Dutchman

Planking is going slowly, because the 1/32" thick planks are much tougher to fit than the veneer second planking in most kits.  I found cutting veneer thickness planking on the Byrnes saw difficult because when ripping, the veneer would slip under the fence, due to it's thinness.  I will have to figure out a mod so I can use the saw for that purpose.
 
To fit the planks I had two options:  Spiling, or tapering/heat bending.  In think the taper and bend technique is easier, but it is slow!  Here is the most forward plank in the 4th strake below the wale, ready for installation.

Slow going on the planking.  The hull dimensions are weird.  Rather than be significantly wider at he stern, I'll actually have to taper some planks after adding a stealer to start an upward run of the planks.  There is also a little "tail" that points upward at the sternpost.  I custom cut some planks to eliminate it.  So at the stern I have to add a stealer, and then taper planks to make up for it so the planking matches the sheer of the wales.  UGH!  Not my favorite part.

Definitely a result to be proud of! Excellent work! Chapeau!

looks great!

Granted, the first one is always special 

Admirable! But, are you going to build a case for every model you're going to make? I might consider doing it for my ultimate goal; the HMS Surptise (from Jotika/Caldercraft if/when they release it. Or else from AL). But the others are going to collect dust, I'm afraid.

looks great! 

Sanding is probably the most common action taken on wooden ships. It is an extremely rare day when pre-cut pieces will go together without sanding. On your bow, it looks like some sanding below the bulwarks on the filler blocks might allow them to come together where they are gaping at the bottom. That also might help smooth them out as they come around the bow. Also from the top down picture, it looks like the bulwarks are being held away from the ship slightly on the first bulkhead. I can see a gap between them and the deck on both sides just forward of that bulkhead. Try sanding it down a little more or if it is the decking sticking out past the frame then sand on it a little to close out that gap.
 
Assuming you will be planking over the bulwark strip then yes, you can sand on it all you want to achieve a smooth curve. I would work on the fillers and bulkheads though first to see if you can get it to lay better before you take too much of the thickness out of it.
 
I hope this helps. It is hard to try to type some of these suggestions than if I could simple show them.

Thanks for sharing, Simon! And keep up the good work. I'm following your build, cause I've just started building her myself, after (almost) completing the Swift 1805. She seems so small after my first build.

With the third row of planking, the ship is starting to take shape (I mark the positions of the bulkheads on the completed planks in pencil so that I will know where they are when I determine the plank widths for the second layer):
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Everything seems to be fitting together properly, and I think I'm maintaining the proper symmetry.
 

 

 

 
So, at the end of my session on Saturday, after approximately 67 hours of work on this project so far, I had completed 6 planks (out of a total of 26).  The planking process is going more smoothly than I had anticipated, and it's really rewarding to see the hull starting to take shape!  I'm a little nervous about transitioning into the vertical planking at the stern and laying the garboard strake, but I'm going to take my time and do my best, so hopefully it will look nice.  Based on my planking layout, I should not need any drop planks or stealers, which pleases me.  Even though no one is going to see this layer, it is excellent practice for the second layer, and I'm learning what techniques are better than others for giving the appearance of a nice tight fit. 
 
I'll probably do some more work on the model this weekend.  The process itself is fairly straightforward, but it is a little time-consuming.  I find that I'm usually a bit nervous when laying the plank because I want it to look perfect, but I'm usually pleased with the results.  I think it will look quite nice when it's filled and sanded.  Anyway, let me know what you think, guys!   

After repeating the process for the second row of planking, here is the second port plank:
 

 

 

 

 

 
These next two photos shows how I leave the overhanging end of the plank at the stern/transom while the glue dries, then trim it so that it is flush with the transom:
 

 

 
Here is the second starboard plank:
 

 

 
Here's a shot of the symmetry at the bow:
 

 
And a shot of the stern:
 

 
And, finally, the underside:
 

Thanks for the kind words, guys!  It has taken me a bit of time to post this update, as I've been a little busy lately.  I started the planking process over the weekend, so the work I'm about to show you took place on Saturday.  I did not get as many pictures of the actual spiling process as I would have liked, so perhaps I can document this procedure a little better next time.  For this first layer, I decided to use a single plank per row instead of going with scale plank lengths, as I felt that it might provide a smoother surface for the second layer (which will be done in scale lengths).  Anyway, I began by laying my painter's tape down along the curve of the bulkheads and over the lower edge of the bulwark.  Using the edge of my pencil, I marked the bulwark's edge.  I also marked the positions of each bulkhead edge.  Then, I placed the tape down on a series of three index cards:
 

 
Using my tick strips, I mark the width of the plank at the bulkhead positions.  Then, I use my ship's curve to draw the other edge of the spiled plank.  Next, I cut the shape of the spiled plank out of the index card material:
 

 
I lay the index card plank along the hull to check the fit, and if I'm satisfied with it, I trace around the pattern on my sheet of German lime and carefully cut it out with my X-Acto blade (this results in a slightly wider plank that I can trim to fit):
 

 
I make sure to leave some extra material at the bow and stern ends of the plank, which is trimmed off later.  Once the plank has been cut out from the sheet, I use my sanding stick to smooth the edges and take off a little material at a time, performing multiple test fittings, until it has the proper width at each bulkhead position.  This is the most time-consuming part of the spiling process.  When I'm satisfied with the fit and the shape of the plank, it's time to bend it.  
 
My method for bending the planks is very simple (I have yet to use the plank bender since the lime planks bend so easily).  I just run the plank under the faucet in my bathtub for about a minute or two, making sure the water is as hot as I can get it.  While the plank is under the flowing water, I gently press on it with my fingers, gradually forming an inward bend at the bow end and an outward twist in the stern end.  The spiled plank, which curves downward at the bow, naturally wants to assume the inwardly bent shape, and the wider stern end twists easily.  Thus far, I have found no need to soak the plank for a long period of time or apply any further heat.  After maybe 2 minutes (at most), I pat the plank dry with a towel and give it a test fitting on the ship.  
 
I adhere the plank to the bulkheads and filler blocks with CA glue, as it dries quickly enough for me to attach the plank while it is still quite flexible, and it is strong enough to hold the last-glued section of the plank in place while I incorporate small corrective bends in the plank to produce a better fit.  I start at the bow, making sure the edge of the plank is butted up against the stem and flush (it is at this point that I usually perform the final trimming of the stem end of the plank, to give it the right angle against the stem).  I glue this portion in place, allowing the glue to cure.  Then, I move on to the next section, making sure that the plank is sitting as flush and snug as possible.  I continue to glue each section and let it cure (which takes only seconds) all the way to the stern/transom.  I leave the overhanging portion of the stern end of the plank until the glue is completely dry, then trim it off so that the plank is flush with the transom (the transom is planked with only the second layer of planking, and this layer is meant to lay on top of the edges of the first-layer hull planks).  When that is done, I give the plank a light sanding to ensure that any edges are smooth and flush.  I also run a sanding stick or a need file along the bottom edge of the plank to remove any waviness.  
 
Here is my first starboard plank (there is a small gap between the plank and the bulwark between bulkheads 4 and 5, which looks bigger in the photo than it does in person, due to the presence of sawdust elsewhere along the plank edge;  this gap will disappear once I put down a layer of wood filler or drywall compound over the first layer of planking before sanding everything smooth when I'm done):
 

 

 

 
Here is the first port plank:
 

 

 

 
In this photo, you can see how the planks are fairly symmetrical at the stem:
 

 
Here's how they appear at the stern/transom:
 

 
And, finally, a shot of the underside:
 

Thanks, Ian!  I am still not completely sure about whether I want to try scale plank lengths for the first layer.  In practice spiling runs, I have found it very difficult to get an accurate curvature at the point where the bow section meets the mid-ship section.  My spiled plank always seems to want to curve down and away from the edge of the bulwark at this point.  It might be that the tape is simply not sitting properly at this point, but it has happened just about every time I've practiced with it.  Cutting a longer plank would likely only exacerbate this problem, which is why I was leaning toward using shorter scale plank lengths.  I will likely try a full-length plank and see how it goes before making my decision.  
 
Anyway, the shaping of the last three stern filler blocks was a lot easier than I thought it would be!  I took a few pictures to document the process, even though everyone already knows how I do it.  Here's the shaped aft block:
 

 
And here is the next block, properly curved and fitted:
 

 

 

 
Here are the layers of balsa in the remaining space between the bulkheads:
 

 
And here are the results, displaying what I believe to be decent symmetry:
 

 

 

 

 
The process only took me about 3 hours, which brings me to a total of 61 hours spent on this project thus far.  I am hoping to find my electric plank bender in the mailbox today, so hopefully I can get started with my spiled planks tonight.  She's looking better and better, and I can't wait to see her with that first layer of planking on her hull! 

I'm finally back to making some progress on the Lady Nelson, so I thought I'd post an update.  Last night, I finished the port side bow filler blocks.  These ones went much quicker, as I am more comfortable with my little technique for creating these blocks.  I started off with the third bulkhead space from the stem, creating my stacks of balsa:
 

 
Next, I gave it a rough sanding until it was fairly close to the edges of the bulkheads:
 

 

 
The last step was making sure the block was symmetrical with the starboard side block:
 

 

 
Next, I worked on the space closest to the stem (again, there was really no reason to skip the middle space -- I just did it because I felt like it!):
 

 
Again, I made sure it was fairly symmetrical with the starboard side:
 

 
Finally, I created the last bow filler block and sanded it down.  When I was done, I gave both sides a better sanding with 400 grit sandpaper until they were mostly flush with the bulkheads and symmetrical.  Here are the results:
 

 

 

 

 
So, she's starting to look more and more like a ship!  In total, I have spent 58 hours on this project.  I will try to finish the port side stern filler block tonight.  After that, I will move on to the first layer of planking, which I will be doing in scale lengths, for practice (and to make the spiling a little easier).  My electric plank bender should be arriving any day now, so the timing is perfect.  I'll keep you guys posted!  

Good advice, Gunther!  I'll do a little more sanding on the filler blocks once I get all of them made.  Some parts of them will serve as the bonding surface for the planks, as a few of my bulkhead angles were more extreme than the angles that the planks will take.  
 
Bill, I look forward to meeting up with you again!  Hopefully I'll make some more progress on the fillers before then!
 
In other news, the electric plank bender that I ordered from Model Expo was supposed to arrive a few days ago.  I received the package, but to my surprise, there was a waterline marker inside instead of the plank bender!  I realize that mistakes happen, so I made a call to Model Expo, and I was told that the bender would be shipped out tomorrow.  The man I spoke to apologized for the inconvenience, and told me to keep the waterline marker, so it looks like I'll have a nice clean waterline when the time comes!  
 
I haven't made any further progress on the Lady Nelson yet.  The only thing standing between me and planking is getting the last two filler blocks made, but since I'll be waiting for the plank bender to arrive, I have some time.  I'm not particularly looking forward to it, as I'm pretty sure that it's going to be slightly more difficult since I'll have to ensure that the port side is symmetrical with the starboard side.  However, I'll try to be careful and make my way through it as best I can.  I think I'm going to use scale lengths for the first layer of planking, as it will help me practice for the second layer, and it will make the planks easier to cut and shape, since I won't have to try to get a perfect curve along the entire length of a long plank.  I have found that any slight change in angle early on can get out of hand as you get further along the length of the plank...  I am convinced that planking will be the hardest part of this build!  Nevertheless, I will get it done, and hopefully the results will be aesthetically pleasing.  
 
As always, I will keep you guys updated on my progress as I move along.  Stay tuned!     

Thanks, Elijah!  I recommend giving Naval Action a shot.  I really enjoy it!
 
I spent last night making the stern filler blocks for the starboard side of the ship.  This was pretty tough, as there is not a lot of space to get in and do the required sanding.  However, I think it came out alright.
 
I began by using a needle file to adjust the bevel on the kit's "filler block," which was a bit to steep:
 

 
Once that was done, I used the same technique of fitting balsa wafers in the space between the bulkheads and sanding them down:
 

 
The first filler block came out looking pretty good (it was difficult to get all the angles smooth, though):
 

 

 
I skipped the next section (for no particular reason -- I just felt like it), and began work on the next block:
 

 
Here's what it looked like when it was done:
 

 

 

 
Finally, I filled in the remaining space:
 

 
After sanding the final block down, I used some 400 grit sandpaper to finish things up and try to get them to "flow" into each other.  These are the results:
 

 

 

 

 

 
Overall, I think the blocks look pretty good.  It was much more difficult to create these blocks, as it's hard to get a feel for what angles they should have.  With the bow blocks, it was just a matter of bending a spare plank around the bulkheads and seeing how it sat on the blocks.  In the stern, however, it's almost like I have to have a spiled plank in order for it to lie properly so that I can check it.  Since I can't spile the planks well enough without the filler blocks, it's a bit of a catch-22.  From what I can tell, planks seem to sit fairly well on these stern blocks.  There are a couple of uneven spots here and there, but I think the planks will still look good once they are glued in place, and I'll be added filler to any uneven spots anyway.  
 
I'm still really worried about the sternpost and keel areas once the planking is complete.  I just don't think this kit was designed for the planks to be flush with these pieces.  I am giving some serious thought to doing some careful tracing and measuring in order to cut some facades or veneers for the sternpost, keel piece, and stem out of my walnut sheets.  If I could attach these to the port and starboard sides of these pieces, it would thicken them up enough so that they create their own false rabbet joint, hiding the edges of the planks.  It's just an idea, but it could work (in theory).
 
I'm still trying to figure out how to space the butt joints for the planks on this ship.  If you guys have any thoughts on this matter, please let me know!  
 
Anyway, that's my progress for now, with a total of 55 hours of work done on this build thus far.  Now comes the hard part of replicating what I've done on the starboard side for the port side!  Feel free to tell me what you think!

Well, I don't have any updates for today, as I spent the whole weekend engrossed in a video game (Naval Action).  If you play computer games and haven't heard of this one, check it out!  It's all about trade and naval combat in the age of historic sailing ships.  You start as a Midshipman on a cutter and work your way up through the ranks, taking command of larger vessels of your choice, such as privateers, brigs, frigates, and ships-of-the-line.  You can battle pirates or ships from other factions, or board and capture trading vessels carrying contraband goods.  The game is still in its developmental stage, but it's looking great so far.  I am a First Lieutenant on a U.S. light frigate at this point.  You can even build your own ships!  I was particularly interested because the cutter that you start with looks almost exactly like the Lady Nelson -- it's almost like they based the game's cutter on the wooden model that I'm building!  If any of you happen to play this game, let me know!  It would be fun to team up with people from this forum!  
 
Anyway, even though I had a lot of fun with the game, I am eager to get back to working on the model.  I'm a little nervous about taking on the filler blocks for the stern, as I know that they will require some tricky angles.  I was confident enough to glue the bow block in before trimming it to its final shape, but I think I will leave the stern block unglued until the very end, in case I make a mistake.  I hope to have the rest of the filler blocks trimmed and in place in the next few days.  I will be sure to update the log with more pictures and progress reports as I continue through the process.  Thanks again for the kind words and support, everyone!

I decided to make another attempt at spiling a plank in order to see if I could get better results with my new filler blocks.  I was quite pleased with how everything turned out!  I used two different spiling methods, to see which I preferred...  The first method was with my painter's tape, and the second was using a compass to trace the curvature of the bottom edge of the bulwark onto an index card laid across the bulkheads (I'll be showing this method, although both worked for me).  One thing I learned was to always transfer the traced curvature to an index card and cut it out for test fitting so that I wouldn't waste any of my precious sheetwood.  In this photo, you can see the index card with the traced curve cut out:
 

 
This photo shows the curve transferred to my sheetwood, with the curvature of the other edge also marked, according to the plank spacing at each bulkhead:
 

 
This was just a rough practice run, so I simply cut the plank out along these lines without allowing any extra clearance.  I wanted to give my spiling technique the ultimate test, to see how closely the plank would fit based solely on my tracing, without any additional tweaking.
 

 

 
I didn't even bother sanding/filing the edges, and soaked the spiled plank immediately in hot water for a few minutes (I found that the lime softens very quickly after only a short time in hot water).  I am awating the arrival of a plank bender, but since I don't have it yet, I simply bent the plank around the bulkheads and held it in place for a few minutes.  It came out looking like this:
 

 
In this photo, you can see how well the spiled and bent plank hugs the curvature of the hull:
 

 
You can also see how the bottom edge of the plank no longer creates the clinker effect, sitting flat against filler blocks:
 

 
Finally, here's a photo of me holding the plank in position (pretty nice fit for a rough-cut practice plank, right?):
 

 
I have only created one bow block thus far, but I'm quite pleased with how things are looking at this point.  I know that the stern blocks will be tougher to shape, but I'll give it my best effort.  Anyway, this is the result of approximately 50 hours of work, in total.  Let me know what you think!
 
One of the things I'd like to do is use scale plank lengths.  They are more historically accurate, and they will make spiling easier because curves tend to become less accurate as the length of the spiled plank increases.  However, I'm a little lost as to how to set up the staggering for the butt joints.  I've seen butt joint guides for deck planking, but I'm not sure how easily that would translate into hull work.  Any suggestions, guys?  

At this point, I decided to take a practice run at spiling a plank.  I do not have any pictures of this process, but it doesn't really matter, as the results were less than adequate!    Using some painter's tape, I attempted to lay the tap flat along the bulwark, making sure it did not bend or buckle (I soon found out that this is the wrong method of laying the tape, and leads to an improper curvature in the resulting spiled plank).  I traced the bottom edge of the bulwark using the side of my pencil lead, also marking the positions of each bulkhead on the tape.  Then, I laid the tape on my sheetwood and used my tick strip to mark the plank spacing at each bulkhead onto the tape.  Using my ship's curve, I drew a line that connected all the plank spacing marks.  Next, I cut the plank out and gave it a test fit.  The curvature was not correct at the bow, so the bottom edge of the plank flared out away from the bulkheads.  This would have given me a clinker effect, so I tossed the plank and made a few more attempts, none of which were particularly successful or up to my standards.  
 
There were a few things I learned during this process.  The first was that I was laying the tape down incorrectly.  By laying the tape against the bulwark (which is vertical), I was essentially transferring a curve that would result in a plank that would lie vertically (i.e., the bottom edge of the plank would not sit flat against the bulkhead, which curves inward -- the classic clinker effect).  The proper way to do this is to lay the tape at the same angle at which the spiled plank will lie (i.e., lay it on the bulkheads).  This gives a curvature that will allow the plank to remain flush with the curves of the bulkheads while following the edge of the previous plank (in this case, the bulwark).  The next thing I learned was that my model's design creates a very poor surface upon which to lay my tape (thanks to Chuck for giving me some insight/advice on this one).  I found that when I tried to lay my tape along the bulkheads, which drastically change angles as you move to the fore end (going from a U-shape to a V-shape, when looking at the bow from the front), the tape would buckle and bend in odd ways.  This has to do with the fact that the hull is more spherical than cylindrical, and wide tape does not sit properly on a spherical surface.  The other thing that made it hard was the spacing between my bulkheads.  With nothing in between the bulkheads, the tape does not lie in such a way as to replicate the shape of the spiled plank hugging the curves.  These two issues combine to make it very difficult to lay the tape well enough to get a consistent curvature, which leads to inaccuracies in the spiled plank.  
 
It was clear that in order to keep my spiling process from becoming a nightmare, I would have to make some filler blocks to sit between the bulkheads at the bow and stern (or possibly the entire length of the ship).  I did not want to have to make these out of basswood, as I've found from my previous experience with basswood that it is rather difficult to shape with only my files/sanding sticks.  So, I went out and bought some 3/32" sheets of balsa, which I knew would be easy to shape.  The first thing I did was use my calipers to measure the distance between the bulkheads (I decided to begin in the third space from the stem):
 

 
Next, I transferred this measurement to the balsa sheet, and cut out the proper width using my steel ruler and X-Acto:
 

 
I made sure that it fit properly:
 

 
Then, with the piece of balsa flush against the bottom of the bulwark, I bent a spare plank around the bulkheads and traced the curvature of the outer edge of the plank:
 

 
I cut the piece a little longer than this mark, and performed a test fitting, making sure the piece stuck out further than the bulkheads.  I continued this process, creating more and more of these balsa "wafers" and stacking them in the space between the bulkheads:
 

 

 

 
When this was done, I took my "wafers" (which I had numbered), and glued them together, one by one, with CA glue.  When the pieces had been bonded, I took my sanding stick and started shaping the block by hand, carefully following the curvature from one bulkhead to the other.  Here is a photo of the block, roughly sanded:
 

 
I continued this process for the next bulkhead spaces (in this photo, you can see the dots I used to number the "wafers"):
 

 
Here's another shot of the bow blocks about halfway through the sanding process (you can see a few ridges in the block in the third space, where two of my wafers were not quite long enough;  this is fine, as the plank is much wider than these ridges, and will still lie flat against this area because of the surrounding filler material):
 

 
The process was:  sand, check, and repeat.  When I was done, the blocks looked like this:
 

 

 

 
Everything looked and felt smooth, so I was pleased with the results.

Antony and Bill, I deeply appreciate your compliments!  I can assure you that this is, in fact, my first wooden ship model!  Whenever I undertake any new project (not simply models), I do my best to do the proper research beforehand, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to produce results that are as close to perfect as I can manage.  While I am pleased with my work thus far, there are several aspects of this build that I know I could have done better, and they loom in the back of my mind (for instance, I think about that broken scarf joint between the stem and keel piece every single day).  I'm sure that is common for most modelers, and I hope to improve my skills with each and every build!  The support, encouragement, and advice from the members of this forum have been an absolute joy to me during this build, and I thank you all!  Now, let's get on with the latest update!
 
Before I started planking, I needed to get my hull completely lined off into planking bands.  Picking up where I left off, I copied the measurements of the bands I had made on the port side of the hull and marked them on the starboard side.  Then, I applied my thin tape and adjusted the lines until they looked "right" and were symmetrical with the other side:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next, I made some new tick strips, labeling them on one side with "P" for port and "S" for starboard on the other side.  This allows me to use the same tick strip for both sides of each bulkhead.  
 

 
I carefully marked the location of each piece of tape on my tick strips (in this photo, the top of the tape indicates the edge of the plank in the second band, so I measured the size of the first band starting from the bottom of the bulwark to the top of the tape):
 

 
Next, I compared my tick strip to the planking fan, finding the point at which 4 planks would fill the band, and marking the spacing of each plank on the strip:
 

 
Finally, I transferred the plank spacing marks to my bulkheads and then removed the tape.

I finally got my sheetwood in yesterday, and I am very pleased with the quality of the timber!  It was extremely difficult to find a domestic source for sheetwood in metric thicknesses, but luckily I found Crown Timberyard, owned and operated by our fellow forum member, Jason.  He was extremely helpful throughout the entire purchasing process, and was always in constant communication with me until the order had shipped.  I purchased a number of 3-inch sheets of 1 mm thick German lime and walnut from him, and he went above and beyond to make sure I got wood of the highest quality.  In fact, after milling some sheets of walnut for me, he wasn't happy with the grain, thinking that it might not be adequate for planking, so he started over and milled new sheets for me!  The wood was well-protected during shipping:
 

 
And everything was professionally packaged:
 

 
Here are the sheets of German lime:
 

 

 
And here are the sheets of walnut:
 

 

 
Jason was even kind enough to send me some samples of Castello boxwood, Swiss pear, and basswood (not pictured):
 

 
So, if you're looking for quality timber for your project, I highy recommend Jason at Crown Timberyard!
 

 
Now that I have material to work with, it's time to start making my final preparations for planking!  Stay tuned!

I am pleased to report that I completed the driver gaff, upper yard, and lower yard last night!  I started with the driver gaff, as that one seemed like it would be the trickiest.  This time, I tapered the aft end first, using my drill.  When that was done, I started to taper the jaw-side by hand.  The result was an excellent fit:
 

 
Here's what it looked like when I was done gluing the jaws in place:
 

 
Next, I glued the bits that hold the rigging in place.  Interestingly, the plans do not show 2 sets of bits for the driver gaff.  Although the plans show a block rigged to the end of this gaff, there seems to be nothing to hold this block (and the rigging that attaches to the gaff itself) in place.  In these photos of the plans, you can see where the bits are depicted further up the length of the gaff, but not shown in the areas circled in red:
 

 

 
After studying some reference pictures that seemed to show a second set of bits at this location, I made the decision to add the bits.  This will help keep things more secure, as this gaff will sit at an angle, and I don't want the rigging to slide down the gaff.  The driver gaff differs from the gaff boom that I made earlier in that it has an eyelet attached to it for rigging.  Using my smallest drill bit, I carefully drilled this tiny hole in the jaws of the driver gaff:
 

 
Here is a photo of the jaws with the eyelet inserted:
 

 
After this gaff is painted, I will cut the end of the eyelet's pin down and bend it under the jaws, applying a small drop of CA glue to hold it in place.  Here is the completed driver gaff (the pin has been removed, as it will not be inserted and fixed in place until after the gaff has been painted):
 

 
Next, I began work on the upper yard.  This is the warped dowel that was supplied with the kit for this piece:
 

 
As I mentioned earlier, I was fortunate enough to have extra material left over from the walnut dowels I was using for the rest of the yards, so I decided to fashion the upper yard out of that instead.  After some careful sanding with the 4 mm dowel in the drill chuck, I was able to narrow it down to an overall diameter of 3 mm.  Then, I used a combination of shaping with a rough sanding stick and scraping with my X-Acto blade to taper the ends of the dowel, finally smoothing everything out with a piece of 400 grit sandpaper.  I was surprised to see how easily and quickly I could taper the ends of these dowels with this method, and I will likely use it on yards in the future.  Here is a photo of the upper yard, with the bits glued in place:
 

 
I repeated the process for the lower yard.  Here it is, after tapering:
 

 
And this is what it looked like after the bits were glued in place:
 

 
Finally, here are some photos of all the masts and yards together:
 

 

 

 

 
I am extremely happy with how everything turned out!  It required a lot of time and effort, but I think the finished products look great.  I had been nervous about shaping these dowels from the moment I received the kit, so having them done is a huge relief for me.  Now I'll be ready to start rigging as soon as I get the hull and deck finished.  I do not have any finishing/painting supplies, so I'm going to hold off on finishing the masts and yards for now.  
 
While I have enjoyed the sense of satisfaction that I've gotten from tapering these masts by hand, I think it would be far easier to use a miniature lathe for this process.  For future builds, I might invest in a Proxxon DB 250 (if the Admiral approves)!  
 
My sheetwood will be arriving today, so I'll be sure to update the log with a few pictures.  I can't wait to start spiling and planking!
 
So, that's where I am after a total of 45 hours of work on this project thus far.  Let me know what you think of my progress, guys!  

For the middle yard, I used my drill and sandpaper to taper one end, then completed the tapering on the other end by hand until it was symmetrical:
 

 
Next, I cut the bits for the middle yard (there were a total of 6, although only the two slightly longer center bits are pictured here):
 

 
I applied Titebond III to the underside of the bits and positioned them with my tweezers, as before:
 

 
Here are the center bits, glued in place:
 

 
I finished the job by gluing the other bits along the length of the dowel on both ends:
 

 
Here is the completed middle yard:
 

 
When I was done, I cut out the walnut ring that sits at the base of the main mast, sanding it down until I was able to fit the mast through it (I will have to remember to slide this up onto the mast before I glue the mast in place, so that I can lower it down to the deck afterwards).
 
So, that is my latest progress report, after a total of 40 hours spent on this build.  I'm really happy that I'm getting these masts and yards done now so that I'll be ready to jump right into rigging when the body of the ship is complete.  My sheetwood is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, so I'm going to do my best to finish up the remaining gaff, the upper yard, and lower yard tonight (without rushing, of course).  The middle and lower yard have a maximum diameter of 4 mm, but the upper yard is only 3 mm wide.  The material supplied for the upper yard is not walnut (it appears to be birch).  Unfortunately, this thin dowel appears to have warped.  Luckily, the last 4 mm walnut dowel that I'm using for the driver gaff will provide just enough material for me to use for the top yard.  I will simply sand the dowel down to 3 mm at its widest point.  
 
So, let me know what you guys think!  I'm curious as to how these masts should be finished...  I was thinking of applying some stain or tung oil to darken them up, then perhaps a coat of Minwax Wipe-On Poly before painting them with black acrylic paint (the yards and booms will be completely painted, while the main mast will only be painted from the lowest flare upward).  Does that sound like a good course of action?     

I appreciate the kind words, guys!
 
I am really pleased with the progress on the Lady Nelson thus far.  I think I've made good use of my time while I wait for my sheetwood to arrive so that I can begin planking.  Last night, I completed the gaff boom and the middle yard.  I started with the gaff boom.  I began by tapering the end of the dowel that fits into the walnut jaws on the mast end (in retrospect, I probably should have started on the more gradually tapered end in order to avoid damaging the finely pointed jaw-side end, but everything turned out fine this time).  I performed this process completely by hand, using a #10 X-Acto blade:
 

 
The process consisted of me shaving away wood gradually, sanding, and test-fitting:
 

 

 
And finally, it fit right into place:
 

 
After I got the right fit, I glued the pieces together with Titebond III, making sure the jaws were properly centered along the length of the boom:
 

 

 
When this was done, I tapered the other end of the boom by hand (in the future, I will shape this end first, using the drill method; if the jaw-side is tapered first, the dowel does not want to sit in the drill chuck properly, and you run the risk of damaging something).  Next, it was time to add the small bits/protrusions that keep the rigging in place.  These were made from a 1 mm x 2 mm walnut strip:
 

 
After carefully marking the positions of the bits, I glued them in place, wiping away any excess wood glue with a toothpick (this can be a little difficult, as the bits do not stay in place very well; since the surface of the dowel is rounded, it is easy for the bits to tilt to one side or the other, so I had to pay close attention):
 

 

 
Here is the completed gaff boom:
 

 

Next, it was time to taper down the bowsprit.  First, I defined the section before the flare:
 

 
The flare for the bowsprit is different from the others, as the base of the flare is actually narrower than the portion of the bowsprit that comes before it.  Soon after I began, I noticed that my whittling blade for my X-Acto was getting a bit dull, so I spun this dowel in my drill, tapering it with a coars grit sandpaper until I had the right shape.  I finished up with some fine sandpaper to give it a smooth finish.  Here is the result:
 

 
I like to check the shape of the finished dowels with the plans.  It was a perfect match:
 

 
Next, I had to drill what the plans described as a "2 mm hole" near the base of the bowsprit.  The bowsprit bitts have a crossmember that is made of a piece of square 2 mm x 2 mm dowel.  This dowel is meant to pass through the hole in the bowsprit, as a means of holding it onto the ship.  Unfortunately, I only had a 1 mm drill bit, so I used that in my pin vise:
 

 
Next, I use a needle file to enlarge the hole until it was large enough to just barely accomodate the dowel (this took almost an hour, but it turned out great):
 

 

 
Here is the completed bowsprit:
 

 
Finally, just for fun, I took a few pictures to show how the ship will look when I finally attach these pieces:
 

 

 
Today, I took some more measurements of the hull and marked the points on the bulkheads that would form my planking bands.  Using a piece of masking tape that I cut down to a narrow width with my X-Acto, I marked out the bands (I had to adjust the top band to make it a little narrower at the bow so that the lines looked a little more natural).  Here's what I came up with:
 

 

 

 

 
So, what do you guys think of the lines?  I'm going to mark the locations of the tweaked bands and apply them to the other side, adjusting them until they are symmetrical.  
 
Thus far, I have spent about 36 hours on this build.  I should be able to get the rest of the yards tapered down before my planking wood arrives.  I'll let you know how everything turns out!
 
On a very positive note, I had the pleasure of meeting up with another forum member (Bill Hime) this evening.  He sent me a message a few days ago, and it turns out that we live only about 20 minutes away from each other!  We are both very excited at the prospect of being able to enjoy this hobby together, in person, and I highly recommend that other members make an effort to meet fellow hobbyists in their area.  We are already making plans to get together next weekend to toss around some ideas for our builds, and we've even discussed sharing tools and perhaps each working on the same model side-by-side so that we can help each other out and learn together.  It should be a lot of fun!