This is my first ever build diary so please excuse any mistakes in the pictures etc, some of them might be of a lower def than I intended but I'll try to correct them as I learn the in's and out's.
The Del Prado Victory is the third wooden ship that I have built or am in the process of building, the first was the Constructo "Grimsby", advertised as an English Frigate but with only 12 guns, more of a Gun Brig really. I cut my teeth on that one, and with the help of the 'Anatomy of the Ship' book "The 20 Gun Ship Blandford" added as much extra detail as I could (new fighting tops, stern details etc. etc). A very enjoyable build she was and with extra thick single planking a good introduction to the art! I can still taste the household ammonia to this day. There will be some pictures of the Grimsby included in this build diary as comparisons to the Victory.
My second kit was actually my brother's 'Build the Bounty' partworks which he didn't have the space to build himself. This was my first introduction to the partwork kit type and again turned out well (except for the aft sails which I still haven't done yet!)
My current build is the Del Prado HMS Victory, a 1/100 scale "Outstanding naval model for everyone" as the leaflets in issue one proclaimed. Unfortunately, as the issues came in it became obvious that the model, if built according to the instructions and with the materials supplied, was not going to look anything like the prototype shown in the leaflet, which, looking at the pictures today might not have been a bad thing in it's self! Anyway, the construction came to a halt during the build and she was 'dry-docked' for a number of years until with more time to spend on her the bug returned to bite me again. This diary is the story of how her second building phase is progressing and the methods I have used to improve her overall.
If anybody else has also tried to improve this kit I would love to know what you did different and I would also like to give my great thanks to "Harty's Restoration" for giving me the inspiration to begin this diary and I hope you will enjoy it too.

Up-grading the DelPrado 1/100 Scale HMS Victory

Index (A-Z)

Pages and Posts finder:
(Eventually all the A-Z's will be linked to the diary, until then please use the page guide below to locate on which page each entry falls.)

1: 1-20 2: 21-40 3: 41-60 4: 61-80 5: 81-100 6: 101-120 7: 121-140 8: 141-160 9: 161-180 10: 181-200 11: 201-220 12: 221-240 13: 241-260 14: 261-280 15: 281-294


12lb Cannon construction: Posts # 22, 27-30, 43, 45, 74, 131, 138
Anchor Palm Blocks Post # 328
Basic Hull Structure up to second planking and painting: Posts # 1-4, [url=http://forum.model-space.co.uk/default.aspx?g=posts&m=60094#post60094]8
Belaying Racks Forecastle: Post #124
Belfrey Construction: Post #104
Binnacle Construction: Posts #77, 80
Bow Improvements: Post # 231
Bowsprit Construction: Posts # 221, 224
Carronade: Post: # 86, 139, 142
Cat Heads Construction: Posts # 51, 53
Chainwale / Channels Construction: Posts # 353
Cleats - Making scale versions: Post # 333
Copper Plating with copper foil tape: Post # 13
Crew Figures: Posts # 99, 150, 156
Deadeye Frames: Post # 347
Dry Brushing Technique: Post # 164
Enamel Wash effects: Posts # 238, 298
Fenders construction: Posts # 38, 40, Page 3 50
Fife Rail construction: Post # 12
Figurehead: Post # 208
Flag Lockers: Post # 280
Gun Port detailing: Posts # 17, 20, 31, 37, 50
Hammocks: Post # 266
Hammock Frame Jig: Posts # 263, 284
Hammock Netting Frames: Posts # 196
Hawse Holes: Post # 216
Head Timbers: Posts # 56, 63
Heart of Oak: Post # 203
Hearts Scratch Building: Posts # 238, 243, 248
Knightsheads: Posts # 230, 235
Main Hatch Steps: Posts # 92, 96
Pillars and Beam, Upper Gun Deck: Post # 46
Poop Deck Barricade: Posts # 252, 257
Poop Deck Barricades (Jotika 1805 version) Post # 322
Poop Deck Belaying Rack: Post # 277
Poop Deck Knees: Posts # 277, 280
Poop Deck Stairs: Post # 69
Ring Bolts Scratch Building: Post # 287
Ship’s Wheel construction: Post # 8
Side Entry Steps: Post # 199
Skid Beams: Posts # 179, 182, 191
Skylight Scratch Build: Post # 269
Stern Cabins internal details: Post # 4
Stern Galleries construction: Post # 6
Waist Barricades: Posts # 105, 110, 114, 168, 196
Waist Steps: Post #90

NOTE! Since I began adding the links, for some reason all the carefully numbered posts have increased their address number by 1. No idea why! but until the index is fully linked, the green numbered posts are correct but the unlinked ones will probably need 1 adding to them

NOTE #2! Something really nasty has happened to the index! It was going together exactly as I wanted when it suddenly began misbehaving. Every time I try to add a link to the post numbers it produces a line of computer gibberish instead of turning the number green as it did before. Not only that, but if I then delete the gibberish to leave just the post number, it removes the 'computerese' from the affected line alright but simultaneously turns the previously good link in the line above into gibberish instead!
At the moment, the more I try to fix it, the more of the index is becoming corrupted so I'm going to just add new subjects in plain text for now. The page links are working fine so please just use the A-Z to find the relevant post and then find its place in the page link above.
Sorry about that, it was really coming together well until then!






My build had reached the condition as seen in the first photo, keel, ribs, deck and about half of the planking before other jobs forced her into 'reserve' for a few years. In 2004 the Model Boats magazine produced a two part review of the then new Jotika 1/72 Victory in her Trafalgar configuration. Once I had read that review I decided that when my build recommenced I would try to construct her in her 1805 appearance and try to incorporate as much of the Jotika detail into a 1/100 scale version as I could.
This diary is the story of how her 'conversion' is taking place and I hope will be of help to any others out there also trying to make a 'silk purse out of a pig's ear!'
The second photo shows one of the unfortunate 'accidents' that took place during the basic hull construction. One (fortunately only one) of the metal gun ports came away from the hull as I was cutting back the planking from around the edge. Once it was rattling around inside the planked hull there was no way to get it back out, thankfully the kit did supply half a dozen or so spare units so I cut off the lug which should have secured it to the rib, threaded a string through the cannon hole knotting it securely behind and then gently filed the embrasure hole just large enough to pass the metal box through. Once it was inside I then spread a copious amount of epoxy glue around the insides of the embrasure, pulled the gun port up into position and left it overnight with a weight attached to the string which was passed over a suitable box pulling the port straight out from the hull. With a little filler the resulting repair was undetectable!

This is the basic hull almost complete. All the wales are in position now, and the first coats of paint are going on, I chose not to use the pre-formed plywood panels as supplied in the kit and instead just carried on the hull planking to cover these areas too. The bulwark sides of the quarter deck have been double planked and the upper hull decorative strips, not supplied at all in the kit have been made up from wood strip (from Cornwall Model Boats) and brass rod (there'll be a closer view of this later).
You can see in this photo that the quarter galleries are missing. Perhaps the worst aspect of this kit was the design of the stern cabin area, the big metal stern plate can be used with some super detailing and careful paint-work but the quarter galleries as supplied are totally useless. The kit actually omits the section of stern immediately below the lowest windows where Victory's name appears and goes straight to the section with the stern chaser ports, all of that would have to be scratch built as the stern build proceeded. The re-building of this section is almost a project in itself and I decided to go the whole hog with interior details and real windows (blue cardboard windows?). The one regret that I have with the stern was that I decided not to fit a multitude of yellow LEDs to illuminate the cabins and hatch ways before I finished first-planking the hull. The result is none of the hours and hours spent on the internal details can be seen without aiming a torch in through the side windows! Still, I know its in there!

From left to right, top row:
Left: The first completed (or so I thought) stern gallery unit. To the basic kit parts have been added the inner deck walls with the doorways into the quarter galleries, two new decks with chequer-board 'lino' floors (created on my PC, printed on white paper then cut and glued), the wardroom walls and rudder head cover and three little decks inside the quarter galleries.
Centre: The admirals dining table and chairs (1p piece in foreground), the table and chairsare wood with metal staples cut to size for legs.
Right: The table and chairs fitted inside the middle cabin.
Bottom row:
Left: The stern gallery glued into position with the outer walls removed. Once I had decided on purchasing better quarter galleries from CMB and they had arrived it became obvious that they were not going to fit cleanly without a fight! At the bottom left can be seen the routered slot which allows the bottom of the new gallery to fit into the hull, the gap at the top will be filled in with fillets of wood and filler.
Centre: The two new quarter galleries from CMB, the left one has the window frames fitted in wood strip and brass wire and the painting underway, the right one is 'raw' and as supplied.
Right: The raw gallery test fitting.

This photo dates from just before the stern gallery went on and shows the condition of the hull after the basic painting was completed. This will be further improved by subtle (and some not so subtle) dry-brushing with grey, and or white Admiralty paints to bring out the details in the black sections of the hull and also to accentuate the gun port drip boards as they are added.
For painting the stripes along the hull I can heartily recommend a fairly new type of masking tape which is designed to 'swell' at the edges after contact with water based paints. Its not 100% (but then no masking tape ever is) but I have found it far superior to standard tape. Its a fetching green in colour and called F*** tape (think of Kermit and you can't go wrong!)
It is more expensive than normal tape but I cut the 36mm wide tape into much thinner strips (about 7-10mm) to follow the curve of the hull so the 40m roll with last for years!

Wow you have fairly went to town on this one, looks great and I know what this kit is all about. Well done and keep it up. Mine has stalled at the moment waiting on some wood to finish the hull .

Hi Andy its coming along nicely Good stuff, Regards Mike

Breaking away from the ongoing upper hull construction for a while, this section concerns probably the best way of improving the look of any wooden sailing ship - copper tiling the lower hull. (At least those wooden ships dating from the time of the introduction of copper sheathing of course, the Santa Maria probabably wouldn't be improved by this!!) Probably thousands of modellers have used this method before me but since it forms an important part of this build I'll put it in anyway in case it might help someone.
The copper tiles were made from simple self adhesive copper tape of the kind used either for anti slug protection or dolls house electric wireing. I bought a pack of five rolls for quite a reasonable price on Ebay but still had to go back for another five later! The rolls were 6mm wide and a few metres long. The first job was to cut off lengths a few inches long and pencil mark them every 12mm. I often work in both metric and imperial at the same time! Once marked the 12mm marks were used to scribe the tape (copper side) with the back of a scalpel blade to form the individual tiles.
Once completed, two lines of rivets were pushed into the copper from the back (backing paper side) with the tip of a fine rat tail diamond file, I did start off doing the long edge rivets that way as well but it was taking a hell of a time and was giving me an aching wrist as well! Then I came up with a much better method using a fine toothed dremel type circular saw, just had to roll the saw on its shaft along the edge of the tape, imprinting the rivets as it went - far easier although still hard on the wrist! The photos below illustrate the procedure...
Top left is the rotary tool circular saw used to produce the rivets along the edges of the copper tape.
Top right is a length of the tape with the three stages of production from right to left, firstly the scoring marks into the copper side to produce the individual plates, next the side rivets produced with the point of a needle file from the backing paper side and on the left the finished plates with the long edge rivets in place.
Centre left and Bottom left shows the stern section before the rudder went on and the first rows of plates starting from the sides of the keel and working out and up.
Bottom right shows the completed coppering at the stern up to the water-line including the added rudder. The rudder hinges are non functional, I glued the rudder on (once completed) with the help of two 2mm brass rods drilled into both the rudder and the keel. The rudder hinges are made from lead tape, embossed with the rivets and pre-painted before supergluing on. Also shows the scratch built lower stern below the galleries. The curved section below the quarter gallery was built up from a sandwich of ply pieces, shaped to fit and each one slightly smaller than the one above. This was then sanded to shape and the 'steps' filled with wood filler before the final sanding and painting. The decorative borders are wood strip and the decoration on the bottom is from thin electrical solder bent into shape around a series of cocktail sticks then slightly flattened, trimmed, painted and superglued in place.

Hi catman275

Thanks for that info, I've suddenly come down with a severe headache and uncontrollable shaking!
To be fair though the Del Prado CAN be made into a pretty good model, it just takes a lot more work and effort than most kits (ask Harty!!)

Best Wishes

The photo below shows the results of most of the work from the examples above.
Of the 20 gun ports visible in this picture, 13 have been fitted with their 'lead tube' outlets for the gun lid rope tackle, this is formed from tiny lengths (approx 5mm) of 1mm x 0.25mm Round Aluminium Tube sold in packs of 4 305mm lengths from my local model shop, the pieces were cut to size with a thin cut off disk, the hole cleaned out with the same sized drill as was used to drill the two holes into the hull above the ports. After being tapped into the holes to the desired depth a drop of watery type super glue secures them in place.
The gun ports to the left are still awaiting these tubes although the bottom row has been drilled ready for them.
The finished copper plating can also be seen together with the rudder and its hinges mentioned above.
It was at this point that I discovered the slight (and overlooked) problem with the gun port lids! The lids are designed to close over the embrasures with a very small overlap flush onto the hull, as you can see in this photo however, I cut all the wales to be flush with the edge of the embrasure! This means that if the lids were simply fitted into the hinge holes, they could never shut completely.
The only way to correct this was to mark and cut back the thin decorative strips and to rebate back into the thickness of the wales to achieve the same aim. Hopefully the next photo will show the result of this extra work. So much for measuring twice and cutting once!!

Hi Harty

Getting close to the masts? Jeez I wish!
I'm halfway through the gunport drips at the moment, have completed all aft of the entry port on both sides, now working on those forward. Unfortunately my obsession with getting as much superdetailing as possible into the old girl means every little job, even the 'simple if you follow the instructions' ones will take far longer to complete! The visible cannons will be 'tackled up' and in this scale they're too small to use rigging thread so I'm trying to work out a system using thin strands from electrical wire. Then there's a whole multitude of extra bits and pieces to add on the decks (some of them even are bitts!), a glazed skylight, signal pennant lockers, the list is endless!! On the other hand of course, that's the whole point of this hobby isn't it! If we didn't get such pleasure out of creating something better than we were given to work with we'd all be doing something far easier!
It will be well into next year before the masts even get a look in, unless I decide to make them (or parts of them) as a convenient break from the hull and the more I think about it, the more appealing that looks!
You're right about the tops however, the kit parts won't be seeing the light of day. I had the same problem with my first ever wooden ship the 'Grimsby' by Constructo, the kit supplied a plywood base for the tops which was then supposed to be planked over with the deck veneer planking, the trouble was the plywood was less than 1mm thick and was already warped to hell! In the end I used my reference book "The 20 Gun Ship Blandford", part of the Anatomy of the ship series which had a very good diagram of how the platforms were made up of individual planks and I followed that, using the plywood originals for the templates to scratch build new tops using the spare hull planks from the kit. I'll be doing the same with the Victory this time around too. I've got a full set of diagrams of the tops in the "HMS Victory, her construction, career and restoration" book to provide the details and a good supply of thin square strips from CMB for the fiddly bits!
Hope you like the photos !

Below is the same area of stern hull showing the now-rebated gun ports allowing the lids to close shut (if they weren't being super-glued open that is!)
Also below are three photos of the Constructo kit the "Grimsby" showing how the fighting tops will eventually be scratch built (in about 2020 at this rate!)