HMS Victory by dafi - Heller - PLASTIC - To Victory and beyond ...

[dafi]

 

So the trilogy of the 4 slices is almost done 🙂

- 1765 to 1780 (as build)
- September 1805 mid Atlantic on the chase of Villeneuve
- 1920 before docking
- and the latest revamp 2018

 

Still have to make a nice frame.

 

XXXDAn

[mtaylor]

The fruits of the research turned out great, Daniel.  I'm still not sure I like that color they use for the current one.

[Morgan]

Hi Daniel,

 

All looking good.

 

Some additional points to consider for the 1805 slice.  The bolster at this date was extended forward, see the blue highlighted area below.  This provided a small ledge for foot support when working the anchors, my sketch is conservative, they are often shown extending further forward.

 

An additional feature that is not commonly represented, but is intrinsic to the berthed-up forecastle barricades is that the gunwale above the foremost port was hinged such that it swing up and over to create easier access to the outside of the ship for those crew working the anchor, I've highlighted this in red below.  I've shown two samples taken from admiralty draughts for the Union / Boyne (which were based on the Victory 1803 configuration) and the later Nelson, they are not the best quality so perhaps you need to go to the NMM site for better copies. This is one of those things that just doesn't stand out on contemporary paintings or models due to scale, and you would need to know to look for it.  We don't know for certain if Victory had this feature, but given the Boyne / Union plans were taken from the Victory refit plans in 1801 and it is no commonly displayed then in my opinion there is every likelihood that Victory had this feature.

 

The sketch to the left is my draft capturing these features.

 

So are we going to see a 1805 slice with the crew working the anchors given this info??  I know you like to tinker and have a challenge.

 

Gary

 

[druxey]

The other reason for that forward extension was for a spot that the leadsman could stand on while taking soundings.       

[dafi]

Thank you Gary and druxey.

 

Very nice detail the small flap. Could it also be to protect the bar from the side effects of the shot? Often the ports for the carronades were higher in size for that reason.

 

Also I realised the bolster being extended forward. My interpretation was - as I realisd it mostely underneath gunports - that it would perhaps allow an temporary extension for the board. The step is a great explanation too. I do not think this was for sounding the lead I know it being done out of the channels or another small platform amidship. There too the breaststrap could be fixed more easily that allowed the men to lean against and have the hands free.

 

 

Difficult to be seen, but the strap is there 🙂

 

XXXDAn

 

[dafi]

Its always great to have friends that keep an open eye and give valuable hints. Special thanks go to @Morgan who helped me so much already and here came his updates. The bolster of the anchor lining was to be extended more to the front. Possibly to have the possibility for someone to stand there if the catting needed an action from there. And the small flap on top of the carronade. Most carronades had ports that were higher than the normal ones. As the solid bulwark was not high enough that was an easy way to protect the wood. Thank you tons Gary!

 

 

So the bolster needed a good base to adjust the height ...

 

 

... and the extension was fitted.

 

 

With a lil´bit of color it looks like it was already always there.

 

 

And the flap was an easy Task to be fittet 🙂

 

 

And then we took the chance to go and see some modeler mates ...

 

 

All the best, DAniel

 

For some reasons the pictures do not show ...

 😩  😩  😩 

[ edit: pictures rescued 🙂 ]

 

 

[shipman]

No pictures 🤨

[clearway]

nice work with the billboard (that's where the name came from originally) amazing how many expressions/ sayings come from the days of sail.

 

Keith

[amateur]

No pics.....

Luckily I know where to find them

 

Jan

[dafi]

Hourrrrraaaaaaay, pictures are working now. It looks like there was a Rich Text Format among. Do not know why, but ok to know for the next time. Had to reinsert the links in an unformatted form.

 

XXXDAn

[Gahm]

You clearly  have become THE "go-to expert" for everything which is related to the Victory! 🙂

 

Thomas

[Coen van Camp]

Absolutely amazing work, these last few days I've been going through eacht page of this log. Could I ask what your approach is to painting. I love your colors. I've been scouring many a build log and I think many get the ochre color wrong. Yours seems just right though. Additionally your weathering is also just right, not too much, not too little.

[mort stoll]

Can't thank you enough for your posts.  You have no idea how much I admire and respect your build. Keep up the great work

 

Stay safe and well,

Mort

[dafi]

Thank you for the nice comments and likes!
 
Final spurt:
 
Marines approx 1770 onwards
 

 

 
Marines approx 1800 onwards
 
 

 

 
Royal Navy Offizier approx 1910 with his Agfa-box-camera ...
 

 

 

 
... and two sailors.
 
 

 
 

Edited November 2, 2020 by dafi

[mtaylor]

Nice work, Daniel.  Looks like a lot of work to transform those guys.  

[mbp521]

Such amazing details Daniel. Great work. 
 

-Brian

[dafi]

As I am a very shy and ´umble person,  I forgot to present myself 😉

 

So I looked for a template ...

 

https://www.mediaharmonists.de/bilder/Sammler33/Utrecht-170527_3805-(1).jpg

 

... carved a tiny bit ...

 

https://www.mediaharmonists.de/bilder/Sammler33/IMG_1141-(1).jpg

 

... and here it is the small minni-me 🙂

 

 

https://www.mediaharmonists.de/bilder/Sammler33/IMG_1147-(1).jpg

 

https://www.mediaharmonists.de/bilder/Sammler33/IMG_1149-(1).jpg

 

Even with my silver medal present 😉

Edited November 4, 2020 by dafi

[Bill97]

Dafi I have discovered that I am getting the Heller 1:100 HMS Victory as a Christmas gift!  This model has been on my bucket list for some time. Since my discovery I have been reading all the MSW post of builders of this model. Anxious to get started. I will definitely refer to your build for reference and ideas. Would you mind to tell me the dimensions of your completed Victory (length, height, and width)?  Even though I know it will take quite a long time to complete it I am already designing the case I am going to make for it, and where I plan to display it while under construction, and after. 

[Kelp]

Hello Daniel,

Wonderful HMS Victory!   I took a look at the way you did the coppering on the hull and am thinking of doing the same for my 1/96 scale Revell Cutty Sark, which has the individual copper plates engraved on the plastic, like your Heller Victory.  How long of a length of copper tape did you  use for each row of plates?  Did you overlap the tapes, or was the plastic that was engraved on the hull the same width as your tape?  On the Cutty Sark, the plates are engraved at 1/8 inch, so I don't think there will be any overlapping if I use 1/8 inch tape.  A final question:  Is the copper tape still sticking well to the model?

Thank you ,

Don

[dafi]

Hello @97Bill, as I am far off having started the yards, I have no idea about the dimensions yet. My guess is 80 cm height, length 100 cm+ and the width 35 cm (65+ with stunsails).

 

@Kelp I used the copper in the exact width and ran them down in long lines, not single plates. A toothpick was great to form the overlap of tiling. And it holds perfect to the date, several years already on there.

 

XXXDAn

[dafi]

Cäptn dafi´s log, addendum:

At the last stop in the Victory-Univers we were able to complete the crew. 

First we got the much needed cleaning team ...

 

 

... and then still came Cäptn dafis superior in form of the admirability herself.

 

 

Final spurt 🙂

 

XXXDAn
 

Edited December 28, 2020 by dafi

[jock2000]

Hi Dafi merry Christmas and happy new year from Thailand. Added the windows to the stern galleries an the name plate. Busy today removing rigols. Noticed not all gun ports have them. 

[dafi]

Hello @jock2000 Nice to hear from you! Yes that is correct. you can use Heller as reference, they did the positioning nicely.

 

All the best, happy modeling, Daniel

[dafi]

Grande Finale 🙂

 

Finally I found the time to do the last beauty shots of my little series of my 5 slices..

 

It was a most exciting project, that started with simply trying out new resin, took off by itself, and developed into nice display on the history of that grat ship.

 

Already longer finished was the rigged version of a 1805 first rate.

 

Now come the version as build from about 1780, the actual state of my research for the iconic 1805 version, the black and white version of past 1910 and the latest version of the museums ship in its past 2016 look.

 

Here the overview.

 

 

 

Travelling times in 4 pictures 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

We start with the beauty of the as build version, with its nice friezes and - not visible - the wonderful carvings on head and stern.

 

 

 

 

 

The best known version is the least known by far. Done under pressure of time there is no known documentation. Here shown is the intermediate result of my research so far.

 

 

 

 

The biggest changes were suffered from 1814 on to 1920. The planking was removed and the new one was flush without any wales. The bow was reconstructed as a round bow, the hammocks got build cases and the masts were replaced by smaller steel ones with a reduced number of shrouds.

 

Seen by todays eyes a pity but still the historical version that lasted the longest.

 

 

 

 

And of course the version that is the best known, the almost complete reconstruction in Portsmouth 😉

Even with many anachronisms and differences to contemporary sources, this ship gives a nice impression onto how ships may have looked in the old days, a pleasure to be there and see 🙂

 

 

 

 

XXXDAn

Edited December 31, 2020 by dafi

[rkwz]

Superb! My favourite is the 1780 with it's friezes and deck scrubbers. But they're all excellent in any case 

 

Happy New Year to you Daniel!

 

 

[druxey]

Well done indeed!

[mtaylor]

Excellent research and on the reconstructions, Daniel. 

[dafi]

Thank you Sirs 🙂 🙂

 

And here come some more detail shots.

First the in my humble opinion most beautiful appearance of this ship 🙂

 

The channel boards still in the lower position underneath the ports, the painted friezes and the hull paid with rosin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Royal Marine still wears the uniform from about 1780, with the tricorn, the long swallow tails on the coat, the broad revers and the stockings.
The holystoning gentlemen did not wear a special uniform yet. This was the time by the way, that the holystoning of the decks became quite excessive.
 

 

 

 

If the Victory was still carrying the original bronze guns or the newer iron cast ones in 1780 I could not yet finally judge. But to show the changes of the ship through the years I opted for the original version for this display. Other nice details are the anchor lining, the 4-piece irons with the eyebolts in between and the bolster for the long fishing davit in between the timber heads. Also a nice detail is the lanyard of the fore gunport lid that is guided elegantly up to the timberhead of the forecastle 😉

 

 

 

 

Based on the contemporary model from the Victory from 1765.

https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/66473.html

 

XXXDAn

Edited January 1, 2021 by dafi

[dafi]

The most iconic appearance of the Victory is the one of Trafalgar. And this is also the most obscure one, as it lasted the shortest and was almost not documented.

 

Contemporary sources are very thin, as the great repair took place under pressure of time in the height of the raging war, and proper documentation did not take place or at least is not known. Quite sure is, that the channel boards were moved on top of the ports, and of course the stern was most possibly closed in.

 

Most actual details can be found in Turner´s sketches as he draw some scribbles after the ship came back. Nicely seen is the build barricade of the forecastle, other details like the anchor lining are more obscure and subject of interpretation and discussion. Also th be guessed are the thinner black stripes and the yellow gunport lids.

 

Biggest ongoing discussion is the color of the yellow. Today a light terra cotta, in contrast to the usual yellow buff as seen in contemporary paintings. The actual guess is that the yards were short on buff and stretch it with red and white witch was available. Any way my personal believe is that ships of that age - as we were before industrial RAL definitions -  were much more a patchwork of different colors, just always the surprise which shade would come out of the barrel of paint. That is also the story I am telling here, the two sailors applying the shade of ochre that the ship is painted today 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Royal Marine now wears the new uniform introduced from about 1800 onwards, with round head, no revers and no swallow tails. The other sailors wear still no uniform yet.

 

 

 

 

Difficult to see on Turners oeuvre is the anchor lining. But still a quite too useful installation to miss it out.

 

 

 

 

 

On the channel boards one can see the partner for the short fishing davit.

 

 

 

 

 

For the 68 pounder carronade - taken over in 1804 from the Kent - the railing on the barricade has a hinge to protect it from the muzzle flash and to facilitate handling.

 

 

 

And as mentioned already before, thanks to @Morgan for all his great hints and input!!!

Edited January 1, 2021 by dafi

[dafi]

In the repair of 1814 to 1816 the Victory was fitted with the new round bow and solid hammock cases. About 1837 the Feathers of Wales were fixed on the stern, still being there today. In 1859 the ship got the last set of wooden mast, later on the steel masts from HMS Shaw. Somwhere in the 1860 the planking was removed and the new planking was flush, wales omitted. Also that time she most possibly got the stern decoration that can be seen on the early photographies.

 

But these were only the outer signs, on the inside the hanging magazines were already removed by 1814 and every change in duty caused bigger changes in the internal layout.

 

There are hundreds of pictures of the pre 1920 Victory, an appearance that lasted more than a 100 years, but still this is one is the version that is the least often build as a model ...

 

 

 

The planking was flush, the rigols were straight and the ports had window frames. In the upper and lower batterie there were still some historical guns from Trafalgar on display. In the middle battery there were 7 salute guns of modern design, 4 on one side, 3 on the other. The chain boards were shortened, the number of shrouds reduced. All along the hull there were waste pipes going down. Picturesque are all the stove pipes going up 🙂

 

 

 

The officer is wearing a 1910 uniform with flat cap and short jacket, his camera is a contemporary Agfa-Photo-Box. The sailors have their uniforms with large hat and extra large collar, one in white, one in blue 🙂

 

 

 

 

The inspiration for this scene is the sailor from submarine C34, looking up to the chains. In those days it was quite common for a submarine to be docked alongside, as their generators supplied electricity for the older ship.

 

 

But was this sailor from C34 seeing? Possibly something like this.

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2021 by dafi