Chuck

Thanks Ben I am looking forward to seeing some progress on yours too. You are finally getting to the fun parts. Anyway... Just a few quick photos. I finished making and installing all the channels and the stools. I also had time to play around with making the brackets/straps which you can see on the channels. Most kits will just glue some eyebolts into the top of the channel. They are actually brackets. The top protruding through the channel has an eye on the end which the rigging hooks to. But their are some ways to simplify these. I will detail them soon. These straps are just made from 1/16" wide x 1/64" thick brass strips. They are simplified a great deal compared to those used on the actual contemporary model. I have just made two so far and will take many more photos of the step by step. In addition we will be using two sizes of deadeyes. 6mm and 5mm deadeyes. I have made a few of them and tested my process on the mizzen stool. That uses a 5mm deadeye. I made up some chainplates quickly for it just to see how one would look. The chainplate links are made from 22 gauge black wire. These deadeyes are my three layer min-kits. I like them much more than any others I have seen available. But everyone can buy them based on your preferences. I know a lot of you prefer not to assemble the deadeyes in favor of those that are ready made. I am biased however and just like these better.

Lovely progress!!!

Its 24 on the gun deck and 8 on the qdeck......total of 32. But then there are ten swivels yet to come.

Thank you guys. One other note worth mentioning... Someone had asked if I was going to add the channel knees. There would have been five along the top of the main channel and four along the fore channel etc. The contemporary model doesnt show these but I was originally going to add them. I have changed my mind however. There is a very legit reason for this. The beautiful painted friezes. The figures and friezes were taken directly from the contemporary model. Since there werent any knees, no space was allocated for them. If we were to add them, the knees would fall exactly where some of the best and most detailed parts of the frieze are located. For example, some on the main channel would completely cover the figures and their faces, or the tails etc. Now you could paint them on top of the knees but even if done perfectly it would look very odd. Therefore the knees will be omitted and follow the same look as the contemporary model. At least on my model but if you choose to add them that would be your choice. Also note how the top of the channels are painted black with only the profile edges left bright. I have decided to leave the channels entirely natural which I prefer after looking at so many other contemporary models. Dealers choice with that.

Thanks Rusty. The secret is the spray mount. I tried with titebond and it was a dismal failure. I know it sucks to have to buy yet another product for just a few parts, but seriously in this case I am urging you guys to do so at this step. it makes a huge difference.

For placement of the channels It depends….check the plans. The stools are under the molding but the others have the molding chiseled away first. Just to let you know I am also redoing the stools. Before anyone catches that. The ones shown are too deep and should be narrower than the longer channels. That will be done today.

Just a quick update...Chapter 11 has finally begun. It will detail the outboard stuff. The channels, fenders and entry steps, deadeyes and chainplates etc. First up are the channels. Most kits dont detail these very well in my opinion. Plain edges etc. I wanted to try and emulate the profile seen on most contemporary models. I decided on the multiple layers approach. But this meant using an incredibly thin top and bottom layer to pull off the look I wanted. Luckily Joe at Modeler's Sawmill was able to mill paper thin wood sheets for me. The top and bottom layers are so thin that they will curl and possibly lift up if you use traditional yellow glue. It is just too wet. So a really good solution which worked excellent was to use spray mount. I sprayed only one side of the thin layers with glue and it didnt curl at all. No need to spray the thicker center layer. I absolutely think that you should do it this way as well. Trust me when I tell you that if you dont, you will be emailing me for replacement parts. There was no curling or lifting of the edges at all. Just align the holes in the layers after sanding the laser char first. Also soften the hard edges of the center layer before gluing up the sandwich. Not a drastic rounding but knock-off the hard edges and soften them. It does a nice job giving the edge profile I was looking for. Now you can absolutely paint these but contemporary examples are all over the map. The Winnie cont model has them painted black except for the outside edge profile. Others leave them natural. I decided to follow the look of the Amazon model. They will be left natural. Next up will be the knees or standards along the top of the channels once I finish up the other channels first. These again may or may not be painted. I recommend that you examine many contemporary models and select a look that you prefer.

Those rails are tough...so you should be very happy with how it came out. Well done. I havent even started chapter 11 yet sadly. I hope to next week. Dont forget the ladder in that companionway. Chuck

Chapter ten... Chapterten.pdf binnacle.pdf

Looking sweet!!!! Now its time for the long slog through the bottom planking. Take you time.

Looking great....love the wood choices.

Check out the instructions for The Confederacy kit. I do step by step tutorial on one method.

That looks wonderful. The rigging looks very natural. Well done.

You plank the first layer all the way to the sheer. Then add the second layer of the wales 3/64" thick. Then when that is done you add the second layer of the black strake. Which is 1/32" thick or even slightly thinner like .025" thick.

Thank You very much

Thats great news....Congrats and well deserved.

That rope looks pretty excellent to my eye. I am so happy that so many folks are starting to make their own rope. You will never buy a package of rope again. the lay is nice and tight on your rope. Looks like any rope that I would have made. It will look great on a model.

Next up will be the channels and fenders and deadeyes etc. We are back to the outboard details.

Managed to complete four of the qdeck six pounders. Four more to go. I will probably get that done this coming week so I can get started on chapter 11. These guns and their carriages are built just like the ones for the gun deck. The split rings were made using a 45 drill bit this time. You can also see the eyebolts and such on the inboard side of the qdeck rail. All made with 24 gauge black wire once again. If you are going to rig these I would use .045 tan for the breech line and .018 for the tackles. I would also use 1/8" single blocks for the tackles. I managed to knock loose one of the mizzen bitts while drilling the holes for the eyebolts on the rail. I keep forgetting to fix that. You can see that it is slightly askew in the photos. Its tricky getting in there to drill the holes...so be careful of your sleeves!! Try also not to drill all the way through the rail. Only go enough to insert the short ends of the eye bolts. The 1 9/16" resin cannon and carriages are also now available. You will need two packages of each.

The ones on the Winnie for example are just slightly narrowed above the bottom end.

They look pretty good. If you are worrying about the neatness of the round circular end, then dont add that detail. Just round off the bottom corners. That is perfectly acceptable and a common way they were done. There are plenty of contemporary model examples of this.

Here is a good image of how the kevel will look but this is the Amazon...

Looks great!

You read that wrong.....That goes on the inboard side of the platform we have yet to construct..... Look at the overhead plan of the decks which show the platforms that lead to the gangways.

looking good.....Those kevels you added along the bulwarks close to the qdeck will be a problem. They will certainly get in the way of the gangways and platforms. I would remove them if I were you.