tlevine

the rings are made in the usual manner.  Wrapped around a 47 drill bit and parted with a razor saw. The bent wire is much lighter and thinner gauge.  In my case here…24 gauge for the split rings and 28 gauge for the codder pin bent and inserted into the deck.

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

Thank you Jim...
 
I have completed all of the hatches, gratings and partners to be placed on deck.  You have seen how the gratings were made.  The two hatches are pretty similar.  The only difference is they have cover boards rather than gratings within in the coamings.
 
 The photo below shows the laser cut coamings assembled.  There is no need to remove the laser char from the lap joints at the corners.  In fact it probably isnt a good idea at all.  They are precision cut so you end up with a perfectly squared up coaming the correct size.  You can and should sand both sides of the sheet before removing these laser cut parts to clean the char from those sides.  Just glue them up using the same right angle jig provided earlier.   Then sand the char off the top of the completed coaming being careful to keep the round-up consistent. 
 
You can see the smaller hatch completed.  The larger one shows the three cover boards also laser cut waiting to be glued into position.  But this you will also note the ledge created on the inside of the coaming that the cover boards will sit into.  These are laser cut for you and can be glued on the port and starboard insides of the coaming.
 

This photo shows the three coverboards in the coaming.  They are pretty thick, but only so they are flush with the center of the coaming to allow for the round-up.   The round-up along the sides of the coverboards should be sanded flush to the top edge of the coamings along the P & S sides.  I know some folks like to show one or two coverboards off the coaming.  You can do this if you want to.  But then you should sand that roundup into the bottom of the coverboards as well.   But I will show them all in place like the contemporary model.
 

To finish off the hatches...round off the corners using the right angle jig like you did for the gratings.   Trim them down to the top of the deck planking.   The bolts were added using black fishing line in the same way.   The iron ring for handles were made just like those on the lower platforms.  Exactly the same.
 

Also shown in the photo above are the mast and capstan partners.   These are completely laser cut for you.  They have etched lines to show the separate sections.   All you have to do is sand them clean and round off the corners as described earlier for the capstan partners only.  Soften the top edges as well.  Add the fishing line bolts and the eye bolts on the main mast partners.  Now some of these can be glued onto the model.  They are all ready to go so you can start planking the decks.
 
BUT there are a some like the main mast partners and capstan partners that need some extra work.   I will describe that next.   For example the elm pump tubes below the main mast partners and the capstan drum as well.
 
More to follow...but here is a photo with the all of the hatches, coamings and partners simply test positioned on the model.  They are not glued into position yet.   I did however glue the smaller grating and coaming on the forecastle deck in permanently....those are all finished up.  Its getting there!!!
 

Another update.  Slow going with RL getting in the way at the moment.   Got the bulwark tops trimmed and am pretty happy.  I know the photo appears to show all the tops trimmed below the line but that's the camera angle's fault.  A square shows me it's spot on.
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

The mast cap has two openings: a round one for the topmast and a square one for the lower mast head.  There are four eyebolts that extend all the way through the mast cap.  I raided my scrap box for a contrasting color piece of wood.  Both openings were made with a regular drill.  The square opening was then shaped with a chisel and the round one was enlarged with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.  It will not be installed until much later.

 
Although it also will not be installed for a while, I made the topmast next.  The dimensions of the topmast are determined by the diameter of the lower mast.  The lower end of topmast is 7/10 the diameter of the mast and the upper end is 11/20.  This will be a stub topmast as the actual length of this mast would be 8” on the model.  Its shape is more complicated than the lower mast.  The lowest section (the block) is octagonal, the next section is (the heel) square, followed by another octagonal section.  The upper part of the topmast is round, tapering as it goes to the head.  There are three openings in the mast; the middle one is for the fid (the rectangular peg which prevents the mast from falling between the trestle trees) and the other two are for sheaves.  The kit will contain a template for the topmast.

 
Starting with a ¼” square dowel, I marked out the mast for the various transition points.  Using the 7:10:7 ratio for determining the corners of the octagon, I drew the lines for those two  sections.  The mast taper begins at the end of the upper octagon.  The blue line is the centerline and the red lines are the corners of the octagons.  Just as was done for the main mast, I taped off the square section to protect it from errant chisel cuts.  The pictures shows a completed topmast above a square dowel.  There is extra wood on the top and bottom of the dowel for ease of handling.

 
I used a saw to cut a shallow groove between the octagonal and square areas on the corners of the square section (circled area).  This transition should stay sharp.  The lower octagonal section was shaped with a sanding stick.


The upper octagon and round area were both shaped as octagons, without any taper.


Another piece of tape was used to protect the upper octagon and the upper part of the mast was rounded and tapered. 
After removing the tape, the transition between the octagonal and round sections and between the square and upper octagonal sections were smoothed.
Making the holes for two sheaves and the fid was next.  The upper and lower sheave openings are in the octagonal sections and are 90 degrees to each other and 45 degrees to the fid hole.  The dimensions for the fid opening are one-third the mast diameter high and one-quarter the mast diameter wide, in this case 3” x 2.5”.  The opening was formed from multiple drill holes, squared off with a #11 blade.  The fid was made slightly smaller than the size of the opening and long enough to span the trestle trees.
 
The sheave openings are 8” long and 1.5” wide.  I simulated the sheaves on this model.   These were trickier to drill accurately because they are on angled faces.  Here is how I made them.  The sheave opening was marked on both sides of the mast.  I put the mast in a vise, clamping it in the upper octagonal area, just above the sheave opening.   A small hole was drilled near the top and bottom of the sheave opening but I did not drill completely through the mast.  The mast was repositioned in the vise and the holes on the other side were drilled.  The holes on each side were enlarged to the correct width of the opening.  I did this slowly, working a little bit on one side and then switching to the other side.  The holes eventually met.  Then, using a #11 blade, a shallow groove representing the sheave was formed between the two holes and the “sheave” was painted.   The final step was to cut off the excess wood at the top and bottom of the topmast and apply a finish.


This is how it looked installed. 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

You don't have to be 'good enough' to be a member of NRG Kevin, just pay the membership fee,  I'm a member  - case in point.🫤
B.E.
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

I made the top by laminating two layers of 1/32” basswood sheeting, each at 90 degrees to each other.  The kit will have a plywood template to trace the shape onto the basswood.  This gave the correct thickness and added strength.  On a real ship, the top was made up from tongue and grooved wood slats.  I drew the edges of the slats onto the top with a #11 blade. 

The top’s rim was made next.  I used template to trace the curved section onto sheet basswood.  The rim overlaps the edge of the top so draw another line onto the basswood 3.5” outwards from the first line.  I made a second template by outlining the top and drew another line 3.5” inwards from the edge of the template on the curved edge and both sides.  The template was trimmed at the inner line (see arrow below) and positioned on the basswood sheet 7” inwards from the first line.  This gave me the shape of the curved part of the rim.
  
The rim was glued onto the top and weighted down until dry. 

The front edge of the rim is raised.  I used a 3 mm chisel to remove one-third of the thickness of the rim.  If you do not have a chisel, you could use a sanding stick to shape the rim.  The inner edge of the rim was feathered so that only one-third the thickness was left where it met the top.

The side pieces also they extend 3.5” beyond the edge of the top and their thickness tapers to one third the thickness on its inside edge.  Because this piece is straight and with the grain, the tapering was done before it was glued to the top.  When you turn the top upside down, you can see the overhanging edges fore and both sides.
  
The top has multiple slats extending from the edge to the center opening.  The number depends on the size of the top.  I have penciled in the locations of the slats for this top (see two pictures down).  The slats that abut the curved portion of the rim have an unusual shape.  They are cut away to allow them to rest on top of the rim and tapered to a point as they approach the center opening.  Since they are all slightly different in shape, they were made individually.  The slat does not extend over the raised edge.  In the next picture I have incorrectly cut the side edges with a 45 degree bevel.  It should be a straight cut.  

The side slats pass through openings cut into the rim, and taper towards the center opening.  I laminated six pieces of wood together and shaped them into a triangle.  The height of the slat is flush with the rim.  The slats were unglued, openings were cut into the rim and they were installed. 

The aft slats are also triangular and extend to the edge of the top.  Lastly, a gunwale was glued on top of the aft slats and the side rim.  Take a look at this much later picture to see the relationships between the gunwale, side rim and aft slats. 


 
 
 
 

Hello,
the wheels are now installed and rigged.


And that is what you later will see of it. But the shipwright is pleased and spend a beer for the crew 

It is interesting to see the difference between the European and US/Canadian situations.  In the States, there are few contests and a few non-competitive shows.  Although some models are built by people who accept commissions, I would not describe them as professional modelers.  Your Pegasus is beautiful and deserves to be appreciated by the modelling community.

The futtock staves were made from 3” served rope and are located as far below the trestle trees as the top of the mast is above the trestle trees, approximately seven feet.  For ease of installation, I used served 24 gauge wire, rather than rope.  They were lashed to the shrouds.  The picture on the left shows the lashing in white for clarity and the finished product on the right.
 
And now it is time for the dreaded ratlines.  There are some lines on a ship that are a do not change with the size of the ship, such as the footropes and ratlines, both of which must hold a seaman’s weight.  The ratlines are made of tarred 1.5” rope.  At this scale, I simply tied, rather than lashed, them to the outer shrouds.  They are secured to the inner shrouds with clove hitch knots, a drawing of which is below.  This picture is also from The Boy’s Manual.

Ratlines are spaced 12-15” apart and are parallel to the waterline.  The easiest way to keep them even is to make a line jig.  There is a tendency to pull the shrouds inward as the ratlines are added.  I like to secure a brass rod or stick to the outer shrouds to keep them straight.  This is my setup.  The clips are holding the line jig in place.  The ratlines are parallel to the waterline, not to the deck. After several hours, 220 knots and fifteen scale feet of rope, the ratlines were finished. 
 
Catharpins are ropes with an eye at each end which extend across and are seized to the shrouds at the level of the futtock staves.  According to Steel, sloops were not equipped with catharpins but I included them in the kit to illustrate their construction.  I made them from 22 gauge wire with a loop on each end.  As there is no tension on them, I did not solder the loops closed.  The catharpins are served and the ends are painted black to simulate the eye splice.    The first catharpin is located just aft of the mast and the other two are spaced out evenly along the futtock stave.

This completed the standing rigging of the lower mast.  As mentioned earlier, because this is a cross section model, lines that would not terminate on the model, such as the stays and backstays, were omitted.

Most kits come with deadeyes and partially completed chains.  Usually, the upper link (the link that goes around the deadeye) is pre-formed, with the bottom cut for insertion of the deadeye.  Wire is provided for the builder to form the other two links but the entire assembly has very little strength and the cut ends of wire are ugly.  The only way to make this assembly stronger and better looking is to solder the links closed.  I prefer silver soldering, even though regular soldering will give sufficient strength.  The benefit of silver soldering is that the metal is fused together rather than connected by a dissimilar metal, tin.  This makes it easier to bend the part without worrying about the solder joint breaking.  The downside is that there is a learning curve and the tools are more expensive.  Silver solder also blackens well.  There are also low melting point silver bearing solders (Tix) which can be blackened. 
 
The measurements for all the parts of a British warship were determined by the Admiralty.  There are reference books that contain this information such as Steel’s Tables.  An easily read version of the tables is sold in the NRG store.  The main mast diameter is given on the plans as 18”.  Using the information from the tables, I determined that the main stay is 9” and the shrouds are 5.5”.   Lines are measured by their circumference. The diameter of the deadeye is 1.5 times the size of the shroud or stay it is attached to, in this case 8 ¼”.  A spreadsheet comes in handy in determining all the measurements.
Let me start by saying that my metal work has a bit to be desired.  The chains are made from 1 ¼” wire, which is 22 gauge.  I temper the wire by drawing it through a gas flame until it glows red.  This makes the wire more malleable and removes any factory applied coating.
 
The deadeye chain is the same length for all the deadeyes.  Make one and use it as a template for the others.  I wrapped wire around the deadeye, leaving long tails, and inserted this into the slot in the channel.  The tails were cut long enough to be able form the loop below the channel.  I removed the deadeye and applied a finish. 

The lower links are all the same length.  From the plans I knew that the toe of the lower link is bolted 5” below the top of the wale and that its overall length was 9”.  Two T-pins were inserted into the soldering board and the wire was wrapped around them, with the cut ends on the side.  The middle link is different for every shroud because each is at a different angle to the mast as seen in the two pictures below.  The link becomes longer with greater angulation of the shroud.  You can see the difference in the shroud angles and how this would affect the length of the middle link.


To determine the angle of the chains, I put masking tape on the hull above and below the channel.  A loop of rope was placed over the mast head and inserted through a slot in the channel.  The angles made by the shroud were transferred to the tape.  I dimpled the wale where the toe of the lower link and the lower preventer chain bolts will be located and removed the tape.

A hole was drilled through the wale where the toe of the lower link would later be bolted.  The lower link and deadeye were temporarily installed. The length of the middle chains was determined by trial and error.  With the deadeye and lower link in place, I formed the middle link from rope the same thickness as the wire and transferred those lengths to wire.  I formed the middle link and soldered it closed, keeping the joint on one of the long sides.  Then I inserted the lower link through the middle link and soldered it. 

A T-pin was pushed into the soldering board and used to form the lower link toe.  The lower link is also bent at the toe, allowing it to lay flat against the wale. 

Finally, the wire for the upper link was passed through the middle link and  soldered.  The deadeye was inserted into the loop and the wire was crimped around it to fit into the channel slot, placing the solder joint in the slot camouflaged it.  

And here are the ten chains, ready for blackening.  The blackening chemical did not damage the wood deadeyes. 

 
After blackening, the chains were installed.  I have a piece of wire temporarily holding the lower link to the wale. 

The preventer plate prevents the bolt securing the lower link from going all the way through the toe. It was made from square bar stock that was forged to the correct shape.  Mine are made from sheet brass, cut and filed to the correct shape.  Just like the middle links, they varied in length. The top of the plate makes a step over the bottom of the lower link toe to cover it. To determine the distance between the bolt holes on the plate, I measured the distance between the toe bolt and the previously marked lower preventer plate bolt and added the diameter of the wire the link was made from.  The sequence is shown in the drawing below. After they were finished, they were blackened and installed.  

To hold the upper links in the channels, a strip of molding was placed over them.  Next up, the rigging begins.