wefalck wrote:
One question actually: the inside of the armoured conning tower looks rather different from the one in the model. There it has a slightly domed iron deck with rails around. You also painted the deck inside white - I would have assumed a wooden deck there; at least HMS WARRIOR was fitted like this, if I remember correctly.
Did you get the pictures of the model in Paris I emailed to you last week ? I hope they didn't block your mail box.
wefalck
Hello,
Yes I got your pictures which will help me on smaller details.
The armored tower isn't yet finished. I'll add a surrounding platform and that kind of deck above.
About the colors: the models in the Musée de la Marine (at last those before 1900) are former exhibition models which were made when the ship was about to enter service and aimed at the Etat-major or other high ranking levels. They are true works of Art and their makers wanted to use materials (wood, brass, iron) at their best, i.e. keeping their natural color. As Robert Dumas and Luc Féron both pointed years ago, these models should be considered with caution. Another famous example is the model of large submarine Surcouf, a very fine reproduction... which is painted green... The real sub never wore this color.
Since 1997 I've been actively following the reconstruction of the 18th century frigate Hermione in the Rochefort harbor and got surprised to learn research showed that during 18th and 19th centuries wooden ships were almost entirely painted to protect the wood.
The Musée de la Marine sells a plan to build a reproduction of their model of the Gloire (same period, same designer, same yard as Solferino) which gives the colors of the
real ship, among them the inside of hull sides above the deck to be painted white, although the (period) model shows natural wood color.
The Gloire plan points out the differences between the real ship and the model (for ex. bare polished steel on the model's armored belt vs black painted belt on the real ship), so I decided to follow the real one and applied these rules to the Solferino (same period, same...).
Again in this old case, neither the "as designed" plan I started from nor the Museum model accurately depicts the real ship, so I had to make choices as we didn't have decent photo coverage, except a distant starboard broadside view of Solferino. Some engravings also which are all highly questionable and that's all.
Oh yes, the single photograph clearly show the after bridge was missing, although designed on the plan. I can't say if it has been removed later in the ship's career or never fitted, so I decided to build my Solferino with the bridge and Magenta without it...
_Bruno
PS: I'll start the 1:350 one later this year... must finish the smaller one before.
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That's just one reason why it's so fun to blog one's builds online. I will be incorporating all of this info into my build. I just wish I had a clearer idea of the exact shape of those fittings...
