Imai Catalan

This is the Imai box art for the Catalan

The instruction booklet all in english which is terrific. Imai gives no scale on the but I'say around 1/50

The starboard hull side and main deck in that great plastic Imai used on most of there kits. its like working with wood. Heavy has strength to it most of the time the mast and the yards don't have to be replaced because they'll take the taut rigging.

Rod,

First off, congratulations to your son and future daughter in law and of course, your family.  Your future daughter has really good taste in ship models to say the least!

Thank you so much for doing a WIP on this since I have started mucking about with it myself.  I have only done the filling and sanding of the pin marks on the interior as well as replacing some of the trim sanded off.  I actually primed this today but I think I had better stop and pay attention to the Master and learn.

Steve

This is a fascinating project. I haven't seen the kit, but I'm confident that it's a fine one.

For the benefit of anybody who's not familiar with the subject, it may be useful to clarify just what this kit is. It's a model of a model. The "Mataro Ship" is the oldest known European ship or boat model. As Millard noted, it was found in an old church in the town of Mataro, Spain, and has been dated to the mid-15th century. Just how it wound up in the maritime museum at Rotterdam I'm not sure. (I got a brief look at it it on a trip to Holland many years ago.) It is not, and was never intended to be, a scale model of an actual ship; the concept of scale modeling didn't really exist yet (and neither did scale ship plans). It's presumed to be a "votive model" - an offering prepared by some sailor or passenger to give thanks for something associated with a sea voyage. The proportions obviously are distorted a long way from reality, and the workmanship is extremely crude. (If I remember right, at least one of the spars is a twig with the bark still on it.) It looks as though Imai reproduced the proportions of the original. (Heller didn't. Its "Mataro" is based on one of its other hulls.)

The outcome from this kit is a reproduction of an historical artifact. An artifact of enormous importance. Virtually every scholar who's tried to reconstruct Columbus's ships has studied it intensively. And I agree with the bride and groom: it would be a really classy home ornament.

Well , Hello Dr . Tilley !

  I want you to know this .Over the years I have built Many IMAII kits . I have always enjoyed the models immensely  .Not only were they easy to work with , but , it seemed everything was crisp and flash free .

 Your " Model of a Model" was just exactly that .A priest at our school who built models , went there and studied it in the fifties . According to him , at the time ,  it had an " Eternal " candle burning in it ! ( This is a candle that burns slow and bright .) It was indeed a Votive candle holder intended to carry the flame of prayer when a crew went on a voyage !

It is strange that this ship created such a stir when re-discovered some time back  .Here's proof of an exaggerated version of what ships looked like back around the time it was made ." Artist's interpretation " I bet !

Steve terrific we can build along together.I too am filling the ejection marks on the inside of the hull.I sanded down the mast and the fake wooldings and will wrap them with scale rope.

Jtilley you are right on with your statement this is a model of a model. I liked to hear more of what drawings or material available on this subject. I use Bjorn Landstom book for some of my reference " The Ship" I find  that several of Landstrom drawings match Imai models for detail.I don't know if Imai used Landstrom or not.My believe is they did because the models came after Landstroms book.

Rod

Rod,

I'm sure no one will be too disappointed that you are putting the Mayflower on hold for awhile...especially for what's taking its place.

For me, I'm super excited to follow your Catalan build!  The Imai Catalan is the last model on my wish list that I don't yet have....mainly because it's so dang spendy!!  I call it my "Unicorn"...

Please share your progress with us!

And congrats to your son and his soon-to-be wife!  (by the way, if she asked for a Catalan Ship Model as a wedding gift, she is most definitely a keeper!  haha)...

What an interesting kit!  Can't wait to see what you do with it, my friend!

David

I'm certainly goign to follow this build (I have the plastic kit and a wooden kit by Imai).  A bit of the history of the Mataro model can be read here

www.iemed.org/.../anau.pdf

Rod,

I am not sure about doing a parallel build with you since I "did" one with Dave on the Imai Chebec.  He not only finished before me but also did an AWESOME job on her!  However, as I said, I have been tinkering with her as well as trying to finish my Chebec, so I will post a WIP on her if no one minds that I might get the two finished by the end of the century!?

Steve

This is the main mast. I sanded off the fake woolding. Then painted the mast using burnt umber oils over MM wood acrylic paint.I use CIM rope from Cottage industry's for my rigging. I really like that rope.I soak the rope in a india ink denatured alcohol solution.I think it gives the rope a weathered look.I get out a needle and start wrapping the wooldings took about 15 min.The rope is a .030 size.

Sorry about that forgot the pic.

The main deck. I used MM wood acrylic for the base color then I used a #2 pencil to draw in the caulking seams and I also hi-lighted the bolt heads with the pencil.I know the planks were probably put down with tree nails.Since there are hundreds of the bolts I selected to lightly enhance them.I then applied a coat of Zar Teak Natural wood stain over every thing. I usally wait about 48 hours tan apply and acrylic flat over it all.I have different cans of stain.The older the can of stain is the dark it gets.i try to use a new can for decks because its lighter in color. Rod

Another view of the deck

Rod,

That deck is beautiful!  Do you have to go over the pencil lines again after the stain or do they pretty much hold up?

Steve

Steve for the most part they hold up.

Rod

Thanks Rod.

Steve

Awesome!!  Just awesome!

I had to clamp the hull pretty tight,there was a little warp in the hull.Some place didn't take the liquid cement very well so I had to Super glue those spots. Rod

I have the main deck in place.With this hull I wasn't able to do what I like to do in building.I like to glue the hull together put the stern on then do the hull painting. Then slip the main deck in.The way this hull is molded there's no way of doing that without ruining something.I painted the inside of the hull with my darker stain and used burnt umber oils on the bracing. I'll start sanding and filling the keel to take the seam out tonight. I normally like to fill the inside of the hull along the seam with 5 min. epoxy . It helps hold the seam together and gives the model a little ballast. I've also put in my bolts in the hull for my display. Rod

You're cruising right along, Rod!  She looks good!

That kit has a really intriguing shape...

Rod,

I agree with Dave, that model is coming along beautifully.  I need to remember to really clamp the keel when I glue the sides and lower deck together.

Steve

Am I understanding you correctly Rod, that the deck has to go in before the hull halves are glued together?  That's a good thing to keep in mind for any future builders of this kit (like me, hopefully!)

millard

What a fun model!

I am really enjoying this build because I cannot get snarky about historic accuracy. Very imaginative.

Whoo :

   That is one nice staining  job !