Hachette L’Hermione

[booth]

Hachette L’Hermione

This my diary of the Hachette L’Hermione build. This time with viewable photos!

I know I have enough on at the moment but I was attracted to this partwork because it’s a slightly different from normal builds in that there is an open lower deck and a complicated framework. I am really enjoying this build.

[booth]

Now it’s the deck in place.




They helpfully show a plan to illustrate the staggered planking layout.



Ahh………spot the mistake! Lesson learned from this is not to try and do this build while the house is being surveyed for a sale. I should have waited.

In case you can’t spot it..

[booth]

So several replacement issues later..




They supplied 4 cannon with this issue but they can’t be fitted for ages yet as the hull needs to be finished off. Rather like the Black Pearl

[casper]

looking excellent Booth
casp

[wingnut]

Very neat planking Booth your pics are of a high quality too ! would you share with me how you "down loaded" them to the forum ?
Cheers, Mike

[booth]

Hi Mike,

After the situation with Photobucket I now use http://imgur.com

You can see from the photo below that once uploaded you can click on the link, in this case highlighter in green, copy and paste.

I would advise resizing to 900 x whatever and using preview on this site before posting

[booth]

Now I have completed the framework of beams of the lower deck which will carry the upper deck.

The oven, pumps and other things have now been fitted in position.

Now it’s a bit of touching up and preparing for the upper deck

[booth]

Its been a bit of a while but I am now back on my Hermione. Last autumn I painted the beams (many coats) red and glued them into position.

I have repeated a couple of images as I am not sure when photobucket will once again prevent images being seen.



At first, I thought it might just be a job of gluing the decking sheets into place but I soon realised that I should really do a better job so I sanded them flat. As my father used to say, if a jobs worth doing, then it’s worth doing well.





Then the decking sheets were glued into position

[booth]

Now it the planning of the hull with the lower deck all completed. So i need to be a bit gentle.

The first stage of work is quite straight forward.








The curve on the hull wasn’t quite right so I had to pad out a bit with fill. I have to admit that it does look a bit of a state at this stage!

[booth]

Now it’s a start on the second layer of planking. First I had to tidy up the gun ports which wasn’t easy as the gun carriages were in place and could be easily knocked away. So it was gentle work with a needle file.








The insides of the gun ports are painted red and I am not that good at straight painted edges decided to paint the insides before I sanded the sides smooth. That seemed to work mostly ok.





Then white primer on the hull. Several imperfections were seen and a lot more tiny bits of filler were used and more sanding
I stained the sides Teak as instructed before they got touched with the PVA used on the black side strips. Also, I painted the strips before fixing as I wanted as neat an edge as I could manage.

[steve131]

Great work

[booth]

Painting the hull some more.  I am quite happy with it, but I see it needs a bit of tidying up 

 This is the packing from a B&Q kitchen unit used when painting the hull of my Bismarck, ambitious and Hermione.  Perhaps I should donate it to the Tate!



I had a bit of fun with these pics as I used my iPhone in the well of the boat to take pictures of the lower deck.  This deck will be hard to see when completed and the ships boat is in place 
It was only when I was placing the cannon loosely on the carriages for the pictures that I realised that their are two sorts of cannon. I expect that the larger ones will be for the upper deck

It’s interesting that some kits of this ship have yellow or creamy yellow paint around the gunnports. In this case hachette suggest staining Teak. I may use a little Teak varnish as well later.

That’s about where I am now until the next batch arrives in a weeks time










 






 
 
 

[number1]

Outstanding build booth, inside pics are brilliant, well done.

[booth]

]
Thank you very much Steve and number1. I quite enjoyed doing the below deck pictures and look forward to doing more when all the cannon are glued into place and perhaps a few figures standing around.

Now its time to do the bow sides. I do wonder if Hachette have changed the construction as the model progressed as there were little extensions of the frame protruding which normally indicate that they form the supports for the raised sides. But now we must remove them, and strips were supplied. So, I have to cut the bits level and extend the decking to try and hide the stumps.



The first side strips held in place. I had to bend them a little as I overdid the sanding and the hull is about 5mm too narrow towards the bow. The hole made by the clamps didn’t matter as the next level will cover them.



The second layer in place. You can see that I haven’t quite managed to hide the stumps but I may cover them with rope at the end of the build






Now its sanding into shape, filling little gaps and sanding again. I just used the masking tape to protect the hull and also as a mask for painting.



I like the fact that brass detail as added to this model. Some deck structures are quite detailed.



I found that the easiest way to fix these was to tape together and superglue from the inside using capillary action. In fact I do that for most of this sort of modelling.



The almost finished front walls now. There are some gaps in the top bit and looking at the front of the magazine it seems that at a later date some more upright bits will be added. This picture also show some of the deck structures placed into position. They won’t be glues in place until later.

[steve131]

Great work.

[royjess]

Coming along lovely, loving the colours red and blue too

[wingnut2]

Hi Alan, I agree with Roy (which is a rare thing ! ) really coming on a treat If I may ask what are the long red pins you used on the planking ?
Mike,

[booth]

I first saw these screw clamps on Mark’s Bismarck build and they have been fantastic for fixing strips of wood while the glue dries. But I am gradually running out and can’t find them for sale anywhere. Does anyone know where I can get some?




More work on the recent numbers now.

I like the brass railings.



After filing the edges smooth I held together and glues using superglue capillary action.





Then the side bits that fit into the holes on the bow.



I apoligise for not knowing their name, but the wood holing the ridding stakes were next. I learnt the hard way a while ago that as there will be some tension it helps me to reinforce them so I glues an extra strip below to give more adhesion.



Once they are covered in rigging I don’t think they will be really noticed.





The linen coloured edging was next. They were painted and then glued into place.



A bit fiddly on the curved bow






I didn’t like the pinkish finish of the stained teak so I used varnish to make it a bit more like teak. Then I sprayed a coat of matt/silk lacquer which gave it all the same hue.
Then it was the deadeye mounts cast in brass, filed smooth and tarnished to look black.






This is it up to number 100. 40 more to go.

[number1]

Can only think of one word for this, STUNNING

[royjess]

I have to agree with Number1,

Coming along really nicely