ancre La Mutine and La Topaze by Gregor – 1:64 scale - French Schooners - La Jacinthe Type

[Gregor]

Thanks, Tony, you are very welcome!

The planking of the decks was another, much bigger project that had me worried since autumn. There are no straight planks, all are curved. Also, it seemed that both the Mutine’s planking pattern and the model of the Topaze in Paris are different from the plans of Jean Boudriot’s Jacinthe.

A friendly model train builder came to rescue. He owns a CNC-mill and cut my planks (I had to learn the differences between drawing graphics with AdobeIllustrator and a CAD-tool, much wood was used up because we had to learn the differences between plastic sheets and maple wood and so on).

Caulking was done with a soft pencil. After gluing the planks to the false deck, I scraped the decks with micro slides (cut edged glass – dangerous for your fingers when breaking, bad for the deck when you are bleeding).

The Topaze got her six portholes I had prepared in advance. And now I’m looking forward to build all the small stuff you find on deck.

Cheers,

Gregor

[Gregor]

Small stuff: a standard compass of 20 cm in 1/64 is really fun!

[mtaylor]

Nice work on the decks and boats, Gregor.  Thanks for that link on the boats. I'll have to take a hard look but they might work out for my build.

[Gregor]

This bench for officers (quite typical in French ships) stands as a symbol of slow progress:

But still, I managed to add a few details to my decks.

 

A closer look:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both ships now have their binnacles: Topaze a very traditional one, Mutine the new, modern version. Topaze’s compass is 25cm in diameter, that of La Mutine 25, according to the Atlas du Génie maritime.

 

 

Edited January 2, 2018 by Gregor

[Gregor]

I even added some details I dreamed up: You can find covered spars and oars in bigger, contemporary ships like La Créole (plans G. Boudriot), and animal cages under the small cutter. So that’s my gift to the Mutine for her next voyage to the Indian Ocean.

[Gregor]

As La Topaze has no cover for her spars and oars, I had to make them in order to lash them down beside the cutter – so I made the complete set.

 

 

There are still some details missing (pumps, decorations). But the next step will be a simple one: a chimney for Topaze’s galley.

 

I wish you all a happy New Year!

Gregor

[albert]

Very very nice.

[aviaamator]

Gregor! Can I see the drawing of the boat? I do not understand why the steps located far from the stem? It's important to me, I also began to build a boat for Hyacinth!

[aviaamator]

That's how the boat looks at Budrio...

[Gregor]

Hi aviaamator

My small cutter was a kit (http://www.falkonet.ru/boat2). With a little tweaking I made it look like a French boat called Youyou ("little darling") of 5 meters. I followed the tip of French modeler Bruno Orsel, who sent me the plan (sorry about the quality) he found in a French archive. Boudriot's drawing shows a bigger cutter of 6 (or 6.5) meters, as shown in the Atlas du Génie maritime, page 119.

source: https://web.archive.org/web/20120113075641/http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/02fonds-collections/banquedocuments/planbato/atlas/rec.php

[aviaamator]

Thank You, Gregor! I understand and continue to learn!

[Gregor]

It has been almost a year since I updated my log. I even worked on another project:

 

Still, some small details were added to my schooners.

First and most important, my childhood dream: A wheel! While La Topaze only had a tiller, La Mutine had a real wheel fitted. If I were to speculate, the reason for this might be found in the heavy rigging. La Mutine was probably much harder to steer than the sweetsailing Topaze (as trials in 1823 have shown).

 

Iron pumps and stoves followed (only a chimney in the case of La Topaze). 

 

La Topaze got her anchors.

 

And then, finally, both got their names! Carving failed, so I had to search for another method. I experimented with laser cutting, added putty, paint and metal letters (1.5mm).

 

Gregor

[tkay11]

How nice to see these builds continue, Gregor. As usual, beautiful work. What process and materials did you use for the stove, wheel and pumps?

 

Tony

[Gregor]

It's nice to be back, Tony (and discovering your Chaloupe, too). 

I bought  the wheel, 17 mm in diameter, from Caldercraft. It was a perfect fit for La Mutine.

Stove ans pumps were made from a wild mixture of materials: A wooden dowel, washers and polystyrene profiles for the pumps, with a brass rod and tube for their handle. A wooden cube, a thin polystyrene sheet and paper, brass rod, polystyrene profiles and lots of glue. Then paint, to cover it all. I hat great fun making them.

Gregor

[mtaylor]

Wonderful work, Gregor.  

[Gregor]

Finally, a small update: Both pairs of carronades are installed. Each is about 20 mm long.

 

 

Here on the deck of La Mutine...

 

... and on the deck of La Topaze.

 

Have a nice weekend,

Gregor

 

 

[the learner]

Great build, well documented! Thank you.

[Gregor]

In the last few months my home office has taken up more space. During this time, I pursued another small project: A gunboat from 1801, a Swedish-Russian design (A.F. Chapman), a kit from Master Korabel in 1/72nd scale.

 

But finally, I will begin the rigging of La Topaze. Some details were still missing: The rings for the belaying pins around the masts (they measure 6 mm in dameter), and the railing supports.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I’m out of excuses. My old serving machine was dusted and is ready…

 

 

Cheers

Gregor

[archjofo]

Hello Gregor,

excellent detail work .
I am very interested in the rigging work.

[Vladimir_Wairoa]

On 1/2/2018 at 2:19 PM, Gregor said:

As La Topaze has no cover for her spars and oars, I had to make them in order to lash them down beside the cutter – so I made the complete set.

 

 

There are still some details missing (pumps, decorations). But the next step will be a simple one: a chimney for Topaze’s galley.

 

I wish you all a happy New Year!

Gregor

one of the most beautiful work i ever seen ! following . 

[franzschmidb]

hello Gregor,

 

thinking about modelling La Mutine I found your very interesting posting of your two beautiful models of the schooners of the Anemone Class. But I see it is more work than I would expect.

 

And I was surprised to see your Langton brig build as Irene with a cutter in the background that looks exactly like Langtons cutter.

I have also started Langtons cutter and schooner and have more of their models on my shelf.

 

Could you show a few pictures of these little 1:300 models?

[Gregor]

Hi Franz

While the Irene is still exactly in the state shown above, I have some pictures of Langton's cutter 1:300 with its smaller sister in 1:1200. My schooners are also still in the dock, because im march 2020 I started another project (remember the "stay at home" policy?), La Belle in 1:64...

Cheers,

Gregor

 

As I guess the German language is not totally foreign to you, there are more pictures of my cutters and La Belle here: https://www.segelschiffsmodellbau.com/t8340f1466-La-Belle-Rumpfmodell-in-1.html#msg206105

 

Here is the small one, for fun 🙂

 

[archjofo]

Very nice !

[tkay11]

Sorry, @Gregor, but the images on the German site seem to be no longer available.

 

Tony

[Kevin]

6 hours ago, tkay11 said:

Sorry, @Gregor, but the images on the German site seem to be no longer available.

 

Tony

Tony the link works here

[tkay11]

Thanks, @Kevin. All I get from the link is:

Was habe ich da im Februar nur geschrieben: Knie als Rohlinge ausgesägt... Immerhin, sie sind angepasst und eingesetzt:
IMG_0545.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
IMG_0543.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
IMG_0542.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
Und noch etwas Abendstimmung:
IMG_0547.jpeg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
Bis bald,
LG Gregor

 

It may be that I have to join the forum, or something other that blocks the images for me in the UK.

 

Tony

 

[davyboy]

Tony,

 

You do have to be a member to see any photo's on their site. Non members are blocked.

 

Dave 

[tkay11]

Aaah! Thanks @davyboy!

[Gregor]

Dear Toni @tkay11 - in fond memory of our pleasurable collaboration in all things Sherbourne I will open a new build log about my La Belle (I hope the weather will be as bad as promised next saturday 🫣)

[tkay11]

@GregorThanks, Gregor. Yes indeed, that whole experience was very pleasurable and productive. I often think back to it. So I really look forward to your new build log.

 

I also look forward to your rigging plans for the Topaze whenever you get to it. There are some problems with the rigging diagrams in Boudriot's book on the Jacinthe, notably the rigging of the gaff throat and peak halyards, so it will be nice to see what you make of them. I have just started the rigging for my own Jacinthe and have been working out my own solutions using Marquardt's book on Rigs and Rigging.

 

Tony