"All at Sea - Principe de Asturias" Topic

One of the six models completed in the penultimate group needed to complete the Trafalgar collection of 1:700th model ships is the Spanish 112-gun three-decker, Principe de Asturias, flagship of Admiral Gravina, second in command of the Combined Fleet.

If you would like to know more about this particular model and a brief history of the ship then just follow the link to JJ's.

link

JJ

Magnificent!

Warlord's 3 deckers have metal masts. Are they more difficult to work with than plastic masts? Can the plastic masts from Warlord's 74s be used in their place?

Thank you, glad you like my latest addition to the ‘Dons'.

The metal masts need cleaning up with a file and as I paint my parts separately before fitting them to the model hull, are a little bit more fiddly, by not being able to paint them on the sprue as with the plastics, but other than that they are great and generally fit well after a bit of filling.

The plastic masts won't work with the larger hull of the three-decker as they are too small and the bowsprit is quite different on the first rates.

Hope that helps
JJ

The first rate ship models look really nice. But I was wondering if metal masts were bendy making rigging more of a challenge? Are there any tips you use for working with metal masts?

The models are very sturdy with resin hulls that might need a bit of cleaning up to remove flash.

The masts can need a bit of straightening out but are in the main very sturdy and more so once the rigging is on, by bracing them firmly on the hull and making them more robust to handling.

The only issue I have had was the occasional bowsprit breaking off at the base when straightened out, but the diameter of the thing made it a simple job to pin it with a mini drill, brass rod and superglue.

As regards to tips, the main one would be to have some modelling files to hand to deal with the metal that is left from removing the casting links between the yards and to adjust the ends that slot into the holes on the deck.