James H

It's like reliving my build over again, and you're doing a lovely job of her. As soon as those strakes go on and a little paint, it'll be transformed.

I was going to say 'precision clamp' is generally an oxymoron in this hobby, but I'm definitely wrong here! Beautiful work.

Skipton is a lovely place and I'm not 'too far' away. For clamps, I don't think you can beat these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XFRCRLH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Hope to see that build log here real soon. Oh, and...

I hope you'll be able to return to this build soon.

I added the rig blocks to the masts as on the plans, and the deadeyes to the channels only. All shrouds were added after fitting the masts, and it was quite easy. There's nothing stopping you adding the seized lines to the masts before you fully assemble and add the cap blocks. You could just tie them back while you fit the masts. I didn't tie them hard around the mast. There was a little play to allow me to spin them round the mast and thread them through the correct side of the crosstrees/mast top.

I"m also keeping this one unpainted as the timber looks real nice as it is. The laser char on the roof tiles should really set itself off against the pale ply.

I always build the complete mast and then install. Being able to handle it separately means I can eyeball and measure things to make sure all sections are in alignment.

Following this one 👍

That turned out exceptionally well Those little unused 'triangles' are yard cleats. Not used (from memory) on this model.

As I'm currently in ship-building hiatus (not for long), I thought I'd make a start on CAF Model's Ancient Chinese Pavilion kit, reviewed here. At the moment, I've only got the base built up, but the fit is superb. This consists of two hexagonal plates with one of these being engraved and containing the holes for the pillars. There are six side pieces which have engraved bevel marks. The material is ply, but really nice stuff with no warp. Before starting, everything is given a nice light sanding with some 320 grit paper. I found a knife the best way to evenly bevel the size piece ends. These are then glued in with Titebond and the the lid temporarily fitted whilst the sides dry. The lid of the base is then finally glued in position and elastic bands used to hold things nice and tight. Char removal is now done with a piece of 80 grit paper, followed by finer grades so there are no surface scratches. ...more as soon as I've actually done some!

Been a while since I saw that, but thanks for posting it here.

Moved to correct forum area....

I know what you mean. Still waiting for the replacement parts yet, and the discussion as to what timber is being used as the stuff I was supplied with with below par, and Amati are aware of this. At the moment, Amati are prioritising Bismarck, which should be slated for release in November, but the current virus situation means that could change, affecting the replacement of Vic parts. I'm still confident that they'll resolve this reasonably soon, but I can't see this being until New Year now.

Chan is the one who calls the shots! Chris quakes when he asks her to make up the kits. 🤣

First, for that black paint with a satin finish, I highly recommend Games Workshop's Chaos Black aerosol. Superb coverage will prob just have that correct finish you want. I would maybe apply some varnish to those areas before spraying it. https://www.waylandgames.co.uk/citadel-sprays-and-aerosols/25619-chaos-black-spray For the varnish, yes I apply over the whole paintwork/timber to unify the finish. Of course, you may want to keep the black area in satin, so you'd need to mask accordingly.

Looks very. There must be a technique........maybe plank soaking and clingfilm over the resin mould. I'm up for a challenge 😉

There will be a short review on this in the next week.

For a first time ship modeller, I envy your discipline and results! Beautiful work, and soon you'll be on the real fun stuff.

I use a toothpick (sharpened) and a disposable weighing boat. Just pop a spot into the boat and use the pick to apply. Sharpen the pick as necessary. No need for fancy tools.

Ancient Chinese architecture XiXing Pavilion CAF Model Available from CAF Model for $32.00USD plus shipping The kit I love architecture from the Far East, having visited quite a lot of it when both times I've visited Japan. Some of the structures in old Kyoto are stunning, as they are in Osaka and Tokyo. I could lose myself in them for hours on end. Sometimes it's hard to believe some of these are around 1000yrs old. The same applies to China. I've always had a hankering to visit and see the cultural side of things. This little ancient Pavilion kit from XiXing (presumably in the Guangdong Province of China) is just the sort of thing that really appeals to me. I'm not sure of the actual scale, so here's a drawing of the completed model, with dimension: Th kit itself is packaged into a small box measuring 33xm x 17cm x 4cm. Inside, thirteen sheets of very nice quality, laser-cut/engraved ply, are sealed in a shrink wrap cellophane covering, along with a bag containing dowel and wooden balls, and two sheets of instructions. A small label is applied to the box lid to show what the box contains, and a piece of packing foam stops everything from rattling around in transit. Construction starts with the large hexagonal base. You can see the two principle parts for this here and that the wooden pillars will be easy to locate because of the pre-cut holes. That should remove probably the main cause of possible error in the main structure, especially as there are infill walls and benching that need to precisely sit between the pillars. All parts could possibly benefit from a light coat of varnish and a little sanding to protect them from paint soak if you decide to add some colour to your finished Pavilion. Tacked on top of the lower base are the signs, laser etched and cut in very thin veneer. These will wrap around the pillars on the entrance to the pavilion. On top of your pillars will sit the crown of the pavilion, before the roof is fitted. That is the other hexagonal part. This can be seen here, with the corresponding holes for the pillars tops. The hexagonal parts within it are for the 'spire' section, whilst the '3' parts are the infills between the wall sections which skirt the bottom of the pavilion. Between the base sections, you will need to add the side parts, seen here. There is an engraved line on them indicating the bevel needed where the walls meet. The other sheet contains the roof frame parts. The very ornate sheet shown here holds the parts for the wall sections, bench backs and the fancy trellis work that adorns the pavilion, just below the rood section. Most of the infill parts are gone, but there's just a few more I need to tap out lightly. More roof frames are seen on the other sheet. These two sheets contain the pillar bases, semi-hexagonal bench seating, decorative scrollwork, and infill panels around the top of the pillars. Again, another sheet contains some of the parts for that elaborate roof. One sheet here contains the beams which sit atop the four main roof frame sections. These will lie three-deep and need to be flushed to the ends of the frame sections. The other sheet here contains parts that finish off the edges of the tiled roof panels. Now, talking of tiled roof panels, these FOUR sheets hold the strips which, when assembled, create that characteristic roof finish you see own many ancient buildings in the Far East. There is some infill between these sheets which I removed, as you can see here: The last contents here are the dowels for the pillars and also the spire, plus the wooden balls which slide onto the spire in decreasing sizes. Instructions The Pavilion appears to be quite straightforward when it comes to the various stages, although I will use my phone translate app to make sure I don't miss any vital bit of information as I build. The instructions are printed on two sheets of A4 paper, double-sided, and also in colour to help identify the various components. Construction is completed over 18 stages, with all parts clearly numbered. Conclusion In all, this is a very nice, and also quite inexpensive kit from CAF, and it should provide many pleasant hours of construction. The photos of the finished build show the timbers painted in gold, with a grey roof and light grey base. Whilst the model can be left in bare timber, I do think a paint job would be the best option to highlight the details and male it more authentic. Sometimes, we all need a little side project, or perhaps a little something between our current shipyard work, and this little kit will certainly do that whilst sticking with wood and building something which looks beautiful when completed. Quality is excellent and the whole design looks nicely thought out. Finished Model My sincere thanks to Tom at CAF Model for sending this lovely little kit out for review on Model Ship World. To purchase, click the link at the top of the article.

Just.........lol!

She's looking real nice and you made a neat job of your deck too.

I'll definitely be watching this. 🤩

I'm 'only' 50! 🤣

New box art for the kit. Painted by Tom at Caf Model.