aliluke

The planking is looking really fine Brian. I'm looking forward to seeing it natural below the wale but painted above. I'd still argue for a fully painted version but that is my taste. Very impressed by your scuppers. When it comes to the sweep ports I can give you some tips, if you wish, that made mine come out well - to my eye that is. I've seen some ports on AVS's that don't look so good...but given your work you probably have this in hand too!

Hi

It may feel like it's going off track a bit but don't worry.

My advice is to work through ALL of the second planking below the wale and then correct for the bevels or whatever outcomes. DO NOT correct as you go because that will cause gouging and worsen the potential problems. It is all to easy to think I'll fix it up as I work through each plank (or several of them) and you just dig bigger holes for the next belt of planks. My advice is to get all the planks on and then approach the finishing of them together by sand and fill. I emphasised the plank joints above the wales with a very light edge sand but below the wales, with it painted, you can't tell one plank from another in my model and that looks fine to my eye.

So my best thought for you - is plank it to completion below the wale, clean it up with sand and fill and then just rock on.

Keep it up and she'll be fine!

Hi Mike

You have made impressive efforts to figure this out. I used paint for the stern counters - a colour I'd describe as a deep ultramarine. It is sort of the same colour as that on the back of the FFM series. Mine is so close to being black that it is hard to tell but there is a difference - a hint of blue. I like it.

I look forward to seeing your approach unfold. It is looking really good!

A great start Nils - I'm looking forward to the outcome. Given all you have done so far, it is sure to be great!

Looks very, very sharp Brian. Your good call on the blue - I went the blue way but the black looks very good too and she's in your command. I still miss the little gold rail that runs above the black strake. Perhaps because fitting and painting it caused me so much grief that I think you should feel the same pain .

Hi

Nice looking cannon there Brian. Can't believe you can assemble it without glue! I'd suggest you get the sides much tighter to the barrel but you probably already figured that. I just used the sharp end of a toothpick for the quoin handle on my Fly cannons - works just fine and is very fine in size but with the AVS you are at a larger scale so your effort there will show nicely. Good stuff.

Keith - I wouldn't knock the kit supplied cannons on the AVS too much. I used them and they came up really well I think. Fully rigged etc.At the time I had no idea you could get cannons from other sources so I didn't even try.

Hi

Since you kindly dropped in on my log thought I'd have a look at what you are up to. It's looking really good but I don't know much about this kit or ship. You've taken on a pretty tough hull shape for first time planking. That said once you study the tutorials here on MSW and get going it isn't too hard. All I can recommend - if the plank doesn't flow to the hull shape don't fit it. Work the tapering and, presuming it is double planked, use the first layer as a learning curve and fall back on sanding and filling before getting things in better shape on layer number two. Best wishes and I'll keep looking in.

Brian - you are on your way to a gold standard AVS. You are definitely taking those details to where I didn't even consider them. She's looking very fine and the little detail additions are perfect.

Camera wise - I'll still stick with my cheap point and shoot - but I can't deign tat your photos look great!

Been away a while Chuck - well a few days. Your latest work on the fashion pieces and wales just looks great - so precise. When you say you just use "heat" to gently curve the fashion piece, my I ask "heat" from what tool or thing?

That's exactly the way I did it Brian. The only way to go unless you are very lucky to have caps that fit the curve. Great work mate! Looks spot on once again.

Hi Mike

I have to laugh at B.E's suggestion! As you say he sets the gold standard and the bible for this ship - and perhaps many others besides. We will try and if we get there to his standard we will be happy. Nothing is as good as this site to keep us pushing and I, like you, are pleased with the outcomes that come from that. I look forward to all of your updates.You are taking it to another level.

Everything is looking fantastic Timmo. Love that shot of the deck. You and Joe are really setting the standard for Granado.

Hi Mike

That is exactly what I did with the hatch coamings. A very gentle rounding of the top edges of the coaming at the box joints so the hatch sits square into the deck. A very gentle rounding...as you'll see in my log I otherwise left them alone - no stains etc. Good luck with that but in any case what you are doing looks fantastic. Keep going!

Seriously good looking decking there Jason. Love it. Your off the ship method has worked - I'll try that in the future as I can see the advantages and no downsides to be detected. Are you going to do treenailing? (You might have answered that before...)

Brian

No need for sorry! The little gold band I did as a separate strip - 1mm x 1mm or so with a rounded top edge - and painted with gold paint from Admiralty paints. It is a nice touch but no biggy if it isn't there. The top plank under the cap rail and above the three outer planks you have on should be slightly thicker than the planks below but I guess you know that. I painted it Sky Blue with Citadel Paint - very nice paints by the way, mostly used by war gamers who paint those little metal figures.

Hi Al

Looking good. She's a really nice model and, as a first build, one that I enjoyed immensely. I'll keep looking in and if I can offer advice I will but seems you are well in control.

Brian - You remain totally in control - great work. Really like those photos which show the sweep of the hull - nice, I asked earlier, but is that little gold moulding going to be put on above the black strake? It is worth it - full run of the hull but a nice addition.

I am envious that you have a serving machine - this must be next on my list of non-power tools.

Mobbsie

I have failed as an active member to take account of your build by any comments. It is fantastic and congratulations. I'll troll back through it again although I've looked in before. It is amazing - well done!!!

Hi Brian

Those scuppers look just fine to me - exactly the right scale to my eye. Much better doing them that way than the potential damage caused by taking off the black strake. As a detail, in the long run, they pale into insignificance amongst all the other details. You should be fine on the gun ports as you have followed all of the other relationships correctly. It is worth checking now though. Are you adding the little gold moulding along the top of the black strake? It makes a nice touch and slightly raises the gun port as it needs a sill liner in the port to compensate for the height of the moulding above the strake.

Your caulking choice is a good one and looks good too. One advantage of the pencil on one side is that if you get a gap for any reason you can fill it with a sawdust/white glue mix and get rid of it. If you have pencil on both sides you get a caulking line on both sides of the filled gap which looks worse than the gap. Danny demonstrates this somewhere in the forums - I'll have a look for it and post a link. I penciled (HB) both sides but won't do so in the future based on his advice.

P.S. I deleted those photos from my post to remove any confusion about whose ship is who's. Can P.M. them to you if you'd still like the reference.

Edit: Brian - Here is that link for fixing gaps and the advantage of ONE side only caulking  - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/814-how-i-fix-boo-boos-and-oopsies-mistakes-by-dan-vadas-share-your-own-fixes-here/

Hi Martin

I've not yet tried to spile. Definitely next on my learning list but with Fly I only needed a couple of stealers at the stern and very little fill to get the shape. I'm hard on my planks and use CA to make them conform. I also follow the advice to get every plank into the stem without turning pointed planks up to an upper line of horizontal planks. The trick is to taper early and taper way further back along the hull than you'd expect. At the stern the only option on Fly is to spile or use stealers. My next build will see me spile. So for that first layer - I'd suggest stealers and, if you get over width stock for the second layer, try spiling. If you do that you'll have beat me to it!

To illustrate I just took some pictures of my model - man it is dusty and notice how much the deck has yellowed - not unhappy with that! External scuppers and internal scuppers - each just finished with some black paint and no full penetration. Attached - taken just a minute ago. Keep them small I reckon. Same applies to the sweep ports.

Edit: Also worth noting the use of getting the definition of the planking joints through the paint - inside and out?

Edit: Deleted the photo attachments to avoid confusion.

Brian before you rip off the black strakes consider forming the scuppers with them in place. Use a small drill bit to form the basic shape and then file to get the final shape. I don't think the scuppers need to go right through the hull. To do so and get inside/outside alignment for a full penetration is extremely difficult and in the overall context of the build is not necessary. I've seen modellers do this and the scuppers end up being far too big and ugly. The scuppers in my black strake are mere hints and give an indication of their existence rather than anything else. It does not detract from the model - they are there. As I just said, getting full penetration through the hull could end up being a bigger mess and getting a useful hint of them being there is a better approach in my opinion. I certainly won't try to get the scuppers on my Fly from the hull all the way through to the waterway. Almost impossible and far too risky.

Paint or natural - it is going to look great.

I find the two alternative names very funny being exact opposites. By my dictionary:

Cheerful - Having a happy disposition, in good spirits.

Surly - Sullenly ill-tempered or rude.

Whatever scheme for paint or not you use, I guess you could choose your name by how well your build goes. I'd be calling yours "Cheerful" others, who build it, may have to go with "Surly"

Very nice Ray - it is really looking the business now.

I think Admiralty paints are regarded as better than MS but I haven't tried the latter.

Yes - soft Kleenex type tissue paper.

Edit: Referring to your next post - I'd still try to get a second opinion first!