• SUBSCRIBE TO SHIPS IN SCALE TODAY!

    The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026!
    Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue.

    NOTE THAT OUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE MARCH/APRIL 2026
  • Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
    As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.

HMS Sphinx - Vanguard Models 1:64 by Ronald-V

Hi Ronald,
No, no no colors!!!!, In my opinion, I’d leave it exactly as it is. It might look different up close, but from a distance, it blends in with the hull's ornamentation and barriers. Personally, I’d leave it just the way you made it, I wouldn't paint it in colors, because doing so would make it lose its identity as a ladder and make it look like part of the hull instead. Just saying! That’s my humble opinion; ultimately, you’ll decide what you like best!! it is your ship, after all, hehe. ;)
Thank you! I appreciate you giving your opinion. Okay

Lovely work! I too use the same pattern of CA and wood glue. Looking at a 30-year-old model right now where it is still like new. I think the majority of older models I've seen with wood-related problems were those where the wood was left completely unfinished.
That is reassuring:)

This is a model. In most cases, unpainted parts are justified by the impossibility of painting them in that era. There are plenty of other archival models where the vertical defenders and ladders are painted to match the hull lines, and even the ornamentation is applied.

On real ships, they were painted to match the hull lines to maintain harmony.

Look for paintings by artists of that era who painted ships from life and see for yourself.

The ladder and vertical fenders should not stand out; on the contrary, they were carefully concealed. The falconet racks were also camouflaged.
There should be no prominent details on the body; this is unsightly and contrary to the traditions of those years.

View attachment 612872

How nice that I am making a model then, and not a real ship. ;)

Incidentally, I came across several contemporary models with the way the ladder is depicted. I don't think that is because they couldn't paint them, as you suggest. The ladders are easily accessible with a brush, so I suspect the builders thought this looked nice. They probably didn't have forum police who thought it wasn't like the real thing. ROTF

I colored in the steps using AI. (frustrating little job) And I am curious what the forum members think. Of course, I will decide for myself, but I am also curious about everyone's opinion.

Original

IMG_20260617_143615105_HDR.jpg



Colored version

Gemini_Generated_Image_5uw2rr5uw2rr5uw2.png
 
Last edited:
I prefer the colored version, but your ship, your colors. Both are still in context of a great looking model :-)

BTW, I think it’s a bit oversensitive and ‘difficult’ to talk about ‘forum police’ in the case of a factual comment, which may well have been translated by a translation tool. ;-)
 
BTW, I think it’s a bit oversensitive and ‘difficult’ to talk about ‘forum police’ in the case of a factual comment, which may well have been translated by a translation too

Is it? It is more of a reaction to the lecturing way of responding that a select group on this forum employs; fine... but not entirely my cup of tea. There is always room for criticism or advice, but how you phrase it is important to secure a willing listening ear. Perhaps it is a translation error, but if this is oversensitive, then taking offense at my remark is also oversensitive. ;)

Forgot to mention that I enjoy your log and looking forward to your progress :-) Will you rigg her?
yes :)
 
Is it? It is more of a reaction to the lecturing way of responding that a select group on this forum employs; fine... but not entirely my cup of tea. There is always room for criticism or advice, but how you phrase it is important to secure a willing listening ear. Perhaps it is a translation error, but if this is oversensitive, then taking offense at my remark is also oversensitive. ;)

Mmmm, in every Forum you have one or two guys being "difficult", I learned to take the good input and ignore the "tone" (sometimes ignoring everything... haha), but in my opinion I don't see something like this in your thread?

I personally prefer to get this input (see my Cross Section) and then decide what to do. It's much better then endless praising (even it is a pain in the *** sometimes .. :-D). With that you don't evolve.

Looking really forward to your rigging and will give my input whenever I think it could be valuable for you :-)
 
Since Ronald interprets my list of arguments as moralizing (which is extremely incorrect!), here, for anyone interested, is a much more credible argument than the unfortunate model of Minerva. Namely, the Sphinx itself, exhibited by Marshall under official commission.
I asked Ronald to find the paintings from those years himself, so he'd understand I wasn't trying to deceive him and that there was some truth to my words. But he was offended. Fine, then, I'll show you myself. So, anyone who wants to make a model of the Sphinx as close to the prototype as possible will certainly find this image useful. I would like to add that it is noticeable that even the channels are painted according to the color of the friezes.

сфинкс 1.jpg сфинкс 2.jpg сфинкс 3.jpg сфинкс 4.jpg сфинкс 5.jpg сфинкс 6.jpg
 
How nice that I am making a model then, and not a real ship.
Dear Ronald! I don't understand you. What does the real ship have to do with this?
You're making a model and asking which version is better. I tell you: the best version is always the one that resembles the prototype. This isn't a moral lesson, it's a simple fact of life.

Imagine you're making a model of a tank and you decide to paint it gold. Will it be beautiful? Yes! Will it be chic and glamorous? Yes! But it won't be a model of that tank anymore, because the prototype is green.

It will be anything—a sculpture, an avant-garde painting—but not a model of a specific tank or ship.

Of course, it's your personal choice how and what you paint. If you want to paint the model gold, that's your complete right. I simply told you how it really happened, and now you have the information, no matter how you feel about me now.

It's all about me. I've been reading you since the very beginning, back on the now-defunct forum. I really liked how you'd seriously and thoroughly upgraded the model. The boxwood deck is truly remarkable. The planking, the parquet flooring—everything suggested the model would be as close to the prototype as possible.

So I decided that useful information about the prototype might be useful to you in making this or that decision.
Best wishes!
 
Your model, your way. Personally I like the unpainted version and if this was my thread I'd be pissed at the tone too. You continue to do you mate. Well done so far.
 
Since Ronald interprets my list of arguments as moralizing (which is extremely incorrect!), here, for anyone interested, is a much more credible argument than the unfortunate model of Minerva. Namely, the Sphinx itself, exhibited by Marshall under official commission.
I asked Ronald to find the paintings from those years himself, so he'd understand I wasn't trying to deceive him and that there was some truth to my words. But he was offended. Fine, then, I'll show you myself. So, anyone who wants to make a model of the Sphinx as close to the prototype as possible will certainly find this image useful. I would like to add that it is noticeable that even the channels are painted according to the color of the friezes.

View attachment 613053 View attachment 613054 View attachment 613055 View attachment 613056 View attachment 613057 View attachment 613058
It's okay Igor! To conclude the discussion here. In your first example, you indicate that I base my decision on a model from a museum, which in your eyes would be incorrect. But now you are trying to convince me with a painting of literally a model. The Marshall paintings are quite generic in appearance; all his paintings in these style are look alike. And the question is whether Mr. Marshall actually saw these ships in real life or simply drew inspiration from models and drawings. Something that does not interest me furthermore...best wishes to you too :)
 
Hallo Ronald, ich verstehe Dich nicht. Es könnte eine interessante, fruchtbare Diskussion sein. Igor wird Russisch in Englisch übersetzen lassen, er wird das Englische nicht gegenlesen können ob da der Ton unfreundlich oder harsh ist, er schreibt also sozial emotional quasi blind. Er lobt Dich und Dein Modell doch an zig Stellen und zeigt seine Begeisterung dafür, und würde Dich wohl auch gerne überzeugen. Ist halt so. Für andere kann das doch eine sehr wertvolle Information sein, muss man ja nicht annehmen. Ich schreibe sehr viel mit russischen Modellbauern und glaube inzwischen zu wissen wie sie "ticken", im Grunde aber immer sehr respektvoll, aber eben auch, dass Russisch eine eher "direktere" Sprache ist was das Übersetzen nicht so einfach macht.

Vielleicht könntest Du uns mitteilen, was Deine Intention hinter einem Baubericht ist. Möchtest Du einfach nur Deine Fortschritte zeigen oder möchtest Du Input bekommen, auch, um etwas sehr gutes noch besser machen zu können? Jeder der Input gibt investiert auch seine Zeit, was ich schätzenswert finde.


Привет, Рональд, я тебя не понимаю. Это могло бы стать интересной и плодотворной дискуссией. Игорь поручит перевести текст с русского на английский, но он не сможет проверить английский текст на предмет того, не звучит ли он недружелюбно или резко, то есть он пишет, так сказать, «вслепую» с точки зрения социально-эмоционального контекста. Ведь он в десятках мест хвалит тебя и твою модель, демонстрирует свой энтузиазм по поводу неё и, вероятно, хотел бы тебя убедить. Так уж получилось. Для других это может оказаться очень ценной информацией, но не обязательно так считать. Я очень много общаюсь с российскими моделистами и, по-моему, уже понимаю, как они «устроены»; в целом они всегда очень уважительны, но при этом русский язык — это довольно «прямой» язык, что не упрощает перевод.

Может быть, ты мог бы рассказать нам, какова твоя цель при ведении отчета о строительстве. Ты просто хочешь показать свои успехи или тебе нужны отзывы, в том числе для того, чтобы сделать что-то очень хорошее ещё лучше? Каждый, кто делится своими отзывами, тратит на это своё время, и я считаю это достойным уважения.


Hello Ronald, I don’t understand you. This could be an interesting, fruitful discussion. Igor will have his Russian translated into English; he won’t be able to proofread the English to check whether the tone is unfriendly or harsh, so he’s writing, socially and emotionally speaking, more or less blindly. He praises you and your model in countless places and shows his enthusiasm for it, and would probably like to convince you too. That’s just how it is. For others, this could be very valuable information, though you don’t have to take it at face value. I write a lot with Russian model-makers and guess I understand how they ‘tick’, basically, they’re always very respectful, but Russian is a rather ‘more direct’ language, which doesn’t make translation all that easy.

Perhaps you could tell us what your intention is behind posting a build log. Do you simply want to show your progress, or are you looking for feedback - perhaps to make something that’s already very good even better? Everyone who offers feedback is also investing their time, which I think is commendable.

Looking forward to your progress though :-)
 
Hallo Ronald, ich verstehe Dich nicht. Es könnte eine interessante, fruchtbare Diskussion sein. Igor wird Russisch in Englisch übersetzen lassen, er wird das Englische nicht gegenlesen können ob da der Ton unfreundlich oder harsh ist, er schreibt also sozial emotional quasi blind. Er lobt Dich und Dein Modell doch an zig Stellen und zeigt seine Begeisterung dafür, und würde Dich wohl auch gerne überzeugen. Ist halt so. Für andere kann das doch eine sehr wertvolle Information sein, muss man ja nicht annehmen. Ich schreibe sehr viel mit russischen Modellbauern und glaube inzwischen zu wissen wie sie "ticken", im Grunde aber immer sehr respektvoll, aber eben auch, dass Russisch eine eher "direktere" Sprache ist was das Übersetzen nicht so einfach macht.

Vielleicht könntest Du uns mitteilen, was Deine Intention hinter einem Baubericht ist. Möchtest Du einfach nur Deine Fortschritte zeigen oder möchtest Du Input bekommen, auch, um etwas sehr gutes noch besser machen zu können? Jeder der Input gibt investiert auch seine Zeit, was ich schätzenswert finde.


Привет, Рональд, я тебя не понимаю. Это могло бы стать интересной и плодотворной дискуссией. Игорь поручит перевести текст с русского на английский, но он не сможет проверить английский текст на предмет того, не звучит ли он недружелюбно или резко, то есть он пишет, так сказать, «вслепую» с точки зрения социально-эмоционального контекста. Ведь он в десятках мест хвалит тебя и твою модель, демонстрирует свой энтузиазм по поводу неё и, вероятно, хотел бы тебя убедить. Так уж получилось. Для других это может оказаться очень ценной информацией, но не обязательно так считать. Я очень много общаюсь с российскими моделистами и, по-моему, уже понимаю, как они «устроены»; в целом они всегда очень уважительны, но при этом русский язык — это довольно «прямой» язык, что не упрощает перевод.

Может быть, ты мог бы рассказать нам, какова твоя цель при ведении отчета о строительстве. Ты просто хочешь показать свои успехи или тебе нужны отзывы, в том числе для того, чтобы сделать что-то очень хорошее ещё лучше? Каждый, кто делится своими отзывами, тратит на это своё время, и я считаю это достойным уважения.


Hello Ronald, I don’t understand you. This could be an interesting, fruitful discussion. Igor will have his Russian translated into English; he won’t be able to proofread the English to check whether the tone is unfriendly or harsh, so he’s writing, socially and emotionally speaking, more or less blindly. He praises you and your model in countless places and shows his enthusiasm for it, and would probably like to convince you too. That’s just how it is. For others, this could be very valuable information, though you don’t have to take it at face value. I write a lot with Russian model-makers and guess I understand how they ‘tick’, basically, they’re always very respectful, but Russian is a rather ‘more direct’ language, which doesn’t make translation all that easy.

Perhaps you could tell us what your intention is behind posting a build log. Do you simply want to show your progress, or are you looking for feedback - perhaps to make something that’s already very good even better? Everyone who offers feedback is also investing their time, which I think is commendable.

Looking forward to your progress though :-)
In his initial post, he used a closed-off style of discussion. The post concluded with the statement: "There should be no prominent details on the body; this is unsightly and contrary to the traditions of those years."

That's not a discussion, but forcing your opinion as a fact. And this style of discussion is used frequently here on the forum. Perhaps in Igor's case, it is a translation issue. Fine, his intentions are not wrong either, as he has already indicated.

I may not have been clear enough myself that I am not making a 100% realistic ship. In my view, that is impossible; I allow myself some freedom regarding interpretation. Plus, I am making a model inspired by the many contemporary models.

Criticism and advice are always welcome.

I will leave it at this.:)
 
Last edited:
Every contribution is valuable, and yes, some people do go over the top and are very insistent on their views, but it’s certainly better than having no research or valuable input at all, as is the case in other forums (where, for example, anything ‘dissonant’ gets banned – just brilliant). You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs (lol, funny translation of: "Wo gehobelt wird fallen Späne."). But I find it inappropriate to claim that this happens ‘frequently’ here, as it simply isn’t true. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I wouldn’t currently ‘dare’ to criticise anything you’ve posted; English isn’t my first language and I tend to be rather direct, so I’d be worried you might not understand me properly. Anyway, let’s leave it at that – it takes too much time. I’ll happily continue to follow your build :-)
 
Back
Top