The FINAL Installments, 132 – 135

This will be the final blog posting on “What’s in the bags?”, as Installment #135 is indeed the last one.

Part 132: Rudder parts, finely cast figurine and decorations.

Part 133: Gunport hatches, photoetched bits, and some more finely cast decorations.

Part 134: Flags! These are printed on cloth and are to be doubled. These would be great to have BECC replicate in their nice single-sided prints.

Part 135, The End! With more flags and some little bits.

I want to thank the good folks at DeAgostini and Carat Media for allowing me the opportunity to review such a marvelous and complete kit. Many so-called kits are little more than a set of suggestions and a block of wood (you supply the whittling tools), but this is indeed a COMPLETE kit, fully engineered and trialed before it comes to your door. Skill is required, and the advanced modeler will surely find opportunities for customization- but so it is with the best of kits.

As usual, you can find out more about obtaining your own kit from DeAgostini in the UK; North American modelers will need to make other arrangements, I’m afraid.

Parts 120 – 131 of DeAgostini’s “Sovereign”

More pics of the latest installments… up to #131, only four more to go!

As always, you can find out everything about acquiring your own Sovereign of the Seas (in the UK) from DeAgostini’s web site: http://www.model-space.com/gb/ships.html

DeAgostini Sovereign of the Seas, Issues 110 – 119

10 more issues to drool over, quickly summarized below.

DeAgostini’s “Sovereign of the Seas” info at:

http://shop.deagostini.co.uk/hms-sovereign-of-the-seas-subscription.html

Note that this kit, with the “magazines” and instructions, will set you back about US$1200 in the UK. As of yet, no word of availability in the USA or Canada.

DeAgostini “Sovereign”, Issues 100 – 109

As always, find out about this kit and the rest of DeAgostini’s line at their ModelSpace site: http://www.model-space.com/gb/

Oh My! Episodes 100 – 131!

Issues 100 – 131

Much to my surprise, I’ve just been caught up with a large pile of issues, all the way to #131. You may recall, this model has 135 issues, so we’re almost there! I’ll be posting more about the contents in the next couple weeks.

Episodes 96 – 99

And the last for a little while, up to #99. IIRC, there are 135 total, so this takes us to 73% of the kit.

Installment 96

Stropping deadeyes and adding their chains for installation to the chain plates.

 

Installment 97

Deadeyes, buckets, and a mast top (lower).

 

Installment 98

Belaying pin rack.

 

Installment 99

Half-cannons (to install where a complete cannon and carriage wouldn’t be visible).

Tell DeAgostini that we want SotS in the USA and Canada!
http://www.model-space.com/gb/model-ships.html

 

Installment 92 – 95

Plowing on:

Installment 92:

Looks like a herd of sea horses to gild and mount.

 

Installment 93

The gilded fittings never cease!

 

Installment 94

Ah, some wood- the chain plates forward.

 

Installment 95

More gilding AND more chain plates.

 

 

Remember, go visit DeAgostini and tell them you want the Sovereign in the USA!

 

Chapters 86-91

As I go through all these issues one by one, it’s easy to lose track of how much total material there is. Each issue may have just a few sticks or metal pieces, but when I pick up the box containing the aggregate, I realize I must have a good 15 pounds of material! This of course includes all the magazines, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

Installment 86

Well, this is a 90-gun ship which actually launched with 102, so one would expect a few cannon in the kit… and they do keep showing up in the installments, one here and two there! Along with a few more decorations in this issue.

Installment 87

And another cannon, and more decorations.

Installment 88

A bevy of blocks and belaying pins! We will be busy with these bits.

Installment 89

Cannons? Did someone ask about cannons? Two more here.

Installment 90

More blocks and some rigging thread. It’s described as cotton… one might want to look into linen, for longer life on the model.

Installment 91

More decorations for you to gild and install. BTW, the instructions tell us to paint these gilt parts…I wonder if anyone is trying actual leaf on them?

DeAgostini continues to offer a reduced selection of their ships in the USA, unfortunately not including SotS.

Episodes 80 – 85

Still catching up, here we go with parts 80 to 85. And remember, besides the model construction instructions, the pamphlets are full of how-to articles and historical pieces.

 

Installment 80

A little bit of laser, a bunch of blocks, and enough steel wire to get you stropping them for weeks, oooh I can’t wait to get started! But first, a little work on a ship’s boat.

 

Installment 81

A decorative horse! Actually, quite a nice casting, so I included the best close up I could manage without tearing open the package, wouldn’t want to get ahead of myself.

 

 

Installment 82

Another crow’s nest, and we’re assembling a few more of the never-ending detail figures.

 

Installment 83

Some wood rails for trimming the sides, and MORE decorative figures. Really, they are nice castings.

 

Installment 84

More decorations. But this is easy & relaxing work.

 

Installment 85

Some work to do on the quarterdeck, and more decorations.

 

 

As always, DeAgostini’s full line up can be seen at :

http://www.model-space.com/gb/ships/hms-sovereign-of-the-seas/

Installments 74-79

OK, back at it then, here we go with Installments 74 through 79:

 

Installment 74

A few more cast bits to install on the aft gallery.

 

Installment 75

More gallery details, of which there is no shortage!

 

Installment 76

Wood wale strips, a few more gallery decorations.

 

Installment 77

More gallery work, and getting a start on the figurehead and captian (NOT to be confused with one another I’m sure!)

 

Installment 78

OK this is exciting– our first spars! Or the masts to be precise.

 

Installment 79

And a crow’s nest (or “upper caps”).

 

More soon as I dive into the rest of the kit on my desk. In the meantime and as usual, see what DeAgostini has cooking at their web site,

http://www.model-space.com/gb/ships/hms-sovereign-of-the-seas/