ancre La Belle Poule 1765 by AntiSpiral - 1/48 - An Adventure in POB

[AntiSpiral]

Hello everyone and welcome to my first scratch build, although i've been planning to build this for a while now this will most likely be a slow build.
First came to me when looking through the russian sites that this seems like a pretty good ship to start on, i plan for loads of detail so there was no point in making it any smaller in scale, inspired by dafi and his hms victory build i'll hope to add figures and all sorts but not too much to over crowd it. I'll also be attempting to add micro LEDS to this build.
The ship will be built mainly with pear and some boxwood with frames of lime. 


So first apologies for the poor quality photos, soon to be fixed. First i start off with the keel using 3mm plywood instead of making it in parts i decided to just make it one whole solid piece which wasn't easy when you're a noob with a scroll saw, which is why i decided to drill wholes to guide the saw.


 

[mtaylor]

Welcome to the Darkside....    :D   You're off to a great start and I'm looking forward to seeing this one take shape. 

[alangr4]

 

Good luck with your build. A fascinating subject. It looks majestic when finished and under sail.

 

Alan

[NMBROOK]

Hi PG

I knew you liked this ship and when I saw the title,I immediately thought of you    I think you will enjoy starting with a clean sheet of paper,I know I am,it can sometimes be frustrating 'kitbashing' and you end up doing more work than starting from scratch

Excellent choice of timbers,they are both expensive in the UK,but are much more enjoyable to work with than the stuff that normally comes with kits.Be prepared to go through a lot of blades with Boxwood though,it is extremely hard.

I would recommend you buy Frolich's book if you haven't already,it is expensive,but does have a section on his build of this model and worth every penny IMHO.

I look forward to following along with your 'journey'

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

Edited November 8, 2014 by NMBROOK

[mtaylor]

 Frolich's book is a treasure trove of info for building French ships.  And it's good reading with many of the tips that can be used for Engish vessels also. 

 

BTW, are you lofting the bulkheads?  I've not seen a framing plan and I have this monograph.

[AntiSpiral]

Hi PG

I knew you liked this ship and when I saw the title,I immediately thought of you    I think you will enjoy starting with a clean sheet of paper,I know I am,it can sometimes be frustrating 'kitbashing' and you end up doing more work than starting from scratch

Excellent choice of timbers,they are both expensive in the UK,but are much more enjoyable to work with than the stuff that normally comes with kits.Be prepared to go through a lot of blades with Boxwood though,it is extremely hard.

I would recommend you buy Frolich's book if you haven't already,it is expensive,but does have a section on his build of this model and worth every penny IMHO.

I look forward to following along with your 'journey'

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

Im certainly looking forward to putting work into this ship, kit bashing was certainly frustrating to the point of giving up! and the timbers are certainly expensive which is why i'll be waiting for some stock of lime to come back rather than paying an extra £5, unfortunately i never managed to acquire much before it ran out.

Frolichs version of this ship is probably what inspired me to take on this ship the most along with Mr shevelevs and others, i'll certainly look into getting that book, thanks for the heads up!

[AntiSpiral]

 Frolich's book is a treasure trove of info for building French ships.  And it's good reading with many of the tips that can be used for Engish vessels also. 

 

BTW, are you lofting the bulkheads?  I've not seen a framing plan and I have this monograph.

To the best of my ability yes but the best equipment i have for that is photoshop, but it doesn't actually take that long to draw them all up i just hope i've done it correctly

[AntiSpiral]

Next step is cutting the bulkheads rough, there are 16 though i only have enough lime at the moment for about 8.
plans glued to the sheet with a simple thin layer of wood glue.

I did plan to cut the frames at an angle to make it simpler to shape but after using a scroll saw again i dont think that would be a good idea.... so back to the simple file!

[AntiSpiral]

Just to get something new on this page i thought i'd show some things while still waiting for more timber.

First are Micro SMD Leds, im hoping i can figure some led lanterns on this ship. Smallest leds i've ever seen, 1mm x 0.50mm with 0.1 copper wire. Probably going to buy more as there'll be around 37 in total.



Next is simply some pear i've got from ebay of all places sent from russia, im still an amateur so seeing brilliant high quality pear has a nice feeling to it, glad i've chosen this to work with.

[NMBROOK]

Wow PG,those LED's are SMALL.One method I have seen many times on RC builds,is to cast the lights in clear resin with the LED inside.This could work well with lanterns and you could make many identical pieces with little hassle.

I am certain that you will appreciate the joy of working with Pear compared to some of the other timbers.Yes it is expensive,but is so much nicer to work with and the grain size is much more suitable for modelling scales.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[WBlakeny]

Very nice, a great start on your "La Belle Poule".

 

This ship is my ultimate goal, but i want to practice my skills first on smaller builds.

I'll be following your build.

[AntiSpiral]

Wow PG,those LED's are SMALL.One method I have seen many times on RC builds,is to cast the lights in clear resin with the LED inside.This could work well with lanterns and you could make many identical pieces with little hassle.

I am certain that you will appreciate the joy of working with Pear compared to some of the other timbers.Yes it is expensive,but is so much nicer to work with and the grain size is much more suitable for modelling scales.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

the thing also with pear is that i find it hard to acquire, only seen a few places that do it and not even at the sizes i need which will test my abilities and my pocket!

Im not 100% sure how i'll go about making the lanterns, i've never worked with resin before but sounds like a good idea, still a far way away from that so there'll be plenty of time to sharpen up. 

[AntiSpiral]

Very nice, a great start on your "La Belle Poule".

 

This ship is my ultimate goal, but i want to practice my skills first on smaller builds.

I'll be following your build.

lol odd that i've decided to work completely the other way round then. despite being my first scratch build, it'll hopefully be the first ship that i'll think worth finishing, i wont be rushing it like ive done before, though i look forward to starting on other more complicated ships.

[AntiSpiral]

more work to show but not had much time to alot due to work, hopefully during the christmas time and after i'll be making progress.
So far i've build a simple jig to hold while i add the frames and keep the keel straight when i fill in the gaps of the frames which will be done at a later stage. after that ive added on two pieces at the front to make it easier when adding planks, forgive me i've not yet delved into the ship jargon to know all the exact words for things! shaped using a chisel which was fun, never used one before but i also had help using a very sharp carving knife....   Same was done when shaping the first 2 frames along with the favourite sanding drum, thought best done while not glued on the keel. A little rough at the moment waiting for fine sanding.

I'll carry on shaping the frames for now when i have the time then we can get onto the more fun stuff!






 

[NMBROOK]

Looking good PG I too am feeling work getting in the way May I suggest 'tack' gluing some strips of scrap across the the tops of the frames.With the gaps between the frames,they are vulnerable to getting knocked.The strips can easily be removed later,but they will stiffen things up a lot in the meantime.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[AntiSpiral]

Well weeks have gone past since my last update and nothing since for a good reason..  Many problems were found when i noticed the frames weren't align which would obviously cause many problems, i expected little inconsistencies when builing my first scratch but nothing as bad as that, so ofcourse i've had to start again which isn't as bad a problem as i thought.

Tempted to restart the whole post but i think i'll just add these few pictures and next time post a big update.

Starting again was the best idea because now the ship is more accurate and reliable for future building, simple changes have helped me ensure its correct this time and i've had loads of spare timber left over to make the parts so far, as i had only got as far as making 5 frames.

The progress so far:







Im very slow at this and am still waiting for stock of lime so im taking my time as to save money aswell.

[AntiSpiral]

hate to keep the log quiet so here's a small update, slow builder so i've only built 7 frames or 28 each since the last update.. only 24 (6) more to go.......

in the centre the parts for holding the small nuts in place look flimsy and weak but will later be reinforced with some infill.
The stern is probably as detailed as the frame will ever get. Cant say the build so far is perfect but im happy with the results, from previous builds cant believe im actually going to say - looking forward to planking - im sure i'll regret those words!

Progress so far!




Looking for some tips and ideas, glueing on these paper plans to the wood may later cause some trouble for other parts of the ship, does anyone have any ideas whats the best way to transfer the plans to the wood? i've seen it done but no idea how unless its the same as they do with tattoos?
 

[druxey]

Not sure about tattoo procedures, but two possible ways of transferring patterns to wood are:

 

1) Graphite paper. This is similar to old-fashioned carbon paper but not greasy or messy. Place a sheet face down over the wood, the paper pattern on top and press through the design with a sharp hard pencil tip.

 

2) Rubber cement. Coat the wood surface and the back of the paper pattern and allow to dry. Press the surfaces together like contact cement. Cut out to part, then peel off the paper. Rub any remaining rubber cement off the wood with a piece of crepe rubber.

[AntiSpiral]

Not sure about tattoo procedures, but two possible ways of transferring patterns to wood are:

 

1) Graphite paper. This is similar to old-fashioned carbon paper but not greasy or messy. Place a sheet face down over the wood, the paper pattern on top and press through the design with a sharp hard pencil tip.

 

2) Rubber cement. Coat the wood surface and the back of the paper pattern and allow to dry. Press the surfaces together like contact cement. Cut out to part, then peel off the paper. Rub any remaining rubber cement off the wood with a piece of crepe rubber.

thank you druxey! i've always wondered of the graphite way but wasn't sure if i could make it accurate or not, but im sure its possible to make it accurate.

But the rubber cement method is interesting, i will look more into this thank you.

[NMBROOK]

Hi PB

You build is looking good.I find Pritstik to work well gluing the patterns on.They peel off later and any residue can be removed with a damp cloth.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

Edited February 8, 2015 by NMBROOK

[AntiSpiral]

Hi PB

You build is looking good.I find Pritstik to work well gluing the patterns on.They peel off later and any residue can be removed with a damp cloth.

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

thanks nigel, think ive got some of that laying around, i'll give it a try!

[AntiSpiral]

Finally all the frames are added, not perfect but its done. Ready for the beams and stern to be added, not sure how to go about making the stern yet as i will make it out of something harder than lime.


(for some reason these images are never uploaded in high quality)

Next time on POB La Belle Poule!
Beams added
Small deck added
Starting LED wiring!

[garywatt]

HI looking good so i,ll following all the way keep it up. Pritstik nice idea i,ll use it thank,s Nigel

[Timmo]

Looks good so far. Keep it up. Waiting for more.

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really nice work, I'll follow your log with great interest

[AntiSpiral]

Thank you kind people for the comments!

Time for a Little update, Considering all the time i have until i start my new job i haven't got much done, being my first scratch build everything is a bit off here and there and some problems that needed fixing and thinking through but i think once i get to the planking everything will atleast LOOK much cleaner.

Having some problems with the stern making everything accurate, same with the gun ports(there is a problem in the centre hull which can be seen in one of the last pictures, this has been fixed). I think i've finally got the stern sorted so far. Heres the first terrible attempt.


And heres the second attempt, Thank you nigel for the glueing the plans on the wood tip, so much more helpful. covered each side with some thin pear glued to some scrap from my sovereign just to make things easier getting sizes right, although this will only be seen where the windows will be.

This attempt has made things a bit easier again getting the angles and making sure the 'stern frames' stay in their correct places.

Here are a few other pictures.
Pear deck has been covered with Teak oil as seen from another build of the belle poule which i greatly admire. This will be done with all pear on the ship.

[cnemo]

Hello everyone and welcome to my first scratch build, although i've been planning to build this for a while now this will most likely be a slow build.

First came to me when looking through the russian sites that this seems like a pretty good ship to start on, i plan for loads of detail so there was no point in making it any smaller in scale, inspired by dafi and his hms victory build i'll hope to add figures and all sorts but not too much to over crowd it. I'll also be attempting to add micro LEDS to this build.

The ship will be built mainly with pear and some boxwood with frames of lime. 

Untitled-1.png

So first apologies for the poor quality photos, soon to be fixed. First i start off with the keel using 3mm plywood instead of making it in parts i decided to just make it one whole solid piece which wasn't easy when you're a noob with a scroll saw, which is why i decided to drill wholes to guide the saw.

IMG_0626.JPGIMG_0627.JPG

IMG_0630.JPG

 

.

 

 

Hi AdmiralAntiSpiral,

 

please, could you tell me how many is long the keel?

 

Thinks

[AntiSpiral]

.

 

 

Hi AdmiralAntiSpiral,

 

please, could you tell me how many is long the keel?

 

Thinks

Hello cnemo!

Keel length in 1/48 is 90cm

total length is 101cm not rigged

Rigged is 140cm, hope this helps!

[NMBROOK]

Excellent work PG There are some wonderful lines to the hull,but I should imagine planking it will be interesting

 

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[AntiSpiral]

another small update, problems and planking.

So there i was sanding down the protruding gun port linings.



When bam! Frame collapses.



Reason was obvious, sanding down too hard and not enough support... But.. somewhat fixable, even still looking back i probably would of made a lot of changes but so far its good enough.
The other side how ever is looking good, planking with lime which will later be painted is quite nice, gives a nice smooth finish and even though being softer still a challenge to bend some of the thicker pieces. the right side will be more a challenge as i'll be using both lime and pear.


Will carry on planking upwards after i figure out how to do the design on the next plank, will probably use pear for that as its finer and will hold a better sharper shape. As i'll only be using 1 layer of wood lower planking will take some patience.