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Hms Sussex - A dockyard model made of card

Ab Hoving said:
It has been a while since my latest posting. In case you thought I was out of business, well, I am not. I just forgot to anchor what I was building, so there was not much to tell.
In fact I am working on two models at the moment. The Sussex I showed earlier in this thread was a third rate man-of-war. The Mordaunt however, my second try, was a fourth rate and therefore smaller than Sussex. I found the necessary drawings in Richard Endsor's magnificent book The Master Shipwright's Secrets. Here is to what it has come to so far:

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The model is not finished. Apart from the beak head, all the details like stairs, bitts, deadeyes, gunport lids and lanterns will have to be done. The stand is also a temporary one, just a left-over from my previous efforts with the Sussex. I could have finished it (and I certainly will later), but suddenly I felt inspiration to do a next-level experiment: I wanted to build an open dockyard model. So I did. This is the Tyger, actually a rebuild of the Mordaunt, both in open and in closed condition.

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As you can see I have a small problem here: I ran out of my stock of card of the right consistency and thickness. I know my colleague at the Rijkmuseum is working hard on gathering new material for me, but it takes some time, so I will have to be patient before I will have the opportunity to build the larboard half of the frames below deck level. Apart from that I will have to do the stern, both in the sides and above the transom, not to mention the usual details I mentioned concerning the Mordaunt.

In case you are having problems with the size of the model (scale roughly 1/200), this picture might help:

View attachment 572321

In case you prefer jpg. images above these ones, I regrettably failed to make them. It took me hours trying, but the matter is recalcitrant, like most things I try on computers. Sorry.
Hope to see you next time.
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Wow Ab,

Wonderfull work again, while you mentioned your eyesight is letting you down I see more and more tiny details on your latest models.
 
I'm sure many folk on this list are like me, going through life with a constant eye open for things, built, made, things that exhibit extraordinary qualities of design and workmanship. As Robert Pirsig said - looking at the outside, I see through to the intricacies of the inside, with all the parts interrelated and working in harmony - (well he said something like that about a motorcycle crankcase in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)
The point being that we lucky few can look at an object and appreciate what went into it.
Furniture is my other skill/craft - and I look at furniture in that same zen way. The complexity or not of the assembly, the frivolous and unnecessary complexities that added value and gave the owner 'bragging rights'
Some of these pieces are completely inspirational, either by design or execution, and in my workshop, sketching a design, they resonate and set a standard for execution that I aim for.

and to come back on topic, this build is one of those. My zen view looks at the end result, and sees not just the exterior and the visible, but the interior and invisible and the time used, skill and experience as well as the result. The scale used, the material used, the detailing included, and the overall outcome are all a delight, and the concept of a half model, split along the waterline, is masterful.

Ab, my hat is doffed, and a huge thank you for all the information you have shared on technique and materials. This is in my hall of fame.

Jim
 
@Mash and @Herman: Thank you both for your good wishes. Very thoughtful.
@Jim Fortnam: Thank you for your philosofic comment on my work. For me it proves that beauty is not in an object, but as the word says: it's in the eye of the beholder. When I look at my models I mainly see the mistakes I made, the clumsiness of some of my solutions and the missed chances. There is nothing to brag about it for me. It's simply the result of a wondering mind and a pair of more and more failing hands. Still, I am happy with the end result of this experiment. However, looking at the model I suddenly realized that something was missing. I always admired the wonderful showcases these models are presented in, so I did the only thing I could: I made walnut showcases for all three models. That brings up a new problem: making photographs without all kinds of mirroring effects is almost impossible. And I am by no means a photographer anyway... Maybe Emile knows a solution.
Still, here is what it looks at the moment and in my opinion it gives the models a new status. I never expected that. One is never too old to learn.

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Regarding reflections: Reflo glass would help.
The surface of the 2mm Reflo is slightly roughened by surface etching. In photography, it is used precisely for this purpose. The same applies to picture frames.
 
Incredibly detailed builds at such a small scale!!

What is truly amazing is the construction material. I am so impressed, but my mind is struggling to even comprehend the techniques and tools you must use.

Their presentation in the cases is a wonderful finishing touch and will protect them for the next generation!!
 
Ab Hoving said:
@Mash and @Herman: Thank you both for your good wishes. Very thoughtful.
@Jim Fortnam: Thank you for your philosofic comment on my work. For me it proves that beauty is not in an object, but as the word says: it's in the eye of the beholder. When I look at my models I mainly see the mistakes I made, the clumsiness of some of my solutions and the missed chances. There is nothing to brag about it for me. It's simply the result of a wondering mind and a pair of more and more failing hands. Still, I am happy with the end result of this experiment. However, looking at the model I suddenly realized that something was missing. I always admired the wonderful showcases these models are presented in, so I did the only thing I could: I made walnut showcases for all three models. That brings up a new problem: making photographs without all kinds of mirroring effects is almost impossible. And I am by no means a photographer anyway... Maybe Emile knows a solution.
Still, here is what it looks at the moment and in my opinion it gives the models a new status. I never expected that. One is never too old to learn.

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Lovely JPEG's thank you Ab
 
Building models of paper is what I very much like to do nowadays, but sometimes you have to get back to the base and use the good old material: wood.
I decided these little paper models needed some protection and when I saw a youtube film about making showcases with the help of a special type of tape I was in business. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw8bffVr4BA&t=2s) A Polish friend was kind enough to sent me the tape, which could only be ordered in Poland (thank you Tomek) and some sheets of 3 mm perspex from the construction store did the trick. And the wood? Well, about 40 years ago I felled a nut tree together with a friend and colleague. He stored what we did not use in those days and now was the time to use the remnants. (thank you Lourens) It worked out well and working with wood brought back a lot of reminiscences.
Here are the results:
IMG_7824 kopie.JPGIMG_7826 kopie.JPGIMG_7839 kopie.JPGIMG_7842 kopie.JPGIMG_7843 kopie.JPG
Third rate Sussex in her showcase and without it. Length of the model 27 cm, the showcase measures 37 cm

IMG_7832 kopie.JPGIMG_7834 kopie.JPGIMG_7846 kopie.JPGIMG_7852 kopie.JPG
4th rate Tyger. Length of the model 23 cm, the showcase measures 35 cm
IMG_7861 kopie.JPGIMG_7855 kopie.JPG
4th rate Mordaunt. Length of the model 23 cm, the showcase measures 35 cm

That completes this experiment, which was a pleasure working on. What's next?
 
Ab Hoving said:
Building models of paper is what I very much like to do nowadays, but sometimes you have to get back to the base and use the good old material: wood.
I decided these little paper models needed some protection and when I saw a youtube film about making showcases with the help of a special type of tape I was in business. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw8bffVr4BA&t=2s) A Polish friend was kind enough to sent me the tape, which could only be ordered in Poland (thank you Tomek) and some sheets of 3 mm perspex from the construction store did the trick. And the wood? Well, about 40 years ago I felled a nut tree together with a friend and colleague. He stored what we did not use in those days and now was the time to use the remnants. (thank you Lourens) It worked out well and working with wood brought back a lot of reminiscences.
Here are the results:
View attachment 627852View attachment 627853View attachment 627854View attachment 627855View attachment 627856
Third rate Sussex in her showcase and without it. Length of the model 27 cm, the showcase measures 37 cm

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4th rate Tyger. Length of the model 23 cm, the showcase measures 35 cm
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4th rate Mordaunt. Length of the model 23 cm, the showcase measures 35 cm

That completes this experiment, which was a pleasure working on. What's next?
Click to expand...
Splendid, all jpegs AND all the right way up!
Special thank you for the video... what is the tap called, please?
 
Ab Hoving said:
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A nice solution to make show-cases, Ab.
I didn’t know that you had a ‘half-cut’ model.:) But of course you built such model(s) too!
’m guessing you didn’t use a saw ....... but you would be a representative and valued member of the HCSA. As I may speak on behalf of the other members of the ‘Half-Cut Saw Association’: Uwe @Uwek and Maarten @Maarten .:)
Perhaps we could consider to adjust the name to HC(S)A …ROTF
Regards, Peter
 
Ab Hoving said:
The more I build, the more I get convinced that the medium used hardly makes any difference. It's a matter of mastering the material one works with. That is sometimes tough, but I don't see any real difference with working in wood, metal or plastic.
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I was reviewing your excellent build of the Sussex and noted your comment early on in your build. I love it when someone produces a simple common-sense statement that seems to be a universal truth.
 
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