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I agree with Wayne, the outcome won't be much different either way. But don't forget that sometimes glue does not work as well on painted or varnished finishes as it does on bare wood. So even though it might be harder to paint different colours butting up against each other it might improve the integrity of your structure.

Good luck! This ship is going to be my next build so I'll be following your log closely. My kit is much older (I got it for a steal many years ago and haven't gotten around to building it). Looks like they have made some changes--what are those long strips that look like they have gunports etched on them? Are they a template to guide with port placement or part of the first planking? And what are those big U shaped things in the same picture? Just curious.

Another point. As a practical matter, a lot of us are at the mercy of the kit manufacturers and what you see is what you get!

Interesting question. I always thought shrouds and stays were tarred but running rigging and ratlines and anchor cables were natural. I'm not a purist and the only time I used black thread to simulate tarred shrouds I ended up regretting it because I think it makes the shrouds stand out too much and draw the eye away from other interesting detail. On that one, for what it's worth I made the ratlines natural.

Hi John, that might sound like overkill but I agree with you that a belt and suspenders approach is a good idea for something as critical as the guns. I move my completed models a lot and like to have everything as secure as possible.

Yes, otherwise they are never where they are supposed to be. I like Mark's idea because you don't want the slightest trace of glue under the trucks.

I only use CA very sparingly for some metal gluing and to secure knots--it's too hard to work with and has nasty vapours. I agree with others that for gluing wood on wood PVA is the way to go. The other thing, and this can be important, is that you can wipe off any excess glue with a damp cloth and it won't stain the wood or affect any coating you put on afterward. Good luck and I look forward to hearing more about your build!

I agree with Michael. In the days before laser cut frames this was a routine operation!

I use beeswax too. I think it's softer than candle wax and therefore easier to work with.

Congratulations! You've turned a fairly straightforward model into something really interesting.

Hi Cmann--I built the Virginia as my first build and it's a great way to get started. I'll take a shot at some of your questions. 1. Glue--most of the time (90%+) you'll only need regular carpenters glue. You need epoxy or superglue (cyano) for attaching metal to wood. Superglue is also good for dabbing on rigging knots so they don't come loose. 2. Varnishing--my advice is to wait as long a possible to varnish. Glue doesn't work as well on varnished wood and you want all your bonds to be tight. At the same time, it's a good idea to varnish the ends of timber that you will be sanding because that seals the grain and minimises the chance of splitting. 3. Painting or remaking--do whatever your skill/taste makes you feel most comfortable with. I think a lot of people here would agree that a lot of the metal furnishings in kits are not the best quality so making your own is usually a good idea. And definitely paint anything that doesn't look natural. 4. I think those are brass strips which you can cut to size and use superglue or epoxy to secure. Be sure to flatten the boom ends so the jaws lay flat. You could also drill a hole through both the boom and the jaw and secure it with a nail like a rivet for extra holding. 5. I don't know why they want you to dilute the glue. The joints wont be visible and you want them to be very secure. 6. There are some good threads here on desirable tools and you will accumulate what you need as you go. I wouldn't over invest at this point but a good electric hobby drill is very useful and I'd recommend an electric plank bender (from aeropiccola) which makes life a lot easier when planking a hull. Also lots of sandpaper and some good small files and a small hammer and you should be in business. Good luck and in response to what the hobby guy said about cyano glue--I wouldn't use it unless you have to--the fumes are nasty and it's hard to work with. Tom

I've always wanted to do this ship model. You are making it look very enjoyable--best of luck.

Kevin and Stockholm, that makes sense to me, I would think that white would have been best.

Is it true that the inside of gun port lids are usually depicted as red because gun deck walls were painted red so that sailors wouldn't be demoralised by bloodstains on the walls? So I've heard.

I have a small pair of pliers and they are great for work like that. With pintles and gudgeons you have to be careful if they are brass because you don't want to scratch the surface but you can hold the work between scraps of wood. . If you are making a lot of pieces and the wire is soft you can make a jig out of nails in a board and shape the wire on the jig. Hope that helps. Tom

Really cool discovery--thanks! I could open the link with no trouble.

I agree with Russ, but my decision tree in these cases always starts with the question, "Will you do greater damage by trying to fix it?" Looks like you've already done a lot of work on the starboard side if I'm seeing the picture correctly so you might be better off to try Josh's very logical approach.

My understanding is that lids were used on lower gun decks because the gun ports could in fact be under water during a sharp turn or heavy seas. Higher up and certainly on decks and waists there is no need.

Sorry, can't tell for sure.

I think everyone would agree that the standing rigging should be finished before doing the running rigging. Aside from the fact that's how they did it on real ships because the standing rigging supports the masts, so technically you couldn't attach spars etc., until you had the masts secure, you would go crazy trying to do the standing rigging after the running (e.g., trying to rattle shrouds with spars in place), Lastly, some of the running rigging is secured to the standing rigging so technically it's impossible. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone has a contrary view.

I really like this approach especially because as Doreltomin says, I've never liked the scale of the cloth. Plus I've never been happy with the colour or look of sails on models. Also, unlike sails it doesn't hide interesting rigging and masting features.

Great pic and interesting question, but to be honest, I can't tell exactly where the lines run, are you sure they don't go down?

Looking good and I look forward to following your progress.

This build just keeps getting more incredible all the time! Amazing work.

Hi J--Hope you and your daughter are both back to 100%! I've been following your build with interest and I think everything is going to turn out well. Your craftsmanship is evident.