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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, August 25th, 2023I applied a quick coat of oil for wood to even out the color of the various pieces . . 01 La Belle Photos/IMG20230823111138.jpg  In this second image you can see the slight adjustments I had to make on the portside hawse lock to be able to fix it in the correct position . . 02 La Belle Photos/IMG20230823111145.jpg  Some general views of the model as it appears today . . 03 La Belle Photos/IMG20230823182128.jpg  04 La Belle Photos/IMG20230823182144.jpg  05 La Belle Photos/IMG20230823182154.jpg  06 La Belle Photos/IMG20230823182216.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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Friday, September 29th, 2023In this message I show the situation of the model about a week ago, after almost a month in which I have not published anything. This was because there was little interesting material to show. Instead it was a very challenging time to make the little things you can see. Why? Because several problems have emerged resulting from errors made during the construction of the frames and hawse oarlocks. Errors probably also mine, but which I am convinced can also be attributed to the way in which these pieces were built (obviously by following the assembly instructions). If Hachette had adopted a different method this would not have happened. We will return to the topic in a future message, hoping to clarify the matter. The activities of this period were concentrated exclusively on applying the internal planking. Since the presentation of the model is different on the port side from the starboard side, the planking will be applied asymmetrically, so don't be scared if you notice this fact in the images: it is not a mistake but it is done on purpose. In the next two images, notice the planking in detail on the bow and stern. 01 La Belle Photos/IMG20230920092810.jpg  And precisely in image 01 you can observe a big problem: the internal curvature of the hawse oarlocks does not continue or follow the curvature of the lines of the hull in the part where the frames are. This fact forced me to operate in the horrible way you can observe in the photo. Luckily for me, as the model progresses, this eyesore will be less and less visible until it disappears with the pieces that will be added in this area in the next tasks. We will see the causes of this error later. 02 La Belle Photos/IMG20230920092803.jpg  03 La Belle Photos/IMG20230920092835.jpg  04 La Belle Photos/IMG20230920092926.jpg  05 La Belle Photos/IMG20230920092939.jpg  Finally, the last photograph shows how even several frames are far from perfect, especially on the internal part. Here it is common to observe some frames where the planking does not rest on them. Assuming that the pieces to assemble the frames were precise, which I think is true, the error can only lie in the procedure for assembling them, a procedure obviously described in the instructions and followed correctly by me. We will also see in this case why and how we could have done better. 06 La Belle Photos/IMG20230920093049.jpg  See you soon. In the next message we will try to understand the causes of these errors and how they could be avoided. 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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Monday, October 23rd, 2023
In my previous message I highlighted two problems that arose during the installation of the stringers inside the hull.
The first problem, the one linked to the shape of the hawse oarlocks, is quite evident: its curvature does not exactly follow the trend of the stringers in the remaining parts of the hull. The problem could be due to an incorrect execution of the activities related to their building, quite complex in truth, or to the chosen construction method.
Honestly, I'm not able to understand what exactly happened: perhaps more effective templates were needed to more precisely define the internal and external shape of the piece. The kit offers two templates for the upper and lower ends, perhaps, to achieve a better result, others would have been needed in the intermediate areas.
The second problem, however, is linked to the shape of the frames themselves: some show a clear discordance with the previous or subsequent frames, resulting in a trend with humps on the stringers. This second problem is easier to control but highlights, in my opinion, an incorrect method for assembling the individual frames. In my opinion there would have been a more accurate one.
In my message of July 17, 2023 I showed some frames assembled according to the method proposed by Hachette. As you can see, Hachette supplies an MDF element that acts as a spacer for the upper ends of the frame itself. This element ensures that the frame has the right width.
However, nothing is provided to control the shape of the frame in the lower part of it.
To overcome this problem, see message dated 19 July 2023, with the clear intention of allowing a more correct assembly, at least from a mirrored perspective, I have prepared a grid over which to build the frame itself.
With hindsight I can write that it would have been better to have a printout underneath with the precise, total shape of the frame, as it's also recommended by various sources.
In theory I could have done it, as I have the original drawings of Boudriot's "La Belle" monography.
But it's a shame that these drawings are in a different scale so I hadn't thought it necessary to do all the work of modifying the drawings. And now I'm paying the price: for the external part of the frame the problem can be fixed later quite easily when I'll have to plank externally, but for the internal part this has almost always proven impossible.
I don't know how clear I was in my exposition. If you have problems following my reasoning, ask and I will try to do what I can to clarify.
Best regards, 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, October 24thd, 2023In the meantime, after my last message where I showed the progress made, I didn't stop working, but I continued to install other details until I even started the assembly of some beams. First I had to finish the complete installation of the internal planking, on the bow and stern areas, interrupted however after a few frames, while in the central part of the hull the plankng is deliberately left asynchronous, i.e. with more planks on one side than the other. Once this phase was completed I then installed the stern and bow garlands ( I'm not sure this is the correct english term of italian naval term ghirlanda), details which are highlighted in the next two images. For the stern garlands I had no particular problems, while the two at bow had to be completely redo due to the well-known problem caused by the different internal shape of the hawse oarlocks. I also installed the mainmast basement. This detail can be seen in the second image below. 01 La Belle Photos/2023-10-06/IMG20231010170034.jpg  02 La Belle Photos/2023-10-06/IMG20231010170052.jpg  Then the work continued in the stern area with the installation of some beams and then the deck of the captain's cabin. This area seems successful to me and has increased my enthusiasm, enthusiasm that was diminished a little during the previous tasks, mainly the internal planking, due to the problems already highlighted. 03 La Belle Photos/2023-10-23/IMG20231023164322.jpg  04 La Belle Photos/2023-10-23/IMG20231023164331.jpg  05 La Belle Photos/2023-10-23/IMG20231023164338.jpg  In the bow area for the moment I installed only the foremast basement, but here too there are interesting innovations coming. 06 La Belle Photos/2023-10-23/IMG20231023164342.jpg  07 La Belle Photos/2023-10-23/IMG20231023164347.jpg  08 La Belle Photos/2023-10-23/IMG20231023164401.jpg  That's all for now, I'm also happy that, as I continue with the work, the evident mistake on the bow will become less and less visible until disappearing from sightview almost completely. Until next time. Best regards, 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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I'm trying to adopt a bi-lingual style of posting messages; perhaps may be useful to someone ? Wednesday, October 25th, 2023Il lavoro continua. Ho aggiunto un paio di nuovi bagli e, sopratutto ho aggiunto una paratia che divide la stiva di poppa dal resto dello scafo. Nelle due foto che seguono si può osservare la paratia abbastanza facilmente, sia davanti che dietro. My work continues. I added a couple of new beams and, above all, I added a bulkhead that keeps separate the stern hold from the rest of the hull. In the following two images you can see this bulkhead quite easily, both front and rear. 01 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231025192030.jpg  02 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231025192047.jpg  Thursday, October 26th, 2023Aggiunto altri due bagli. La paratia comincia ad essere meno visibile nelle foto. Osservare i dettagli nella stiva diventa sempre più complicato . . . Here I added two more beams. The bulkhead is now starting to be less visible in these photos. Observing the details in the hold becomes from now on increasingly complicated . . . 01 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231026181422.jpg  02 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231026181453.jpg  Monday, October 30th, 2023Altri bagli aggiunti: qui è presente una variante in coincidenza con un probabile apertura sul ponte. Queste foto, a differenza di quasi tutte le altre, sono state scattate alla luce naturale; da qui la differenza evidente di colore. Inoltre i bagli più chiari non sono ancora stati trattati con olio impregnante e ravvivante per legno. Below other beams added: here there is a variant coinciding with a probable opening on the deck. These photos, unlike almost all the others, were taken in daylight; hence the obvious color difference. Furthermore, the lighter beams have not yet been treated with the wood impregnating and reviving oil that I usually apply. 01 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231030102953.jpg  02 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231030103021.jpg  03 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231030103031.jpg  04 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231030103046.jpg  05 La Belle Photos/2023-10-30/IMG20231030103059.jpg  A questo punto è prevista una nuova paratia che dovrebbe creare una ulteriore nuova area nella stiva. At this point a new bulkhead is planned which should create a further new separated area in the hold. Best regards, 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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Saturday, November 11th, 2023In recent days the weather has been bad, even very bad, and so I haven't been able to work much in my workshop due to the low temperature and the lack of heating. In the few suitable days I proceeded to add a couple of details. In the first image you can see the installation of a new vertical bulkhead . . . 01 La Belle Photos/2023-11-10/IMG20231110172439.jpg  In this other image the presence of two pillars which also act as ladders to access the hold. Evidently there was very little space on this ship . . . 02 La Belle Photos/2023-11-10/IMG20231110172456.jpg  See you next time . . . Best regards, 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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Wednesday, November 15th, 2023In recent days I started installing the beams in the bow area. However, before applying the beams, I had to install a small platform positioned at the bottom of the hold. And here I ran into an error in the assembly instructions that made me install this platform in correspondence with the wrong frame: in short, I applied the platform starting from frame VI while the correct one was VII. The problem is that by the time I realized it, it was too late. And this error emerged a few building instructions issues later, when I had to apply a bulkhead at the bow (similar to the other two I already applied at the stern): this had to fall exactly next to the platform but due to the error this was not possible and the bulkhead fell on it. Consequently I took the liberty of modifying the model as you can see in the image below (and also in the last one). Purists will probably be shocked but unfortunately that's how it happened. This fact teaches me that it is always better to read well beyond the dossier you are working on.
In questi giorni ho iniziato ad installare i bagli nella zona di prua. Però, prima di applicare i bagli, ho dovuto installare una piccola piattaforma posizionata in fondo alla stiva. E qui sono incappato in un errore presente nelle istruzioni di montaggio che mi hanno fatto installare questa piattaforma in corrispondenza di un ordinata sbagliata: in breve ho applicato la piattaforma a partire dall'ordinata VI mentre quella corretta era la VII. Il problema è che quando me ne sono accorto era ormai troppo tardi. E questo errore è emerso alcuni fascicoli dopo, quando ho dovuto applicare una paratia a prua (simile alle altre due già applicate a poppa): questa doveva cadere esattamente a lato della piattaforma ma a causa dell'errore ciò non è stato possibile e la paratia vi cadeva sopra. Di conseguenza mi sono preso la libertà di modificare il modello come potete osservare nell'immagine qui sotto (e anche nell'ultima). I puristi rimarranno probabilmente sconvolti ma purtroppo è andata così. Il fatto mi insegna che conviene sempre andare a leggere ben oltre il fascicolo su cui si sta lavorando. 01 La Belle Photos/2023-11-15/IMG20231115104704.jpg  02 La Belle Photos/2023-11-15/IMG20231115104712.jpg  03 La Belle Photos/2023-11-15/IMG20231115104723.jpg  04 La Belle Photos/2023-11-15/IMG20231115104730.jpg  05 La Belle Photos/2023-11-15/IMG20231115104800.jpg  Alla prossima . . See you nezt time . . . Best regards, 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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Saturday, November 18th, 2023Ho terminato l'installazione dei bagli a prua, completando certi elementi mancanti. Rimane solo da installare i BARROCCI. Mi scuso per il termine nautico in italiano ma non ho trovato l'equivalente in lingua inglese. Si tratta di barre in legno che collegano un baglio all'altro. Settimana prossima mi trasferirò per circa un mese nella mia vecchia abitazione presso Milano e sono così costretto ad interrompere le attività di modellismo. Visto poi l'arrivo del periodo natalizio, credo che ricomincerò a lavorare da inizio nuovo anno. Quindi, anche se molto in anticipo, auguro a tutti voi buone feste. Qui sotto alcune foto del modello com'è oggi
I finished installing the bow beams, completing some missing elements. All that remains is now to install the BARROCCI. I apologize for the nautical term in Italian language but I have not found the equivalent in English. BARROCCI are wooden bars that connect one beam to another. Next week I will move to my old home near Milan for about a month and I am forced to stop my ship modeling activities. Given the arrival of the Christmas period, I think I will start working again from the beginning of the new year. So, although very early, I wish you all merry Christmas and happy holidays. Here below some images of the model as it is today. 01 La Belle Photos/2023-11-18/IMG20231118145800.jpg  02 La Belle Photos/2023-11-18/IMG20231118145816.jpg  03 La Belle Photos/2023-11-18/IMG20231118145834.jpg  04 La Belle Photos/2023-11-18/IMG20231118145839.jpg  Alla prossima . . See you next time . . . Best regards, Jack Aubrey.
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