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Soleil Royal by Heller - an Extensive Modification and Partial Scratch-Build by Hubac’s Historian

Thank you all very much. Yes, Nigel, it is particularly exciting for me as I approach the coronation of the stern. What I have in-mind, there, will be quite different from what is usually done. It’s really going to POP!
 
Hubac’s Historian said:
Thank you all very much. Yes, Nigel, it is particularly exciting for me as I approach the coronation of the stern. What I have in-mind, there, will be quite different from what is usually done. It’s really going to POP!
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It is exciting for all of us. The thing with major modifications is that everyone aside from the builder doesn't really know what the end result is going to look like.As the builder, we have a mental picture and like an artist on canvas, express our interpretation through whatever material we choose to work with.

I agree with Paul, your model already pops!
 
Many thanks to you both! Nigel, I’ve been milking this build for every content post that it’s worth, and maybe a few that it isn’t. I was hoping to see whatever progress you’ve made on your magnificent ship, but I can appreciate that the World Cup might have taken the day. Despite my rooting interest for France, it was a thrilling game and deserved victory for Argentina!
 
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Hubac’s Historian said:
Many thanks to you both! Nigel, I’ve been milking this build for every content post that it’s worth, and maybe a few that it isn’t. I was hoping to see whatever progress you’ve made on your magnificent ship, but I can appreciate that the World Cup might have taken the day . Despite my rooting interest for France, it was a thrilling game and deserved victory for Argentina!
Click to expand...

No Marc, not into football, been mad rush at work ready for Xmas break. I have finished now until 3rd January so expect a few updates;)
 
It’s been a pretty solid week. Headrail painting continues in the evenings. I also finished up the window plate detailing.

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I had trouble making the raised panel framing out of a single piece of .020 styrene, as I had done before. Rather than make myself crazy, I cut out and used the curved lower portion of the frame, and then I pieced-in the straight sides and tops from strip plastic:

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I cut raised panels for the doors from the stock stern plate. For the door handles, I had run out of scroll castings, so I just made a pair from sheet styrene:

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Completed window plate:

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The acetate windows before greying-in the leading and trimming to size:

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I hope everyone enjoys a happy and safe new year!

All the best,

Marc
 
Nice! On mine, I think I'll reproduce the column in resin. I wonder with what you cutted them, I don't think I'll use a circular saw because knowing myself, it might not end well, and my parents wouldn't want to invest in one. I hope I'm not asking too much question, I don't want to bother you.
Happy new year!
 
I extract the columns from the stock stern plate with a Dremmel grinding disc on a low setting, so that it cuts more than it melts the plastic. I leave plenty of room all around, so that I can then pare away the waste with razor-sharp straight chisels.

I also extracted the arms of France that are centered above this top tier of windows, but below the carving of Apollo. Given that I have reduced the height of this panel, where the Apollo carving goes, the stock Arms of France will not reasonably fit there, anymore, because the ornament is scaled too large to reasonably fit there.

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I may decide to make the ornament from scratch, or I may, instead, affix it to the outside of the upper balcony rail. It would contradict Berain’s design, but it was actually a common placement for the time period:

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Ok, I think I might use a cutter for that, as said, I don't trust myelf with those kind of tools. SinceI'm going for a intial soleil royal, I'll keep the kit columns and make resin reproduction for the new windows. I wonder if I can use berain post 1669 works as an inspiration for my intial soleil royal, in his book page 120, patrick villier ask an interesting question: Did the sculptors fellowed Berain drawings for the refit? Maybe it didn't looked exactly like what berain drew so what you did for the columns would be fine.
 
Berain’s refit drawing is a re-working of Puget’s earlier design. The allegory would have been essentially the same, however the figures would have been slightly different and the proportion of the stern would have been significantly taller. I believe that was Tanneron’s intent in making his model so tall. I just don’t understand the five windows because it does not really conform to practice in 1669 (7 or even 8 windows), or 1689 and after (6 windows).
 
I will take liberty to say that you might want to try and get comfortable with some form of rotary tool like a Dremmel, if you are going to be making the kinds of modifications you are planning. The Dremmel mini has excellent variable speed control, it balances well in the hand, and it is relatively light. There are a few things you have to learn about cut direction and speed settings, so that you can maintain control when using burrs, but this kind of tool is pretty essential. They tend not to be terribly expensive, either.
 
I think my parents got a dremel like tool but I'm not sure, I'll have to ask. I wonder if one can't use berain work post 1669 and other 1st rate ships like the le foudroyant from1723 as inspiration for a initial soleil royal. The windows arrangement for le foudroyant seem to be similar to the one described for the first royal louis (page 84 in floating baroque, I can't seem to find its stern/quarter gallery and beakhead on internet). Tanneron might chosen to make guess depending of its intention, the sources available to him and what he saw as a reliable source. Maybe the missing chase gun come from that. So many interpretation can be on this model, it's why I don't think one can say with a 100% confidence it's the 2nd or the 1st soleil royal.
 
Extremely good work Marc. one observation though, the sheer of the door panels does not match your assembly. Could you not make these panels with laminations of sheet styrene so the panel matches perfectly?

I know I am being picky but I do know you will take this comment in the constructive way it is intended. I know we have a habit of giving one another extra workROTF

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
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