Granado 1742 Diorama Shipyard at 1741

[Strand]

I'm pretty new to shipbuilding; I got into it about a year ago and am now completely hooked on this area of model building.

But I had this crazy idea—probably out of delusions of grandeur and ignorance—to build a diorama featuring a 1:48-scale ship.
I don't know what got into me; I think it was the Dunning-Kruger effect, in which people with limited knowledge greatly overestimate their own abilities and knowledge.

For learning i started shipbuilding in August of last year, I built the USS Constitution 1797 Cross Section kit from Model Shipways. It was still pretty amateurish, but I managed to finish it.



After that, just as a warm-up, I built the HMS Flirt 1782 from Vanguard Models—great model, great designer. That one was a bit more challenging:



And then I got carried away.

I fell in love with the Granado 1742 by CAF, a 1:48 POV, built by Uwek from Vienna.
He had the nerve to take that ship apart. And if one Viennese can do it, so can another, I thought to myself.

No sooner said than done—I bought the ship (actually, I gave it to myself as a Christmas present) and started building it on December 25, 2025.

 

[Strand]

My plan was to build the model exactly as Uwek did, then saw it in half horizontally like he did and use a lifting system to raise or lower the upper and lower sections in order to get a look inside the model.
It started with the first frames, and with each step, the shape of the ship became more and more visible.


Then came the inner planking...



The First Installations of the interior..



The top part of the cradle could be removed to make it easier to work on it.

The jigs and templates had been extremely helpful, I really enjoyed working on the Granado.
And yet I have to say: You don't really need to have too much respect for a POV—it's not exactly rocket science, after all.
Challenging, yes, but even for a relative newcomer—who has, however, gained a great deal of experience in other model building over the decades—can handle it just fine.



And then came the big day, eagerly awaited: the ship was free.

 

[Strand]

And as my ambitions have grown, so have my workshop and my machinery:



and my library:



The ship got it's wales and the frames were additionaly secured on the top edge of the frames with a temporary profile to ensure stability.

There was still a big task ahead: the ship was to be cut horizontally so that the deck could be removed and one could see the substructure of the mortar beams, which are enormous in size, and all the open timber framework. And that required an absolutely stable ship's frame.

The empty cradle was at the spot occupied by one of my cats

And are we go, it's cutting time...


to be continued

 

[Strand]

Work continued on the expansion of the interior wooden beam structures



I decided to complete exactly half of the ship and leave the other side as a shell.
I wanted to pay tribute to the magnificent carpentry of that era. I also decided to build a diorama of a shipyard around 1741 to surround my ship, since the Granado was completed in 1742.

It's such a great model to build that I'm going to be really sad when it's finished. Mr. Zampanello loves the ship, too—he's been doing a great job so far, and I haven't seen a single rat yet.



And here you can see it clearly once again: half of it remains with wooden framing and no paneling, even in the cabins.



to be continued...

 

[Strand]

Here with all the employees of the Rat Hunting Authority:

And this is what the inside of my ship looks like:



The Granado was made seaworthy by painting one side with white paint...



And here with a split hull...



Cannons and anchors were built

...

to be continued...

 

[CharlesEdward]

My cats loved to surround me while I was building also. They seemed quite critical of my work though!

 

[Strand]

And that's how my heyday as a model builder began—I was about to take on my first diorama, and everything was to be built from scratch...
granado old




Initial ideas from the internet, first attempts—the concepts are taking shape...



The experiments continue; new ideas are emerging, such as a shear-leg crane; initial tests with the scale are underway; and work is also being done on the diorama base. The plexiglass cover has been delivered, so now I can work on the details without having to constantly keep an eye on the cats.




Initial tests of the ship's hull opening mechanism—not yet perfect, but you can already tell that it will work.

View attachment img_6623 (1080p).mp4

To be continued

 

[Strand]

I have laid out the basic framework for the ship's construction site...



The first structures are taking shape—a wall around the construction site—and experiments are being conducted with the background.



Work on the shear leg crane is progressing



I looked at old paintings of shipyards from around 1750; cranes like these were common back then.

Experiments with AI-generated backgrounds are being conducted, and the first samples are being printed



to be continued

 

[Strand]

More experiments with AI-generated backgrounds—an exciting topic. The AI really doesn't know what it's creating...

The next idea takes shape: I want to build a wood working station with an auxiliary crane that is currently unloading a huge tree trunk from a horse-drawnwagon.

And now, finally, my colleagues at the shipyard come into play.

I had a wonderful and like-minded partner in creating the figures: Herb from herbsfigures.com.
He creates amazing 3D figures in any scale based on my specifications.
The figures are unique because they aren’t mass-produced and are designed according to my wishes and specifications.
I provided the drawings and received a fantastic figure:





Anyone who has ever painted 3D figures knows how to appreciate the folds and sharp transitions, the precise edges, and, in some cases, the undercuts on the figures. That’s is so helpful to paint them properly.

I mainly work with acrylic washes rather than opaque paints; you apply many thin layers of paint on top of each other and finish with a darker layer of the same shade. And to finish, you add highlights using the drybrushing technique. I’m no Picasso, but I’m quite satisfied with my work.
I know some model shipbuilders will turn up their noses at this—they have a different approach than I do. They want a perfect reproduction of an existing ship, without any distractions, strictly according to the rules, preferably built from scratch using plans they’ve painstakingly gathered from museums around the world. That’s also one way to pursue this hobby. My approach is more about artistic freedom—after all, who knows exactly what life was like in a shipyard nearly 280 years ago? And that’s where my interpretation comes in. And the ship is just one part of the whole scene, albeit an important one. As a model builder I know once said: “I don’t make mistakes. I make historically plausible variations.”



to be continued...

 

[Strand]

And now for the highlight of my diorama: as I mentioned earlier, the hull can be split so you can look inside the ship:


View attachment mein_film (1080p).mp4

To be honest, I'm really happy with my diorama. I think the color scheme and composition fit right in with the year 1741.

 

[Strand]

And now a few more impressions from the "Granado 1741" diorama.
And you don't have to tell me that the ship is the "Granado 1742." I already know that. But the diorama dates back to 1741. It even took them more than a year to build the Granado...











Thank you so much for your interest—and I already have a few more crazy ideas. Stay tuned...

And one more thing: I'll never be a real model shipbuilder who creates museum-quality, scratch-built POV ships.
But I'm going to have a hell of a lot of fun building model ships and putting my own spin on them.

 

[Herbs Ships]

Everytime I see your set-up I just look and look and see something else I didnt see before. Congratulations on a great diorama, model ship and the nerve to cut it apart in order to have the split effect. It’s all great!

 

[BradNSW]

Incredible build of the Granado, at record speed!

The diorama is amazingly detailed, with a new discovery everywhere one looks. It reminds me of the superb shipyard diorama's made by the late Harold Hahn!!!

Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[Peter Voogt]

And as my ambitions have grown, so have my workshop and my machinery:

View attachment 629514

and my library:

View attachment 629513

The ship got it's wales and the frames were additionaly secured on the top edge of the frames with a temporary profile to ensure stability.

There was still a big task ahead: the ship was to be cut horizontally so that the deck could be removed and one could see the substructure of the mortar beams, which are enormous in size, and all the open timber framework. And that required an absolutely stable ship's frame.

The empty cradle was at the spot occupied by one of my catsView attachment 629516

And are we go, it's cutting time...View attachment 629517

View attachment 629518
to be continued

Hi Strand. (I don't know if that is your your first or last name or just your profile name?)
In --> this post <-- @Herbs Ships gives attention to your half-cut model. And now I found your log and with the last 2 pictures the proof of your half-cut model.
On behalf of also the other member of the HCSA (Half-Cut Saw Association) I hereby offer you your life-time membership of the HCSA!
If you are going to make a signature to your profile, you may mention that value in it.
But otherwise it means nothing, and no rights can be derived from it either. We just loved half-cut models.
Regards, Peter

 

[Strand]

Hi Strand. (I don't know if that is your your first or last name or just your profile name?)
In --> this post <-- @Herbs Ships gives attention to your half-cut model. And now I found your log and with the last 2 pictures the proof of your half-cut model.
On behalf of also the other member of the HCSA (Half-Cut Saw Association) I hereby offer you your life-time membership of the HCSA!
If you are going to make a signature to your profile, you may mention that value in it.
But otherwise it means nothing, and no rights can be derived from it either. We just loved half-cut models.
Regards, Peter

Thank you—what an incredible honor, especially when you consider who the other three members of this illustrious brotherhood are...
I’d especially like to thank Uwek, though, who first gave me the idea and, with his wonderful blog, paved the way for me to discover this amazing CAF model. I’d be absolutely thrilled to read his posts again—he was one of the driving forces behind this site.

But, as previously announced, the next POF 1:48 will be edited longitudinal. Would I then, assuming it works out, be a DHCSA (Double-Half-Cut-Saw Associationist?)

 

[Peter Voogt]

But, as previously announced, the next POF 1:48 will be edited longitudinal. Would I then, assuming it works out, be a DHCSA (Double-Half-Cut-Saw Associationist?)

Well ....... then perhaps a sub-section for the two of us? See my --> Balder <-- ...... Not cut but build in longitudinal halfs.
PS: I forgot to make you a big compliment to your diorama!
Regards, Peter

 

[Bilge Ratt]

Great work, and some impressive ideas throughout. A very lively and interesting diorama; thanks for sharing your work and thoughts!

Keep up the good work!

 

[Strand]

Great work, and some impressive ideas throughout. A very lively and interesting diorama; thanks for sharing your work and thoughts!

Keep up the good work!

Thanks for your kind words—I'm glad you like it. It was a lot of fun to build, too.

Well ....... then perhaps a sub-section for the two of us? See my --> Balder <-- ...... Not cut but build in longitudinal halfs.
PS: I forgot to make you a big compliment to your diorama!
Regards, Peter

Not quite—I'm a potential candidate. You've already cut it longitudinally, and I'm just planning to. We don't want to praise it too soon...

 

[Strand]

Incredible build of the Granado, at record speed!

The diorama is amazingly detailed, with a new discovery everywhere one looks. It reminds me of the superb shipyard diorama's made by the late Harold Hahn!!!

Thanks for sharing!!!

Thank you for your kind words, that makes me confident that I'll be open to trying something out of the ordinary again soon.

 

[Kramer]

You are an amazing artist! Bravo.