La Belle - Caf Model 1:48 by Thomas Marocke [COMPLETED BUILD]
- Thread starter Thomas Marocke
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Hallo Thomas,
I am following your beautiful build with big interest - I love the La Belle also very much and I have by myself some history with this ship.
I have to make a short comment about the form of the chanel which should be adjusted, because it has not a continous thickness - the lower edge is rounded - I hope it is not too late ?!?
Take a look at the drawing by Boudriot
and on the model
I am following your beautiful build with big interest - I love the La Belle also very much and I have by myself some history with this ship.
I have to make a short comment about the form of the chanel which should be adjusted, because it has not a continous thickness - the lower edge is rounded - I hope it is not too late ?!?
Take a look at the drawing by Boudriot
and on the model
Very well seen Uwe! 
I had broken the lower edges, but too little! According to my motto: everything is to corrected, the curves were reworked with files and sandpaper.
Nobody is perfect and I am grateful for any hints. After all, I want the ship to be beautiful!
When the curved metal fittings are mounted, the curves also act even more. If not I have to rework again.
Photo from the website of Olivier Gatinee. free.fr.
He and also Henri Defresne from the monograph have the curves not as strong as in the drawings of Boudriot.
Best regards
Thomas
I had broken the lower edges, but too little! According to my motto: everything is to corrected, the curves were reworked with files and sandpaper.Nobody is perfect and I am grateful for any hints. After all, I want the ship to be beautiful!
When the curved metal fittings are mounted, the curves also act even more. If not I have to rework again.
Photo from the website of Olivier Gatinee. free.fr.
He and also Henri Defresne from the monograph have the curves not as strong as in the drawings of Boudriot.
Best regards
Thomas
This radius as well..
Maybe you can make a protection from a thin sheet (Tomatenmarktube) for the wales and sand it carefully with the Pensander or with hand.
Its not too bad and should not be a problem. If not, who cares.... 
Maybe you can make a protection from a thin sheet (Tomatenmarktube) for the wales and sand it carefully with the Pensander or with hand.
Its not too bad and should not be a problem. If not, who cares....
Hold on to deadeyes while doing business I guess. Man, these ships were beautiful, but when it comes to these kind of practicalities...I will asume there was something to grab yourself, correct ?
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Edit: Ah, I see on the model pictured by Uwek below from where they grab. For sure I will be meat for sharks -
Cheers
Daniel
Olivier Gatine is reference enough for me! She's looking really great, Thomas!
Before painting, make all the "forgotten" components.
Two struts on the bow.
The port channels are installed and a plank for the rear gun wheels.
And the old gun barrels were replaced with the new decorated ones.
On the right the cannons with the old slightly blackened and on the left with the new shiny tubes. The originals were bronze and I liked the shine and of course the decorations better.
Removing the pipe fittings was tedious because they were well glued and they had to be remade.
The three finished guns for the starboard side.
The woodwork is done to my liking and shows the ship as a construction model. All metal parts like eyebolts and rings will be drilled and glued in after painting. The upward opening gunport covers can still be made and attached at any time, just like a nice stand board. . .
. . . and the "La Belle Poule" is already waiting to built.
Have a nice weekend
Thomas
Two struts on the bow.
The port channels are installed and a plank for the rear gun wheels.And the old gun barrels were replaced with the new decorated ones.
On the right the cannons with the old slightly blackened and on the left with the new shiny tubes. The originals were bronze and I liked the shine and of course the decorations better.
Removing the pipe fittings was tedious because they were well glued and they had to be remade.
The three finished guns for the starboard side.
The woodwork is done to my liking and shows the ship as a construction model. All metal parts like eyebolts and rings will be drilled and glued in after painting. The upward opening gunport covers can still be made and attached at any time, just like a nice stand board. . .
. . . and the "La Belle Poule" is already waiting to built.
Have a nice weekend
Thomas
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Just beautiful, clean work Thomas!
Wonderful Thomas. A remarkably beautiful ship!
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Stunning work on the cannons and the whole ship. Looking at the available deck space for the lifeboat and cannons, you faced the same predicament that I did. What a splendid idea to have that separate deck planking / rail for the cannons to be mounted.
In the next few days I would like to show how I prime and paint the model with clear coat.
During construction, wood scraps and lots of dust collect everywhere.
Wood scraps and tools are sorted away.
Also the construction plans, drawings and auxiliary photos.
So I can concentrate on the painting and nothing disturbes.
Have I really assembled everything I wanted? Of course not, the two upper ends of the stern carvings still had to be glued for painting!
The first thing to do was to remove alle the moving parts from the ship, such as the rudder, the ship's boat, the cannons and the door. First the cannons were primed with a brush, except for the pipes. The ship's boat and the door are already painted.
Cheers
Thomas
During construction, wood scraps and lots of dust collect everywhere.
Wood scraps and tools are sorted away.
Also the construction plans, drawings and auxiliary photos.
So I can concentrate on the painting and nothing disturbes.
Have I really assembled everything I wanted? Of course not, the two upper ends of the stern carvings still had to be glued for painting!
The first thing to do was to remove alle the moving parts from the ship, such as the rudder, the ship's boat, the cannons and the door. First the cannons were primed with a brush, except for the pipes. The ship's boat and the door are already painted.
Cheers
Thomas
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You have a fairly tidy study, no wonder the model comes out so beautifully in the hands of a professional like you
Really interested to know how you will do it. What is a clear coat, is it a type of oil or varnish?
No matter if I oil wood or applied a varnish. Basically, the wood surface should be clean.
Encircled a fingerprint by wood glue. It will shine milky white under oil or varnish.
Already during the construction of the model, attention must be paid to a clean, somewhat rough wooden surface. The surface is polished and smooth after oiling. Or in the case of paints with varnishes, fine sanding is done after the primer and refined with finishing varnish.
The model is thoroughly cleaned of dust and recognizable adhesive residues before painting.
I will coat the "La Belle" with a nitro primer with the brush and a nitro varnish with the airbrush. Not everyone can tolerate this type of paint in terms of health, which is why there are other water-dilutable paints as well.
The advantage of the nitro lacquer is the short drying time (1 hour), easily fine sandable and with a polish through fine steel wool or painting with the airbrush an excellent surface finish.
Best regards
Thomas
The workplace was protected with newspapers for priming the "La Belle" by brush and airbrush.
The lantern was covered with kitchen foil before accidential paint application . . .
. . . just like the already painted interiors, the winch and the cooking pot. The lacquer protection with newspaper does not work - the fibers of the paper would stick to the paint.
The primer was applied little diluted and there are light gloss pieces by applying five times.
Now the primer is lightly sanded and the gloss then disappears. Of course, can not be sanded in all places, due to the narrowness and fine attachments. The smoother all wood surfaces are, the more beautiful the final varnish. But what are a few hours of work control and fine sanding seen on the entire construction time of the model?
Not yet sanded but alredy protected.
The wood colors have become a little stronger, but have a nice golden yellow tone.
Now first of all the primer is reworked.
Best regards
Thomas
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After sufficient drying time of the primer, sanding was started.
I opted for the intermediate step with 240 grit sandpaper.
Not so easy to sand between the small components.
Larger sections are of course easier to sand.
For complicated places helped self-made sanding sticks. . .
. . . and so it looks after cleaning with a brush.
Tomorrow the dust will be removed with a brush and vacuum cleaner and a single final coat applied with the airbrush. This will be a "home game".
Best regards
Thomas
I opted for the intermediate step with 240 grit sandpaper.
Not so easy to sand between the small components.
Larger sections are of course easier to sand.
For complicated places helped self-made sanding sticks. . .
. . . and so it looks after cleaning with a brush.
Tomorrow the dust will be removed with a brush and vacuum cleaner and a single final coat applied with the airbrush. This will be a "home game".
Best regards
Thomas
And the final varnish is applied.
This is how "La Belle" looks in daylight.
Best regards
Thomas
This is how "La Belle" looks in daylight.Best regards
Thomas
Looks fantastic.