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...