genericDave

Thanks Russ!
 
Over the last week or so, I've gotten the bowsprit bitts/samson post and the engine box completed.
 
The bowsprit bitts and samson post were pretty straight forward as the kit provides the key piece as a laser-cut item.  
 

 
The whole thing went together pretty quickly.
 

 

 
The engine box gave me a bit more trouble.  My first attempt was fine until I got it painted, then I notices a few too many imperfections in the wood.  I tried to fix them with some filler and repaint, but wasn't happy with the results.  The second attempt failed during assembly - I wasn't able to get it square enough.
 
My third attempt was successful.  This time I made a much more rigid internal frame for the box, then used 1/16" sheet material for the 'walls'.  The lift out door on the side was simulated by cutting one of the side panels halfway through (so it remained one piece, but looks like two).
 

 
The smaller part of the box was built similarly, but I left some open space on the inside frame since this piece has three holes in the walls.
 

 
The holes were made by drilling holes then using needle files to square them off.  They aren't perfect, but it is what I was able to do with the tools on hand.
 

 
The entire thing was primered and airbrushed white.
 
I decided to try and simulate the hinges on the top.  I used some thin brass strip I had on hand and some thin brass rod.  These were soldered together.
 

 
Once soldered, the three pieces were cut apart and each piece was cleaned up.  I filed away a lot of the solder (I always make a mess when soldering), and trimmed the brass strips to be shorter and tapered.  I touched them up a bit with some brass paint to make the color a little more consistent.  They were then glued on to the roof of the engine box.
 
I also simulated a small handle/latch using some thin brass wire that came with the kit.
 

 
I noticed after I glued it on the deck that despite all my attempt to double-check things, I managed to screw something up.  I glued the smaller portion of the engine box so it lined up with the outboard edge of the larger box.  It should have been even with the inboard edge.  I don't think anyone would notice this once the ship is done (except for me or another Bluenose builder).  So, rather than rip it off and risk damaging the deck, I'm going to leave it.
 
Fortunately when I was positioning it, I was using the inboard hole on the smaller box and the samson post as reference points, since the windlass/machinery touches both of those.  So really, the small box is in the right place and the larger box (which nothing else connects to) is just out of position by a small amount.
 

 

 
I don't think there is anything else I can work on to procrastinate - I've got to start in on the windlass and machinery.  It shouldn't be difficult, and it will be similar in process to a lot the work I did on some Model Airways WWI aircraft a few years ago (which use a lot of cast pieces to build up the engine).  My fear is that there is a lot of potential for detail with this stuff, and my ability to toss stuff and start over will be limited by the use of cast metal pieces.

Thanks Russ!
 
Over the last week or so, I've gotten the bowsprit bitts/samson post and the engine box completed.
 
The bowsprit bitts and samson post were pretty straight forward as the kit provides the key piece as a laser-cut item.  
 

 
The whole thing went together pretty quickly.
 

 

 
The engine box gave me a bit more trouble.  My first attempt was fine until I got it painted, then I notices a few too many imperfections in the wood.  I tried to fix them with some filler and repaint, but wasn't happy with the results.  The second attempt failed during assembly - I wasn't able to get it square enough.
 
My third attempt was successful.  This time I made a much more rigid internal frame for the box, then used 1/16" sheet material for the 'walls'.  The lift out door on the side was simulated by cutting one of the side panels halfway through (so it remained one piece, but looks like two).
 

 
The smaller part of the box was built similarly, but I left some open space on the inside frame since this piece has three holes in the walls.
 

 
The holes were made by drilling holes then using needle files to square them off.  They aren't perfect, but it is what I was able to do with the tools on hand.
 

 
The entire thing was primered and airbrushed white.
 
I decided to try and simulate the hinges on the top.  I used some thin brass strip I had on hand and some thin brass rod.  These were soldered together.
 

 
Once soldered, the three pieces were cut apart and each piece was cleaned up.  I filed away a lot of the solder (I always make a mess when soldering), and trimmed the brass strips to be shorter and tapered.  I touched them up a bit with some brass paint to make the color a little more consistent.  They were then glued on to the roof of the engine box.
 
I also simulated a small handle/latch using some thin brass wire that came with the kit.
 

 
I noticed after I glued it on the deck that despite all my attempt to double-check things, I managed to screw something up.  I glued the smaller portion of the engine box so it lined up with the outboard edge of the larger box.  It should have been even with the inboard edge.  I don't think anyone would notice this once the ship is done (except for me or another Bluenose builder).  So, rather than rip it off and risk damaging the deck, I'm going to leave it.
 
Fortunately when I was positioning it, I was using the inboard hole on the smaller box and the samson post as reference points, since the windlass/machinery touches both of those.  So really, the small box is in the right place and the larger box (which nothing else connects to) is just out of position by a small amount.
 

 

 
I don't think there is anything else I can work on to procrastinate - I've got to start in on the windlass and machinery.  It shouldn't be difficult, and it will be similar in process to a lot the work I did on some Model Airways WWI aircraft a few years ago (which use a lot of cast pieces to build up the engine).  My fear is that there is a lot of potential for detail with this stuff, and my ability to toss stuff and start over will be limited by the use of cast metal pieces.

Thanks Russ!
 
Over the last week or so, I've gotten the bowsprit bitts/samson post and the engine box completed.
 
The bowsprit bitts and samson post were pretty straight forward as the kit provides the key piece as a laser-cut item.  
 

 
The whole thing went together pretty quickly.
 

 

 
The engine box gave me a bit more trouble.  My first attempt was fine until I got it painted, then I notices a few too many imperfections in the wood.  I tried to fix them with some filler and repaint, but wasn't happy with the results.  The second attempt failed during assembly - I wasn't able to get it square enough.
 
My third attempt was successful.  This time I made a much more rigid internal frame for the box, then used 1/16" sheet material for the 'walls'.  The lift out door on the side was simulated by cutting one of the side panels halfway through (so it remained one piece, but looks like two).
 

 
The smaller part of the box was built similarly, but I left some open space on the inside frame since this piece has three holes in the walls.
 

 
The holes were made by drilling holes then using needle files to square them off.  They aren't perfect, but it is what I was able to do with the tools on hand.
 

 
The entire thing was primered and airbrushed white.
 
I decided to try and simulate the hinges on the top.  I used some thin brass strip I had on hand and some thin brass rod.  These were soldered together.
 

 
Once soldered, the three pieces were cut apart and each piece was cleaned up.  I filed away a lot of the solder (I always make a mess when soldering), and trimmed the brass strips to be shorter and tapered.  I touched them up a bit with some brass paint to make the color a little more consistent.  They were then glued on to the roof of the engine box.
 
I also simulated a small handle/latch using some thin brass wire that came with the kit.
 

 
I noticed after I glued it on the deck that despite all my attempt to double-check things, I managed to screw something up.  I glued the smaller portion of the engine box so it lined up with the outboard edge of the larger box.  It should have been even with the inboard edge.  I don't think anyone would notice this once the ship is done (except for me or another Bluenose builder).  So, rather than rip it off and risk damaging the deck, I'm going to leave it.
 
Fortunately when I was positioning it, I was using the inboard hole on the smaller box and the samson post as reference points, since the windlass/machinery touches both of those.  So really, the small box is in the right place and the larger box (which nothing else connects to) is just out of position by a small amount.
 

 

 
I don't think there is anything else I can work on to procrastinate - I've got to start in on the windlass and machinery.  It shouldn't be difficult, and it will be similar in process to a lot the work I did on some Model Airways WWI aircraft a few years ago (which use a lot of cast pieces to build up the engine).  My fear is that there is a lot of potential for detail with this stuff, and my ability to toss stuff and start over will be limited by the use of cast metal pieces.

Lots of great info in this thread, and very timely!  I've been considering a small mill for a while, and decided to 'strongly hint' that I wanted one for Christmas from the wife (in combination with my birthday which is a week earlier).  She informed me last night that she is giving in, and the mill should be here this weekend.
 
I ended up going with the Proxxon MF70.  From my reading, I agree with all the advantages of the Sherline, and we weren't really concerned with the price difference.  For me, the choice of the MF70 was first driven by size - the MF70 is a little smaller than the Sherline.  Since I don't have dedicated space for power tools, I have to store them in a closet and pull them out when I want to use them.  That little bit of savings in size often makes the difference when deciding if I want to bother pulling the machine out or not.  I fully expect that some day (when I have more space), I'll be upgrading many of my tools.
 
I was also impressed with the number of people online who have converted the MF70 to be computer controlled.  CNC is overkill for my purposes, but converting the MF70 looks pretty easy (a couple hours), fairly inexpensive (I've ordered all the parts - around $300 total), and easy to undo as it doesn't modify the machine at all (with the right parts, you just unscrew the handles and replace them with the motor mounts).  I'm playing with the CNC conversion mostly just for fun, since I have zero experience with the software used to drive it I wouldn't be able to do anything complex, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.

Lots of great info in this thread, and very timely!  I've been considering a small mill for a while, and decided to 'strongly hint' that I wanted one for Christmas from the wife (in combination with my birthday which is a week earlier).  She informed me last night that she is giving in, and the mill should be here this weekend.
 
I ended up going with the Proxxon MF70.  From my reading, I agree with all the advantages of the Sherline, and we weren't really concerned with the price difference.  For me, the choice of the MF70 was first driven by size - the MF70 is a little smaller than the Sherline.  Since I don't have dedicated space for power tools, I have to store them in a closet and pull them out when I want to use them.  That little bit of savings in size often makes the difference when deciding if I want to bother pulling the machine out or not.  I fully expect that some day (when I have more space), I'll be upgrading many of my tools.
 
I was also impressed with the number of people online who have converted the MF70 to be computer controlled.  CNC is overkill for my purposes, but converting the MF70 looks pretty easy (a couple hours), fairly inexpensive (I've ordered all the parts - around $300 total), and easy to undo as it doesn't modify the machine at all (with the right parts, you just unscrew the handles and replace them with the motor mounts).  I'm playing with the CNC conversion mostly just for fun, since I have zero experience with the software used to drive it I wouldn't be able to do anything complex, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.

Lots of great info in this thread, and very timely!  I've been considering a small mill for a while, and decided to 'strongly hint' that I wanted one for Christmas from the wife (in combination with my birthday which is a week earlier).  She informed me last night that she is giving in, and the mill should be here this weekend.
 
I ended up going with the Proxxon MF70.  From my reading, I agree with all the advantages of the Sherline, and we weren't really concerned with the price difference.  For me, the choice of the MF70 was first driven by size - the MF70 is a little smaller than the Sherline.  Since I don't have dedicated space for power tools, I have to store them in a closet and pull them out when I want to use them.  That little bit of savings in size often makes the difference when deciding if I want to bother pulling the machine out or not.  I fully expect that some day (when I have more space), I'll be upgrading many of my tools.
 
I was also impressed with the number of people online who have converted the MF70 to be computer controlled.  CNC is overkill for my purposes, but converting the MF70 looks pretty easy (a couple hours), fairly inexpensive (I've ordered all the parts - around $300 total), and easy to undo as it doesn't modify the machine at all (with the right parts, you just unscrew the handles and replace them with the motor mounts).  I'm playing with the CNC conversion mostly just for fun, since I have zero experience with the software used to drive it I wouldn't be able to do anything complex, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.

Lots of great info in this thread, and very timely!  I've been considering a small mill for a while, and decided to 'strongly hint' that I wanted one for Christmas from the wife (in combination with my birthday which is a week earlier).  She informed me last night that she is giving in, and the mill should be here this weekend.
 
I ended up going with the Proxxon MF70.  From my reading, I agree with all the advantages of the Sherline, and we weren't really concerned with the price difference.  For me, the choice of the MF70 was first driven by size - the MF70 is a little smaller than the Sherline.  Since I don't have dedicated space for power tools, I have to store them in a closet and pull them out when I want to use them.  That little bit of savings in size often makes the difference when deciding if I want to bother pulling the machine out or not.  I fully expect that some day (when I have more space), I'll be upgrading many of my tools.
 
I was also impressed with the number of people online who have converted the MF70 to be computer controlled.  CNC is overkill for my purposes, but converting the MF70 looks pretty easy (a couple hours), fairly inexpensive (I've ordered all the parts - around $300 total), and easy to undo as it doesn't modify the machine at all (with the right parts, you just unscrew the handles and replace them with the motor mounts).  I'm playing with the CNC conversion mostly just for fun, since I have zero experience with the software used to drive it I wouldn't be able to do anything complex, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.

Lots of great info in this thread, and very timely!  I've been considering a small mill for a while, and decided to 'strongly hint' that I wanted one for Christmas from the wife (in combination with my birthday which is a week earlier).  She informed me last night that she is giving in, and the mill should be here this weekend.
 
I ended up going with the Proxxon MF70.  From my reading, I agree with all the advantages of the Sherline, and we weren't really concerned with the price difference.  For me, the choice of the MF70 was first driven by size - the MF70 is a little smaller than the Sherline.  Since I don't have dedicated space for power tools, I have to store them in a closet and pull them out when I want to use them.  That little bit of savings in size often makes the difference when deciding if I want to bother pulling the machine out or not.  I fully expect that some day (when I have more space), I'll be upgrading many of my tools.
 
I was also impressed with the number of people online who have converted the MF70 to be computer controlled.  CNC is overkill for my purposes, but converting the MF70 looks pretty easy (a couple hours), fairly inexpensive (I've ordered all the parts - around $300 total), and easy to undo as it doesn't modify the machine at all (with the right parts, you just unscrew the handles and replace them with the motor mounts).  I'm playing with the CNC conversion mostly just for fun, since I have zero experience with the software used to drive it I wouldn't be able to do anything complex, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.

Lots of great info in this thread, and very timely!  I've been considering a small mill for a while, and decided to 'strongly hint' that I wanted one for Christmas from the wife (in combination with my birthday which is a week earlier).  She informed me last night that she is giving in, and the mill should be here this weekend.
 
I ended up going with the Proxxon MF70.  From my reading, I agree with all the advantages of the Sherline, and we weren't really concerned with the price difference.  For me, the choice of the MF70 was first driven by size - the MF70 is a little smaller than the Sherline.  Since I don't have dedicated space for power tools, I have to store them in a closet and pull them out when I want to use them.  That little bit of savings in size often makes the difference when deciding if I want to bother pulling the machine out or not.  I fully expect that some day (when I have more space), I'll be upgrading many of my tools.
 
I was also impressed with the number of people online who have converted the MF70 to be computer controlled.  CNC is overkill for my purposes, but converting the MF70 looks pretty easy (a couple hours), fairly inexpensive (I've ordered all the parts - around $300 total), and easy to undo as it doesn't modify the machine at all (with the right parts, you just unscrew the handles and replace them with the motor mounts).  I'm playing with the CNC conversion mostly just for fun, since I have zero experience with the software used to drive it I wouldn't be able to do anything complex, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.

Lots of great info in this thread, and very timely!  I've been considering a small mill for a while, and decided to 'strongly hint' that I wanted one for Christmas from the wife (in combination with my birthday which is a week earlier).  She informed me last night that she is giving in, and the mill should be here this weekend.
 
I ended up going with the Proxxon MF70.  From my reading, I agree with all the advantages of the Sherline, and we weren't really concerned with the price difference.  For me, the choice of the MF70 was first driven by size - the MF70 is a little smaller than the Sherline.  Since I don't have dedicated space for power tools, I have to store them in a closet and pull them out when I want to use them.  That little bit of savings in size often makes the difference when deciding if I want to bother pulling the machine out or not.  I fully expect that some day (when I have more space), I'll be upgrading many of my tools.
 
I was also impressed with the number of people online who have converted the MF70 to be computer controlled.  CNC is overkill for my purposes, but converting the MF70 looks pretty easy (a couple hours), fairly inexpensive (I've ordered all the parts - around $300 total), and easy to undo as it doesn't modify the machine at all (with the right parts, you just unscrew the handles and replace them with the motor mounts).  I'm playing with the CNC conversion mostly just for fun, since I have zero experience with the software used to drive it I wouldn't be able to do anything complex, but I suppose I have to start somewhere.

Tim, you made me blush 
 
One thing to keep in mind when making a decision. Bare mill is hardly usable, you need a basic set of accessories:
1) Clamps to fix parts flat to the table
2) Precision vice to fix parts square to the table
3) Basic set of sharp cutters
4) Rotary table (considered basic for our hobby, milling capstan / wheel / anything round-ish is less convenient without it).
 
For Proxxon, #1 is included out of the box, and the rest will cost you $137. Together with the mill ($242), the whole package is $380, so roughly $400.
Sherline plus similar pack of accessories would be roughly 2x-2.5x more. 
 
So if you look for just a "good enough" mill - MF70 should be ok and is used by a lot of great level modellers in Europe. I used it for a year already, and had zero issues with it, nothing I can presume as negative. Steady, reasonably quiet, precise! Well, maybe the wheels could have been a bit bigger...  No maintenance really, I never needed to adjust / maintain / lubricate / tune anything in it after the initial setup.
But no doubt that Sherline is a more "adult" mill, that have a better customisation possibilities. I am just whining because I can't afford it (slap 25% extra on it to get the european price of sherline).

Depends on your definition of "mini". Proxxon MF70 is the smallest, which is the key if you do not have a workshop. It is a really good piece of machinery, way better than most of the other proxxon machinery. I am supper happy with it. Also much cheaper than Sherline. But it is harder to customise it (fewer accessories), and the working area is obviously smaller (see "mini"). 

Lots of random work over the last few days.  I've now got everything in on the deck except all the bowsprit stuff / windlass / machinery.  
 
The galley stack was pretty easy.  Just cleaned up the casting, removed the large 'pin' on the bottom and replaced with a thinner brass rod for mounting to the deck, painted it, and glued it in.
 

 
The 'jumbo jib sheet traveler horse' takes longer to say than it took to install.  Just some bent brass rod installed in front of the hole for the fore mast.
 

 
Then came the catheads.  I thought these would go quick, but they ended up taking a couple hours.  Part of the problem was that I couldn't find any good photos/information online that showed in detail how the anchor hangs from these, or how the ropes/chains are handled.  Lots of information about catheads in general, but nothing on the specific versions used on the Bluenose.  I did finally find a fantastic diagram on page 399 of Howard Chapell's 'The American Fishing Schooners 1825-1935'.  Once I understood how this would get hooked up, I decided to build them now but not glue them in.  I'll wait to secure them until I hang the anchors in case I need to make further alterations.
 
The cast metal pieces were cleaned up.  A hole was drilled in the fore side of each one, only halfway through the head, to hold the eyebolt that attaches to the bar.  Another hole was drilled all the way through the head from the top,  This second hole will be used to attach the chain.
 
The eyebolts that come with the kit are way too big for the catheads, so I made some simple ones out of some wire I had on hand and glued them in.
 

 
The plans show some sockets on the waterways that the base of the cathead sits in.  I decided to try and simulate these.  I cut a short length of a very small dowel rod and drilled a hole through it.  I rounded off the top, and used a razor saw to cut just a thin piece off the top.
 

 
This ended up making a fairly decent socket.  It doesn't have the detail shown in the plans, but I'm not yet at a point where I could pull off that detail on a piece so small.
 

 
The sockets were painted black and glued in after they dried, and while the paint was out the catheads themselves were also painted black.  Eyebolts were added to the rail for the bar, and the bar was fashioned from the thicker brass wire provided with the kit.  
 
Turned out pretty well.  These were fitted on the ship, then removed and put back in storage until later when I mount the anchors.
 

 

 
The anchor pads were cut from some 1/64" thick sheet wood I had handy.  These were pretty straightforward, just small and hard to sand.
 

 
One last step before starting in on the bowsprit bits / windlass / machinery is to get all the belaying pins and eyebolts installed.  I had originally planned to do this later, just before rigging, but I decided it would be easier to do now before the deck is completely full.
 
Installation of the pins and eyebolts was typical - mark locations, drill holes, glue in pieces.  I was very happy with the quality of the belaying pins in this kit.  39 belaying pins and 20 eyebolts.
 

 

 
Today I'm taking some time to touch up some paint on the bulwarks, and I'm pulling everything out of the workbench and doing a complete cleaning.  Hopefully I'll be diving into the deck stuff near the bow tomorrow!
 
 

Bob - I remember seeing that on your build log.  (And I was just looking at your log this morning!)
 
I didn't realize how unhappy I was with my original fife rail until I had the whole thing glued together and covered in primer.  The biggest problem was that I introduced some 'wavy-ness' as I was gluing things together due to the thin rail piece.  As I started sanding the primer, the force I was putting on it only made it worse.  I tried to use some CA glue to strengthen some joints, which made an even bigger mess
 
If I run into something like this again, I'll definitely try to strengthen up the thin pieces before I begin assembling anything.  I've got a 1/64" thick sheet of some hardwood I found at a local hobby store a year or so ago that would probably do a great job at adding a little more strength.

Lots of random work over the last few days.  I've now got everything in on the deck except all the bowsprit stuff / windlass / machinery.  
 
The galley stack was pretty easy.  Just cleaned up the casting, removed the large 'pin' on the bottom and replaced with a thinner brass rod for mounting to the deck, painted it, and glued it in.
 

 
The 'jumbo jib sheet traveler horse' takes longer to say than it took to install.  Just some bent brass rod installed in front of the hole for the fore mast.
 

 
Then came the catheads.  I thought these would go quick, but they ended up taking a couple hours.  Part of the problem was that I couldn't find any good photos/information online that showed in detail how the anchor hangs from these, or how the ropes/chains are handled.  Lots of information about catheads in general, but nothing on the specific versions used on the Bluenose.  I did finally find a fantastic diagram on page 399 of Howard Chapell's 'The American Fishing Schooners 1825-1935'.  Once I understood how this would get hooked up, I decided to build them now but not glue them in.  I'll wait to secure them until I hang the anchors in case I need to make further alterations.
 
The cast metal pieces were cleaned up.  A hole was drilled in the fore side of each one, only halfway through the head, to hold the eyebolt that attaches to the bar.  Another hole was drilled all the way through the head from the top,  This second hole will be used to attach the chain.
 
The eyebolts that come with the kit are way too big for the catheads, so I made some simple ones out of some wire I had on hand and glued them in.
 

 
The plans show some sockets on the waterways that the base of the cathead sits in.  I decided to try and simulate these.  I cut a short length of a very small dowel rod and drilled a hole through it.  I rounded off the top, and used a razor saw to cut just a thin piece off the top.
 

 
This ended up making a fairly decent socket.  It doesn't have the detail shown in the plans, but I'm not yet at a point where I could pull off that detail on a piece so small.
 

 
The sockets were painted black and glued in after they dried, and while the paint was out the catheads themselves were also painted black.  Eyebolts were added to the rail for the bar, and the bar was fashioned from the thicker brass wire provided with the kit.  
 
Turned out pretty well.  These were fitted on the ship, then removed and put back in storage until later when I mount the anchors.
 

 

 
The anchor pads were cut from some 1/64" thick sheet wood I had handy.  These were pretty straightforward, just small and hard to sand.
 

 
One last step before starting in on the bowsprit bits / windlass / machinery is to get all the belaying pins and eyebolts installed.  I had originally planned to do this later, just before rigging, but I decided it would be easier to do now before the deck is completely full.
 
Installation of the pins and eyebolts was typical - mark locations, drill holes, glue in pieces.  I was very happy with the quality of the belaying pins in this kit.  39 belaying pins and 20 eyebolts.
 

 

 
Today I'm taking some time to touch up some paint on the bulwarks, and I'm pulling everything out of the workbench and doing a complete cleaning.  Hopefully I'll be diving into the deck stuff near the bow tomorrow!
 
 

Bob - I remember seeing that on your build log.  (And I was just looking at your log this morning!)
 
I didn't realize how unhappy I was with my original fife rail until I had the whole thing glued together and covered in primer.  The biggest problem was that I introduced some 'wavy-ness' as I was gluing things together due to the thin rail piece.  As I started sanding the primer, the force I was putting on it only made it worse.  I tried to use some CA glue to strengthen some joints, which made an even bigger mess
 
If I run into something like this again, I'll definitely try to strengthen up the thin pieces before I begin assembling anything.  I've got a 1/64" thick sheet of some hardwood I found at a local hobby store a year or so ago that would probably do a great job at adding a little more strength.

Russ, I got curious so I did some checks against the plans as to scaled sizes.  I used 3/32" thick material for all the parts, which at this scale would be about 6" thick.  The kit provides 3/32" thick laser cut pieces for the knees, and seems to indicate 3/32" thick material for the square posts.  The metal castings for the 'fancy' legs appear to be 3/32" thick as well.  So on all those, I think I actually ended up at the correct size.
 
The bar and the rail itself are 3/64" thick laser cut pieces in the kit, which would be about 3" thick if I did my math right.  I used 3/32" for those, so I'm at 6" thick - about double.  
 
I think I only ended up out of scale on those two pieces, which I can live with.  Once I get pins in there and some rigging line, I don't think it will be noticeable at all.

Thanks Steve!
 
Tonight I was able to get the fife rail built.  This is my second attempt.  Over the weekend I built the fife rail using the laser-cut pieces provided by the kit, but I wasn't happy with the results.  The provided pieces are very thin, and I wasn't able to get them aligned well while gluing.  Things ended up being uneven, and the whole assembly felt flimsy.
 
So tonight I started from scratch.
 
I transferred the shapes for the rail and legs onto a 3/32" thick basswood sheet.
 

 
I cut these out using my Proxxon scroll saw.  (When I bought the scroll saw, I didn't realize how much I'd use it.  This small scroll saw has become the most-used power tool I own).  I made the legs and the posts out of single pieces to make the structure more rigid.
 

 
The bar across the top was cut by hand, and the holes for the posts were drilled out with a drill bit, then squared off with a needle file.  The slot for the boom crutch was cut with a #11 blade then cleaned up with a tiny needle file.
 

 
To make the 'fancy' legs, I stuck a length of square basswood strip into my little lathe.  I'm not very experienced at using a lathe, so as long as they turn out halfway decent, I'm happy.
 

 
Once the legs were done, I put some pins in the top using some short pieces of brass rod.  I drilled holes through the fife rail, and glued the legs in place.
 

 
The rest was assembled pretty easily.  Since I used slightly thicker material than the kit provided, the entire structure was much more rigid than the original fife rail.  This really helped when it came to sanding and painting.  I glued in some short pins in the bottoms of the legs - these will be used when I secure the fife rail to the deck.
 
For now, I'm leaving the fife rail loose.  I'm going to wait to permanently mount it until I start working on the masts.  I don't want to screw up and have the fife rail slightly mis-positioned and prevented the mast from being at the correct angle.
 

 

 
Overall I'm very satisfied with my new fife rail.  The material is a little thicker than the kit provides, so it is probably slightly out of scale, but I think the added stability is worth it.
 
I'm now done with the quarter deck, and moving on to the fore deck.

I feel like I've hit a 'fun' part of the build - lots of small projects that go pretty quickly.
 
I have been waiting to seal the deck with clear poly until I had the major deck structures ready.  Now that I've got them ready, I need to stop procrastinating and seal the deck.  Before gluing the structures down, I installed a number of eyebolts and rings on the stanchions inside the bulwarks.  These won't be used for a while, but I think it will be way easier to install these before the deck gets cluttered.
 

 
I've decided to leave the brass fittings as unfinished brass.  I know that these would likely have been black on the ship, but if I paint them, I know the paint will likely rub off during rigging.  I've tried using blackening solution with little success.  So, I'm just going to leave all these as natural brass.
 
With those in place, I marked the locations of all the deck structures and glued them down.  Then I applied some Minwax Wipe-On Poly to give the deck a clear finish.  I've been using a satin clear coat for everything so far, but I decided to go with gloss for the deck.  It is only a slight difference, but I like having a little bit of shine on the deck.
 
Once the poly was dry, I finished installing all the various eyebolts and rings for the hatches.
 

 
Next it was on to the assortment of other miscellaneous things that need to be installed on the deck.  I'm tackling the rest of the deck in three 'phases'.  First I'm going to get all the 'stuff' installed on the quarter deck.  After that, I'll tackle the fore deck, except for the windlass and machinery.  Finally, I'll build all that equipment up near the bow.
 
So, on the quarter deck...
 
First up were the battons.  I had no idea how to make these.  I ended up gluing a bunch of 1/32" strips together, then sanding them down to get close to the right size.
 

 

 

 
The 'slats' are a little larger than the plans call for, but I don't think they look awful.
 
Next I installed the boom sheet buffers.  These were cast metal pieces.  The pieces were cleaned up, painted, and installed.  The fore boom sheet buffer has a platform that gets made from some laser-cut pieces provided by the kit.  Since I'm leaving rings and eyebolts as brass on the ship, I painted the rings on the boom sheet buffers brass to match.
 

 

 
I made the main sheet lead block horse from some brass rod, bent to the right shape, and installed it just in front of the main boom sheet buffer at the stern.
 

 
The main boom crutch was assembled from the laser-cut piece and some strip wood. 
 

 
Next up were the quarter bitts.  I decided to use some brass rod for the 'arms' that extend out from the posts.  I'm not confident I could have made wood pieces look good at that size.  I glued some long pins to the bottom to use as handles during painting.  Once the painting was done, these pins were trimmed shorter and used to help secure the bitts to the deck.
 

 

 
I also installed the bilge pumps and stern chocks, which were all provided as cast metal pieces.
 

 

 
This completes the pieces on the quarter deck, with the notable exception of the fife rail.
 
I actually did build the fife rail, which was quite a project, but I'm not happy with it and will likely rebuild it with scratch-made pieces.  I knew the fife rail was going to be a challenge because I was missing one of the fancy 'legs' that the kit provides as cast metal pieces.  Rather than get a replacement, I decided to make my own using the little Proxxon lathe I've had sitting in the closet.  Surprisingly, they turned out great.  The problems with the fife rail came as I was trying to glue everything together.  The pieces were all so small and thin that it was difficult to get everything squared up.  What I ended up with is usable, but not as pretty as I'd like.  So I think I'm going to take a stab at making a new one from scratch.  If that fails, I can fall back to using the ugly one I made from kit parts.
 
Even though I hit a bit of a stall with the fife rail, I'm really happy with the recent progress.  The deck is looking more and more complete every day,
 

Thanks Steve!
 
Tonight I was able to get the fife rail built.  This is my second attempt.  Over the weekend I built the fife rail using the laser-cut pieces provided by the kit, but I wasn't happy with the results.  The provided pieces are very thin, and I wasn't able to get them aligned well while gluing.  Things ended up being uneven, and the whole assembly felt flimsy.
 
So tonight I started from scratch.
 
I transferred the shapes for the rail and legs onto a 3/32" thick basswood sheet.
 

 
I cut these out using my Proxxon scroll saw.  (When I bought the scroll saw, I didn't realize how much I'd use it.  This small scroll saw has become the most-used power tool I own).  I made the legs and the posts out of single pieces to make the structure more rigid.
 

 
The bar across the top was cut by hand, and the holes for the posts were drilled out with a drill bit, then squared off with a needle file.  The slot for the boom crutch was cut with a #11 blade then cleaned up with a tiny needle file.
 

 
To make the 'fancy' legs, I stuck a length of square basswood strip into my little lathe.  I'm not very experienced at using a lathe, so as long as they turn out halfway decent, I'm happy.
 

 
Once the legs were done, I put some pins in the top using some short pieces of brass rod.  I drilled holes through the fife rail, and glued the legs in place.
 

 
The rest was assembled pretty easily.  Since I used slightly thicker material than the kit provided, the entire structure was much more rigid than the original fife rail.  This really helped when it came to sanding and painting.  I glued in some short pins in the bottoms of the legs - these will be used when I secure the fife rail to the deck.
 
For now, I'm leaving the fife rail loose.  I'm going to wait to permanently mount it until I start working on the masts.  I don't want to screw up and have the fife rail slightly mis-positioned and prevented the mast from being at the correct angle.
 

 

 
Overall I'm very satisfied with my new fife rail.  The material is a little thicker than the kit provides, so it is probably slightly out of scale, but I think the added stability is worth it.
 
I'm now done with the quarter deck, and moving on to the fore deck.

Thanks Steve!
 
Tonight I was able to get the fife rail built.  This is my second attempt.  Over the weekend I built the fife rail using the laser-cut pieces provided by the kit, but I wasn't happy with the results.  The provided pieces are very thin, and I wasn't able to get them aligned well while gluing.  Things ended up being uneven, and the whole assembly felt flimsy.
 
So tonight I started from scratch.
 
I transferred the shapes for the rail and legs onto a 3/32" thick basswood sheet.
 

 
I cut these out using my Proxxon scroll saw.  (When I bought the scroll saw, I didn't realize how much I'd use it.  This small scroll saw has become the most-used power tool I own).  I made the legs and the posts out of single pieces to make the structure more rigid.
 

 
The bar across the top was cut by hand, and the holes for the posts were drilled out with a drill bit, then squared off with a needle file.  The slot for the boom crutch was cut with a #11 blade then cleaned up with a tiny needle file.
 

 
To make the 'fancy' legs, I stuck a length of square basswood strip into my little lathe.  I'm not very experienced at using a lathe, so as long as they turn out halfway decent, I'm happy.
 

 
Once the legs were done, I put some pins in the top using some short pieces of brass rod.  I drilled holes through the fife rail, and glued the legs in place.
 

 
The rest was assembled pretty easily.  Since I used slightly thicker material than the kit provided, the entire structure was much more rigid than the original fife rail.  This really helped when it came to sanding and painting.  I glued in some short pins in the bottoms of the legs - these will be used when I secure the fife rail to the deck.
 
For now, I'm leaving the fife rail loose.  I'm going to wait to permanently mount it until I start working on the masts.  I don't want to screw up and have the fife rail slightly mis-positioned and prevented the mast from being at the correct angle.
 

 

 
Overall I'm very satisfied with my new fife rail.  The material is a little thicker than the kit provides, so it is probably slightly out of scale, but I think the added stability is worth it.
 
I'm now done with the quarter deck, and moving on to the fore deck.

Cabin
 
Thanks for the compliment John!  I'm not sure that I'd agree that my build is the best, but I'll take it.
 
Bob & Dave, thanks!  I spent way too much time on the wheel box and wheel, but I wanted to be sure I was happy with the style of the deck structures before I built too many.  One thing I didn't show is that I actually tried building a different wheel from the Chuck's kit available from Syren Ship Model Company.  It turned out pretty good, but it was a little too big so I went back to the one that came with the kit.
 
The Thanksgiving holiday means I've got a five day weekend, so I decided to dive in on building the cabin.  My plan is to build all the bigger deck buildings first and get them installed on the deck.  Once those are in, I'll finally get around to applying the clear coat on the deck.  I decided to wait to seal the deck until the bigger structures were in place since I opted not to building the coamings in and plank around them.
 
The cabin took about 3 days.  I think I made it more complicated than it needed to be, but it was fun.
 
The main structure of the cabin was built from 1/16" thick sheet stock.  I used some 5/32" square strips to make some support beams.
 

 
And here's where I made things more complicated for myself...
 
I decided to build out the skylight and entrance into the structure, rather than adding them onto the completed cabin.  I started by framing out a platform to support the skylight.  I also cut out the entrance and installed the 'walls'.
 

 
I added some wide strips to provide support for the roof planking and added in the walls of the skylight.  Holes were drilled for the windows.  
 
I decided not to try and build all the fancy detail in the corners.  I'm not confident I could pull that off.  Instead I just rounded off the corners.
 

 
The roof was then planked from the center out.  Since I had built in the structure for the skylight and entrance, there was some work required to plank around those pieces.
 

 
I decided to add the molding around the roof line, but I kept it simple.  Rather than doing anything fancy, I just painted and installed some 1/32" square strips to make the molding.
 

 

 
The doors were made in two layers.  I cut some 1/64" thick sheet material to the right size, and cut out openings for the panels.  This was painted white and glued onto some 1/16" thick material that was stained to match the roof.
 

 
The skylight's panels were framed out.
 

 
After being trimmed and painted, I added some short pieces of brass rod to make the bars.  
 

 
For the compass box, I carved the box from a solid piece of basswood.  I used more of the 1/64" thick sheet stock for the cover.  It was soaked in water then bent around the box.
 

 
The roof for the entrance was actually planked like the rest of the roof, but painted over in white.
 

 
For the pipe, I decided to try and actually build it.  I cut some 3/32" brass tube to the right size and soldered it together.  I made the 'stand' from a piece of brass strip.
 

 
Everything got a few rounds of cleanup and final painting.
 
I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.  There are a few spots where I could have gotten things smoother or painted better, but I don't think it will be noticeable once I've got more stuff on the deck.
 

Unidentified Object and Cabins
 
It would be great if I never had to work and could spend all my time on the build as I've done over the holiday weekend!
 
I was able to knock out the 'unidentified object' and the two hatches pretty quickly.
 
From the plans and old photos, the 'unidentified object' called for on the plans appears to be some kind of bin or storage container with a lid.  I had a dowel rod on hand that was the right size, so I used that to make the object.  I cut a piece of the rod to 5mm and rounded off the top.
 
To create the seam for the lid, I used a small saw blade and cut into the piece as I rotated it.  I used a piece of wood to keep the saw blade at a consistent height.
 

 
I decided to build both hatches at once since they are identical except for their size.  I had some wood strips that were the exact height of the sides, so I cut those to the right lengths for the sides of each hatch.  I glued in some shorter pieces to create a ledge for the lids.
 

 
The plans show the lids as solid pieces, two per hatch.  Since I've been planking and staining the roofs of the deck structures, I decided I wanted to plank the lids as well.  My first attempt was simple - I just cut some planks and filled in the lid.  I wasn't happy with the results.  It looked like a single planked piece, rather than two halves of a removable lid.  
 
I re-build the lids with a thin frame around the outside of each section.  This took a few tries to get a process that worked well.  I ended up building the entire lid for each hatch as a single piece, then cutting it in half and adding the inside frame sections.
 

 
Everything was then sanded and painted.
 

 
They ended up looking pretty good when placed on the deck.  I haven't added any of the hardware yet - I'm going to add all the eyebolts/rings on the deck structures in one pass after I get them built (but before they are glued in place on the deck).
 

 

 

 

 

Companionway
 
Not super-exciting, but the companionway for the fore deck is finished.  Kinda surprising something so small required so much work.
 

 

I feel like I've hit a 'fun' part of the build - lots of small projects that go pretty quickly.
 
I have been waiting to seal the deck with clear poly until I had the major deck structures ready.  Now that I've got them ready, I need to stop procrastinating and seal the deck.  Before gluing the structures down, I installed a number of eyebolts and rings on the stanchions inside the bulwarks.  These won't be used for a while, but I think it will be way easier to install these before the deck gets cluttered.
 

 
I've decided to leave the brass fittings as unfinished brass.  I know that these would likely have been black on the ship, but if I paint them, I know the paint will likely rub off during rigging.  I've tried using blackening solution with little success.  So, I'm just going to leave all these as natural brass.
 
With those in place, I marked the locations of all the deck structures and glued them down.  Then I applied some Minwax Wipe-On Poly to give the deck a clear finish.  I've been using a satin clear coat for everything so far, but I decided to go with gloss for the deck.  It is only a slight difference, but I like having a little bit of shine on the deck.
 
Once the poly was dry, I finished installing all the various eyebolts and rings for the hatches.
 

 
Next it was on to the assortment of other miscellaneous things that need to be installed on the deck.  I'm tackling the rest of the deck in three 'phases'.  First I'm going to get all the 'stuff' installed on the quarter deck.  After that, I'll tackle the fore deck, except for the windlass and machinery.  Finally, I'll build all that equipment up near the bow.
 
So, on the quarter deck...
 
First up were the battons.  I had no idea how to make these.  I ended up gluing a bunch of 1/32" strips together, then sanding them down to get close to the right size.
 

 

 

 
The 'slats' are a little larger than the plans call for, but I don't think they look awful.
 
Next I installed the boom sheet buffers.  These were cast metal pieces.  The pieces were cleaned up, painted, and installed.  The fore boom sheet buffer has a platform that gets made from some laser-cut pieces provided by the kit.  Since I'm leaving rings and eyebolts as brass on the ship, I painted the rings on the boom sheet buffers brass to match.
 

 

 
I made the main sheet lead block horse from some brass rod, bent to the right shape, and installed it just in front of the main boom sheet buffer at the stern.
 

 
The main boom crutch was assembled from the laser-cut piece and some strip wood. 
 

 
Next up were the quarter bitts.  I decided to use some brass rod for the 'arms' that extend out from the posts.  I'm not confident I could have made wood pieces look good at that size.  I glued some long pins to the bottom to use as handles during painting.  Once the painting was done, these pins were trimmed shorter and used to help secure the bitts to the deck.
 

 

 
I also installed the bilge pumps and stern chocks, which were all provided as cast metal pieces.
 

 

 
This completes the pieces on the quarter deck, with the notable exception of the fife rail.
 
I actually did build the fife rail, which was quite a project, but I'm not happy with it and will likely rebuild it with scratch-made pieces.  I knew the fife rail was going to be a challenge because I was missing one of the fancy 'legs' that the kit provides as cast metal pieces.  Rather than get a replacement, I decided to make my own using the little Proxxon lathe I've had sitting in the closet.  Surprisingly, they turned out great.  The problems with the fife rail came as I was trying to glue everything together.  The pieces were all so small and thin that it was difficult to get everything squared up.  What I ended up with is usable, but not as pretty as I'd like.  So I think I'm going to take a stab at making a new one from scratch.  If that fails, I can fall back to using the ugly one I made from kit parts.
 
Even though I hit a bit of a stall with the fife rail, I'm really happy with the recent progress.  The deck is looking more and more complete every day,