Erik W

Just a quick update.  It might not look like a lot of work was done since my last post but you would be surprised how involved the deck beams can be.
 
With the cabins on the fore lower platform completed,  you can start adding deck beams above them.  No reason to wait until everything is built below deck to do so.  In fact, waiting to do it all at one time wont be very enjoyable.  Doing it this way breaks up the task a bit.
 
This kit will be very simplified compared to the books.  Because we will be planking the gun deck in the "classic" contemporary model style,  there is absolutely no need to make and add the hanging and lodging knees.   In fact, this would up the difficulty factor by about ten.   So we will just be adding the deck beams with all of the carlings and ledges.  You can however follow the Seawatch books and scratch build the knees should you really want the total experience.
 
 
The photo below has a lot going on that was completed.
 

First, The first four deck beams were glued into position...
 
Then the carlings were added between them as shown on the plans.  The carling are cut to length using 3/16 x 5/32 strips.   
 
Lastly you may notice that the after most beams have a column under them at the center.   These are just 1/8" x 1/8" strips cut to length.  The corners are chamfered as shown on the plans.
 
With the first four beams added you can now add the ledges.   These are the thinner "partial beams" that extend from the carlings to the deck clamp.  They are laser cut for you with a special "leg" on the outboard ends.   This raises each ledge to the perfect height so it will be flush with the top of the gun deck beams.  So when you are cleaning the char off these...DONT sand the bottom or even the end with this "leg" on it.  Otherwise you wont have level ledges with your beams.    Hope that makes sense.
 
Now in that same photo above you can see the first few ledges (cleaned of laser char...no need to clean the bottom at all actually) resting in position.  All you have to do is cut the end that sits against the carling and glue it on position.
 
NOTE:  Now yes indeed...all of the carlings should be notched in the deck beams.   All of the ledges should be notched into the carlings.  But you know what...I am not going to do that.  And you dont have to either.  It simplifies things so much this way and those many mortices and notches are not so easy to make.  They will also mostly be completely covered up.   So you can decide.
 
 
Now this may all seem simple enough.  But finding the exact locations for these beams, carlings and ledges is super important.  Time and care must be taken to get their location correct....otherwise you will end up with hatches in the wrong  position and mast holes too!!  It could get ugly.
 
So use the plans.   If you have a second set printed.  Go ahead and cut them up.  You can see strategically placed cut outs on the template that allowed me to mark the locations of the carlings on the beams....and the ledges on the carlings.   This template also helped me position the deck beams properly which is the very first thing you need to do.  Finding you center line on those deck beams after they installed is also a huge help.  Gluing the parts in is easy enough...but the marking, measuring and planning takes time and patience.

 
Then its just a matter of cutting all of those ledges to length and gluing them in position.   There are a lot of them.  I believe 86 in total.   Note that these would also be down the center between the carlings and hatches also.  But once again they will be entirely covered up and its just a repetitive exercise that nobody will ever see.
 

To show you how the knees and other details like the ledges wont be seen...here is a look at this area with the deck planking cut and placed on the model as a test.  This shows what will be very close to the final appearance using the "classic contemporary model appearance".   But everyone can always deviate from that should they want to.
 

 
 

After pulling some hair out, and the remainder going gray, haha, I have finished the backstay plates and chain plates . . . on the port side anyway.  I revisited blackening them, using advice here and on the internet.  My test brass strips looked OK, but I couldn't avoid bare brass spots being rubbed off after lightly wiping them down with a dry cloth.  I'm pretty sure I didn't clean the brass well enough beforehand.  After being left frustrated by that, I just went ahead and followed what Chuck had done on his, and painted them black and used a rust brown weathering powder to give them that iron look.  I'm happy with the results.  A trick I learned years ago as a model railroader with brass, is to bake the brass after painting.  Just put the parts under a hot halogen or incandescence light bulb, about an inch away from the bulb, for about five minutes.  This hardens the paint on the metal surface and makes it much more scuff resistant.  The nails themselves I ordered from ModelExpo (being my first ship build I didn't have any extras from prior builds to use).  They are the smallest ones they offer.  They're slightly rounded on the bottom of the heads, so don't appear the sit flush when pushed in.  So I used a larger diameter drill bit than the holes in the brass were drilled with, and counter sunk all the holes in the backstay and chain plates.  I also ran a sharp angled file on the underside of the heads of each nail.  This helped get the nails to snug down flat when pushed in.  After getting the parts mounted and nailed in place, I went ahead and touched up the paint and weathering powder.
 
Of all the processes involved on this build, metal working is probably the one I have the least experience in.  The backstay plates and chain plates have taken a lot longer than I thought they would.  That said, I've learned a lot, even with the error part of Trial and Error being frustrating at times!
 
Erik

With longer days, and warmer weather, progress has slowed down as my focus has shifted a bit to being outdoors more as spring arrives.  I do still work on Cheerful daily though.  I'm working on the chain plates.  As with the backstay plates, I cut strips out of a 6" x 12" brass sheet.  I then cut the 8 chain plates longer than needed.  Next I shaped the tops of all 8.  Being my first ship build, I had to do some research when I got to Chuck's instructions, "Assuming this isn't your first ship model, the angles for each chain plate were found in the usual way."  Glenn (glbarlow) had some good photos in his Cheerful build log that show how to rig a temporary mast to get the desired chain plate angles.  I made a jig to get the rake of the mast correct, when compared to the plans.  Then I secured the mast in place with temporary fore and aft stays.  The simulated shrouds are tied off at the correct height and spacing on the mast.  Knowing the chain plates are not exactly the same length this process was key to do before I cut them to length and drilled the lower 2 holes on each chain plate.  I have the port side chain plates finished more or less (they do still need a little tweaking).  Each one is marked on the back for which position it belongs in.
 
Erik

After pulling some hair out, and the remainder going gray, haha, I have finished the backstay plates and chain plates . . . on the port side anyway.  I revisited blackening them, using advice here and on the internet.  My test brass strips looked OK, but I couldn't avoid bare brass spots being rubbed off after lightly wiping them down with a dry cloth.  I'm pretty sure I didn't clean the brass well enough beforehand.  After being left frustrated by that, I just went ahead and followed what Chuck had done on his, and painted them black and used a rust brown weathering powder to give them that iron look.  I'm happy with the results.  A trick I learned years ago as a model railroader with brass, is to bake the brass after painting.  Just put the parts under a hot halogen or incandescence light bulb, about an inch away from the bulb, for about five minutes.  This hardens the paint on the metal surface and makes it much more scuff resistant.  The nails themselves I ordered from ModelExpo (being my first ship build I didn't have any extras from prior builds to use).  They are the smallest ones they offer.  They're slightly rounded on the bottom of the heads, so don't appear the sit flush when pushed in.  So I used a larger diameter drill bit than the holes in the brass were drilled with, and counter sunk all the holes in the backstay and chain plates.  I also ran a sharp angled file on the underside of the heads of each nail.  This helped get the nails to snug down flat when pushed in.  After getting the parts mounted and nailed in place, I went ahead and touched up the paint and weathering powder.
 
Of all the processes involved on this build, metal working is probably the one I have the least experience in.  The backstay plates and chain plates have taken a lot longer than I thought they would.  That said, I've learned a lot, even with the error part of Trial and Error being frustrating at times!
 
Erik

After pulling some hair out, and the remainder going gray, haha, I have finished the backstay plates and chain plates . . . on the port side anyway.  I revisited blackening them, using advice here and on the internet.  My test brass strips looked OK, but I couldn't avoid bare brass spots being rubbed off after lightly wiping them down with a dry cloth.  I'm pretty sure I didn't clean the brass well enough beforehand.  After being left frustrated by that, I just went ahead and followed what Chuck had done on his, and painted them black and used a rust brown weathering powder to give them that iron look.  I'm happy with the results.  A trick I learned years ago as a model railroader with brass, is to bake the brass after painting.  Just put the parts under a hot halogen or incandescence light bulb, about an inch away from the bulb, for about five minutes.  This hardens the paint on the metal surface and makes it much more scuff resistant.  The nails themselves I ordered from ModelExpo (being my first ship build I didn't have any extras from prior builds to use).  They are the smallest ones they offer.  They're slightly rounded on the bottom of the heads, so don't appear the sit flush when pushed in.  So I used a larger diameter drill bit than the holes in the brass were drilled with, and counter sunk all the holes in the backstay and chain plates.  I also ran a sharp angled file on the underside of the heads of each nail.  This helped get the nails to snug down flat when pushed in.  After getting the parts mounted and nailed in place, I went ahead and touched up the paint and weathering powder.
 
Of all the processes involved on this build, metal working is probably the one I have the least experience in.  The backstay plates and chain plates have taken a lot longer than I thought they would.  That said, I've learned a lot, even with the error part of Trial and Error being frustrating at times!
 
Erik

After pulling some hair out, and the remainder going gray, haha, I have finished the backstay plates and chain plates . . . on the port side anyway.  I revisited blackening them, using advice here and on the internet.  My test brass strips looked OK, but I couldn't avoid bare brass spots being rubbed off after lightly wiping them down with a dry cloth.  I'm pretty sure I didn't clean the brass well enough beforehand.  After being left frustrated by that, I just went ahead and followed what Chuck had done on his, and painted them black and used a rust brown weathering powder to give them that iron look.  I'm happy with the results.  A trick I learned years ago as a model railroader with brass, is to bake the brass after painting.  Just put the parts under a hot halogen or incandescence light bulb, about an inch away from the bulb, for about five minutes.  This hardens the paint on the metal surface and makes it much more scuff resistant.  The nails themselves I ordered from ModelExpo (being my first ship build I didn't have any extras from prior builds to use).  They are the smallest ones they offer.  They're slightly rounded on the bottom of the heads, so don't appear the sit flush when pushed in.  So I used a larger diameter drill bit than the holes in the brass were drilled with, and counter sunk all the holes in the backstay and chain plates.  I also ran a sharp angled file on the underside of the heads of each nail.  This helped get the nails to snug down flat when pushed in.  After getting the parts mounted and nailed in place, I went ahead and touched up the paint and weathering powder.
 
Of all the processes involved on this build, metal working is probably the one I have the least experience in.  The backstay plates and chain plates have taken a lot longer than I thought they would.  That said, I've learned a lot, even with the error part of Trial and Error being frustrating at times!
 
Erik

After pulling some hair out, and the remainder going gray, haha, I have finished the backstay plates and chain plates . . . on the port side anyway.  I revisited blackening them, using advice here and on the internet.  My test brass strips looked OK, but I couldn't avoid bare brass spots being rubbed off after lightly wiping them down with a dry cloth.  I'm pretty sure I didn't clean the brass well enough beforehand.  After being left frustrated by that, I just went ahead and followed what Chuck had done on his, and painted them black and used a rust brown weathering powder to give them that iron look.  I'm happy with the results.  A trick I learned years ago as a model railroader with brass, is to bake the brass after painting.  Just put the parts under a hot halogen or incandescence light bulb, about an inch away from the bulb, for about five minutes.  This hardens the paint on the metal surface and makes it much more scuff resistant.  The nails themselves I ordered from ModelExpo (being my first ship build I didn't have any extras from prior builds to use).  They are the smallest ones they offer.  They're slightly rounded on the bottom of the heads, so don't appear the sit flush when pushed in.  So I used a larger diameter drill bit than the holes in the brass were drilled with, and counter sunk all the holes in the backstay and chain plates.  I also ran a sharp angled file on the underside of the heads of each nail.  This helped get the nails to snug down flat when pushed in.  After getting the parts mounted and nailed in place, I went ahead and touched up the paint and weathering powder.
 
Of all the processes involved on this build, metal working is probably the one I have the least experience in.  The backstay plates and chain plates have taken a lot longer than I thought they would.  That said, I've learned a lot, even with the error part of Trial and Error being frustrating at times!
 
Erik

While no expert, I've personally found that I like to do both. An initial blackening in highly diluted solution, followed by painting. The blackening seems to rough up the surface slightly and the paint grips better and looks more natural than when applied straight to brass. I've also used primer followed by paint but that ends up thicker than I like.

With longer days, and warmer weather, progress has slowed down as my focus has shifted a bit to being outdoors more as spring arrives.  I do still work on Cheerful daily though.  I'm working on the chain plates.  As with the backstay plates, I cut strips out of a 6" x 12" brass sheet.  I then cut the 8 chain plates longer than needed.  Next I shaped the tops of all 8.  Being my first ship build, I had to do some research when I got to Chuck's instructions, "Assuming this isn't your first ship model, the angles for each chain plate were found in the usual way."  Glenn (glbarlow) had some good photos in his Cheerful build log that show how to rig a temporary mast to get the desired chain plate angles.  I made a jig to get the rake of the mast correct, when compared to the plans.  Then I secured the mast in place with temporary fore and aft stays.  The simulated shrouds are tied off at the correct height and spacing on the mast.  Knowing the chain plates are not exactly the same length this process was key to do before I cut them to length and drilled the lower 2 holes on each chain plate.  I have the port side chain plates finished more or less (they do still need a little tweaking).  Each one is marked on the back for which position it belongs in.
 
Erik

So nice, Chuck. Everything seems to be fitting together as planned. However, I know that there where several iterations in design to get there.

Log #81: Squaresail Bowlines
Thank you again to everyone for all the kind words. As I have had the past few days off work continues briskly.
 
I decided to tackle the squaresail bowlines next. After considering the matter for a while I decided to follow the diagram in Lees which shows them with a half hitch followed by a sizing. Technically there should be two sizings according to lees, but at the tiny scale we are working I felt that was bridge too far for me at the moment.
 
To make sure everything was proportional, I did a lot of measuring and ratioing based on both Lees and Goodwin before I even started so that I knew the exact length of every piece I was going to make.
 
First step is serve a length of line for the eye.

Next I spliced the eye and served over the splice.

This was done 4 times with 2 longer ropes for the falls and 2 smaller ones. Then I also added 2 lines with no serving on them. You can see both completed bowlines below.

To attach them to the yard the method I came up with was to make the loops off model and then slide them onto the yard and pull them tight. Since the half hitch plus sizing essentially makes a noose that can be tightened as desired, it made the process of sizing and then positioning the bowlines much easier. This also enables me to adjust their positioning later to make sure they don’t interfere with the clew lines.

And just for display I temporarily tied the line to a timber head at the bow. It is still not exactly clear to me where the squaresail bowlines are belayed to as Goodwin only shows them ending near the catheads, but doesn’t elaborate on what exactly they were tied to. I am going to do some more reading as they will be hanging loose for a while anyways to enable me to access the base of the mast.
 
I still need to tie the second set to the other side of the yard, but this was all I had time for today.

I had some time this morning to tidy up the lines so here is a minor update.
 
I belayed the squaresail lift to one of the cleats on the mast. I also tied off the lanyards for the horse.

I currently am using two clamps hanging by some spare rope to keep the squaresail yard lift under tension to set the shape of the rope.

Next up are the bowlines for the squaresail yard. I really should have added these before I raised it, but I will do them now and let them hang loose so they don't get in the way.

Log #80: Raising the Squaresail & Spreadsail Yards
Thank you everyone for all the encouragement. One of the nice things about this stage of the build is it feels like every time I sit down to work something small has been added to the model. So there is progress to see.
 
I am continuing to pick away and slowly add to the rigging of the model. I made a small adjustment from my previous plans as I realized that all of ropes for the yards all need to belay down to the base of the mast. Consequently I am planning on raising them all and letting any braces hang loose until I no longer need access to that area.
 
First up was to raise the spreadsail yard. This yard I pinned to the mast (though I didn’t use any glue) to help hold it in the correct place and allow me to put tension on the ropes. I also got the pendant for the topsail yard done.

I belayed the fall for the spreadsail yard lift down to the bits and coiled some rope in the same way that I did for the inner tie.

You may also notice from this picture that I have fixed the anchor cable in place. This was done with spots of super glue at various positions. I have decided in the end not to include any of the spare yards I made as they didn’t look aesthetically pleasing and the only place that made sense was the first shroud. However, my less than optimal job on the ratlines means that putting a straight yard against the first shroud accentuates the fact that it is not straight.
 
Next was the squaresail yard. This rises on a horse and so I used one of the kit thimbles to serve as the guide.

It is a bit over scale, but I didn’t feel like trying to find another solution so I left it as is. And below you can see the spreadsail yard with everything attached ready to go on the model.

The horse caused me a huge amount of trouble as I kept making small mistakes that necessitated doing it all over again. In the end it took 5 attempts to get it right.
 
The horse was made with a 0.6mm rope and I used the 0.2mm rope I have for the rose lashings for the seizing. I used 0.35mm rope for the lanyards. The deadeyes should really be a bit smaller, but I just used spare kit ones.

I still need to figure out how I will ensure the yard creates tension on the square sail yard. It currently wants to lean to one side which I won’t be able to fix till I add the bowlines and the clewlines for the topsail run in front of it. The problem with this yard is it would be held level by the sail, but there is no easy way that I can see to hold it steady. I had previously considered adding the reef lines and then attaching them to the spreadsail yard as that is the approximate location they would attach to the sail. I will make a decision on this later.

A little bit of progress this week.  I'm new at metal working, so it took some trial and error to figure out how I am going to make the backstay plates and chain plates.  One of the main issues to getting the ball rolling was figuring out how I was going to make these without the availability of 1/64" x 3/32" brass strip.  It would appear that K & S has discontinued nearly its entire line of brass strip, and I couldn't locate any of the size I needed in my internet search.  Many years ago I had bought a package of various sizes of 6" x 12" brass shim stock (used to shim the plates when molding parts in plastic injection molding machines so that they align correctly) just in case I ever needed sheet brass.  These sheets came in thickness of .001", .0015", .002", .003", .004", .005", .006", .007", .008", .010", .012", and .015".  The .015" thickness is the decimal measurement of 1/64".  So I have my material.  I used a pair of ancient tin snips I have in my toolbox to cut 3/32" wide strips off the sheet.  I then had to flatten the strips since they curled both along the face and the edge.  Next I filed the sharp edges flat.  Then used flat pliers to eliminate the lengthwise cupping caused in cutting the strips off the sheet.  Now that I had my self-made strips ready, I then shaped the backstay plates following Chuck's instructions in his monograph.  Since the strips I created were rough and with blemishes, I polished the finished backstay plates with a fine file after shaping was complete, just because I'm a perfectionist, and that's how I roll!  Yes, I know they'll be painted black.  Haha.
 
Erik

My experience with blackening fluid is it seems to work better when dramatically diluted with water (think 90% water).  This slows down the chemical reaction and helps prevent the thick buildup of black that comes right off.  I dip it for 20 or 30 seconds several times until I get the color I want.  It is important to keep that stuff out of your eyes, etc. though.  Painting is easier if you want a pure black color.  I think most of the iron was painted black in real life.  
 
Adam

I start with an acetone bath, then blackening for 90 seconds, then a water rinse, dry and a slight buff with a soft cloth.  The acetone bath is an important step. 
 
I have learned not all blackening solutions, like CA, are equal in quality or results. 
 
Foe me paint designed to look like metal rather than just black paint works ok, but only if weathering powder is applied, and not as good as blackening for some things. 
 
 

Boarding Ladder
 
I have a friend making me a display stand, he’s an artist with “big wood.” I can’t wait to set Winchelsea on her final home.

I had to turn her over to get the final fitting on the three cradles she’ll sit on - something I should have done much sooner. So of course something broke. Fun it was clearing, cleaning, repainting, 18/0 and 10/0 spotter and shader brushes, and reinstalling this piece, or pieces as they became, (especially the tiny metal braces on the inner edges) with everything around it complete and completely in the way. A lot of patience and slow going, In the end all is ok again.

I made some decisions installing the boarding ladder. First was to remove the complete molding rather than try and cut into it.
 

I also elected to scrape a pattern similar to the moulding. Then by sanding a 67.5 angle on each side and a reverse 67.5 on the re-cut to fit separated molding I could create an integrated look for the anchor step. Anchor step because I would space the rest based on the fit of this step within the moulding.  I used a round file and 400 grit to round the pattern into the side of each step after scraping them from a length of boxwood strip. I kinda like the result.

I printed the frieze pattern on tissue paper, a first for me. I just didn’t like the outcome of wrapping the top step, partially because I couldn’t get a clean look on the sides, admittedly I didn’t try very hard. While the wrapped step looks great I preferred a natural look atop the frieze. I split the distance between the top and second step for spacing. I lined all the steps up with the right edge of the port, it being perpendicular to the actual water line (the photo isn’t straight on so the perspective is off).

Mini-me had a new view of the ship standing here on the ladder. He's to scale so I like the perspective he provides to size and space. The plans show 6 steps with the last one on the black strake. I measured out how that would work on my particular hull, the spacing would have looked awkward with the top two steps fitted as they needed to be. So I reduced the spacing for the remaining four steps for a consistent look.

But I worked it out.  After measuring, cutting and re-cutting multiple test spacers (2.23mm wound up to be the right gap) to allow a seventh step sitting in the middle of the black strake. 

Ahh symmetry … and some drama. Determining the jigs by measuring and remeasuring and making the steps was fun. Removing the moulding without taking the frieze with it, and with  a #11 blade scratching into the multiple coats of WOP to create a bondable surface for the glue provided a few deep breath moments. I used CA, applied with a straight pin onto the step with just enough to adhere without spillover onto the hull.
 
It all turned out ok. Thanks for stopping by.

I had tested some blackening fluid on the brass I'm using and didn't really like the results.  It rubbed off easily, and in general just seemed messy.  Once I finish shaping all the brass chain plates I'll paint a strip of scrap brass black and play around with the weathering powders I have to see what finish I can come up with that I think looks good.
 
Erik

Thanks for the likes folks.  And thanks for the comment Glenn.  I do plan on using weathering powders on the painted brass parts.
 
Erik

With longer days, and warmer weather, progress has slowed down as my focus has shifted a bit to being outdoors more as spring arrives.  I do still work on Cheerful daily though.  I'm working on the chain plates.  As with the backstay plates, I cut strips out of a 6" x 12" brass sheet.  I then cut the 8 chain plates longer than needed.  Next I shaped the tops of all 8.  Being my first ship build, I had to do some research when I got to Chuck's instructions, "Assuming this isn't your first ship model, the angles for each chain plate were found in the usual way."  Glenn (glbarlow) had some good photos in his Cheerful build log that show how to rig a temporary mast to get the desired chain plate angles.  I made a jig to get the rake of the mast correct, when compared to the plans.  Then I secured the mast in place with temporary fore and aft stays.  The simulated shrouds are tied off at the correct height and spacing on the mast.  Knowing the chain plates are not exactly the same length this process was key to do before I cut them to length and drilled the lower 2 holes on each chain plate.  I have the port side chain plates finished more or less (they do still need a little tweaking).  Each one is marked on the back for which position it belongs in.
 
Erik

Glenn,
 
As always, your work looks superb.  I like the idea of airbrushing the cannons.  As I approach that stage with my Cheerful build's cannonades/cannons, I think I may do the same.  It seems a bit tedious to hand paint them all!
 
Erik

With longer days, and warmer weather, progress has slowed down as my focus has shifted a bit to being outdoors more as spring arrives.  I do still work on Cheerful daily though.  I'm working on the chain plates.  As with the backstay plates, I cut strips out of a 6" x 12" brass sheet.  I then cut the 8 chain plates longer than needed.  Next I shaped the tops of all 8.  Being my first ship build, I had to do some research when I got to Chuck's instructions, "Assuming this isn't your first ship model, the angles for each chain plate were found in the usual way."  Glenn (glbarlow) had some good photos in his Cheerful build log that show how to rig a temporary mast to get the desired chain plate angles.  I made a jig to get the rake of the mast correct, when compared to the plans.  Then I secured the mast in place with temporary fore and aft stays.  The simulated shrouds are tied off at the correct height and spacing on the mast.  Knowing the chain plates are not exactly the same length this process was key to do before I cut them to length and drilled the lower 2 holes on each chain plate.  I have the port side chain plates finished more or less (they do still need a little tweaking).  Each one is marked on the back for which position it belongs in.
 
Erik

I had tested some blackening fluid on the brass I'm using and didn't really like the results.  It rubbed off easily, and in general just seemed messy.  Once I finish shaping all the brass chain plates I'll paint a strip of scrap brass black and play around with the weathering powders I have to see what finish I can come up with that I think looks good.
 
Erik

With longer days, and warmer weather, progress has slowed down as my focus has shifted a bit to being outdoors more as spring arrives.  I do still work on Cheerful daily though.  I'm working on the chain plates.  As with the backstay plates, I cut strips out of a 6" x 12" brass sheet.  I then cut the 8 chain plates longer than needed.  Next I shaped the tops of all 8.  Being my first ship build, I had to do some research when I got to Chuck's instructions, "Assuming this isn't your first ship model, the angles for each chain plate were found in the usual way."  Glenn (glbarlow) had some good photos in his Cheerful build log that show how to rig a temporary mast to get the desired chain plate angles.  I made a jig to get the rake of the mast correct, when compared to the plans.  Then I secured the mast in place with temporary fore and aft stays.  The simulated shrouds are tied off at the correct height and spacing on the mast.  Knowing the chain plates are not exactly the same length this process was key to do before I cut them to length and drilled the lower 2 holes on each chain plate.  I have the port side chain plates finished more or less (they do still need a little tweaking).  Each one is marked on the back for which position it belongs in.
 
Erik

I had tested some blackening fluid on the brass I'm using and didn't really like the results.  It rubbed off easily, and in general just seemed messy.  Once I finish shaping all the brass chain plates I'll paint a strip of scrap brass black and play around with the weathering powders I have to see what finish I can come up with that I think looks good.
 
Erik