Chuck Seiler

For what it's worth, I would never use basswood for anything but filler.  When I was working on the NRG planking half hull, I had alot of problems with the basswood planking.  I switched to yellow cedar and was much happier.  It is relatively inexpensive and soft like basswood, but slightly harder.  I find it works better than BW and finishes VERY nicely.

For what it's worth, I would never use basswood for anything but filler.  When I was working on the NRG planking half hull, I had alot of problems with the basswood planking.  I switched to yellow cedar and was much happier.  It is relatively inexpensive and soft like basswood, but slightly harder.  I find it works better than BW and finishes VERY nicely.

Yo!  It's my Philly suburbs upbringing.

Use Renaissance (conservators') wax.

Use Renaissance (conservators') wax.

Use Renaissance (conservators') wax.

Glad I clicked on this topic.  Learning a lot about the woods you all use.  I've only built with basswood (railroad structures & miniature furniture). Used cherry once for a miniature table.
 
I'm building the Mississippi River boat and the different species in the kit but didn't really realize that certain woods are better for certain parts of a ship.
 
Very interesting topic, thanks everyone, I'll pay more attention to the woods used from now on.
 
And the best part is I have another supplier for wood !!

Not all of us have high praise, I think they’re a junk company that proudly lists kits based on stolen IP from China. 
 
As Chuck notes The Modeler’s Saw Mill is an excellent US source for wood. I recommend you replace what you have with Alaskan Yellow Cedar (much less than boxwood and easier to work with, though boxwood is amazing). See my Cheerful or Winchelsea build log for more photos on how it looks planked on a hull. Then toss that junk away after sending MS a demand for refund (which you likely won’t get, but you’ll feel better) and post a nice Google Review. 

See my post above.....cheaper and premium quality.  You just cant beat the quality for the money.  If you are building Syren I recommend you get  3/64" thick strips. Although I dont remember what actual thickness I used when I designed that prototype.  It was such a long time ago.   That was my first kit design which I sold to Model Shipways.   I believe I recieved a $500 gift certificate for Model Expo products for that design.  I think they got a good deal on it, LOL.  So best to check out the materials list in your kit and just replace with whatever you prefer from Joe.  Cedar or Boxwood.
 
And fun fact...this is why I started my own company and it is named for this very first ship I ever designed a kit for.  

What kind of wax? There is some discussion on wax here at MSW.  One thread can be found at https://modelshipworld.com/topic/34942-black-rigging-wax/#comment-1027227     According to the American Bee Journal, bees wax has a pH of 7 so is neutral thus a safe choice.  Others have stated that it is below 7 thus acidic.   https://americanbeejournal.com/beeswax/
 
Paraffin is on the alkaline side of neutral with a pH of 9 to 10 so maybe not a great choice. 
 
There are proponents and detractors of using wax.  It will waterproof the rope but if you use poly rope I am not sure there is any benefit.   
 
Allan

The choices
Linen seems to be lost into the past. 
Cotton - limited lifespan - smaller fibers -smaller fuzz
Poly - seems to be winning the race.   As long as the model itself is plastic, any resistance to using man-made materials is moot.
 
Poly already is what a wax would provide.  Wax seems to me to be pointless.  If it is beeswax on it - I would question it ever case hardening to become NOT a dust magnet.
Paraffin  would change its phase with changes in room temp.  The semi liquid phase would also hold dust.
Renaissance wax will case harden as its organic solvent evaporates.   It is probably more positive than negative for linen and cotton.  It would offer no advantage with poly.

Very brief update.  Thanks for the likes.  The kit came in Monday and I've spent the last few days re-reading the instructions with the kit in hand and clearing my work area.   I hope to have progress on the actual building later this week.  

@Dr PR Thanks for the info!!  So I have been pondering the plans vs Chapelle, and I am not sure there will be clarity until I am done.
 
Aft Pin Rail
Chapelle: 9 pins fore, 5 aft.
Plans:  10 pins fore, 7 aft.
 
Fore Pin Rail
Chapelle: 4 fore, 8 mid, 3 aft.
Plans: 7 fore, 8 mid, 9 aft.
 
Bow Pin Rail
Chapelle:  9 pins.
Plans:  15 pins.
 
So at least the plans have sufficient pin holes.  But the two issues here:
 
1.  The plans call for more pins than Chapelle but use almost every hole in their rigging plans. 
 
2.  Chapelle plants this little nugget on the above referenced PLATE IV:
 

 
 
So what's a shipwright to do???
 
Also, regarding pinrails in general:
 
It seems like I am making custom pinrails for a specific rig.  Wouldn't more generic pinrails be more appropriate (i.e. 10 linear feet of pin holes) as rigs can change over time?  Or are pinrails generally custom to a rig?  (Asking for a friend who is going to run out of pinrail wood and the specie is hard to get.)
 
And don't get me started on Constructo's gun placement on the plans not being correct on the plan view, leading to gun/running rigging interference.  Sheesh.
 

Enterprize is overI worked for 4 and a half years for this model, with several months off. Unfortunately there are some errors, the project is not too precise but it served to learn several things.Let's hope the next model will be more precise.I will make a 1/36 "LA Belle" model starting from the Hachette Kit by modifying materials and sculptures.Greetings

When will this beastie be available for purchase?

When will this beastie be available for purchase?

When will this beastie be available for purchase?

Hopefully, soon, Chuck.

When will this beastie be available for purchase?

When will this beastie be available for purchase?

The NRG is an educational organization, dedicated to providing our members with the knowledge to improve the quality of their model ship building.  One of the most common problems model builders have is rigging their model.  Kit instructions are poor.  Often, the materials provided in the kit are improperly sized or the cheapest that the manufacturer could obtain.  We all know that blocks are not square!  I wanted to develop a project whose purpose would be to teach ship modelers how to mast and rig a ship without having to build a complete hull.  This model is a 1:48 scale cross-section at the level of the main mast of a late 18th century British sloop of war, Swallow 1779.  To keep the size of the model manageable and eliminate the need for a building board, the hull is cut off just above the waterline.  For the same reason, only the center portion of the lower yard and the lower part of the topmast are constructed.  Also, because this is a cross-section, certain lines, such as the stays and backstays, are not included.  My emphasis will be on demonstrating techniques to improve your rigging skills.  Skills that can be used on your next project.
 
As this was developed as a teaching aid, certain shortcuts and compromises to historical accuracy were taken.  Wherever possible, I have used measurements provided by the plans and such authorities as Steel and Lees.  I apologize in advance to the master modelers who might criticize my shortcuts.  I have kept the use of power tools to a minimum.  The only thing that is outside the normal collection of hand tools is a serving machine.  The Guild hopes to begin selling this kit in the next few months.
 
The kit contains all the materials required to complete the model.  But I always keep my scrap box nearby for those times when a piece of a contrasting color wood is desirable.  I will mention those times as the build log progresses.  Also, the build log is made up from the best photographs taken from three builds of this model.  A sharp eye will notice some differences in the wood color because of that.
 
The hull is constructed in typical plank on bulkhead style.  There is a notched spine and notched bulkheads.  The laser cut sheet of one-eighth inch basswood ply also contains a template for the top and four types of spacers, A through D. 

The spine and the frames are assembled as seen below.  Frame 1 is installed with the printing facing aft.  This gave me the option of painting the exposed bulkhead after construction was completed.


 
The mast fits in the slanted slot between Frames 3 and 4.  To keep the mast vertical, support spacers are glued on both sides of the spine.  They will be sanded flush to the spine when the hull is faired. 


To prevent the hull from twisting and to strengthen it, spacers are placed between each frame.  The three aft spacers are “B”, the next one is “C” and the two foremost ones are “D”.  They are placed close to the edge of the frame for maximum stability.  The laser char only needs to be removed from the fore and aft sides so that their surfaces are flat.  If too much wood is sanded off, I glue strips of paper onto the edge as a filler to prevent distorting the hull.
 
The hull and deck were faired so there are smooth curves fore to aft.  I used a sanding block for this.  I did not fair the bulwark extensions (the thin strips of wood above the deck) to prevent them from breaking off.  This model has a significant camber to the deck.  Sanding sticks help getting into the corners.  You can see that the mast supports have been sanded down to match the height of the deck.

Next up is planking the hull.
 
 

One thing I am toying with is staining the inner bulkheads a Continental Green.  Not sure if I want to stay all natural wood or add a bit or flair.  But I am pretty sure I don't want paint, hence the stain idea.  Open to any thoughts out there.  It may not be possible to stain as I keep adding things to the inner bulkheads.
 
Overall state of the ship tonight.
 

 
Thanks for checking things out.

Well it looks like we got this all Tied up. Thanks

https://www.animatedknots.com/complete-knot-list 
 
I found this useful , I hope it helps..
 
Bob M.

That looks interesting, Bob!  I'm saving that one.  I have this one saved for reference and have used it several times... 
 
Rope Knots - All Rope Knots Animated and Illustrated | How to tie all knots for Boating, Climbing, Scouting, Survival, (netknots.com)