Ragusian Carrack by jack.aubrey - Marisstella - 1:59 scale [COMPLETED BUILD]

[jack.aubrey]

Wednesday 6 November 2019

Further small progresses . . . . this time it's up to the mast.

For the future I have decided that I will limit myself in posting messages only when significant steps in setting up the rigging are complete, otherwise I think to run the risk of being too much repetitive.

So I give you a rendez-vous for other images and comments when I'll finish the installation of all the standing rigging, a milestone that seems to me adequately representative to show and explain.

Greetings, Jack.Aubrey.

01 Ragusian Carrack/06112019/IMG_20191106_170332.jpg

02 Ragusian Carrack/06112019/IMG_20191106_170339.jpg

03 Ragusian Carrack/06112019/IMG_20191106_170342.jpg

04 Ragusian Carrack/06112019/IMG_20191106_170401.jpg

 

[jack.aubrey]

Monday 18 November 2019

Standing rigging is finally over . . . . rat lines obviously were the major, boring effort.

01 Ragusian Carrack/18112019/IMG_20191118_165745.jpg

02 Ragusian Carrack/18112019/IMG_20191118_165759.jpg

03 Ragusian Carrack/18112019/IMG_20191118_165809.jpg

04 Ragusian Carrack/18112019/IMG_20191118_165815.jpg

05 Ragusian Carrack/18112019/IMG_20191118_165818.jpg

 

[jack.aubrey]

Friday 29 November 2019

I'm working to prepare the sails. In total there are five sails: one on the bowsprit, one on the foremast, two on the mainmast and finally a triangular sail on the mizzen mast. To consider them finished I have to wait for my wife to sew stitches around their perimeter, task I prefer to have her do as I don't feel enough good for it.

The first image shows the main mainmast sail. I have greatly reduced the height of this sail because I want to present it curled up the main yard and therefore the task would be easier to manage with less amount of fabric.

01 Ragusian Carrack/28112019/IMG_20191128_155621.jpg

Here the lateen sail of the mizzen mast . . I think I will present it wrapped on the yard.

02 Ragusian Carrack/28112019/IMG_20191128_155613.jpg

Here is the upper sail of the mainmast that will be shown unfolded . .

03 Ragusian Carrack/28112019/IMG_20191128_155601.jpg

The sail of the bowsprit, shown unfolded . . I think to redo some sewing here resulting too coarse.

04 Ragusian Carrack/28112019/IMG_20191128_155548.jpg

The fore sail to be presented wrapped on the foreyard.

05 Ragusian Carrack/28112019/IMG_20191128_155553.jpg

That's all for now, cheers, Jack.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Monday, December 9th, 2019

In the ten days since my last message I dedicated very little time to modeling: all I managed to do was finishing two of the five sails that would now be ready to be fixed on their respective spars.

Unfortunately the day I have to leave my mother-in-law's house free (I remember that it was sold) is approaching and there are still many activities to do to free all the rooms. So, even if ahead of my original plans, I find myself in the need to dismantle my workshop and move everything inside it to a temporary location (I hope for as little time as possible) +/- by the end of the year.

Consequence is a mandatory stop to the modeling activities related to the Ragusian Carrack for an indefinite period of time. Obviously, when I'll be less busy it should be possible to resume work on the sails and on the final set-up of the rigging, activities that I theoretically could perform at home, but now it's early to have a accurate plan.

I am therefore greeting all those who are following or have followed my log hoping to write and read news soon. In the meantime, I offer all my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, in case we don't have to hear ourselves in the coming weeks.

Best regards, Jack.Aubrey.

 

[Uwek]

Monday, December 9th, 2019

In the ten days since my last message I dedicated very little time to modeling: all I managed to do was finishing two of the five sails that would now be ready to be fixed on their respective spars.

Unfortunately the day I have to leave my mother-in-law's house free (I remember that it was sold) is approaching and there are still many activities to do to free all the rooms. So, even if ahead of my original plans, I find myself in the need to dismantle my workshop and move everything inside it to a temporary location (I hope for as little time as possible) +/- by the end of the year.

Consequence is a mandatory stop to the modeling activities related to the Ragusian Carrack for an indefinite period of time. Obviously, when I'll be less busy it should be possible to resume work on the sails and on the final set-up of the rigging, activities that I theoretically could perform at home, but now it's early to have a accurate plan.

I am therefore greeting all those who are following or have followed my log hoping to write and read news soon. In the meantime, I offer all my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, in case we don't have to hear ourselves in the coming weeks.

Best regards, Jack.Aubrey.

I hope and cross my fingers, that you can organize everything and will be able to come back to your "new" working place as soon as possible

 

[Heinrich]

Dear Jack

I have only stumbled upon your build log of the Ragusian Carrack now. May I say that your build is probably the closest build of a kit to that of a fully-scratch POF build. Here I am referring to the "end result" and the visual impact with regards to realism that the model delivers. I am hugely impressed by your attention to detail, your meticulously neat work and the cleanliness of the build. I really trust that you will be able to finish her in the not-too foreseeable future.

In the same vein I am also hugely impressed by the Maris Stella kit (obviously based on what I can glean from your excellent photographs). May I be so bold as to ask your opinion on the kit and the overall building experience?

Kind regards - Heinrich

 

[Heinrich]

Dear Jack

Of course "Not-too-foreseeable future" SHOULD READ "not-too-distant future"! Apologies. For an English teacher this is inexcusable!

Heinrich

 

[jack.aubrey]

Dear Jack

I have only stumbled upon your build log of the Ragusian Carrack now. May I say that your build is probably the closest build of a kit to that of a fully-scratch POF build. Here I am referring to the "end result" and the visual impact with regards to realism that the model delivers. I am hugely impressed by your attention to detail, your meticulously neat work and the cleanliness of the build. I really trust that you will be able to finish her in the not-too foreseeable future.

In the same vein I am also hugely impressed by the Maris Stella kit (obviously based on what I can glean from your excellent photographs). May I be so bold as to ask your opinion on the kit and the overall building experience?

Kind regards - Heinrich

Hi Heinrich,
first of all I have to thank you a lot for your "more than positive" comments about my work. I appreciate it very much.

Regarding my opinion about the kit I can highlight some positive matters as well as some negative ones.
Let start with "positive":

• the kit is complete in terms of material supplied
• the laser cut material is very good and precise
• the building instructions are understandable, written in several languages, useful for a novice
• the metal guns, anchors and so on are very nice and in scale
• the quality of the other wood raw materials (walnut strips and so on) is good or superior
• the plans are complete and understandable
• and so on

and now the less positive or negative matters:

• the wood contained in the kit is only playwood, walnut tablets and walnut strips and rods; this fact means that the chromatic result of the finshed model will be only walnut; overall speaking in my opinion the final result would be poor; if you want a better finish you need to use many different types of wood; for example I used oak for gunwales, cherry for planking, tanganika for decks, and paint for masts and so on, with the chromatic effects you can evaluates from the images of the model
• the kit suggests a single planking using walnut strips: this resulted quite early a very difficult task (at least for me) and I decided to follow the double planking method made with limewood for the first and cherry for the second; I think the single planking for this kind of hull can be impossible for a novice or in general for a normal kit modeller, and anyway difficult also for a more experienced one
• some components (figurehead, small decorations) should be carved from pre laser cut walnut pieces: in practice the wood used is not suitable for carving, it shoud be at least boxwood; a possible alternative should be metal casting components, ready for usage.

To conclude: my personal opinion is that this relative new kit should be enhanced for the future accepting (some or all) my criticism. Of course these points should be considered as a way to improve the existing kit and not to discourage people to buy it.
Kind regards,
Jack.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Another positive point: the sails are near to perfection . .

 

[Heinrich]

Dear Jack.

Thank you so much for your comprehensive answer. This is exactly what a kit review should be like - supremely objective. I can only concur with the chromatic effects you have achieved with the different types of wood - I guess that is the choice that each modeller will have to take depending on the level of finish that he wants to achieve. In your case, that level of finish is supreme. The lighter-shaded tanganika deck is offset so nicely against the darker finish of the darker cherry - yet it somehow also blends in. A nice departure for me is the move away from the walnut and pear wood (although Swiss Pear is a great wood) finishes that seem to adorn many builds these days - the use of oak was an interesting choice and one that could be utilised more.

The good news is that the basic kit is sound though and allows the modeller the choice of making conscious decisions with regards to visual impact, modifications and adornments.

Kind regards - Heinrich

 

[jack.aubrey]

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Two and a half years have passed since my last message, in which I informed all of you that I had to stop my shipmodeling activities. I think that the "WHY" was fully explained in my last message.

Finally, after such a long time, I can write that I have now set up a new workshop in a large and comfortable garage right under my new house.

In a short time I plan to resume making shipmodeling, starting with finishing this model of Ragusian Carrack . . . all I am missing now is the necessary mental preparation to restart after so much time of inactivity.

While I'm reordering my ideas, a warm goodbye . . . see you soon,
Jack.Aubrey


01 Miscellanea/07062022/IMG20220607135122.JPG

02 Miscellanea/07062022/IMG20220607135131.JPG

03 Miscellanea/07062022/IMG20220607135139.JPG

04 Miscellanea/07062022/IMG20220607135148.JPG

 

[Signet]

Very nice shop. I'm looking forward to you continuing on the Carrack. I have it now, and will be starting it after finishing the Bonhomme Richard cross section.

 

[Heinrich]

Dear Jack. It is great to see you back. Mental preparation? Nah! You are an exceptionally gifted modeler, you have a beautifully equipped working area that just begs to be used, and you have a model that needs finishing. What better motivation than that? Just get on with it and make sawdust (but then you are too neat in your work to really do that. )

 

[jack.aubrey]

Tuesday June 21st, 2022

About a week ago I decided to reopen the Ragusian Carrack shipyard with the aim of finishing asap this model.

The activities to be carried out to complete it are not many. Most of them consist of completing the installation of the yards, sails and all related rigging. Then, there are still some carpentry activities, for example build and install the rudder, carving the figurehead and prepare the stand to house the model and its clear plexiglass cover.

Once completed these activities the model should be 99% finished, the remaining 1% will be identified along the way.

All the yards and sails have been ready for months, perhaps even a couple of years, so it would seem a simple matter to start again but, as I see it, it is necessary to go back to study the running of all the rigging maneuvers and, therefore, this fact complicates my life . . . that's why in my previous message I had spoken of "mental preparation" to start again.

For this need of "mental preparation" I opted to resume the shipyard from the carpentry activities I mentioned at the beginning.

First I dedicated myself to the construction of the figurehead, to be obtained from a block of solid walnut. It was my first carving experience and I do not consider it a great success, also due to the wood used, which in my opinion is not suitable. But in any case this blessed figurehead has seen the life and thanks to the subsequent gilding I am satisfied with the result. .

01 Ragusian Carrack/21062022/IMG20220615173024.JPG

02 Ragusian Carrack/21062022/IMG20220615173036.JPG

Later I built the rudder, still a long way from completion. . .

03 Ragusian Carrack/21062022/IMG20220621155154.JPG

Then the final hull support for the model. .

04 Ragusian Carrack/21062022/IMG20220621155120.JPG

05 Ragusian Carrack/21062022/IMG20220621155033.JPG

Finally, lastly the basement for the plexiglass case, rather elaborate in terms of wood used (and built by an artisan, known here at the Como lake, who enjoys building cutting boards for the kitchen using precious woods essences. Its beauty consists in the different combinations of wood essences and color, even if one aspect that should not be underestimated is that it overshadows my model. . .

06 Ragusian Carrack/21062022/IMG20220621172936.JPG

07 Ragusian Carrack/21062022/IMG20220621173004.JPG

A cordial goodbye. . . see you soon,
Jack Aubrey

 

[jack.aubrey]

Saturday July 2nd, 2022

Let's talk a bit about the displaystand basement, built to house the model and its plexiglass cover.
The measurements of this base were established taking into account the overall length of the model, but above all the width of the mainmast yard. Unfortunately the yard forced to define a base in which the excessive width affects a bit its aesthetics, where in the areas at the model sides they are perhaps too large and, above all, unused.

To remedy this fact, I thought to add other elements, with the aim of filling these empty spaces: so I thought to place lifeboats more or less as shown in figures 01, 02 and 05.
I have also prepared two plates, their color for now is light ivory, but it's still to be defined, where my wife will execute the writing shown in image 04 with acrylic colors in a way she has already done for other models. If the result will be satisfactory, fine, otherwise I could opt for a brass plate with the same writing. We will see.

01 Ragusian Carrack/01072022/IMG20220626174533.JPG

02 Ragusian Carrack/01072022/IMG20220626174541.JPG

03 Ragusian Carrack/01072022/IMG20220626174551.JPG

04 Ragusian Carrack/01072022/IMG20220626174725.JPG

05 Ragusian Carrack/01072022/IMG20220627122114.JPG

In the next few days I will start adding sails. In the meantime, I await the delivery of brass material to build the needles and the rudder shanks.
A cordial goodbye. . . see you soon,
Jack Aubrey

 

[Bosco45]

Un grand Bravo pour cette réalisation que j'ai pu suivre pas à pas ! votre caraque est superbe ! bonne continuation
A great Bravo for this realization that I could follow step by step! your caraque is superb! good continuation

 

[Heinrich]

Simply gorgeous Jack! You have set such a high bar that I have come to expect a lot over the years. BUT ... each time you still surprise me. Well done!

 

[Jimsky]

Very good modeling, Jack! Bravo!

 

[Signet]

Saturday July 2nd, 2022

Let's talk a bit about the displaystand basement, built to house the model and its plexiglass cover.
The measurements of this base were established taking into account the overall length of the model, but above all the width of the mainmast yard. Unfortunately the yard forced to define a base in which the excessive width affects a bit its aesthetics, where in the areas at the model sides they are perhaps too large and, above all, unused.
..........................
In the next few days I will start adding sails. In the meantime, I await the delivery of brass material to build the needles and the rudder shanks.
A cordial goodbye. . . see you soon,
Jack Aubrey

Your execution and base are excellent, but I wonder how much turning the spars at an angle would have helped? I will be building the same kit, and was thinking of turning them as much as 45 degrees, to take up less space (71% for 45 degrees). I hope to use the excellent sails included, and think this might add to the appearance as well (being at somewhat of an angle).

Would a ship with spars and an angle, but no sails, appear unnatural (and therefore inaccurate)? It might take a study by me of "proper" sail positions to do this logically.

Are the lifeboats included with the kit? They are quality models in their own right. Well done!

 

[jack.aubrey]

Monday July 6th, 2022

As anticipated, I started installing the sails.

Spritsail and its yard: after studying the plans to understand the necessary rigging, after an afternoon of work I finally managed to install and position everything properly. Only the details of the terminations of the ropes near the fiferails are missing, activities that I will mamage all together at the end. At the moment some maneuvers are definitively fixed while others I have left for safety still modifiable.

01 Ragusian Carrack/06072022/IMG20220705172211.JPG

02 Ragusian Carrack/06072022/IMG20220705172220.JPG

Then I started and completed the topmast studding sail at the mizzen. This was a little more complicated and took me two afternoons. Same procedure used for the spritsail even if the sail is totally different. The result can be seen in the next two photos.

03 Ragusian Carrack/06072022/IMG20220705172231.JPG

04 Ragusian Carrack/06072022/IMG20220705172302.JPG

A final comment: this phase of period ship modeling is for me the one I like least.
Even my patience, which is usually a lot, is critical and unstable in this situation.
I console myself by thinking that this model has a sail plan relatively simple, I dare not imagine the rigging of a three decker . .
A cordial goodbye. . . see you soon,
Jack Aubrey