Jim Rogers

Started planking the deck.
 

Getting the hang of the new scroll saw is going to take a bit of practice. I did get the chock rails made (it took about five tries to get one close enough to not spend the rest of the day sanding) and installed. I then got the yellow cedar Catheads fabricated and cut out the main and chock rails to fit them in place. Once that was completed and after a final 320 sanding and paint thinner tack rag I put the first coat of Wipe-on-Poly on the main and chock rails.

Another day, another few more ribs.

By the way, I've soaked and pre-bent all the ribs before gluing them to the hull. And, yes, this is quite a project for a small item

On to the next phase....installing the floor boards

Thanks guys.   Its time to make the windlass.  Some people may get nervous about shaping a piece of wood like this.  But if you just take your time and go slow it will go well.   I created templates that will be glued to all four sides of a 3/8 x 3/8" stick of cedar.   I used a glue stick to attach the templates.  Note how the stick is left a bit longer than the templates.  The ends will be rounded eventually to a cone shape.  I will wait to check its fit before I do that and trim each end to fit the space.
 

Then the corners were removed and sanded down to match the template as shown below.  I used a sharp #11 blade initially to remove the material quicker.  I shaved off the corners carefully and stopped just short of the line ob the templates.   Then I finished it up with 320 grit sandpaper.  I also drilled the holes for the windlass bars.  I used a #40 drill bit.   
 

The templates were removed easy enough by wetting them down and then they come right off.  I cleaned up the edges a bit by sanding and tweaking the edges until it looked nice and crisp.  Then I used my #11 blade again to carefully square up those holes.  The finished windlass up to this point is below.  Remember that I still have to reduce the ends to a cone shape so the windlass fits inside the brackets along the risers inboard.  That isnt a finished handle for the windlass.  That is just a 3/32" x 3/32" strip test fit in each hole.   I used a boxwood strip which is a hard wood.  It helped to make the square holes nice and crisp.  Just push them into the holes gently.  You can use any square strip this size even a brass strip which I didnt have handy.
 

 
You can see the windlass in the contemporary model below.....next I will be shaping the ends and adding the brackets so it can be installed.
 

 
 

Very,very reasonable. I have spent more for a lot less quality.

Very,very reasonable. I have spent more for a lot less quality.

Very,very reasonable. I have spent more for a lot less quality.

Erik....Does this help?   You should join the group.  What would be better to get your ship model juices flowing again.  The new model is abut 15 -16" long for the hull.  Then you have to of course add the mast ...yards and rigging. 😊
 

Thanks Eugene. I really appreciate the way your company responds to all inquiries. Other companies should take note on how to provide real customer service. 

Thanks Eugene. I really appreciate the way your company responds to all inquiries. Other companies should take note on how to provide real customer service. 

Thanks Eugene. I really appreciate the way your company responds to all inquiries. Other companies should take note on how to provide real customer service. 

Thank you Eugene
 
That is a much lighter shade of green than I expected.

in addition to my post
Here is the approved coloring of the ship by the Russian emperor Alexander the First in 1824.
This is an official document.
I think the  color of the board from the inside was on the brig Mercury
 
 

This color looks like

Made a little more progress this evening shaping the hull.  Filled some small pit marks with spackle and continue to take special care to keep the sharp corners the plans mention.  Specifically along where the casement meets the forward and aft decks.

Obviously a long ways to go but making progress!

Lou you are a bad bad man 😂🤣😂😁

Great job. A great display would be a Monitor vs Virginia diorama.

I took the eyebolts I made up yesterday while watching football and completed the eyebolt installation on the interior of the hull. There are another twenty or so that are on the outside of the hull, cat head etc. I will do these after I get the main rail installed. Scroll saw arrives tomorrow (UPS promises) but I decided to start the main rail since several of the pieces are almost straight. Nothing a disk sander and some sanding sticks can't handle. The stern transom piece was somewhat of a struggle but I got it and the two adjoining pieces on the sides aft cut, sanded and fitted to the hull. Having the gun ports makes holding the rail on really easy. No excuses for it not being exactly where you want it. So here is the hull with three pieces of the Alaskan yellow cedar main rail in place for a trial fit.
 
Here is a close-up look at one of the 1/8" (3mm) single blocks. I used 32 ga (.012") annealed steel wire to do the stropping. I saw the "practicum" on the site on stropping the blocks using .008" black line and the 3mm hooks from Syren but thought this would be easier and maybe faster. I am only about a third the way through these (and half way through the doubles using the same wire) so I am not sure how it will all come out in the end. For the singles, I just caught the .012" light brown Syren line between the wire and the block at the bottom and then seized it when I was finished with the stropping. I cut 7" of line for each block so have about 6" left after the seizing - hope that is enough. My plan is to just take the line to the deck and cover the end with a coil of rope. Another thing to look forward to - making 200 rope coils.

Love it! Great job and a great name.
 
I am basically going the same route as you. I am having real issues following the masts and yard assembly and just find it woefully lacking is many areas. I flew through the hull construction but the itty bitty translation sheet to English is just too much for these old eyes. So because she is a Brigatine I broke out my Syren rigging plan. 

I am currently building this model also. IMO it would be great for a beginner as it does make for a beautiful model BUT you must understand:
 
 You will learn zero skills from this kit as far as wooden ship building goes. All the skill learning stuff is laser cut and formed for you. It is really more like building a plastic model using wood. It is a great little kit 
 

Tim this is like ripping the last ten pages out of a mystery novel. How did your replacement pre-glued planks work out? Any more pictures of the build?

Sounds like an interesting experiment Kurt, be sure to post some pictures of how it works out for you.

Worked on the forecatle today. 

 
Looks ok, but.... 😡 I forgot glue the waterways. What the h### was I thinking? 
Fixing in progress. Long and painful


 
Attached the knees to the Transom... 

I’m surprised at  how long it’s been since my last entry.  A death in the family, another surgical procedure and a great family reunion have  happened, but I have been working on my model during a along these two months. I have to make entries more often.  Anyway, this is where I am at present.
 
I made the binnacle.  I based my design on some models being built in my club and a few photos I found on the web.  As my friend at the club said, “All binnacles were the same. Two compasses with a lantern in the middle.”
          
I made the cap rails from a1/32 inch sheet and some strips.  I finished planking the side and completed the cap rail all the way to the stern.  Also, I made the rudder and attached it to the hull. And I added stairs from the water line up the hull and a ladder from the main deck to the quarter deck


So I have some more deck furniture to make, and the transom and stem carvings, as well as the quarter badges to create.