aliluke

I'm in full agreement with B.E. here Martin. I have also made the ladder at the fore end of the main deck just haven't installed it yet.

Hi Martin

A couple of thoughts...

I don't think you want the grate to project above the coaming. This applies to the side of your grates. They should sit fully inside the coaming and the exposed edges of the grating on the sides is awkward.

If you can, try and set out and cut the gratings so you form a full frame at their perimeter. I managed this with all my main deck gratings but failed to so on the QD gratings. That was just the way they worked out and I think I had my eye off the ball a bit as well.

I'm still not convinced by the heavily curved grating and coaming versus a flatter version. I guess that is just a matter of taste.

Superb gun rigs there Timmo and all else besides. A long time between drinks but worth the wait!

Everything looks fantastic Bob, Superbly crisp, clean and accurate.

I didn't know you can't get Pollyscale paint anymore. I'm running low on my stocks  .

Hi Brett

That's great - I thought it looked good! Look forward to pictures of the completed phase.

Hi Brett

Struggling to understand your issues. Do you have a picture of the stern or from the stern?

Wow Mike

You sure are drilling into the research and detail on this. It is looking extremely good and your efforts are well worthwhile.

Welcome Louis to the Swan Class build. It is a great kit and I hope you enjoy the process of building it. You've probably already had a look at the many logs for it. I, like Blue Ensign and others, are modifying it to more closely follow the Seawatch book series on the Swan Class - The Fully Framed Model. Volume II and Volume IV being the strongest references. Dan's build of the Vulture in the scratch built forum follows this as well but in much greater detail. However straight out of the box it will still make a fantastic model and adherence to the FFM is a personal choice rather than a necessity.

I look forward to seeing your start and progress. With all the Swan builders here you are sure to get lots of advice and answers to any questions.

Heck Michael! And I was complaining about my little QD skylight. That is amazingly small work. Will troll back through your log now - if you can pull that off you can do anything!

:D :D Yeah pretty wacky mail. But we are paying it forward - its one of the great things about this site. I'm still admiring your work in all regards - very neat stuff!

Stunning mate. CONGRATULATIONS! It is always a nice moment but you'll probably miss fiddling with it...

Hi

Your work looks very good.

Those squares are the sweep ports and are definitely an accurate inclusion on such a ship. To form them I'd use a fine drill bit in a pin vise and drill close to each corner then I would cut them out from those holes with a scalpel blade. Then finish with a needle file. Not easy to do with that depth of 6mm. If you'd rather save yourself the risk you could leave them off but they really should be there.

Hi Martin

No I don't install the grating first when sanding the coaming to size. I don't have any problem with them breaking up as I find the corner box joint to be very strong. I'm not sure about the curvature thing. I asked Dan about it in his Vulture log and he reckons the curvature should be much greater than the deck camber. To my eye the flatter version with only a slight curvature looks better even if it is historically inaccurate....

Marisstella - Your kits look fantastic. I'm completely convinced. Not sure which one I'll chose but you are on my list. Great work!

Hi Martin

I don't use a rabbet. I just butt the deck planks to the edge of the coaming. I set up the planks first and make the coaming fractionally larger than the set up. I then gently sand the coaming back until I get a really tight fit. I don't use a rabbet or ledges to support the grates either I just make that a super tight fit as well. I also have very little curvature on the coaming such that you couldn't even measure the difference between the high and low point. I know people put much more curvature on them. I'm not sure which is more correct.

Actually Spyglass the projection of my coamings above the deck is still too high even with the inset. According to the FFM it should be about 2mm at 1:48 and I'm at 2mm at 1:64. 

Martin the beauty of insetting, if done accurately, is that you get a very clean line to the coaming and it looks correct. You need to cut the planks back from the false deck cut outs to give the coaming a little ledge to fix to. Up to you of course - I note that B.E lays his on top of the planks rather than insetting them and who can question his results!!!

Ray

That is stunning. Master class. I look forward to the next phase but I'm sure you are revelling in the finish of the hull - you deserve to be!

Hi Martin

I agree with Spyglass. My coamings are 2 x 3mm boxwood. I think that is the correct size and I did box joints at the corners as you have done. I then slightly round the corners but only down to the lower leg of the joint. I also insert them into the planks rather than sitting them on top of the planks. They can be seen in my log.

I reckon this issue is one for your eye.

My AVS coils are probably wrong but I can live with them and like them.

John's photos show that there is a lot of rope around and I guess that whether you are presenting for inspection or in port or just hard running a ship at sea would make a big difference. John's first photo is of a ship that lacks discipline!

I worked on a commercial rope rigged ship - a freighter - and we took a lot of care with the ropes. I would always coil the ropes after use and tie them off when their use was completed. This was simple wrap between the hands and the elbow followed by a quick half-hitch before being placed on the pin or cleat. We would leave them loose coiled while working but tie the coil off also, as you show it, when in port and not working. So I say it depends on so many conditions and moments in a ships day to day aspects. You can choose! The ropes as you have them look exactly right to my eye for a certain configuration of the ship at a certain time.

Great looking work Jason in every regard. Superb.

One wee thing that Dirk put me onto is miniature rivets from Scale Hardware www.scalehardware.com I used these for the bolts on my Syren Models cannon carriages. I used the brass ones with the 0.7mm head. You can see them in my log as well as Dirk's. Might be a nice little add for you on forthcoming parts.

Brilliant work Ollie. I see the Jacobs Creek is empty - just as it should be when you are celebrating your fine work!

Hi Nigel

Your deck looks amazing. I enjoy doing the decking as a good deck makes the model sing. Yours is singing at full voice! Great work.

Hi Bob

You are very hard on yourself. Your work is absolutely amazing. Your model looks so clean and crisp. Brilliant - have a tot you deserve it.

Looks amazing Ollie - just brilliant.

I had the flag question with my AVS and made two flags for it. My wife, with her good eye, said how much they diverted attention from the model = she hated them. I left them off. She was right. They catch the eye and take away from all else. If you had sails on her flags are a positive add but without sails a flag is a distraction. In your last photo my eye goes straight to the flag rather than to all else you have done. My opinion again - I may be out of favour with others here with this thought!

BTW - put it in a case. We only have dust here, the stuff you describe is not on the menu for model presentation...

Looking very sharp Ron. Great stuff. The hull and transom have come up a treat.