. Will just take my time. Am enjoying the build in between my snowboarding.  I read you are spending  time on your real boat.  Awesome!  just made a backup of your current build if you need it.