Fam Posted July 12, 2015 Share #211 Posted July 12, 2015 (edited) Is your Saemann the same Saemann I find in this web site ? http://www.saemann-aetztechnik.de/ If yes, I'll keep it with my options for the search. Did they speak/write in english ? Many thanks for the infos. Jack Jack, the website seems promising, unfortunately google translator is needed to understand every single word... apparently they don't have an English version of the site, only German language... but as far as I know usually German people know English language pretty well, so it's just a matter of finding the contact address! Maybe Anobium/Christian can help with this ;-)Ciao Fam Edited July 12, 2015 by Fam mtaylor 1 Quote Joint building: Brick de 24, 1/48, jointly with Jack Aubrey (POB from Ancre plans) Works in progress: USS Constitution Cross Section, 1:93 (POF bashed from Mamoli kit) Completed models: Santìsima Trinidad, 1/90 (POB heavily modified DeAgostini kit) Genoan Pinco, 1/50 (POB bashed from Euromodel plans - my current avatar) Viking Knarr, 1/72 (POF from Dusek kit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share #212 Posted July 12, 2015 (edited) On 12/7/2015 at 8:50 AM, AnobiumPunctatum said: . . If they speak English I don't know. If not, I would be pleased to help you because my German is much better than my English . . Hi Anobium/Christian, thanks to your offer to help me with german language. This is another option I can add to my choices basket. Be sure I'll contact them, and if necessary, I'll involve you. Thanks again. Jack. Saturday, July 11th, 2015 For the moment I have installed the keel on the bulkheads . . I'm waiting for the glue to dry. In the meantime I prepared two mini wood blocks to shape the bow. They are so "big" that I had to fix them on a piece of wood to be able to work with them . . I then began to cut ten/twelve strips of Tanganyika from a sheet of veneer. 01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150710_113827_zpsdenmzwle.jpg 02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150710_113812_zpsp7zg4mi4.jpg 03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150710_113750_zpsoqybwc6t.jpg 04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150710_113804_zpsnbenchh3.jpg Rgds, Jack.Aubrey. Edited September 9, 2017 by jack.aubrey yvesvidal, AnobiumPunctatum, cog and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share #213 Posted July 13, 2015 (edited) Sunday, July 12th, 2015 Before continuing with the planking I proceeded to apply mahogany mordant to the keel and the bulkhead complex. In the photos it seems pretty dark. . in daylight it's a bit better. Considering this Sunday there are many motorcycle races (Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP) on the TV, I postpone further activities for tomorrow. 01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150711_120725_zpsvez3q67j.jpg 02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150711_120713_zpsdilsn1iw.jpg 03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150711_120624_zpsstjvehqi.jpg Best regards and see you next, Jack. ****************************************************************************** Lovely work as always Jack [cool] Many thanks, really appreciated, Jack.[thumbup] Edited September 9, 2017 by jack.aubrey mtaylor, Bluto 1790 and yvesvidal 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share #214 Posted July 17, 2015 Wednesday, July 15, 2015 Since the death, on June 23th, of my mother-in-law, my wife and myself discovered that staying in Cinisello Balsamo we feel a bit alone. So, just to get some vacation, because it's more or less three years that in summertime we stay at home, we decided to move as soon as possible at our daughter's house in Calci, near Pisa, for some time. If all goes as we hope, in a couple of weeks we'll leave and it is very likely that we'll come back by end September. So I am faced with two choices: a- close the shipyard for some time or b- prepare the skeletons of the three ship boats before leaving and then, carrying with me the bare minimum, finish them while I'm away. Of course I selected the second possibility and in these days I am working to prepare the second boat scheleton and hopefully also the third, in order to continue elsewhere. Among other things I am not sure if I will get the internet connection because my "catastrophic" daughter has changed her provider with the result that her ADSL line is down without a planned availability date . . hoping in the near future. Finally: I got an answer from the photoetching guy who promised to send me a quotation for the next few days. Hoping in a positive and viable answer. See you soon, rgds. Jack. mtaylor, cog and Bluto 1790 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvesvidal Posted July 17, 2015 Share #215 Posted July 17, 2015 Jack, I am glad that you are taking some models and work with you. A man with your skills should not stay inactive As for the updates, an Internet Cafe may be your solution temporarily until the ADSL line is repaired. Best to you during this temporary move. Ciao. Yves jack.aubrey and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted July 18, 2015 Share #216 Posted July 18, 2015 I'm sorry to hear about your mother-in-law, Jack. It's good that you can take some of your building supplies and ships with you. Have a safe trip and a good trip. cog and jack.aubrey 2 Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share #217 Posted July 19, 2015 Many thanks to all of you for your support . . She was 94 years old and we all were aware that this will may happen sooner or later . . We are happy she didn't suffer too much. She miss us. Thanks again, Jack. cog and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cog Posted July 19, 2015 Share #218 Posted July 19, 2015 Jack, My condolences to you and your wife. It never is easy, even if you know it may happen any moment due to age or health ... I hope she has lived a full life with her family and friends. Take care driving .. mtaylor and jack.aubrey 2 Quote Carl "Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson Search and you might find a log ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share #219 Posted July 19, 2015 . . My condolences to you and your wife. It never is easy, even if you know it may happen any moment due to age or health ... I hope she has lived a full life with her family and friends. Take care driving .. Thank you Carl for your message, Jack. PS: I've seen you are building the Corel Dolphyn. I started it some time ago but at a certain moment I decided to stop with it. I sold it incomplete to another modeler in Venice. You can find my work, unfinished, here, although it's in Italian language there are plenty of images: http://forum.magellano.org/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=619 The hull of this ship is quite similar to the hull of my Brick and I got some useful experiences with it !! mtaylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share #220 Posted July 19, 2015 (edited) Saturday, July 18th, 2015 The second shipboat is well under way . . now there is only to apply and shape two bow wood blocks and then I'll switch to the third one to have all the material ready for my stay in Tuscany. 01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150718_193928_zpsgqzfcncz.jpg In the next images a comparative view between the two boats. The smaller one will be hosted inside the larger on the ship deck, between the two masts. 02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150718_193756_zpsjps3rtmr.jpg 03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/20150718_193718_zpsej6vu3ze.jpg Cheers, Jack.Aubrey Edited September 9, 2017 by jack.aubrey mtaylor, yvesvidal, cog and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share #221 Posted July 25, 2015 (edited) Tuesday, July 21st, 2015 A few days ago I wrote with some enthusiasm, about the photo-etched copper plates, as below: Finally: I got an answer from the photoetching guy who promised to send me a quotation for the next few days. Hoping in a positive and viable answer. Today, as promised, I received the answer, answer I reproduce in full here below: Hello Sergio, Referring to your request to inform you that: 1- we could produce brass 0.2 mm or 0.10 mm nickel silver (no copper from 0.1 or 0.2 mm) 2- the total cost would be € 120.00 for setup costs and € 40.00/plate. So, assuming that you'll order 10 sheets the cost would be 10 x € 40.00 = € 400.00 + € 120.00 = € 520.00 + any shipment costs + VAT I await confirmation of both the material (show me what you prefer) is the total cost in order to proceed with production. Sincerely. I am genuinely stunned . . I asked for a quotation of 10 sheets, A4 size, although in reality I would need only 5. This because if the option was interesting, I was able to propose the material also for my friend FAM who is doing the same model. On the website they advertise it was a really easy matter, I had only to prepare and send them an AutoCAD file, done following certain rules, and their highly sophisticated and flexible equipments would be ready to do all the work !! It sounds me like a steal . . the AMATI photoetched plates available on the market, unfortunately too small for my needs, cost about 15€ per sheet !! I think at this point I will have to reconsider other options, not last to leave the hull in natural wood . . and of course try other suppliers. It's a pity for the time lost but with shipmodeling we always need lot of patience ! Anyway I'll resume the matter after I'll get back from Tuscany. By the way I'm facing some other problems and I'll will delay my departure for a couple of weeks. Regards, Jack. Edited July 25, 2015 by jack.aubrey cog, Fam, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cog Posted July 25, 2015 Share #222 Posted July 25, 2015 Sorry to hear about this setback/rip off, Jack. I know thin copper sheet is sold from the roll. Maybe you could get some of that and work on it yourself ...? mtaylor 1 Quote Carl "Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson Search and you might find a log ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted July 25, 2015 Share #223 Posted July 25, 2015 Jack, What Carl suggested is done by lot of builders. Copper roll, some homemade tools for embossing the nails and go from there. Check Amazon and/or Google for suppliers. Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fam Posted July 27, 2015 Share #224 Posted July 27, 2015 JA I'm astonished too: I think that either that answer was another way to tell you they don't want to do the job or ... it was the wrong company for what you need. Regards Fam Quote Joint building: Brick de 24, 1/48, jointly with Jack Aubrey (POB from Ancre plans) Works in progress: USS Constitution Cross Section, 1:93 (POF bashed from Mamoli kit) Completed models: Santìsima Trinidad, 1/90 (POB heavily modified DeAgostini kit) Genoan Pinco, 1/50 (POB bashed from Euromodel plans - my current avatar) Viking Knarr, 1/72 (POF from Dusek kit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share #225 Posted July 27, 2015 Thanks Carl, Mark and Andrea for your comments: you confirm my negative impression to be taken for a ride or even ripped off. Before forgetting my idea about the photoetched plates I'll try other possible ways. I have no hurry to get the hull copper sheated so I can spend some other time to search for better luck. I'll resume the matter in September: here in Italy we are now fully in the middle of the summer holidays season and it is now difficult to contact people and/or to get answers. Being this my first attempt to copper sheating a hull I have read plenty of articles, messages, etc about the matter and I hope that if the above solution will not be viable, I'll be always able to setup a "Plan B" o even a "Plan C". In the meantime . . . read the next message. Rgds, Jack. mtaylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share #226 Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) Saturday, July 25th, 2015 During these last days, I finished to cut out the elements of the third boat, the smallest one and whose plans are presented as pictures here below. The task of preparing all these pieces, keel and bulkheads, has been quite challenging as they are really very small pieces, cut from a plywood quite thin and I had to take care of them with a lot of patience and attention to avoid breakage, while still maintaining the necessary precision of the cut. So today I finally was able to assemble all the pieces using the same proven method of the two other boats. Apart few finishing details now the basic material to further proceed on their construction, when I'll go to Tuscany, should be quite ready. As I wrote my departure is delayed some time because of unexpected problems. No peace for us poor pensioners . . for now let me publish the plans of the last boat, images will follow. Friendliness, Jack.Aubrey. 01 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/ScialuppaPiccolaLato_zpsegjmjqmh.jpg 02 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/ScialuppaPiccolaChiglia_zps1vd4mgov.jpg 03 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/ScialuppaPiccolaPoppa_zpsqtfmuhbm.jpg 04 Brick%20de%2024%20Plans/ScialuppaPiccolaPrua_zps61xmhlf4.jpg Edited September 9, 2017 by jack.aubrey aviaamator, mtaylor, cog and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted July 27, 2015 Share #227 Posted July 27, 2015 Misery loves company, Jack. Us pensioners in the US have issues also. Nothing is ever easy, is it? Nice looking boats. Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harvey1847 Posted July 28, 2015 Share #228 Posted July 28, 2015 Hello Jack! Regarding the issue about the photo etching plates. Why don´t you give a try yourself? As Mark has said on Amazon you have most of the equipment you´ll need. The most important for me is the isolation film or sprays to put on the metal plate. Try to find some art shop or a "registrato". I´m sure they´ll tell you where to get the copper (in role or plates) and the acids to actually etch the metal. There´s a tutorial here on MSW an a lot more on inet... Good luck Jack! Daniel. mtaylor 1 Quote In the shipyard: HMS Triton 1773. POF. 1:48. Daniel On the computer: R.A. Principe de La Paz. POF. 1:48. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share #229 Posted July 29, 2015 (edited) Tuesday, July 28th, 2015 Here are pictures of the three boats all together, to highlight the differences in size. Now I should start the planking, as also the shaped bow woodblocks are in place. As I anticipated, double-layer planking in Tanganyika veneer, 0.5 mm. Regards, Jack. 01 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100341_zpsj5nziuqt.jpg 02 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100342_zpshl2gg24p.jpg 03 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100343_zpsiirtbdrz.jpg 04 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100344_zps2lswqmj5.jpg 05 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100345_zpsti6xppza.jpg 06 Brick%20by%20JackAubrey/P1100346_zpsn73z0vcy.jpg Edited September 9, 2017 by jack.aubrey yvesvidal, cog, RichardG and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvesvidal Posted July 29, 2015 Share #230 Posted July 29, 2015 Jack, This is superb, especially as presented on that beautiful table book. Yves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share #231 Posted July 29, 2015 Jack, This is superb, especially as presented on that beautiful table book. Yves Hi Yves, I agree with you ! It is a very interesting book dedicated to RN 1st rate ships. There is lot of pictures in it and covers the matter from the first ship, the Prince Royal, to the last sailing vessels and the first steam vessels. I have a private library of about 30 of these books: they are quite expensive and are maily written in english language. Italian literature about these topics is poor and difficult to find on the market. In addition I have found on the interet a big number of books in PDF format that increase the written material available. Obviously the paper media is my preferred but the difference in space needed to keep it is a little bigger . . Hello Jack! Regarding the issue about the photo etching plates. Why don´t you give a try yourself? As Mark has said on Amazon you have most of the equipment you´ll need. The most important for me is the isolation film or sprays to put on the metal plate. Try to find some art shop or a "registrato". I´m sure they´ll tell you where to get the copper (in role or plates) and the acids to actually etch the metal. There´s a tutorial here on MSW an a lot more on inet... Good luck Jack! Daniel. Hi Daniel, thanks for your suggestion about DIY. I remain convinced that, considering the dangerous materials to manage, it may not probably be the proper matter for my skills. Anyway, I'm following your idea to research on the internet to find written material to manage this option. And, as you wrote, there is plenty of sites describing the photo-etching process, also videos. May be that a better knowledge will help me, although I will keep, for the previous considerations, this idea as my theoretical "Plan Z". Obviously a success in such enterprise should be very exciting . . Kind regards, Jack. minimini, mtaylor and Omega1234 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redshirt Posted July 29, 2015 Share #232 Posted July 29, 2015 (edited) I think you are overdoing it with the photo etching. Using copper tape and an appropriate stamp should do the trick (as described in the Art of Ship Modelling) at a reasonable price and without any detriment to either realism or aesthetics. If you don't have the book i can send you the page where Frölich's approach is described. It's in german but the pictures alone should be sufficient. Edited July 29, 2015 by Redshirt Omega1234, mtaylor and Fam 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share #233 Posted July 31, 2015 Hi Redshirt, first I want to thank you for your message, I like too much to interact with other people about the many paths one can follow to obtain a given result. And for this goal, a forum is a fantastic media to exchange experiences, ideas and so on. Regarding to what you wrote . . "I think you are overdoing it with the photo etching." You are most probably right, but, if viable, this is the best solution in terms of carefulness and precision. As I wrote this is my first experience with copper sheating and, by habit, I tend to evaluate all the possibilities starting from what I think is the better choice (for me) passing then at the second and so on. Don't forget I am in a situation where I can wait and lose some time in searh of this. Obviously the choice will be a kind of compromise between several factors (cost, feasibility, etc) and I will not accept to spend for this task five time the money I spent until now for the whole project . . "Using copper tape and an appropriate stamp should do the trick (as described in the Art of Ship Modelling) at a reasonable price and without any detriment to either realism or aesthetics." I am aware of this method . . I am a little concerned about the usage, or better the building, of the stamp. It may seem a simple tool but I'm not sure it is really simple. In addition, if you read the book you cited from Frolich you should consider that he made the copper sheating twice because the first attempt wasn't satisfactory . . And, encore, I would like to build a model that can live for at least a century, and I'm not sure the self adhesive tape will last so much . . I'm just now arrived to half century with the superglue on a model !! "If you don't have the book i can send you the page where Frölich's approach is described. It's in german but the pictures alone should be sufficient." I thank you for your offer but I have this book, in italian language, and I read it some time ago. So I don't need it. In general I agree with Frolich on many things but for other matters its methods are not for me: I have the impression he wrote his book to show his method, not all the methods to perform a given task. For this reason I find more innovative some easteuropean ship modellers such as Alex Baranov or Mikhail Bezverkhniy. Anyway, thanks again for your participation. Sincerely, Jack. mtaylor and Omega1234 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share #234 Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) A summer holidays special edition . . Sunday August 9th, 2015 Finally today I was able to leave my homecity and get my long awaited holidays: being myself retired from active work, I plan to stay away not 15 days but approx. 2/2.5 months . . I'll stay very few kilometers from Pisa, in Calci. Calci is a small town but hosts a wonderful national Museum, the "Certosa di Pisa" or better the "Certosa di Calci" built in 13° century. image%201_zpszvilqvq5.jpg In the past it was a big abbey, now it's an Anthropological Museum, where you can find Dinosaur skeletons . . 46824988_zpsfunuw2vz.jpg And a lot of whales skeletons . . calci.jpg_200781171030_calci_zpsuidi05rv.jpg I have taken with me the three launches shown in some previous images and a limited set of materials and tools: I hope to be able to produce something useful during my holidays but I don't consider it as absolutely mandatory. I'll keep you informed of the models work progress. Here below a short(?) intro to Pisa . . Regards, Jack.Aubrey. About Pisa Pisa is world famous for its Leaning Tower and Cathedral (inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List) and its many other medieval and Renaissance monuments. It is located in Tuscany, in the central part of the Italian peninsula, on a plain near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea close to the mouth of the river Arno. Its multicultural population totals about 100,000 people, in addition to the many thousands of students who enliven the city. The university buildings are located in the city itself, some in monumental historical buildings and others in new modern constructions. Together the University and the city form a single complex, a “campus in a city”, just as they have for many centuries. Pisa3_zps89tmrfwg.jpg In addition to the University the city hosts two prestigious Superior Schools: the Scuola Normale Superiore and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento. The latter are centres for advanced studies and research in various disciplines: on the basis of a yearly national competition, they admit the best graduates of the Italian Upper Schools, who study at the University, and have special seminars and activities in the Schools. Pisa is an ideal place for students to live and meet in the city centre’s streets and piazzas, with their bars and pubs, as well as in the classroom. Both the beaches and the mountains are close and easily accessible, as are other famous Tuscan cities, such as Lucca, Florence, Volterra and Siena. The climate in Pisa is generally mild. The city enjoys cool summers and mild winters. There is some rain in autumn and winter although it rarely snows; the summers are dry and make for pleasant excursions to the sea. Pisa1_zpsca0fhu5r.jpg Miracles' Square With extraordinary effectiveness, the phrase «Piazza dei Miracoli» (the Miracle Square), coined by Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938), epitomises the amazement and admiration that for centuries have seized those who, upon passing through the gateway of the circle of walls or emerging sideways from Via S. Maria, embrace in one single glance the pure whiteness of the monuments rising over the lush green of the turf. One is also amazed by the unique isolation of this group of monuments: the large area where the sacred buildings rise is actually on the edges of town, in the north-western corner, looking almost proud and distant from the daily bustle of the town. But a careful historical interpretation and the contribution of some recent archaeological findings give back to the Cathedral all its centrality, based on the original choice of the site and preserved through the centuries as the heart of the religious and civil life of Pisa. In order to fully understand it, one must place oneself in the maritime dimension that since Etruscan times has made the town great, located as it was in a favourable geographical site that placed it at the centre of a network of maritime, river and road routes, with a hinterland that offered a wide range of produce as well as wood and stone for its buildings, thus boosting the settlement of some important manufacturing facilities. The Auser River that no longer exists - used to flow close to the Square, first along the northern edge, then bending south into the Arno River. The Auser, a few hundred metres from here, near today's railway station of Pisa-San Rossore, hosted a river port which worked for one thousand years, from the Etruscan to the late Roman age, and which has come back to light after an extremely long period of oblivion, by the late XX century. It is just by rediscovering this older structure that the location of the Cathedral loses its seeming marginality to take on a new, fuller meaning: in the light of the process of Christianisation of Pisa that according to some recent studies seemed to come from the sea, the site takes an unusual centrality, which is no longer perceivable, if related to the nearby river port facility that kept working through to the V century AD. So, this was the place chosen for the Church of Pisa since its origins, which are unanimously considered to date from before Constantine's peace pact of 313. But the oldest sacred buildings were pulled down with time and the monuments we can admire today date back to the mid-centuries of the Middle Ages, when at the peak of its glory after its triumphs at sea Pisa asserted its supremacy over the region and all over the world, going so far as to claim for itself the role of a 'new Rome'. Such boundless pride and awareness gave birth to the plan to rebuild, near an earlier cathedral that has been rediscovered during recent archaeological excavations, the new church of Saint Mary founded in 1064, the year of the triumph of Pisa against the Saracens in Palermo, whose spoils were partly invested in building the church. The «temple of snow-white marble» this is how it was called by the author of the funereal inscription for its architect, Buschetto represented the whole civil and religious community; and it had to reflect its fame and power to the eyes of the world: epigraphs were placed on the façade to celebrate the main maritime victories; reused pieces of Roman monuments were fitted on the sides to highlight the greatness of Pisa as the 'other Rome'; the façade was richly decorated with ornamental features, such as the outstanding Arab-inspired polychrome lozenges; finally, the rooftop was adorned with the magnificent Islam-made bronze griffon which is now on display at the Museo dell'Opera (the original one has been replaced by a copy), coming perhaps from Spain and most likely arrived in Pisa with the spoils of some military expedition. The Baptistery, founded in 1152 on a design by Diotisalvi, was built in front of the Cathedral, lined up with its façade: a building that according to the latest studies is deeply imbued with the memories of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a fact that goes back to the issue of the influences and relations between the architecture of Pisa and the East. The whole town was involved in the construction of the building which had been designed to host the font where the people of Pisa were consecrated Christians: the contemporary chronicler Bernardo Maragone narrates that one of the eight pillars coming from the Isle of Elba and from Sardinia, placed inside the Baptistery in 1163, was lifted and set in its place by the inhabitants of Porta Aurea. The round plan of the Baptistery was taken up again in 1173 by the anonymous designer of the Bell Tower (Bonanno Pisano? or still yet once again magister Diotisalvi? ). A unique work in its roundness which recalls the curves of the nearby apses of the Cathedral, sharing with the other monuments of the Square the recurring motif of the pillars and small arches. Just after its completion the most famous monument in town was affected by that 'mysterious disease', which has made it famous all over the world and at the same time gave it the serious static problems that have been solved after over eight hundred years of trepidation by the strengthening work carried out in the 1990s. With the Bell Tower, the group of monuments of the Cathedral seemed to be complete; but in the thirteenth century, while the works went on and the buildings were enriched with wonderful works of art, two new buildings were added to the site of the Square as it looks today, both born on the decision of the great archbishop of Pisa, Federico Visconti. The New Hospital, was built south, imposed on the township in 1257 by Pope Alexander IV as a token of the reconciliation with the Apostolic See after over fifteen years of a crisis, designed to help pilgrims, the poor and the sick: it is the big building that today hosts the Museo delle Sinopie, where we are now. In front of this building, in 1277, a new cemetery began to be built for grouping the tombs which until then had been left scattered all around the Cathedral. This plan led to the building of the Cemetery, an extraordinary four-sided cloister which with its marble façade closes, on the north side, the «Piazza dei Miracoli» (Miracle Square) which had been conceived for the burial of the dead and instruction of the living, who were asked to ponder on life on earth and the eternal one through the magnificent series of frescos whose preparatory sketches the so called “sinopie” are now kept in this Museum. Pisa2_zpsflyhrvls.jpg Edited September 9, 2017 by jack.aubrey mtaylor, yvesvidal, tadheus and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cog Posted August 10, 2015 Share #235 Posted August 10, 2015 Thank you, most enlightning!!! mtaylor and jack.aubrey 2 Quote Carl "Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson Search and you might find a log ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted August 11, 2015 Share #236 Posted August 11, 2015 (edited) Thanks for posting that, Jack. It looks to be the perfect place to be on holiday. Edited August 11, 2015 by mtaylor cog and jack.aubrey 2 Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvesvidal Posted August 11, 2015 Share #237 Posted August 11, 2015 Thank you Jack. All these pictures bring back fond memories of Italy, Pisa and Tuscany. I long to go back. Yves jack.aubrey 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share #238 Posted August 21, 2015 Friday, August 21st, 2015 Until now nothing new about ship modeling . . I'm now deeply involved with the painting of the terrace railings of my daughter's house . . after suffering some days ago a water flood due to a broken tube while we were outside, luckyly for less than an hour. Result: 2cm. water in all the house rooms in less then half an hour. For the railings I decided for a step by step approach instead of one shot, so every morning I wake up early, at 6:00 and I paint +/- 3 meters of railings, next I prepare other 3 meters for the day after. At 9:00 I've finished and the day starts with a big breakfast and so on !! I hope to finish in a week unless starts to rain . . Stay tuned, Jack. cog and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo Posted September 3, 2015 Share #239 Posted September 3, 2015 Hi Yves, I agree with you ! It is a very interesting book dedicated to RN 1st rate ships. There is lot of pictures in it and covers the matter from the first ship, the Prince Royal, to the last sailing vessels and the first steam vessels. I have a private library of about 30 of these books: they are quite expensive and are maily written in english language. Italian literature about these topics is poor and difficult to find on the market. In addition I have found on the interet a big number of books in PDF format that increase the written material available. Obviously the paper media is my preferred but the difference in space needed to keep it is a little bigger . . Hi Jack, Does this volume show details on the Prince Royal of 1610? I'm interested in views from various angles or plans would be even better. Apologies for the off-topic post but I've been trying to acquire detailed information on this vessel for years. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack.aubrey Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share #240 Posted September 3, 2015 Hi Jack, Does this volume show details on the Prince Royal of 1610? I'm interested in views from various angles or plans would be even better. Apologies for the off-topic post but I've been trying to acquire detailed information on this vessel for years. TIA Hi Apollo, in the book there is an initial section describing the genesis of the first ships of the line, and this section includes the Prince Royal. At the moment I'm far from my house and I cannot review the book contents, so I'm not sure if there are some plans. I'm instead sure there are some canvas reproducing the ship. Anyway my opinion is that should be quite difficult to find seriuos details on this ship because of the lack of proper sources. Also Sovereign of the Seas, much more famous than Prince Royal and built 20 years later, suffers this situation of poor source reliability and the plans, today available at NNM or other sites, date decades later its 1st or 2nd rebuild. You should try to search the NNM to see if plans of the Prince Royal are available, but pay attention to the date of the plans because there were several "Prince ..." in the RN. mtaylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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