Le Mirage Corel Scale 1:75

Kent, I thought I might mention the difference in this hobby. In model railroading, it is about motion through a realist looking setting. For remote controlled vessels, it is about creating a vessel with as much detail as possible and still be portable to the pond or floating area in tack. I fell that the static modeller is the elite of this hobby.
A static model depend on being precise and accurate as much as possible within the limits they are capable of. It can be scrutinized by anyone for long periods of time and detail is the key to realism. One of the hardest thing to do is to eliminate anything that shows how it is held together. On a real ship, rivets and tree-nails we the obvious construction methods. If you look at the USS Missouri, you will see that even the tree-nails on the deck were hid with the top being cover by the same type of wood with the grain running in the same direction.
Thus, one of the hardest things with this type of modeling is to remove as much signs of glue as possible. Not that I see any signs of it on any of the models on this site or other sites, but it is an item that I can not tell you how many hours I have spent removing those signs. Nothing can eliminate all of them, especially in the rigging, but it is something that we watch for as we go along. I guess it is a matter of pride because very few would ever notice it or take the time required to find some unless they were a judge at an exhibition.
 
Hi Kent

Was looking at your buidlog, its looking very nice.
Your skills will come in handy in this hobby.

Børge
 
Hey Guys, Thanks for keeping an eye out for me. This weeks update doesn't seem like much but it did take me all week to do it. I've completed the lining of the keel and it took me a while to line up the boards the same way the drawings show it, but I like the way it turned out.
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For the next week I'm planning on finishing the sides of the hull, so that I can put on a protective coat on her. I'm waiting for a 9mm brad point drill bit for the cannon port holes. My drills are all u.s. types either to large or too small for the brass fitting. Hopefully the next update will show a finish on the hull.
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That looks great Kent, great work.
The ship looks very nice now, and your planking is very nicely done.
Børge
 
Hi Kent,
I am floored looking at your pictures and reading that this is your FIRST ship model!! Very impressive!! You certainly did not pick anything easy to cut your teeth on. I would like to follow this one with interest.

Keep up the good work.

Joe

PS: You and I have a lot in common. I also was a model railroader, "N" scale to be exact, and was in the construction industry for many years. I started by doing renovations in homes, then progressed up to a commercial level and finally opening my own custom furniture company specializing mainly in the hospitality and medical industries. Built many restaurants and doctors offices. I think our backgrounds give a bit of a leg up in this hobby.

Keep up the good work, it is looking great.
 
Hi guys, Thanks for all the nice comments. Joe we need to start a new group, We'll call it the Model Railroaders Who Went to the Ship Side or MRW2S2ers. It's been a couple of weeks for posting but I did get my drill bits so I was able to drill the gun ports and they worked much better then my standard bits. The brass ring fit right in. I was also able to give her a coat of Danish Oil (Natural) and her color is really comming out.
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These were the gun ports I was waiting to drill all this time and I came up missing one ring. I'll be going to the Age of Sail store this sunday so hopefully they'll have one.
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I also completed the side enterances, I like the way they came out.
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I've started on the Stern and bow details and there's a lot of work in those areas, so I'm taking it slow so as not to mess up.
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I even put in some curtains
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She's comming along, slow but steady
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So until my next update.
 
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Kent,
You are doing such a great job for your "first" build, I think that you are BS'ing us on the first build :) Just kidding it looks great. Love the curtins detail.

I was using the same black and decker bench mate for my other builds. What happens is the lever that holds the ball at the base steady will start to give out and weaken after time. You may want to look into a keel holder for your next builds. Speaking of next builds, is that the HMS Victory sitting on the very nice roll top desk next to your workbench?
 

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Joe I swear this is the first time I have ever built one of these things. With model railroading i have become used to working with small scale and with the knowledge of being able to read blueprints and knowing how structures work has given me a step up on the beginner. I also have a love of the sea and have raced sailboats, so I have some understanding of the terms. It seems my entire life was geared to build these and I am turely enjoying this hobby. Yes you do see the HMS Victory, matter of fact I got two of them in all the stuff I recieved from my friend.

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This complete kit was untouched, so I started shaping the hull.
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I also did recieve a keel holder, but it's being used on another ship
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She's my plastic model of the Constitution which I've had for 10 years and is also my forth try at it.

With all these models that I recieved free I have no fear of messing up, but I am trying to be very careful with them.
 
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Kent what scale RR were you in? My RR was 30 x 25 in N scale. I had enough detail to have headlights & tail lights on the cars by using fishing line brought down to a bulb under the table. Same premis of fiber optics.
 
HO scale, I've been working out at a friend's layout in the valley for about 20 years. As you know, out here in the west we don't have basements so the only place for a railroad was the garage and I wasn't willing enough to give up my entire shop to do it. So I abused his garage. We never got as fine a detail as that. The houses are lit but not the cars. I havn't been out to his house since I retired but he will be going out in the next year or two and we've been talking about starting up again.
 
OK you guys never warned me that this hobby was for insane people. So I went to the Age of Sail store, which is 35 minutes away from my house that Gary told me about. I needed to get some eye-bolts and other parts so I could rig my canons. When I got home with all my new parts I checked the directions for how to do it.

well I got to work and after 4 hours of sqeezing fingers, squinting eyes and gluing body parts together I got one finished.

The blocks look a little oversize but I think I'm going to stick with them. I think the overall effect will be nice when seen all at once.
I only have 16 to go, When did I become the crazy one?:eek:
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I have some smaller blocks that I ordered. On my current model, the distance is even to close to do what you did. I think this is a problem in the kit design. My kit is an older one and I hope the Sovereign which has been redesigned and improved will solve the problem. Nice work getting it to fit and look OK.
 
Hey guys, last week on wednesday I visited GaryM at his home and saw his work. After taking a very good look at his canon rigging and talking to him about blocks, I've decided to hold off on Rigging my canons until I can get the smaller blocks that I ordered from the Age of Sail store. Gary also helped me out by letting me see some of his books from his library, Gary I got 5 of the first 6 books you recommended and I'm planning on picking up a few more in a couple of months. They have really been a help so far.

I would like to say one thing about this forum, If it wasn't for you guys with your help and your builds I would never have gotton this far into Model Shipbuilding. I would just have tried to follow the directions and would never have gotton the detail that I've gotton so far. I know I'm still a long way from being as good as you guys but I am having a great time trying to get there.

Example: My long boat had 7 pieces, 6 of them being plywood and a craved hull. After looking at your builds and seeing Gary's long boat in progress I decided to improve my boat also.

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I now have to learn about lashing it down and what accessories it will need. I want to thank you guys for setting the bar so that I can aspire to reach it.

I'm also working on the bow and stern area
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By next week I hope to have the stern decks done and to get the guilded pieces on.
Until then I'll keep an eye on your builds to get instruction and inspiration.
 
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Thanks for the kind words Kent. I ordered blocks from Warner Woods West in Utah (435) 652-4400 and got them in. They are incredible and inexpensive. Don't know if I will ever use the 2 mm double or triple blocks but even these are nicely formed with rounded edges and their thread holes are spaced properly. You saw that other manufactures seem to get the holes off center and not in line.
Nice job on the long boat and the ship is really looking good.
 
Popeye: If you go to MSW site under Masting , rigging and sails and find the topic Sources for boxwood blocks, you will find an order form that you can print out and send him an order. He has block from 2 mm through 7 mm in the categories of single, double and triple. there is also a picture that shows what his blocks look like. Tried to send you a private message but it wouldn't let me.
 
Kent,

Thank you, for we learn from eachother. Every build log has it's specialties and peculiarities from which we learn, even advanced builders ... (which I definitely am not)
 
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