HMS Victory [1805] 1:79 by serikoff. Started with Mantua -> Upgraded with John McKay's Anatomy.

[serikoff]

05.2023

To take a break from the planking, I decided to work on the mast steps. First, I checked the angle of the bowsprit for accuracy.


The angle was 30 degrees, and I shaped the hole for the bowsprit in the small forward deck.


And now, the interesting part.

I made the mast sockets from aluminum tubes. The entire principle of how the masts are connected to the hull will become clearer later on. But briefly, the tubes with a diameter of 10 mm were glued into the hull for the bowsprit and the two forward masts, and 8 mm for the mizzenmast. The masts themselves will have tubes with a diameter 2 mm smaller, which will fit into the tubes in the hull.

This will ensure a perfect fit for all the masts (since each has a different angle), and more importantly, it allows me to remove the masts easily without gluing them. This greatly increases the repairability in case of any damage.



I fitted all the tubes at once, with the inner tubes (mast imitations) inserted, which stuck up about 30 cm. By adjusting these protruding parts, I was able to set the correct angle for each mast. I glued everything using 5-minute epoxy, fine-tuning the angle by inserting toothpicks into the holes.


Then, the toothpicks and glue were sanded down to the level of the deck. As a result, the tubes are firmly glued into the hull, into which smaller diameter tubes will later be inserted. This will ensure a perfect fit, without the need for glue.


For the bowsprit, the profile of the inner tube ended up looking like a needle tip)))


I'll repeat, I'll explain how this mechanism will work in the next parts. Don't miss it
...

 

[serikoff]

05.2023

To wrap up the lower tier, I decided to finish the sides from the inside. I covered the lower side with rails made from the veneer of enegri wood. The wood is specific, but since this area will be little visible, it will do just fine. It looks good when dry, good in oil, but under bitumen, the texture is very pronounced. I will show this later.



The rail in the corner, between the deck and the side made of daru. I used this material for the entire upper side.





The cladding of this side will hold the deck in place. It forms a groove into which I slide the deck, securing it there.



Oh, I forgot to mention. I redesigned the stand. It’s still temporary like the previous one, but now it has a perfect fit. When the ship is on it, it is perfectly level along all axes.

...

 

[serikoff]

05.2023

And finally, to securely fix the deck in place, I screwed it down with screws. This is temporary and will allow me to work conveniently on the hull.





A small bulwark has appeared in the front section of the deck, and for now, I have finished with this deck. In the next part, I'll cover the poop deck and provide a detailed description of the process of gluing the planks.

To be continued

 

[Luiz B. F. Grassi]

Hello to all my colleagues in the best hobby in the world!

My name is Sergey, but in the world of ships, I go by the name serikoff.

And here’s my story. (Without this introduction, it might be hard to understand me).

I’m from Ukraine and I am the creator of a website and forum dedicated to wooden shipbuilding. My forum is one of the largest in Ukraine. It began functioning fully in 2012. There are more than 150 build logs, just as many threads featuring completed models, and 250 threads discussing techniques and other topics. Some of the modelers who have published their work include prominent names such as: Evgeny Epur, Dmitry Shevelev, and Vladislav Zhdan. These names are well-known in our region. (By the way, Olga, who is known here under the nickname shipphotographer.com, also regularly published her work. It’s not surprising, since we’re from the same area). But! The situation started to deteriorate after 2014, when we began having issues with the website’s domain and hosting. That was the first phase of the war, as our countries were closely intertwined, and cross-sanctions began to destroy joint services. And after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the website essentially died. To be more precise, it still exists, but all the images uploaded by modelers have disappeared. The reason for this is a conflict between the image storage resources and the website’s platform. Right now, I don’t have the resources or time to restore it. But I’m sure that after our victory, someone will be able to create a forum as large and wonderful as yours.

Now, about me...

I started building my second model in 2009 (the first one was experimental, and I didn’t see the point in finishing it). At that time, there weren’t as many resources available as there are today. I made many mistakes and learned how to correct them. I shared this knowledge on my website and forum. However, due to being busy in 2013, I had to put my project on hold. But as the saying goes, "Every cloud has a silver lining." The war started, borders were closed, and I could no longer travel—something that took up all my free time. I’m a dentist, in case anyone’s curious. And under constant shelling, explosions, and air raid sirens, to keep from losing my mind, I decided to return to my hobby. Exactly 10 years later.

What am I doing here...

First of all, I’d like to say that I found your forum by accident. But! I fell in love with it right away! There’s a warm atmosphere, lots of information, and I’ve really been missing all of this. In my journal, I want to share my build, all the knowledge I have, and, of course, ask the questions that interest me. I will be happy to help anyone if you have questions, feel free to reach out. I’m deliberately not posting a link to my website so as not to spoil the build. I want my journal to progress in real time, reaching the current state of the build. Please excuse my English—I will be using Chat GPT for translations to avoid any difficulties.

What I’m building...

As you can see from the title, it’s HMS Victory. I created the framework of the model using plans from a Mantua kit. I didn’t buy the kit itself. I printed the plans in A0 format and built the frame (the skeleton) based on them. That was the end of my work with the Mantua kit. All further work was based on John McKay’s anatomy of the ship. In this journal, I want to take you through the whole process, from the kit plans to the anatomical upgrade.

View attachment 475811

I would also like to share my experiments: Working with blueprints. Aging and painting wood. Aging copper. Making and painting ropes and rigging. 3D modeling and integrating 3D printing into wooden shipbuilding. And much more. It will be fun, and I hope it will be informative for you. I’m sure I will learn a lot from you as well. Thanks in advance for that!

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Let’s get started!

P.S. Рідною.

Хочу звернутися до всіх українців, що виїхали до, чи під час війни. Не слухайте нікого. Кожна людина прагне щастя та безпеки собі та своїм близким. І я щиро сподіваюся, що у вас все добре і ви у безпеці. А всім, хто залишилися, хочу побажати перемоги, мирного неба, сил та здоров'я все це пережити. Бережіть себе, все буде Україна! Слава ЗСУ!

Hi Serikoff / Sergey !
What is the scale of your project ? Did you keep the Mantuas's Scale 1:98 ?

 

[serikoff]

Hi Serikoff / Sergey !
What is the scale of your project ? Did you keep the Mantuas's Scale 1:98 ?

Hello. I wrote about it at the end of the second page of this review. I went into even more detail in the second message of this review, where I talked about the errors in the blueprints. But in short: the scale is 1:79.

 

[team118]

Just beautiful craftsmanship! Just absolutely stunning!

 

[Peter Voogt]

View attachment 477362

Cleaver idea to glue the double curved deck, Sergey.
The same approach, using other ‘tools’ :

Regards, Peter

 

[serikoff]

Just beautiful craftsmanship! Just absolutely stunning!

Thank you for your high praise!

Cleaver idea to glue the double curved deck, Sergey.
The same approach, using other ‘tools’ :
View attachment 477464
Regards, Peter

ahahhah, we glued it the best we could))))

 

[Tobias]

Hello Sergey, I would also like to welcome you to SOS. Your construction report is fantastic and very detailed, and the work you have shown is very precise. I find it remarkable how you have carried out your research and compiled the things that are important to you. I will continue to follow your construction report with great interest, a great help for all those who will be building a Victory in the future, a great achievement.

 

[serikoff]

Hello Sergey, I would also like to welcome you to SOS. Your construction report is fantastic and very detailed, and the work you have shown is very precise. I find it remarkable how you have carried out your research and compiled the things that are important to you. I will continue to follow your construction report with great interest, a great help for all those who will be building a Victory in the future, a great achievement.

Thank you so much for your kind words! Yes, I did a lot of research to understand how to approach everything. My method is ideal for those who either can't or don't want to buy a kit, or for those who bought one but want to enhance it. Of course, my skill level is far from those who build admiralty models. I don't have a workshop or a lot of tools and machines. I'm more of a 'kitchen craftsman,' like many beginners who work on their hobby in the kitchen. But there's a certain charm in that, isn't there? Maybe someday I'll have a proper workshop, but for now, it's just a dream.‍️

 

[Smithy]

I like your mast socket idea. Very practical indeed, Sergey.

 

[serikoff]

I like your mast socket idea. Very practical indeed, Sergey.

Yes, it's convenient, especially for me, as it's difficult to precisely align and secure the rigging. In the upcoming sections, I'll show the implementation itself and how the masts will look. Thank you for your feedback!

 

[serikoff]

Dust...

Today, I want to touch on a very important topic in shipbuilding—dealing with dust.
Up until a certain point, while sanding work was being done on the hull, dust wasn't a major issue. But even then, the hull was constantly covered with fabric. However, I had already started thinking about the fact that the dirty part of the work would eventually end, and I needed to find a way to keep the hull protected from dust. This applies both during downtimes and when doing anything nearby that could create dust, as you don't want it settling on the hull.


And here’s my solution. I built a box frame using wooden bars.
The surface of the box can essentially be covered with anything—thin plastic, plywood, cardboard, polyethylene, or even paper.
I chose to use liquid glass. It’s a very thin yet durable plastic, which I used to cover the box. I made it with a door that opens upward, and where the door touches the box, I installed a seal to prevent dust from getting inside through any gaps. At the bottom, I reinforced the frame to hold the model’s stand. For the lower part, I added legs so that a robotic vacuum could easily pass underneath (ironically, it's the robot vacuum that cleans up the dust!).









This protective box guarded my ship from dust for quite some time, but later on, I made a new one, fully out of glass. I’ll talk more about that in future updates, so stay tuned!

But such a construction will definitely help everyone. By adding a door, the size of the box becomes irrelevant—you can place your model inside while working on the rigging, even when it's fully assembled. The best part is that it’s inexpensive and takes only a couple of hours to make. Give it a try

 

[Smithy]

Dust...

Today, I want to touch on a very important topic in shipbuilding—dealing with dust.

Well I’ve never heard of anything like this before. I’ve never had a dust problem with my small boats but I see the advantage on a big and long term project like a Victory.

10/10 for creative solution

 

[serikoff]

Well I’ve never heard of anything like this before. I’ve never had a dust problem with my small boats but I see the advantage on a big and long term project like a Victory.

10/10 for creative solution

Yes, of course, if the model is small, you can put it in a cabinet or just in a box, and it takes up less space for dust. Plus, the assembly time is shorter. But when the model is nearly a meter long, and even more once it's finished, and it takes more than a year to build, a lot of dust accumulates over that time. This solution isn't new, but I decided to share my take on it.

 

[Gilbertm]

Dust...

Today, I want to touch on a very important topic in shipbuilding—dealing with dust.
Up until a certain point, while sanding work was being done on the hull, dust wasn't a major issue. But even then, the hull was constantly covered with fabric. However, I had already started thinking about the fact that the dirty part of the work would eventually end, and I needed to find a way to keep the hull protected from dust. This applies both during downtimes and when doing anything nearby that could create dust, as you don't want it settling on the hull.
View attachment 477554

And here’s my solution. I built a box frame using wooden bars.
The surface of the box can essentially be covered with anything—thin plastic, plywood, cardboard, polyethylene, or even paper.
I chose to use liquid glass. It’s a very thin yet durable plastic, which I used to cover the box. I made it with a door that opens upward, and where the door touches the box, I installed a seal to prevent dust from getting inside through any gaps. At the bottom, I reinforced the frame to hold the model’s stand. For the lower part, I added legs so that a robotic vacuum could easily pass underneath (ironically, it's the robot vacuum that cleans up the dust!).

View attachment 477555
View attachment 477557
View attachment 477558
View attachment 477559
View attachment 477560
View attachment 477561
View attachment 477562

This protective box guarded my ship from dust for quite some time, but later on, I made a new one, fully out of glass. I’ll talk more about that in future updates, so stay tuned!

But such a construction will definitely help everyone. By adding a door, the size of the box becomes irrelevant—you can place your model inside while working on the rigging, even when it's fully assembled. The best part is that it’s inexpensive and takes only a couple of hours to make. Give it a try

Hi Sergey
Very nice box indeed
Good idea to have this front opening rather than having to "slide" the box from the top.
I'll definitely reuse your idea

 

[serikoff]

Hi Sergey
Very nice box indeed
Good idea to have this front opening rather than having to "slide" the box from the top.
I'll definitely reuse your idea

I'm glad to help! However, I would also recommend making the door open downward. When it opens upward, someone needs to hold it, or you'll need supports to fix it in place. Now I've switched to a glass case, but that's only for the full-height model with masts—it’s just too large. So, I think I'll return to this option at some point.

 

[Gilbertm]

I'm glad to help! However, I would also recommend making the door open downward. When it opens upward, someone needs to hold it, or you'll need supports to fix it in place. Now I've switched to a glass case, but that's only for the full-height model with masts—it’s just too large. So, I think I'll return to this option at some point.

Thanks Sergey
However a glass case is quite heavier.
Second, how do you assemble the glass case? Much trickier I believe

 

[Hubac’s Historian]

Innovative, indeed, Sergey!

 

[serikoff]

Thanks Sergey
However a glass case is quite heavier.
Second, how do you assemble the glass case? Much trickier I believe

I ordered it from an aquarium manufacturer. The size is 1000x350x250 mm, just for the hull. I also covered it with UV-protective film, like in museums, which is why I chose glass. I'll make a full-size case like this when I finish the model, but I'll also need a stand for the whole thing))

Innovative, indeed, Sergey!

Thanks you)