Astrolabe - Mantua 1/50

Another first today - my first shroud pair attached. Only an hour and a bit to complete - it's going to be a long time before launch! I did have to redo a deadeye after breaking the solder trying to turn it round so the holes were in the right direction, then cut the rope too short on both occasions and had to restart. And that's all I'm admitting to! No swearing involved. You can see my next problem - gunports.
My respect for you lot just grows.......


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Hi Jimmy!

With the kit manufacturers and their models it was not yet far when their kit appared! At least they gave their kit the right name. I built this premium model from another manufacturer 40 years ago under the name "Atropos" as an english corvette.

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I saw that the plan was bad and that it was the "Astrolabe" and ordered the following plan from the museum in Paris. Unfortunately, he also had many errors and I built them dutifully after.

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Gun port foremast.

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Gun port mainmast.

Because of these errors, which are still present in many kit plans today, I always try to get the best plans available today.

With best regards
Thomas
 
I've re-done that first shroud pair because I thought the deadeye looked too high above the bullwark, even though that's where the Mantua plans put it. It wasn't any quicker yet! Practice and time will speed up my collection of 10 thumbs.
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I'm going to have to come up with a solution to the gun port hatch sometime.
 
Slow progress (is there any other kind?) - it's been below 0C in the manshed, so fingers are reluctant. the addition of a 3kW heater has helped, I had a balmy 5 degrees c today!
Fore and main loer shrouds and stays are in. I forgot to but the main Burton pendants in forst and had done the front shroud pairs before I realised. I don't think anybody will ever spot it- they'll be too busy laughing at the other cockups! Burton pendants I read had the main function for tensioning ahrouds at sea, which was a common occurrence; hence there should be some on the upper tops as wel.
I've decided I really don't have the skill in a small place to do jeers and slings for all the yards. I've put in jeers for the fore course yard and might go with a sling for the main. I finally got hold of some 2mm dowel for the sheer poles and futtock staves as they were not in the kit. 2mm turned out to be nominal they were really 2.5, so got stuffed in the drill chuck and sanded down to 2. I need to decide what colour to finish them - wood or iron.
The gun port hatches are still a nightmare I'm ignoring but I'll have to sort something soon. The sheer poles will allow a bit of adjustment of shroud position.
For the mystery unworkable block system slung between the main and foremast, I decided to make two functioning lifting tackles, one to go to each bulwark.
i spotted that I'd missed a deadeye for a topgallant backstay on the main platforms, so that's been rectified. I realised I'd put that missing deadeye on the mizzen platforms where for some reason the plans show 2 mizzen upper top backstays going to deadeyes and one tied off to an eyelet in an unrealistic fashion,

I find this site useful for reference

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Hi Jimmy!

The orange framed ropes are the loading gear for heavy objects and the ship's boat.

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Old photo from the marinemuseum Paris of the "La Lionne", identical ship of the "L'Astrolabe. You can see two loading gear. On construction plans, the starboard side is usually shown. That's why you see only one gear on your plan. The port side must then be similarly reproduced.

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If you are lucky enough to have the book "Modeles Historiques, Musée de la Marine, published by Ancre, you can have a look at the contemporary model from 1817.

Best regards
Thomas
 
Thank you Thomas, that is a great reply!
"On construction plans, the starboard side is usually shown." I didn't know that, now I do. Happy afternoon spent adding moving one tackle onto a second rope. That also makes more sense as I had the rope between the masts running between the stays, now they can be swung outboard.
 
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This week's progress. I'm working on rigging, All new things for me! I've added the futtock staves and sheer poles to the fore and main lower shrouds. Starting on the foremast I've added catharpins, which like the Burton pendants, aren't part of the plans in the kit, and the futtock shrouds. I've been trying Gotilla clear glue rather than CA for some of the knots; it doesn't stain or make the thread rigid like CA, but it is very thick and takes several hours to set, which is a drawback.IMG_8502[1].jpgIMG_8501[1].jpgIMG_8504[1].jpgIMG_8506[1].jpg

I've been really struggling with my clove hitches on the poles, I don't know why, I've been doing clove hitches on boats for 5 years! It si something about working with forceps and at an angle. I think I've got it sorted now. I have to have it slick when it comes to ratlines!
I need to start thinking about the yards soon, so I can get their mountings sorted. Parrals, jeers, slings, nave lines - is there really space for them all? And my fingers? Time will tell. I'm really enjoying doing this, but I'm disappointed that I can't do it better! Will there ever be a second model? Who knows - time will tell!
 
Hi Jimmy!

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There are so many ropes in model kits from miserable to good and very good and then they must also be sufficient for the model. The modeler must be able to process them well and has only the ropes included in the kit. The professionals make their own rope.
It is not always the model builder's fault if the ropes are poor to work it. Of the ropes pictured above, I still use the sewing machine thread on the roll on the far left of the picture for the rat lines. The other ropes are leftovers.

You're clearly putting a lot of effort into processing the ropes. Keep it up. All the problems you overcome now will help in building the next ship.

Best regards
Thomas
 
The inside of the transom was exposed plywood sheet in the kit, so I planked it with left-over hull planking strip. I couldn't decide whether vertical or horizontal would be less incorrect, and went with vertical as it was easier! I think horizontal might have been the better choice.IMG_8519.jpg
 
Hi Jimmy!

At this address you can find a lot of interesting information about L'Astrolabe. What she was built for, original deck drawing, figurehead, voyage records, many contemporary drawings and paintings, when she was without cannons . . . Let the programm translate the text for you.

MÉCÉNAT – L' Astrolabe

astrolabe-dumontdurville.fr astrolabe-dumontdurville.fr

Best regards
Thomas
 
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Thomas Marocke said:
Hi Jimmy!

At this address you can find a lot of interesting information about L'Astrolabe. What she was built for, original deck drawing, figurehead, voyage records, many contemporary drawings and paintings, when she was without cannons . . . Let the programm translate the text for you.

MÉCÉNAT – L' Astrolabe

astrolabe-dumontdurville.fr astrolabe-dumontdurville.fr

Best regards
Thomas
Click to expand...
Thanks Thomas.I have been using that site. The project of building a 1:1 replica is interesting, but the site hasn't been updated for two years so I wonder if it is still viable.
 
Thomas Marocke said:
Hi Jimmy!

The orange framed ropes are the loading gear for heavy objects and the ship's boat.

View attachment 206577
Old photo from the marinemuseum Paris of the "La Lionne", identical ship of the "L'Astrolabe. You can see two loading gear. On construction plans, the starboard side is usually shown. That's why you see only one gear on your plan. The port side must then be similarly reproduced.

View attachment 206578View attachment 206579
If you are lucky enough to have the book "Modeles Historiques, Musée de la Marine, published by Ancre, you can have a look at the contemporary model from 1817.

Best regards
Thomas
Click to expand...
I think it is called a Triatic stay, having seen similar in Textbook of Seamanship
 
On to the fore topmast rigging. I remembered to put the pendants in first this time! I have realised that I haven't checked the effect of tensioning these shrouds on the futtocks / catharpins. Task for tomorrow!

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Solved the problem of the gunports not having enough room between the shrouds. Cannon stored and ports shut!

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