Santìsima Trinidad (Cross Section) by Jack.Aubrey - De Agostini Partwork- Scale 1:90

[jack.aubrey]

Saturday June 4th, 2011

Having completed the hull with the installation of the gunport lids and later the chainplates, I started to prepare some components of the main mast. For this kind of activity I have to underline that my last, complete experience was made a lot of years ago, maybe 40/45 years ago when I was much younger.

To be well prepared to this new venture I spent some hours to study the masting & rigging plans supplied by De Agostini. These plans are the only real plans supplied by the kit manufacturer. Other plans (hull, decks, etc) are never supplied with this kind of collections and this fact is, for me, the main point of weakness of these products. The first impression is that these plans are quite simplified, if compared with some "holy" books describing masting and rigging, but you have to admit that a section has by definition an incomplete rigging . .

For this main reason and to avoid risks, I decided to follow the plans supplied, without changes or updates for new details.

First I started by building the yards, task that I considered free of risks to make errors. The yards are four in total of different diameter and length. The result, visible here below, was obtained without power tools: only files, sandpaper, sanding block, broken pieces of glass . .

Here below an image of the first three yards; the main yard is still missing and I will do it next . . in the meantime I will continue my studies of the rigging plan . .

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070621.jpg

Here below other details of the hull. With the exclusion of the handrails for the stepladders, it can be considered 100% finished. The mast can be inserted in its final place without any kind of effort and . . miracle . . it is 100% vertical and straight, properties not always easy to find in a wood rod of 12mm diameter and with an overall length of +/- 50 cm.

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070617.jpg

Here are finally visible the chainplates. I did not want to use the brass chains suggested in the instruction but I was not able to built then as they should be really done. This because my poor ability to weld. At the end I adopted the solution you can see here. Surely quite original . . but plausible ? I am not sure, I leave to you to judge . . surely very strong.

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070613.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070616.jpg

And finally I've found something that could be used to build the handrails. Again I found what I believe can be used in my "old pieces stock" and, if I well remember they should age +/- 40 years. As soon as possible I will install them and I will show to you.

See you next time, Jack.Aubrey.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Sunday June 5th, 2011

Yesterday afternoon I have installed the handrails I anticipated in the previous message. They are 15mm. long and are quite plausible. I think it is necessary to keep in mind that on the real ship these details will be probably removed during the clearing activities before a gunfight. As soon as possible I will show the images of these details: I like them and I think to expand their usage to other areas.

Here below other images of the model as it was yesterday.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070614.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070619.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070611.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070612.jpg

 

[Uwek]

It is a very interesting cross section and you made here a very good job.
But every time when I see it, I am irritated of the red color at the front ends of the hull planking.
The hull planking was painted red, yes, but when you cut them it would be the color of oak. (green arrows)



Please do not see this as critic, it is a question of taste. And taste is subjective ......
and I know very well, that you have built the model years ago - many thanks for sharing it with us

 

[jack.aubrey]

Your comment is right , , , in theory, being the red color simply paint, the inside of the plank ends should be in wood color.
The Santìsima Trinidad's red color of the Nelson chequer is considererd true,
To obtain this kind of color I decided not to use paint but red stain. This choice is the reason of this "side effect": the stain is practically water that is absorbed +/- completely by the wood and this color went deeply inside the wood, becoming visible also at the ends of the hull planking.
By the way, this uniform colouring of the ends may probably have a more aestetical fashion, don't you believe ?
Jack.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Tuesday June 7th, 2011 - Last details on the hull

As I anticipated in my last message, yesterday I made the last additions to the hull:

- I completed the painting of the chain plates and the deadeyes

- I have mounted the handrails to the stepladders and also in another location I think these elements were probably in place, although the instructions did not mention them.

- last I built the last, bigger yard.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070622.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070623.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070624.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070625.jpg

Now I'm concentrated on the masting; it is one of the last main tasks to achieve before completing the model. See you next time, Jack.Aubrey

 

[jack.aubrey]

Monday July 4th, 2011 - Main Mast

It is nearly past a month from my last update and now I have something new to show. I had a lot of things to do not related to ship modeling and for this reason please don't expect too much . .

In summary, having finished all the activities planned for the hull, I started to prepare the single components of the main mast, four yards, lower mast, top mast, topgallant mast, main top, cross-tree and to assemply them.

My last experience of this kind belongs to more than 40 years ago, so I decided to follow without significant changes the instructions and expecially the plans supplied by De Agostini. But these sources are quite simplified: first all the rigging to and from the other masts is not present, and this has its own logic, but there is also a lot of masting and rigging details not reported on these plans.

To shape the yards and the masts I didn't use any power tool (i.e a lathe) but I made them using broken pieces of glass, sandpaper and sanding blocks: some fitness can be done also during shipmodeling !! Something was already shown some message ago.

But the first important task was to build the main top. Here below it is possible to watch this elemnt from different perspectives. But I didn't use the supplied materials and I built it from scratch exactly as the top was built on the english vessels (I don't have documentation for spanish ships), even though a bit simplified. The black paint hides totally the big work done . . but for me it is imporant to know how it is built . .
Now the main top is fixed only to the lower mast, while the top mast and the cap are not yet mounted.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070631.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070634.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070636.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070642.jpg

In a future message I will show better images of the lower mast and the top mast.
Cheers, Jack.Aubrey

 

[jack.aubrey]

July 12th, 2011

I'm back from a very short holiday in Tuscany.

Here below I'm adding three images of other elements of the mast. In the first a detali of the lower mast. I decided to paint it with a pale yellow instead of leaving it in natural wood: in that period the masts usually were coloured in yellow and black. Yards were black.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070635.jpg


Here another image of the mast with other elements. They are here presented in place but not yet fixed. For the top mast I had to use another piece of wood because the one supplied by De Agostini was too much bent. On top there is the cross-tree. the topgallant mast is till missing.

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070641.jpg


Here a detail of the cross-tree. It is a metal die cast piece and I have applied a coat of primer before the final paint same to the main top.

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070630.jpg


I have seen an image from another modeler that inspired me the kind of presentation for this model. Unfortunately I have lost the image and I can't show it. Having seen the features of this display case, I think that the basic idea to hang the whole (display case with the model inside) at a wall as a normal picture is very good.

See you next time, cheers, Jack.Aubrey.

 

[jack.aubrey]

July 16th, 2011

The next four images show the four yards of the main mast. They are still far to be finished . .

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070637.jpg


02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070638.jpg


03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070639.jpg


04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070640.jpg


Now I'm preparing the last missing element of the mast, the topgallant mast. Then I will fix definitely all the elements together. That's all for now, cheers, Jack.Aubrey

 

[jack.aubrey]

Thursday July 28th, 2011 - Yards

It is nearly past two weeks from my previous message. I wrote very little things but I worked a lot for the masts and the yards. These tasks take a lot of time and patience and often you don't see big progresses.

The two large yards, just layed above the main top:

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070699.jpg

The remaiing smaller yards layed above the hull, not 100% complete:

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070700.jpg

A couple of overall views where it's possible to see the topgallant mast, till now ever shown:

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070701.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070702.jpg

A last thing: yesterday I have prepared the plans for the display case and in the next days I will buy the materials needed and probably I will start to build it. By doing this case, I believe I will enjoy a lot . . Kind regards, Jack.Aubrey

http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/12/86/14/83/p1070614.jpg
http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/12/86/14/83/p1070710.jpg
http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/12/86/14/83/p1070711.jpg
http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/12/86/14/83/p1070712.jpg

 

[jack.aubrey]

To integrate the previous message I attach here below some detailed images of the yards. These images were taken the same day of that message.

The footropes of the yards will be correctly shaped soon.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070695.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070696.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070697.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070698.jpg

05 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070695.jpg

Below: links to high resolution images . . (the last image shown above sistematically failed to upload so it is missing . . .)

http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/12/86/14/83/p1070610.jpg
http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/12/86/14/83/p1070611.jpg
http://i46.servimg.com/u/f46/12/86/14/83/p1070612.jpg

 

[jack.aubrey]

Friday August 5th, 2011 - The vertical display case . .

While the activities on the mast are progressing slowly, so slowly that there is no need to speak about them, I started to build the display case, based on a prototype from another modeler that inspired me some time ago.

Honestly it is not the same, from an architectural point of view, but the idea is totally inherited from that prototype . .

The raw materials are the following elements, cut from my plans in a wood wholesaler:

• ply wood with the external sides in mahogany, 15mm thickness, 2 pieces 450 x 130 mm;
• same as above but 8mm thickness, 2 pieces 460 x 135 mm;
• same 8mm. thinkness, 1 piece 960 x 460 mm;
• 2 strips of ramin 15 x 30mm, 1000mm length.

First two items of the list will become the bottom and the roof of the case. They will be glued together in order to leave on three sides a ladder of 0,5mm. Next two images show these pieces assembled.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070704.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070706.jpg

Later I covered the thickness of the ply with some veneer . .

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070703.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070705.jpg

In the next image one of the two elements completed . .

05 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070708.jpg

See you next time, kind regards, Jack.Aubrey

 

[jack.aubrey]

Saturday August 6th, 2011 - again, the display case . .

The finishing of the base and the roof of the display case is now terminated. I have applied a coat of oil for wood and now I leave it to dry. And I believe it is possible to see that the color of the wood has now its final appearance. Here follow some new images of the base and the roof. At this stage of the build they are still equal, later the base will change a little to install the elements that will keep inside the hull.


01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070710.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070713.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070714.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070716.jpg

See you next time, cheers, Jack.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Sunday August 7th, 2011 - Always about display case

The work for the display case is progressing. Now the base and the roof are fixed to the background panel. Later I applied the two 15x30mm pieces with the main function to strengthen the structure and to provide support for the plexiglass. The next images show the whole case still under pressure

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070718.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070719.jpg

In this third image it is possible to see the base with the supports for the hull installed: the central groove where the keel will stay and the two lateral supports to keep the model in vertical position.

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070720.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070721.jpg

When the glue will be totally dry I will apply also some screws to provide additional strength . .
See you next time, Jack.Aubrey

 

[jack.aubrey]

Monday August 8th, 2011

As soon as the glue was dry I did not resist: I have placed the case vertically and tryed to see the cross section inside: a matter of minutes and here are a couple of images to see a first preview of the whole . .

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070722.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070723.jpg

Now I have to decide how to finish the background panel; three options:

1. oil for wood but the whole becomes too dark . .
2. a lighter colour, such as white, ivory, light blue . .
3. fabric or a nautical maps . .

A few ideas to think about before sleeping.

Cheers, Jack.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Tuesday August 9th, 2011 - the horrors fair . .

While the work around the display case is progressing, and now I have reached a good point of completion in terms of woodworking, I resumed the model and I started to work on the rigging.

Let's come back to the display case, just to complete this topic. Tomorrow I will refine the wood with sandpaper and then I will apply some painting, first of all with wood filler and later with transparent, matt paint. In particular for the background wall I have found a self adhesive paper thar reproduces a rough wall, I think it is nice to see and probably I will try it. It is white coloured and shuld put in evidence the rigging very well.

And now let's speak about the bad news . . As i wrote I started to work on the rigging and in the following images you can see how I realized the deadeyes and the shrouds. In a further message I will show the rigging near the main top.

The result is very bad.

I have to highlight that I had not any kind of (recent) experience in this type of tasks because the last time I made this kind of work dated back to 40 years . .

I used the famous book from mr. Petersson "Rigging Period Ship Models" as reference, reproducing the same knots: a huge work and a powerful nervous breakdown vehicle . . . but with very poor results.

I think that the images here following are self explicating. The first thing that emerges is that they are completely unequal, in spite of my efforts; then the rope used is of bad quality, too much hairy; the brown rope is better; and finally the attempt to remove the hairs by passing over the ropes a coat of diluted vinyl glue failed totally.

To conclude: a true disaster.

In the next messages I will show the area of the main top and there the situation is even worst . .

So, after a short rethinking, I decided to restart from the beginning in a more methodic way.

Tomorrow I wil visit a model shop to look for new deadeyes and, more important, to buy new ropes to use in place of the same distributed with the kit.

See you next message with another horror show . . Jack.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070724.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070727.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070730.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070729.jpg

 

[jack.aubrey]

The museum of the shipmodeler's mistakes continues . .

Here follow three images of the main top area, more in detail the shrouds immediately below it. Looking at these three photos, where only the right side is completed, it may seem OK . .
but this was the status as I left it the last evening, ready to be completed also on the left side the day after.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070731.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070726.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070725.jpg

And what happened the day after ? The result can be seen in the remaining two images. In practice the two sides are not symmetrical and the reason of this is a long ... long story.

This happened because I forgot my spectacles at home. Instead of driving to home to take them I decided to proceed without them . . . but . . . I forgot the fact that my left eye was operated some years ago for a detached retina and that operation left me a quite strong astigmatism.

This astigmatism makes a strange visual effect: if I look at a A4 sheet of paper I don't see a rectangle but a rhombus. Obviously the probles is corrected by the spectacles.

To conclude shortly, the result of this visual error can be seen here below, and this mistake was the classical straw that broke the camel's back and I easily decided to redo everything . .

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070733.jpg

05 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070732.jpg

A last info: I finished the wood working on the display case, levigated and painted as I wrote in my last message.

Cheers, Jack.

 

[MystRacing]

I really like the way you built your case with the wood back. I just built one with plex on all four sides and had a hard time putting it together because the legs of the case were so light weight. Great job!

I struggled with getting the deadeyes level on the first three models I built. I finished building a cross section of the Constitution a couple weeks ago. After a bunch of research I tried bending steel wire into an elongated "C" and using it for a spacer to hold the deadeyes. This allowed me to space one already tied deadeye with the wire C, wrap the shroud around the mast and then use a second wire C to hold the upper deadeye next to it, while I tied the second deadeye. I actually made ten of the wires so I could do the whole upper section of the mast before rigging the deadeyes. I'm sure there are other ways to do it but the wire C worked very well for me.

Hopefully that makes sense. If not I can take a photo that would explain it better.

There's a drawing about half way downTHIS PAGE of what I'm talking about.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Thursday August 11th, 2011 - Standing rigging: a new start

After the big set of mistakes I made in the first attempt I restarted from the beginning with the shrouds and the deadeyes. This time I've done better. First of all now they have the same length . .

The deadeyes are now painted in black before to mount them and refined after, where necessary (the images are after this refinement).

I have used some spacers made up with steel wire to keep all at the same distance. It seems the trick was ok.

I spent a afternoon to achieve this goal, it is not a big result in term of productivity but it is satisfactory for me, after the first failure.

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070735.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070736R.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070738R.jpg

Kind regards, Jack.Aubrey

 

[Galley Slave]

Looking good Jack.
I still have the joy of attempting rigging at some stage in the future.
Looking forward to it with a modicum of trepidation.

 

[jack.aubrey]

Saturday August 13th, 2011 - these are better . .

Yesterday, in the afternoon I resumed the work on the cross section, in particular I definitely rigged the deadeyes.

This time the result is surely better, they all have the same length.

Power of experience . . but a highly important contribute to this overall result comes surely from the new ropes I used: they are light years far from the same ropes supplied with the kit.

See you next time, Jack.Aubrey

01 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070739.jpg

02 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070740.jpg

03 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070741.jpg

04 Cross%20Section%20Santisima%20Trinidad/P1070744.jpg