I mentioned keeping a log of the Victory's construction and asked if anyone would be interested in my posting it on this site. These are the first couple of 'sample' entries. If y'all would be kind enough to indicate therefater whether I should continue or not?


VICTORY CONSTRUCTION LOG


Making a large scale model of an 18th Century warship in wood is definitely a novel concept for somebody who cut their modelling teeth on plastic aircraft and one that will no doubt throw up an inordinate number of challenges along the way I suspect, even for a carpenter!
My first issue arose before I began the actual construction and concerned the game plan…or rather the lack of any game plan in fact! I needed to decide whether It was better for me to stockpile a number of packs and begin construct a substantial amount of the basic hull over a period of evenings, or start putting what I had together (the first three packets) and subsequently add the new parts as they arrived thereafter. In the end I figured it would be best to get the job underway rather than accumulate lots of unopened packets as this would undoubtedly lead to a lapse of enthusiasm that would in turn encourage me to keep putting the project off until one of those infamous and fatally vague ‘later’ dates...the sort of date that never actually manages to arrive!

18th of April, 2010.
Construction begins

The pre-formed and numerically branded hull parts contained in the first three packets looked impressively crisp and clean in outline and, perhaps more importantly, free from any immediate signs of damage or warping. The crispness was obviously due to laser cutting whilst the lack of warping could be simply down to lady luck as much as anything else because despite the best precautions, timber can and does sometimes warp irrespective of this. The canon and anchor parts that came with these initial packets I haven’t really scrutinised at this point in time, but a cursory look would suggest that they are equally well produced.
Assembly of the bow section has been made fool proof by the previously mentioned numbering system along with a mortise and tennon principal for exact location and alignment, so it was a case of reading each well presented and illustrated instruction book, dry fitting each part first and then gluing in place thereafter with the natty little bottle of PVA adhesive provide. The important trick at this early stage is to get into the habit of watching those -numerous-right angles (where applicable that is) and making sure they remain so whilst the adhesive goes off . I used masking tape along with anything that could be employed as a suitable wedge to ensure this.
The ‘keel’ comes in two parts (so far) which is enough to give you just over one half or maybe nearer two thirds of the overall length of the hull, and It was here that warping first reared its ugly head. Looking down the two assembled sections revealed that they contained more ripples than a suddenly vacated waterbed, and they went all the way up to the bow for good measure! At this stage I’m not sure exactly what -if any- effect this might have upon later aspects of construction but for the time being at least I’m not going to dwell on it.
Having now glued, taped and wedged everything so far provided in place, I have a very basic skeleton of HMS Victory sitting on the work surface that, despite various gaps amongst the bow forming timbers, nonetheless provides me with a strong impression of what will indeed ultimately become be a bloody huge model…

…And one that head office will undoubtedly ask “Where exactly do you intend keeping that thing when it’s finished?” (once she’s quietly assimilated its sudden transition from harmless flat- pack to living 3D that is)

21st April 2010.
First blood to the ship!

Packet number four has been added to the mix and I now have a completed bow section and one additional rib section resting in place. Like the previous keel sections, the latest rib formers were also warped, but in truth I don’t actually see this as a problem given the flexible quality of the wood as I can probably ‘deflection fix’ the planking to these.
The guide book suggested that at this stage in construction we ‘belay’ gluing the rib sections in place for reasons of future alignment. This made perfect sense of course...until I discovered that I’d unwittingly glued the foremast rib to the ‘reinforcement’ timbers placed each side of the keel joint and which had of course now set like stone...bugger!!
I was tempted to try and break it free, but a site meeting at the offending rib section (meaning I tried flexing it to see if it would snap off) suggested that this might not be the best idea as the glue was clearly far more resilient than the wood. I left well alone.
looking at the alignment of the ribs so far, however, I don’t think this will present any major problems…well, at least none that I can‘t ‘tweak’ as we proceed anyway.

Indeed we do!

Nicely written in a pleasant, informal style. But as Jamie say's - the members build section is a more appropriate placement.

Oh, and we like picture's... nice and in-focus ones preferably and no bigger than 600 pixels wide for that classy touch.

i will be paintin my victory

I would like to paint mine trafalgar need to order some paint though, anybody using a water based paint

hi john..yeah i bought the victory paint set from the shipwrightshop you get 14 pots of paint all the colours you will need for 29.95 including post..but i am finding that the black metal paint doesnt want to adhere to the brass eyepins so i painted them with matt black nail varnish otherwise the acrylic set is spot on..if anyone has a better idea for a better paint for brass please let me know.thanks

Thanks for the tip Benny

I spent years in the royal navy being pompey based and never far from the victory, so one half of me thinks i should make the model look the same as the real thing in pompey dockyard. On the other hand i prefer the natural wood finish which i think is more pleasing to the eye even if it's not an exact replica. Seems a shame to cover up the craftmanship and quality of real wood. If i paint over it i feel i may as well have been doing an airfix model or something. I'm not so concerned with authenticity as making something which looks good as an ornament which at the end of the day is what it will be. I did a delprado model before of the bounty which i left in the natural wood finish, and all the different shades of wood, alternative light and dark woods, look fantastic together.

Like many, I love the look and texture of real wood. However I was persuaded to go for the Trafalgar colours after my son saw the picture of the model on issue 2 front cover and remarked on how fantastic it looked 'even before it's painted' and I thought ??? that is how most people (not us anal types in anoraks) will remember HMS Victory.
I do agree that it looks superb in it's natural state but as I'm going to spend about a million hours building it I am not going to want to have to explain my reasons for leaving it 'naked' every time some t*t like my son looks at it.
Having thought a bit more about it I think Trafalgar colours are more representative of what she stands for in the psyche of the Nation and how the majority will view her. After all if it wasn't for these ships and the men who manned them we'd all be shrugging our shoulders every two seconds, smoking during meals and taking 3 hour lunch breaks.........

I see we can now buy all the paint for £25 inc delivery. I don't think that's bad considering Cornwall's price of £27.80 + delivery.

whoops too much vodka..its in the right place sorry admin