Chuck

I am resting....I am just playing in the shop. Its when I have to make tons of parts that I get worn out. I am just drafting some designs and solving some problems on the computer. Its all good. No inventory is being made today for sure. Just a leisure slow day in the shop sipping tea. Chuck

They do offer a darker brown in this material but I selected this medium color for the test. I think I am going to have to replace all the deadeyes on my Winnie now. The dyed deadeyes on the main channel look so muddy and non-descript by comparison. Or maybe I should test the darker brown as well. Anyway... The details are so much more evident on these new deadeyes. I will certainly go ahead and make a full compliment of these and blocks also for my Speedwell. I will only start mass producing though if there is enough interest. I hope so as I think these look so much better than the old ones.

Thanks for the well wishes… would you guys be interested in dark brown deadeyes that dont require dying? These are just like my current build them yourself deadeye kits. 3mm thru 7mm There are just two layers for each deadeye. Just glue the two halves together for seven deadeyes at a time with thin set CA and remove them from the spru. Then tumble them to suit . They are super crisp. I like how Greg dyed my blocks on Speedwell and I am trying to develop a full line of blocks and deadeyes that dont require messy dying. I want to use them on my Speedwell when I rig her. Here is Gregs model with deadeyes dyed with Fibings dark brown.

Yes I agree. In fact, The Admiral has given me orders so I dont get pneumonia. She has ordered me to shut down the store for at least a week or maybe two so I can get well and restock slowly. She is a smart lady. So unfortunately guys...forgive me for shutting down again. I have nothing in stock anyway so it will give me some time to catch up. But not for a few days at least. I need a few days to get better. It really knocks the hell out of you. Chuck

Well I am not up to making rope or making parts like the factory is going full tilt. So I am just poking around the shop playing and then taking a nap and repeating to take more nyquil. Its amazing how creative you get while high on Nyquil. I am in a haze of creativity. i am literally completely out of stock with rope and blocks so the next few weeks are going suck. I am already tired and I havent started making more yet. So I apologize for the delay. Its gonna take a while.

More experiments making blocks and deadeyes with new mystery material. No laser char. I call the ebony deadeyes and blocks...."Febony" as they are not real ebony but its impossible to tell really. The blocks and deadeyes are made from the same material I experimented with making delicate scrolls. Again....no laser char which is fantastic. These are my same old multi layer mini kits. I just used the new material to see how they would look. Tested a medium brown as well. No dying or staining needed. They are the same color all the way through. These are all 4mm deadeyes. Chuck

very nice!!

No only one package with plenty of leftovers. Only ten ports have lids…20 hinges.

Laser cut parts...CNC parts...3D printed parts They can only get you so far. This is certainly not like a lego set of the Millennium Falcon....LOL But having said this, the goal is to have it NOT look like a kit when you are done. I strive to make my projects look as close to a scratch built model and contemporary model as possible. Otherwise I wouldnt make them. But I admit they are more advanced and more deceptively finicky than other MFGs. But yes...it looks real easy in the pictures. Wait till you see the miniature model take shape. Chuck

New Gun port hinge mini kits will be available tomorrow. They are laser cut from a special high density plastic. These were made specifically for the Winchelsea but I am sure they will fit other models. They are .040" wide and 21/32" long. I have ordered some material that will also produce 1/16" wide hinges (slightly wider). But that hasnt arrived yet. Some prefer a wider strap. Those can easily be shaped differently too being extra wide. I will show that after I get them. But these are the narrower ones and perfect for the Winnie or even Cheerful. There are 36 hinges per package. They can be made shorter if needed as well. 1. What a hinge looks like straight off the sheet. 2. Round off the bottom with fine sandpaper. Drill a small hole for the split ring if needed. Use a #76 drill bit for a 28 gauge wire ring. 3. What the gport hinge pin looks like straight off the sheet. 4. Sand the actual pin slightly thinner and to a point. This will be inserted and glued into the hull above the port. Also insert and glue a length of 28 gauge black wire into the laser cut hole and cut off the excess as shown. Use CA glue as it is plastic. 5. Join the hinge strap and hinge pin by slipping the wire pin into the hole of the strap. This makes a working hinge. Once glued onto the port lid, you can sand the straps even thinner. Just gently sand the face of the port with fine sandpaper and taper the hinge straps even thinner if you like. Apply weathering powder if you like that look. Make some split rings (not shown) and add them on the hinges as is typical. The store will reopen tomorrow as I am mending from a really bad flu....cant do much so I am just hanging around the shop till I get over this. I had to shut down the store because I am out of stock with other things and just cant make any more rope until I feel better. But there are about a dozen packages of these in stock. Chuck

Thanks guys. Speedwell is 3/8” scale. I wont be making it in other scales other than a miniature at 3/32”. But the plans are in fact available in Davids book by Seawatch. So they can be resized to Whatever size you prefer. It is extremely difficult to resize and change scales. Nearly every part would require redrawing not just changing the size. I have no plans to release every part on my plans set because David already shows them on his set in the books. This includes patterns for every frame etc. This project I am making will only be available as laser cut parts. It is not easy at all…and super expensive to make kits in other scales. I will stick with just one. And the mini too which needs a lot of plan redrawing if I am going to make it for public consumption.

Its hard to say. This is all brand new and its a brand new product. I am just gonna go for it and use the color that matches the wood perfectly. It will be years before it changes color. I doubt it will. Mica for windows...LOL...of course you can. But not as a mfg part. The kit will get acetate. Somebody mentioned gun port hinges earlier. Photo etched hinges are a pain as well. This material is not good for them but I did find another material and its interesting that you mentioned it. I had been experimenting a while ago with gun port hinges. Just havent had time to make a bunch for sale yet. If I wasnt making rope and blocks every day like I was working in a Chinese sweat shop, I could have so many more interesting products and ship model kits. It just eats up so much of my time. But my brain is full of neat things I would like to try if ever I could find the time. This was a quick mock up I was using to test each attempt. Its a bit crude but look at the hinge and not the hull. Also excuse the cellphone pics which are a little blurry. These are also laser cut and unlike anything on the market yet. You will probably see them soon as they are easy to make and I am sure somebody will steal this design concept at this point. These are .040 wide hinge straps. This mock up was made using the Winnie ports as a guide. I know folks hate making them from scratch using brass strip. This was to be my alternative and they should be available soon. I just have to write instructions for them and make them when the time permits. Speedwell doesnt use port lids so these wont be used on her. But I will sell these soon with 32hinges per package. AND I will be discontinuing my old laserboard hinges. Two part hinges.... you insert a tiny length of 28 gauge blk wire in the small piece that gets secured to the hull. Cut it short to make a hinge pin. The hinge itself slides onto it. Its a working hinge and quite strong actually. The bottom end is rounded off and a hole drilled through it for the rings. They are super easy to prepare and place on the model by comparison to any others I have seen. They are all the same length although they can be cut to any length so they can be used on other models that arent Winchelsea.

Its a little too brittle for port hinges. But the experimentation will continue. You cant bend it like metal....but it is very flexible. I will continue to post updates on what I find useful with it. Chuck

I will probably do just a sheet because its easier for manufacturing. But I guess you could do that as a bash with these.

If you guys are familiar with the scrollwork and molding on my winnie project, I think that was a game changer. I still dont think any kit maker has come close to laser cutting scrollwork like that. If you would allow me to be modest. But there was one huge drawback. They were incredibly fragile being made from Boxwood. And it was tedious and tough to remove the laser char without breaking them. I tested my cut file for those on the new material... No laser char at all. They are strong as well. Keep in mind these have not been shaped yet. This material can be sanded. I would like to see what these look like if I rounded off the edges with fine sandpaper. But this was just a test...I didnt alter the file at all from when I cut them in boxwood. The top one is hard to see but it is gilded. They have a gold material as well. Think about it....the possibilities are endless. This would certainly be a game changer for headrails, bulkhead pannels with a raised center....fancy hull molding...fancy stanchions and rails. Acanthus leaf carvings. So yes I am gonna keep this one exclusive for now. These are extreme brutal close up photos as well. But I imagine I could go even smaller with these now and do more interesting things. These are right out of the laser cutter....nothing has been done to them at all.

I am keeping that close to the vest for now!!! We all need a leg up on the competition. And yes there is a lot of it out there. I havent finished experimenting with it yet. It also comes in quite a few thicknesses. So before I let the competition know how wonderful it is, and exactly what it is capable of doing, I want to at least take it to the limit on one of my own projects first with exclusivity.

Ok here is the final iteration for now. Center light made the same as the outer lights. I reworked the shape and configuration as Greg suggested. These are not glued in yet. But using yet another color I think these are probably a winner. I have not installed any acetate for the glass either. But these are as close to a contemporary model version as I have gotten thus far on a project. They do look very crisp and clean as well. What do you guys think?

I have been looking at that very hard and its impossible to tell. That would be easy to do though. I will give it a try. I am a long way from needing to add these permanently. So I can keep adjusting.

Yes that is a good point. I will either go with this last color or that earlier one which is just a hair darker. Chuck

Thank you for the feedback. Yes it can be painted. But there are so many colors I dont think I have to. This particular color is called warm ivory. I think this might be the winner. I also thinned down the mullions quite a bit and it is more in scale. It looks very fragile but in reality it isnt. I am quite happy with the fit and scale of these. I have some time to pick a color and it might look completely different after the carvings and columns are added. But having so much flexibility with the color is so nice.

Thank you for saying. If you would allow me. I couldnt wait to test the stern light in position. They fit wonderfully. But more important is that I found and tested a new material. These are cut from wood on the Winnie and other projects I have done in the past. But this new material is wonderful. It laser cut perfectly and leaves no race of laser char at all....not one bit. Just check out the inside edges of the window panes. No char. This is a a huge win plus it is very very strong and I dont have to worry about folks breaking these. They wont break. I am just unsure about one thing. Too many color choices. This material comes in so many colors. There are about 4 choices of Tan and wood colored material. There is also white...or Ivory. I am not sure if I should go with white since I do paint my models and have friezes. White might be a great choice. Something different. If not I also have a color that is a perfect match for Cedar or even boxwood. As you can see. What are your thoughts on the color? I also acknowledge that the thickness of the panes (mullions) are too thick. I originally made them that thick because they were going to be cut from wood like the Winnie. I needed to for strength. But now I can go back and make those extrs thin which will be a huge improvement as well. But which color?? I had looked at the Amazon model which uses white for the mullions and windows. I like the look. Also note how the top of the windows...the false panes are in another layer. This is also true of the Speedwell. But just the two outboard stern lights.

Chapter two has been completed... I managed to complete the stern framing. Its much easier than a larger frigate like the Winnie. Its just a matter of going slow and taking careful measurements. I have also added some features which will make alignment pretty tough to do wrong. Here are the steps...sorry for the long post but these are my notes for the instructions while I remember them. To begin...take the two center stern frames. Sand the laser char from the forward side and the the sides. No reason to do the aft side. There are slots on the top of the wing transom where the bottom of these frames will be positioned. The forward edge of the stern frames should be flush with the forward edge of the wing transom. You will notice how the aft edge of the stern frames hang over the aft edge of the wing transom. This is by design. The top of each stern frame will rest in the notches laser cut into the jig on the top of the hull. Just rest them in the notches but dont glue them here. The stern frames are only glued onto the wing transom. A rubber band holds the top of the two center stern frames together and in the notches of the jig. Put one or even both of the keys back into the jig (the keys for centering the stern post earlier) to help pull the stern frames forward so they sit firmly in the notches of the jig. Then slide the laser cut spacer (3/64" thick) between the two center stern frames. This may cause the stern frames to spread apart a little. That is fine. The filler are a perfect fit. Dont sand anything off the filler. Have it sit flush with the aft edge of the stern frames. The bottom edge should also sit flush to the bottom of the stern frames as shown. Note the laser etched reference line for the stern window sill along the bottom. This will be important really soon. Then add the two remaining fillers on either side. You may have to tape these in position. If you didnt fair the inboard side of your quarter pieces enough they may be too tight. Dont sand the filler pieces to fit. Sand the inboard side of those quarter pieces on the hull so they fit. Use apencil to precisely mark where the stern light (window) sills will be placed. Just draw a reference line on the stern frames and quarter pieces. We will now add the stern window sills between the stern frames. These are laser cut for you. Clean the laser char from the top and bottom of these pieces. They have been laser cut slightly longer than need. There are paper templates on the plans for these three pieces. They are used to shape the gentle curve of the transom. Glue these to the top of each piece. Sand them to shape. The one on the left has been sanded already....remove the template and get ready to install them. Leave the center filler between the two stern frames for now. We will add the outer sills first with these in position. Install these using your pencil reference lines for their proper placement. Sand the sides to get them to fit snug as they are laser cut slightly longer. Make sure you dont spread the open space apart because your sills are too long. That would be bad. Make sure they fit snug but with no movement in the frames or quarter pieces. See below. Then remove the center filler and do the same with the center windowsill. Note how I removed the aft jig on the top of the hull at this point and set it aside. This will be important in the next step. I also sanded the the outboard edge of the sills to fair them into the general shape needed. You want the transom to sit flush against the stern frames in the next step. OK were going to add the laser cut transom next. You may want to do a test run with just tape initially. It is 3/64" thick. One side of the transom has laser etched reference lines on it. This is the INBOARD side. Those lines are to help you position it correctly. In fact, it is more important that use look at the inboard side while you test fit this. Maybe with some tape first. This is how it looks outboard... But inboard is where the magic happens. Its how you will position it properly. If you look really closely...at the back edge of the sills you will seethe laser etched reference line on the transom. That line is used to establish the height. If you placed your sills properly then you can align the transom so this reference line follows the top edge of the sills. This will leave a nice lip above it for inserting the stern windows later. Ihope that makes sense as I explained it. There are also etched lines for the two center stern frames. They may be harder to see above but they are there. This will help you position the transom port to starboard. So after this test fit you know what you need to do to get this positioned correctly. Its time to glue it on. BUT Dont just add some glue to the aft side of every stern frame and quarter piece and the sills and go for it. That would certainly be a huge mistake. There is no way you can get this positioned correctly in one shot before the glue sets. So...do it in stages. Step one....Only apply glue to the aft side of the transom below the reference line for the sills. You should only glue the bottom of the transom in place first. Make sure the etched line is flush with the top of the sills. Make sure the center stern frames are "centered" between the reference for them. There is no glue on these so just use it to center to the transom port and starboard. At least down low where the sills are. Maybe your alignment is perfect for these toward the top of the transom and that is just fine right now. The cedar is soft and the frames are flexible as you are probably aware by now. Let that glue set firmly. Step 2....Glue the sides of the transom to the quarter pieces. NOT the center frames yet. You can easily get a toothpick with some glue on it between the transom and the quarter pieces. Glue one side at a time. You only need glue on about 1/4" down the aft side of the quarter pieces. With the sides of the transom secured... Step 3...glue the center stern frames. Apply some glue on the aft edge of the stern frames....between the frames and transom. No need to apply glue all the way down to the sills. Just about a quarter inch down the stern frames is fine. Flex the stern frames so they fall right between the laser etched lines on the transom for them. Hold or clamp until the glue sets. Repeat for the remaining center stern frame. This is how I managed to position it so perfectly. Dont be impatient and try to glue it on in one shot...it wont end well. Now as long as your sills were positioned properly your transom will be as well. One last thing in this chapter....two small "triangular pieces" laser cut need to be added. You can see it below. They sit on top of the quarter piece and against the transom to complete the run of the qdeck bulwarks. You do have to bevel the aft edge so they sit flush against the transom. They also sit flush with the outboard side of the hull. You can sand them flush with the outboard side when you are done. Also sand the top edge smooth so you get a nice run into the quarter piece. Note....you may have noticed that I didnt sand the laser char of the transom edges. I am specifically talking about the inside edges of the window openings. I did this on purpose because I dont want to alter their shape. I will leave the char or paint it later. Better to have a good shaped window opening. That is more important. I also slipped that top jig back into position. You dont have to but it couldn't hurt to have more support at this stage. Just remember that if you turn the hull upside down from here on out, you will need to prop up the hull first. You dont want to damage the stern transom and stern framing. Thats it for chapter two...the framing is completely done. Next up will be planking. I will start with the square tuck and counter. Then I will plank from the wales up.

Beautiful work as always....a stunning Winnie model for sure.

Yes that is best. Just make a new piece after cutting the clamp away. It shouldnt be too difficult and its exactly what I would do.

29 is the one on the bottom....you would know if you had the piece unshaped in front of you. You just need to bevel the heel to sit against the deadwood. Same as any traditional cant frame. The other side or the top is beveled also. From the line shown to the corner so its a sharp diagonal point. This bevel sits against the forward edge of the wing transom. Chuck