La Couronne Corel/scratch 1:100 First build [COMPLETED BUILD]

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Question for you guys: What color should I stain the masts and yards? being as this was a 17th century galleon, I imagine the yards were not coated in pitch. Should dark or light stain be used on the 1) masts, and 2) yards? Most of the wood on my model is pretty dark already. I'm trying to make realistic colors.

 

[Maarten]

Hi Darius,

I would go for a light stain as the masts were pine most probably treated with a mixture of stockholmer tar.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Hi Darius,

I would go for a light stain as the masts were pine most probably treated with a mixture of stockholmer tar.

Thanks Maarten. I will look for a light tan stain.

 

[Uwek]

Hi Darius,

I would go for a light stain as the masts were pine most probably treated with a mixture of stockholmer tar.

I agree here with Maarten for the masts - and the yard arms I would make dark.
also contemporary models show this ....
f.e, The HMS St.Michel 1669 (a little bit younger than the Couronne)

https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/65963.html

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

I agree here with Maarten for the masts - and the yard arms I would make dark.
also contemporary models show this ....
f.e, The HMS St.Michel 1669 (a little bit younger than the Couronne)
View attachment 105688

https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/65963.html

Wow... that is IMPRESSIVE. The darker yards do look better, Maarten.

 

[Maarten]

I think the black yards are typical English. On Dutch ships this was not the case. See here contempory model from the Dutch vessel Prins Willem.

Scheepsmodel van de Prins Willem, anoniem, 1651 - Rijksmuseum

www.rijksmuseum.nl

As the early French fleet was based on Dutch build ships or build by Dutch masters it is npt clear if the yards were black as with English ships.

Sorry for complicating, most probably one of our french colleagues can help us here.

 

[Uwek]

Yes, you could be right - but it is looking that the old and not restorated sails have dark color yard arms
Only the trysail / lateen seems to be restored and has lighter yard arm - Only a thought

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Well, I started staining the yards a day ago, using dark mahogany stain. They are not black, only dark brown. I don't think can be made lighter, but that's okay. Thanks for the help guys. There are several yards left to be cut, then I have to figure the best way to scratch build the tops.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Some of the previously made masts and yardarms were stained and grouped by mast before being set aside. Yardarm production continues. Tapering yardarms on the lathe while it' spinning at high speed is getting easier, and I've figured a method of using two sanding blocks, one made from scrap wood, to quickly and accurately turn a taper on each yardarm. The yardarm is held in the chuck with only a little more than half its length protruding, and the spindle at the opposite end makes it stable and strongly supported. Only three more yardarms to go and the masts and yards are complete and ready for assembly and rigging.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

All the masts and yardarms are tapered, shaped, sanded, and stained now. Next are the tops and mastheads.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

After some reading up on tops in R. C. Anderson's The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast, 1600-1720, I got an idea on how to size the trestle trees, cross trees, and the tops for each mast, using Dutch rules for measurement as available. The floors of each top were measured, drawn and cut from 1mm birch plywood. They correspond pretty close to the turned hardwood tops provided by Corel, but scratch built ones like the top on EJ's La Couronne are much better looking.

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

The top was assembled today. This one is for the main mast. Starting with 1mm thick beechwood plywood, the base or floor of the top which was made earlier was used to figure out the diameter of the first rail above it. The rail's outer radius was made 2.5 mm wider than the radius of the base, and the inner radius of the rail was 1.5 mm less than the radius of the base. The style of top with the upper rail extending only half way around appealed to me so I chose that style for the lower tops,the mizzen top, and the spritsail top. If you find this choice for some of the tops historically inaccurate, please let me know before I finish them so I can make corrections. Until then, work continues.

The lower rail supports were shaped four at a time, with 5mm strips of plywood being taped together. the paper pattern was used to trace the outline of the supports onto one of the strips to be shaped. A Dremel tool with a diamond burr was used to remove wood to the pencil line of the pattern, being careful to keep the tool flat so all the parts are of the same height. The burr was used to cut of each set of shaped pieces, and each piece was finished to final shape with a small sanding block. Then the supports were glued onto the pencil lines drawn on the base or floor. The glue dries quickly, so assembly is fast. Being accurate with placement of the parts was surprisingly easy, even with fat fingers. Any supports with ends protruding outside the diameter of the rails was trimmed with the sanding block.

The result was better than I expected. The top looks more delicate and detail than the solid turned wooden top piece that came with the Corel kit.
Anyone have suggestions as to what color to make the tops? My original plan is to stain them with a light brown fruitwood stain, which is not too red and not dark.

 

[Uwek]

Very good way of shaping the supports - Thanks for showing

 

[JArthurD]

I continue to enjoy your updates and photos of this build. It’s amazing. One my favorite current logs. I’m an close to completing my last plastic build and I’ll be moving to wood plank on frame. I’ve been reading and absorbing everything I can. Very impressed. Thanks!

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

I continue to enjoy your updates and photos of this build. It’s amazing. One my favorite current logs. I’m an close to completing my last plastic build and I’ll be moving to wood plank on frame. I’ve been reading and absorbing everything I can. Very impressed. Thanks!

That was very kind, JArthur! Build logs are such a fundamental means of learning how to build models like this. It seemed like a good idea to make a complete build log for La Courrone, because somebody out there will really appreciate it if they choose to build this specific ship. Some of the methods I have chosen based on what tools which are on hand may be useful to others, just as the many build videos and posts from other builders have helped me. I was hoping that more people would contribute suggestions based on their research, but only a few others have spoken up in this thread. Books on 17th century ship design are few and hard to find. I'm still looking for a copy of Sovereign of the Seas, Die Skulpturen des Britischen Königsschiffes von 1637. If anyone has a copy they'd be willing to copy or sell, I'd be grateful.

 

[Uwek]

That was very kind, JArthur! Build logs are such a fundamental means of learning how to build models like this. It seemed like a good idea to make a complete build log for La Courrone, because somebody out there will really appreciate it if they choose to build this specific ship. Some of the methods I have chosen based on what tools which are on hand may be useful to others, just as the many build videos and posts from other builders have helped me. I was hoping that more people would contribute suggestions based on their research, but only a few others have spoken up in this thread. Books on 17th century ship design are few and hard to find. I'm still looking for a copy of Sovereign of the Seas, Die Skulpturen des Britischen Königsschiffes von 1637. If anyone has a copy they'd be willing to copy or sell, I'd be grateful.

I have a copy of this book from author Hendrik Busman. I will make a book review, so you can see if you need the book - it is in the meantime a rare book

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Vielen Dank, Uwe. The next ship I build will be HMS Sovereign of the Seas. That's why I've been looking for Hendrick Busman's book. There are few books on specific ships, so I try to gather as many as I can for research in order to reduce errors in accuracy of the model.

Work continues on the tops for La Couronne. The main topmast top and the spritsail topmast top were both assembled using the same technique as the first top. Both of these tops are the same size.

 

[Uwek]

I have a copy of this book from author Hendrik Busman. I will make a book review, so you can see if you need the book - it is in the meantime a rare book

Just made the Book Review as promised

Book review - Book Review: "SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS - Die Skulpturen des britischen Königsschiffes von 1637" by Hendrik Busmann

Book Review: SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS - Die Skulpturen des britischen Königsschiffes von 1637 by Hendrik Busmann Gebundene Ausgabe: 311 Seiten Verlag: CONVENT Hamburg (2002) Sprache: Deutsch ISBN-10: 3934613195 ISBN-13: 978-3934613195 Verpackungsabmessungen: 27,4 x 21,5 x 3 cm / 1.580...

shipsofscale.com

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

Just made the Book Review as promised

Book review - Book Review: "SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS - Die Skulpturen des britischen Königsschiffes von 1637" by Hendrik Busmann

Book Review: SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS - Die Skulpturen des britischen Königsschiffes von 1637 by Hendrik Busmann Gebundene Ausgabe: 311 Seiten Verlag: CONVENT Hamburg (2002) Sprache: Deutsch ISBN-10: 3934613195 ISBN-13: 978-3934613195 Verpackungsabmessungen: 27,4 x 21,5 x 3 cm / 1.580...

shipsofscale.com

Thank you, Uwe! That was so very helpful!

 

[DARIVS ARCHITECTVS]

The foremast top was completed and parts for the foremast topmast top and mizzenmast top were started. EJ on the Nautical Research Guild forum recommended that the parts be stain prior to assembly. That was how the foremast top was made, and you can see a much better stain finish than on the mainmast top shown on the right.