KeithAug

Thank you the twins!
Druxey - thank you and complements of the season to you and yours.
Thank you Glen - I hope you had a wonderful Christmas.
Hopefully Andy. Because she is with her alternate grandparents in Lyme Regis she won't be getting it until 1st January when we go to "sit on" the Grandchildren before they return to school / nursery.
 
Anyway back to the main event and a start on reporting the few jobs that I managed in parallel with the dolls house build.
 
I tried both versions of your suggestions for cutting out the gingerbread. The reverse blade method worked but I found it a bit slow so I glued the 2 sheets of brass together with double sided tape and attached them to a third sheet of 1/16" plywood. This worked well. The cutting was somewhat quicker than the reverse blade method but still slow enough to provide an acceptable degree of control. "Somewhat quicker" is a relative term as it took me ages to work my way around all those nooks and crannies.
 
The length of the decoration was circa 7" and my jewellers saw only has a 3" throat so I has to make the decoration in 3 pieces. The next photo is part way through the first piece, and features the first broken blade.
And here is the first piece completed.

And then the second piece - sawing completed but still mounted on the backing plywood.

Then separated, using white spirit to dissolve the double sided tape.

I then applied a first coat of metal paint to start building the thickness.

I also started building up the prow decoration.
The scroll was turned and glued in place.

Next i turned the elongated "bead" before shaping it and attaching it to a piece of 1/32" ply.

The next photo shows it temporarily in position with a couple of extra bits of carving also in place. The 4 beads in front of the scroll are .04" ball bearings.

I have still much to do in this area to reproduce the finished article and of course much of it will be painted gold.
 
I'll catch up a bit more before the New Year.
 
 

Magnificent Valeriy.
Happy new year, I hope 2025 brings happier times.

Magnificent Valeriy.
Happy new year, I hope 2025 brings happier times.

Magnificent Valeriy.
Happy new year, I hope 2025 brings happier times.

I welcome everyone to the new year!  
Installation of cargo handling equipment for holds No. 1 and No. 2

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

Nor are the jaws perfectly aligned, which makes them pretty useless. I have bought on line and from reputable modelling suppliers but both sources have by en large failed. I think jewellers may be a better source.

Excellent work Hakan. Pity about the rework but we all suffer from it.

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

I have to agree with Keith that she in now looking pretty damn good John. 

Excellent work Hakan. Pity about the rework but we all suffer from it.

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

Excellent work Hakan. Pity about the rework but we all suffer from it.

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

Still catching up the post with work completed pre Christmas.
 
I finished the various bits of decoration.

 
I put on a second coat of metal paint and left it for a couple of days before overpainting with Vallejo gold paint. The under-paint turned out to be still a bit soft when I applied the gold which fortuitously produced a textured finish which I felt was better than a smooth finish.

The decoration was quite flimsy and this allowed it to be easily contoured to the hull. I held the decoration against the hull with an elastic band and a plank and then dripped CA glue into space around the decoration to permanently attach it.

I've been a bit slack in posting updates over the holidays, but the 'Duchess' has been quietly progressing in front of admiring holiday crowds at the museum. It always worries me that the unprotected model is very close to the public, unlike on the dedicated model makers' desk which was intentionally built wide, but I never have to worry about the kids touching the model - just (occasionally) their parents.
 
As you can see, the standing rigging is finally nearing completion (sans ratlines), with only a few more stays on the jigger and the mizzen spreaders to do. I'm now changing my focus to the sails and will hopefully play with the first sail - the flying jib - for a bit on Friday.
 
John
 

Things have been moving ahead a little faster than I expected as most of the corrections on deck have now been made, so I've been able to concentrate more on the standing rigging.  I'm now back to the main mast and currently working on the royal rigging, so almost finished there. You can also see additional coils hanging over the side indicating that the lower halliard fittings are in and ready for the yards.
 
The fore spreaders are also now fitted. I always fit the spreaders after the rigging is done, as the very slightest alteration in angle of any of the upper backstays throws the spreader alignment off, so better to fit the spreader to the actual rigging than the other way around.
 
You will also see a clothes peg hanging on the main topmast stay near the deck. This is as a result of a self-inflicted disaster when I tried to trim a loose end down near the foremast base and slipped, slicing neatly through one leg of the stay! 🥵🥵🥵 I think it will be OK but will see tomorrow when I try to complete the repair.
 
John
 

Thanks very much Gary... working on the rudders now!

Very nice progress - she's looking great!
 
Gary

I am now at the point where I can drill holes into the hull... besides the various pump and engine discharges I need openings for the fairleads, hawse and portholes.
Following that and while waiting for my order from Cornwall Model Boats (the postal strike is over, at least for the time being!) I will be installing various fittings around the outside edges of the decks, and building the rudders (two of them, St. Roch carried a spare on deck).
 
The main wale, also referred to as the rub rail, can't be installed until the portholes and chain plates are on since the rail overlaps parts of them. Bottom line is it may be a while before my next update, so I will leave you with some pictures of St. Roch as she is today.
 
Thanks everyone for looking in and for your comments and critiques!
 

As Alan said, tight bends require lamination, or they can be cut to shape from a solid piece of wood.

I was told to laminate tight bends with multiple thin strips.
Make the pieces wider because they will wander. Steam and bend them as an assembly without glue. Allow for spring back. When dry, glue them together and clamp. When cured, sand the edges to proper width then assemble on the model.