Thanks for posting this John.

Apart from a look at a beautiful ship model, the build story both inspires and scares me as I look at my 'Cutty Sark', as she sits on top of a kitchen wall cabinet. The hull is finished, but I just don't have the room to set her up with the masts up to start on the rigging. As you know, once you start the rigging moving the model about is not a good idea...

Cheers
Henk

It wasn't until quite late in the game that I finally decided that this Victory model would be a diorama.As you can see from the pic(and others to follow)most of the standing rigging is already up and I have started the running rigging ,and was about to belay some of it around the head ,when I was forced into the decision before certain areas became inaccessable.This would have been late in 1998 when I already had about 4,700 hours in the project.
The figures are 1/72 Revell of different Napoleanic era armies ,that were converted to naval officers and men.The unfinished figure standing on the marines walk was originally put there for scale purposes,to show just how large these ships really were.For the casual viewer it is only with the human figures that they can get any real sense of scale.I find that ship models with no crew,especially ships at sea under full sail a little odd.Just my opinion! Cheers! John.

The above book originally published back in 1970 is one of the best references I have for a step-by-step method of rigging a first rate ship.It would also be extremely helpful in rigging any large ship.It cost me all of $1.95 back in 77 but is ,in my opinion,worth its weight in gold(maybe diamonds)for the average modelship builder.From bowsprit to rudder pendants it is arranged in a clear orderly fashion that leaves little room for mistakes.In fact at the end of my build I could only find one or two belaying points that should have gone at the foot of a mast where I had to belay them to the shrouds because of access problems.
I think that the book is long out of print but I know it is still available as a couple of fellows that I recommended it to were able to find a copy.(I know not where)
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John,

Man this is so impressive. It has taken you more hours than I have lived to make this thing. (18 as of yesterday).

SO detailed that it makes the ship my parents bought at a shop for me look like crap.

Mat

Absolutely stunning work, mate!
Thanks for sharing this build!!
~Gunny

Hi John

I wonder if there's any chance of making a Feature of your HMS Victory in the Naval Area of Kitmaker (modelshipwrights)?
What do you thing about it?

Excellent work, btw

Skipper

Hi Mat! Thank you.You have a long shipmodeling career ahead of you.Remember no ship could replace the ship your parents gave you Mat.Cheers! John.

Sure! What do you require me to do .

[

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Note: I had this plaque made up before I had finished the model and I had underestimated by 500 hours.

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This is where I was in the build in July 1980 ,at about 2300 hours of workshop time.I only calculated the actual building time in my shop ,not any of the research time involved.This represents almost 3 years of my hobby time.
I made all the trunnels from raw bamboo run through a drill gauge drawplate.The epoxy/fibreglass that I put on the interior of the hull came in handy for providing a good base for the trunnels to be nailed into.Later I was able to find bamboo stiks used for meats etc.. at the supermarket which simplfied the task somewhat.
The head was built up using cherry wood and the stern with the kit supplied etched brass
plates and various strip woods.
The figurehead was painted gold and used pretty much as supplied.
The gunports and wriggles are brass and also kit supplied.
The rest is scratchbuilt.

You know I was thinking that a good way to get an idea of the commitment involved in building a ship model of this size is to think in terms of the number of ordinary work weeks that they would take to build if it was treated like a job.I figure that my model would take about three years to build .
Years ago I corresponded with a fellow who scratchbuilt 2 Victories one in 1/48 scale and one in 1/96 scale.The 1/48 took about 12,000 hours to build and the 1/96 about half that time ,around 6,000 hours.But it was his opinion that the 1/96 was a lot more difficult to build and I guess he should know!
I spent 6,000 hours on my semi-scratchbuilt in 1/72 scale(including figures) and I estimate that if I had totally scratchbuilt her it work out to about 8,000 hours total time.
For anyone thinking of taking on this challange this will give you some idea of the work(fun) to come.
This is actual shop time that I am talking about ,not all the planning and research both before and during the build.
In the 35 years that I have been doing art and crafts this was my biggest and most rewarding challenge.
Cheers and Merry Christmas! John.

In the pic above you will notice that the decks were laid in Walnut strips,individally selected for contrast.The trunells(wood nails) are bamboo rods made with a drawplate.
Normally there would probably be at least two trunnels per width of board but I just couldn't get the bamboos' diameter small enough using the tools I was using.
The decks were all laid in the 3 or 4 step method depending upon what the plans called for.The caulking between the planks is black paper glued on with carpenters glue.
I just couldn't resist putting on the "Here Nelson fell....." plaque for interest.Being a decorative type model in wood and brass I substuited between these materials at random as it was "a look" that I was after.Brass wheels,cannons,barrells it reall y didn't matter as it was the overall effect that was important to me.
The hammock netting is plastic black screen window material.
The figures are in the act of firing the "daybreak ceremony "cannon.

Oct98

These older pics taken before the standing rigging was finished are from around 1998.I am posting them as references that may help other modelers.I know good pics were hard to find in the early days of my build.These pics were taken when things were a little easier to see.
As I mentioned earlier it was "a look" that I was trying to achieve.All wood and brass with no paint.Why? simply because I love the look of wood and brass especially as it ages.It gets a wonderful patina over time much like an old painting or antique.History tells me that wood and brass ages well and gets more beautiful with time and with very little maintenance.
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My goal in life is to be the kind of person that my dog already thinks I am.
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