HMS Victory and Le Redoutable at Trafalgar (1/300)

[wefalck]

Just saw the canvass below in the re-opened Mus�e National de la Marine. Quite sanitised in the neo-classical style of the time.

[Devin]

Just saw the canvass below in the re-opened Mus�e National de la Marine.

It's finally re-open? Nice. I missed it by just a month -- was in Paris the first of October -- but I'll make sure to visit it next time.

[wefalck]

See viewtopic.php?f=18&t=381091

[marijn van gils]

Thank you everyone!

See viewtopic.php?f=18&t=381091

Thanks for that Eberhart!
I was in Paris in april, and of course disappointed to see that it was being refurbished. Well, next time...

[Rui Matos]

Hi Marijn!

I believe that the crew "test" worked, even if they are going to be a bit hidden by the upper decks!
You have managed to make it very dynamic and also dramatic, without turning the scene into a horror one (which was, in reality)!

It has been a pleasure, learning lessons and tips (in several domains) and I will keep following this incredible build!
Carry on

Cheers,
Rui

[anyahajobuzi]

Hi Marijn!

I just spent over an hour trying to get up to speed about this build. I am absolutely amazed at all your skills!!!! You did not cut corners anywhere! Your level of patience and skill is out of this world!!
I am only 92% sure you are actually human.
It all looks stunning, it is crazy how much energy you have put into this, and it is paying off beautifully!

Much, MUCH respect!

So given the amount of time this takes, you only built 2 projects in your entire life?!?! the ship on the first page , and this diorama. You wouldn't have had time for anything else!!

Sincerely: Laci

[marijn van gils]

Thank you very much for the superlatives Rui and Laci! You're making me blush!

So given the amount of time this takes, you only built 2 projects in your entire life?!?! the ship on the first page , and this diorama. You wouldn't have had time for anything else!!

Hahaha!
Luckily not. This one is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of project. I have never before worked this long on one project, and I probably never will again. Not because I'm not enjoying it, because I really am, but I just because I don't want every project to take this long.

I have to admit though that ships are probably the least time-efficient subject one can model (at least if you like the cool stuff like carriers and battleships ). I made two ship dioramas before this project (http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html), and they took me 2,5 to 3,5 years each.
Before that, I built armour dioramas, single figures and figure vignettes in 1/35, and it would take me only about 1 to 1,5 year to build a serious diorama.

[marijn van gils]

Now, I could finally install the forecastle decks, gangways and quarterdecks (which I made in one piece for each ship).

This of course drastically reduces the visibility of all the action in the waist of both ships:



It will still get worse with Victory, because I will still add a couple of boats and spare spars on top of the beams over the waist.

On Redoutable on the other hand, the gangways are a bit wider and hide the guns more, but the centre will remain open and in full view:




The edges of these decks are in full view and thus needed to be finished properly. Because of the tumblehome I couldn�t make the decks to a tight fit everywhere. You can see a gap to the right of the right arrow on the photo below.


So, some filling was required (indicated by the arrows). I used Magic Sculp, which allows for a neat and tidy job. I didn�t continue all the way to the stern, because the poop deck will hide the rearmost part (right of the right arrow).

After hardening, some paintwork (including drawing the continuation of the planking pattern with almost black paint) blended the edges with the rest of the decks:


I also installed shot racks, pin rails, kevels and staghorns to the bulwarks.
I had scratchbuilt those earlier (here: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=167367&start=700#p971154 and here:
viewtopic.php?f=59&t=167367&start=720#p972771 ). But I couldn�t glue them in place at that time because they would block the installation of the decks.

Now I gave them a basecoat of paint, and then glued them in place with Tamiya extra thin cement and/or thinned white glue:



Some weathering blended them with their surroundings:


I also added roundshot in the shot racks (solder balls) and iron rings to the decks and bulwarks (copper wire), and painted them:



On Redoutable, some pinrails and staghorns were damaged too:


I also added some roundshot outside of their storage place, as if thrown around by impact shocks. I used 0,35 mm for the 8pdr shot and 0,55mm for the 32pdr carronades.


I managed to make the rings a little smaller than before. I made them by wrapping 0,1mm copper wire around 0,2mm brass wire. I can also make them with 0,05 or 0,07mm wire, which would be more in-scale, but they become so thin that painting them on the decks becomes very very difficult. Anyway, to my eye they look sufficiently in scale with 0,1mm wire�

[wefalck]

[SG1]

Amazing. The cannonball track on the deck especially. Superlative result if one considers that the hull is made of styrene
and looks like it's wood. Incroyable

[marijn van gils]

Thank you very much gentlemen!

[Devin]

Amazing work, as always, Marijn.

I take it you butt-glued the rings to the deck, as we discussed previously? If so, is it a straight butt-join, or do you scratch a little trough/depression in the deck?

[GewoonWouter]

gobsmacked here. Nice and tidy skipper!

[Dan K]

Your astounding finesse of the work continues......

This of course drastically reduces the visibility of all the action in the waist of both ships:

Mount a minicam in there.

[marijn van gils]

Many thanks guys!

Mount a minicam in there.

I take it you butt-glued the rings to the deck, as we discussed previously? If so, is it a straight butt-join, or do you scratch a little trough/depression in the deck?

The rings on the deck are simply laying flat on the deck, because they serve to attach tackles from the rear end of the gun carriages. They were easy enough to attach.

The rings on the bulwarks/barricades were harder, as they butt-join with their side-edge and they are really tiny. In fact too tiny to be picked up and manipulated by tweezers effectively. They are also too small to work with a little trough, or form them with a pin and insert that in a hole.
So, simple butt-join it is.

I glued them with matt varnish: dab a little matt varnish in place, pick up a ring with the tip of a fine brush (and some saliva), place it as good as possible, move around until happy. Let the varnish dry, and then apply a little more varnish for extra strength.
Of course, often the ring would fall flat on the bulwark surface, sticking completely in the varnish. In that case they were almost impossible to get up on their side again, so I would just remove them them instead, take another and try again...

[Chris G]

that is truly amazing work, i love the detail and the full range of elements you are creating. I made a Victory maybe 50 years ago or more and my last 3D ship model was a Royal Soverign i completed when i was at University in England. Still love that ship and that era. They had an amazing number of lines, and stays to keep track of to manage a full suit of sails. that you are doing all of this at such a small scale even more astonishing. I am about to try to work with some 3000 scale metal ships of that era but havent seen them yet, gettting them from NAVWAR who is a unique and remarkable maker of waterline ship models from the UK i have been collecting from for many many years now. Good luck on your progress will keep a weather eye on this thread thanks for sharing so much in such detail, makes for a wonderful chance to see your work.

Chris

[JIM BAUMANN]

Marjinn--
you keep amazing me with your total -no=compromise model-making !

The model is looking really really sharp!

keep the energy ad commitment up....

regards
JB

[pascalemod]

This model reminds me of these intricate paintings I looked as a kid where I would devour every detail and always find smth new to look at. Such value in this, crazy.

[anyahajobuzi]

AMAZING!I can't add to what everyone else said, especially about making styrene look like wood! !

Cheers: Laci

[marijn van gils]

Thank you very much for your kind words gentlemen!


Meanwhile, I installed all the guns and their rigging on the quarterdecks and forecastles of both ships. That was pretty time-consuming, but fun to do!

I followed the advice of TomRigg17 (viewtopic.php?f=59&t=167367&start=1100#p1033028), and made the falls of the tackles separately. That way, I could give them their shape before attaching them, which was much easier and faster indeed!

Victory:




Quarterdeck:

Note how the gun on the left has no rigging. I didn�t rig the two sternmost guns on each side, because it won�t be visible once the poop deck covers them.

I installed the figures that are ramming or sponging together with their guns, because it would be more difficult to do that later.






And the forecastle, with the two 68lb carronades:







And Redoutable:



Her starboard side is not yet engaged, so all guns are ready for firing.
Again, the sternmost gun (at the right) is not rigged.
The two guns on the left are 36lb carronades.






But her port side is in full action, with several guns damaged or dismounted:






I forgot to mention earlier:
One of the tricks I took from the books of Philip Reed, is to install protection to the sides of the models at this stage.
It prevents accidentally knocking the guns below decks loose, or other accidents. It also makes it easier to hold the model, and the top edges make for a very convenient hand-rest while working on the decks.
It is just two pieces of MDF, screwed to the sides of the working base, and is easy to remove and re-install whenever I want.