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 Rank: Vice-Master     Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Tuesday, May 13, 2014 Work on the gunport lids is still ongoing . . Today I fixed the gun half-barrels on the left side, using the same method tried yesterday on the right side. After this activity, I started to experiment the mounting of the ropes, on the external side of the lids, that serve to raise them. I think this is the most boring part of this group of activities. For today I have limited myself to work on six / seven doors to find the best method in terms of results but also in search of the more practical execution. I tried a couple of solutions and at the end I found what I prefer. For now I will only show three images of how the gunport lids look like once finished. As soon as I have more time I will describe the procedure in detail. 01 P1090796.jpg  02 P1090795.jpg  03 P1090794.jpg  Greetings to all, Jack.Aubrey.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Friday, May 16, 2014 Today I continued to work on the gunports and at the end I managed to finish the entire right side. I thought it was a longer work, however, using the "improved" method, it was smoother and faster. Below are some pictures (taken with the smartphone) of the ship side with all the gunport lids opened. The sight on the side seems to me considerably richer and more crowded with the new details . . Now that a good deal of work has been done and, above all, I optimized the method of working, I'll try in the next post to list all the necessary steps to complete a port lid like the ones shown, starting from the beginning. Sincerely, Jack. 01 CAM00184.jpg  02 CAM00185.jpg  03 CAM00186.jpg  04 CAM00187.jpg 
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 Rank: Pro Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/02/2014 Posts: 124 Points: 376 Location: Wales, UK
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Rank: Vice-Master  Groups: Registered
Joined: 26/05/2014 Posts: 912 Points: 2,773 Location: East Sussex UK
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Looks superb Jack. Paul Building: DelPrado HMS Victory. Building: DeAgostini Sovereign Of The Seas.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Thanks cruorangelussilicis and Gibbo for your positive comments.Wednesday, May 21, 2014 I finished all the activities for the gunport lids also on the remaining side. To work on the right side I developed a more practical, quick and "rope saving" method then the one used previously . . . it was much, much better. There are no aesthetical differences but the process was better on everything else. I found also some time to fix the guns, or rather the half-barrels, of the upper deck. These guns are lighter than the same on the underlaying decks and the port lids are here substituted by a golden decoration which defines the outer edge. I would say that 95% of the guns of the three decks are installed: there are now remaining four guns aft and two hunting. Regarding the sixteen guns located on the forecastle and the quarterdecks it is a totally different matter: these are completed with blocks, ropes and tackles. First problem: I need to use blocks of suitable size, similar to the ones used for the guns on the upper deck below the waist. Those provided by the De Agostini partwork are simply "enormous", totally out of scale. I have to find them. I raised an order to a model shop . . If these missing pieces will become available in a short time I'll probably start working on these 16 guns. If not I'll start working on the bow: head, figurehead, bowsprit, etc. We'll see what next. Regards, Jack. 01 CAM00198.jpg  02 CAM00197.jpg  03 CAM00192.jpg  04 CAM00196.jpg  05 CAM00195.jpg 
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Friday, May 23, 2014 Today I finished the installation of the (half barrel) guns . . . Here below the two gunport lids and guns at the beakhead bulkhead. 01 CAM00199.jpg  . . and here the four guns aft, installed under the lower gallery. Given their "uncomfortable" position it was more complicated to assemble the whole but after various body contortions it was achieved decently. 02 CAM00200.jpg  03 CAM00201.jpg  Sincerely, Jack.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Sunday, May 25, 2014 Closed the guns parenthesis, I shifted my interest on the head and, at the same time, I decided to install at the end of each working session some new decorations. In fact, at this stage there are still many decorative elements missing; but their management requires quite a long time due to the long time needed for the epoxy to harden. So with this strategy every day I will apply something that will be able to harden during the intervals between one sessions and the next one, an average of 20/24 hours. Pinrails at the mizzen mast. The instructions provide for a different location for the pinrails back of this mast, but honestly, although there was enough space for its placement where indicated, it did not seem to me there was also the possibility of operating it "seriously". So I installed it on the deck immediately above, where its operation should be completely assured. 01 CAM00206.jpg  Installing the bowsprit, or rather the stump of the bowsprit: also this mast must follow the fate of the other three. I think it is coming quite well. To get to the result seen in the two images, I needed two separate sessions: in the first I focused in creating the conditions for properly fix the mast and, at the end, secure it; in the second finishments, painting and fix the ropes that bind the bowsprit at the stem. 02 CAM00205.jpg  03 CAM00202.jpg  Finally, some new decorations attached to the poop: I leave to more willing and eager of you the task (or pleasure) to locate them: once they have been positioned I cannot not touch the model until the next day . . 04 CAM00204.jpg  05 CAM00203.jpg  See you soon, Jack.Aubrey.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Tuesday, May 28, 2014Tuesday I could not do much more than just sticking some new decorations on the poop. Their position did not allow me to proceed further until glue was dried . . that is, until the next day. Below the top four support columns, human shaped ? . . I do not know exactly what they represent . . which connect the intermediate gallery with the upper part. The left side has already been completed on Sunday. 01 CAM00210.jpg  And here two other columns that have the same function between the upper gallery and the intermediate . . 02 CAM00212.jpg  Finally, while I sat in silence watching the model without being able to touch it, I realized that I glued the two decorations on the transom in reversed order. The horse heads had to be outside while I've fixed just the opposite. It's a big trouble now because I think it's pretty complicated, perhaps even impossible, to detach them. Surfing the internet it seems that there is no treatment or solvent that can soften the epoxy glue once polymerized. The only alternative seems to be a mechanical action . . impractical in my case without causing not predictable damage. I'll leave the problem to settle, it will not run away . . within a week or more it will be still in the same place. 03 CAM00211.jpg  Having nothing else to show and considering now completed the installation of the guns and gunport lids, I feel it's now the right moment to list the steps in the exact sequence used for their assembly. 1) - preparation of the wooden part of the lid; it is a work described some time ago; here it is useful to remember that on these pieces, reproduced in image http://forum.model-space.co.uk/default.aspx?g=posts&t=11962&p=8 October 13, 2012 - Gun port lids", I applied the two small copper bars simulating the hinges with some cyan gel glue; 2) - drill the three holes required to insert the eyebolts; 3) - bond eyebolts with liquid cyan glue; the outer two on the upper face and the center one on the bottom; 4) - glue the gunport lid on the hull; glue used: epoxy for robustness and cyan (gel) for fast fixing; 5) - drill the upper left or right side of the inner wall of the hull inside the gunport with 0.5 mm drill to insert and lock a rope head; 6) - put the rope through the hole and let scroll it into for one cm. or more; then place a thin brass nail into the same hole; leave a small drop of cyan on the nail head and push it fully into the hole so that the glue holds the nail and the rope together; with a round brush touch up the tip of the nail head in black. 7) - fix the other end of the rope to the center bottom eyebolt, leaving the rope rather abundant; fix the knot with a dash of liquid cyan; 8) - drill the hole for the half barrel guns; to make the hole in every gun-port in the same place I have prepared a template that helps positioning; glue the half barrel, aged earlier, with liquid cyan glue; 9) - now it's the moment of the two ropes that are used to open the lid; first drill two holes of 0.5 mm where insert the rope; 10) - put the rope as in step 6, and then the brass nail, etc; connect the other end of the rope to the eyebolt and run a knot holding the rope taut; consolidate the knot with a drop of liquid cyan and step on the second rope of the lid in the same way. All this for about 70 times . . I must also say that in order to develop this apparently simple approach I have tried different alternatives but the one here described, in my opinion, is the best. Sincerely, Jack.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Saturday, June 7, 2014 Since last Saturday I was engaged by homeworks: installation of an air conditioning system and subsequent wall painting of the three "air-conditioned" rooms. Obviously I was not the "main protagonist", it is not my field of expertise, but it was enough to distract me for almost the whole week from any work on the Soleil Royal. I'm currently working on the preparation of what in italy we call "serpi". Unfortunately I do not know the right english term but I hope the images will help. Shortly I'm writing of two pre-cut pieces of plywood of 1.5 mm. thickness. The preparation is trivial, but their installation at first sight has caused me a lot of doubts: the instructions recommend to well soak these pieces and then paste them. Undoubtedly the main problem is "weakness". In addition, you will have later to work for painting and applying golden decoration on the pieces: basically a "hard work". . with several difficulties. . I think it would be better to work on the piece not mounted on the hull, apply all the decorations, paint the whole and only at this point apply the resulting, finished piece. In order to use this method I decided to reinforce the precut plywood (of not very high quality wood) pasting with glue a fine fabric on the inside. The idea is to avoid breaking when bending during the final bonding. In the two photos you can see to the two "serpi", the one on the right is the outer part, the left shows the inner part treated with the fabric. On the whole a couple of coats of diluted vinyl and finally a coat of primer: the objective is to harden the wood as much as possible. Will it work ? I hope . . 01 CAM00217.jpg  02 CAM00218.jpg  Finally, I worked on a "custom" version of two decorations located below the poop lower gallery. The decorations supplied by De Agostini are made to be mounted on a flat surface. On my model, unfortunately, this surface is absolutely not flat, so the piece does not fit at all. It seems that the problem is not only mine but many other modellers encountered the same. At the time I evaluated several solutions, which I have already discusse time ago and I don't want to repeat, but today I tried another solution. You can see it in the picture below. 03 CAM00219.jpg  Immage disappeared Unlike the original pieces, in the image pointed by link 04 marked with (2), this is in copper wire twisted and welded which can be modeled on the shape of the surface, and then adapted perfectly. It is aesthetically much more simpler . . All for today, it seems quite nothing but it needed a lot of time and efforts . . really. Regards, Jack.Aubrey.
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Rank: Vice-Master  Groups: Registered
Joined: 19/03/2010 Posts: 602 Points: 1,679 Location: Lincs
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I'd love to know how you all keep these build so clean as they come together? Mine are covered in saw dust, bits of off cut wood, glue and house dust!! You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
Built:
Golden Star, English Brig. RMS Titanic. (Academy 1/400 Centenary Anniversary Edition) Revell-Monogram 1/48 B-29 Superfortress 1:8 Baron von Richthofen's Fokker Tri-plane. HMS Victory. Nelsons Flag Ship. Sultan Arab Dhow. Artesania Latina Carmen II. The Battleship Yamato. Model Airways Wright Flyer 1:16 Scale. Trumpeter Bismarck 1/200. HMS Sovereign of the Seas. The Black Pearl.
Building:HMS Surprisel. Hatchette U96. Soleil Royal.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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riff-raff wrote:I'd love to know how you all keep these build so clean as they come together?
Mine are covered in saw dust, bits of off cut wood, glue and house dust!! I periodically use an air compressor with the right airbruch type to remove the dust on the model. In addition every two weeks I clean and rearrange my workshop. Usually I spend a hour to do this cleaning work . . during this work usually my mind is free to plan new things on the model and this is a great help. Regards, Jack.
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Rank: Pro  Groups: Registered
Joined: 19/07/2014 Posts: 209 Points: 580 Location: Delecombe, Victoria, Australia
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Well Jack what can I say this build is stunning 
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Thursday, June 12, 2014 While I'm working on the preparation of the "serpi", that I decided to finish before mounting them on the hull (could prove a risky decision but so I decided ..) I work also on other tasks: at the moment I'm finishing the installation of the stern decorations. It is an activity that involves a lot of downtime because the epoxy glue. In fact, only for a few decorations I've been able to use the trick of using a small amount of cyano-acrylate together the epoxy . . for many this was not possible. Here is a roundup from right to left of the stern, almost finished: the poop three lanterns and some other minor details are still missing. Only at the very end I will apply a light coating of oil or transparent paint to hide some few spots of glue that could not be, despite all my attention, avoided. The two statues that sit on either side of the upper balcony should be treated with bitumen of Judea to age their color. 01 P1090815.jpg  02 P1090816.jpg  03 P1090817.jpg  04 P1090818.jpg  05 P1090819.jpg  See you soon, Jack.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Friday, June 13, 2014 Today I finally installed the figurehead. . after . . the usual 24 hours waiting for the glue to polymerize . . Unlike the two statues of the stern, the figurehead has been already processed with bitumen of Judea. See you soon, Jack. 01 P1090820.jpg  02 P1090822.jpg  03 P1090821.jpg 
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Sabato 14 Giugno 2014 A couple on new small details at the poop . . 01 P1090823.jpg  While at the bow I've added some "personal" details to improve some small areas near the figurehead. At the moment it is only an initial customization, still in the process to be finalized 02 P1090824.jpg  03 P1090825.jpg  Cheers, Jack.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Sunday, June 22, 2014In the three images below I want to show the two pieces of the "serpi", and then completely finished ready to be mounted on the bow of the Soleil. The first two images show the "serpi" in the outer part, while the third shows one of these viewed from the inside, without any decoration and simply painted in blue. As you can imagine this is not the result of a single work session, but the last of a long approach: it suffices to say that I started working on these details a fortnight ago. Now it only remains to find the best way to mount them on the bow, which is far from obvious; for example if it happens to break the piece would really be a big problem. As often happens when I don't know how to proceed, I use to leave settle the problem and I'm going to do something else. A couple of technical details: the decorations provided by De Agostini are bonded with epoxy glue, while the copper twisted wires are glued using cyanoacrylate, the one packaged with the brush. A final coat of clear matt varnish then aesthetically harmonized the whole. 01 P1090828.jpg  02 P1090829.jpg  03 P1090830.jpg  See you next time, Jack.Aubrey.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Sunday, June 22, 2014These days I worked also to prepare the three poop lanterns. Of course, what you see in the pictures here below presented is only the "virtually" final phase of the process. Who has already built for this model these lanterns knows how the whole thing was made up of several pieces to assemble. In particular, there were two photo-etched elements that had to be folded and welded to obtain a cylinder with openings and a semi-cone on which to fix the other three, metal cast, elements. To be honest the first two pieces were not prepared to match in measure the remaining three, but with some work with small files I managed to get an agreement with the rest. However, it was another experience with soldering that forced me to face a total new problem. In particular, the mass of the pieces in cast metal needed to heat these piece quite well to make tin melting. . while the photo-etched pieces, with a mass extremely limited, tended to make melting tin too early and detach themselves due too much heat. However at the end I went successful, adding a new experience in this field: how to weld pieces of mass rather different. The first two photographs show the three lanterns with a couple of coats of metal primer, applied with the airbrush. . 01 P1090832.jpg  02 P1090831.jpg  The remaining show the same pieces with a coat of color, which at this time I would define as provisional, since I have not yet decided whether to continue with goldening or use a couple of other colors, such as blue and red, the colors already present on other details of this model. Honestly, I'm being tempted by the second solution. 03 P1090834.jpg  04 P1090835.jpg  See you next time, Jack.Aubrey
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Friday, June 27, 2014 - The last cannonThe first image in this post shows the guns included by De Agostini in the weekly issues of Soleil Royal. Time ago I prepared them painted (the carriages) and burnished (the guns). In a few days they would have had to be installed on the upper decks of the ship. . . P1080084.jpg  But. . . from the beginning I was not convinced about these guns and I started to perform thorough researches on the internet and in some specialized magazines to find references. yet. . . I found nothing; this kind of gun seems to be present on almost all models from the Soleil Royal kits but I never found references on other more reliable sources. An authoritative publication (ANCRE) about a vessel of the same historic age of Soleil Royal shows instead that all the guns available on it were with four-wheel carriages and especially they hadn't the strange shape that seems peculiar of the anti-personnel guns (swivels) fixed on the walls. So I decided to discard them and use the configuration proposed by ANCRE for the french Ambitieux. So instead of a single model of gun and carriage I decided to use three types of guns/carriages: eight of greater size (or weight of the ball), in any case suitable to be installed on high decks, four intermediate and four light for the highest decks. You can see the three types in the first image. Of course, the barrels are currently only positioned. 01 P1090836.jpg  The eight guns of larger size (brass) . . 02 P1090837.jpg  The four intermediate and light (iron cast). . 03 P1090838.jpg  04 P1090840.jpg  In a few days I will probably start the activities to install them in place. Greetings to all, Jack.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Saturday, June 28, 2014 - more detailsIn the meantime, I painted with gold some details that before I just sketched at the bow, this way they are much more remarkable and visible than in natural wood . . 01 P1090844.jpg  Even the poop lanterns are now painted in the final configuration, here I have deliberately limited the golden areas because it seemed to me exaggerated if totally painted with gold . . 02 P1090839.jpg  In addition I installed some new pin-rails, a little improvisation in the absence of more credible references and above all I have used metal pins (not the ones provided by De Agostini) from my personal reserve fixed to the rail with a thin film of cyano-acrylate glue. 03 P1090843.jpg  04 P1090842.jpg  05 P1090841.jpg  Slowly I'm approaching the conclusion of this shipyard: the biggest hurdle is the assembly of the "Serpi" and the installation of the poop lanterns; they are relatively risky operations and whom practical implications have yet to be deeply considered. . the risk may be remarkable. Regarding the guns, instead, it's only a matter of time and, obviously, a lot of patience. Sincerely, Jack.Aubrey.
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Rank: Vice-Master Groups: Registered
Joined: 28/05/2014 Posts: 938 Points: 2,823 Location: Milan (Italy)
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Sunday, July 6, 2014 - "Serpi" During this week I could not produce a lot, due to multiple commitments to other matters not related to ship modeling. The major achievement of this past week was that I finally set at bow the so called "serpi". An operation that took me three working sessions spread over three different days. Day 1: I made two pieces of wood, carefully shaped, applied to the stem support of the bowsprit, exactly in the area where I would have to glue the front side of the "serpi". Their shape is designed so as to maintain the correct angle of the "serpi" in this area and provide a large surface of bonding. Day 2: I glued the first of two "serpi". The bonding is at both ends and was performed with the two-component epoxy glue. 10 minutes of work and one day of waiting. Day 3: same operation on the second day with the other piece. I also worked about some other small details that I will explain in a future post. For the moment that's all . . 01 P1090848.jpg  02 P1090850.jpg  03 P1090849.jpg  04 P1090851.jpg  Cheers, Jack.Aubrey.
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