Use balsa filler blocks in the bow where the greatest plank curvature is encountered. Sand them to shape after gluing them into the frames, and make sure they are shaped the same on port and stbd sides. These will give planks a surface to glue them to, and help reduce uneven edges between planks that create steps. Trying to get the sharply curved bow planks to line up edge to edge and produce the proper hull shape, AND make the hull shape symmetrical at the bow is an exercise in frustration, with many splintered and broken planks. Support planking in areas of hull curvature and your life will be easier! Kit instructions are not always the best way to build a model. Experience and good judgement will tell you when to alter a kit’s set of instructions.This is slow going. 5 strips down each side so far. That's about 1/8th of the way. It's looking like several weeks of planking 'fun'. That really is a tight bend at the bow. Soaking the wood stops it splitting, but it is quite 'springy' and a pain to keep down where the front end touches down.
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Balsa is cheap. Replacement planks and re-planking efforts are not.Thanks for the heads-up Darivs. The kit has balsa block for the stern. I didn't even think about using it for the front. Another trip to the model shop then.
Good evening. Kurt has a good point here. You can get away without filler but you take the risk of the bow on the hull not being correct. The kit is a good outline but as you go you will find many things which will change. Cheers GrantUse balsa filler blocks in the bow where the greatest plank curvature is encountered. Sand them to shape after gluing them into the frames, and make sure they are shaped the same on port and stbd sides. These will give planks a surface to glue them to, and help reduce uneven edges between planks that create steps. Trying to get the sharply curved bow planks to line up edge to edge and produce the proper hull shape, AND make the hull shape symmetrical at the bow is an exercise in frustration, with many splintered and broken planks. Support planking in areas of hull curvature and your life will be easier! Kit instructions are not always the best way to build a model. Experience and good judgement will tell you when to alter a kit’s set of instructions.
In my opinion, a kit that omits filler blocks in the bow and sometimes the stern is a bad kit.
Good evening. The mast rake on the Victory are slightly different per mast. I’m talking from memory and stand to be corrected: the Mizzen has an around 3• aft rake, the main around 2• and foremast is vertical. Somewhere in my log one of the Victory boffins pointed this out to meStep 6 completed with varnishing the middle deck. This is now step 7 and fitting the main deck. I put the masts in just to check alignment all around. Although all 3 are perfectly in line and vertical when viewed from the bow end, side on, the main mast leans slightly to stern, compared to both fore and mizzen which are vertical. Looks like I might have to tweak the holes in lower and middle decks.View attachment 389941
Hello my friends, can I find the mantua victory 776 building instructions and download them to study before ordering the ship? Thank you Konstantinos Skodras
thank you for the information Uwek, but these instructions are from 2001 while the photo on the kit does not say the year but only Italy, it's probably a newer version. Konstantinos Skodras![]()
Manual Mantua set 776 Boatkits HMS Victory
Manual for Mantua set 776 Boatkits HMS Victory. View and download the pdf in English. This product currently has 0 frequently asked questions, 1 comment and has 3 votes with an average product rating of 67/100.manuall.co.uk
Good evening. All looking swell. Just check Your bulkwarks from the main deck to the poop deck and to the transom they have too many steps in them. I may be jumping the gun and you still have to cut these correctly. Your planking is looking really good- plenty gun ports to cut out1st stage of planking done. A bit of sanding to do next.
Instructions say to paint this first layer with a watered down solution of white wood glue, then sand it once it's dried.
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