JPett

Resin Parts
 
After my problems with the resin prop shaft pieces I decided to check all the resin parts. I discovered that one radar unit was missing and several parts had serious voids. I emailed Bluejacket and received a quick response from Nic. It took a couple of weeks to get the replacement parts, but I'm not ready for them yet anyway. The new parts look good.

Superstructure        20 days, 53 hours
 

Much of the superstructure is roughed out and she's starting to look like a real ship. Of course the components are just laying here and are only primed, not painted.
 
The model is listed as one of Bluejacket's most difficult kits but it is coming along surprisingly quickly. I know I still have a million little parts to attach, but I would say that it has been pretty easy going so far.
 
Forward Superstructure
 

Building the forward superstructure was fairly straightforward. All the decks are laser-cut basswood. They are removed from the carrier board, glued along the centerline, then stacked vertically. After a layer is glued up, the angles are sanded with the piece upside down on a disk sander. Laser-cut angle jigs are included to set the table.
 
IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE A DISK SANDER TO BUILD THIS MODEL.
 
Then several layers are stacked to complete the forward superstructure. Sounds easy, right? Well not always. Although the instructions show several views of the stacked pieces, it isn't usually clear how they all go together and line up. Some of the pieces are not cut to quite the right profile, and it's hard to get the right profile off the plans.  One of the pieces is sanded upside down and 0.01" undersized to make room for windows. Not easy to do.
 
After everything is stacked up you apply lots of photo-etched and cast metal detail pieces. There is a whole page of instructions like the following: "Mark the location of the FAS brackets (FAB-39) on the forward angled face of the 03 level and glue them in place." WTF does this mean?
 
I have no idea what a FAS bracket is, so that's no help.  The instructions refer to level 01, 02, 03, but nowhere on the plans are the levels labeled.  You can try to guess, but it's just not clear where the levels spit.
 
The parts are all labeled with a code. F stands for Fabricated, or cast metal, PE stands for photo-etched, etc. AB stands for Arleigh-Burke, so (almost) every part has a redundant AB in its name. The final number is the part number. The photo-etched carrier sheet has part numbers all over it and they are relatively easy to identify. The several hundred cast metal pieces are sealed in lots of plastic bubbles in no obvious order. They are not labeled anywhere. The only way to identify them is to find the part number on the plans, then identify the part by its shape. There are several problems with that idea.
 
1. Some of the parts seem to be mis-numbered in the instructions.
2. There is no obvious cast metal counterpart for some of the parts shown on the plans.
3. Most of the parts on the plans are not labeled at all.
 
After struggling through the page of instructions there were still dozens of parts on the plans that had not been attached. Maybe they'll show up on a subsequent page, but I just decided to find parts that looked like the plans and glue them in place.
 
Aft Superstructure
 

While the forward superstructure is all made up of solid stock, the aft superstructure is glued up as an angled box of laser-cut pieces. This piece would have been much easier to make from stacked solid wood.
 
The back end of the aft superstructure is a mount for the Gatling gun made out of cast resin. There is a similar piece on the forward superstructure. Both pieces are basically angled boxes with a notch cut in them. They would have been so easy to make with wood. I can't imagine why Bluejacket decided to cast them.
 
Stacks
 

The stack are made like the aft superstructure, by gluing up a box of laser-cut pieces. There are still LOTS of grills, doors, and pipes to be attached.
 
 

Thought this might interest you.
1960 dry dock photo of the chipped screw after a collision, rudder and shaft brackets were not the focus, but you can see the same type of brackets that you fabricated and placed on your model is almost identical to what was on this  Fletcher Destroyer, ' USS Ammen DD 527 '. about the only thing in common with the Arleigh Burke
jud
ps Me at 17 posing as a scale bar.

Progress, Frustration, and more Progress       4 days, 21 hours
 
The first step on the Arleigh Burke kit, cleaning up the hull, was easy. I trimmed off the attachment points freehand on the band saw, removed the rest with a gouge, and cleaned up everything with a palm sander. The hull shape was nearly perfect but I had to remove a little material aft to match the deck plan. The back step on the aft deck is cut square but should be sloped inward a few degrees. I cut that on a table saw.
 
Then the project became frustrating.

The cast resin prop shaft attachments were some of the worst cast pieces that I've ever seen. Not only were they full of pits, but they were covered with extraneous nubs and debris. Bluejacket should be embarrassed to include them in such a high-priced kit. I spent several hours sanding, filing, and filling and still was not happy with the result.
 

The prop shaft assembly consists of the resin attachment point, a flexible styrene shaft, and a cast pot-metal strut. The strut looked OK until I realized how soft the metal was. I could just imagine the flexible metal strut and flexible styrene shaft bending over the first time I bumped the model.
 
There is no indication on the plans as to where the strut attaches to the hull, whether it should be vertical or angled. A short search on-line showed that the Arleigh-Burke has two angled struts on each prop shaft. I gave up on the resin/styrene/pot-metal construction and built my own prop shafts.
 


My prop shafts are made out of brass tubing with wooden struts. I spun the egg-shaped bearings on my drill press and sanded them to shape. There are two struts on each shaft. One is nearly vertical and the other slopes inward to the hull center line. The whole assembly is rock solid and looks so much better than what came with the kit. The rudders were also cast resin and were flawless.
 

The sonar unit is contained in the bulbous bow of the ship that reduces wave drag. On the model the bulb is made of cast resin. It had a few pits but was usable. I had to carve the bow to get it to fit into the slot in the bulb. I still need to do some sanding on the filler at the edges.
 
The anchor chain will go through a hawse pipe drilled through the bow. The hole is lined with more styrene tube. I expected a cast metal fitting for the bow, but the instructions said to use a "suitable filler" to build my own.  I used 5-minute epoxy putty that I rough-shaped by hand, then carved after it was solid. I guess it looks OK, but still another disappointment from an expensive kit.

USS Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer
 
I recently took a trans-Atlantic cruise from Rotterdam to Norway, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Boston. I saw so many unusual ships, both models and full sized, that I had to start another model. I was intrigued by the Aeronaut Bismarck model, but I couldn't find any useful reviews. Please let me know if you've had any experience with their kits.
 
Bluejacket Shipcrafters has a couple of WWII kits, but their kit of the Arleigh Burke guided missile destroyer caught my eye and I ordered it. It is by far the most expensive kit that I've ever bought. Please don't tell my wife. Is it worth the price? Well, lets see what's
 
Inside The Box

The model came in a large box packed full of styrofoam peanuts. It was a pain to separate the parts from the junk.
 

Here's what was inside.
 

The hull is machine-carved from a single piece of basswood.
 

The hull shape looks very good, but there are still attachment points that will have to be carved away.
 

There is a 65-page instruction manual that seems to be very thorough. Bluejacket offers a CD of build photos for an additional fee. I didn't order it. The kit includes hull templates printed on self-adhesive paper, a guide for painting the helicopter landing marks on the deck, and a big piece of styrene for God knows what.
 

The kit includes 5 pages of plans. You should be able to see the titles in the photo.
 

There are 5 sheets of laser-cut parts. The cut lines are crisp and nearly free of char. All of the deck superstructure will be made from these parts.
 

The instructions say that there are over 600 photo-etched parts. Whew.
 

The kit had a tiny box packed full of beautiful cast metal parts.
 

There are also a few cast resin parts. These don't look so great. I will be doing a lot of cleanup on them.
 

There is a small bag of wood strips, a bag of metal strips, and a spool of rigging thread. The brass pedestals were extra. You'd think that for what this kit cost they could throw in the pedestals.
 

I also ordered the optional paint kit. It came with a dozen bottles of Testors paints. I will probably spray most of the model gray and use the red and black for details. We'll see.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Well the gun port cutting went slow but well. I did as you guys recommended, drilled holes, then cut with a knife. After that I filed and sanded until I was pleased with the squareness.
 
I also have done all the outside planking and started on the deck furniture/etc.
 
I stained and did around 3 coats of polyurethane on the base which turned out really well. I like the look for the base but I really don't want to stain the model or have that glass look.
 
I am not overly happy with the look of the wood on the model at this point. The quality seems ok, but as you can see in the pictures it just looks so dried out and just blah. Any suggestions on how to brighten it up a bit?? I need to find something more subtle then what I used on the base. Please help here!!!
 
Obviously still needs a little clean up from where I got over excited with my glue
 






 
Lastly the base picture. 

Well! Long time, no sea!
 
Finally getting back to this. Finished installing the sheave blocks in the bulwarks, except for a little sanding down and touching up/repairing chipped inner planking to do yet. The inner planking is only 0.5mm and I had some delaminating until I settled down and got more careful.
 
Somewhat of a pain-in-the-@r$e process, 75% happy with how they look, and 100% relieved to get through it!
 
Here are two typical. A couple better, some not.
 

 
Next, after the touching up: thoroughly review the planking tutorials (it's been too long since last time....) and plank the lower hull.
 
Cheers!

Ahoy Mark
 
I noticed you did not mention the Proxxon MF 70 which has a continuously variable speed from 5,000 - 20,000 rpm and sells for around 400. I ask only because this is on my list
 
http://www.proxxon.com/eng/html/27110.php

Ahoy Brenticus  
 
I like the Dry Transfer Decals for lettering on my models. 
 
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/category/DecalsGraphics

Ahoy Mates
 
SRC: With all the carbon we are dumping the ice is beating me by miles 
 
Dragzz: No, The Ratt has always been my priority. The Vic is my mistress 
 
Russ; Thx again, I am hoping that I will be able to do something about the windows I cut out. The more I work on them the more I think I need to work on something else. My skills are just not up to it yet. I am getting there though
 
Micheal: Yes, activity is a good thing. I often wonder if sometimes too much is not the best thing for the grey stuff. 
 
Scott: Thank you, I would love to have that blue on my build but I just can't make it work like you did 
 
Popeye: I am sure the dinosaurs saw that space rock as just a little hiccup too. "LOL"  All kidding aside it really is just a big learning experience for me; which I really enjoy. Having a finished ship on my shelf does sound nice though. Maybe one day. 
 
Martin: Speaking of finished ship on his shelf. I am jealous. And now i find out you won the prize ship. Even more so. Good luck with that build. It really looks like a great kit. 
 
Back to the build 
 
HAPPY DAYS   :) :)
 
Well it really was an interesting journey doing these gunports. Full of happiness and despair.  Like an endless roller-coaster that has finally come to rest they have now been complete.  The starboard side  actually came out better and I did touch up the port although it does not look as good, it does looks good enough. At some point I really need to move forward and i think that time passed around Christmas of last year. This one really was a whopper 
 
As for anyone following this build I am posting what I learned in hopes it will save others from my folly. 
 
First and I believe this was already mentioned but it is important. The ports do not need to be exactly right when framed (just close and not larger then required); you can give yourself some room by using slightly wider wood then suggested in the plans. Once installed you can view them all together and then make adjustments either before or after planking. After being the harder of the two. The key for me was looking at them all as one facet of the ship. Fixating on one port only led me down the wrong path. 
 
There is a lot of discussion regarding the orientation of gunports. Where as there is, I am sure cases where the ports are not  square to the bulkheads I have found through considerable research they are not the majority. While some may look like this on the plans in most cases it is because the plans are 2D and we live in 3D. 
 
Yes it is not easy to get them to look right,  much easier to just tilt them a bit and this is your choice as you are the captain of your ship. Some are titled on my port side and the first one on the starboard too. Not because they should be but because that was the best i could do. I am however very happy with what I have achieved and think any further action will only lead to major repairs. 
 
When adjusting your ports I found it best to do them in groups never finishing one before all of them are at least 85% done. It is more important to get the orientation right first and then slowly expand them using a jig. I used one of the white metal lids included with the kit. To get them aligned I put my kit in the jig. Once in the magical jig i was able to mark my hull with reference lines which made cutting out the ports much easier. I did not just mark the ports but made lines to guide me while doing them. With the hull planked a mistake here would be hard to repair. My last window is actually slightly larger. That is where I learned to do them in groups and not one at a time.  I also learned not to do them in order but to skip around. Adjusting one between two that are right is much easier. 
 
In a nut shell: I found it was easier to get the ports correct in a smaller version and then scale them up using a jig. The key being to start small get the look you are happy with first. 
 
Next stop is deck planking. In usual JPett fashion we will be expanding this into a project. i put in some basswood so that I could cut into it to terminate the planking. I will be using paper for caulking. I am not sure if I will be trying any of those fancy planks on the gun deck. I might on the upper decks. 
 
 
First pic shows the Ratt in the jig 
 
Second shows reference lines, port jig and the order i used to do the ports 
 
Third show that in celebration we have cleaned the shipyard. 
 
Thanks for stopping by and comments as always are welcome 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ahoy Mates
 
Augie: I am still throwing around ideas. I have not been able to come up with something that will play nice with what I have. Call it a lack of foresight on my part. The way I did the hull is something I would rather not repeat.
 
Patrick: What happened was I tried to create a step inside the ports. This meant I had to cut the planks to the correct length. I could not just file the openings, although I ended up doing just that in this post.
 
Martin: I just try my best and if I am not happy I redo it. Some may feel redo's are "unproductive"  :P but I think they are very helpful for the newbie shipwright.
 
JSG: Thanks for stopping by. I frequent your log and find much inspiration there. Thanks for posting. For this "my first real build" my goal is to just learn as much as possible and hopefully end up with something I am happy with.
 
Kenneth: I just keep going
 
Popeye: "To do or not to do" I think I saw that play
 
Back to the Build
 
Well It doesn't look like much but as we all know that does not mean many hours were not spent in the shipyard
 
I had to step up and be the Captain. Decisions had to be made.
 
I was just not happy with the gunports. After all the time I spent to frame them I was not going to settle. Originally I tried to do a step inside the gunports which can be seen in the 'before" insert in the pic.  This meant that the planks had to be cut precisely before installation. In all honesty my skills just were not up to this task and this resulted in the gunports following the sweep of the planks and not the line I wanted. It was a lot of work but also not correct for the ports not having a lid. Once I filed the "non Lid" ports and saw how nice they came out I made the call to do the remaining ports which I am now much happier with.
 
There was also another casualty. After all my work to save the step in the wales I ended up sanding it entirely out. As much as I tried the end result was in a word 'unattractive". Trying to work the harder boxwood next to the softer basswood resulted in a rather unflattering line. This was further exacerbated by the lack of any step in the stern.  Not sure how that happened. I also found that my wale is about 2mm low in the stern. I confirmed this on the plans. This has affected the window height which has created an issue with the trim which I am currently working to resolve.
 
In the plus column; I am very happy with the window and the sheave. Actually the entire project right now. I made the parts with my Vanda lay set up. The sheave I saw in Chuck' s Winchelsea log  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/99-hms-winchelsea-by-chuck-1764-english-32-gun-frigate-pob-164/?p=1340 I also did the scuppers, slightly adjusting their positions to add a little more symmetry to the gunports and finished the port side of the lower transom. You can see my jig on the starboard side. That is used to get the correct angle for the planks when they butt up to the stern.
 
Comments "as always" are welcome

Ahoy Mates 
 
This is where I am as of this morning.
 
 The wales have been taped off and painted but I am not finished with the weathering. I laid down 3 coats of Testors Classic Black enamel. I wet sanded between each coat with 600 grade sandpaper and then went to a finer grade on the finish coat. Now I am applying watered down coats of Tamiya acrylic flat black which I  alternate with Tamiya regular black. After that I will borrow Ben's trick of burnishing it with a cloth. My hope is to create a less uniform color on the wale to eliminate the effect a solid color like black tends to have on models.  
 
I have also Photoshoped the background to add more contrast. The original was just too bright and overpowered the image of the hull.  Sorry about that. I should have just taken another pic.
 
I will finish the wales and make a determination on whether I will add any more paint to the hull. The wales have toned down the speckled look of the treenails which was a good thing. As I am still undecided on how much more paint I will add your comments would be very much appreciated. Alternative points of view are very welcome here.  
 

PS: I am very happy with how fudging the line on the wale came out. If you look you can see how the line runs into a treenail or two near the bow. Tapering these planks was a mistake I made right from the start but I guess that is a part of the process. I also see now that they are a little low overall. If I am correct they should follow the top of the deck which they do not. I'm learning "I think .
 
Deduct another scale point "lol" I have plenty of them to use for this build.

Ahoy Mates
 
Well I have finally climbed out of the hole I dug for myself, or I should say drilled for myself.
 
First off,  I did not intend to do this.
 
Next I will be preceding with phase two of my repair, Painting the hull "lol'". Worry not, I have a plan.
 
It started with adding a few tree nails. I was not happy with the result so I added a few more. Then a lot more. After I finished I was still was not happy with the way it looked. At that point I made the decision to fall back and paint the hull; but only after I repeated what took over 30 hours to do. I still had the other side.
 
Was this a mistake, I would go with it was a whopper.
 
Ironically I have high hopes regarding how she will turn out in the end.  There are over 3000 treenails (I estimate it at 3400) and I plan to do a light coat which I hope will allow the treenails to have some effect on the finish. We shall see. Right now I am telling myself that what I have planned will be something that I will be very happy with.
 
Truthfully,  I am just happy to have gotten through this.Thank you MSW, for providing me with the much needed inspiration. I read a lot of logs during this period.
 
 I am now looking forward to doing something a little less repetitive, its a shame I couldn't start the ratlines
 
Thanks for stopping by

Ahoy Mates
 
Sorry for the delay, BUT
 
As we all know the ladies can take some time to get ready
 
After much deliberation, testing, posts and some beer, well maybe a lot of beer,  I have decided to let the lady show some skin. Many hours of testing only confirmed that for this build “not staining” would be my best move. After wiping down the hull with mineral spirits I found that this “look” suited my lady better then any other.
 
Thank you all for your patience and help on my build. I would have never reached this point alone, “Really” Thank you, (place bowing emoticon here)
 
Back to the build:
 
Using Buck’s suggestion to make patching dust with finer grade sandpaper I came up with Basswood Patch Mk2. The finer dust was collected and then water added. About five times as much as needed. The dust was then allowed to ‘soak’. After which I stirred in a very small amount of PVA glue. Then I put drops on areas I needed to fill. The surface tension used to keep the mixture in place. It usually took three to four applications to fill a small void. 
 
As for the Sanding gala. I used an eraser as my sanding block. It was one of those moments when you look at something completely unrelated to the task and say, Hummm.
 
The finish so far is one coat of “General Finishes” satin Gel Topcoat wipe on Urethane thinned with mineral spirits. I want to paint the wales black and keel tallow, and then I will put on a few more coats of Poly: Oh yes, and a million more treenails
 
Suggestions, comments welcome and “again” thank you MSW

Ahoy Mates
 
Thank you all for your encouraging words
 
Ben: Getting consistent results has been very difficult for me. Some tests come out great; others look like “hell”. I really want to avoid a crapshoot when I do my hull and continue to try to refine my technique. The wood has not been very helpful.  
 
Popeye: The problem in the stern is they taper, and then flare. It has been a difficult area  for me to plank.
 
 Eric: Anything you have to offer, especially when it comes to finishing would be greatly appreciated. I am not the teacher, just the guy who does his homework.
 
Ferit: This would be true if I had your skill. Currently I am on a ship called ‘persistence”.    
 
Sam: I looked into darker stains you mentioned. I can not however get Basswood to take them in anyway that would be considered acceptable.
 
Carl: I have found that for me to write them down I have to properly work out the steps. This is the biggest benefit for me
 
 
Back to the build:
 
It should be noted that my “brute force and superstition” to get that last two planks in at the same time method might need to be rethought. I had what only could be considered a mild disaster. The last two planks would not go in all the way where they met the stern post; glue spread everywhere including the starboard side. It was not a good day in the shipyard, fun ran out of the room like it was on fire. It was a kick in the ars to say the least but thankfully in the end, repaired with some creativity. Only one pic, I was a little too busy at the time for them.
 
On the bright side, this did result in an interesting way to fill seams on basswood planks. Comments welcome
 
First, I apply painters tape to both sides of the offending seam, then use a cut toothpick to trough PVA glue into it (like when doing sheetrock). Remove the tape, then use a paper towel moistened with alcohol to clean up any glue outside the seam (very important). Heat with RC heat gun to dry the wood, then sand the area forcing dust into the seam. When done blow off excess and liberally wet area with brush.  I will post pics if there is any interest.

Ahoy Mates
 
Thanks for stopping by
 
David: I use the Cannon 40D and love it. Had an original D30 and also own a 10D
 
Eric: NP, It was posted on my original site and a big help to me
 
Russ: I’m going for it.  
 
Blue: Thanks, great post
 
Tex: Welcome aboard
 
Vern: Thank you
 
Bill: Does this mean I’ll be carving a beautiful figurehead too
 
Popeye: Welcome aboard
 
Back to the build:
 
Well I do not have any excuses. I put the plank on and right away knew it was wrong. So what do you do?  Put the next one on in hopes that it would make it go away of course “lol”
 
That is my story and I am sticking with it
 
Needless to say, they had to go. I used a 50/50 mix of 99% isopropyl alcohol and hot water. After soaking it for about two minutes, I brought in the big guns (RC heat gun). Using a paintbrush, I continued painting on my mixture while heating the surface. When I could smell the glue, I started pulling of the planks. Well kind of ripping and I did damage one when using my Xacto knife seems like a good idea. The knife was a bad idea and was in the end, not needed. Because the first plank in the strake was almost completely glued to the filler, there was some reservation but after some heat, it came right off. Back to Spiling
 
Pics show before, during, the repair (it will look better with a plank on top of it) and after
 
The stern is almost closed. pics soon

Ahoy Mates
 
First and foremost "THANK YOU ALL" for your comments and support. I am overwhelmed 
 
And 
 
Happy Holidays. May these times bring to each of you the joy and happiness that makes life so special 
 
 
Dbot: This build has drifted towards the dark side more then once. 
 
Sam: Thx, It actually was not hard. Just slow. Even for me. 
 
Augie: And I was so looking forward to being a Rear Admiral. "lol". The deck already has a coat of wipe on poly in the pics 
 
Mark:  Always a pleasure to have you aboard, thx for the comment. I see your gal has a little yellow-heart tattoo on her jeans "Sweet"   
 
Kenny: It has been a great journey so far. I wish you the same. Good luck with your Ratt too 
 
Blue: Thx for stopping by. Your log has been such an inspiration.
 
Carl: The only master in this shipyard is the one who puts the worm on the hook, Thx for the compliment though 
 
MIcheal: I got them at my local hobby store. There in the back by the wood, in the rack next to the plastic. Yea over there. It's sold under the K&S brand. It you can't find them PM me. I will send you a link. 
 
Dragzz: Sooo very far.  I think we are on our forth anniversary. 
 
Martin: I am going to go with karma. I did kind of go nuclear on a post one time. Never poke the bear, Really 
 
Kenneth: Always good to hear from you. Thx. I am hoping the Fore and Poop will look as good. It can be a bit of a trap sometimes.  
 
Ben: Thx,. That is an amazing build you have. I was happy that I could do them but I am not thrilled about how they look. I knew that they would get hidden going into it, It was a really good learning experience and that was all i was looking to get out of it, . 
 
Scott: Thx, your build deserves as many compliments. I will be using your anchor practicum on my build. 
 
 

 
The Shipyard is Closed for the upcoming holiday 
 
Enjoy everyone,  
 
 
        Yummy 

Ahoy Jay
 
Go back and look at their veneers. They stock ebony. They also, although not on subject have a great selection of tools
 
As for pricing, if you choose not to support your local brick and mortar they will just say good bye. I buy online but always support the locals, even if it cost me a little more. This does not include Walmart. Sorry

Ahoy Mates
 
Augie:  "they need to taper just before the stern and then flare"   Seems we both had it wrong. 
 
Scott: My professor said that science covers it all. Go figure 
 
Lawrence: I agree. Even the admiral liked a good planking.
 
Dragzz: Thanks D 
 
Martin: Got to go with the  @#$%& on this one 
 
Michael: Looks whose talking. If you have some kind of quark based microscope over in your shipyard you need to share it  
 
Robert: I already got you 
 
 
Back to the build: 
 
Well not really. We have been a little preoccupied and work in the shipyard has been a little slow.  Stagnate might be a better word. 
 
I have been studying and while helping another member I found this which is a real game changer. It was in the back of the Corel catalog included with the kit 
 
I also solved the riddle of the upper stern post. The entire keel is covered with planking (thx Mark). I believe this would also include the rear of the keel where the ply is exposed. This will add 2mm here and should be just fine for me.  
 
The little bulb is glowing. Time to get to work   

Ahoy Mates
 
Augie: Words are fun. They can be many other things but fun is the best  
 
Ferit: Starting trouble already I see  (most likely stain, maybe some planking but no to the extras)
 
Patrick: Yes, I would rate the quality as very high.
 
Back to the build: Time 7hr (Bulkheads and base). Total 12hrs
 
Yes, call me slow as I have 12 full hours on this build already and have not yet glued a part. I also have no plans on doing so in the next few days. This is only a ruff fit, although I am very happy with it. It seems that Corel feels that the shipbuilder should "fit" all the bulkheads and I think this is a good idea. Much better then relying on someone else for this most important part of the build. I first sanded the bulkhead slots for the keel. I checked each bulkhead to the plans, penciling in lines to guide (or save me from) my sanding. In the beginning I sanded the bulkheads for a snug fit but when I started the stringers I saw this as a mistake. It is my opinion that these parts should float "just a tiny bit". This was pointed out to me by the keel jig I built (and yes "A"; those are treenails). A snug fit required perfection otherwise any discrepancy would add a little twist the hull. The keel jig was a very good investment of both time and money. Not only does it hold everything nicely but it highlights any little twist you put into your build. This is my first Keel jig but I won't build without one again.  It was also helpful to confirm that the bulkheads 5-10 were fully inserted. Due to the shortness on part 16 mine rides a little high and I had to resort to a shim to do this.
 
Next I moved on to the stringers. I started at B11 and B4, filling in the middle. Then I did the bow (B1-B3) and the stern (B12-B14) making sure the stringers dropped in with no required effort but with as little excess as possible. This was a slow process for me. I did learn some tricks which I will share. I found that you could pull up a bulkhead and lay it at an angle keeping the bulkhead keel slot in the keel, just not in the slot in the keel and align the bulkhead top with the one either before or after it to confirm your measurements before sanding. This method sometimes conflicted with my original assessment causing me to recheck what I thought need to be sanded.  Flipping the bulkhead and checking it from both sides was another great way to double check work. I found it invaluable while doing the keel slots.
 
Next I have the decks and I am also soaking some battens to check my work, Then I have to make the call on whether or not I will be doing any pre-work on the gunports; see my post here http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/3815-cutting-gunports-into-bulkheads/?p=107735. Then I want to finish sand any bulkhead areas that will be seen on the completed model. Some look like they will be a pain to do later.
 
For now I must go off and see another, before she gets jealous

Ahoy Mates
 
B.E.: Welcome aboard
 
Augie: You know I know, don't we both know 'lol"  
 
Patrick: I think plug says it all
 
Ferit: TY but I think we both know if it went smoothly it would not be a ship model
 
Sjors: I read you log, your build is beautiful and yes the manual scares me.
 
Michael: Always a pleasure to have you aboard.
 
 
Back to the build: Time 1hr (Keel and Bulkheads.). Total 4hrs
 
I have postponed the inventory until I can secure some small re-sealable bags to repackage the bitts.
 
The keel section was fully healed after its weight training
 
Well it seems I have my work cut out for me right out of the gate. I decided to start checking the keel fit and bulkheads and found they will all need to be adjusted. I like to think if a block of wood was shipped all over the world it would be a different size depending on the humidity level and air pressure of its current location: That and blaming someone will not magically fix this.
 
For now my focus is on the keel section as three bulkheads attach to part 16 and the remaining bulkheads will be attached to number 15; so these two parts need to be properly aligned. The bulkheads I will deal with later. As per the "little book" I checked the parts against the plans and found that a slight adjustment on both parts might do the trick. I used my calipers to confirm the parts on the plan would actually fit correctly and started deducing from there. Two problems, One, Corel does not supply you with an image directly addressing this. This does not mean there isn't something in the plans I can not use; I just have to find it. And two, it looks like if I were to just sand down the bottom of 16 I would be golden. Sadly I know where that can lead "lol"
 
I have posted a pic, please feel free to comment as I will not be getting back to this for a day or two and as always appreciate input.

Ahoy Mates
 
First and foremost "Welcome to my Log"
 
From the manufacturer
 
Corel's H.M.S. Victory is designed with a double planked hull in limewood and walnut, with tanganyka strips for planking the deck. All wooden parts are laser-cut to facilitate assembly. Lanterns, railings and other fittings are brass, gilded cast metal and walnut. One hundred cast metal cannon and carronades are burnished for an authentic appearance. Brass gunport frames open and close with hinged lids. Display stand, five diameters or rigging, flags and hammock netting are provided. Fourteen sheets of plans plus an instruction book guarantee a faithful replica.
 
 
I bought this kit on a whim, my shipbuilding had stalled, it was on one of ME's Super sales (reduced twice), and I was weak, in need of a fix. I had been eyeballing the kit for the last nine months, following similar builds here on MSW, pondering whether or not I would ever be up to this task (this last part is still TBA) and of course watching the price.The owners of Model Expo's recent post regarding their desire to sell may have had some influence on my decision to pull the trigger on this purchase.
 
Regardless I have opened the can and we are now officially at "doors"
 
As this will be a side project for at least the next year (maybe two) please understand future posts maybe few and far between. I have decided to tackle one of my demons on this kit and that is to build it completely using OOB rules (out of box). No upgrades, no side projects, no, I think this would be better if's, but just as Corel designed it along with a practicum of sorts here on MSW. Official OOB modeling rules do allow for painting and I might go there.
 
With that said I will start this build off with a review
 
The box is in a word "packed" and weighs about 11 pounds. Parts were well packaged and in typical Corel fashion; all bulkheads and many parts are precut and bagged. The included lumber was all first rate, cleanly cut, and I would believe "hand picked". I did not find one unusable piece in the entire kit. The Strip lumber was packaged separately in its own box; some bundled by size and type, others a jumbled assortment which will require some effort to sort and identify. Cast pieces come in their own vacuum formed organizer and most are either the gilded brass or the bronzed finish common in most of Corel's offerings. Detail is nice, a step up from the Britannia I have seen included in many other kits . Fourteen sheets ( 2 full sized, 12 half sized ) show both 2D and 3D images of construction steps and various details are included. Accompanying all this are what might be the worst instructions in the industry. Yes that little book is all you get. On a scale of 10, 0 being no instructions I will generously rate this at a 3. In Corel's defense it is listed as an advanced kit and the little book does include what could be considered a basic outline.
 
Conclusion:
Corel's version of the HMS Victory looks to be a great kit. Wood and parts are for the most part "top notch". I found one small knot in a 1mm by 1mm strip of walnut and no laser burn what so ever. I do however have some reservations regarding the pressed wood used for the stern and some trim pieces but do not believe them to be a major concern.
 
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase  at this point and would have little hesitation recommending this kit . Value wise it is untouchable.
 
　
Next on my list is to complete the inventory process, and post some close ups. If there is anything you would like to see, now would be a good time to ask.
　

Ahoy Caroline
 
Thank you for taking the time to repost your build. It was the first log I read after discovering MSW. I will always remember the fun I had reading it late into the night on my tablet. It was quite inspiring and I found it almost ‘story like” in its trials, tribulations, and of course, happy ending.
 
It’s nice to see it back

Ahoy Mates  
 
Here is another really good video that answers many basic questions. Lots of common sense info. He also demos an inexpensive can adapter for airbrushing large areas that might be all some hobbyist need  
 

Ahoy Mates
 
With all the interest I see here on MSW about airbrushing I thought it would be helpful to have a thread that allows those with more experience to share what they know with those who are just starting out in. 
 
If there are enough responses I will request the thread get pinned  
 
Please free free to post what ever you like, questions, answers, practicums, links to your videos or other logs here on MSW that you think might be helpful to others