Kit Review "Twelve Apostles 1847" Deagostini Partwork 1/100

NMBROOK

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Hi All

The Twelve Apostles was a 120 gun Russian ship of the line launched in 1847.I will not delve into her history,that will be covered when I eventually start a build log.This is being put in the stash for the foreseeable as I have plenty of current projects on the go.

I have recently received this complete partwork.This was offered in 120 weekly parts.In addition,there were 40 additional parts as a continuation to build a 1/48 scale sectional model of Twelve Apostles.I have not bought the additional parts and have yet to see the cross section up for sale.

This Partwork,to my knowledge was only ever released in Italy,Russia and Poland.I have bought the complete collection from a seller on Ebay based in Poland.Interestingly my example is an Italian release.Due to the countries of release,English instructions were never printed for this model.

The finished model,despite the smaller scale works out at;

Length 111cm
Width 45cm
Height 75cm

Also included are individual plank on frame kits(not cast metal) for 7 ships boats!!A full set of 14 sails is also included

I have read that this partwork is based on a recent model of the ship by a prominent Russian modeller.The model now resides in the Naval Museum in St Petersburg.All marketing pictures were of this model,not the complete partwork.The difference with this compared to the Sovereign of the Seas,is that this builds into a model with close resemblance to the marketing pictures.
I have also read that Alexey Banarov was technical advisor on the development of this partwork.How true that is I don't know,but given the high level of photoetch and tiny detailed castings,this would not come as a surprise.

Part One:Instructions

As I have just stated,English instructions were never produced.The instructions are included in each weekly part.There are many step by step instructions with photographs of the actual model.This is very much standard Artesania Latina fair(the manufacturer of this partwork).There is no full size plan of the model,with dimensions illustrated in the photographic steps.What is different to normal Artesania instructions is the depth as which they go in to.We have 120 issues with 6 pages of instructions in each.This is equivalent to a 720 page instruction manual!The intention is that,as with all partworks,that this model can be built by a complete novice.To be honest,I beg to differ on this one.This is a VERY complex and detailed model.
I have taken some sample pictures of the instructions.

Kind Regards

Nigel

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Part Two:Sheet Materials.

All sheet material is Plywood of various thicknesses.Everything is fully laser cut.The False Keel is in four sections and all bulkheads are made up of three sections.This is due to the fact that everything must be packed into an A4 size envelope to be posted to the purchaser on a weekly/subscription basis.

The False Keel and bulkheads are only 4mm Ply but due to the complex skeleton,I have no concerns over strength although care will have to be taken pushing planking pins in.

The gun carriages are laser cut from plywood unfortunately,replacement with scratchbuilt solid wood items is possible but these things are small.They may not look so bad with a dark stain on.

I have included some pics but keep in mind there is an absolute mountain of precut frets,these are just some examples.

Kind Regards

Nigel

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Part Three:Stripwood

Again the fact that this is a Partwork means that all timber is supplied in 300mm lengths.

The first planking comprises of 2mm by 5mm Birch.I have never used this before so it will be a new experience.Apparently it bends well but is a hard timber when it comes to cutting and sanding.

The second planking consists of 0.5mm by 5mm Sapele for below the waterline and the same size basswood for above.5mm is way above what scale planks should be so if you are going for a natural finish and are keen on accuracy narrower planking needs to be sourced.

The deck planking is 0.5mm by 3mm Beech.Again overscale,scale width on this vessel is 1.5mm.Yes I am a gluton for punishment,when I do build the model I will try to get as close to 1.5mm with the deck planks as possible.

Untapered dowels in Birch I include for the masts and yards.

Finally there is a mass of various size stripwood for the remainder.Many in odd sizes to suit the application.Veneer calipers essential to ensure the right piece is used for the location.

Kind Regards

Nigel

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Part Four: Fittings

I spent a total of 7 hours just to sort the fittings and photoetch out for this Partwork into storage boxes.There is a plethora of purpose made,not generic castings,for this model.Even the cannons are a one off for this model and are accurate.The lower decks are all blind barrels the main deck are full.
The simply massive figurehead is accurate for the model and is in four sections,the lower limbs and crown are separate parts so not to compromise on detail.
The rigging blocks are standard fair but the deadeyes are scale size and the smallest,I think,are smaller than any commercially available.
Biggest let down is gratings and stairs,these are the standard oversize fair and to be honest,in comparison with the rest of the model,garbage!
Note the nice photoetch Cyrillic name for the stern in individual letters.

Kind Regards

Nigel

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Part Five: Photoetch

This sets the model apart from many kits.There is simply tons of Etch.There are small frets for things like the gunportlid hardware,not just the hinges!Some of the rings are of a size familiar to those who superdetail their 1/350 ships.
Several of the small frets are sorted into boxes,I have only photographed the larger stuff.
Note the Balcony Balustrade,those are things of sheer beauty.
All the stern windows are photoetched but note that the partwork is correct in that it portrays dummy windows for the quarter galleries.These were fake on the real ship.
The silver etched parts are the reinforcement irons for the Tops.

Kind Regards

Nigel

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Part Six;Rigging materials and conclusion.

Various spools of rigging thread are included in three colours,these are standard kit fare but not up to the standard of say Amati.
14 presewn sail are included,these are standard Artesania,similar to those in my Santa Ana kit.
Finally two purpose designed scrapers are included to produce the necessary timber mouldings from stripwood for this vessel.

In conclusion,whilst there are the normal shortcomings typical to most kits,the does stand apart in that it includes so many purpose designed fittings and executes them well.The 1/100 is a bit of an issue but is helped by the fine fittings and etch.

When released this wasn't cheap,the total cost was close to 1000euros for parts 1-120.It took several years to find the right example,but I paid just over half that shipped to the UK from Poland.Certainly for me,it is good value,but at the original cost,I will leave you to decide.

Kind Regards

Nigel12ap24.jpg12ap25.jpg12ap26.jpg
 
Yes Jim,out of the box,built well it will make a great model.The gratings and stairs are the biggest let down,if you only replaced those it would make a big difference.They spoil the scale fidelity.You can get away with the 3mm deck planking but the stairs and gratings stand out a mile.There are not masses of these and you could even use 1mm commercial gratings to ease the process.

Aside from the subject matter,the historically accurate fittings and etch is the reason I really wanted this Partwork.These are the hardest things to change.Amati used to be guilty of the phrase "museum quality".I don't like that banded about as there are many criteria to do with materials glues etc that have to be adhered to,when building a museum model.
What I would say though is that there are probably 85% of the parts included to produce a Gold Medal winning model.Stairs,gratings and deck planking substitutions would go a long way to closing the gap.
There are some minor details missing,even visable at this scale,but additions are much easier than changes and they cost next to nothing to implement.

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
Looks like a high quality kit from your photos Nigel. The rigging thread however looks like the generic stuff thats supplied with most model kits.
I reckon you will kit bash this as you usually do. I will follow with much interest mate.

cheers

Yes it is mate.It just suffers some,not all, of the compromises manufacturers make.The ladders gratings,blocks and rope are easy fixes.I will not go mad bashing this one,not that much needs changing.It all depends on whether to paint the white stripes or not.True white timber is a pain.Holly would not work,it would look dirty after sanding whichever wood I did the black stripes in.White Hornbeam a possibility,but I would probably have to get that from Russia.The hull is plated below the waterline on the real vessel.Not sure as yet whether it was copper or Muntz metal given the year.That will need further thought and investigation.

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
Beautiful!

im the global Forum Admin for the DeAgostini ModelSpace Forums. I would be absolutely delighted to see you sharing your build log over there as well.

I‘VW been eyeballing this kit on eBay too. I might have to pull the trigger!
 
Beautiful!

im the global Forum Admin for the DeAgostini ModelSpace Forums. I would be absolutely delighted to see you sharing your build log over there as well.

I‘VW been eyeballing this kit on eBay too. I might have to pull the trigger!

Thank you for your invitation,but it may be a while.I am a loooonngg way of making sawdust on this build.I have other projects to push on first as you can tell from my signature.I was,however'determined to add this to my stash whilst it is still obtainable.

I had no intention of buying any more wooden ship kits except for this as my scratchbuild project will take up most of my spare time for a good number of years.If you are a fan of this ship,I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this partwork.With little extra work,something VERY special can be built from it.The one small thing I would say,if you do buy this collection and go for a painted finish,the insides of the bulwarks should be green,not yellow Ochre as in the instructions;)

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
I found this on Facebook.It is a webpage belonging to Yeugeniy Yepur.He is a professional modelmaker from the Ukraine.This page covers eight years work building a 1/100 model of Grand Emperor Constantine from scratch which is a "sister" ship to Twelve Apostles.
His ability to work with metal at such small scales is probably the best I have seen anywhere,which is one of the reasons his models are prized by collectors.
Looking at the photos,I wonder if I would be better taking up Golf or FishingROTF


Kind Regards

Nigel
 
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His ability to work with metal at such small scales is probably the best I have seen anywhere,which is one of the reasons his models are prized by collectors.
Looking at the photos,I wonder if I would be better taking up Golf or FishingROTF
Hello Nigel, it will well depend on how much time you will dedicate to 12 Apostles. You will have at least 8 years to practice :p But on the serious note if one human being made it, there is a great chance another will do as well. With your skills & experience, I am sure you will task it!
 
Hello Nigel, it will well depend on how much time you will dedicate to 12 Apostles. You will have at least 8 years to practice :p But on the serious note if one human being made it, there is a great chance another will do as well. With your skills & experience, I am sure you will task it!

Thankyou Jim for your confidence in my work.You can easily see why Yeugeniy's build has taken 8 years,some of the tiny details are almost beyond comprehension.

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
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