Ronald-V

I know that people who prioritize quality and accuracy will always choose VM, as you can see from the reactions in the forums. But you'll probably lose some customers who aren't so keen on this and who will opt for a less accurate, lower-quality model (and one that seems rather hastily assembled), only because they find this model available first. It is sad it's happening this way, because the development of a kit is one of the most enjoyable things to watch, but I understand your decision. 🙏

Really love these outdoor photo's! The lines of this vessel are very pretty 🙏

Wish you all the strength needed for your wife and you in this difficult journey! 🙏

Lovely work so far! That deck looks really nice! Love the subtle weathering.

Really love the colors!

Great photos of the exhibition! I realized too late that the exhibition was on that day...so I wouldn't have been on time, but there were quite a few models there, apparently!

Welcome! And a nice build already!

Man...lightning speed! 👍

Thanks Mark! 🙏 Thank you! They're pre-mixed colors (thankfully), so it's just much more convenient to have a large quantity on hand. I'm very happy I found these colors. Incidentally, I don't mind mixing them myself, but for these larger projects, it's more convenient to have some pre-mixed colors. Colors I use for the black are "matt metal black" or "Ironwork black" is it called now from Jotika/Admiralty colors. And the blue is "Tamiya Medium blue XF-18". I had seen them on the HMS Diana built by Beef Wellington here on the forum (worth a look)

They look really, really small! Nice job!

Thanks Nearshore! And also everyone else who gave a like, really appreciating it!

To be honest...I just sanded much better then before. The first time I painted it (when it failed) I barely sanded it, but the second time I sanded it much more thorough, and also between each layer (the black needed 5 layers 😬). Maybe is pre-treatment the wrong chosen term. I could also use primer ofcourse, but find this with most acrylics not necessary.

Update: I actually wanted to post an update only after I finished the entire bow...but I had so little time to actually work on the ship, so I thought...might as well post a small interim update. Otherwise, it'll be a very long update. First, I had to fit the gammoning knee. I noticed it didn't quite fit the curve of the prow. I probably sanded away the char a bit too enthusiastically. So I glued some scrap wood to the knee and then sanded it into shape. Supervisor 🥸 Next, I glued the V-brackets to the gammoning knee, but discovered that the middle one wasn't completely straight/level, which would cause problems. So, I loosened it with some alcohol and re-glued it. Dryfitting as much as possible, nothing glued here Okay...this part wasn't so good, haha. I was too hasty here. I had everything nicely taped off before painting, but I didn't do a good prep (sanding), and with the WOP already in the wood, removing the tape didn't go well. That was just stupid of me and way too hasty. Prepping is very important, especially if the wood has already been treated. I pulled off a nice chunk of paint while removing the tape But with a sharpened screwdriver I was able to remove the paint again and this time I did it properly with the right pre-treatment The bow hair brackets were relatively easy to paint because I could scrape off the excess blue paint with a knife. This gave me a nice, clean decorative line in the center, as the laser-etched decorative lines are slightly deeper than the rest. I did, however, paint the "raised areas" that weren't going to be blue with WOP first. This made the blue paint adhere even less, which was an advantage. Glued the bow hair brackets onto the now painted prow. It looks like this now I painted the black line at an angle, this seemed to be the case with almost all the contemporary models I've seen. From the side it then appears that the wales continues at the same angle towards the prow. I've already finished the bow grating, etc., but I'm still unsure whether I should do anything about the bow lower rails that will be attached to the sides. Blue Ensign indicated in his log that the slots in the V-brackets could be smaller. But perhaps I'm too far along in the build to do anything with this. It doesn't seem very visible in other build logs, so I might leave it as is. Later I will continue with sanding and attaching the bow cheeks That's it for now...I hope I can make some more progress in the near future

Yeah too bulky looks also not good, so I understand your reasoning 👍

Good start with the Swift! And a meticulous approach 👌