Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Ray Rivers on December 10, 2019, 03:28:05 PM
-
I have pretty much painted every era I have any interest in during my 40+ years in this hobby with one exception: the Age of Sail. I never took the plunge because the ships used for this era were always too small for me. However, with the release of Warlord Games Black Seas and ships at 1/700th scale, looks like I have finally gotten an opportunity to tackle this one last interest.
So... I jumped in with both feet and bought the L'Orient and Victory 1st Rate ships of the line. I decided to try the L'Orient first.
Here is a (rather poor) photo of the basic hull (4 and 1/4 inches long) with the bowsprit attached and the masts:
(http://i.imgur.com/9OBDfXX.jpg) (https://imgur.com/9OBDfXX)
Overall, the hull is gorgeous and filled with great detail. I noticed though that there was a lack of attachment points for the rigging, especially back stays for the masts. The Dolphin Striker (the vertical spar in the middle of the bowsprit) was also a bit short. All the masts were in fairly poor condition with lots of twists and bends that needed to be straightened out. The bowsprit itself was a bit@h to attach and it took me a while to do a decent job.
After I did a fair job of straightening out the masts I found that the entry points into the hull were too large. I drilled holes into these areas and then tapered the masts so they can be positioned on the ship without falling. I built a standard base which consists of card and a thin aluminum sheet which prevents the base from warping. After attaching the hull to the base I decided the base was too long and shorted it. I then applied milliput and tried to give a basic rolling ocean effect.
Here is what it looks like:
(http://i.imgur.com/kJiRdGm.jpg) (https://imgur.com/kJiRdGm)
Before I put the base (5 inches long) and hull together I also added 2 attachment points for the masts back stays. I did this by placing the mast on the hull, placing the ratlines, and then noting where the ratlines ended on the planking to show me where to add the attachment points. To do this I drilled two holes for each mast and then inserted small pieces of sewing needles. I also removed the dolphin striker and replaced it with a longer piece of rod.
This photo indicates the modifications:
(http://i.imgur.com/ZSkR0eh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/ZSkR0eh)
At this point I need to do some work on the milliput ocean which will be mainly sanding. I think I may have gone too high with the waves and so I will lower them a bit and also the little bits and bobs I added need to be flattened a bit more as they are only intended to break up the large flat surfaces. I intend to use some water effects where the water meets the hull but that will be one of the last things I do. So after some sanding, I will be able to get down and do some painting. *joy*
We'll see how it comes out. I don't have huge expectations, but I am excited about the project. I really like the model.
Not sure when I will update the thread. Probably after painting the hull.
Cheers!
-
So I realized with such a big project, I needed to go more step by step.
The next thing I did was take a scalpel and sand paper and try to improve the milliput base a bit. What I wanted was to lower the waves some and to blend the blotches I pasted on to break up the large open areas. Here is the result:
(http://i.imgur.com/hLMjfe7.jpg) (https://imgur.com/hLMjfe7)
It came out ... well, more or less. Not going to worry about the base at this time. It will need some more work later.
I then primed the model white and gave the base a very washy dark blue. I used Foundry Deep Blue Shade which is equivalent to Citadel Kantor Blue. Here is the result:
(http://i.imgur.com/dNJ4iDV.jpg) (https://imgur.com/dNJ4iDV)
So the base is looking pretty poor at the moment but I'm not going to worry about it. I did manage to give the model a very light base coat which was my major goal. Unlike the frigates and brigs that I have seen, this ship's details are not so pronounced. So for example, the deck planking is not nearly as clearly molded as the plastic models.
With that said, I can now start painting the actual model and I will tackle that deck planking first and see how it comes out.
Till next time...
-
Nice start, I shall be watching this one with interest.
-
Very interesting. I've never painted anything like this either, so very keen to see how it develops. Keep at it Ray. :)
-
Thanks for dropping by, Nick!
I haven't tried them before either so who knows how it will turn out! o_o
-
Good work so far Ray. Watching with interest. These are quite appealing I must admit.
-
Hi Richard! Thanks.
So... before painting the deck I tried out a few colors. Whenever I'm doing a new project I always use a test mini to try out my colors. Here's what that looks like:
(http://i.imgur.com/WDjlapD.jpg) (https://imgur.com/WDjlapD)
In that photo you can see I tried a number of ways to do the sea. One was with paper... what a disaster! One was with silicon, which wasn't so bad but it was way to shiny so I painted over it and it came out okay. The last was the milliput attempt and I decided to go with that.
Dunno... maybe I should get rid of the miliput and go with the silicon. Any opinions?
What you also see is how I decided to do my decking. The front of the model was painted with Citadel Ushabti Bone and then washed with Agrax Earthshade. It came out really great, but my test model has far deeper groves than the L'Orient, so it won't look the same and have a lot less detail.
To try to get as much of the detail to pop as possible, I first washed the deck twice with Ushanti Bone to get some color into the recesses, but not fill them. I then dry brushed the deck to give a good solid color.
So anyway, last night I spent a few hours painting up the top deck. Here is what it looks like:
(http://i.imgur.com/wjLv17a.jpg) (https://imgur.com/wjLv17a)
Wow! That took a lot of time! Tons of stuff to paint nice and tidy. The next step will be to wash the entire thing in Agrax Earthshade. We'll see how that turns out...
-
Still watching with interest. Looking like a good start.
-
Still watching with interest. Looking like a good start.
Thanks. Your interest is appreciated. :)
-
I think the silicone looks much better - surely shininess is an advantage for water?
I do my sea bases by painting green/blue then putting artists acrylic texture medium over the top. This goes on milky but dries clear
(https://i.imgur.com/vQ4ByFW.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/V94u3Kl.jpg)
-
I think the silicone looks much better - surely shininess is an advantage for water?
I do my sea bases by painting green/blue then putting artists acrylic texture medium over the top. This goes on milky but dries clear
Yep... I'm tending to think this is the way to go.
Thanks for your recommendation!
-
Excellent, I agree about the sea bases go with SteveBurts suggestion. :)
-
Okay...
So here is an incredibly bad photo (way to dark) of the finished top deck. :(
(http://i.imgur.com/JCRlsHs.jpg) (https://imgur.com/JCRlsHs)
I still need to mount and paint the ships boats covering the open decking but that will wait until another day. I plastered the whole thing with Agrax Earthshade and sure enough in spots it didn't come out very well. So I had to do a bit of touch up but in the end that was the best I could do to get as much detail on the decking. I then highlighted the equipment and painted the inner bulwarks Foundry blue and dark blue. The cannons got a touch of German gray and then I took a quick sweep around everything with black.
With such a horrible photo, its hard to see what it really looks like... oh well. :? The picture was taken at night so... hopefully soon I will be able to get a better one on, but I wanted to keep working and it looks like the next step will be removing the ship from the base. Damn I hope I don't damage the ship.
Gotta keep moving forward...
-
Successfully rebased!
Began work on the hull.
(http://i.imgur.com/475MfFo.jpg) (https://imgur.com/475MfFo)
-
Excellent. I reckon this is going very well. Personally I would have been tempted to go back and highlight the decking. possibly with a very light drybrush to pick out the details, but it is looking very good.
-
Thanks, mate!
I think to really do that deck well you need an airbrush.
I went back and used a very light dry bush with an ocher color. It didn't work miracles, but I was able to get rid of the "splotchy look". So, yep, that was an improvement.
-
Looking nice Ray! Painting these complex shapes looks really fiddly. I am interested that you initially finished painting the deck before starting the gunwales. I would have done them consecutively in layers because I would have been worried that I would have screwed up and intruded on the finished deck. Not saying that technique is a better way to go, rather that you have more confidence in your painting skills. Am watching with interest.
Lon
-
Hi Lon!
Thanks for the nice comment and taking the time to post.
As for your question concerning my painting technique... yep, most (if not all) folks start with the hull and finish with the deck.
Over the years, I have developed a "back asswards" technique for painting. For example, if it is a 28mm miniature I start at the feet and work up. Weird, I know. In this case, my plan was to start at the deck and then work outwards. So as you will see with the next photo I post (probably tomorrow), I continue from the deck and am working down the sides of the hull. This is almost all black in color. Anything inset I paint first. In this case, the yellow for the gun decks.
Also, this ship has somewhere around 100 guns sticking out the hull, and each must be surrounded with a little black box. IMO, it is the hardest part of the model to paint.
Hopefully it will come out well... but as a first try, I'll settle for okay.
-
On another topic... I have become increasingly concerned about the strength of the bowsprit.
(http://i.imgur.com/vICwqJZ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/vICwqJZ)
Take a look at this photo and the join where the bowsprit meets the hull. Notice that in width it is actually a tad less than the rest of the spar. I accidentally touch the bowsprit every now and then and it bends.
I'm thinking I may need to cut it off and pin it. :?
-
Here is an update as I begin painting the hull (photo a tad dark):
(http://i.imgur.com/cN7tQqm.jpg) (https://imgur.com/cN7tQqm)
This is going to take a lot of work to finish...
-
The next step was to paint black boxes around the guns. Remember there are over 50 guns per side and that means, for example, 100 vertical black lines to paint.
Here is a WAY TO CLOSE shot of the starboard side which is still in progress:
(http://i.imgur.com/uLq0oMo.jpg) (https://imgur.com/uLq0oMo)
You just have to accept that things are not going to come out perfect.
After I painted the boxes, I then painted everything else that was black, trying to be as tidy as possible and then did some Panzer grey highlights. The last thing I did was paint the gun ports white to accept red paint and here I just passed the brush over the edges of each one as they have lots of definition.
Here is a WAY TO CLOSE shot of the Port side:
(http://i.imgur.com/mnmc4Yh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/mnmc4Yh)
And here is a shot a bit further back:
(http://i.imgur.com/RW2QsvZ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/RW2QsvZ)
The Port side only needs the guns and gun ports to be painted to be finished (more or less). It's not perfect but I'm really liking it and my wife told me "She's a beauty!"
:D
-
I am thinking that looks splendid. Not too close at all.
-
The full is finished. Photos are a bit overexposed.
Really close (so you can see all the imperfections):
(http://i.imgur.com/K2jDmxL.jpg) (https://imgur.com/K2jDmxL)
A bit back:
(http://i.imgur.com/pypY0N3.jpg) (https://imgur.com/pypY0N3)
Sooo many lines to paint... o_o
Next... the bow.
-
It's coming together well Ray :-*
-
On another topic... I have become increasingly concerned about the strength of the bowsprit.
(http://i.imgur.com/vICwqJZ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/vICwqJZ)
Take a look at this photo and the join where the bowsprit meets the hull. Notice that in width it is actually a tad less than the rest of the spar. I accidentally touch the bowsprit every now and then and it bends.
I'm thinking I may need to cut it off and pin it. :?
Nice job so far. I bought the HMS Victory model and do agree that the plastic hulls have better detail. I too started with the deck same as I did painting Langton 1/1200 models.
On the bowsprit issue you may not need to cut and pin it. Doing the standing rigging plus adding gammoning under the bowsprit should do the trick. A good photo of the Victory will show how it is supported.
-
Thanks all!
@DeRuyter: Gammoning could have worked but I would have needed to put an attachment to the bow before I glued on the entire bowsprit piece. Impossible to get in there now and try that.
I also looked at possibly adding a line or lines from the bow up to the bowsprit like this:
(https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/11/3c/21/c7/hms-victory.jpg)
Unfortunately, the figurehead gets in the way.
So I'll probably try to secure it, one way or another via rigging, although it will not be historic in nature.
The Gods of wargaming will forgive me! ;)
-
So...
I cut off the bowsprit and will pin it back on when I finish painting the hull completely and mount my masts.
I had a feeling right from the start that this would happen. I don't treat my models badly. It was never dropped; just had a bump every now and then.
I should have known better... oh well... lesson learned.
-
Bow finished (photos a little dark):
(http://i.imgur.com/79dTRDX.jpg) (https://imgur.com/79dTRDX)
(http://i.imgur.com/bPnASES.jpg) (https://imgur.com/bPnASES)
And here is one from a distance (a bit out of focus):
(http://i.imgur.com/ZkdjdOm.jpg) (https://imgur.com/ZkdjdOm)
The circles on each side and low down on the bow are for the anchor ropes. I drilled these out and intend to actually use them.
To be quite honest, when the bowsprit broke, I thought I was done. But I preserved and, actually, found it made painting the bow far more easy.
Next photos should be of the hull finished. Merry Christmas folks!
-
Looking good, keep plugging away for us to enjoy.
-
Ah... finally, a productive day.
Finished the stern, which with the exception of the ships boats, is the hull complete. Hopefully tomorrow I can post a photo or two.
Don't know if this is of interest to anyone... Thought I would post a photo of all the stuff I have used so far. My... tools of the trade:
(http://i.imgur.com/kFSrjDn.jpg) (https://imgur.com/kFSrjDn)
;)
-
Excellent thread Ray,your work is brilliant!
Funny you should mention feet,that’s where I start :)
-
Gorgeous work mate! Thanks for sharing the step by step process.
-
@Blackwolf: I also stick my brush in my mouth, but don't tell anybody! lol
@Rick: Yep, it is a journey. Who knows how it will turn out!
Thanks to both of you for your wonderful comments!
Meanwhile, back to the workbench and I have finished the stern of the L'Orient. The white windows were a huge pain in my backside and left me with bloodshot eyes trying to get right. o_o They didn't come out so great... but hey, you can read the name of the ship! :D
Close-up Larboard side:
(http://i.imgur.com/pXLxMAG.jpg) (https://imgur.com/pXLxMAG)
Close-up directly behind:
(http://i.imgur.com/UJf33Q2.jpg) (https://imgur.com/UJf33Q2)
And a shot a bit further back, Starboard side:
(http://i.imgur.com/zh7dgQ5.jpg) (https://imgur.com/zh7dgQ5)
So not the greatest, yeh.
Next, I need to get the ship's boats done and that should be pretty quick.
I think I will also give another shot at making the water base. This time using the aluminum foil method. Wish me luck!
Cheers
-
Hi Ray, that is looking magnificent.
For sea bases I use the windsor and newton acrylic gel. I underpaint the base a sea green/blue, then apply the gel in ripple patterns, go back when partly set, and tap to produce peaks, and then very lightly drybrush white on the gel.
This isn't a great example, but you get the impression:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HUGNqQpsVc/UN5dzuXBiHI/AAAAAAAAAy4/QwuJ51BmndE/s1600/IMG-20121229-00115small.JPG)
-
Thanks, Shah!
Acrylic gel is also an alternative, though I don't have any ATM, so I can't experiment.
This is a total learning experience as I have never really done ships before.
BTW... painting the name of the ship was actually much easier than I expected. I took Nuln Oil and slopped it over the name (which was white from the primer). For those areas which didn't have sufficient definition to turn black, I then painted in the silhouette of the letters. After that it was just pretty straight forward in painting the name in apricot.
-
Also about to start a 1:1200 naval project with zero experience in doing anything in that scale or genre, but thankfully for me I'm doing WW2 coastal small boat stuff so nothing like the complexity of painting you've got here!
Looks amazing so far. Interested to see your seascape experiments as I'll be needing to do the same soon enough.
-
Hey thanks for dropping by WireLizard!
The aluminum foil method appears to being coming out well. I need a coating of white glue to dry and then I'll paint it... probably tonight.
Photos soon.
-
Ray: The hull looks great! Awesome paintwork. I have the HMS Victory model but I am working on frigates first.
Like some others for my 1/1200 scale ships I used a gel medium to make waves for the bases and then highlighted shade of blue and white. Liquitex gel medium mixed with navy blue acrylic. However for my Black Seas ships I decided to go with clear pill (stadium) bases. Like the those that Carojon used in his recent post with the French 74s.
-
Thanks for the motivational comments, DeRuyter!
I agree, for actual wargaming, the clear bases are the way to go. At least, that's would I would do.
The ships I'm doing are going to be for display only... so I need something sea'ish for the base. It is an allusive objective ATM though. However, the aluminum foil thing seems to have some potential. We'll see.
-
Okay, so here it is... my aluminum foil water experiment.
Essentially you really crinkle up some aluminum foil, glue (water based) it to the base, cover it in another layer of flat aluminum pressing down to get a bit more smooth shape, apply glue to the top layer and when dry, paint.
So...
1. Apply crinkled up aluminum foil with a water based glue to the base:
(http://i.imgur.com/s6UxcmP.jpg) (https://imgur.com/s6UxcmP)
Note: I am going (right to left) from a smoothish sea to large swells. The red line indicates where I started putting long roundy bits for bigger swells.
When finished sticking it to the base, cover it in white glue. I think for smaller models this is probably enough.
2. Add a second layer of foil, this one flat not crinkled and cover it in white glue:
(http://i.imgur.com/BHkgk3S.jpg) (https://imgur.com/BHkgk3S)
The red line is a seam between two pieces of foil. Most folks who use this method do it to the base without the model mounted. They have either a hole or an outline of the ship drawn so they can cover the entire base without seams.
3. Apply another layer or two of glue:
(http://i.imgur.com/TlHV5mZ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/TlHV5mZ)
I put 2 layers, but I don't think that is necessary. One layer and then when dry hit any spots that the glue didn't stick to.
4. Paint (ahhh... the really hard part):
(http://i.imgur.com/mwk9EyD.jpg) (https://imgur.com/mwk9EyD)
I painted the entire surface a light green (Vallejo pastel green), washed in a darker green (Foundry Storm Green Light) and then gave it a couple really heavy washes of a GW Cantor Blue. Once that was all dried, I then painted along the side of the ship the darker green and dry brushed the entire base. I next took the lighter green, put touches along the ship and dry brushed the entire base with it but not so strongly. Then I did the same with white, but with even less paint and very little dry brushing.
The overall outcome... well, I like the back third of the base. As the sea gets rougher moving forward, it looks worse. Of course, it is my first whack at it, but generally I like it.
Comments welcome, of course!
On to the masts!
-
what a fabulous thread - thank you
-
Thank you, Eric!
That is quite a complement. I love your Shed Wars reports and scratch building.
At the present I am now working on the base using the aluminum foil water technique and also the masts. I expect to finish the base soon and will have a step by step photo report up when it is finished.
-
Wow, amazing job!
I saw those ships on Warlord's websebsite and started salivating but I was too intimidated, especially by the rigging.
I can't wait to see how you approach that.
Fantastic job this far!
-
Cheers, Eric! Appreciate the comment! Yep, won't be long now before I get to the rigging.
At the moment, I am working on the sea base and the masts. Expect poorish quality photos as these are taken right at my workbench with a light in one hand and my camera in the other.
I have finished the ships boats and they are in place (red circle). I apply one crinkled up layer of aluminum foil. I have decided that one layer will be sufficient for the ship, so this will be it. Notice how I have pressed the aluminum around the base edge. That was to help ease cutting off the excess.
(http://i.imgur.com/9IlHwUM.jpg) (https://imgur.com/9IlHwUM)
At the same time I am working on the masts as I have time to work between coats of white glue drying. In this photo you can see that the aluminum is almost completely coated, but I will continue to put more on the areas where the glue hasn't taken.
I have also replaced the aft spars which are circled in red. I wanted to reduce the size of the metal connection as it is huge. The final product is in green, but I think when I move to the Victory I will reduce the size even more. The spars that are provided are perfectly fine, I just saw an opportunity to tune them a bit better and went for it.
(http://i.imgur.com/F1hanHe.jpg) (https://imgur.com/F1hanHe)
At this point I have primed the masts and begun painting them. I wanted to use Meridan sails, but they don't fit very well. You would need 2 packs of 1st rate sails to do one model and even then it would require lots of cutting to get everything correct. So I have decided to go with the paper sails from the box.
The problem with the paper sails is trying to match their color when you paint up the furled sails cast on the masts. My sails are the lighter ones and though it doesn't seem as such, they have a greenish tint to them. I think Warlord's intent was to give it a "canvas" color. The best match I could come up with was a 50/50 mix of Foundry Moss Light and Vallejo light flesh, washed with Foundry Moss. Haven't done that yet so we'll see how it comes out.
Main effort will now focus on finishing the base, as the white glue as been totally applied and the base is awaiting paint. I'll have more photos as that comes along.
Ta!
-
With the white glue now all dry I used sandpaper to smooth the edges of the base:
(http://i.imgur.com/lCrMih8.jpg) (https://imgur.com/lCrMih8)
Then I applied my base coat Vallejo Pastel Green. I needed this to be a very strong color. So I applied one coat without any thinning of the paint. When that was dry I hit the base again with un-thinned paint to fill in gaps and holes, and to try to reduce the edges of some of the waves so that they would look smoother. When that was dry, a third coat, starting with paint straight from the bottle in the remaining trouble areas and then a thinner coat to the rest of the base. So 3 coats in the end. Looked kinda like this but in the photo the color is a bit more pale then the real thing:
(http://i.imgur.com/2QShiqf.jpg) (https://imgur.com/2QShiqf)
With that totally dry, I then took Foundry Storm Green and gave the entire base a heavy wash. It looked liked this... still wet:
(http://i.imgur.com/1e58yWQ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/1e58yWQ)
Unfortunately, but also predictably, I washed paint onto the hull (blue circle). The other side is much worse. I intend to do a rework of the hull where necessary (especially at the water line and below the lower gun deck) when I have finished the base.
Let's see if I can finish the base tomorrow.
-
Here is the base after the wash was dry:
(http://i.imgur.com/uUSSfKD.jpg) (https://imgur.com/uUSSfKD)
Next I gave the base a heavy wash of dark blue. I thought I might have to do this twice but the first one gave me a great color so I stopped there. Also note by "heavy" wash I mean lots of paint with little water. Here's the base, washes complete:
(http://i.imgur.com/FK2nQSf.jpg) (https://imgur.com/FK2nQSf)
Be sure that each wash has plenty of time to dry or the next layer will mix and that turns into a disaster.
As a sidelight....
Folks shouldn't hestitate to visit their local art supplier. These folks are having a bit of a hard time ATM (at least here) and their products are just as good, in many cases as those offered by hobby companies... for a third the cost.
I bought this stuff at the art store for this project:
(http://i.imgur.com/eD0v3Vl.jpg) (https://imgur.com/eD0v3Vl)
The apricot paint is great and it came in a 60ml bottle which allowed me to take about a third of it and add in a darker color for a shade in another bottle. The brush with a yellow handle I used for the washes and the other brush will be used for dry brushing. Look at those bristles! They cost about 2,50 euros.
The next phase will be dry brushing the base.
-
Both interesting and impressive, Ray!
-
Be sure that each wash has plenty of time to dry or the next layer will mix and that turns into a disaster.
Too true. Having that problem myself at the moment.
-
Danke, Hammers! :)
Once the blue wash was dried I went back to Foundry Storm Green and painted around the hull and then did a very heavy dry bush with the same color over the entire base. This photo doesn't look very good. It is way more green than the actual base, but it gives you an idea of what I did:
(http://i.imgur.com/FnGTWQu.jpg) (https://imgur.com/FnGTWQu)
Next I took the Vellejo Pastel Green and went around the haul trying to just touch it a bit to simulate foam and then did a light dry brush over the entire base. I also took the opportunity to paint the base edge dark blue and touch up my ship. Here is what it looks like and a good photo this time:
(http://i.imgur.com/OUJmtKy.jpg) (https://imgur.com/OUJmtKy)
So that's it; not the greatest but it will do. I'm not going to highlight it with white because it looks quite nice as it is. I will need to varnish it and make a couple more touch ups. For my next ship, doing the base will be the first thing I do, and then I will start painting the ship.
Next up, the masts...
-
I think the sea works well. Looking forward to seeing the masts go on :)
-
Danke, Hammers! :)
Once the blue wash was dried I went back to Foundry Storm Green and painted around the hull and then did a very heavy dry bush with the same color over the entire base. This photo doesn't look very good. It is way more green than the actual base, but it gives you an idea of what I did:
(http://i.imgur.com/FnGTWQu.jpg) (https://imgur.com/FnGTWQu)
Next I took the Vellejo Pastel Green and went around the haul trying to just touch it a bit to simulate foam and then did a light dry brush over the entire base. I also took the opportunity to paint the base edge dark blue and touch up my ship. Here is what it looks like and a good photo this time:
(http://i.imgur.com/OUJmtKy.jpg) (https://imgur.com/OUJmtKy)
So that's it; not the greatest but it will do. I'm not going to highlight it with white because it looks quite nice as it is. I will need to varnish it and make a couple more touch ups. For my next ship, doing the base will be the first thing I do, and then I will start painting the ship.
Next up, the masts...
Very nice. My only comment from doing 1/1200 is that it's often easier to touch up the ships hull of you do the base last, because if you accidentally get hull colours onto the base, it's harder to touch up. The other thing is to tack the hull down with a tiny dab of Elmer's or similar, build up the base then remove the hull for separate painting and glue in place when finished on a separate painting base.
-
Wonderful stuff Ray. It’s really taking shape now. The sea looks great! Can’t wait to see it with the masts and sails on ;D
-
Very nice. My only comment from doing 1/1200 is that it's often easier to touch up the ships hull of you do the base last, because if you accidentally get hull colours onto the base, it's harder to touch up. The other thing is to tack the hull down with a tiny dab of Elmer's or similar, build up the base then remove the hull for separate painting and glue in place when finished on a separate painting base.
Ah! Once again some very sensible advice. Thank you!
Wonderful stuff Ray. It’s really taking shape now. The sea looks great! Can’t wait to see it with the masts and sails on ;D
I can't either! Damn I've been at it for 3 weeks and it still isn't finished! lol
-
I am really impressed by the amount of work you are putting in to this
looking good :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
-
Thanks a heap, Colin!
The Age of Sail has always been one of my favorite historical eras. Never had the opportunity to do it until Warlord released their Black Seas range.
I have a feeling it won't be the last ship I paint. :)
-
Masts are pretty much ready for mounting (need some slight paint touch ups and varnish):
(http://i.imgur.com/3jtIObj.jpg) (https://imgur.com/3jtIObj)
Again, not the greatest but it will do.
My plan is to start at the front and work back. So the next step will be to mount the bowsprit and foremast, paint the lower part of the spar and then do all the rigging in between. Once that is finished I will mount the mainmast, and do the same thing, until I am finished with the rigging.
I am using nylon mono filament (0.2mm gauge) for the rigging which you can just see it at the bottom left (red circle). There are 2 strings attached to the bowsprit which are destined to be attached to the bow.
-
Masts coming on well. :)
-
very delicate work I couldn't handle the tiny threads
:-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
-
Thanks guys.
There are all kinds of things I messed up, but hell, got to get this boat finished. :)
very delicate work I couldn't handle the tiny threads
Too right! But you get used to it. The nylon is really weird to work with. Believe it or not there is a "right" way and "wrong" to tie a knot with it. What happens is after you make the initial loop you have to figure out which side of the loop to actually attach to the ship. One side will allow you to make an easy tight knot. The other side will want to move sideways and fight you to tie it off. Thankfully I use an Optivisor or it would be just plain impossible to use. If you look at the lower knot on the bowsprit, the line is off to the side... ::)
Just to be a little more clear about how I will rig the ship... As I put up the masts I will be placing the standing rigging that goes fore and aft of the model. So essentially I will be working on the interior rigging, and once that is finished I will put on the stuff that goes from side to side. These ships rigging are like little forests when you work on them so it is best not to have stuff in your way and have to try to work around something that has been already placed.
Next photo will be after I have the bowsprit and foremast, and it's associated standing rigging, attached.
Cheers all!
-
Fine handiwork Ray. I think the end product is going to look spectacular.
-
Wow, fantastic work!
Regarding those threads, do you tie a knot, cut off the spare thread, and paint black so the loop blends in? Is that how you do it?
I'm tempted to try one or two of these ships, myself. The threads look like the most intimidating part....
-
Fine handiwork Ray. I think the end product is going to look spectacular.
Hope so! Some of the hardest stuff like the sails are yet to come.
Wow, fantastic work!
Regarding those threads, do you tie a knot, cut off the spare thread, and paint black so the loop blends in? Is that how you do it?
Thanks Erik!
As far as the knots... yes that is exactly how I do it. For example, if you look at the spars, what I did there was make a loop close to where I wanted the nylon to go. I then put super glue around the mast in the exact position I wanted, and then pulled the loop down into position and pulled it tight (no knot). When it was dry, I then took each side of the nylon and went to the tip of the spar and tied it there with a normal knot (with the knot being on top like a pulley) and then applied super glue. I immediately cut the excess off with a facial scissor right next to the knot so that there would not be a little piece of thread sticking out. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But that was the technique and the scissors look like this:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F31j2053paGL._SY300_QL70_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)
After, I painted the knot black and the rest a brownish color. If you look at paintings of these ships, there are pulleys everywhere, so having a small knot is no big deal. The problem is when you get too many knots in the same place, and then it starts to look a bit weird. Nylon gives you a much smaller knot then sewing thread, so if it is necessary to have a couple knots in the same place, it won't look so awkward.
-
Oh, you knotty boy....
-
Well or well...
So I found that the metal masts of the ship are too soft to use nylon. :(
So sewing thread it is. Here is a shot of the ship after rigging the bowsprit and foremast with the mainmast in place (and awaiting a bit more paint):
(http://i.imgur.com/qyTfWle.jpg) (https://imgur.com/qyTfWle)
As a an aside... I thought mounting the masts would be difficult because the entry hole was larger than the mast itself. I drilled a bit of hole into the ship so that the mast could actually be mounted. However, when I added super glue to the mast and sunk it into position, it filled nicely and there was no problem getting the mast securely in place.
Next photo will probably be with the all the masts in place and their associated standing rigging as well.
Cheers
-
I haven't tried it but apparently this stuff does not go limp over time like thread does. Maybe it will be useful to you.
-
I paint the thread. But it immediately went a bit limp. So in the future I will paint the thread just before tying it off.
Having said that... I very well might check out that EZ line of yours. Looks very interesting.
Thanks (again)! ;)
Note: This is all a trial run for my Victory model. I want to find out all the little problems you run into making these ships now so that when I do the Victory and, most likely, the Santisima Trinidad, I will know what to do to get the best result.
Edit: here is a link to Berkshire Junction (makers of EZ line):
http://berkshirejunction.com/subdirectory/
They only serve the US but there are also listed supplies around the world (buy outside of US) such as the UK and Australia.
-
Looking blinking excellent Ray :-*
It's going to take a while to build a whole fleet though :o ;)
-
Looking blinking excellent Ray :-*
It's going to take a while to build a whole fleet though :o ;)
Thanks, Richard!
At most, I plan to do the named first rates and maybe a set of 3 plastic third rates to escort them. They are destined for the display case and not the gaming table.
-
Looking great Ray, well worth all the extra effort :-*
-
Thanks mate!
The rigging is driving me crazy... o_o
-
It's coming though...
All the masts are up and most of the standing rigging is in place.
(http://i.imgur.com/EzbifFd.jpg) (https://imgur.com/EzbifFd)
As I stated, this is a practice run for the Victory. If you look at the rigging between the bowsprit and the foremast, the lower most line (4th from the top) should have been placed a bit lower on the bowsprit. That will get fixed on the Victory, but it is fine for the L'Orient.
-
Looks magnificent, lovely job Ray. Your patience and attention to detail has really paid off.
-
Thanks, mate!
Well... there was a lot to learn, so patience was just something I needed to have.
With luck, the Victory will go much faster.
-
looks great I take it you still have to attach the sails?
-
What a lovely little model. Beautifully done. Well done Ray :-*
-
Thanks, Boys!
Yep, I still have rigging, ratlines and sails to add.
-
Wowzers, that looks top drawer already ;D
-
Thanks, Nick!
-
Wowzers, that looks top drawer already ;D
Why would you put such a work of art in a drawer? ;-) (Just kidding - it must be a British expression!)
Fantastic work. You've convinced me to get some and try it out. I am not sure if several frigates and brigs (in one $32 pack) make more sense or if one big masterpiece ship, like yours, makes more sense, for a first one of these tall ships.
The rigging is intimidating.
-
Hi Erik!
When I was young (boy that was a long time ago) I used to put all those Revell sailing ships together. I loved doing those models. So... at least I have some experience with the age of sail and therefore fairly confident I could do okay with this monster.
If you are just giving it a try for the first time, I would go for the frigates and brigs. Lots of models for a great price and gives you plenty to practice on.
-
Just another tip on doing the rigging with the thread.
Attach one side and then take the thread to the other side you want to attach it to. Now paint the thread up to the point of attachment. This will help to give it much more rigidity. Once it is dried, attach.
;)
-
I can't wait to try this. French fleet... as my wife is Algerian Berber, like the Pirates of the Barbary Coast.
Talk about a love-hate relationship with France....
-
At least only one of you has to enter into character for Talk Like A Pirate day. ;) lol
I can't wait to try this. French fleet... as my wife is Algerian Berber, like the Pirates of the Barbary Coast.
Talk about a love-hate relationship with France....
-
Les arrrrrghhh, les arrrgh!
-
Won't be any updates for awhile as my Mom has had a major malfunction with her health.
:(
-
Good luck, Ray. I hope your mom is alright.
-
All the best for your mum Ray.
-
Sorry to hear that Ray, I hope your mum is ok.
-
Sorry to hear that Ray, I hope your mum is ok.
+1
Fingers crossed Ray.
Old folk are a bigger worry than kids :?
-
Thanks all. Somethings one just can't control.
Generally things are going well. Friday I will be getting the full diagnosis and prognosis.
-
How is your mom doing? How are you feeling? How is your family?
I hope y'all are doing alright. All the best to you and your family.
I found some links to get that EZ Line in the UK:
Autosport Models, Hereford www.autosport-models.co.uk
Little Cars, Bucks www.modellingtools.co.uk
Model Junction, Slough, Berkshire www.modeljunction.info
Models R Go, Merseyside www.modelsrgo.co.uk
Model Scenery Supplies, Cromer www.modelscenerysupplies.co.uk
-
Hi all!
My mom is at home now but her condition is pretty poor. I'll be staying with her for the duration.
:(
-
Stay strong, Ray. All my best to your mom and family.
-
So... after 9 painful weeks, I am finally back home. I won't go into all the details but it ranks up there with one of the worse periods of my life.
I will be kicking back a bit and have some stuff that needs to get done quite quickly, but hopefully soon I will be returning to the L'Orient and see if I can get her finished!
-
Hope it was a good outcome Ray. All the best.
-
You poor guy. I hope things turned out alright.
-
Unfortunately, no... but life goes on.
So, I'm back in Spain and the first thing that happens is that they have ordered all bars, cafes and restaurants closed. So I believe I have jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire!
Yikes! o_o But at least I'm home.
-
Very sorry to hear that Ray. But as you say, life must go on. Best wishes and condolences.
-
Sorry to hear you have been having a bad time if it lately. :'(
-
Sorry to hear you have been having a bad time if it lately. :'(
+1
Sympathies and felicitations.
-
+1
Sympathies and felicitations.
+2 hope you are better
Looking forward to seeing you get back to it
-
Thanks for the sentiments guys!
2020 has been a rough and challenging year so far. We just have to do the best we can.
At the moment I have a fairly heavy cold and so I'm welded to the sofa during the day to try to get over it. I have been able to do a bit of work on my ship (to keep from going crazy); finishing the standing rigging and the ratlines. Here is where she stands ATM:
(https://i.imgur.com/NlBEnNV.jpg)
I still have to put on the anchors and will see if I can fit the mid level ratlines on as well. After that... the sails.
-
Gorgeous!
-
Looking mighty impressive Ray. Well done.
-
Looking good Ray. Hang in there.
Lon
-
Thanks, boys!
I tried to position the next set of ratlines but in the end, they just didn't look right because the spars are inset in the masts and so the ratline ended up offset and not flush with the masts. I guess I could have cut out a small piece where the spars were, but in the end it was just too much work.
Next I will put on a couple anchors.
Then I will start putting on the sails. Yikes... not really sure how that will work out. I'm pretty certain it will effect the rigging and cause some of it to droop. We'll see...
-
She's looking lovely Ray :-*
-
She's looking lovely Ray :-*
yea great stuff
-
Once again... thanks for all the fantastic comments!
Here is a not so great photo of the boat with her sails and anchors in place:
(https://i.imgur.com/CCaJKpO.jpg)
Big learning point in mounting the sails is that you really need to roll them quite severely to get them to look as they should as they are very large. OTH, and what I will do for the Victory, is to cut a bit off the top of the sail before rolling and placement.
Only thing left now is the flags and pennants.
-
Excellent Ray! :-* :-* :-*
Lon
-
Wow!!!!!!
-
Fantastic. :-* :-*
-
Stunning :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
-
Excellent Ray! :-* :-* :-*
Lon
Wow!!!!!!
Fantastic. :-* :-*
Stunning :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
You guys are dope! :)
Just finished painting the flags and pennant. Still have to mount them and then it will be complete! ;D
-
So the voyage is finally complete!
(https://i.imgur.com/OgNw98Q.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iFkjxJS.jpg)
Lot of work put on this model. Lots of mistakes made and lots of learning. Overall she came out okay.
I'm looking forward to doing the Victory next. After that I may turn to the new boxes from Warlord games called 3rd Rates of Renown. These ships have plastic hulls and masts. To be quite honest I would prefer the resin metal mix of the 1st rates, but because the metal is so soft, it causes the modeler tons of grief.
Anyway, thanks for following my progress! Your comments and recommendations were highly encouraging for me!
-
C’est magnifique!
-
Wonderful, and made even better by allowing us to follow your journey. :-* :-*
I have to say that it has given me some inpiration to start a naval project, if I could only find a set of rules that I like.
-
@Rick W. - Merci beaucomp!
@Hu Rhu - The journey was a long one, boy. Have no idea about rules. My experience is to take a decent set and then mod them to my taste.
I have started HMS Victory and my first objective will be strengthening the masts. I believe I will try to redo the top two thirds with wire and for the bottom third (which I like), will try to strengthen the mast using pins.
With luck, HMS Victory will come along in no time...
-
That is a handsome thing. Well done Ray.
-
High praise, Richard.
Thank you!
-
Really nice bright crisply painted models Ray!
-
Thanks, matey!
Appreciate the comments! :)
-
I’m late to the party but have to add my compliments.
Such an outstanding project & I love your attention to detail you’ve devoted to it.
Thank you for taking the time to share your build.
It’s given me plenty of ideas.
-
Thanks for the great comments!
It was a really fun project though the road to the finish was kinda bumpy.
Good luck!