La Renommee 1744 1:48. (CAF) by Salty

Fellow modellers



A number of years ago, I happened across the kit of La Renommee on the CAF website and decided to buy it as a retirement project. At that time, only parts 1 to 4 (midsection frames, stern, bow and keel/jig respectively) were available, but I subsequently purchased part 4.5 (the internal structure), part 5 (main deck) and part 6 (upper deck) over the coming years. I also bought the ANCRE monograph by Jean Boudroit.

I am not sure whether Tom at CAF intends to release a further part with the masts and rigging. He sold me CNC machined masts, yards and some other parts such as deadeyes which he made for another client. I will have to build the rest from scratch. I have a few books to help, including Vol 3 of ANCRE’s 74 Gun Ship (which covers masts and rigging), Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging by Marquardt and Seamanship by Harland. I’m not sure I can actually do it but I will try as I prefer the look of fully rigged models.

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy following my progress and I’m more than happy to elaborate further on how I tackle issues along the way.

Kind regards

Salty

Salty said:

Fellow modellers

View attachment 585198

A number of years ago, I happened across the kit of La Renommee on the CAF website and decided to buy it as a retirement project. At that time, only parts 1 to 4 (midsection frames, stern, bow and keel/jig respectively) were available, but I subsequently purchased part 4.5 (the internal structure), part 5 (main deck) and part 6 (upper deck) over the coming years. I also bought the ANCRE monograph by Jean Boudroit.

I am not sure whether Tom at CAF intends to release a further part with the masts and rigging. He sold me CNC machined masts, yards and some other parts such as deadeyes which he made for another client. I will have to build the rest from scratch. I have a few books to help, including Vol 3 of ANCRE’s 74 Gun Ship (which covers masts and rigging), Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging by Marquardt and Seamanship by Harland. I’m not sure I can actually do it but I will try as I prefer the look of fully rigged models.

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy following my progress and I’m more than happy to elaborate further on how I tackle issues along the way.

Kind regards

Salty

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Yep Salty I have pulled up a chair. Cheers Grant

I will watch with interest
I keep looking at this kit it looks an interesting challenge !!
Not sure if my skills will be good enough to warrant the quite considerable expense
Andy

I'll sit by Grant. Someone needs to keep him under control.

Please provide any pictures of what was completed or if nothing was done, please show how this kit looks like.

This ship always has my attention. Congratulations on your retirement!

I'm a bad boy, I put down working on my La Renommée for over a year now and hope to return to it later this year. My writing about the ship took precedence over working on the model. (My historical fiction series follows the history of the ship from launch to break-up if you're interested in its story and some of the commanders, request it at your library. (See The Ship's Captain, Captains of the Renown, and On Waves of Glory at online booksellers.) I've also made a small, FREE PDF booklet about the ship's history and commanders you can download from my website at www.stockmanbooks.com/downloads if you'd like more factual info after its capture than is in Boudroit's book. Good luck on the ship, it's a tough one to do, but that stern design...OMG!

I keep looking at this incredible model on the CAF site, longing to make it my "retirement project" (and I'm almost 83, but then I consider the almost $2500 it costs today, with all the options (and still not masts or rigging, as you say), lay out it's size next to my Granado and Ragusian Carrack and realize I have no room to put it after construction, let alone room on my desk to build it. And that's not even considering the cost of the divorce.

So - I will will sit here longingly, but greatly interested, as you build this IMHO "Queen of Ship Kits".

Salty said:

Fellow modellers

View attachment 585198

A number of years ago, I happened across the kit of La Renommee on the CAF website and decided to buy it as a retirement project. At that time, only parts 1 to 4 (midsection frames, stern, bow and keel/jig respectively) were available, but I subsequently purchased part 4.5 (the internal structure), part 5 (main deck) and part 6 (upper deck) over the coming years. I also bought the ANCRE monograph by Jean Boudroit.

I am not sure whether Tom at CAF intends to release a further part with the masts and rigging. He sold me CNC machined masts, yards and some other parts such as deadeyes which he made for another client. I will have to build the rest from scratch. I have a few books to help, including Vol 3 of ANCRE’s 74 Gun Ship (which covers masts and rigging), Eighteenth Century Rigs and Rigging by Marquardt and Seamanship by Harland. I’m not sure I can actually do it but I will try as I prefer the look of fully rigged models.

Anyway, I hope you’ll enjoy following my progress and I’m more than happy to elaborate further on how I tackle issues along the way.

Kind regards

Salty

Click to expand...

Salty, I ave La Renommee built through 1-4.5, there is a build log, although Im no master builder. Will be ordering the next section shortly, when I scrape up the 650.00.....I will look forward to your build log with interest! Thanks, Paul

Paul and Grant, if I let you sit together, I expect you to be quiet and pay attention. On a more serious note however, you were great support during my struggles with Le Coureur so it’s nice to have you along!

Andy, I like CAF kits. Although the initial outlay might be a little on the expensive side, when you think about how long they take to build, I think they’re good value. There’s a few good logs to help on building CAF ships if you’re so inclined - e.g. Paul on La Renommee, Uwek and Keef on HMS Granado and of course Grant on HMS Enterprise.

YT, I hope to show everyone lots of pictures of how La Renommee goes together, but kit-wise, there is not a lot to show, just cherry billets with laser cut pieces for the frames.

Dave, thanks for the link to your booklet on La Renommee aka Renown. I am working my way through it over coffee at my local cafe each morning. I am interested to see what your model looks like. Do you have a log? I’d love to see some pictures of your model.

Marc, thanks, my retirement was only thirty five years in the making. I’m enjoying it so far, not overly busy, but not missing work either. I still meet a few of my former colleagues for coffee every now and then, so I haven’t lost contact completely.

Signet, thanks for your post. I hope you enjoy my log. I must admit to not thinking much about the size of La Renommee, but now that you mention it, she is going to be very big, especially if I carry out my threat to rig her!

Paul, don’t worry, I have read and re-read your log on La Renommee. You’ve done a fantastic job so far and I can’t wait until you restart.

Part 1 of the kit contains frames 15 to 45 of the 58 or so that make up the ship.

The CAF instructions are brief, but there’s enough there to work out what has to be done. Each frame is made of two layers marked “a” and “b” and each layer consists of 6 or 7 parts numbered from left to right:







I glue up each layer separately over the frame plan (weighted down with a sheet of glass) and then glue the two layers together. The lines on the frames mark the bevels - one for the outside and one for the inside.

Kind regards

Salty

Salty said:

Paul and Grant, if I let you sit together, I expect you to be quiet and pay attention.

Click to expand...

Salty, Paul will keep me well behaved……mostly .

I found the CAF instructions really good (on my Enterprise), plenty pictures put together really well. The only aspect I struggled with a little is the measurement margins at certain points e.g deck beams and any “extras” I wanted to add in.

There is nothing like retirement time to build a lovely cherry wood POF - enjoy.
Cheers Grant

Thank you to everyone who is following my progress.

Piles of frames can be a little boring, so it to I thought I might show how I do bevelling.

Because these frames are from the midship, there’s not much required, but still care is need to get the bevel flat across the thickness of the frame. I use a rasp, sanding pen with 120 grit paper, and finish with a scraper. It’s a little time consuming - about 45 to 60 minutes per frame - but I’m in no hurry.









The rasp is a really nice tool. It’s about 150 x 10 mm, half round and I think the teeth are hand cut because they are not exactly symmetrical. It’s similar to 60 or 80 grit sandpaper in some ways, but it just feels more precise as it doesn’t dull or clog. I can work down quite quickly to the bevel line with it. As you can see from the photos, I probably do about 90% of the work with it.

My sanding pen is a favourite as I can never seem to hold sandpaper taught around a block so that it doesn’t round edges.

The scraper is 0.3 mm thick and gives a lovely crisp finish. It also allows me to work along the frame and keep the bevel flat. It only needs sharpening every so often and easily outlasts sandpaper.

The vise is also handy. Even if you can’t use it to clamp properly, the vise can be used as a rest to keep the frame steady.

Kind regards

Salty

Salty, just in case Paul and Grant get into it, I'll be in the second row. Can't wait for your new project! Magic Mike

Mike, nice to hear from you. Feel free to come and go as you please, La Renommee is going to take a while to build.

Things seem to be going smoothly (famous last words) with frames 15 to 30 finished:





Frame 20 is an inch or so shorter than the rest, but a check of Boudroit revealed the reason. The frame is below a gunport and would need to be eventually completely cut away if it was made to the height of the frames either side of it. I think it’s usual to make all the frames full height and add spacers at the top of the frames to brace everything. In the case of La Renommee, this might get not be necessary as the ceiling planking is installed early on, but I’ll just have to wait and see.

Bevelling has gradually decreased and peters out altogether from frame 26 to 30.

Kind regards

Salty

Magic Mike said:

Salty, just in case Paul and Grant get into it, I'll be in the second row. Can't wait for your new project! Magic Mike

Click to expand...

I have the boss next to me Mike so I will have to be on my best behaviour.

Salty said:

Mike, nice to hear from you. Feel free to come and go as you please, La Renommee is going to take a while to build.

Things seem to be going smoothly (famous last words) with frames 15 to 30 finished:

View attachment 586782

View attachment 586783

Frame 20 is an inch or so shorter than the rest, but a check of Boudroit revealed the reason. The frame is below a gunport and would need to be eventually completely cut away if it was made to the height of the frames either side of it. I think it’s usual to make all the frames full height and add spacers at the top of the frames to brace everything. In the case of La Renommee, this might get not be necessary as the ceiling planking is installed early on, but I’ll just have to wait and see.

Bevelling has gradually decreased and peters out altogether from frame 26 to 30.

Kind regards

Salty

Click to expand...

Good morning Salty. You are off to a mighty fine start. Cheers Grant

Grant, thanks. Your Enterprise looks wonderful. Now all I need to do is try to keep working to a standard.

Frames 31 to 45 are now done:





Here are all the frames together:



Just for reference, each frame is 9 mm thick from front to back and there will only be 5 mm between them.

Bevelling recommences at frame 31. Frame 32 is about 10 mm taller than frame 31 corresponding with the start of the poupe deck. Although it is not stated explicitly in the kit plans, the orientation of the frames reverses at frame 30. For frames 1 to 29, the floor timber is on the forward face of the frame, whereas from frame 30 onwards is on the aft face of the frame. Plate 4 in the Boudroit drawings shows this change and this becomes more obvious as you work further back.

I thought the frames might be a bit tedious, but I seem to have settled into a rhythm of a couple or so every day. It is a bit like building Le Coureur…

That is the end of Part 1 of the kit.

Kind regards

Salty

Good on you, Salty. A positive attitude during this process will be important.

Paul, yes a good attitude is important. It’s not a race. If something is getting the better of me, I like to put it aside for a while rather than doing anything rash for the sake of a quick fix.

Today, I started on the jig, which is mainly Part 4 of the kit. The reason for this is to store my growing piles of frames on the end of the kitchen table.







It’s much bigger than I thought it would be - 1000 x 300 mm! No wonder it came in its own box.

The base is made of two overlapping layers of plywood. I added two strips of wood along the length of the underside of the base to make it a little stiffer as I imagine the ship will be in the jig for a fair while. In the past, I have used filler blocks to help keep the superstructure of jigs square and give some added strength, but I don’t think they are necessary this time as it all seems pretty solid.

Kind regards

Salty

Thank you to everyone who has been checking on my progress. I feel like I am starting to get into the swing of this kit a bit now.

Continuing on with Part 4 of the kit, I have made a start on the stern section:





The last seven notches before the stern post are slightly different to the rest of the notches in the keel.

I think it’s just a transition area between the midship frames - e.g. frame 49 - and the “full” stern frames - e.g. frame 57 - to help with the fairing, but I could be wrong.

Here is the bow section:





I found it quite difficult to get a result I was happy with. It’s quite tricky with all those curved surfaces to get a nice thin glue line. Not perfect, but I’ll take it.

Kind regards

Salty

Here is the keel section completed:







The keel is made up of two parts. There are the main square sections with tabs which fit into slots in the jig and there are thin sections with slots for the frames which sit on top.

The instructions say the distance between the slots for and aft should be 713 mm and this is more or less what I ended up with. The plans say the slots should be 710 mm apart and this is what I also ended up with after dry fitting the pieces together.

To cut a long story short, I decided to lengthen both layers of the keel between the stern and stem areas. The main square sections were easy as the tabs determined where the fillers had to be added and I only had to add some two fillers to one section. The slotted sections were a little more difficult, until I discovered that the last slot in each section was about 1.5mm short, so a filler had to added between each section. If you look closely, you can see where I have done that.

Although 3mm feels like a significant error, I am hopeful it won’t make any difference to the final model. The stem and stern are accurate and I have managed to take up the additional space evenly over the middle of the model. Of course, I have known to be wrong plenty of times before…

The last part of the keel section was cutting the rabbets and fairing the deadwood in the stem and stern. I used a 4mm chisel to do most of the work and finished with a scraper. The areas were defined by laser lines, so it’s just a matter of working carefully down to the required depth of 1.5 mm.

Kind regards

Salty