Thanks for your thoughts Alan.
As you say, most of us are attempting to build a pristine Victory (myself included) at some stage of her career, pre or post Trafalgar and after spending all that money we certainly don't want to be 'knocking her about' so to speak! But there must be many who went for the Victory as their very first attempt at wooden ship modelling ( ) and who have gone on to progress and gain far more skills and talent in the process, (as you can see on this forum).
It's mainly for those looking back at what might not have been their most skilfully constructed model that might go back for a second 'go' and use their new talents to both improve and 'demolish' their first prides and joys!
It's a thought anyway!

Anyhow! talking of going back and improving, here's one I did earlier!

As I mentioned before, after building better steps for the poop and waist, I didn't like to leave the first lower waist steps which were built as per the kit instructions. Pic 1 shows the Mk1 and Mk2 versions, hopefully you can tell the difference - "No Harty! it's the other way around!! ) The new versions are both safely glued down in position now and it improves the whole waist area.
The rest of the pics illustrate the replacement of the kit metal moulded Belaying Racks with new wooden ones. The original DelPrado is shown in photo 6. To be charitable, the dimensions of these things was actually spot on with the reference drawings at least it would have been if all four of them (two for the foremast, one for the main, (wrongly moulded to stick on the deck NOT down through the two hatches) and the mizzen mast thingy) had not been horribly warped during the moulding process into bow shapes.
The construction of the replacements is basically the same as for the catheads but on a much smaller scale. Thankfully they weren't any smaller, I did discover that three slots cut into 4x3mm wood strip is as small as I can get with the extra thin cut off disc (at the third attempt). After the slots were cut the strip was cut off to size and the decorative head filed into it. After that the remainder of the strip was superglued onto the slotted end and once dry the post cut to length. I learned my lesson on the first one, trying to file the head into such a tiny bit of wood gave me cramp in my fingers! On the second I slotted then glued the slotted bit onto the remainder, which gave me a much longer and easier to hold length of wood in which to file the head into!
Once the posts were both completed I then filed a horizontal channel into the front face into which the belaying pin rack would fit. The rack was made from yet more Grimsby spare plank cut down in width by about 1/3rd and drilled out with the pin holes. Before glueing the rack to the posts I drilled up into their bases to accept a length of 7mm brass rod which will later strengthen their locating points onto the forecastle deck.
Pics 4-5 and 7-8 show the finished belaying rack in position, it has now also been painted in Admiralty Black and drybrushed. I won't be finally fixing it down until the carronades have been tackled up, there isn't much finger room down there!
I now have to make the aft rack which fortunately only has two slots in each one! and then the mainmast rack too!

See you all soon.

Robin

PS Ignore the grating in the background sitting at a funny angle - it hasn't been glued down yet!

This looks much better

Hi Robin,
Great work on your Victory model, I was searching the net for info and came across this build log. I must say, reading your 1st entry was like reading my own story, like you I subsribed to the Del Prado Victory. I have a sound and long history in modelling of all types but unlike you, this was my 1st attempt at a wooden POB ship model. Even so, I soon realised like you that the Del Prado kit was not going to be a very acurate or quality build. Although I continued with the subsciption I only built the basic framework to their instruction and supplied materials, after that I sourced meterials from sites like Model Dockyard
etc and with the help of many books and other forums, set about building a better and more detaild HMS Victory.
I too am manning the ship, but have used 15mm lead/pewter Minifigs from their Napoleonic range that came as "British Seamen", "Naval Gun Crews"
and "British Marines".
With your permission, I would like to upload some pics of my progress, as I think starting my own log would be going over much of the same ground you have already covered. Also, like you, due to other commitments etc, I put the build on hold for quite a few years, ( and many pics have been lost or misslayed), and am only now renewing my interest.
Kind regards (and great work again BTW)
Alan

Thanks Robin,
I think there are some issues with Minifigs at the moment, I bought in bulk some years back and although In have quite a few left I have run out of gun crews. With the re awakening of the project, I started looking again and it seems that they are only available from re-sellers at the moment, and no gun crews listed
Here's a shot looking down into the upper gun deck (the only part to be manned at the moment)


and a few of shots at gun deck level (skid beams removeable)

Guns look sweet Robin, nice job

Beautiful job there Robin. Love your tutorial as well.

Many thanks indeed for all your appreciative comments there boys!

I have to admit that when I started this diary it was never intended to be a tutorial, I started off simply putting up the photos of each component as it was added to the build, the 'how I did this' part just seemed to creep in as it went. Having never belonged to any modelling club or society it never occurred to me that others building their wooden ships would learn anything new from my efforts!
From the comments though, enough of my diary's viewers seem to like the inclusion of these personal solutions (which I'm making up as I go along as well as 'nicking' bits from other's diaries of course) so I'll carry on along these lines. (Just wait till we get to the rigging then the cursing will start! )
So many thanks again and I'll be back soon-ish (must do a bit more on the Brandywine some day!)

Robin

Thanks Johnny!

Here's just a quick update, the quarterdeck guns and the port side waist cannon are now all done with just another five on the starboard to go, (should really be six but on both sides the aft most waist gun was passed in through the gunport, just glueing it in position was hard enough, there's no chance at all of getting any tackle in there!)
Had one little accident fitting in the last two sets of rear tackle on the quarterdeck, marked and drilled the holes for the brass pin to drop into and had to use the 'kinked ended' tweezers to hold the pin to position it. Once gripped tightly my thumb and forefinger blocked my line of vision below the tweezers and as I went in closer to drop the pin down the hole said digits collided with that spindly fence work around the main steps and popped it completely off the deck!
Fortunately the bottom bannister rails remained glued on the lower deck so it didn't fly off completely and was soon re-PVA'd back in position so not as bad as it could have been.
That's the trouble when bare decks start to get covered in sticky out details, you not only have to glue extra bits in, you have to carefully plan your big clumsy hand's route in and out to avoid all the delicate obstacles!
Anyway, all's well and here's some of the port waist (they look so cute all bedded down with their ropes, just waiting for their crew to arrive - one day!)

Bye for now.

Robin

Thanks for that Hans, I found a nice cheap set of sprung tweezers, one kinked and one straight in our local Tool Shed outlet in the £1 section yesterday so I'll give that a try soon!

Here's a quick update on the Carronades in the bow area, one is completed and the other just needs the running out tackle so hopefully the next couple of days should see the last of the detailed guns completed!
Coming up soon should be the entry steps up the sides of the hull

And many thanks to all my 'visitors' who have pushed the diary beyond the 10,000 mark!

See you soon

Robin

Looking great matey

J