Panart: San Felipe 1:75 Scale Build Log [COMPLETED BUILD]

@ Paul
I will try the Casey Brass Black. Never heard of the product and I need to do more research on this. Thanks for mentioning this.

@ Eric
Sorry - it seems that you are still (I hate to say cursed) with the mayflower. the black paint I am using here is water based and is a watered down coat. I think the Mayflower, I must have used enamel - I honestly can not remember. I am still using Titebond. The bottoms of the supports do not have any paint.
I am not going to plank over anything. I know this goes against what most people do.

@ everybody else
I know, I am breaking all the rules for this ship - and I knew it was going to be cringe-worthy of all my friends out there. But what I am having to work with is pretty bad. When I first opened the box, I was very delighted on the amount of lazer cut parts, and all the nice fittings. The drawings were second to none....BUT, after some investigating, I noticed that a "nice" drawing can be WRONG. "nice" parts can NOT fit right.

But, I am determined to make a nice model out of this. I have to admit that I wish I had done more research on other San Felipe's out there. I know Gary had suggested the one in China, but what through me off is rigging lines not being right and of different colors (if I remember). I have heard so many stories of people buying off of eBay and that was the major no no to me.

But, I see a lot of people choosing the China version of the San Felipe being built. it is 47" long. The wood looks better and you have total control over the Gun Port placement. I am sure that Panart had good intentions, but when the Upper Bulwark piece (that has the pre-planking done and then the cannon port holes DO NOT line up correctly, but are Way out of alignment, then it just makes out for a very difficult build to get everything right. The parts are "nice", but don't fit right !!!

I really feel for the person that has zero experience will find out the Cannons do not line up. As a matter of fact, I saw a Panart San Felipe online via a French Forum and the person literally sanded or grinded down the wheels of the carriages to make the cannons low enough to point through the port lids. If you do not make provisions for this, the Cannons will be pointed downward ALOT !!! That is crazy and very poor design and planning. The Cannon placement along with other things are the REFERENCE point of the deck height, port lid height and placements, among other things. It is very important (at least my humble opinion). I have always seems people struggle with Cannon placements on kits. Same with the Trinidad. I had to realign the cannon port lid openings to make sure of alignment.

You must get the Deck / Cannon / port lid arrangement done first as a reference point first and then the rest of the ship should line up with that. Just my opinion.

Well, that is my rant.
 
Every Chinese kit I have seen or built is VERY well engineered and supplied with ample good quality materials to build the model. I can't say the same of the older European manufacturers. The China bashers seem kinda unhinged, but that is just my personal opinion. You are doing a good job with what you have!
 
I wish I had gone with the Panart kit instead of the Chinese version. My kit arrived last night and I have already ben in contact with the company. Comes with 4 bundles of 2x8mm strips and 1 bundle of .5x7mm strips. Both are lt colored like lime wood. A few other assorted wood strips but nothing like is shown on website or ads, or referenced as included. No deck planking material ( not printed on as some Mantua kits) that is supposed to be there, no .5x2, .5x3, or other sized wood as stated on the plans and instructions. Looks to be very short on dowel stock too. So far the response from the seller has been the kit is complete and as described. I have a Black Pearl from the same company that is a nice kit - but the San Felipe kit will need major $$$$ spent on wood to build it.
 
arizonasun might be building this china version. You can email him. His build log is here:
http://www.shipsofscale.com/sosforums/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=1098
 
I will take pictures as well as do a complete inventory of the strip wood included. I'll add a new topic rather than further disrupt this nice build. Since the only parts list is in Chinese it will take some time to find out everything that is missing. Instructions and plans do not indicate all material sizes needed on them. The pics of the strip material in the ebay listing and on the mfg website vary a lot from what's in my box.
 
Donnie:
I was reading your build log on this new challenge. While reading, I noticed some mention of a china made version. Is that z.h.l. You are referring to, or is it another?
Dave
Seattle
 
Dave,
I am not sure as I just visit the eBay page and did a search for San Felipe. And it seems that most people that are building the one from China is listed there.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/wooden-model-ship-kit-San-Felipe-1690-/331886400689?hash=item4d45f894b1:g:gpMAAOSwv0tVXIyd

and

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-48-San-Felipe-Spanish-Armada-Galleon-Tall-Ship-Built-Wooden-Model-Ship-Kit-/172444758670?hash=item282682328e:g:3UMAAOSwv2JXwbxg
 
Well, I am steady working through all the problems with this kit. I cannot believe how many blatant errors there are in the instructions. Telling you to glue a piece and then just a few pages over, the piece is not even there nor mentioned. Its like they realize this mistake and took another photograph and edited the manual WITHOUT making the correction.
I feel sorry for the first time builder on this, as it will come as A LOT of unpleasant surprises. I have seen a few forums like one in Germany, where a gentleman was building this exact same kit. The only difference is that he did not use most of the lazer cut pieces. When he completed the hull, the poor guy almost in tears when he realizsed that his Cannon Barrels would not pass through the Port Frame Openings but where horribly offset in height.

I think and I hope that I caught mine in time as this is why I mocked up the Cannon positions first. The so called "reference line" on the Plans are NOT correct.

So, with all that said, I present you what I have done so far.

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Seems like all the aggravation of modifying the Deck height to make the Cannons line up correctly is paying off. Here are a few images. Cannons are at two different locations. Actually, the deck height is not raised, it is the lazer cut upper bulwark piece that has been adjusted.

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Watch out for the gun on the upper deck. the winding stairs. It can be a problem because the stairs interfere in the running perpendicularly inserted into the opening gun. Take the stairs now and adjust.
 
Thank you JScolum,
I will watch for that. I am now re attaching the upper planking that I had to cut off. It is barely noticeable where the line is that I cut. I am happy with results so far. I had to make a small adjustment to the poop deck height so that the Cannon will fit inside that section as well.

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Donnie,are you going to plank the false deck,that will raise the gun carriages too??!!

Zoltan
 
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100_5638.jpg


I mean this situation from photo.
 
To JScolum:
Thank you - I will save the images to refer to.

To Gary:
I am honored that you make a positive comment on this build.

To Zoltan:
I am going to just use the False Decking - I am not going to plank over this. I am satisfied with the way it looks. I will add some little touches to it to make it look more realistic.

I appreciate all the support.

I am now at the point of where I was when I had to cut out/ loose the upper planking. I glued back the upper section and it went very nice and can not tell where the seam is. I am happy with results so far. This is what happens when I do not read far enough into instructions. Now, I get really nervous each time I glue something. :D

Anyway, the photos show the results of my progress. Thanks to all watching this build.

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Now starting to Plank inside of Bulwarks using 1 x 7 mm Walnut. The Red color is Red Ochre #AP9116W Admiralty Paints from JoTika. I am not ready to install the Transom piece yet.

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Continuing with inside bulwark planking. I am painting the strips first and then gluing on.​
 
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There are A LOT of problems to overcome just by not interpreting the instructions properly. Again, the instructions jump around and are not good in sequential order. Some of this is my error for not reading and studying far enough into the manual to have complete understanding of what is to be accomplished. Some of this error is also mine as I get really involved in what I am doing that I am not thinking well enough in advance.

However, I think I have to give my self a little credit for finding fault with the MAST alignment. It is a very good think that I did not fully plank the hull as I was still able to get to the Mast "NOTCH" to make correction as to how the mast sets so that I can trim that mast notch so that Mast will be corrected. If left alone, the mast would have way too much forward tilt and it would have been a disaster.

I am thinking HOW many pieces does one have to "mock up" to make sure things are fitting correctly. Just starting out with this model, I would have not known how far in advance a person has to read in the instructions before they see some really bad stuff coming up on the horizon. Kind of makes one paranoid about gluing things and just sitting there staring at the ship saying to myself - well, am I really sure I want to glue this or not !!!!!

There are many things that I had to go back and cut the piece loose again - just like the forecastle piece too narrow. I had to trim the first Bulkhead down on each side to make it work out. Then I was glad that I found before hand that the mast would not have lined up well. I am glad that I did not plank the whole hull or I would have never been able to correct this.

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Donnie
 
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