rafine

Thanks so much Hamilton and the "likes". Your support is always appreciated.

Bob

Good luck and a vacuum Grant.   

Bob 

Thanks for the vote of confidence Ken. My guess is that we're in the majority in the housekeeping department -- at least I'd like to think so.

Bob

However many coats of paint you end up with, it will look great -- it already looks great.

Bob

Thanks Nils. I'm just trying to keep up with you in the details.

Thanks Nigel. You're so right about getting by the guns. Interesting choice to go with no guns on Mordaunt. I have no doubt that it will look great.

Thanks Grant. Funny that you should mention housekeeping. My wife thinks that I'm the biggest slob in the world -- the attached current photo of my workspace may just prove her right. or ?

Bob

Work on the forecastle is now proceeding. First up was to plank the small bit of inner bulwark with boxwood. After that, I proceeded to do the hances and cap rail. For the hances, I again used the laser cut kit pieces for the carved end and fitted them to the rails which were cut from boxwood sheet, using card stock templates. 

As I generally do, the rail assemblies were prepainted black on the edges before mounting to avoid the need for masking. The rail tops were painted in place.  BTW, I am not among the 10 -20 coat painters. For better or worse, I am satisfied with 4-5 coats, particularly with black.

After the rails were done, I made the galley stove stack and the forecastle barricade and belfry. The stack was made from styrene tube with wire handles. The barricade and belfry were made from boxwood, with the exception of using the laser cut rail piece from the kit, because it had the square openings for the stanchions cut into it, and I used two shaped stanchions that I had on hand to support the belfry itself. The bell is a brass piece that I had on hand.

I'm now moving on to the remaining forecastle work.

Bob

I don't know if I could have made the choice you did to scrap Ver. 1.0, but I admire you for it . Ver. 2.0 seems off to a great start. Go for it!

Bob

I'll join the first time responders to your log with another "wow". That is some beautiful work that you've done Kevin. The port lids are something special.

Bob

That looks just great Nils.

Bob

Thanks Sjors. The temperature outside is hot as hell -- thankfully, there is air conditioning inside.

Bob

Thanks very much Thomas and Martin and the "likes".

bob

Thanks so much Ken, Mark, Alistair and Rusty. You guys are much too kind (but please don't stop      ).

Bob

Thanks to all for the very generous comments and the"likes". Your interest is much appreciated.

Bob

The quarterdeck is now complete. I made and installed the ladder way ladder and railing, the upper main capstan, the mizzen topsail sheet bitts and the wheel.

The ladder is boxwood. For the rail, I used some brass stanchions that I had on hand, rather than the PE brass parts from the kit. The PE parts, although nicely done, just seemed too small in cross section and the stanchions I had appeared more appropriate to me. The railing is black wire.

The upper main capstan is boxwood and is smaller than the previously made lower main and jeer capstans. Making and fitting the chocks between the whelps was as fiddly as it gets. I added the pawls from boxwood painted black.

The bitts are boxwood with simulated sheaves, done just like the previously done fore and main bitts.

The wheel uses the kit cast metal parts for the two wheels, with boxwood supports. The wheel rigging enters the deck through strips of boxwood. I had wanted to use wooden wheels, but felt unable to make them without the appropriate tools, and I was unable to locate any of a correct size and appearance after a search of various sites on the web. I've tried to paint the metal wheels to match the boxwood on the model.

Next, I'm moving forward to complete work on the forecastle.

Bob

Really nicely done Michael. Everything looks very crisp and clean. Good call on making the pump handles from wood..

Bob

Your usual beautiful work Rusty.

Bob

Thomas, I think they look great just as they are now. No further improvement needed.

Bob

It's looking really good Michael.

Bob

Thanks Michael, Tim, Sjors and Dirk.

Michael,I'm getting the sizes for all my rigging on this build from the formulae in Lees, "Masting and Rigging".

Tim, the carriages are pear, from laser cut kits from the Lumberyard.

Sjors, the rings are brass rings that I glued to the barrels with medium viscosity CA.

Bob

I've made, installed and rigged the four guns that I'm mounting on the quarterdeck. Once again, I used the cast kit gun barrels and modified Lumberyard pear gun carriages. The barrels were filed, the bores drilled out and brass rings added for the breach rope. The blocks and rigging line were again from Chuck.

I also added the belaying pins to the various pin rails after blackening the brass pins from the kit. Lastly, I added the eyebolts at the base of the main and mizzen masts. The remaining quarterdeck items are the upper main capstan, the ladder and railing at the ladder way, the mizzen topsail sheet bitts and the wheel assembly. These will all be done next.

Bob

Thanks so much Scott.

Bob

Thanks so much Thomas. I've been missing seeing updates to your log.

Barehook, I use Elmer's carpenter glue for all of the wood to wood joints. For metal to wood joints, including anywhere where a part is pinned to a wood surface, I use medium viscosity CA. The key is to completely remove any excess glue before it cures.

Bob 

Moving along. The cap rails on the quarterdeck bulwarks and transom have been made from boxwood and installed. They are painted black. After doing the cap rails, I also made and installed the small pieces of rail that go above the hances. Since these pieces are in a precarious spot during further work, I put a pin through the rail and stanchion and into the rail below. The last item I did was to make and install the stern davits. These are boxwood and have the same simulated sheaves that I have used previously on this build.

The next work will be the guns and other deck fittings and furniture on the quarterdeck.

Bob 

It looks better than "acceptable " to me Rusty. Well done.

Bob

Thanks Tim. I'm looking forward to seeing you resume your builds.

Bob