davec

Michael - many thanks!  Got my batteries recharged at the NRG meeting and workshop, finished my travelling, and got back into the workshop yesterday.  Made the hanging knees , and put the notches in the lodging knees.  Hoping to get some pictures up later today, but after no visible progress for months, will hopefully get the lower deck framing in place soon. 
 
Only hold up was that I was planning on trying to blacken the bolts in place.  I usually use brass, but was going to try copper wire and liver of sulfur. The copper wire I ordered last week is here, but the liver of sulfur appears to have gotten lost in the mail.  Will need to reorder.
 
Dave

Doc - Many thanks!  I'm getting back to work on the cross section.  My rhythm got thrown off by the workshop expansion, then I got down to the wire on the deadline for a book I was editing (sorry - work related - nothing to do with model ships).  I have everything set up in the new space.  Manuscript went off to the copy editor last week, and I got into the workshop the last two weekends.   
 
I made the quarterdeck breast beam, then realized I need to change my building strategy.  I have the internal and external planking done up to the quarterdeck deck clamp. I was originally going to finish the planking and rails before installing the decks and fixtures.  I think the interrelationship between parts are significant enough that it is time to go back and start installing the decks.  I finished the hinges for the shot locker yesterday.  A friend from the club had helped me photo etch them last year.  I had played with my resistance soldering unit when I made the eyebolts for the breast beam, and was finally comfortable enough that I could try to solder on the hinge pins without ruining the photo etched pieces.  It went really well. I painted and glued them on. 
 
Will post some pictures soon.
 
Dave

Michael - many thanks!  Got my batteries recharged at the NRG meeting and workshop, finished my travelling, and got back into the workshop yesterday.  Made the hanging knees , and put the notches in the lodging knees.  Hoping to get some pictures up later today, but after no visible progress for months, will hopefully get the lower deck framing in place soon. 
 
Only hold up was that I was planning on trying to blacken the bolts in place.  I usually use brass, but was going to try copper wire and liver of sulfur. The copper wire I ordered last week is here, but the liver of sulfur appears to have gotten lost in the mail.  Will need to reorder.
 
Dave

Michael - many thanks!  Got my batteries recharged at the NRG meeting and workshop, finished my travelling, and got back into the workshop yesterday.  Made the hanging knees , and put the notches in the lodging knees.  Hoping to get some pictures up later today, but after no visible progress for months, will hopefully get the lower deck framing in place soon. 
 
Only hold up was that I was planning on trying to blacken the bolts in place.  I usually use brass, but was going to try copper wire and liver of sulfur. The copper wire I ordered last week is here, but the liver of sulfur appears to have gotten lost in the mail.  Will need to reorder.
 
Dave

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 249 – Lower Fore Yard 3
 
There is a variety of ironwork to be installed on every square yard.  Beginning with the iron sling band at the center and the reinforcing bands on made yards.  These and other bands, as well as some structures attached to bands, like studdingsail boom brackets, must be sized to each individual yard.   Others, like iron sheet blocks that hang from the center of the yard, cheek blocks for sheets at the yardarms and to some extent iron trusses, are more standardized and lend themselves to a "mass production" approach, if making seven or eight identical parts can be considered "mass."  So, while the work shown in this part and the next was able to proceed, progress was soon hindered until a batch of standard parts could be produced for all the yards.  Developing processes for those has taken some time and this has slowed work on the first yards.  This and the next part describe work on the fore yard before interruption to make sheet and cheek blocks, to be described later.
 
The first picture shows iron (i.e. copper) banding at the center of the yard.
 
 
Most of this is ½" thick x 4" wide – actually slightly thicker (.010").  The center sling band is thicker (.015") – and wider.  It will eventually be drilled top and bottom to secure eyebolts for the chain sling and the sheet block.  Outside of that are two more thicker bands that will secure the iron yard truss, then the first reinforcing band, a band to secure a block,  then a band than will attach a sheet fairlead, then two more bands, one reinforcing and one for a block.  Additional bands were added out to the first studdingsail bracket that is described below. 
 
But first, the basic banding method.  This was described in an earlier post.  The first step is cutting banding material to a length that will form a ring slightly smaller than the yard diameter at its location.  Some ways to do this were described earlier.  The ends of the band are then butted together and silver soldered.  A soldering setup to keep the ends together is shown in the next picture.
 

 
Two steel blocks were used for this.  After soldering, the misshapen bands are then pushed on to a wooden mandrel to shape them and provide a holder for filing (if needed), smoothing, and polishing as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Using a separate mandrel for this helps keep the spar clean.  This one is maple, one of a pair in different sizes to be used for this purpose.  The mandrel may also be used for sizing bands.  This was described in Part 184.  After this step the band is fitted to the yard, with the last ¼" or so a forced fit.
 
The next picture shows fabrication of a studdingsail boom bracket.
 

 
The band is made a fitted to the spar first.  The square piece of hard brass is the silver-soldered to it as shown in the picture.  The two brass bands under the brass leg are used to center the leg on the band width.  The leg is then cut to length and the outer bands for the booms soldered on.
 

 
These are test fitted to the studdingsail booms as shown in the next picture.
 
 
 
The outer boom irons are made in a similar way, with the addition of a simulated roller on the bottom side of the boom band.  The next picture shows the setup for soldering the roller to the bands.
 

 
The rounded out area on the copper wire will be placed under the band in the final setup before soldering, after clipping off the wire.  This is a simplified simulation of the actual roller, which would be on an axle within the band diameter.   In the last picture, the outer arm has been bent and inserted into the end of the yard and shown with the yard temporarily mounted.
 
 
There is more work to do on these parts, including blackening.  Also, the reinforcement of the yardarm is not shown.  This includes a u-shaped band wrapped around on the axis of the yard and two circular reinforcing bands over it.  I will show pictures of this later.  Also, this photo shows the yard truss that will be described in the next part.
 
Ed

Rigging the Longboat
I put the supplied rigging line aside, seems under-scale  and I didn't like the look of it, black too black and tan too shiny. The black line was supplied  presumably for the shrouds and stay, but would these items be heavily tarred on small boats where the rigging would be taken up and down regularly? in any case the stark black line didn't look good to my eye.
The kit instructions mention two line sizes only; 0.012" and 0.018" (0.30mm and 0.45mm Ø ) The instructions don't seem to specifically mention the size for the shrouds but I found on Chuck's log mention of 0.021" line (0.53mm Ø) which is the third supplied line in the box
These equate to 1.7" 2.7" 3.2" circ line at full scale.
Chuck comments - No....you should use smaller rope to seize the .021 rope around the mast.  Use smaller .008 or .012 black for that.  The rope is .021 because Expo doesnt have anything else other than really large rope above that size.   My .025 brown line is perfect size for the shrouds.  But for the kit they have to supply only what they have available.
Chuck  
Chuck's 0.025" (0.63mm) line equates to 3.74" circ at full size.
 
W.E May's book The boats of men of war gives Steel's 1794 rigging table for boats, in relation to ship rates.
From this table I have calculated the rigging sizes for our model.
Not a direct correlation for a given size of Long- boat and Steel does not mention the use of Running Backstays in relation to Long-boat rigging.
 
Rigging item    size circ  scale mm Ø   line used.
Shrouds             3½"        0.59mm          0.63mm
deadeye             5" Ø       2.64mm           3mm
Lanyard             1½"         0.25mm         0.25mm (Morope)
B'stay pendant    2½"        0.42mm         0.45mm
B'stay tackles      1½"        0.25mm         0.20mm
Fore Stay            4"          0.67mm          0.63mm
Deadeye            5" Ø       2.64mm           3mm
Lanyard            1½"         0.25mm          0.25mm (Morope)
Halyard             1½"         0.25mm         0.20mm
Sheets              1½"         0.25mm         0.25mm (Morope)
Single block       6"           3.17mm          3mm
Topping Lift      1½"         0.25mm          0.30mm
Peak Halyard    1½"         0.25mm          0.30mm
Throat Halyard  1½"         0.25mm          0.30mm
Jib Halyard         2"          0.33mm          0.30mm
Jib outhauler      2½"        0.42mm         0.45mm
Single block       7"           3.7mm           3.50mm
Boat Rope         7½"         1.26mm         1.14mm
Grapnel rope     3½"        0.59mm          0.63mm
Painter              3½"        0.59mm         0.63mm
The line, blocks, and deadeyes, used in each case are Syren, except where otherwise noted.
 
The first item of rigging is the Topping lift for the Boom.
This is spliced around the Boom end taken up thro' the top block on the mast and down to belay on the aft s/b side  thwart pin.
The boom sheet runs between two blocks one on the boom the other seized to the iron horse. I used Morope 0.25mm line for this.

2626
The mast is quite slender and to avoid pulling it out of vertical when adjusting the lift and sheet lines I found it  useful to rig a temporary forestay to counter the pull of the sheet.
I have also rigged a temporary line to hold down the Gaff whilst rigging.

2635
I used 1/8" Syren blocks for the Topping lift and Peak Halyard lines, hooked to the masthead rather than seized.

2624
Peak Halyard secured to the Gaff.

2623
I used Boxwood Parrel trucks to rig the Gaff.

2627

2631
It is relaxing to be engaged with such a simple rig for a change.
 
B.E.

Thanks Martin, Limewood is really only of any use as  first planking on a double planked hull, for any sort of  finished wood items it is useless. Limewood dowel is also very suspect particularly in longer lengths, warping is a perennial problem. I do wish kit manufacturers would be more selective in the purposes for which it is provided.
Bowsprit iron re-fit
I realised that I had fitted the bowsprit ring at the stem at the wrong angle, pointing down rather than upwards as indicated on the Medway boat.
The original was a bit tight anyway so I took the opportunity to re-make the item with a slightly longer stem. Again I used silver solder to fabricate the ring.
2530
Deadeyes and Chainplates.
The supplied Deadeyes are of 3.86mm Ø which equates to a full scale of 7.29"Ø. By comparison the Topmast Deadeyes of a 14 gun sloop such as Pegasus are 7"Ø.
According to Steel the deadeyes for larger boats such as carried by ships of 110 - 64 guns were of 5" Ø =2.64mm at scale; and for below that (ie smaller Longboats) thimbles were listed.
As the Medway long boat model which is the basis of our model  had deadeyes I have decided to go with Chuck's Syren 3mm versions.
Chainplates
The instruction indicate the use of 28 gauge wire to make these.
For those who may not know, the higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire. 28 gauge is the thinnest of the kit supplied wire and equates on the AWG scale to  0.32mm Ø wire. In practice the kit wire is 0.40mm.
I formed them as suggested in the instructions but I silver soldered along the join as a more secure method. I also formed the Chainplates for the Shrouds with two eyes so that the deadeyes can be hooked into the plates as with the contemporary 'Medway' Longboat.
It took a bit of thinking about how to attach the hooks to the Deadeyes, and the best size of hooks to use to avoid an overscale look.
I finally settled on Syren 3mm brass etched hooks. 28 gauge wire was passed thro' the hook eye and secured with a spot of silver solder; the wire was then passed around the deadeye, nipped and secured with a spot of ca.

2513(2)
These were fiddly little things to make and the combined chainplate/ deadeye strop is certainly the easier option.
Still some fettlin' to do to finish them off.
Fairly straightforward to attach the chainplates to the hull, just need to ensure that the pins go into the frames to secure.

2527

2544

2555

2567
 
Just about ready for rigging now.
 
B.E.
 
 

Fitting out
With the spars completed the iron work for the Bowsprit is put into place.

4292
A little bit of fiddling to get the position right and give the Bowsprit a slight downward tilt. A shallow notch was cut into the first Thwart to assist a secure fix.

4274

4284

2377

4286

2418

2402

2413

2410

2371
Now back to the exterior to fabricate the deadeye chainplates.
 
B.E.
 

Many thanks to Al, Nils, Derek, and Mike for your interest and comments. 
Mast and spars.
I have not gone into further research regarding the mast dimensions, I will fine tune it by eye.
I divided the length from the thwart to the shoulder into quarters for the purpose of taper. From the plan 4mm at thwart, 3.6mm (1stQ) 3.5mm (2ndQ) 3.1mm (3rd Q) 2.5mm (Shoulder)
From the shoulder to mast cap; 2.2mm 2mm at centre, 1.8mm at truck.
A card gauge is used to monitor progress at the Quarters.

2236
The tapering was done on the Proxxon wood lathe.
 
Making of the Bowsprit, Gaff and Boom are fairly straightforward.

2237
The Gaff jaws were fashioned from some Boxwood sheet,  and it should be noted that the Boom is tapered each end from the centre where it thickens slightly.
Boom Iron
Always seeking the easy route I initially followed the kit instruction for making this; c.a. the ends and twist the extension to the horizontal before drilling the  hole for the Boom Gooseneck.

2238
This didn't work for me the c.a. failed to hold following the twist, so I reverted to silver soldering which achieved the objective.

2241

2246

2250
Trial fitting of the Boom iron.
The mast dowel takes some distress during the iron fitting process. Would have been better to use Boxwood for the spars I think.

2254
The completed iron set.
 
Mast colouring.
The problem with using the provided dowel is that getting a good finish using just varnish is tricky. Patchiness, uneven coverage, and strange over-scale grain patterns show thro'.
I found that sealing the dowel with matt varnish was necessary to seal the surface before applying my tinted varnish mix.
Several coats later with light in-between fine paper rub downs and I get the look I'm after.
So here's the completed masting set.

4297
The varnished parts were of a satin finish, and to complete they were coated with matt varnish.
 
B.E.
 

An inboard fitting and fiddlin' session.
To finish off the rudder I added the decorative panels. I had been waiting to get some Clear Self Adhesive Inkjet Sticker Label Film to print these out.

2084

2085
At only 70 microns thick it shows no edge profile and gives a good  impression of a painted on design.

0429
The lifting ring bolts are put into place and the mast support 'iron work' fabricated.

0453
I have now made a set of six oars and the Windlass Bars, and this basically completes the boat as fitted for rowing.
Regarding the Windlass Bars there doesn't seem to be any reference to the scale length of these items either on the plan or in the instruction book.
Had difficulty finding any reference to  bar length but I guess around five feet to provide satisfactory leverage.
Finally the Thole pins were added; I deviated from the kit arrangement by setting the boat up for double banked rowing which I think was the norm for Long-boats.

0434

0456

0475

02231

02228

0439
This has only been a seven week build to date altho' it feels much longer.
I now move onto the masting and rigging of this fine, if not at times troublesome little kit.
 
B.E.
 

Building the Rudder
As with the Pinnace model I have deviated from the kit arrangement for hanging the rudder.

As can be seen on the NMM model of the Medway Longboat, there are no cut outs in the rudder to take the pintles.
Lavery (Arming and Fitting) comments on this different approach to hanging the rudder on ships boats:
 
The rudder was hung on the sternpost by only two gudgeons and pintles. Unlike the rudder on a ship it was likely to be hung and unhung every time the boat was used and it needed to be easily removeable. The lower pintle was fitted to the sternpost rather than the rudder. It was very long and extended almost up to the waterline. The upper one was shorter and fitted to the rudder.

1898
A Boxwood replacement was made.
The fiddly bit with rudders is adding the straps for the gudgeons and pintles.

1959
I used thin brass strip chemically blackened for the straps indents were drilled into the surface to give a slight impression of nail heads.
Tape was used to guide the angles of the straps.
The process of attaching the straps inevitably marks the paintwork as can be seen in this photo.

1964
 The completed rudder.
 Work yet to do on the tiller, needs fining down some.
 

1969

1973
Moving back inboard now.
 
B.E.
 
 

Thanks Al and Steve; always a good idea to  re-do stuff Al if it bothers you, otherwise it will catch your eye and niggle away forever.
 
The thwarts are now fixed and some of the 'iron work' completed. Decided to take a short break from progressing the boat to consider.....
The question of oars
Chuck has fitted out the Longboat  as single banked, but my preference is towards a double banked arrangement.
I mention this because it will have a direct bearing on the length of the oars.
The kit provided oars are 125mm in length which scale to an overall length of 19'6"
With a double banked arrangement the oars are obviously shorter as they don't have to cross the boat to the Thole on the opposite side.
There is a formula for this:
Divide the span by 2, and then add 2 to this number. The result is called the “inboard loom length” of the oar. Multiply the loom length by 25, and then divide that number by 7. The result is the proper oar length in inches.
Our Longboat model has a breadth of 51mm which scales to a breadth between the tholes (the span) of 96.37"; applying the formula the length of 179.24" is given (14.9') - at 1:48 scale = 94.8mm.
 
Using Steel I calculated the requirements for the sections of the oar.
Section         L    scale equiv          Thickness
Handle         10"      5.29mm          0.85mm Ø
Loom           39"      20.63mm         Thick:  1.45mm
                                                    Depth: 1.72mm
Body            84"      44.45mm    
Blade           48"       25.40mm        Breadth.
                                                    Inner end: 0.73mm
                                                    Outer end: 2.91mm
                                                    Thickness
                                                    Inner end: 1.20mm
                                                    outer end:  0.26mm
.
Square section 1.80mm Boxwood  strip and 4.50mm x 1.25mm strip for the blades was used. A prototype is made up using these dimensions.

1904
The difference between the 'Single banked' oar length as per the kit, and the 'Double Banked' length as per the dimensions above can be seen.

1905
The oar length positioned on the boat looks good to my eye and I will make a set to those dimensions.
I don't think I will make a full set of 16 oars, maybe six for the purposes of display.
B.E.
 
 

Cheers Guy's, this next post will answer your question re the Windlass holes Jason.
 
Making a Boxwood Windlass
The kit instructions don't include any photo's detailing the making of a windlass. This is my approach.

1862
Using 4mm square stock the sections are marked off using my prototype as a guide.

1865
The octagonal center section is formed on a jig last used for mast making on Pegasus.
A scalpel is used to carefully shape the section.

1867
Chamfers are formed where the square sections meet the octagonal and end sections.

1871
Beyond the square section the ends are reduced to cylindrical section to form axles which slot into the mounting blocks.
This again done using Scalpel and needle files to finish the job.

1870
The end of a square section needle file is used to 'square up' the holes for the windlass bars. A tap with a light hammer forms the square.

1875
Having a vertical slot in the mounting block allows for easy  positioning the windlass. A small wooden plug will be added later to secure the windlass. 

1876

1880

1883
I can now fix the thwarts and attend to the paintwork and varnishing.
B.E.
 

Windlass.
I think this is better made and fitted before the thwarts are permanently fixed, more room to work with.

NMM model of Medway Longboat 1742.
 
Rather than just stick a pin in the end of the Windlass and engage it in a hole in the Risings I followed the arrangement of a reinforced slotted  block  as shown on the NMM versions. (see above)

1807
Windlass blocks being formed on the Mill.

1820
I firstly had to get the overall length of the Windlass as it would fit into the blocks before I went to the trouble of shaping the real thing.
This was very much a trial and error exercise.
In practice my Windlass worked out at 42mm o/a length as compared to the plan indicated length of 47mm.
The difference is accounted for by the thickness of the risings/reinforced mounting blocks and the inward curve of the hull.

1815
Using some 4mm square stock I firstly made a windlass of Beechwood  to practice my technique and fix the proper dimensions before I moved onto my precious Boxwood stock.
Beech is easy to carve, and is far better than Limewood at holding definition.
 

1816
So far so good, onto the proper version.
 
B.E.

Thanks mobbsie, had a couple of good days but came back before Storm Brian came in. Didn't fancy 17miles of road works and narrow lanes on the M6 in bad weather.
 
Thwarts n'all
I replaced the soft Limewood strip with Boxwood.
In considering the thwart dimensions I would suggest that the kit instructions be ignored as their dimensions are incorrect.
Go by the plans and have a look at Chuck's log of his build.
The plans show thwart widths of 4.5mm and 6.5mm (for the wider mast thwart) I cut this out of some wider stuff and shaped the central mast support section.

1732
Thwarts trial fitted but not finished.
As can be seen in the photo the process has resulted in some scuffing of the paint, but this is only a first coat.

1735

1733

1736
Still pondering whether to paint the stern sheets or leave them varnished, but I have decided to leave the thwarts in their natural state.

1822
Before the thwarts are fitted it is a good time to set the heel chock for the mast. I made mine from a bit of Boxwood stuff with a square cut mortise to take the mast heel.
Thwarts  one - three  from the bow can now be glued in position.
I will now leave the fitting of the remaining thwarts until I have made and fitted the Windlass.
 
B.E.

Cheers Bob and Jason, and for all the 'likes' 
Finishing the exterior.
The decoration along the sheer is applied using pva and a 0.8mm square Boxwood strip applied below it as the moulding.

1500
Matt varnish is then applied to the decorative strip to seal it.

1493
The hull down to the waterline is then coated with Ochre enhanced satin varnish of the water based kind.
Fairly happy with the treenailing effect along the hull, visible but not intrusive.
 
The stern decoration was a little more involved.
The kit provided patterns were far too large and would involve cutting away part of the design to fit.
I downloaded the patterns provided by Chuck and the smallest version fitted just fine.
I cropped and printed off several copies of this example on an A4 sheet to provide me with a few goes to get it right.

1494
As it happened the first  attempt went on just fine using pva.
The macro photo's reveal a little touching in is still required. A mixed blessing the macro lens, but at least it does act as an aid to failing eyes.

1495
The white border around the design was varnished over to match the hull.

1489
Not entirely sure I like the transom decoration, I think it has something to do with the greater depth and width of the transom on the kit model as compared to the NMM version.

The NMM model has finer lines, a narrower transom profile, and greater depth of stern post which all reduces the impact of the stern decoration, more proportional I suppose.
Fitting the rudder should help reduce the effect, something to ponder on awhile.
 
B.E.
 
 

Thanks Derek and Steve, you're not kidding Steve, one to torture yourself with.  but as I found with the Pinnace once past the planking part and into the detail,  I became happier with the build.
 
Thinking about the waterline.
I had decided to paint below the waterline as per the contemporary NMM models, but the process caused me trouble.
The waterline should run from the top of the stern post along to the stem, but I found getting this to look good ain't that easy.

1365
I fiddled around trying to get an even curve around the hull; I initially tried Tamiya tape for curves but it didn't seem to have much bite and kept falling off. I reverted to the usual yellow stuff which worked much better.

1370
So having achieved what I thought was a reasonable line matched each side it was time to bite the bullet.
For this model rather than use white paint I decided to try a new 'Light Ivory' offering from Admiralty paints.

1469
It has a less stark appearance than white and is perhaps more scale friendly.

1470
This paint does seem to have a slight sheen on it so I will flat it out with Matt Varnish.

1478

1479

1480
At this point I have also laid some paint down on the capping rails. As with the Pinnace this is a mix of paints to achieve a tone that is pleasing to my eye.
I am undecided as yet whether to paint the thwarts and cockpit seats red but this can wait.
My inclination is to dispense with painting the Caprail edges and moulding strips white, a little too fussy for my taste, but it will also relieve me of a tedious painting job.
Similarly a plain varnished edging to the Transom decoration will suit my eye better.
 
In the next post I will complete the exterior of the boat.
 
B.E.
 

Raising the Risings
This is a crucial part of fitting out the boat. The Risings support the thwarts, and if they are not level each side of the hull the thwarts will clearly not be horizontal, something that will be instantly be apparent and this will spoil the whole effect.
I have used the kit provided Limewood strip, but I have faced it with Boxwood which provides a smooth clean surface.
Note:
The kit instructions indicate use of 5/32" strip (3.97mm) but the plan shows a narrower width of 2.5mm.
I have gone with the wider stuff not least because of the Windlass fitting.

1457
A simple jig is used to mark the upper line of the Risings along the frames, and one side is glued into place. Once set the other side can be temporarily pegged into place along the adjacent line and temporary thwarts used to check the alignment.

1460
Satisfied with the second Rising position, it too is glued into place.

1464

1466(2)
The knee at the bow is pre-cut in the kit, but I replaced it with a Boxwood version. At this point I also added the locker front in the stern sheets.

1467
I forwent the pleasure of scribing decorative lines along the Risings, but they will be added to the Thwarts.
I will next be looking at the waterline.
B.E.
 

Cheers Martin, and thanks for the likes guys. 
Sand and check, sand and check, with the Longboat I resolved to reduce the frames to a finer profile than I did with the Pinnace, but the danger is that the finished job is quite fragile, and unlike the Pinnace there is no internal panelling to brace the hull, although there will still be the risers.

1339
I have now got the capping rail down to around 2.8mm  and it looks about right to my eye bearing in mind that the thole pins will need to be inserted.
 
The Footwalings are then put into place using Boxwood strip.

1338
For the stern and bow platforms a thin card template is used to get the fit and I then pva the Boxwood planks directly onto this, cut out the notches and the jobs done.

1347
I simulated nail heads in the footwalings by the use of yard brush bristles inserted into 0.5mm micro drill holes.

1349
The bow platform slopes to aft which is not really clear on the kit instruction photo's, but is apparent on the plan, and it needs to be low enough to allow the risers to pass over.

1354
At this point I also drilled micro holes (0.5mm) in the hull for the treenails. I will simulate these with coloured filler.
The hull exterior can then be cleaned up.
 
B.E.

Thank you Guys,
Moving on...
I used my etched micro saw blade in a scalpel handle to remove the bulkhead centres, mostly went well but a couple of frame extensions broke off above the sheer; easily fixed tho'.
For sanding down the frames I used my minicraft drill to remove the bulk of the material and continued with  sanding sticks.
The frame extensions are soft and I simply snipped them off above the sheer and then sanded smooth.
At this stage the hull feels quite fragile, and soft handling is a must.

1230
The cap rails I cut from some 1.5mm Boxwood sheet having made a card template.
These were then glued into place and the sanding process  begins.

1314

1328

1324
The sheer of the Longboat is evident in this shot.

1318
Chuck indicates that along the sheer the rail should be 3/32" or slightly wider or around 2.38mm overall. Thus far I have managed to get the rail width down to around 3.5mm, except for the flare at the bow, so I've a way to go. Similarly the frames are still a wip with more fining and finishing required.
 
The basic hull is now complete, which is a great relief, but I see a fair amount of time is still required to address the deficiencies in the finish before I move on.
Regards,
 
B.E.
 

Thanks for your support guys. 
Planking is now completed.
I planked alternatively from keel and Gunwale with the aim of getting the final strake  just below the waterline level.
1206

1207
Worked out fairly evenly along the hull for the final spiled plank.

1208
The final plank shape was marked on tape over the hull and transferred to a broader plank to cut out.
It was then a case of sanding/scraping by degrees to fit it along the hull.

1209
Final strips in place.

1210

1212
The hull now needs fine sanding and a little fettlin'  to fill any hairline cracks along the plank joints.
Relieved that this part of the build is completed, still not overjoyed with the planking, but it has turned out somewhat better than the Pinnace in that there is greater thickness of material left on the hull at this stage, just as well perhaps as the starting thickness was only 0.6mm.
 
I will now spend some time cleaning up the hull before I remove the bulkhead centres.
 
B.E.

Thank you Michael, kind of you to say so, but I was definitely thinking of my skills
 
Time to think about planking.
The kit provides Limewood planks of ⅛" strips which equates to 3.2mm. I will be using Boxwood strips of 3.4mm. The kit strips are of 1/32" thickness,( 0.79mm) my Boxwood stuff is a nominal 0.6mm.
I would have liked a tad thicker but the required lengths are fairly short, and they will (should) be fairly easy to manipulate.
I added the transom piece, but to provide more security I drilled and pinned this piece thro' into the False keel.

1123
The sheer line was marked off  on the bulkheads and a sheer line template made  to form the sheer on the top planking strip.

1126
There is not a lot of room for clamping the strips during glueing on this little model. I use an assortment of modified spring clips, modified clothes pegs, and mini bulldog clips.

1128
Not a lot of pressure is applied using these but it is sufficient providing the planks are properly  wet/heat  shaped to remove tension.
I use a good quality pure pva with a five minute grab.

1134
The first two strakes below the sheer  went on without problem, and these add greatly to the stability of the hull especially the transom board.

1131
I then turn my attention to the Garboard strakes. For these I use 4.5mm wide strip.

1141

1143

1139
Planking will now continue to completion.
 
B.E.
 

We continue to work... the cat is watching...

I asked here about these parts, not all models of the ships they are installed. The so-called "washers". Position "a", "b", "C" in figure 350.

The son mastered the techniques of marking drilling position! Successfully!