David Lester

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
Just a quick update today. It doesn't look like much progress, but for some reason it has taken a lot of time. I'm working away on the components for the deck, so I've been working off the model. I'm almost finished and ready to start attaching things. I've finished the gunport lids, made the pin rails, prepared all my cleats, made the skylight, binnacles, wheel, ammo scuttles and capstan and the carronades and cannons are all ready for rigging. I've just placed a few of these on the deck for the picture. None of them is actually installed yet.
 
Throughout the build, I am approached various jobs with fear and trepidation, only to find they weren't too bad after all. On the other hand from time to time something jumps up and catches me off guard. The latest in this category was the skylight. I found it to be one of the hardest parts to make yet. My final result is nothing to write home about, but it's about my sixth iteration, and it's as good as it's going to get. I tried forming the hexagon from individual pieces and I tried cutting it from a sold block. I tried using wood and I tried using styrene and most attempts ended in an amorphous blob covered with glue. I don't have any miniature machine tools; only hand tools. This final version is cut from a single piece of basswood with styrene trim and I can live with it, although the six sides and not exactly even. The trim on the upper portion is half round styrene and flat strips on the base. The bars on the windows are very fine brass rod.  I wasn't sure what to use for the cap, so went searching through my basement and in my drawer of lamp parts I found a hollow brass ball which was on the end of a lamp's pull chain. I filed it down until only about half of it was left and popped it on top. The tops for the binnacles are the same. I tried using a couple of the brass beads from the lamp chain, but they were just a bit too big. This morning I went into a local jewelry making supply store we have in town and found these very small hollow brass beads which I was able to use in the same way by filing them in half. I only needed a couple, so the owner of the store just gave them to me - the advantages of small town living! 
 
That's it for now; soon on to rigging the cannons.
David

Hi Again,
Let's begin with the premise that "there is no such thing as a stupid question." With that in mind, I have a question (but it's possibly a stupid one even so.) What are people's thoughts on rigging the gun carriages with the train tackle (I believe it's called), the one that connects the back of the carriage to the deck? I notice some modelers include it and others don't. My inclination is to omit it, simply because there is so going on the deck as it is, it seems it might be adding too much clutter. On the other hand if it should be there then perhaps I should add it.
 
I realize that my question is naïve as I don't really have a clear understanding of how much of the equipment on a ship such as this was actually used. If I understood how and when this tackle was used I would be able to answer my own question. Was this tackle in place all the time, or was it removed and replaced depending on whether or not the guns were in use? If it wasn't a permanent fixture, then there's justification for modeling it either way. If it was a permanent fixture than there's a stronger case for including it.
 
Many thanks in advance for any input. Also, thanks for checking in and the likes.
David

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
Just a quick update today. It doesn't look like much progress, but for some reason it has taken a lot of time. I'm working away on the components for the deck, so I've been working off the model. I'm almost finished and ready to start attaching things. I've finished the gunport lids, made the pin rails, prepared all my cleats, made the skylight, binnacles, wheel, ammo scuttles and capstan and the carronades and cannons are all ready for rigging. I've just placed a few of these on the deck for the picture. None of them is actually installed yet.
 
Throughout the build, I am approached various jobs with fear and trepidation, only to find they weren't too bad after all. On the other hand from time to time something jumps up and catches me off guard. The latest in this category was the skylight. I found it to be one of the hardest parts to make yet. My final result is nothing to write home about, but it's about my sixth iteration, and it's as good as it's going to get. I tried forming the hexagon from individual pieces and I tried cutting it from a sold block. I tried using wood and I tried using styrene and most attempts ended in an amorphous blob covered with glue. I don't have any miniature machine tools; only hand tools. This final version is cut from a single piece of basswood with styrene trim and I can live with it, although the six sides and not exactly even. The trim on the upper portion is half round styrene and flat strips on the base. The bars on the windows are very fine brass rod.  I wasn't sure what to use for the cap, so went searching through my basement and in my drawer of lamp parts I found a hollow brass ball which was on the end of a lamp's pull chain. I filed it down until only about half of it was left and popped it on top. The tops for the binnacles are the same. I tried using a couple of the brass beads from the lamp chain, but they were just a bit too big. This morning I went into a local jewelry making supply store we have in town and found these very small hollow brass beads which I was able to use in the same way by filing them in half. I only needed a couple, so the owner of the store just gave them to me - the advantages of small town living! 
 
That's it for now; soon on to rigging the cannons.
David

Hi Again,
Let's begin with the premise that "there is no such thing as a stupid question." With that in mind, I have a question (but it's possibly a stupid one even so.) What are people's thoughts on rigging the gun carriages with the train tackle (I believe it's called), the one that connects the back of the carriage to the deck? I notice some modelers include it and others don't. My inclination is to omit it, simply because there is so going on the deck as it is, it seems it might be adding too much clutter. On the other hand if it should be there then perhaps I should add it.
 
I realize that my question is naïve as I don't really have a clear understanding of how much of the equipment on a ship such as this was actually used. If I understood how and when this tackle was used I would be able to answer my own question. Was this tackle in place all the time, or was it removed and replaced depending on whether or not the guns were in use? If it wasn't a permanent fixture, then there's justification for modeling it either way. If it was a permanent fixture than there's a stronger case for including it.
 
Many thanks in advance for any input. Also, thanks for checking in and the likes.
David

Hi Tim,
Thanks for checking in. I just stuck the copper plates on and plan to leave them alone. I can live with whatever happens to them. I don't know if the copper tape I used has a finish or not  but I'm thinking it doesn't, because when I opened the roll of tape, the first outer bit of the tape was tarnished and rest of it was bright and shiny. So I anticipate that the hull will darken down some and that's fine with me. I did take one precaution though. Through my reading I learned that the one roll of tape included in the kit was not likely to be enough to do the whole hull and several people found that when they finished the hull with the second roll, there was a noticeable colour difference. To avoid that I ordered a second roll well in advance of needing it and when I did the coppering, I worked from both rolls at the same time. So if it does change colour it should all change at the same rate. You definitely need the second roll. It might be possible to cover the whole hull with one roll, but you would need to not waste one single plate. That was not the situation in my case - I have quite a bit of copper bits stuck to my basement floor. I probably have the only coppered basement floor in all of Cobourg if not the county!  
 
David

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
Just a quick update today. It doesn't look like much progress, but for some reason it has taken a lot of time. I'm working away on the components for the deck, so I've been working off the model. I'm almost finished and ready to start attaching things. I've finished the gunport lids, made the pin rails, prepared all my cleats, made the skylight, binnacles, wheel, ammo scuttles and capstan and the carronades and cannons are all ready for rigging. I've just placed a few of these on the deck for the picture. None of them is actually installed yet.
 
Throughout the build, I am approached various jobs with fear and trepidation, only to find they weren't too bad after all. On the other hand from time to time something jumps up and catches me off guard. The latest in this category was the skylight. I found it to be one of the hardest parts to make yet. My final result is nothing to write home about, but it's about my sixth iteration, and it's as good as it's going to get. I tried forming the hexagon from individual pieces and I tried cutting it from a sold block. I tried using wood and I tried using styrene and most attempts ended in an amorphous blob covered with glue. I don't have any miniature machine tools; only hand tools. This final version is cut from a single piece of basswood with styrene trim and I can live with it, although the six sides and not exactly even. The trim on the upper portion is half round styrene and flat strips on the base. The bars on the windows are very fine brass rod.  I wasn't sure what to use for the cap, so went searching through my basement and in my drawer of lamp parts I found a hollow brass ball which was on the end of a lamp's pull chain. I filed it down until only about half of it was left and popped it on top. The tops for the binnacles are the same. I tried using a couple of the brass beads from the lamp chain, but they were just a bit too big. This morning I went into a local jewelry making supply store we have in town and found these very small hollow brass beads which I was able to use in the same way by filing them in half. I only needed a couple, so the owner of the store just gave them to me - the advantages of small town living! 
 
That's it for now; soon on to rigging the cannons.
David

Hi Tim,
Thanks for checking in. I just stuck the copper plates on and plan to leave them alone. I can live with whatever happens to them. I don't know if the copper tape I used has a finish or not  but I'm thinking it doesn't, because when I opened the roll of tape, the first outer bit of the tape was tarnished and rest of it was bright and shiny. So I anticipate that the hull will darken down some and that's fine with me. I did take one precaution though. Through my reading I learned that the one roll of tape included in the kit was not likely to be enough to do the whole hull and several people found that when they finished the hull with the second roll, there was a noticeable colour difference. To avoid that I ordered a second roll well in advance of needing it and when I did the coppering, I worked from both rolls at the same time. So if it does change colour it should all change at the same rate. You definitely need the second roll. It might be possible to cover the whole hull with one roll, but you would need to not waste one single plate. That was not the situation in my case - I have quite a bit of copper bits stuck to my basement floor. I probably have the only coppered basement floor in all of Cobourg if not the county!  
 
David

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
Just a quick update today. It doesn't look like much progress, but for some reason it has taken a lot of time. I'm working away on the components for the deck, so I've been working off the model. I'm almost finished and ready to start attaching things. I've finished the gunport lids, made the pin rails, prepared all my cleats, made the skylight, binnacles, wheel, ammo scuttles and capstan and the carronades and cannons are all ready for rigging. I've just placed a few of these on the deck for the picture. None of them is actually installed yet.
 
Throughout the build, I am approached various jobs with fear and trepidation, only to find they weren't too bad after all. On the other hand from time to time something jumps up and catches me off guard. The latest in this category was the skylight. I found it to be one of the hardest parts to make yet. My final result is nothing to write home about, but it's about my sixth iteration, and it's as good as it's going to get. I tried forming the hexagon from individual pieces and I tried cutting it from a sold block. I tried using wood and I tried using styrene and most attempts ended in an amorphous blob covered with glue. I don't have any miniature machine tools; only hand tools. This final version is cut from a single piece of basswood with styrene trim and I can live with it, although the six sides and not exactly even. The trim on the upper portion is half round styrene and flat strips on the base. The bars on the windows are very fine brass rod.  I wasn't sure what to use for the cap, so went searching through my basement and in my drawer of lamp parts I found a hollow brass ball which was on the end of a lamp's pull chain. I filed it down until only about half of it was left and popped it on top. The tops for the binnacles are the same. I tried using a couple of the brass beads from the lamp chain, but they were just a bit too big. This morning I went into a local jewelry making supply store we have in town and found these very small hollow brass beads which I was able to use in the same way by filing them in half. I only needed a couple, so the owner of the store just gave them to me - the advantages of small town living! 
 
That's it for now; soon on to rigging the cannons.
David

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
Just a quick update today. It doesn't look like much progress, but for some reason it has taken a lot of time. I'm working away on the components for the deck, so I've been working off the model. I'm almost finished and ready to start attaching things. I've finished the gunport lids, made the pin rails, prepared all my cleats, made the skylight, binnacles, wheel, ammo scuttles and capstan and the carronades and cannons are all ready for rigging. I've just placed a few of these on the deck for the picture. None of them is actually installed yet.
 
Throughout the build, I am approached various jobs with fear and trepidation, only to find they weren't too bad after all. On the other hand from time to time something jumps up and catches me off guard. The latest in this category was the skylight. I found it to be one of the hardest parts to make yet. My final result is nothing to write home about, but it's about my sixth iteration, and it's as good as it's going to get. I tried forming the hexagon from individual pieces and I tried cutting it from a sold block. I tried using wood and I tried using styrene and most attempts ended in an amorphous blob covered with glue. I don't have any miniature machine tools; only hand tools. This final version is cut from a single piece of basswood with styrene trim and I can live with it, although the six sides and not exactly even. The trim on the upper portion is half round styrene and flat strips on the base. The bars on the windows are very fine brass rod.  I wasn't sure what to use for the cap, so went searching through my basement and in my drawer of lamp parts I found a hollow brass ball which was on the end of a lamp's pull chain. I filed it down until only about half of it was left and popped it on top. The tops for the binnacles are the same. I tried using a couple of the brass beads from the lamp chain, but they were just a bit too big. This morning I went into a local jewelry making supply store we have in town and found these very small hollow brass beads which I was able to use in the same way by filing them in half. I only needed a couple, so the owner of the store just gave them to me - the advantages of small town living! 
 
That's it for now; soon on to rigging the cannons.
David

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
Just a quick update today. It doesn't look like much progress, but for some reason it has taken a lot of time. I'm working away on the components for the deck, so I've been working off the model. I'm almost finished and ready to start attaching things. I've finished the gunport lids, made the pin rails, prepared all my cleats, made the skylight, binnacles, wheel, ammo scuttles and capstan and the carronades and cannons are all ready for rigging. I've just placed a few of these on the deck for the picture. None of them is actually installed yet.
 
Throughout the build, I am approached various jobs with fear and trepidation, only to find they weren't too bad after all. On the other hand from time to time something jumps up and catches me off guard. The latest in this category was the skylight. I found it to be one of the hardest parts to make yet. My final result is nothing to write home about, but it's about my sixth iteration, and it's as good as it's going to get. I tried forming the hexagon from individual pieces and I tried cutting it from a sold block. I tried using wood and I tried using styrene and most attempts ended in an amorphous blob covered with glue. I don't have any miniature machine tools; only hand tools. This final version is cut from a single piece of basswood with styrene trim and I can live with it, although the six sides and not exactly even. The trim on the upper portion is half round styrene and flat strips on the base. The bars on the windows are very fine brass rod.  I wasn't sure what to use for the cap, so went searching through my basement and in my drawer of lamp parts I found a hollow brass ball which was on the end of a lamp's pull chain. I filed it down until only about half of it was left and popped it on top. The tops for the binnacles are the same. I tried using a couple of the brass beads from the lamp chain, but they were just a bit too big. This morning I went into a local jewelry making supply store we have in town and found these very small hollow brass beads which I was able to use in the same way by filing them in half. I only needed a couple, so the owner of the store just gave them to me - the advantages of small town living! 
 
That's it for now; soon on to rigging the cannons.
David

Hi Dave,
Your filler blocks look great. It's hard to imagine that you wouldn't need them given the blunt shape of the bow. I'll be interested to hear how difficult the bow planking is to do.
David

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
I'm still working away, although in for the past while it's been lots of work, but little evidence of progress. I'm using the LLS practicum and Chapters 10, 11 and 12 all concern the many details on the outside of the hull, on the deck and on the bulwarks. I'm grappling a bit with the sequence. I don't care for the sequence outlined in the practicum, but it goes against the grain for me to deviate. I tend to be "compliance oriented" and if it says to do it a certain way, then that's the way it should be. I need to be more like Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean, who interprets the Pirate's Code as "more what you call guidelines than actual rules."
 
The practicum has us add much detail to the outer hull first, then all the detail to the centre of the deck and finally detail to the bulwarks. I'm worried about knocking gunport lids and davits and what have you off as I work on the interior stuff and I can't see cluttering up the centre of the deck before I have to drill holes in the bulwarks for the eyebolts, cleats etc. So I'm going to "live on the edge" and do the bulwark stuff first, then the more central deck details followed by the outer hull details and then finally to top rail. 
 
I'm currently working on completing all the many components - gun carriages, gunport lids, horse block, ramps, binnacles etc. etc. A few of them are included in the picture.
David

Hi Everyone,
As tense moment this afternoon when I removed the masking tape from the copper plating, but I was relieved to see that it worked very well. My red line is reasonably crisp. There were a couple of places where there was very slight bleeding, but I was able to scrape most of the paint away without damaging the copper. If you look closely enough they are still slightly visible, but when all the many details are added to the hull, nobody's eye will be drawn to them.
 
I now just have to add the fenders to the starboard side, give them a final coat of poly and touch up the black in a couple of places and I will have Chapter 9 of the practicum behind me. Chapter 10 of the practicum deals with many of the outer hull details. In preparation I've been working ahead on some of the components - gunport lids, channels etc. There are sheaves set into the side of the hull and the practicum suggests simulating these with thin slices of dowel. It suggests a 1/32" slice of a 3'16" dowel for each one. I don't have a miniature table saw, so all of my efforts to slice them off with an xacto saw or knife only resulted in their crumbling into bits. My solution was to cut off a thin slice of styrene tubing that I had. (It's 7/32" but I think that's close enough to 3/16" for this purpose.) I then filled them with filler and polyed them. I think this will work, but I'll know better when I actually try to insert them. I included a picture of them below, but when I look at it I realize that I might as well have just photographed eight aspirin tablets - maybe I should just use eight aspirin tablets! 
 
That's all for now, and many thanks for comments and likes.
 
David

These Japanese saws are amazing. I have one dozuki (not sure if the brand is Hishika or not) and it has become almost indispensable.
David

Search lights added and time to start rigging.

Looking really beautiful Ken,
David

Hi John,
I didn't know the Revenge was a container ship!
 
Your decking looks great.
 
David

The admiral was off on business for most of the weekend, which is the necessary ingredient to making lots of progress on the sloop.
 
First off was the transom. I applied the walnut layer of planking atop the basswood layer and made and installed the fashion pieces. Reapplied gold paint to the stern light frames then started the coats of poly. Dave, I agree with you that the Feldman profile is more attractive that MS boxed transom. The photos make mine look pretty boxy, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out.
 
Here are some pics of the transom in progress and completed:
 

 

 

 
Went to work on the upper basswood planking and gunport framing. Learned a few things ... I need to go easier with the CA (which I am sure you can tell from the pics) and I DO NOT like edge gluing, which became necessary for the top side planks on the sides of the hull adjacent to the poop deck.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Then, much intimidated, I started planking the hull. Garboard strake first. You might notice that I used thin walnut scrap planks to provide padding for the clamps. I can't tell you how apprehensive the planking process has made me.
 

 
As usual, critiques and comments most welcome.

Steve, David thanks! I finished up the second hatch with the cannon ball racks with steps and the round anchor points with eyebolts. Not sure what they are called but I suspect that they are used to rope in cargo when being loaded. Clarification is welcomed.
 
Next I moved onto to fitting the masts in order to add their boots on the gundeck. In addition to just fitting I am also building the lower mast elements as well. 
My thread order was confirmed with a UPS delivery of April 7 when they arrive I will be able to rig the cannons in haul lines.
 

 
Parts in place.

 
Here is the lower mizzen mast pressed in place.

 
I will move forward on the main and foremast which will keep me busy for awhile. The boots are the last main parts needed to finish up the gun deck on this build.

Happy Wednesday Everyone,
I'm still working away, although in for the past while it's been lots of work, but little evidence of progress. I'm using the LLS practicum and Chapters 10, 11 and 12 all concern the many details on the outside of the hull, on the deck and on the bulwarks. I'm grappling a bit with the sequence. I don't care for the sequence outlined in the practicum, but it goes against the grain for me to deviate. I tend to be "compliance oriented" and if it says to do it a certain way, then that's the way it should be. I need to be more like Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean, who interprets the Pirate's Code as "more what you call guidelines than actual rules."
 
The practicum has us add much detail to the outer hull first, then all the detail to the centre of the deck and finally detail to the bulwarks. I'm worried about knocking gunport lids and davits and what have you off as I work on the interior stuff and I can't see cluttering up the centre of the deck before I have to drill holes in the bulwarks for the eyebolts, cleats etc. So I'm going to "live on the edge" and do the bulwark stuff first, then the more central deck details followed by the outer hull details and then finally to top rail. 
 
I'm currently working on completing all the many components - gun carriages, gunport lids, horse block, ramps, binnacles etc. etc. A few of them are included in the picture.
David

Hi Everyone,
As tense moment this afternoon when I removed the masking tape from the copper plating, but I was relieved to see that it worked very well. My red line is reasonably crisp. There were a couple of places where there was very slight bleeding, but I was able to scrape most of the paint away without damaging the copper. If you look closely enough they are still slightly visible, but when all the many details are added to the hull, nobody's eye will be drawn to them.
 
I now just have to add the fenders to the starboard side, give them a final coat of poly and touch up the black in a couple of places and I will have Chapter 9 of the practicum behind me. Chapter 10 of the practicum deals with many of the outer hull details. In preparation I've been working ahead on some of the components - gunport lids, channels etc. There are sheaves set into the side of the hull and the practicum suggests simulating these with thin slices of dowel. It suggests a 1/32" slice of a 3'16" dowel for each one. I don't have a miniature table saw, so all of my efforts to slice them off with an xacto saw or knife only resulted in their crumbling into bits. My solution was to cut off a thin slice of styrene tubing that I had. (It's 7/32" but I think that's close enough to 3/16" for this purpose.) I then filled them with filler and polyed them. I think this will work, but I'll know better when I actually try to insert them. I included a picture of them below, but when I look at it I realize that I might as well have just photographed eight aspirin tablets - maybe I should just use eight aspirin tablets! 
 
That's all for now, and many thanks for comments and likes.
 
David

And here is what I have been doing today. Actually, first thing I did was finally add all of the flat rope coils to the starboard side spar deck guns., so the gun rigging is all finished now.
 
I glued the supports to the wheels after first determining the best part of the wheels to have at the top. I test fit these to the deck while the glue was still wet to make sure the whole assembly sat flat on the deck. 
 

 
To cover the holes in the supports where the axles are, I made a handful of small disks from thin mahogany, using a hole punch. I temporarily glued these to a piece of plywood using a glue stick, then thinned them a little more. I then used a tiny brush and painted gold stars on each one.
 

 

 
When the paint dried, I picked the best two and glued them over the holes in the support. I also wrapped six turns of line around the drum and secured it with some white glue. Here is the completed wheel assembly on the deck. I am going to wait a while before gluing it in place because I am wherry of breaking off one (or more) of those spoke handles. I am suprised I havn't broken one yet, especially when I dropped the wheel while staining it.
 

 

 

 
Next it is on to the capstan.

Because I totally rebuilt the transom in the kit, using a plywood base, planked with pear and overlayed with a boxwood trim, the upper edge of the transom is not particularly attractive.  The kit doesn't provide a taff rail because the stock transom is solid cherry hardwood with no plywood involved.  I decided to add a taff rail made of boxwood.  I soaked the wood then bent it around a template of the top of the transom.  Nails hold it in place.  I'll let it dry for 48 hours, then dye it black with Fiebring"s black leather dye.  It will be glued in place after the great cabin cap rails are fitted.

Looking really beautiful Ken,
David

These Japanese saws are amazing. I have one dozuki (not sure if the brand is Hishika or not) and it has become almost indispensable.
David