jwvolz

Thanks Richard. I am really enjoying this build a lot.

I'm still not the best metalworker...🙄

Thanks to the "likes" as well. 

Welcome Michael!

Shrouds are installed as well as all of the bowsprit rigging. All of the shrouds (masts and bowsprit) are served over their entire length. It seems to take forever and gets a bit tedious, but it does add a lot going to the effort to do it. The pin racks have also been installed between the deadeyes and seized. 

No sails for me Allan.

I'm not sure I could pull them off well, and don't want to ruin my efforts with sub-par sails. 

I've used most of the britannia parts, with some modification, notably on the fife rails. The windlass is doable, you just have to clean it up good and carefully paint. Yes, some of the hardware will have to be a bit oversized, but using fine wire does help. This build has seriously taxed (and elevated) my soldering skills!

I didn't even look at the instructions regarding the windlass. The plans are correct. 

7 hours ago, allanyed said:

Now the topper would be if you are from Western PA and a Steeler fan!!!   Go Stillers......   (I had the good fortune to have grown up in Pittsburgh) 

Allan

HA! Eastern part, and am a lukewarm Eagles fan at best. 🤷‍♂️

Thank you Allan, it's been a fun build so far. 

Looking good Jason. Home stretch!

Nice clean planking work. Looks good. 

I'd do the gun carriages in the same color as the bulwarks. 

Glad you found a nice copy Mike. It's a great resource on this build, and for the period in general. 

Did yours come with the plans? That's the one thing I don't have. 

Looking good!

Isn't that wheel kit great?

Nice work Grant, good choice on the red. 

In scale you certainly want everything to be matte, or at most semi-gloss.

A good choice in general for masts is natural, with mastheads in black. Yards can also be natural or black. 

Good interior bulwark choices would be cream/buff/ochre, green or red. 

Thanks Chuck.

MS gives you all those nice details on the plans, you just have to figure out yourself how to get there, which I enjoy. Ronnberg really knows the subject and produced some great plans. Although, the rigging sheet is VERY crowded, so that might be a bit fun... Chapelle's book is going to be  a huge help there.

Thanks to the "likes" as well. 

Thanks Bob. I'm having fun doing something a bit different for me. 

Thanks Mike.

I'm still not the best metal-worker, which will really come into play when I get to all the hardware on the gaffs and booms. 

*MAJOR UPDATE*

I've gotten a lot done since the last update, but as usual have been remiss with the uploading. Some of the deck details such as windlass, fife rails and fore companionway finished awhile ago, and I've just gotten around to installing them. I've also built the box for the anchor chain, and installed the anchor cable which is made with Syren rope. 

Masts were turned in an electric drill to taper and the details were added with brass and stripwood. The bands are actually painted paper, which was easier consdiering the taper in that area. The spreader lifts were made form boxwood, as they will take some strain during rigging and I was not going to trust basswood with that task. 

The plans are just fantastic with regard to the mast fitting details, and there are still some things to add. 

2 hours ago, Jim Low said:

Thanks for the encouragement Joe. I’ve looked at your Latham log, and if I can do half that well I’ll be very happy. Just started on the transom, so your pix came in very handy. Just so I’m clear on the bending, the transom curves out , right? The piece should be convex away from the side with the top bevel?

Correct Jim, convex. 

Jim, first welcome to MSW!

Second, welcome to building the Benjamin W. Latham. So far it's been quite an enjoyable build for me, and not too many pitfalls. As I'm sure you're seeing, MS has some very good instruction books, and Erik  Ronnberg Jr.  is quite the expert on this subject.

Looking forward to seeing your progress. 

Most of the Tamiya, Eduard, AM and Hasegawa 1/48 kits have pretty decent cockpits, and I've generally only added PE seat belts or a resin seat. As you said, it's hard to see much in there anyway.

Modern fighter jets are another story...

The Caldercraft ones build up nicely and for reasonable cost. They have nice selection of sizes too. 

Just catching up a bit Mike, looking good. 

I've used a lot of aftermarket cockpits in my day and it's so common to find less than stellar fit. Nice work with all the PE and resin. 

That's nice work so far Jeff; I really like the color scheme you've used.

I love those Baltimore clippers! I might even have to consider this for a future build. Nothing says I have to kill myself with increasing complexity on every subsequent build. 

Nice work so far Mike. Having built a Cruizer, I can agree it does take some work, and the instructions are rather light, but luckily the plans are pretty good. I modified a ton of things on mine to try to get more historically correct. 

If you can find a copy the book Modelling the Brig of War "Irene" by E.W. Petrejus was an invaluable resource to me during the build.