Santìsima Trinidad 1:84 by Artesania Latina - Build log

[Ismaele]

Having completed the installation of the first deck (you will see it in the next post...), I am faced with a problem I have already faced but never fully resolved: the reproduction of nails on the planking.
I had already addressed this problem when building the Victory and had come to the conclusion of doing nothing, that is, leaving the finished planking without simulating nails.
The choice took the following elements into account:
1. It is reasonable to assume that the heads of the nails used to fasten the deck planks had a diameter no greater than 2 cm.
2. On a scale like that of the Victory (1:78), this would have meant creating points 0.25 mm wide.
3. The various models photographed on the forum do not convince me in this respect, as the presence of the nail simulation, in my opinion, makes the decks appear less realistic, as the points are too large.
I therefore think I will follow this approach also for the current yard, as a 1:84 scale would require even smaller points.
I would however like to have your opinions, thanks.

 

[GIG1810]

Hey Ismaele,

On a scale of 1:84, that would be 0.238 mm, or 0.24 mm. I think if you really want to represent the dowels, you could drill the planks with a 0.2 mm drill bit, for example, and then seal them with wax or wooden splints. Or you could make a stamp and press the tips into the wooden planks. To do this, you would need a drill stand so that you can press the planks in using leverage. It would also be advisable to use a template so that all the planks are spaced evenly. I would just try it out with a few planks and then decide.

Sure, it's not always nice when the dowels are too big. But there are options. It also depends on your craftsmanship and whether you're willing to put in so much effort...

So it's up to you.

 

[Ismaele]

Here are my thoughts on the first deck I built:
1. My fears about this new, never-before-used construction technique proved unfounded. Instead of having a plywood board onto which very thin strips were glued, this model involves gluing thicker strips (1 mm) directly onto the frames and beams, one at a time. This technique, besides being clearly more faithful to traditional methods, is not at all complicated, and the use of the right glue allows for a quick and clean job. I am therefore completely satisfied.
2. Naturally, I first smeared the edges of the strips with a black marker to simulate the presence of tar between the planks.
3. As for the problem of reproducing the nails, I solved it by making a punch with two small nails placed at a distance compatible with the width of the strip, hitting it lightly with a hammer to obtain two small holes in the wood, smearing the inside of the holes with a fine-tipped pencil, and cleaning the surface with an eraser.
4. Then I proceeded to sand the deck, scratch it irregularly to simulate wear, varnish it all with three coats of shellac, and polish it with very fine steel wool.

I'm satisfied with the overall result, which seems essential to me...

 

[Ismaele]

As I noted at the beginning, the plywood panels are very well cut, but quite thin, especially the 2 mm ones. This means that the individual pieces, while conveniently flexible, are also fragile and must be handled with great care.
Otherwise, the result could be like this transom...



Fortunately the repair was very simple and since it is a part that is covered or hidden I was able to apply a reinforcement!

 

[Albert Mary]

Here are my thoughts on the first deck I built:
1. My fears about this new, never-before-used construction technique proved unfounded. Instead of having a plywood board onto which very thin strips were glued, this model involves gluing thicker strips (1 mm) directly onto the frames and beams, one at a time. This technique, besides being clearly more faithful to traditional methods, is not at all complicated, and the use of the right glue allows for a quick and clean job. I am therefore completely satisfied.
2. Naturally, I first smeared the edges of the strips with a black marker to simulate the presence of tar between the planks.
3. As for the problem of reproducing the nails, I solved it by making a punch with two small nails placed at a distance compatible with the width of the strip, hitting it lightly with a hammer to obtain two small holes in the wood, smearing the inside of the holes with a fine-tipped pencil, and cleaning the surface with an eraser.
4. Then I proceeded to sand the deck, scratch it irregularly to simulate wear, varnish it all with three coats of shellac, and polish it with very fine steel wool.

I'm satisfied with the overall result, which seems essential to me...

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Hi Ismaele, congrats on your work on such a big and complex POB model so far. If I may, I would humbly obeserve the real issue here is the planking wrong pattern. Joints should recur just every 3 o 4 streaks, not less. Also consider that decks were always immaculate at that time, as they were washed with salt water and scrubbed with stones any single day, at dawn, until they turned into a kind of "pale white" color ( light gray in fact). No stains or scratches would be admitted by the watch leutenant.

 

[Ismaele]

Thanks for your comments! There are two problems:
1. I agree about the alternating planks, so much so that in my previous models I followed a joint pattern every three or four planks. But in those cases the planks were glued to a lower board, so you could arrange them as you like, while in this case you have to follow the frames, which are relatively few compared to reality, so I wasn't able to do any better
2. You're right about the deck I made; it was a test, and I got carried away with the shellac. I don't really like the effect either, but in the end, very little of this deck will be visible, as it's almost entirely hidden by the large hatch, the guns, and the upper deck. I'll try to do better with this...

 

[GrantTyler]

Good morning Ismaele. I see you have embarked on another monster of a ship. Good luck and have enjoy. Best wishes for 2026. Cheers Grant

 

[Ismaele]

Good morning Ismaele. I see you have embarked on another monster of a ship. Good luck and have enjoy. Best wishes for 2026. Cheers Grant

Ho Grant. I'm obviously a bit of a masochist! But the idea of making the two flagships for Trafalgar seemed irresistible to me... best wishes to you too!

 

[Ismaele]

I completed the LED installation, obviously excluding those that will be inserted into the three stern lanterns. At the same time, I prepared the wiring for the two electrical contact points on the keel, which will serve to connect the system to the batteries and the switch, which will be placed at the base. Special thanks to Omega, who provided me with valuable guidance on this matter.

 

[Ismaele]

I've completed the first phase of the planking installation. Considerations:




1. As I mentioned, this is my first time attempting a single-plank construction. Fortunately, the bottom will be entirely covered in copper, so I was able to use small nails to better secure the strips. The topsides are a different problem, even though they will be entirely painted. I think I've done a decent job, which should improve significantly after sanding and painting with a coat of primer.
2. The 2x5 mm birch strips are sturdy but sufficiently elastic, holding up well to wetting to facilitate bending with the electric strip bender, and react well to glue. These characteristics make them unsuitable for the use of nails, as they tend to crack quickly, but as I said, I've used them very sparingly.
3. The instructions correctly indicate that before completing the entire hull, you need to drill the holes for the gun ports and install their internal frames. This seems like the right choice to me, because the frames need to be worked individually and glued 1 mm back from the hull surface. I'm sure that during installation, many will fall backwards, which is why the hull must be left open to retrieve them!
4. At this point, a now common problem arose... When it came time to sand the finished hull section extensively and take all the time necessary to do a fundamental job well... I caught a nasty cold!
5. So, given the low temperatures, I can't go into the garden or garage, nor do I want to spread a lot of sawdust in the workshop. So, I set the hull aside and began preparing the frames for the gun ports.



6. While waiting for better weather, I will now focus on the first set of 12 guns that will be installed on the decks. If the situation doesn't improve, I'll proceed directly to building the lifeboats, as I already did with the Victory!

 

[GrantTyler]

Ho Grant. I'm obviously a bit of a masochist! But the idea of making the two flagships for Trafalgar seemed irresistible to me... best wishes to you too!

 

[GrantTyler]

Good morning. I also considered doing that but after the Victory I decided to build some smaller less complicated ships. It will be awesome to display the 2 Trafalgar flagships together tho. Good progress with the planking Ismaele. Cheers Grant

 

[Ismaele]

There you have it! It took me ten days to finish the twelve cannons that will later be installed on the upper gun deck. The funniest thing is that in the end you can only glimpse them, apart from the barrel protruding from the hatch, because they will be almost completely hidden by the weather deck and some lifeboats! But I'm not complaining... this gave me the experience I need to better build the cannons that will be installed on the weather deck, which are in plain sight.

 

[dockattner]

Great endurance Ismaele. Ten days is a long time - almost one day per gun. Whew!

 

[Ismaele]

Well, of course I don't work on it full time! But for each cannon you have to prepare and assemble 36 different parts, which, if you want to do a thorough job, certainly takes some time.

 

[GrantTyler]

There you have it! It took me ten days to finish the twelve cannons that will later be installed on the upper gun deck. The funniest thing is that in the end you can only glimpse them, apart from the barrel protruding from the hatch, because they will be almost completely hidden by the weather deck and some lifeboats! But I'm not complaining... this gave me the experience I need to better build the cannons that will be installed on the weather deck, which are in plain sight.

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Nice one Ismaele . One of my least favourite jobs so well done. Cheers Grant

 

[dockattner]

Well, of course I don't work on it full time! But for each cannon you have to prepare and assemble 36 different parts, which, if you want to do a thorough job, certainly takes some time.

Indeed. Rigging guns is my very least favorite part of ship modeling.

 

[Ismaele]

I disagree with Grant and Paul. It's certainly a repetitive job, but the deck cannons, if well done, give wonderful details to the model, so I enjoy it too.

 

[oldflyer]

Ismaele,

Just found your log - looking great - that ship was always on my wish list - good luck - will follow along as well

 

[Ismaele]

Ismaele,

Just found your log - looking great - that ship was always on my wish list - good luck - will follow along as well

Thanks for your interest, especially since the quality of your models is truly fantastic! I've always thought the Sovereign of the Seas is one of the most complicated models out there, and yours is truly incredible.
Cheers, Enea