Bart616

For me, I know if I want to have a consistent and repeatable shape or cut, I need some type of jig or system to create it. 

Mike,

What I did one time was build a sled out of some scrap.  I then mound the strip I wanted to cut to a piece of scrap using it to create the angle I needed.   This allowed me to keep my fingers away from the blade.   I had the bevel cut jig mounted to a little sled I made from scrap.

Dave, its possible that the instructions don't include a rabbet.  I believe there are models that don't include it in the directions but I am not sure with your particular model.  Maybe IM people who have completed or are working on it.  

I do know that some models I have seen here and I am not an expert but they create the rabbet using a strip of wood that is thinner than the bulkhead former that sits between the keel and bulkhead former.  The Syren is a good example of this.  You can download the directions from Model Expo for free, ch 1. show this.  Other models have you carve the rabbet.

Sorry I can't be more help, but without the actual directions in front of me its just a guess.  I believe some people have created rabbets even when the instructions don't mention it because it allows for a tighter fit of the planks. 

Hopefully someone who is more of an expert can give you better advice.

If you go to the top of this website and click on the "The Nautical Research Guild Home Page"  Click on "Ship Modeling database of articles", click on "Framing and Planking".  The second article down, Simple Hull Planking for beginners has a great example on page 3.

I would have put in the link but by actually going to the page you will also see other helpful articles.  Good luck!

Personally I think its more of a matter of what you think looks best verses what may or may not be historically correct.  At smaller scale, sometimes the way things are done in real life don't look very good.

I do know that when I was in the Navy, if we had to have ropes on the deck, we used Flemish coils because they are flat and were less of a tripping hazard. But I wasn't on a ship that had standing rigging and black powder cannons.    We did have a sail but no ropes were attached to it.

I ordered the Lexington kit from them for a future build and noticed that the some of the bulk head frames were broken or cracked in shipping.  Nothing I haven't see in other kits.  I emailed the Lumberyard to tell them they were broke but fixable as just an FYI that the post office probably wasn't as gentle with the package as the could have been and they may need some extra padding.  The kit was complete and packaging should have bee good enough. 

The point is, I didn't ask for replacements as I was just going to glue them back up.  But I received and email telling me they were going to replace the broken parts and they shipped them to me the same week.

I emailed them about the saw, took a few days but I got a response telling me the saw was out of stock with a 2 week backorder.   Once they were back in stock, they emailed me an update and an order link to paypal.  Placed my order and its on its way.