abelson

Fashioned the galley stack from the lead casting furnished with the kit. Filed the cap to make it more conic and then sawed it off the stack. Reamed the top of the cut off stack with a series of increasingly larger drill bits. This detail will probably not be noticeable, but I decided to do it anyway. Drilled a hole in the bottom of the stack and inserted a wooden pin (toothpick) for securing the stack to the deck. Cut three short lengths of 1/32” brass strip and attached them to the stack with CA. Made the stack flange from 1/16” brass strip. With the stack up-side-down, attached it to the cap with CA. Made the wood pad from 1/16” x 1/8” wood strips - I assume, in the 18 century that the pad was probably not a single piece of wood. Decided to stain the pad instead of painting it red. Painted the stack black. Drilled a hole in the pad for pinning the stack to the deck. Prior to drilling, applied CA to the pad to preclude the wood from splitting. Fit the galley stack to the deck temporarily. Now, it's on to the ship ladders. Stay tuned.

Completed the capstan. I removed the whelps and sanded off the char on the face. I realized that I should have painted the sides red before removing them from the laser board. I put them back into the laser board and painted them after-the-fact. I painted the other members as per Detail 3-D on Sheet 3 before assembling them. I can’t help it, but I think of how the Niagara colors remind me of Christmas. I applied Golden Oak stain to the face of the whelps after assembly. I added the two metal rings around the top of the capstan a using 1/16” brass strip. I opted not to add the metal ring on the top of the capstan. I did, however, add another piece to the top and brass pins as well. I filed down the heads of the pins with a Dremel and a flat file. I cut out a copy of the capstan top and used it as a template to mark the pins. Fashioned the six (6) 1/32”x1/16” doubler slats on top of deck beneath capstan. They slats appear to have a space between them, but I glued them edge to edge. There would have been no reason for caulking between them. Not sure how they were attached to the deck but I added tree nails. Stained them Golden Oak. Note: the doubler slats are called out on the Deck Plan and shown, but not called out, in Detail 3-D. Next on the To Do List, I fashioned the capstan bars from 1/16” square stock. Rounded them by hand with sandpaper, sanding sticks, and flat file - eyeballed the roundness. They actually fit the capstan (see photo). Not sure how the capstan bars worked with the companion way and salon skylight in the way. Stained the bars Golden Oak. Made the stowage brackets from 1/16” brass strip blackened with Brass Black. Drilled holes in the ends for attachment to the ceiling with brass pins. Filed the pin heads down to smaller size. I used black thread (.012”) to secure the bars to the cleat. Next on the list, the bilge pump. I made the bitts from 1/8” square stock. Marked the location of the chamfers with pencil and made the chamfers with a flat file. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the bitts for a brass nail to secure the bilge pump to the deck. Created the base, from 1/16” x 3/16” wood strip as one piece, painted it red, and drilled holes for the brass pins and the center rod. The caps on the bitts were made from the same stock as the base, painted red. For the slot, I marked it with pencil, drilled a hole at each end, and cut out the slot with a knife. For the handle, I used a wood toothpick, squared up the center section and tapered the ends. I drilled a hole in the center of the handle for inserting a pin to attach the center rod. The center block was cut from 3/32” x 3/16” stock. The “U” shaped bracket for the center rod was fabricated from copper wire. I made an eye on each end, flattened both ends, bent it with my round nose pliers. For the rod, I used a piece of .55 annealed steel wire. I glued the bracket and the rod together with CA. I find CA to be easier than solder, although it’s not as secure as solder. For the metal band around the bilge pump I used a 1/16” brass strip furnished with the kit. I formed it around the top of the pump, cut it to length, blackened it, put it back on the pump and applied CA to the cut ends to secure it. I used the same size brass rod for the small plates on the pump handle, drilled a hole in each one, blackened them, and glued them to the handle. I drilled holes in the underside of the pump handle and inserted two of the small brass eye bolts (attached to each other) in each hole. The bottom eyebolt was trimmed and simply insert in the slot on top the bitts when the pump handle was installed. The U-bracket was attached to the pump handle with a brass pin. Placed a cut out of the deck plan on the deck to establish the location of bilge pump - it’s so frail that I’m almost afraid to handle it. , 72 Made the Aft Bitts next. These where easy to make. The Aft Fife Rail was next. I followed Detail 3-I on Sheet 3. Drilled holes in the bars for the 5/16” walnut belaying pins furnished with the kit. Note: I didn't realize it when I was checking the parts list before beginning the build, but Part # MS0410 is actually 5/16” brass pins. The kit supplied walnut pins are MS0392BW. I don’t like the scale of the walnut pins and, in hindsight, wish that I had used 5/16” brass pins. I drilled a hole in the bottom of each bitt and inserted a brass pin to secure the fife rail to the deck. A la the bilge pump, I a cut out of the deck plan was used to establish the location of the fife rail on the deck. Note: It seems odd to me that the bilge pump would be as close as it is to the aft fife rail. The Forward Fife Rail & Riding Bitts are similar to the Aft Fife Rail. I followed Detail 3-G on Sheet 3. The detail is a little confusing in terms of the orientation of the side bars and the cross bars. The Deck Plan and View Along the Centerline offer some clarity. Note: the 3/32” riding bitt knees are laser cut pieces furnished with the kit. This isn’t noted in Detail 3-G. I didn’t remember this from when I reviewed the laser cut pieces noted on Sheet 1. Consequently, I made them from 3/32” laser board. Oh well, it was a good exercise. I drilled a few holes in the knees for brass pins to secure the knees to the riding bitts and the deck. The knees are painted black as per the detail. Diverting from the deck furniture, I decided to add the ship name to the transom. I used dry transfer decals (MG705 Roman) purchased from Woodland Scenics. I got the idea for the dry decals from cdrusn89’s build log. I cut out the Stern View just at the bottom of the letters NIAGARA and taped it to the transom. I positioned the decal sheet on the transom such that each letter was aligned just above the corresponding letter on the cut out and rubbed over the decal with a dull pencil. I’m satisfied with how it came out. I applied a little polyurethyane to protect the letters. Next up, the galley stack.

Thanks for the compliment, Tom. Yeah, I like the contrast of the rudder. I debated whether to paint it, but I'm glad I didn't. I just visited your build log and looked at your capstan. I just completed mine, but I like the way you put the bands around the top of the capstan. I might give that a try.

Just started following your build log, Your ship is looking finely detailed, and I see you've been at it for quite some time - slow and steady wins the race, as they say. My Syren build took me 2 years to complete. I'm definitely going to follow your log more closely as I move along on Niagara. Keep up the fine work. BTW, I noticed the Bruins cup on your work bench. They're having an unexpected, great season.

Finishing up the hull, I gave it one coat of satin polyurethane. Moving on to the rudder, I removed it from the laser cut board, sanded off the char, tapered it, and rounded it above the rudder stock, as shown in the Outboard Profile on Sheet 3. The rudder has a black band at its top. I formed a piece of 1/16” brass strip around the rudder top, trimmed it, and applied CA to seal the cut ends. I drilled a hole in it for the .012” rod that attaches to the tiller. I used 28 gauge wire for the rod. The band was painted black. Next, I removed the tiller from the laser cut board. I thought the tiller was too thin to be shaped as shown on Sheet 3, so I made one from scrap laser board (see comparison photo). I filed/sanded the tiller to create the octagonal section and rounded section, and then cut the tenon. I used an x-acto knife to cut the mortise in the rudder - a little difficult, but I managed to create the mortise without damaging the rudder. The rudder and tiller were stained Golden Oak. The detail in tiller isn’t that noticeable. Started fabricating the rudder pintles and gudgeons. I used 1/16” brass strips. To simulate nail heads, I marked the location of the nail heads on the brass strips and punched them with an awl, which left an impression that looks somewhat like a nail head. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos before painting them black). I bent the strips over a 1/8” dowel. For the pintle pins, I tried my hand at soldering with no success. So, I secured the pins to the pintles with CA – much easier. I secured the pintles to the rudder with CA. The gudgeons were somewhat difficult to install on the stern post/hull. I installed the lower gudgeon first. Next, I set the middle and upper gudgeons in the pintle pins on the rudder, set the lower pintle pin into the lower gudgeon, and pressed everything in place. I aligned the middle and upper gudgeons and secured them to the stern post/ hull with CA. The rudder fit is not as close to the stern post as I would like - it’s functional but not removable. I attached the tiller to the rudder and installed the .012” rod. The rod was a little tricky. Note: There are two 3/32" single blocks that are attached to the tiller for the tiller tackle (Detail 5-L on Sheet 5). I didn't realize this until after I secured the tiller. The blocks will be installed later - I'm sure it would have been easier to have added them before the tiller was secured. Fashioned the bracket for the rudder chains from 1/16” brass strip, and drilled holes for the chain eye bolts. I made the eye bolts using the .020” copper wire furnished with the kit. The copper chain links furnished with the kit don’t fit the small eye bolts furnished with the kit. The chain (MS0526) has 42 links/inch. For comparison, I looked at the parts list from my Syren build, which is the same scale, and the chain links (MS0435) are larger (27 links/inch). Rather than order the larger link chain, I used some sterling silver chain with 27 links/inch that belonged to my late wife. I cut the chain to the appropriate lengths shown in the Stern View on Sheet 3. Sterling silver will not blacken with Brass Black, so I spray painted it black. I’m satisfied how it came out. Next up the davits. I couldn’t use the laser cut davits because the port and starboard main rails are bent at the stern - my miscue. In hindsight, should have built up the transom to avoid this. The laser cut davits don’t sit flush on the main rail (see photo). I made some davits from scrap laser board. With a lot of sanding and filing, I got the davits to fit fairly flush with the main rail (see photos). They're unorthodox, but I don't think they'll be noticeable to the untrained eye. I pinned the davits temporarily to test the fit. I created the faux sheaves at the end of the davit. For the davit cleat, I used a Syren 7mm boxwood cleat. I will permanently install the davits later in the build. My past experience with installing the davits too early is that they are prone to being accidentally snapped off. I think I’ll make the deck furniture next, starting with the capstan. Stay tuned.

Thanks for your input. I addressed the issue of eyebolts earlier in this build log. I brought it to the attention of Model Shipways and they promptly sent me another package of 120 small eye bolts - they're good like that.. I have bashed kits and Model Shipways for numerous discrepancies that I have discovered between the plans, instructions, and parts list.

Hope everyone had a merry Christmas. This will be the last post for 2022. Work is progressing on the Niagara. At this point I’m 6 months into the build – not in any hurry. I’m loving the build the more I advance and the more challenging it becomes. I added a piece of grating to the bow at the boomkin structure. I drilled holes in the end of the boomkin for eyebolts to which chains will be attached (see photos). In To mark the water line, I used a marker that I made from a speed square and Acco clips (see photo from Syren build). I used Frog Tape to mask the hull at the pencil line in preparation for painting. I painted (by brush) the hull above the waterline to the plank sheer first. I used Model Color black acrylic paint. Before applying paint, I sanded the area and wiped it clean with a tack cloth. When dry, I lighted sanded the paint, wiped it clean again, and applied a second coat. With that done, I masked the hull in preparation for painting below the waterline. I lightly sanded the hull and wiped it clean. I applied (by brush) the first of three coats of Bulwarks Dark Green paint (ModelExpo MS4801). I sanded between each subsequent coat. Most of the hull won’t be visible whence the ship is mounted on its base. I’m pleased with how it turned out. With that done, I moved on to fashioning the bowsprit. I cut out a copy of the top and side views of the bowsprit bow from the plan and used it to mark the locations of the tenons, octagonal sections, chocks, cleats, foot treads, bees, etc. I used the 3/8” x 3/8” basswood strip furnished with the kit. I tapered the bottom and sides of the bowsprit with a flat file and sanding block, cut out the octagonal sections with an x-acto knife and then filed/sanded them to shape. Added the foot treads (1/32” sq. strips), chocks, cleats (temporarily), bees (1/8” x 3/32” strip), and bob stay wye (1/64” x 1/16” brass strip). I wrapped the brass strip around the bowsprit, formed it to the octagonal shape, removed it from the bowsprit and solder the ends together. I drilled a hole in the end for the metal strop for the bobstay. The cleats will have to be added after the bowsprit is permanently installed. I fabricated the bowsprit saddle from a piece of 1/8” thick laser board. Note: the plans call for this to be fabricated from metal. I didn’t see the need for that since most of it will be covered by lashing and the detail will be obscured when painted black. I beveled the holes on the bowsprit cap and inserted the small eye bolts as per the detail on Sheet 4. While I was on the bowsprit, I decided to make the bowsprit bitts (Detail 5-B on Sheet). I used 1/8” sq. strip. I chamfered the top edges. I laid a cut out of the deck plan onto the deck to establish the location of the bowsprit bitts. I added brass pins in the bottom of the bitts. The pin holes will allow for the bitts to be placed in the exact location when it comes time to permanently install the bow sprit. I rough fit the bowsprit and the bitts to check the alignment. I had to adjust the angle of the notch at the end of the bowsprit to achieve the proper fit. Next, I fabricated the ships bell. Just a note, the ships bell is attached to the bowsprit as shown in the View Along the Centerline on Sheet 3. Detail 3-P on Sheet 3 shows a dashed line of an octagon which represents the bowsprit in section. This wasn’t obvious to me until I reviewed the View Along the Centerline. I cut the pieces out of 1/8” thick laser board. I used Detail 3-P on Sheet 3 as a guide. I drilled through the uprights and the piece that the bell is attached to so that I could install it later and insert pins to secure it. The kit supplied Britannia cast bell looks too small. It scales 12” in diameter at 3/16” scale. At 3/8” scale in Detail 3-P, it scales about 18”. I’ll have asked ModelExpo to substitute a Corel C-76 brass bell 8mm x 6mm diameter bell. In the meantime, I stained the frame Golden Oak and painted the piece that holds the bell Model Expo MS4802 Bulwarks Gun Carriage Red. Note: Before I fabricated the boomkin grating structure, I checked the plans to see if it might interfere with the ships bell and it doesn't (see photo). With that task done, I turned my attention to the boot topping. I used a 1/8” wide wood strip to mark the boot topping above the waterline. I carefully applied frog tape (this stuff is great) along the waterline and the boot topping line. I cut narrow strips of tape to facilitate bending the tape along the lines. The plans call for the boot topping to be light green. On a whim, I mixed Bulwarks Dark Green paint with Deck Light Buff to achieve the desired shade of light green -Voilà. I applied two coats by brush. I allowed the paint to dry completely before carefully removing the masking tape. I had to touch up a few minor spots, but otherwise it came out well. Eventually, I’ll apply a coat of polyurethane to the entire hull to seal and protect it. I think I’ll move on to the rudder next. Happy New Year!

Thanks for the compliment, it boost my ego.

Didn't realize that you moved to Japan. Hope everything is going well and that you'll soon be back to the Syren.

Your work is consistently so neat and clean. A level of perfection that's hard to achieve. Don't know how you do it.👍

Thanks, that's the aim.

Working on the main rail. I had to fabricate some pieces from 1/16” basswood. The laser cut bow pieces didn’t provide enough overhang and, as other build logs have noted, the laser cut stern pieces are too short. The laser cut stern rail didn’t provide enough overhang for my liking, so I fabricated that too. I made a jig for the stern rail. I soaked the stern rail in water and then set it in a jig until the wood dried. I rough-fit all the pieces before permanently attaching them. I used brass pins to temporarily secure the rail pieces. The nails allowed me to set the rails in the exact location when it came time to glue them in-place. I worked from bow to stern. After gluing the rails, I removed the nails and filled the holes with putty. I realized that it doesn’t matter if the stern rail joints don’t fit tightly because the joints will be covered by the davits. Moving on, I removed the laser cut chock rails, removed the laser burn, and tapered them as per the plans. I added a little detail to the end of the rails based on the photo I found of the Niagara ship (see photo). The chock rails have rigging line holes in them (6 on each side). At the bow, there are 3 Fairlead holes for the Downhauls and Sprit Sail Lifts. The holes need to be big enough to pass a .010 line. I pre-drilled the holes with .55mm bit first and then enlarged them to pass the .010 line. The chock rails need to be cut out for the catheads. This reminded me that the ship had boomkins (also called bumpkins) forward of the catheads (see photos). These are not shown on the plans. I discovered this while reviewing cdrun89 build log. The boomkins are tie-offs for the fore tack lines. The photo also shows the fairlead holes in the chock rail. There is also a pin rail at the bow. I decided to add the boomkins as they appear in the photos. I drew two sketches based on my interpretation of the photos. The first sketch shows the grating arrangement at the bow. The second sketch shows the boomkins superimposed on the first sketch (see photos). From the Niagara photos, the boomkins appear to be slightly longer and thinner than the catheads, tapered and chamfered from the chock rail inward, and have an octagonal shape from the chock rail outboard. Subsequently, I found another Niagara photo from greatgalleons build log that better depicts the boomkins. Note the chains attached to the hull and the boomkin to secure it from lifting. The angle of the boomkins was "quesstimated" from the overhead photo of the ship. I fabricated the boomkins from 3/64”x1/8” strip, the grating from 1.3”x 3/64” grating purchased from Model Shipways, and the pin rail from 3/64”x 1/16” strip. I made a frame for the boomkin grating based on the sketches. I set the gratings edge to edge and made two sections. Each section was trimmed to fit in the frame. I applied CA on the backside of the frame to secure the grating. It came out basically as I envisioned it. For the frame, I used scrap pieces of the main rail. The entire structure can be inserted in the bow beneath the main rail. I still need to make another grate section at the bow. Note: In the photo, there are 5 belaying pins on each side of the boomkins. The plans show only 3 holes per side for belaying pins. I couldn’t fit 5 holes so I only made 4. I Pinned the chock rail to the main rail temporarily. I marked the location of the boomkins on the chock rail. The boomkins don’t rest on the main rail, so I made a notch in the chock rail accordingly. Finished coated the boomkin grating and pin rail and the boomkins with Minwax Tung Oil. I’m undecided as to whether to anchor the boomkins with iron straps. For now, I’m going to leave the boomkins and grating structure off ship. Added an extra cleat for the fore tack. The catheads are next. I marked the location of the cat heads on the chock rail. The cat heads sit on the main rail. Before cutting out the chock rail, I permanently secured the chock rails to the main rail with white glue. I made the faux sheaves in the catheads and drilled holes for the eye bolts and rods. I had to file and notch the catheads to fit them to the main rail. they'll be installed later along with the cathead knees. One item of note, the Deck Plan on Sheet 3 shows a 1/16”x1/16” anchor chafing block on top of the main rail. In reviewing some other build logs, , I notice many omitted the anchor chafing block. I cut the pieces, but I'm not sure if I will add them. Next up, marking the waterline and painting the hull. Stay tuned.

Finished the tree nails. Used a .55 mm drill bit. Broke quite number of bits - they’re very thin. Fortunately, I had enough to finish. Sanded the deck some more and finished it up with fine steel wool. Redrilled all the tree nails to clean them out. In the process, I discovered a few that I had missed. Contemplated whether to fill the treenails with putty. Decide to do a test strip where I drilled some holes and applied Golden Oak stain to see how the treenails look sans putty. I liked the look, so I decided to forego the arduous task of filling the treenails. With that, I wiped the deck with a tack cloth and applied some Minwax Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner. The Pre-stain accentuates the treenails as well as the variations in color of the planks (see following photos). Next, I applied one coat of Minwax Golden Oak stain. Even with the wood conditioner, I think the deck is a little splotchy. The stain shows some the sanding marks, but I think that it gives character to the deck. I’m satisfied with the results (see photos). I want to keep the deck light, so I won't be applying a second coat of stain. I'm thinking about applying a sealer to the deck, though. Next up, the main rail.

Since the last progress report, I completed planking the deck. As I stated earlier, I used the “shipwright practice” where the decking is installed around the coamings. I began with the nibbing strake. I used 1/8”x 1/16” strips. I soaked them in water overnight and then put them in the jig I used to bend the hull planks. While waiting for the strips to dry, I decided to do some research on planking the deck. No matter how many ships you build, it’s still helpful to review “how to” publications on planking. I revisited the deck planking section of Planking the Built-up Ship Model by Jim Roberts to refresh my memory. It reminded me that figuring out placement of plank butts is not necessary until you reach the outer edges of hatch coamings. Planks are butted in either a “three step” or “four step” configuration. The instruction manual does not discuss this. I prefer the “three step” configuration where there are three unbroken planks between each plank butt on the same beam (see photo). The length of plank between butts is typically not more than 20 feet at the plan scale. However, try as I may, the “three step” configuration became a two step in some places – it’s easy to lose track of the butts. Anyway, going forward, I removed the margin plank (nibbing strake) from the jig. Cut down a strip of 1/16”x 1/4” to fit between the two margin planks at the bow. Glued the margin planks in-place with yellow glue and used push pins to secure them. Applied a little CA at the beams. The nice thing about CA is that it flows nicely between the joints. Completed seven planks on each side of the deck centerline. The next seven planks are nibbled at the bow. Also, butt joints begin along planks. The coamings align with the planks fairly well. In some places I had to use a slightly wider plank to even out the planks. I don’t think the wider planks will be noticeable whence the deck structures are all in-place. I shaded one edge of the planks with #2 pencil to simulate caulking between joints. The instruction manual says the planks taper from midship aft and parallel with the waterway. Based on the plans, the planks begin to taper at the midship aft 6 planks away from the centerline. The are 20 planks on each side that need to taper from 6” down to 3” at the end plank. I decided not to follow the instruction manual and will nib the planks instead. For the nibbed planks. I made a tick mark about 1/32” wide on the end of the plank and aligned the plank with the nibbing strake to determine the angle of the nib. I cut out the nib, aligned the plank with the nibbing strake again, and traced the nib on the strake with a pencil. I cut the nib out with an x-acto knife. I most cases, the nib was not an exact fit and needed to be trimmed and filed/sand. I used each subsequent nibbed plank as a template for the opposite side of the deck. This made the port and starboard side nibbed planks fairly uniform. The planking brings to light the undulations in the deck, so a lot of sanding was required to even them out. As it stands now, the deck has been fine sanded and is ready for treenails. Here are a bunch of photos. Stay tuned for work on the treenails.

Thank you!

Since the last update, I’ve made some major progress. I added some wood filler, sanded and re-primed the hull. The hull is not perfect, but that’s not what I was aiming for. I did some light final sanding in preparation for final painting, which will be done later. Added the stern ensign staff block, stern boat grips, and mooring chocks before painting the transom. Started thinking about planking the deck. The instruction manual says “shipwright practice” is to glue the coamings to the bulkheads and to plank around them. In reviewing several build logs, all of them installed the coamings on top of the deck, which is the “alternative method” in the manual. Before deciding which approach to take, I started looking at the coaming details on Sheet 3. Note: The details are 3/8” scale. The coamings are noted as 9/64” x 5/64” and are tapered. I have found that many build logs do not taper the coamings – I stuck with the plan details. I used 1/8”x 1/8” strips. The strips need to be tapered to 1/16” at the top and at the bottom if using the “shipwright practice. If using the “alternative method” the coamings have to be reduced in height by 1/16”. To make the taper, I laid a 1/16” strip adjacent to the 1/8”x 1/8” strip and scribed a pencil line along it. I repeated the process to get the bottom taper line. I don’t have a small plane, so I removed some of the taper with an x-acto knife and then filed/sanded the taper down to the pencil lines. I made the coamings as if I were going to use the “shipwright practice.” I figured the added 1/16” height wouldn’t be that noticeable if the alternative approach is used. I mitered the coaming joints rather than using one of the joints detail in Fig 5-1 in the manual. I started with the Main Hatch. I decided to use grating rather than cover boards. After I had made the first coaming I realized that the grates should be made first and then match the coamings to the grating. Fortunately, the grating when assembled fit within the Main Hatch coaming. Note: I used ModelExpo grating MS2872 that I had left over from my Syren build rather than the cherry grating strips (MS0333) furnished with the kit (see comparison photo). I assembled the grating strips in an egg crate fashion. Going forward, for the Fore Castle Hatch, Galley Hatch, and Fore Hatch, I assembled the grates first and then made the coamings to match. The coamings were filed/sanded, primed, and finish-coated with Bulwarks Gun Red paint. The grates were stained with Golden Oak. I cut out the deck plan and used it as a template to locate the coamings. Thinking that I’ll use the” shipwright practice,” I painted the areas where the coamings will be placed flat black. Moving on to the skylights and companionway, I began with the Captains Quarter Skylight. As the Detail 3-L notes, this structure is a little taller than the others. I used 1/16” x 3/32” strips joined with corner joints. Note: The Captains Quarter Skylight windows have 4 bars and the Saloon Skylight and Companionway windows have 3 bars. I opted to make them all with 3 bars. Used .55mm bit to drill the holes for the window bars, and 28 gauge wire for the bars. The most difficult part of fashioning the structures is the windows, particularly getting the bars plumb. I drilled the holes down from the top edge through the bottom edge. Before drilling, I aligned the top edge with the bars on the plan and made a tick mark with a pencil at each bar location. Before drilling, I made a puncture mark at each tick mark with a sewing needle. This helped align the drill bit. If you keep the bit plumb, the holes will pretty much line up on the bottom edge. The Captains Quarter Skylight and the Saloon Skylight have a working flap panel that is pinned. The only way that I could figure out to insert the pin is to drill through the structure and insert a long pin that would go into the end of the flap. I didn’t see any value in having a working flap panel, so I opted for a faux panel. To simulate window glass, I cut a piece of plastic from the container that the fittings came in and glued on the back side of the window. For the roof, I used 3/16” x 1/32” walnut strips cut down to 3/32” wide. The walnut strips came from my Fair American build. They’re a nice contrast, so decided, rather to paint them, to apply Minwax Tung Oil. I painted the structures with one coat of ModelExpo MS4821 Deck Light House Buff. Note: I didn't provide windows in the aft side of the structures as the plans do not indicate that there are windows on the aft side and this was not obvious to me when I reviewed some other build logs. However, I subsequently discovered a photo from another build log that shows windows in the aft side of structures (see photo). Oh well. The Saloon Skylight was fashioned similar to the Captain’s Quarters Skylight except that it has two windows port and starboard. The Companionway structure was more challenging – it has three windows and a sliding top. A little ingenuity is required to fashion the sliding top (see photos). I’ve decided to use the “shipwright practice, so it’s on to the deck planking, starting with the nibbing plank. Stay tuned for more progress.

Nice job on the hull planking.

Made some significant progress on the ship. I finished Belt B planking and moved on to Belt D. Belt D has five (5) 3/64” wide (at Bulklhead H) strakes (planks) and two (2) stealers at the stern. I used the Hull Planking Profile as a guide to cut out the first stealer that abuts the keel. Next, I made the garboard strake, using the stealer as a guide. The stealer and the garboard mesh together fairly well. I used a suggestion made by Chuck in another build log and tapered the garboard toward the stem beginning at Bulklhead E (see photo courtesy of Chuck). I traced the completed stealer and garboard profiles onto another strip to create the stealer and garboard for the opposite side. I tapered the garboard to butt flush against the stealer. The second stealer abuts the garboard. Again, using the Hull Planking Profile as a guide I cut out the profile of the second stealer and the second strake. I used these profiles to create the opposite side stealer and strake. I completed Belt D and moved on to Belt C. As the space between planks got shorter, I switched from using Acco binders to push pins to hold the planks in-place while the glue dried. Finished planking the hull. The most difficult part was the closure pieces at the stern. I sanded the hull as I went along, basically while waiting for glue to dry. I did some filling with DAP Plastic Wood filler. I didn’t want to create a fiberglass like finish on the hull, so I avoided doing too much filling, so as to maintain the plank look. I did final sanding with 3/0 grit paper and then masked and spray painted the hull with gray primer (Rust-oleum flat gray). The primer shows the imperfections in the planking, so some additional filling, sanding and priming will be necessary. The following photos show the progress to date. I added a photo of the planking from inside the ship, as you don’t often see that view in build logs. Stay tuned for more updates.

Thanks for the compliment. Yes, a lot of painting. The instructions don't recommend when to install eyebolts and rings in the bulwark. It's a matter of preference. I installed the eyebolts before finishing the deck just to get that task out of the way.

Drilled holes for the inboard cleats. There are 12 cleats port and starboard. I used cutouts from the Port Bulwark on Sheet 3 as templates to mark the locations of the drill holes. Filed the kit-supplied lead cleat prongs down to a smaller size for easier insertion in the drill holes. Painted the cleats with Model Expo Deck Light House Buff – it’s a nice contrast with the green paint. Applied a little yellow glue to each cleat and inserted it into the pre-drilled holes in the ceiling planks. While I was on Sheet 3, I decided to study the plans for the locations of other eyebolts. There are five eyebolts located on the outboard port and starboard sides of ship as noted on Outboard Profile. I drilled the holes for the eyebolts. I assume the ten (10) large eyebolts (1/16” x ½”) furnished with the kit are intended for these eyebolts – this is not clear in the manual or on the plans. However, after checking some other build logs, it was clear that the large eyebolts are to be used. No photos of these - I covered them over with blue tape before I could photograph them. Removed the laser cut mooring cleats and sanded them to remove char. I painted them black – I didn’t bother to prime them because the black paint covers well. I had planned to pin them but decided against it. I will install these later. Getting ahead of myself, while reviewing some other build logs, my attention was drawn to the number of eyebolts needed for the yards. This caused me to look at the plans further. Based on Sheet 6, if my math is correct, 104 small eyebolts are required for the yards. In addition, based on Sheet 4, 6 eyebolts are required at each of the 10 gun ports (7 if you include the train tackle) for a total of 60 eyebolts. The kit is furnished with only 120 small eyebolts. So, there is a shortage of eyebolts, not to mention the additional eyebolts that are required for the rigging. I brought this to the attention of Model Shipways, and they promptly sent me another package of 120 small eyebolts – kudos to Model Shipways. I did find at least one build log that noted the shortage of eyebolts. I made up the small eyebolts (.75mm x 6mm) with 1/8" split ring needed for the cannon rigging. I blackened these with Brass Black. Before adding anymore eyebolts I wanted to study the plans further. So, I began looking at the rigging lines for the carronades and realized that the breech line (.031”) won’t pass through the 1/8” split rings. I wish that I had paid more attention to the plans before I assembled all of the eyebolts and rings. The Deck Plan on Sheet 3 clearly shows 3/32" rings (see photo). Needless to say, I had to remake 40 eyebolts with split ring. Also, the eyebolts will have to be glued into the pre-drilled holes in the ceiling planks after the breech ropes are served to the split rings. I’m getting ahead of myself here again, but the kit supplied rigging lines do not match up with the plans. The following is summary of the kit supplied rigging lines: .008” black, .021” black, .028” black, .051” black, .008” tan, .021” tan, .028” tan Of course, you know this because you checked the parts list prior to starting your build. Here are just a few of the discrepancies in line size that I have found so far: Lines Sizes Shown on Plans: .014” tan – reef tackle, .010” tan – tiller tackle, .012” tan – spanker tackle. .016” tan cannon tackles., .031” tan – cannon breech lines .010” black – back ropes, .018” black – sheets, .021” black – sheets, .031” black – bob stays, .035” black – yard sling. I may purchase rope from Syren as others have done. I'll deal with this at the appropriate time. Moving on, I installed the spanker sheet horse. Sheet 5 says there is a ring on the transom horse, so I added a 3/32” split ring. I used 26 gauge wire for the horse. Added the eyebolt for the boom sheet fairlead (port side near gun port as noted on Sheet 5). Made up the pin rails. The kit is furnished with Walnut 5/16" (8mm) belaying pins (MS0392BW) but the parts list says the belaying pins are MS0410 which are 5/16” (8mm) brass belaying pins. The walnut pins require larger holes and the pins are closer together when the holes are drilled as per the plans. This could be problematic when the time comes to belay the lines – time will tell. I added pins to secure the pin rails. The original ship pin rails were natural finish, so I decided to paint them the same color as the main rail (MS4821 Deck Light House Buff) – it’s a nice contrast. I’m holding off on installing the pin rails until the main rail is installed. Right now, I going to start the hull planking. But, first, I applied water base polyurethane to the bulwark to protect the paint. For further protection, I covered the bulwark with blue tape. Using 1/16” x 3/32” strips, I marked the belt seams for Belt A along the bulkhead and then tacked a 1/16” x 3/32” batten strip. I measured the distance between the second strake and the batten and divided by 8 to get the approximate width the planks at the bow. I soaked the 1/16” x 3/32” strips in water overnight and put them in the jig that I made for the ceiling and bulwark planks. I started staggering the planks in a 3 butt shaft pattern, but that went somewhat array. I found it easier to work with shorter planks. In some cases, I tapered the plank edge to getting better “butt flush” fitting. I completed the starboard and port side Belt A planking. The width of the starboard and port side Belt A doesn’t quite match at the bow, and the starboard side planking isn’t quite a straight as the port side at the stern. Whence the hull planking is complete and painted this won’t be noticeable. I did some initial filling and sanding. So far, I’m satisfied with how Belt A planking turned out. Next up, Belt B.

Thanks, Thomas. There's a lot of painting required with this ship.

Just checking in to your build. Excellent, detailed work. Slow and steady as she goes. I’ve completed my Syren and have moved on to the Niagara.

Finished the bulwarks planking. Even with much sanding and some wood filler, the planks are not even and some of the plank effect was lost in the filling and sanding process, but I’m satisfied with how it turned out. I decide to drill the holes for the eyebolts and breech tackle rings at the gun ports. There are 4 eyebolts and 2 split rings per gun port. I used a 0.6mm drill bit. I used a cut out from the Port Bulwark on Sheet 3 as a template to mark the locations of the drill holes. I made up one set of small eyebolts (0.75 mm x 6mm) and split rings (1/8”) and inserted them into the drilled holes for effect (see photo). I will need to make up another 38 small eyebolts with split rings. In addition to the gun port eyebolts, there are 9 other eyebolts located in the port and starboard planksheer/waterway. Eight (8) of these are located in the waterway, shown as a circle (o) on Port Bulwark on Sheet 3. One eyebolt is located in the planksheer, shown thus (-). Received the hawse holes from Bluejackets and installed them on the exterior of the hull. These are a nice added detail. I painted them gray to resemble lead. I also painted the inboard hawes pipe gray for added effect, although most it won’t be seen whence the anchor cable is installed. I started to look at the locations of the cleats and read that they are to be “Bright.” According to the Color Notes on Sheet 3, Bright is natural wood varnish finish. The kit is furnished with lead cleats, and I don’t know how to get a natural wood finish on lead. I’ll have to research some other build logs. Well, in my research I didn’t find much discussion on cleats. However, I did find that TomE used Model Master Wood paint for the cleats, and lb0190 used Model Expo buff color after first trying Tamiya buff. I’ve decided to use Model expo Deck Light House Buff (MS4821). Stay tuned for more progress.

Finished the hawes pipes and the Lead & Chafing blocks. Using the Hull Planking Profile as a guide, I determined the location of the outboard hawes pipe and punched a hole just above the joint between the two strakes using an awl. I drilled the inboard and outboard holes starting with a small bit and working up to a 1/8” bit. Note: I did not use a power drill for fear of tearing the planks. Not having the bulwark planks in-place made it easy to see the alignment of the holes, so I recommend drilling the holes for the hawes pipe before adding the bulwark planks. With the hawes pipes and Lead & Chafing blocks done, I started to look into what size rope is to be used for the cable. The Anchor Stowage detail on Sheet 4 calls for .047” cable. The kit isn’t furnished with this size rope. It does come with .051” black rope. Neither of my prior builds (Syren, Fair American, Rattlesnake) used black rope for the anchor cable. I'll have to find some tan line. As another build did (I don’t recall which one) I plan to order hawse holes from Bluejackets (F0452 - 7/32" Pair) to add a little more detail. Started the port side bulwark planks at the bow. I primed and painted (ModelExpo Hull Yellow Occre MS4829) the blanks before installing them. I think the paint is a good match to the actual ship (see photo). Installed the 1/64 Doubler as shown on the Hull Planking Profile – the Doubler was painted black to match the actual ship. Note: There is a drilled hole in the bulwark plank just above the Doubler as shown on the Outboard Profile. This hole aligns with a hole on the inboard ceiling as shown on the Port Bulwark on Sheet 3. These holes are for passage of the Royal Stay backrope. A note on the Rigging Profile on Sheet 5 says the backrope is eyespliced to an eyebolt on the port side and passes through the hole on the starboard side, but Sheet 3 shows a hole on the port side as well as the starboard side - huh. The tricky part will be passing the .010 line thru the two holes - some CA on the end of the line should facilitate this. Completed the port side bulwark planking at the bow and the stern. I decided this would be a good time to drill the 1/32” holes for the scuppers. There are 5 scuppers P&S as shown and noted on Sheet 3. They are located midway of the gun ports and in the center of the second strake below the gun ports. I laid a strip of 1/16" x 3/32" deck plank down as a guide for drilling the holes in the waterway. I marked the locations of the scuppers with an awl before drilling them. It was easier to align the drills without the bulwark planks installed. If you don’t want the scupper holes to line up, then not having the bulwark planks installed doesn’t matter. Continuing with the bulwark planking, I decided to look into the location of the sheaves for the main and fore sheets. There are two sheaves port and starboard as noted and shown on the Outboard Profile on Sheet 3. On my previous builds I simply drilled holes in the bulwark to pass the rigging line through. On this build I decided to make faux sheaves from a 3/32”x 3/16” strip. It's better to do this now rather than latter. I made two drill holes on each side of the sheave and alternated drilling each side until the holes met. I then cut the strip to the dimension scaled on the outboard profile. The scary part was cutting out the ceiling plank without damaging it. This went better than anticipated. A sharp x-acto knife blade and a little filing did the trick (see photo). I have the port side stern most sheave installed (see photos). I plan to continue with the rest of the sheaves. More progress to follow.

Finished the port and starboard ceilings – a tedious process. I found that the Bulwarks Dark Green paint (ModelExpo MS4801) covers better if the wood is not primed. So, the planks were pre-painted without primer. Once I had a section of planks cut and fitted, I removed them, numbered them, and then painted the edges. While waiting for the paint to dry, I moved on to the next section. Whence the paint was dry, I glued the planks in place, and repeated the process. I found that some sanding was necessary to even out the planks. In some cases, where I felt there was too much space between planks, I applied a little wood putty. I little light sanding and repainting completed the section. Before moving on to the bulwarks planks, I thought this would be good time to start looking at the hawse pipe location. I marked the location of the holes on the bow ceiling and punched a small hole with an awl. I will drill the opening (1/8” ID) later. Using Detail 2-B on Sheet 2 as a guide, I made one of the Lead & Chafing Blocks for the anchor line. I used a 3/32” x 3/32” strip. I need to tweek it a little, but it looks good so far. Here are some progress photos. Stay tuned for further progress.