hollowneck

John,

Thank you for your nice comments.

I did not do a Build Log for my Revenge.

I decided to not paint the lower hull for purely aesthetic reasons; in terms of historic accuracy my decision may- or may not - be accurate. During this early era the details are often paintings and not nautical drawings. I attempt to create my models too appear to be authentic however, I don’t sacrifice aesthetics for the sake of absolute fidelity: I really liked the beautiful shape and wood tone of the Revenge’s hull!

I typically plank all my Age of Sail models in Swiss Pear and use a natural stain (Minwax brand). For finish I also use a Minwax Wipe-ON POLY(urethane) in satin (not gloss). As you can see from my other models, I prefer the look of natural woods and use very little or no

paint.

I hope my answers are helpful. If you’re starting a build of the Revenge, you’ll find it an excellent kit and greatly satisfying.

Ron

Whoa. Thanks, Mike. I'm glad I decided to build this kit too.

As I mention in my current NRG Journal article, after spending quite a bit of time looking for one, I couldn't find a historic or contemporary model of the Swan - lots of her sister ships, obviously (including Fly, Atalanta, Vulture, etc. I even checked-in w/David Antscherl on this and he too has concluded the same.

I've got a 10-page article in the current issue of the NRG Journal, appropriately entitled: "HMS Swan." You can check it out online if you don't get the dead tree Journal as the NRG has just gone digital (online PDFs). I offer some Swan and related era history and a little about my build (there are pics but the ones I've posted here are actually a lot better; larger, higher res than the digital edition.) The NRG needs to revisit this and improve the image resolution. My article is also appearing in the December (Winter) Journal as "Swan, Part 2" and it is a LONG article about how I made my set sails as well as the water - which I wrote bpth taks as step-by-step tutorials; lots o' pics of hands, tools and detailed materials info, etc.

The NRG has wisely folded-in the now demised Ships In Scale and are focusing on ALL LEVELS of builds and will be mostly dedicated to how-to's now...which is an interesting shift. Much less on nautical research (and history)- which will bum some members out (but not me since my wife and I are both skilled online research animals). Also, the folio is dramatically expanded: this Fall's edition has 100 pages! All color, too. I haven't received my Fall issue magazine - which is mildly ironic...

I've had a number of queries on how I made my water and I am referring people now to check out my Winter NRG Journal piece. I hope the editor doesn't slash it too much. My current Swan Part 1 piece took quite a hit - even at 10 pages.

I am a history buff and relish this aspect of our hobby, learning about nautical history. I thought you might understand my sentiments about the aesthetics of these warships we both love to build. I also agree about your point on whaling ships, slavers, etc.

BTW- A tip: the New Bedford Whaling Museum (in MA) is not to be missed, if you haven't visited already. Combine this with a trip to Mystic! Make it a Road Trip with the family. Seriously. If you'd like I can give you lots of info, good tips on how to make this adventure work (I have lots of children and g'kids who do these road trips).

After my Dec article, I'm writing another piece for the NRG on votive/nave ship models which will have lots of pics and a kool story about this European history. How did I learn about this arcane subject? I was commissioned to build a votive model for a church in NY! I'll include photos on this aspect as part of this feature story.

Good to hear from you and thank you again for your kind compliments.

Take Care,

Ron

PS Pic attached (preview) of my votive model, HMS Godspeed.

Thank you Harley.

Ron