Since the level of detail a person may add and the availability and amount of research a person may chose to perform will vary with each modeler, the times I show are related to the actual work performed on the vessel. Each person’s ability to read and interpret plans can vary a great detail. Thus, the time reflects only that used to measure the plans for comparison on the vessel or to determine the size of wood used to make a part that is unclear and not listed in the instructions or on the plans separately. Hopefully, by doing this, a person can use this as a guide to determine the level of commitment necessary to compete this type of project or can use it to gauge how far along they are if building the same vessel.
Get the revised instructions for this kit at the following web site. It is 74 pages with hundreds of steps and photos of the steps. The instructions are still not to be followed blindly in the order they give and you need to look ahead and determine the order of assembly based upon logic, accessibility, and your construction methods. For example: the guns that will be mounted under the deck in the bow that point forward were not shown to have any blocks into which the dummy cannons would be mounted. trying to repair this problem would not appear until after the decorations and front end was completed and ready to be wrapped up prior to the start of the rigging.
Finally, I have most of the parts I need to finish this ship. Thus I started this and have about 15 hours into the construction. I have used 94 parts.
Mantua has laser cut the planking on the new decks and walls. What they have done is actually burn through about 1/3 of the sheets that make up the walls and decks and other planked surfaces. This will save hours of measuring, cutting and laying the actual wood pieces. The only thing is that it is a two step deck planking scheme. The appearance is good, but ships usually used four offsets. With this method, they save a lot of money by not providing wood to build the walls or plank the decks. The outside second layer where the guns go also comes as one piece for each row of dummy cannons, cannon doors and the dead-eyes channels all include the same simulated planking. Also, balsa is the first step of outside planking that attaches to the frames.
Everything fits together really well and It is still a nice kit. However, I wish they would let us plank everything since we know how to do it right if we are building a model at this level. The caulking lines will show up very well and the way the pieces must fit together are etched in the proper place. The part etching is a nice touch and helpful.
This is a wooden kit but more like plastic kit part assembly.
The plans are with the kit, but the new instruction book for assembly with 465 steps and pictures of each step is available on the web for you to print. This is the web site: http://www.mantuamodelhelp.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=1685.
Get the revised instructions for this kit at the following web site. It is 74 pages with hundreds of steps and photos of the steps. The instructions are still not to be followed blindly in the order they give and you need to look ahead and determine the order of assembly based upon logic, accessibility, and your construction methods. For example: the guns that will be mounted under the deck in the bow that point forward were not shown to have any blocks into which the dummy cannons would be mounted. trying to repair this problem would not appear until after the decorations and front end was completed and ready to be wrapped up prior to the start of the rigging.
Finally, I have most of the parts I need to finish this ship. Thus I started this and have about 15 hours into the construction. I have used 94 parts.
Mantua has laser cut the planking on the new decks and walls. What they have done is actually burn through about 1/3 of the sheets that make up the walls and decks and other planked surfaces. This will save hours of measuring, cutting and laying the actual wood pieces. The only thing is that it is a two step deck planking scheme. The appearance is good, but ships usually used four offsets. With this method, they save a lot of money by not providing wood to build the walls or plank the decks. The outside second layer where the guns go also comes as one piece for each row of dummy cannons, cannon doors and the dead-eyes channels all include the same simulated planking. Also, balsa is the first step of outside planking that attaches to the frames.
Everything fits together really well and It is still a nice kit. However, I wish they would let us plank everything since we know how to do it right if we are building a model at this level. The caulking lines will show up very well and the way the pieces must fit together are etched in the proper place. The part etching is a nice touch and helpful.
This is a wooden kit but more like plastic kit part assembly.
The plans are with the kit, but the new instruction book for assembly with 465 steps and pictures of each step is available on the web for you to print. This is the web site: http://www.mantuamodelhelp.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=1685.
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