Johncclark

Thank you very much. I just ordered HMS Fly. Your work descriptions are an invaluable aide! At present I am finishing HMS Pickle and have relied on your project description extensively. Please keep up the good work ! All the best. 

Well Mayflower has been restored and is going back to its owner. All in all an interesting and fun project. The model was built by someone who knew a lot about how a sailing ship's rigging worked. My guess is that it was made for perhaps a child as a way to learn. I also believe that the model would actually float and sail. Sort of a square rigged pond

yacht. Fun!

Here is a view of the stern, I think the little house needs to go as well as the quarter badges. Then I will add some elevation to the stern to get that seventeenth century castle look.

A friend of mine asked me to fix the rigging on his Mayflower model. I am going to do this as well as correct and/or rebuild parts of the model. Any input to this process would be greatly appreciated. Looking the model over, it appears to be a pond sail boat with a few likenesses to the Mayflower. No idea how old the model is or if I am correct. The owner received it as a gift and it there fore has a lot of attachment. Before I dive in I would be especially interested in any cautions such as the model is priceless the way it is don't touch, etc. looks like all of the blocks are hand made. At any rate any input or advice would be much appreciated.

To go are anchors , some rigging corrections, display base. Then back to HMS Pickle. Also the rudder. 

Guns are shipped

Ships boats. One more to go . It will nest inside the smaller boat

Upper main

Here is the base of the main mast

Making progress on the Main . The problem has been that I did not plan the belaying pins correctly and find very little space to work. Made the channels too thick and placed the pins too close to the bulkhead. It's a challenge but a good learning point for the next model!

As I indicated in prior posts, I modified the mizzen to include a top sail and a top gallant. When finished they just did not look right. A little small yielding too much space between the bottom of the sail and the yard below. So off they came. This is the revised set up. I think it looks better. Can't get these darn photos to land correctly . I need to work on this! Yup the lakes are pretty frozen. Great shipbuilding weather!

Photos want to upload upside down, any idea how to fix this?

Here is a photo of the stern. The raised lettering is from a company in the UK called Scale Link Ltd. I needed an alternative to the lettering that came with another kit that I am working on and found this company on the Internet. I think it looks right! The windows need some clean up. Already have done one pass at this. The heavy castings are a problem.

These photos were attached before under the discussion about this kit maker. Generally the figure head has been turned from a rooster into a hen with the addition of a skirt made from a wine bottle foil wrapper . Also carronades on the main deck. Other changes have included modifying the mizzen to carry a top sail and top gallant, ships stove, boats from Calder Craft, anchors from Calder Craft. Copper bottom again from Calder Craft. Sails were made from material supplied in the kit. This week I have stated to rig the mizzen. Quite a busy spot!

This project started many years ago and has gathered steam more recently. The basis of the project is the Euromodel HMS Ajax. I have made many modifications which have included endless hours of fun! My working thesis is that the model represents a fictional vessel and there fore historical accuracy is less important. Generally I have tried to keep to Royal Navy practice which has resulted in Many hours of research. We are not trying to get to museum quality here! As the two photos show, one early modification was to round the forecastle and add bow chase ports.

Kit modified to HMS Surprise

Thank you very much. I will go ahead and open a build log and post a few photos to bring it up to date. Probably will be able to do that in early November. Travel schedule right now is a little heavy. All the best and thanks again.

The history of the ship has been under discussion for a long time. In the end the kit , for me, was a good starting point and learning platform. This is my first full blown plank on frame ship model. The plans are very detailed and very well done. Also you get to learn Italian! What could be better! I will post again when I get into rigging the sails. Hold fast.

Ships stove will be painted. Probably not black so it doesn't disappear ! All in all a lot of fun. Not museum quality but all mine. Next will be finishing off deck area then running rigging, sails, etc.

Stern castings a little heavy. Rebuilt the windows and added some edge pieces. Looks a little more like it should.

Wheel from Caldercraft along with carronades.

Mizzen has been extended to add a Top Gallant