Revell Golden Hind

Here is the latest progress...

Hi Woodburner,

I found in the archives that you had built the large Revell Mayflower.  I have the same model.  I have a couple of questions if you don't mind:

1. You had posted pictures of your build but while the posts have remained, the pictures are gone. Is there anyplace else they are posted? Based on the posted comments you must have done I fine job which I would like to learn from.

2.  I also have the Morgan and the Golden Hind. What I would like to ask is if at these skills, the masts and yards are strong enough to take the strain of the rigging or will the whole thing eventually sag? Should I replace those parts with wood?  I would also ask the same question about the large Mayflower?

Thanks very much, BigBoat

Here's the thread to which Woodburner kindly referred:  /forums/350912/ShowPost.aspx

Please note, though, that the "sailmaking" method I described in that thread is strictly applicable to furled sails.  As I said early in that thread, I've never found what I consider to be a satisfactory method of making "set" sails - except on very large and very small scales.

You're making good progress. 

JTilley recommended using silkspan for sails. If you search "silkspan" you should find his comments and method.

Thanks CapnMac82,

I will give the tissue a try. I do not like the vac sails either. I ordered some paints with colors like linen and ivory. I'll need to test to see if I can get a combination I can live with.

I assembled the hull and deck last night. The fit was not the best and some filling at the stern will be needed. I want to minimize filling and sanding as much as possible as I do not want to loose the wood detail. As I get a little further along, I'll upload more pictures.

For those sails, and from the bottles on your bench, if you started with a 50/50 or 60/40 White to Radome Tan, that would likely get you a good start on the sails.  Use straight Radome tan on the doublings and seams of the sails, and then dy brush them a bit whiter.  Unbleached Linen make a good starting place, too, if tinted with white for good scale appearance.

Now, I must also admit a bias.  I find vac sails useful mostly as forms over which to mould 100% rag resume paper if the scale is large enough, finer material, like rag vellum or tissue (packaging, not facial) in smaller scales.  But, that's me; I find paper tolerates fine holes and stiching for attachment better than vac plastic.

The semi-glossy packaging tissue makes a nice material for making flags for this era, too.

Here is with the deck painted and small parts sprayed.

Here is a picture of the parts as I got them.

Try subdued versions of any color, to get the effect of a flat surface of paint that has been at sea for a long time.  

Paint the underwater hull first, then mask it off before painting the rest of the hull. Keep some extra white around for touch ups afterwards.

 John Tilley has a deck effect using grey tinted with tan or beige.

Try putting the sails in a sink with warm water to smooth them out.Just apply even pressure with your fingers.Thats worked for me in the past.Let us know how your build goes.

Rod

Does the hull have the pronounced wales plank just above the waterline?

If so, it would not be out of the realm of historical accuracy to simply paint the bottom color right up to the bottom edge of the wales. That would eliminate the need to fuss with the faint raised line for the waterline. I have seen models painted in the this fashion, both contemporary models as well as modern.

Russ 

I agree with Russ about the bottom paint.  Be warned:  there's a raised line indicating the location of the waterline, but it's very, very faint.  Even a thin coat of paint is likely to render it invisible. (I speak from experience.)

I've never been a fan of vac-formed "sails," but I'll cheerfully concede that the ones in this kit are far better than average.  With some careful painting and rigging they probably could be made to look eminently acceptable.  Do be sure to notice that they're molded in such a way that the ship must have the wind on either the port or starboard quarter (I don't remember which).

I've never tried to fix a crack in a vac-formed sail, but the most obvious cure would be to make a "patch" out of the excess plastic on the sail sheet.  You'll have to be careful that the adhesive doesn't make a mess of the sail, but it should be possible. 

Hope that helps a little.  Good luck.

Back then ships' bottoms were painted with either a dark mixture that might have been dark dark brown or black or a tallow colored mixture that was probably some shade of off white. Not too far towards tan, but certainly not bright white either. My votes is for the off white, simply for asthetics.

Russ 

here's a picture that I took while i was in Savannah Georgia this last august. it's not the greatest but i took it because i figured at some point I would be building this kit.

post a build log when you get started. I would love to see how this kit goes together.