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I seem to recall reading that individual captains could alter the rake of the masts in order to get the best performance from the vessel--basically by altering where the center of force of the sail was located. Is that something that could be done at sea or would it need to be done in port? If so... doesn't that mean that the rake could vary during the life of the vessel?

Thank you all for the likes! @Snug Harbor Johnny, it's true that @JerryTodd did some of the 3d printing for me. Turns out he and I flew together in Red Baron 3d many, many years ago, where I knew him by his nom de guerre 'Uhlan'. However, most of the parts were printed by Chris Parker of 'Day of Battle Games'. I've used him for several years for printing 3d ACW ships designed by David Manley. This was my first stab at designing my own *.stl files and Jerry certainly helped me overcome some design issues. I've thought about offering the files as a download but if I do that I want to talk to the model's designer first. I know that WAK offers the pre-printed kit with some optional third party parts and I want to make sure I'm not infringing on anyone's licensing agreements. I'm not sure it's something I have to do from a legal standpoint, but it's certainly the right thing to do. I'm sure that having a model printed and distributed by WAK is much better for the designer than me providing 3rd party *.stl files!

Absolutely, yes! Like ancient Egyptian, a lot of meaning in English is derived from context. At least we have vowels!

I wonder if the progression from lacing to grommets to wood then iron hanks was primarily driven by how often they needed to be replaced. Hmmm... the growth of technology, I suppose.

I cannot even imagine the words I'd use attempting that!

Yeah... pirates with rapiers... a gentleman's or Musketier's weapon. L'Olannios, probably not. Maybe only to use it as a spit for a baby over a barbecue. Ooops... did I say that out loud?

Primary and secondary guns completed! I started with the four 8-inch guns. Construction was straight forward. No issues at all even though some of the structures were quite small. The secondary, 6-inch guns proved more problematic. The front shield had small wings that were supposed to wrap around the tops and then support the top with a straight bar. So, from the top view the front shields would form a 'D' shape with the straight part towards the rear of the gun. I couldn't for the life of me get that to work. The structure was too flimsy for me to be able to attach the roof parts. So I ended up cutting off the offending wings and laminating the roof to 1mm card to give me a surface to glue the front shields to. That meant that the guns on their carriages were a bit too tall to fit so I cut the small legs off the carriages to shorten them. It worked--and unless someone has built this model--probably nobody would ever notice. I also decided to add a plastic pin to the guns and drill holes in the decks for the pin. I haven't decided whether I'll glue the guns in place or not. Right now I rather like the fact that I can rotate the guns.

l'Olonnaise is looking seriously moody, there. Just wondering what type of heinous act he's contemplating. Looking good, though.

I'd be surprised if there's anything definitive in regards to the ancient rigging. I suspect your best bet is to study pictures of the Olympias and adapt to a smaller craft. I know I've read Severin's book on the Argo but I don't seem to own it any more. Maybe there are photos of the reproduction about? A quick search uncovered this: https://indigenousboats.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-accurate-was-tim-severins-argo.html .

Don't you dare! After all the time and research you've put in to getting this build right you deserve the satisfaction of calling it complete! Besides, you can't be the Godfather of schooner rigging with an unfinished schooner.

Thanks, @bear! Your long ship looks great. I think you really elevated the model by adding the nails and removing the dragon head and tail. Looks very realistic. Are you doing a build log on the Argo? I just recently saw that it was available, though I don't know where. It's definitely a model that got my attention. If it requires about the same skill level as the long ship I just might give it a go.

Thanks, everyone! Just a little work completed this week: ventilators and spot lights painted and added. I'm very happy I went with the 3d printed small parts. I'd never be able to make these parts from card. It's beginning to look like a ship! Still debating whether I'm going to attempt the railings or the batteries next. BTW, in the last picture, does anyone know what the little black wedge shaped things are on either side of the gangway? There's also a pair at the stern. I suspect they have something to do with anchor handling but I'm not sure. I do wish the instructions gave part names along with part numbers. While I understand that's tricky in the multi-language international paper-model market it would be nice to learn more of the ship anatomy.

I've got this one in my stash (along with the H L Hunley). Haven't decided if I'm going to build it or not but your results are inspiring.

Thanks for this build log. I am watching and learning. I think my first scratch built card model is not far off.

I'm no expert but I'm not sure whoever rigged the Danmark had a solid understanding of how rigging worked. The Blanco de Sal is just bizarre! I've seen blown glass models of ships but never salt.

Wow! There must be a more sane method to make railings. I at least I hope so for my current project's sake!

Wow... has it really only been 14 days since my last update? Non-hobby life has made me feel like I've aged 10 years. Anyway... Thanks all who have like and visited. It is appreciated. I found the stacks to be surprisingly challenging. First off, the card I'm using is probably a bit too thick so the cylinders of the stacks did not want to roll smoothly. As designed, there are two sloping flanges on each stack; one at the very top and a larger one down lower where the diameter of the funnel decreases. The larger flange was fairly easy to glue together and slip over the cylinders. The smaller ones at the top edge defeated me so I took a different approach to finishing the stacks. I put in cross members and then simply wrapped card around the top to add a lip. I like the way they look. In various pictures of the Baltimore you can see that there was something up there but I've not seen it in any clarity. I think it's a safe assumption that there were some type of supporting cross members in the stacks. I also abandoned the idea of making the steam pipe and the steam winch out of card. They are both constructed of plastic sprue. Finally, I'm also getting the chance to attach some of the 3d printed parts. The capstan, bollards and two of the vents have been installed. The rest of the vents are on the painting desk now and will go on next. I think the next major sub-assembly will be the primary and secondary armament.

The Black Ship is looking menacing! If I understand what you're doing that seems like a lot of work for the railings. Are you cutting out the voids? All the little rectangles between the posts and railings?

Yes, painting the sub-surface hull was definitely the right decision. Looks much better and I'm feeling pretty good about the whole model now. Adding the hatch covers on the hull and the other exterior details really helps move the whole thing to a higher level. I'm now working on the deck houses and skylights. I have found, however, that scoring and folding the small pieces leaves me cold. It might be because I've used 110# card for the whole thing and I think that's probably a bit heavier than what the design was intended. I just haven't been able to get crisp folds and being laser printed the toner tends to flake off at the folds. So, I'm avoiding folding and cutting all the sides of the structures separate. That of course means I have more edges to paint (and try to color match!) but I'm ok with that. It also means that I've been cutting 1mm card to use as a support piece inside the structures. The next step will probably be the stacks.

Speaking of time, how many hours of printing is that? They look great.

It's more advanced than I thought. I didn't realize it came with a keyboard. 😉

I rarely visit the gallery section. While it can be inspirational I learn a lot more from the build logs. Can't say I'm a fan of videos in either place.

Well, as the younger generations say "You do you!" Nevertheless, your models are still stunning.

I suspect that first coming out of the yard probably the cheapest paint had been used. But Captains had a lot of discretion when it came to maintenance. Some had more money to spend than others.

Welcome, Linus! Your 1/700 models look great. My Covid lockdown project in 2020 was a French and a British fleet so I understand the challenges of these models. Though I've never actually played a game with them that was certainly the intention. Are your ratlines 3d printed? I wasn't impressed with the clear ones provided in the kits but wasn't able to find a better alternative. Also, (I'm finally asking this question after observing it for years)--why don't your driver/spanker sails extend all the way to the mizzen mast? I've only seen this on 'gaming models'. I suspect it's just incorrect mostly due to Warlord designing their models that way and builders following along. Still... I'm no expert. Cheers! PS, your gaming mat is perfection.