Chuck

I would be so lucky to have it come out like that Greg. Yes I did add more columns...I figured why not!! I would only regret it later. I will also embellish the railing along the quarter deck a bit more. I am taking bits of detail from another original draft used for "FLY".

Here you go but the details are ver hatd to see..

I just used a sanding stick for the bevels with a fine grit. Slow and steady. I have graciously laser cut a spare set of the center panels for folks just in case. These are too tiny to use a disc sander so its all about hand control. No silver bullet for these as far as I know. The only trick I know is to not make the top layer too thick. Most folks use pieces way too thick and it looks chunky and out of scale. Even with this .025 layer I still sanded them even thinner once they were glued in position.

Yes for the most part. This project is almost entirely made of laser cut parts. Almost every part. So far aside from the hull planking and deck planking everything is is a laser cut part. There may be a few odd strips of wood here and there. I thought the Winnie had a lot of parts but this certainly has it beat. It is by no means an assembly project though. This isnt a Lego set. Each piece needs to be cleaned of char and shaped in some way, shape or form. For example with this bulkhead, It starts as two layers like the bench lockers. The top layer has etched reference lines to help you with other parts later. The lower layer is 3/64" thick. Dont sand anting off the thicker lower layer. There is no need to sand the char off any edge. In fact that would be bad. But the top layer is just .025 thick. The edges inside the windows and panel openings must be filed clean of char with a light touch. I used a flat needle file and a very light touch. It will be painted but it is best cleaned up somewhat. The right side has its top layer glued in position after cleaning the char from the edges of the two openings. Dont worry about the extreme outside edges of the top layer. Dont sand that char away as you want it exactly the same size and shape as the bottom layer when you glue them together. Once the two top layers are cleaned and glued in position, hopefully you havent thrown away the center squares for the paneling. These are then sanded and beveled on all four sides to make the raised center panels. A very gradual long bevel is needed to make it look good. This makes the beveled area wider. Try and keep it a consistent width all the way around. Remember this layer is just .025 thick. I used a sanding stick with 320 grit for this. Two of the panels are done in this photo and two more to go. The straps in what will become the doorway are very important in this design. This keeps both sides at the perfect distance apart. This will allow us to put the curved top pieces on later without worrying that your door opening is too wide or too narrow. If that were the case, those top pieces would never fit. We will be cutting those away later after the bulkhead is securely glued in position. At this stage, you should take it to the model for a test fit. Depending on where your beam is in relation to the aft platform under it, everyone's model will be slightly different even with the most careful measuring throughout the project. It also depends on how much you faired the frames inboard!! So the bulkhead at this point is slightly longer and higher than you will hopefully need. So at this stage, you must slowly sand each end so it fits snug against the inboard bulwarks. Holding it at an angle so you can test fit the side against the bulwarks. Once you get a good fit on one side you can repeat this on the other side. Keep doing this until it fits snug against the top beam and against the lip on the bottom beam. Slow and steady is the name of the game here. Only sand off the slightest amount working both sides until this bulkhead fits in position. You can see how nice it fits on the starboard side below. Then direct your attention to the top and bottom of the bulkhead. The top edge should be flush with the top of the beam. So rather than just sand the top down flush...its better to take a bit from the bottom and a bit off the top. Depending on your model this might be a lot or maybe none at all. There are so many variables. But hopefully I have accounted for them all in my design. The door is also shown in this photo. It has two layers and a panel also. But we wont be adding it until much later. But you can glue the outside layer and panel in position. Now that you have a great fit...its time to paint the forward side red. Not the aft side!! Then we can start adding the column parts. They all need to be sanded and filed clean. Gentle here folks. Dont over sand. Use a very fine grit. A sanding stick works great here. The base of the columns are all added first. NOTE: These are glued on with 3/64" of space below them. That is for the gun deck planking much later on. Dont place these against the bottom edge of the patform. There is a laser etched line for reference so you dont forget. That is followed by the column itself after removing the char from the sides. The top of the column goes in next. Below you can see each column at a various stage. The base and tops are also filed to clean up the laser cut grooves a bit. Especially the sides of these pieces. Its exactly like we did for the transom columns. Once all the columns are done, there is a laser cut molding on the top of the bulkhead between the columns. Each length needs to be rounded off on top and bottom. Just on the forward side. Then if you want to, you can bevel the entire length of each molding so the bottom comes almost to a point. Do this on the back side. Making it a pie shape in profile… It will look nicer and add dimension. But this is optional because its a pain in the A.. Any bit of the columns that stick up along the top can be sanded flush with the top of the bulkhead. I made the column tops extra long just in case. Use the laser reference lines for placement as a guide only. Yours maybe different depending on how tall your bulkhead actually is. But it should be pretty close. Then lastly...laser cut window frames are inserted into the reverse side. You will see a nice lip formed by the two layers and these will fit really nice inside each opening. That is followed up with a laser cut sheet of acetate for the window glass. And so far that is as far as I got. But this is a main focal point of the model so take your time and be as neat as possible. We will glue it into position now...the beam is glued in first and then the bulkhead. Nice and secure top and bottom. You can see where we will cut away the deck beam in the doorway as well as the strips that kept the bulkhead properly distanced for the door opening. But we have a couple more things to do on the aft side of this bulkhead before we can cut away those pieces.

Design prototype for the fancy bulkhead....version 4b and counting. I really dont want to build version 5. But its getting close. This one is so close..... Chuck

Thank you guys for the kind words.

Working steady now on the model which is good. I doing this while laser cutting parts for those first two chapters. The lower bulkhead against the aft platform was next. This is pretty easy and straight forward. But before I can get to work on that I have to add the gun deck clamps for the beams. There are many ways to find the height for the deck clamp. But I chose to create another template. Its just easier for me. And I hope for you as well. Place it on the model with some tape. The top edge of the template under that inboard shear plank. Then trace along the bottom edge of the template to mark the TOP of the deck clamp. The deck clamp is made using two lengths of 1/4 x 1/16 cedar strips. Just follow the line you made. The top of the strips against your line. This chapter will come supplied with a few gun deck beams. You can see I cleaned the char off one in that same photo. I cut it to length and test fit it in position. It should slide right up against the great cabin planking. Hopefully you have the height of your deck clamps equal on both sides so you dont have a sloped deck beam... I have that beam sitting on the side while I take the two pieces that are laser cut for the lower bulkhead. Its all etched and ready to go. You just have to clean any char and tweak its shape a bit. You want to get a pretty good tight fit against the bulwarks on each side. But remember you will have a gap where the inboard planking would have been. Thats fine. So you have some leeway here. The inboard edge of each bulkhead should be flush with the opening for the stairs. You can see this in the photo below while giving it a test fit. I applied some finish to each piece before gluing it in position. One note however. Continue to test fit both sides of the bulkhead....with the beam in position. You will see that after tweaking its shape that it sticks up beyond the deck beam. That is by design...so leave that as is. You may have to adjust as needed on your model depending on how far apart your platforms are. But this small lip will be important later when we add the next bulkhead on top of that beam. That next fancy bulkhead is my next project. The plan fits really good so now I just have to spend the next couple of weeks turning this bulkhead into parts that look convincing. Its a major focal point for the model so I will spend a lot of time getting the details and design just right. Hopefully. That first quarter deck beam is not glued in position yet. Its just there to help me plan out my next moves for this bulkhead. The windows and door will be a challenge for sure. But I am eager to get started.

Oh and I almost forgot...I am sooo close to completing the first dozen chapter sets of parts. I am guessing a couple of weeks at best. The printed plans for those chapters have arrived and I only have a few more sets of parts to laser cut. Chuck

I have completed the bench lockers and rudder trunk. This finishes up the inboard side of the transom nicely I think. I have taken many step by step photos but rather than go through the whole process here are some pictures. Its pretty self explanatory actually. The panels are made in two layers of .025 Yellow Cedar for the benches and rudder trunk. Then its just a matter of shaping them to fit snug and neat in position. You want a tight fir against the planked sides of the cabin. Small lengths of 24 gauge black wire was use for the benchtop lids. Some laser etching showed where they go. To finish it all up I added that aft-most beam permanently and also the framed for the rudder. Everything s laser cut for you...even the planking for the inside portion of the counter. The sides of the rudder trunk panels were beveled so they could be fit together with a tight mitered seam between them. I have not added wipe on poly yet. I want to do a bit of clean up and repainting where thing got scuffed up a bit. But I expect it will clean up OK. And I have already cleaned the inside of the windows as well. It will get harder to do that now that this detail was completed.

I will follow with interest....looking forward to your updates. Enjoy the project.

An excellent start...I eagerly await your progress updates.

I bought a case of metal cans with a screw top. It cost me $15. They are the size of a can of peanuts give or take. Folks use them to make candles or to store candy and other stuff. Got them on Etsy. I thought I would need many and I would wreck them after a while but this is still the first one after about 6 years. Chuck

Yes…i dont want to go too bright this time. Its the same red but then toned down with a thin wash on top. Of Burnt umber actually. It gives it a bit of character. I want to try something new…a bright shiny perfect model is starting to look a bit sterile to my eyes lately. So I am working the surface a bit. We shall see if it succeeds or fails miserably. Once the hull is almost complete I will do the same all over to establish the look I am shooting for. I am somewhat inspired by the crustiness and grime on the contemporary model.

Thanks Mike. I am working on it a lot lately. Mostly because I lack the wood to make many parts that are now out of stock. So as I get more I will be busy with inventory. So while I wait... I managed to get the transom beam in position. Much like the Winchelsea, it was made in layers to simplify it. These are all laser cut. But slightly longer than needed just in case. They were pre-bent in a jig set up. This is crucial. I used some scrap 3/16 x 3/16 wood under the center to bend it. I just clamped the end and then blasted it with the hair dryer on super hot. Note the wood scraps on the ends too. This protects the ends from denting and other damage. All of the layers are done like this. Using the 3/16" x 3/16 strip makes the perfect bend we need.. Testing it in place. Layer one. Not glued in yet. but pretty tight. Then repeat with layer two on top. No need to bevel the back edge. Just slide it against the stern frames. Then glue the top layer onto the bottom one while on the model. I found that helpful. You will be able to remove the whole thing because the bottom layer isnt glued in. This way you can sand it a bit if needed and clean it up. Testing the transom beam with the other six. They should be the same height and a test with a strip of wood confirms this. The deck planking will lay nicely on top. To finish off the transom beam, you can glue the final 3/64" thick layer on the top. This one will show so take your time cleaning it up. The back side was beveled to sit flash against the stern frames. The same was done on each end against the bulwarks so I got a tight fit. One of the red arrows shows this top layer. Note that it is narrower and leaves a nice rabbet on the forward side to accept the qdeck planking. The other red arrow shows a laser cut filler on the 3/64" thick. This is glued to the bulwarks and will be important in the next step. And finally...the iron straps are added. These are laser cut on black laser board. Each iron strap is in two pieces. One on the beam and the other curved section on the deck clamp. These will hardly be seen. In fact I think they are mostly covered later...what a pity. Next up was the planked inboard side of the transom. This is laser cut in one piece with etched lines to show the planking. Just bevel the sides for a tight fit. Also bevel the bottom edge as well. This was actually pre-bent in that same jig set up to establish the curve. It worked great. Use the 3/16" x 3/16" strip in the center like before. Once I got a tight fit I removed it and painted it red before gluing it in permanently. This helps me keep a crisp edge on the bottom with no sloppy paintwork. Then glue it in... The top of this area was prepared next. It is laser cut in a way that the grain makes it super easy to bend. So no jigs are needed. In fact be careful as it is delicate. The top is done in two halves. I have given folks and extra set just in case. There are notched for the stern frames. They are laser cut smaller than needed so you will need to enlarge them to fit tightly around the stern frames. The back edge was also beveled so it fit nice and tight. Then repeat with the other side. Note how the top is flush or nearly flush with the cap rail. Then a front mold piece finished it all up. Sanded to fit tightly and all prepared for painting. It is also 3/64" thick. Then its all painted and cleaned up...once the paint work is tidied up, this really finishes off the inboard side of the transom well. Next up I remove those six qdeck beams once again and start work on the locker benches and rudder trunk.

Probably too coarse(I use 320 grit)....but more than anything you are not gluing up those layers securely with enough glue...and or not waiting long enough for the layers to completely dry. Dont be afraid to use enough glue. In my case usually CA. A drop on each area needed to be secured. And I tumble at the highest speed in my tumbler...3000 RPM. Note how my tumbler is home made and very simple. No wood flapper and instead just a few sheets of 320 grit which are very flexible yet stiff enough to do the job. the center shaft is also simple…a wooden stick (cherry) with a slit in it to accept the sandpaper. Like a tuning fork of sorts with some cross strips in the center to prevent splitting. This thing gets a ton of use and does the trick beautifully without any broken bits afterwards.

Looking good so far!! Have fun with the project.

Its all mainly Alaskan Yellow Cedar. Real premium stuff however which is clear A grade with little to no grain visible. in Europe it can be sourced at Hobbymill.eu. Great place to get wood. They have AYC and other woods. In the US it is available at ModelersSawmill.com

Simply beautiful work...just outstanding!!

Lovely work.

Nicely done. Yes its all fiddly bits from this point. But I am sure you will enjoy it.

Its not difficult. The hull flexes a bit initially. You dont need much. As long as the beams arent cut too long it a piece of cake. They slip right in and dont move…a good fit actually. Having said that...for those who might have some trouble, you can absolutely add another layer. Adding another strip of say 1/8 x 1/32 cedar following the bottom of the notches would be fine. I did not find the need to do that however.

Thanks Rusty... Just a small update... Now that the aft platforms are completed it made sense to plank the great cabin next. First thing to do was add the laser cut deck clamps. These have notches cut for the qdeck beams. You can see the deck clamp added below. The aft side needs to be beveled to fit flush against the transom. The forward side is left a bit long so you can trim it to fit neatly in place. That forward-most beam notch is a bit longer to give us some wiggle room later for the placement of that beam. In addition before gluing it in...you must shape where the qbadge window is. Sand the shape into the bottom edge of the deck clamp as shown. Because it could be in a slightly different position model-to-model, this detail is not laser cut into the deck clamp. NOTE the red arrow. The bottom of the notch in the clamp should be even with the top of the window or even slightly higher. But it should not be below the top edge of the windows. If it is, you should make adjustments before gluing it onto the model. In addition, the bottom of these beam notches should NOT be altered. However, when you test fit the beams and find you need to make adjustments, you can absolutely enlarge the notches on the sides and top for a better fit. Just carefully chisel out some of the deck clamp or the planking above it to accommodate your beams. Next we will plank the inboard side of the great cabin. I am sure most of you could do this without any issues, but to help make it easier, there is a template on the plans. See below. This should make it easier to cut each strake with the appropriate tapers. There are six strakes. I highly recommend that these planks be cut from a 3/64" sheet as they are somewhat wide at the stern. Plus they are pretty much all drawn out for you. I will also add that you may have to make small adjustments because depending on where you aft platform ended up , you may have a slightly different area of space. Adjust the template accordingly and cut your planks to fit. Again they are 3/64" thick. Below shows the cabin planked inboard. I carefully cut around that window and did simulate caulking for the plank seams. I just used full length planks rather than show any possible butt joints. They wont be seen anyway. Note the forward edge of the planking runs down the FORWARD edge of the hull frame. Keep the forward esge nice and neat right down the edge of that hull frame. You might see some laser cut qdeck beams in that picture as well. They are just laying on the lower platform. Although we wont be adding them just yet, it will be to our benefit to have them handy while we do the next steps of fitting out the cabin benches and rudder trunk details. The laser char was removed from the deck beams and they were cut to length. It takes some practice on the first few to get the length correct so they sit nicely in those notches. But dont throw it away if you cut it too short. Just use it for the next shorter beam and work from the forward side aft when doing this. Test fitting the qdeck beams....none are glued in as I mentioned. Note the extra space on the first beam at the deck clamp notch. This will let us move it around where needed when we start work on the bulkheads there. If any of you are having a problem slipping the beams into those notches, you could easily add another strip of say 1/8 x 1/32 cedar following the bottom of the notches and it would be fine. I did not find the need to do that however. But you might find it easier if there was a second layer that stood proud of the planking a bit to rest your beams on. Builder's choice...

It looks like you have some adjustments to make....the hair brackets are not positioned correctly. In addition the stem needs some trimming and then it will all be OK.

I finished up the aft platforms... They were both planked with the scuttle lids being finished as described earlier. But then two upright timbers were cut to length (3/16 x 3/16) and placed on both sides of the open hatchway. This gives it more support so you can Carefully cut away the beam between them. It will look like the pic below when done. Then you can make the short ladder that goes in that opening between platforms. This is typical and laser cut for you. The only difference is that this ladder is tilted or skewed sideways. Its an interesting detail. The reason for this will become clear when we start building out all of the cabins. There is a small square with the angle you will need for this ladder on the plans. See below. This is what it looks like in position. Brutal close-ups... Then I figured it would be fun to build and install the shot lockers. All pieces are laser cut. The sides were glued on top of the back piece first. They were placed at right angles neatly. Then the front is added...which is shorter and has laser etched plank details. Next comes the top piece. This was laser cut a bit wider than needed for wiggle room. It was glued on top and then the back side was sanded flush where the top hung over the edge. The lids were also prepared. It is one piece with some laser etched details. Basically you have to bevel the top and bottom edges. Quite a bit as you can see. Here the lid piece was added. It has etched reference marks for the hinges. The hinges are laser board and added the same way we did them for the fire hearth. The top and bottom halves of the hinge are separate pieces. They are glued on first. Then to finish them up a small length of 24 gauge black wire was used to simulate the hinge pins between them. And finally added to the model...you may have to adjust the height of the shot locker AS you are building it. It all depends on whether or not you placed the height of the aft platform differently. Maybe you placed the platform lower and thus your shot locker may have to be shorter. Measure twice and cut once sort of thing...its so important to get the platform heights correct. But if you didnt, thats OK...just do some problem solving and with some adjustments you will be just fine. I would even go as far to suggest that you test the back piece in position before you assemble the shot locker. Then you will know if its too tall or short and you can adjust accordingly.

That looks pretty darned good to my eye. Its an exceptional build. Chuck