Hi Tom,
Thank you for posting, looks impressive. I was thinking the box art and the painting instructions looked a bit off.
My intention is to spray the interior, the exterior with a white base coat and the copper sheathing, the rest will likely be brush painted. I will get started over the weekend, and likely post some pics next week.
Cheers, Si
Hi Si,
I think you will be busy for a long time especially with the rigging. Its a kind of art.
Regarding the painting: I am not completely happy with my coppering, its a bit too green. I had no spraygun that time. I suggest to use some green washing but let the copper shine through (did not know about washing at that time too 
)
The sides were black and either ochre or a kind of red brown on french ships of that period, no natural wood. You can get an idea here: French ship Océan (1790) - Wikipedia.
If you want to get completely over the top there are several (!) books by french historian Jean Boudriot: “Le Vaisseau de 74 canons” which shows every possible detail of a very similar ship.
Happy modelling. I will be happy to follow your build!
Tom
This might be of use for adding corrosion to coppering:
Regards,
M
If it helps, here’s my old ship, the Gazela, in drydock, showing what an actual copper bottom looks like when weathered. The dark streak at the waterline is because the copper weathers darker green where it gets exposed to the air.
Here you can see the dark green at the waterline, lighter below, and new replacement copper at the bottom.
Hi Tom,
Very intersting, I shall aquire some of the Nihilakh Oxide next time I am ina warhammer store, I have quite a few of their paints already. but that one is new to me. I think that will be good to show some areas of older sheathing, perhaps being lighter around the bow. I am going to use citadel’s greem was as general wash, as that is matt it should take some of the shine off the copper. If I think it is too bright after that and applying the Nihilaahk oxide, a squirt of Tamiya TS80 flat clear should do the job.
Cheers, Si
Hi Danie,
Thanks for yout posts, very interesting. gives a better idea of the shade I am aiming for.
Cheers, Si
The keel has been laid.
The first job was to fit the peice with hawsw pipes to the bow.
The interior of the hull and the lower gundeck sprayed dull red, in this case Citadel’s mephitson red.
The hull halves joined, and the lower gundeck fitted in place.
.Next job, mask off the interior, base coat the exterior of hull, once that has cured mask off the upper hull and spray the copper sheathing Tamiya XF6 copper.
Might get another update before Christmas, but not likely. If not wishing you all a happy Christmas.
Cheers 
Si
Hi Si,
if you don`t mind just a short comment: the decks should have natural wood color. Natural wood gives more grip for the naked feet of the sailors
HMS Victory for comparison:
Cheers
Tom
Hi Tom,
Your comment is welcome, and timely, and rechecking my few references you are correct. It is however a relatively easy fix, even though it will likely be invisible. As I will be masking off the interior, I can hit the deck with some light deck tan.
Thanks mate.
Cheers, Si
Slight problem with the lower gundeck colour fixed.
I am going to leave the interior of the hull red below the maindeck.
Cheers,
Si
Don’t take HMS Victory’s (or any other preserved/restored ship of that era) deck as a guide to the appearance it would have when in service and fully manned. In the RN (back then) the decks were holystoned and flogged dry daily until the end of the 18th century, thereafter every 7-14 days; this resulted in a very pale deck, almost white. This evolution was one of the few times RN personnel went unshod, in action (when sand was scattered on the decks for extra grip) and working aloft probably being the others. I understand the last vessels to have their decks holystoned were the Iowas teak decks in the 1990s.
Regards,
M
Hi Tom,
I will agree agree the deck colour is a bit dark for a Royal Navy ship of that era. Was the French Navy as keen on holystoning as the Royal Navy? that I don’t know, particularly once you get into the Revolutionalry era when a significant proportion of the Officers of the French Navy went to the guillotine in the terror. I do not think very much of that deck will visible though the gun ports once the guns are in, the upper gundeck and the upper deck are on, so I am going to leave it as is.
Please don’t take the above the wrong way, I do appreciate and welcome your input and wider knowledge of this era. One quick question, would I be correct in assuming the the rig for raising the gunport lids on French ships was very similar to that on Royal Navy Ships? Thanks
Cheers, Si
Hi Si,
agree completely with you that french decks in the revolutionary era were not so white like in the Royal Navy but probably lighter in color than in museum ships. Just follow your feelings
Regading port lids: I used 2 ropes for each lid. I think I looked at some contemorary paintings. Or look at the models in the Maritime Museum in Paris.
Until they started with the split lids some 30 years later I see no difference in british or french practice.
Interesting for me is, that they have no lids at all on the upper deck.
My tip is to install the lids really at the end of your build, otherwise you will knock them off all the time.
And fix your underdeck guns with the best glue you can find, especially the carriages. Nearly impossible to fix when you have a “loose cannon” in your lower deck.
Cheers
Tom
I don’t! I’m sorry if I came over as criticizing your model, that was not my intent; I only wished to alert anyone following this thread to the problem of using HMS Victory in her present state as opposed to just prior to Trafalgar (she was a bit of a mess afterwards!). I’m no expert on the period, I just have a weird mind that accumulates stray facts and forgets the useful stuff… Unfortunately this means I can’t be much use with the port lids, and defer to the opinions offered by the other Tom.
Regards,
M
Hi Tom,
Thanks, Si
No Worries Tom,
My mind sort of works the same way, I think it is quite common amongst modellers. You came up with some constructive comments which are always welcome.
Cheers, Si
The final pre Christmas update.
The interior of the hull masked off, and a mist of white to act as a primer applied.
The upper hull has been masked off ready for a coat of black on the lower hull.
The black applied.
The copper airbrushed on and the masking removed.
The next job will be to pick out the stripes along the gunports. From what I can see on line and the limited knowlwdge I have a pale yellow should work, the other areas above the copper will be black.
Cheers, Si
Looking good Si! One of the things I love about plastic models of wooden ships is how fast things come together with the hulls compared to comparable wooden models. Of course things slow down later with the rigging, but your progress out of the gates now is super quick, and your paintwork is flawless!
Hi Si,
any kind of yellow or ochre will do fine It was anyway Captain’s decision as he payed for the paint.
Just keep in mind that the paint in those times was not so bright as today. The OCÉAN in the Musee de la Marine is a nice reference.
Merry Christmas and happy modelling over the holidays
Cheers
Tom
Thank you Tim,
The way this is proceeding is certainly different from the steel navy era ships, there is more interior, 58 of the guns to be built and fitted before the maindeck is put down and some internal bulkheads, etc. There is some real “fun” to come, getting the upper gun deck in place without dislodging any of the 28 guns on the lower guns.
Appreciate your kind comment on the paintwork, it is the first time I have an area that size with an airbrush loaded with a metalic paint, I was suprised how well it came out.
Cheers, Si
