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ZHL San Felipe 1690

Finally, it seems that my melancholy and illnesses have left me. I've started working on the railings and stairs on the quarterdeck. However, there weren't enough balusters for the railings. After completing the work on the aft galleries, I only had 30 balusters left, while I needed about 60 for the entire deck. Apparently, the Chinese didn't include a single baluster in the package. I decided to create the entire set for the deck myself. Instead of using the included railings, I cut new ones from my supply of pearwood boards. So far, everything is still preliminary. The spiral stairs are also not finished yet, and they can't be installed immediately, as the cannons need to be installed first. I'll probably focus on the cannons, as spring is finally here, and I can start etching or painting the barrels outdoors instead of in the apartment.

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Finally, it seems that my melancholy and illnesses have left me. I've started working on the railings and stairs on the quarterdeck. However, there weren't enough balusters for the railings. After completing the work on the aft galleries, I only had 30 balusters left, while I needed about 60 for the entire deck. Apparently, the Chinese didn't include a single baluster in the package. I decided to create the entire set for the deck myself. Instead of using the included railings, I cut new ones from my supply of pearwood boards. So far, everything is still preliminary. The spiral stairs are also not finished yet, and they can't be installed immediately, as the cannons need to be installed first. I'll probably focus on the cannons, as spring is finally here, and I can start etching or painting the barrels outdoors instead of in the apartment.

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Despite being confined to a nursing facility I look out the patio door to swaying palm trees not the Siberian winter scene you showed us earlier in your photos of your home. That would be depressing in itself to me. It looked to cold to even go skiing on a elective basis.
I'm happy your feeling better. Due to the change in projects necessitated in my circumstances I would like to adopt your project as a replacement for mine until I'm able get back on it. I do love your skills at making the ballustrades and other bits and pieces. Beautiful execution. Btw did you cut a template or just freehand the parts?
Happy. Modeling my friend
 
Despite being confined to a nursing facility I look out the patio door to swaying palm trees not the Siberian winter scene you showed us earlier in your photos of your home. That would be depressing in itself to me. It looked to cold to even go skiing on a elective basis.
I'm happy your feeling better. Due to the change in projects necessitated in my circumstances I would like to adopt your project as a replacement for mine until I'm able get back on it. I do love your skills at making the ballustrades and other bits and pieces. Beautiful execution. Btw did you cut a template or just freehand the parts?
Happy. Modeling my friend


If you mean the template for the balusters, then yes, I made it from a broken hacksaw blade using a Dremel. However, for more precise lines and a smooth surface, I further refined the pieces using wood chisels. If I had a traditional lathe instead of a small Chinese woodworking machine, it would have been much easier. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with the result.
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If you mean the template for the balusters, then yes, I made it from a broken hacksaw blade using a Dremel. However, for more precise lines and a smooth surface, I further refined the pieces using wood chisels. If I had a traditional lathe instead of a small Chinese woodworking machine, it would have been much easier. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with the result.
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It looks good in particular with less than desirable tooling.
 
Today, I once again confirmed the truth of the saying that if everything is going well, there will be trouble ahead. After continuing to equip the deck, I completed the work on the quarterdeck. I installed the railings and stairs.
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Then he continued the same work on the ship's tank. I glued the balustrades of the fence. I started trying on ladders. And then I realized that I couldn't fit the guns near the descent to the deck.
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This is what happens when you build a model not according to вменяемым drawings, but, as in our case, according to a picture, albeit at scale. The fact is that the template included in the set is not entirely accurate, and I shifted the gun ports slightly. However, when I built the stern, I took these changes into account, and everything went smoothly. The question is why I overlooked this when building the foredeck. I had to remove the already completed sailboat foredeck and cut off the protrusions on the deck. You can't deepen the entire deck cutout, otherwise the gun on the forecastle will obstruct the passage from the stairs. As the Russian proverb says, "A bad head gives restless hands." Unfortunately, you'll have to redesign the balustrade.
  • It's not a catastrophe, but it's not pleasant and adds to the workload.

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The embellishments on the hull seem sharper and more detailed than those I got in my kit. Are yours made of some sort of plastic or are. They metal?
My decorative resin jewelry was also not very well cast. I refined it with chisels and a Dremel. Resin castings are quite easy to cut and work with. Here is an example of the same piece before and after I worked on it.
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I realize there was no real Spanish ship named the San Felipe of 1690, but something that jumped out are the bitts at the mizzen mast. I had not seen these running fore and aft on any other Spanish ships but would like to know if this may have been the case on some actual Spanish ships. TIA
Allan
 
You are just so talented at making these bit pieces and duplicating them


Thanks, Ted, but don't exaggerate my talents. At a scale of 1:50, it's easy to create fine details. However, if I were to create the same model at a scale of 1:100, it would be a challenge for my abilities. My only model at this scale is a Baltimore clipper schooner, and I haven't attempted anything larger. But, admittedly, the nose figure of the eagle still turned out, although not perfectly, to carve it yourself))).lsmbca5u_lg.jpgP1110161.JPG
 
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