rafine

Thanks very much Grant. As to the "smart thinking", I chalk that up to the law of averages -- you can't be stupid all of the time.

Bob

Thanks so much Tim, Augie and Nigel. 

Tim, you've got it right . The tackle is made up , then attached and adjusted.

Augie, you've never been speechless.

Nigel, I know just what you mean. Unfortunately, I sometimes forget which needs to go first.

Bob

I think that you've got the process just right Mark, except that you left out the last step -- those last small pieces that you make will be combined into a really big piece.

Bob

As good as it looked while you were building it, the finished product looks that much better. A simply beautiful piece of work Rusty. Another proud addition to your collection.

Bob

Thanks Thomas. The cannon barrels are painted with what little I have left of my Pollyscale engine black (no longer available).

I've now completed another section of the quarterdeck framing. Before doing that, however, I had to do a chart of rigging sizes so that I could attach the main lower yard sheets to the bulwark cleats that would be inaccessible under the deck framing. The rope sizes were determined by using the tables and formulas set forth in Lees. Rather than using a spreadsheet, I chose to mark the sizes directly on copies of the sequential rigging drawings from the Essex AOTS. I then made a table to convert these sizes to correspond to the rigging line sizes available from Chuck. 

I then used the appropriate line size to do the sheets and ran them through the bulwark sheaves and attached them to the cleats. When this was done, I glued down the aft portion of the deck framing, which previously  had been left sitting loose. After that, I built two further deck sections off the model, installed them, added hanging knees to them and then filled in the open portions with lodging knees, ledges and carlings. The whole assembly was given an application of Wipe-on Poly.

The final portion of the quarterdeck framing will be done in conjunction with work on the pumps and mainmast bitts, which will be the next items of work.

Bob

Thanks Michael for the kind words about my Kingfisher. I did Halifax before I ever heard of MSW and so had no log and no pictures of the build progress. I have found a couple of photos of the completed model ( I don't have the model any longer), and am attaching them here.

Bob

Thanks Terry for the kind words. I second the suggestions that you contact ME directly about replacement parts. I've heard nothing new on that front.

Bob

Nice work Michael. I built this kit some years ago and it was a fun and easy intro to POF building. Some tape on the keel will save a lot of worry about damage during fairing.

Bob

Enough of that outdoors Augie. Time to be back at the important stuff.

Bob

Nigel, your hull construction takes this aspect to a new level. Beautiful work.

Bob

Thanks for looking in Evan, and for your generous comments.

Bob

Thanks very much Martin, although I can hardly lay claim to any photographic skills.

Bob

Thanks so much, Patrick and Sjors. Always appreciated.

Bob

Thanks very much Tim. The gun barrels are painted, not blackened. The Birchwood Casey that I use to blacken doesn't work on the white metal.

Bob

Thanks so much Gary, B.E. and the "likes".

Gary, the blocks are 1/8" (3mm). They appear smaller than kit blocks of the same nominal size, probably because of their shaping and their smaller width. They are beautifully made and a pleasure to work with.

Tedium may have it's rewards B.E., but I want no part of any model that has more guns than this one, particularly at a small scale.

Bob

Another small, but tedious, step forward. The next batch of guns have been made up, mounted and rigged. I also added some more deck ringbolts. As with the prior gun batches, these were done with the kit barrels, modified Lumberyard carriage kits and blocks and rigging line from Chuck. I have one last batch of 8 guns left to do, but these will wait for a while.

Next up will be work on the pumps and the bitts for the main mast, as well as the remaining framing for the quarterdeck. I'm also working on the sizing of the various rigging lines, so that I can add the lines that need to be belayed before their attachment points become inaccessible because of the deck framing.

Bob

It's looking really good Gary. I like that companionway. It looks right.

Bob

Your usual superb work Remco.

Bob

Thanks so much Tim. I'm sorry for the late reply. Good luck with ME on the Essex.

Bob

Nigel, I love your innovative and imaginative way of building up the hull. The results speak for themselves.

Bob

Really nice job on the crows feet Sjors. I have found them to be difficult and a pain.

Bob

It's great to have you back Pete. This is a wonderful model. Are you finishing her and what has become of Fair American?

Bob

Thanks B.E. You're much too kind. I'm just trying to climb the bar that you set with each new piece of work.

Pricey perhaps, Tim, but in my opinion well worth it.

Bob

Rich, the steps were not pinned.

Tim, I don't know whether ME has made the necessary corrections to the kit yet, or what they are sending out now. I would inquire if I were you. I ,like a number of others on this site, get my wood from Hobbymill. There is a link to the website on this  site.

Bob

Tim, with some limited exceptions ( the laser cut gratings, window frames, transom, rudder and stem), all visible wood has been, and will be, replaced with boxwood, holly and some pear. The lower hull (covered in copper) was planked with kit basswood. The framing was done with kit plywood parts and basswood.

Bob