Mantua Sergal's Sovereign of Seas

Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

I built several plastic ships before I bought my first wooden ship over 45 years ago. I would still encourage people to start with a plastic model before going into wood. Plastic models are cheaper and easier to build. This way people can see if this hobby is for them and not be out a lot of money. They should start with one that is not complex and can then advance onto harder ones. Some of the ones today with all the photo etched brass parts can really become challenging and are expensive.
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

I got tired of building the Constitution and Cutty Sark from Revell for everyone in the family and heard about a model shop in Sacramento. In Stockton where I lived, only plastic was available. I drove to Sacramento and saw wooden models from Model Shipways, Mantua and Mamoli there and was fascinated. They were to expensive for me and I started to save for them. Then, I got a job in Seattle, Washington and moved there. Believe it or not, they had a hobby shop that sold Billings kits in the Norstroms store. Thus, I saved and bought Billings Vasa while I was there. Once I built a wooden one, I was hooked.
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Hi Gary,<br/>
I agree wooden ship are addicting once you've built one you just can't go back. It is like being an artist. To take a piece of something that was alive and create something that will out live us is really rewarding and captivating.</t>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<r>Tis amazing what one can do with a pile of sticks, plans and the willingness to make it happen!! Plastic was my first medium as well...though not so much ships...planes and armor dioramas...then custom one off cars that represented the clients ride...but I always admired to workmanship in the finished wood ship models that I saw...especially those in the Newport News Mainers Museum, a visit when I was stationed in the area hooked me <E>:)</E></r>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<r>The lower foremast ratlines are complete and I have 790 construction hours and over 4,000 pieces in the vessel. The English used dead eye to rig the stay during this period. There are six 3 mm dead eye to be used set up to take the topmast shrouds. Mantua suggest using 7 mm vertical spacing between the rows of ratlines. I used the correct spacing which is only 5 mm at this scale.
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Gary, how long did it take you to do one side's shrouds and ratlines?<br/>
I can see myself going batty getting knotted when I get to that stage on the SoS.<br/>
Regards<br/>
Eric</t>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<r>Hi Gary,<br/>
Lots of detail to your ship no wander it is so expensive. I can only imagine how much extra you have put into it. <E>:o</E> nice job. <E>:greetings-clapyellow:</E> <E>:text-woo:</E></r>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

Eric,The only place I noted the start of a phase was after I built the bow crows nest. I had 660 hours at that time. So, I rigged the bow, built the fore and main mast crows nests (over 300 parts) and did the fore rigging rigging in 130 hours.
Sgtmik, since I will be using 22 sizes of rigging line, after market blocks and dead eyes, fittings from Amati's version of the SOS, various other after market fitting. The extra cost is considerable and makes an expensive model more so. They make a good base to start from and their models make exceptional displays.
Since it take a long time to build this, you buy the extra stuff a little at a time each month. The difference in how the ship looks when rigged with the proper size of lines and blocks is tremendous and well worth it. If I used their stuff, it would look like it would need a crew of giants to run the rigging and would appear very heavily rigged. When this gets done, it will look like it should sail nicely.
Take a look at my Le Soleil Royal where I used 19 sizes of rigging and proper sized blocks and dead eye you can see what I mean.
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<r>Hi Gary,<br/>
So how does a novice know when he is using the right size of line, blocks and dead eyes? The books that you recommended I have purchased and I'm studying them quite a bit but, some of the things that you mention seem to elude me. Remember I'm and old man and sometimes I think that my Alzheimer's is catching up to me.<br/>
I guess I will have to rely on you guys with the experience to let me know when I need to stray from the plans & instructions. <E>:angry-banghead:</E> <E>:text-lol:</E> <E>:banana-dance:</E> <E>:banana-rock:</E></r>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

I mentioned in rigging area on this site many of the answers. Blocks are length is about 12 times the size of the rope diameter and that dead eyes are usually half the diameter of the mast. There is a table in Mondfeld book that shows the sizes of the line based on the diameter of the main mast at deck level. You need to use the percentages to calculate the rope diameter. When he gives only rope circumference, you have to calculate the diameter and then convert the answer to your scale. You may have to convert to mm also. I have done this on my Le Soleil Royal and on this model in this scale.
Granted, I was an engineer and statistician, so numbers are not hard for me. However, that means that other subjects bored me and I did not do as well in those (history particularly).
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Hi Gary,<br/>
<br/>
I haven't been lurking on the forum for a while and just checking on your SOS progress. Beautiful work! <br/>
<br/>
I hope to see your model in person some time. Perhaps if we hold a meeting in your neck of the woods, or I'll just have to come and visit.<br/>
<br/>
Clare</t>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

After 850+ hours and 4100+ parts, the standing rigging of the lower main mast is done.
The main stay has a mouse and uses dead eyes like the foremast. The futtock staves were rope in this time period.
 

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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Hi Gary, inceredible work, a question....<br/>
<br/>
Do the shrouds and stays have to have a fair to reasonable tension put upon them, or, how much tension should be put on those and all stays etc.<br/>
Regards<br/>
Eric</t>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

The stays should be real tight and were used to counteract the shrouds pull. To get the ratlines to look right and to give a firm grip for climbers, the shrouds should be reasonably tight but not as taught as the stays.
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Hi Gary, I forgot to ask this question, should the masts be glued in place or just dropped in and rely on the rigging to keep them in place.<br/>
Eric</t>
 
Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

Most mast sit into a notched out square U shaped section on the 5 mm plywood keel that holds the frames. This area has so little holding power that I just put the lower masts in without glue. Some kits have a frame where the mast sits and it is notched out also. Still on these, I do not use glue and just rely on the rigging to hold in place.
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

Since all the ships I have made are tall and have three or four stage masts with the lower mast having very little rake, I am able to get the rake without to much trouble. The method you describe would be needed for ships that have only one stage and great rakes. Never thought of that, so thank you popeye for clarifying this.
 
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Re: Mantua Sovereign of Seas

<t>Very impressive Gary, I can tell it is obvious the time and care you are taking with this model - well done !<br/>
<br/>
Donnie</t>
 
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