abelson

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.

Beautiful pictures. NH is definitely a scenic state - "Live Free or Die."

I have a little progress to report. Completed the port side and starboard side ceiling (3/64" x 3/32") at the stern. It came out fairly well, not perfect though. Most of it will be covered by the capstan bars. It was helpful to pre-paint the planks. The planks were primed and painted "Bulwarks Dark Green" (Model Expo MS4801). I found that 3 or 4 coats of green are required over white primer. Going forward, I’ll use gray primer or maybe no primer. I've come to realize that this build requires a lot of painting.

Added the first strake (the “Stringer”) below the rail. Note: the outboard Stringer is 3/64”x 3/32” and the inboard Stringer is 1/16” x 3/32”. I painted the outboard Stringers black (Model Color acrylic) and the inboard Stringer (Bulwarks Gun Red). I used CA rather then white glue. I find that CA applied with a toothpick runs into the joint and secures the Stringer – no waiting for glue to dry (see photos). Decided to plank the transom. The transom planks are 1/32”x 3/32”. At this point, I decided to check the fashion plate details. The bulkhead planks butt into the fashion plate and the transom planks butt into the transom plate. So, I cut the transom plates flush with the quarter stanchions. I trimmed the two strakes at the transom to allow for the fashion plate. The transom planks have a slight curve to match the arch board. I had to add some thin strips to the horn stanchions and the inner stanchions so that the planks would not bow in. Six planks are required from the arch board to the top of the gun port opening. The 3/32” strip that was added to the top of the top stiffener wasn’t arched, so I had to fabricate a wider plank with an arch. I used the Stern View as a template and traced the arch on a scrap piece of 1/32” thick board. I’m satisfied with the result (see photo). After reading cdrusn89 log, I decided to add some additional support at the stern between the stanchion timbers and horn timbers to provide support for the deck planks. I also added a piece to the end of the waterway on the port and starboard sides. The 1/32” x 3/32” planks for the transom ceiling were added next. I used a wider 3/64” thick plank at the top to match the transom arch. I cut out a opening drilled a pilot hole for the tiller. The tiller opening will be enlarged later when the tiller is installed (see photo). Because the bulkhead planks butt into the fashion plate, I started to add the pieces that make up the fashion plate. While fumbling with that, I decided that I should add the counter planking before installing the curved section of the fashion plate. Looking at the stern filler blocks, I figured there was no way that I could bend the 1/16” hull planks to butt against the beveled 1/16” counter plank with the filler blocks as currently configured. So, I sanded down the filler blocks. Getting back to the counter planks, I installed four 1/32” counter planks. Looking at Section 2C-C, I realized that there are two 1/32” counter planks and one beveled 1/16” plank. Also, the counter planks are arched but the beveled 1/16” counter plank has to be horizontal as shown in the Stern View. So, I trimmed the fourth plank to receive the beveled plank. This worked out well and the beveled plank aligns with the stern port. Not sure if this is correct but it looks good (see photos). Fabricated the mooring chocks from 1/8” square strip. They were a little tricky, but not problematic. They just require a lot of sanding and filing. I cut out the mooring chock from the plans and used it as a template. I marked the width of the chocks on the top and the depth on the side with a pencil. Then I sawcut a slit at an angle at each mark across the top. With an x-acto knife, I scored a line along the side depth mark and removed the cut piece from each chock. I filed each slot with fine point rounded file and cleaned it up with folded edge of a piece of sandpaper. The sides and bottom of the chocks have to be filed on an angle to match the angle of the gun ports. These will be painted black as will the transom. I had some angst about making the chocks, but they turned well (see photos). I think I'll move on to the bulwark planks next.

I've been following your build. Excellent work. She looks fantastic. I'm in the early stages of my Niagara build. I intend to follower your build closely. One question, if I may, where did you get the rigging? It looks really authentic.

Since the last post, I’ve managed to make some progress on the ship while searching for a memory care assisted living facility for my 94 years old mother. I framed the gun ports and the sweep ports with 1/8” square strips. I used template blocks to get a uniform size for the gun ports and sweep ports framing. The sweep ports should be spaced 10 feet on center at 3/16” scale. For some reason, not all of mine are 10 feet o/c. I’m hoping this won’t be noticeable. Did some sanding to even out the bulkhead timbers and the gun port and sweep port framing for placement of strakes. I decided to add the strakes below the gun ports when I noticed there is a gap between the planksheer and the outer edge of bulkheads. I did read in other build logs where this was a problem. I filled the gaps with 3/32”x3/32” scrap pieces of wood strips. I sanded the scrap pieces flush with the timberheads and installed the first of two 3/64 x 1/8” strakes below the gun ports. The difficult part of installing the first strake is securing the strake at the stem (the starting point). As I moved from bow to stern, I added a dab of CA at each bulkhead to secure the strake. I find this easier than applying wood glue and clamps, and I don’t have to wait for the glue to dry. Just as a matter of note, I reviewed the plans for the bulwark and ceiling planks. The size of the planks noted on the plans is not clear. For instance, the first plank beneath the rail is noted as 3/64”, but is this the thickness or the width? The instruction manual says this plank is 3/64” thick. Well, after studying the Hull Planking Layout and the instruction manual, it’s clear to me that the dimensions on the Hull Planking Profile are the thickness and the dimensions on the Hull Planking Layout are the width of the planks. Still confused? The instruction manual calls out the thickness of the various planks. So, from what I’ve gleaned from this, I think the sizes of the strakes are as follows: 1st outboard strake below rail, the "Stringer" 3/64”x 3/32” 1st inboard strake below rail, the "Stringer" 1/16" x 3/32" Next 5 strakes 1/32”x 3/32” Next strake 1/32” x 1/8” (see Note below) 2 strakes below gun port 3/64”x 1/8” (see Note below) Belt A strakes 1/16” x 3/32” Belt B strakes 1/16”x 1/8” Belt C and D strakes 1/16”x 3/16” (These are noted on the Hull Planking Layout as 5/32”. The Parts List says to use 1/8” wide strips) Note: On the Hull Planking Profile the strake below the sweep port and the 2 strakes below the gun port appear to be wider, so I made these 1/8”. I added the 1/32” square strips for covering the edges of the bulwark planks and inboard ceiling planks. Note: Like some other build logs have noted, the 1/32" square stock is not square, so you have to be mindful which side is up when gluing in place - I'm sure that I probably missed a few. I painted the 1/32” strips with Model Shipways Bulwarks Gun Red (MS4802) prior to installing them. I measured and cut each one as they are all different to some extent. I used a 3/64”x 3/32” strip to mark the height of the strips below the 3/32” strip that was added to the tops of the bulkhead timbers. I did the outboard first followed by the inboard. I sanded them flush with the bulkhead timbers. In some places I had to apply wood putty to fill in gaps and even them out. I then painted the inside edges of the gun ports and sweeps. For the sweep ports, I decided to use a 1/32" x 3/16" strip for covering the edges of the 1/32" bulwark planks and inboard ceiling planks rather then to glue a 1/32" square strip on each side of the sweep port inboard and outboard. I cut each strip 1/4" long to account for variations in the width the sweep port framing. To accommodate the strips, I had framed the sweep ports 1/16" wider to account for a 1/32" x 3/16" strip on each side of the port. I painted a suitable length of 1/32" x 3/16" strip Bulwarks Gun Red before cutting it into individual 1/4" pieces. After installing all the strips, I evened them up by placing a piece of 1/32" wide plank against the bulwark and flush with the strip and sanding each one. To finish them off, I painted the edges of the strips and the inside of the ports. I'm not sure if this technique is any less tedious then adding individual strips on each side of the port, but it worked for me and I like the outcome. Following are photos. Now, on to the main rail and chock rail or maybe the first strake below rail (the “Stringer”). Stay tuned.

Completed installing the bulkheads. To square them up, I glued (CA) struts between each bulkhead. The struts were cut from 3/16” square wood strips. I measured the distance between bulkheads at the center keel. This basically assures that the bulkheads are square, but not perfectly square. Plus, the struts give the hull some rigidity. With that done, I did some final shaping of the filler blocks. I checked the hull’s fairness by laying a 1/8” square batten across the tops of the bulkheads. I had to add one shim on the port side. The starboard side was more problematic. Seems the center keel has a slight bend and I made the starboard side corner filler block too wide – my bad. Even after some sanding, I had to add shims at bulkheads Q, P, O, N and L. The shim at bulkhead Q is quite thick. I’m concerned down the road with the impact this might have on the rail. I added the framing for the fore rail bits, support hatch coamings, and fife rail bitts. Also, I a drilled a hole in the center keel between bulkheads M&N for the capstan. Continuing with prep work, I added scrap pieces beneath the nibbing strake for added support of the deck planks. Moving on to the task of installing the waterway and planksheer, I glued together the three laser-cut waterway pieces and shaped them to fit the timber head and the bulkheads. I beveled the edges to fit flush against the bulkheads and timber heads. I test fit and then primed them before permanently installing them. I used brass pins with the heads cut off to pin the waterway to the bulkheads. The waterway fit nicely. Next, I test fit each of the three laser-cut planksheer pieces. A lot of filing of the bulkhead timbers and the planksheer pieces was necessary to fit them. The planksheer pieces are very delicate – I broke several of them. I managed to get them to fit relatively well. I made sure that the carronade carriage pin-holes align with the gun ports. Note: the inboard side of planksheers need to be beveled from bulkhead E forward as shown in Detail 2B-B on Sheet 2. I then glued the planksheer pieces together. A la the waterways, I prime painted the planksheers off-ship. One problem with priming the planksheers before installing them is that the primer gets in the cutouts for the bulkhead timbers, so when you proceed to install the planksheers they don’t quite fit – I had to file the cutouts to make the planksheers fit properly and in the process a couple of pieces broke off – lesson learned. The plans call for bulwarks to be painted “dull bright red.” I think this is of an oxymoron. I decided to purchase Model Expo MS4802 Bulwarks Gun Carriage Red from Model Shipways.  Moving on to the gun ports, there’s some discrepancy in the plans and Fig. 1-14 in the instruction manual relative to the framing of the gun ports. I have read in other build logs were the 1/8” strips above and below the gun port should not be installed. After studying the plans, the strip below the gun port is not necessary. Based on Detail 2A-A, there is no board on the planksheer. The Port Bulwark section view on Sheet 3 doesn’t show a board either. Figure 1-14 clearly shows a board on top of the planksheer, which is not correct. To best illustrate the discrepancy, I cut out the framing from the Profile on Sheet 2 and superimposed it on the Port Bulwark on Sheet 3 (see Photo). One can clearly see that the wood strip on the bottom of the gun port represents the thickness of the waterway and the planksheer and not a board on top of the plansheer as shown in Fig 1-14. Also, the dimension of the gun port height (+/-3’-3”) is consistent throughout the plans. Conclusion: no additional board is required on the bottom of the gun port. I made a block template the same size as the gun port opening dimensions. When placed on top of the planksheer, the top of the block is nearly even with the top of the bulkhead timber (see photo). So, in order to have an inboard and outboard stringer beneath the main rail and maintain the height of the gun port, a piece needs to be added on top of the timber heads from bow to stern including the transom. As other build logs have done, I plan to use a 3/32” square strip. But, before I do that, I’m concerned about the added height of the bow. Based on the View Along Centerline on Sheet 3, the main rail seats at about the top of the bowsprit. Adding a 3/32” piece would make the main rail correspondingly 3/32” higher than it should be according to plan. From what I have seen in other build logs, this is the case. It will also change the height of the cat heads. Before adding the 3/32" strip, I’m concerned about the added height of the bow. Based on the View Along Centerline on Sheet 3, the main rail seats at about the top of the bowsprit. Adding a 3/32” piece would make the main rail correspondingly 3/32” higher than it should be according to plan. From what I have seen in other build logs, this is the case. It will also change the height of the cat heads. So, I decided to make a copy of the carronade and use it as a template to see if it would clear the gun port opening. I glued the cut out to a piece of scrap wood and placed it on the deck. I added 1/16” piece of plank to account for the height of the deck (see photo). As one can see, the 3/32” strip is definitely needed. With that, I proceeded to add the 3/32” strip on top of the bulkhead timbers. Before adding the 3/32” strip, I made a template for bending the strips. I soaked the strips and then set them in the bending template to dry. I glued a strip of 3/32” across the stern timbers first and then glued the strips on top of the bulkhead timber heads. I made a 3/32” thick strip to match the top board at the knight heads. While waiting for the 3/32” strips to dry, I was studied the plans some more and discovered that stem needs to be tapered as shown on Sheet 2. This would have easier to do before assembling the keel and stem. Continuing with the 3/32” strips, I test fit the strip to see how it aligned with the tops of the bulkhead timbers. I had to file some of the timbers to get a uniform fit. I then glued each strip to the tops of the bulkhead timbers, one timber at a time. I aligned the strip with the inside edge of the timber, held it in-place, and added a drop of CA to secure it. With that done, I filed the inside edge of the timbers flush with the 3/32” stirp. I test fit the gun port template block to make sure that the gun port height was correct. I’m pleased with how the strips turned out. Next, it’s on the framing the gun and sweep ports. The following pictures show that the 3/32" strip has some high and low spots that were not obvious at the time I was adding the strip. I think I can make some adjustments when I add the main rail.

Moving on to the stern framing, I removed the bulkheads to make it easier to handle the keel and for fear of breaking off the timber heads. Next, I glued the laser-cut stern timbers in-place and then the horn timbers on each side of the center keel. Note: There is a slight difference in the size of the inner and outer timbers. To be sure, I placed them on the respective timbers in Detail 2F. I added filler blocks between the timbers. The deck beam was added before gluing the corner filler blocks. Note: The Deck Plan calls out a 5/32”x 3/32” deck beam. The kit does not come with this size stock nor is there any 5/32” wood strip. I used a scrap piece of 5/32” x 5/32” wood strip and cut it down to size. I also used 5/32”x 5/32” strip for the filler blocks. I held off on installing the beam until the stern timbers dried sufficiently. I added a little CA to the joints. I glued the corner fillers. Whence the glue was dried sufficiently, I finish-shaped the corner blocks. I decided to add the top stiffeners before adding quarter stanchions. I added the laser-cut center keel filler between the Horn Timbers. The fore side of the filler needs to be concave as illustrated on the Deck Plan. The quarter stanchions are laser-cut. They need to be tapered to 3/32” at the rail. The bottom of the stanchion needs to be shaped to receive the arch beam (see Detail 2D). A small piece of 3/32”x 3/32” is required between the quarter stanchion and the outer stern timber. Note: The quarter stanchions have an inner stanchion that is shown but not labelled in Detail 2D. It’s also shown on the Deck Plan. Detail 2D shows this in plan view, but it’s not labelled. I completed the plan view on my Sheet 2. I’m including it in this log for reference. I used yellow glue to attach the quarter stanchions. I added a little CA to secure them. I made the inner quarter stanchions from the same laser-cut stock as the quarter stanchions. The inner stanchions conform to the profile of the quarter stanchions. The outer stern timber on the starboard side broke off so I had to glue it. In so doing, the spacing between it and the inner stern timber is little wider. I'll have to make an adjustment in the gun port filler piece to correct this. Looking at Detail 2D, the rake on the 3/32” stiffener between bulkhead Q and the quarter stiffener doesn’t look quite right. So, I looked at some other build logs, which confirm that the rake of the stiffener is much steeper then it appears in Detail 2D. I went ahead and added the 3/32” square stiffeners. The next thing to do on the stern framing is the arch board. I presume the 5/64”x 5/32” is arched as depicted in the Stern View on Sheet 2. The notches for the arch board on the underside of the outer stern timbers are slightly lower than the inner stern timbers for this purpose. I cut out the Stern View and used it as a template to cut a scrap piece of 5/32” basswood board. I glued the arch board to the stern on edge. The ends were trimmed to finish it off. To finish up the stern framing, I added the gun port sills and filler pieces. There’s no discussion on this in the instruction manual. I used the Stern View on Sheet 2 as a guide. The plan doesn’t call out the size timber to use. I used 3/32” square wood strips. In hindsight, I should have used larger stock and filed/sanded it down to match the profile of the stern Timbers. I scaled the plan to determine the dimensions of the gun port opening (2.5’ wide x 3’ high at 3/16” scale). The filler pieces are cut on an angle. With the stern framing complete, I’ll move on to permanently setting up the bulkheads. Stay tuned.

Continuing to make progress on the ship. I thought I had the stern filler blocks at the desired shape until I looked at some other build logs where the filler blocks have a shallower profile. So, I decided to shape the filler blocks some more to make the transition of the stern planking less abrupt (Not sure if it’s that obvious in the side by side photos). I moved on to the quarter boats and the stern boat. I applied wood filler to the exterior hull surfaces to even out the undulations. I sanded the hulls and repeated the process until the hull surfaces were smooth. I test fit the keel and sanded the straight bow of each boat to mate with the keel. The keels mate well except for the bow on one of the quarter boats. A little filler will be necessary on that one. I plan to cut off the rudder as suggested in the instruction manual. I shaped (rocked) the gunwales with a sanding block. The boats are finished to the point where I can start adding frames, floorboards, moldings, etc. Going back to the center keel, I added the scrap pieces over the slots before moving on to beveling the bulkheads. These need to be shaped to accommodate the octagonal shape of the lower end of the main and fore masts. I made them from scape basswood blocks. I think they would have been difficult to install with the bulkheads in-place. I beveled the various bulkheads and, like some other build logs, I added blocks between bulkheads A&B, B&C, C&D, O&P, and P&Q to provide support for the curved planks. I used balsa wood purchased from Hobby Lobby. The wood is soft and easy to shape with a Dremel, file, and sandpaper. I Whence they’re glued in-place they can be final-shaped to follow the contour of the bulkheads. I found it easier to bevel the laser cut bulkheads with a Dremel, sanding block, and file rather with a x-acto knife. So far, so good. Before gluing the bulkheads in-place, I plan to construct the stern framing and mount the corner filler blocks. Update to follow.

Fantastic model. I can only hope mine turns out as well.

Just stopped by to review your log. I see you haven't posted for awhile. Maybe the ship is in dry dock. Anyway, hope all is well. BTW, I recently started work on the US Brig Niagara.

The stern filler blocks are a source of consternation and require a lot of thought. I didn’t find much discussion on how to fashion these, so I thought I would provide more detail and photos for future builders. If you can’t see three dimensionally it’s difficult to follow the pictorial (isometric) view in Detail 2G. I studied the details on sheet 2 and, using them as a reference, transferred the lines onto the ¾”x2”x2” blocks (see photo). This gave a two-dimensional image of the filler blocks from which to cut out. From there it’s matter of shaping the blocks to the desired profile. I cut the blocks out with a jewelers saw. The width of the block has to be trimmed 1/16” to match the plan view in Detail 2H. I roughly shaped the filler blocks with a Dremel and hand sanding before gluing them onto bulkhead Q. I made sure the tops of the blocks were aligned with the laser-cut stern timbers. At this point, the filler blocks need to be carved or sanded to match the profile of the bearding line. Caution: the sterns timbers are fragile. One of them snapped at the notch while I was positioning it into the notch in bulkhead Q. Glued it together with CA. I feel that have the stern filler blocks at the desired shape – time will tell when the time comes to plank the stern. Because the stern timbers are so fragile, I’m going to hold off on installing them until I set all of the bulkheads. But first, I decided to make the corner filler blocks from the ½”x1”x2” basswood blocks. These are tricky. I cut out the elevation view in Detail 2D and traced the profile onto the block. Next, I cut out the various angles with a saw and then used a Dremel, file, and hand sanding to the general shape shown in Detail 2G. I will add these and further shape them when I add the stern timbers. Right now, I satisfied with the basic shape.

I recently completed the US Brig Syren. In my last post of the Syren log, I indicated that my next build might be the Constitution. However, after seeing the scale of the Constitution (48") and looking ahead to the size display case that would be required to display her, I decided against it. Instead, I am now embarking on my fourth build, the US Brig Niagara. The Niagara is a little shorter (43"), so I think the display case for it would be more manageable. And, based on some logs I have reviewed, the Niagara build is very similar to the Syren in many aspects. So, here I go. I ordered the kit from Model Shipways (see photo). As is typical, I checked the parts list against the contents and found that the ships bell was not included and I was short some blocks and nails. Everything else was in order. I labeled the size of the various bundled wood strips for quick reference. The kit comes with 6 detailed plan sheets and an instruction manual which I gave a precursory review before getting started on the build. I also jotted down a few notes that I thought would be helpful from my review of a few Niagara build logs. I decided to deviate from the instructions and start with the quarter boats and stern boat. I glued the various laser-cut lifts together and secured them. While waiting for them to dry, I turned my attention to the one-piece keel. Right out of the box Murphy’s Law crept up. The center keel fell off the work bench and the bow at bulkhead A and stern at bulkhead Q broke off – clumsy me. I glued the pieces and allowed the keel to dry overnight. To mix things up, switching to the center keel, I decided to make the rabbet before attaching the keel, stem, and sternpost. I marked the bearding line on the center keel with a pencil. For the stern bearding line, I made a copy of the plan, cut it along the bearding line, placed it on the keel and traced the bearding line. For the rabbet depth, I laid a strip of 1/16” thick plank flush against the bottom of the center keel and traced a line along the keel. I flipped the keel over and repeated the process. This gave me a good line to follow when bearding the keel. I used an x-acto knife to carefully cut the rabbet. The rabbet was then evened out with a sanding block and flat file. I checked the depth of the rabbet repeatedly by placing a piece of planking against the keel stem. Next, I glued the keel and stem together and allowed it to dry overnight. Continuing, I marked the location of dowels to secure the keel and pre-drilled holes in keel and stem. Also, I pre-drilled pilot holes for the pedestal mounting screws. The pedestal location is a matter of preference, but I typically locate them 1/3 of the way from the stern and the bow stem. I applied carpenters glue to the keel and secured to the center keel with brass pins inserted into the predrilled holes and applied clamps to hold the keel in-place while drying overnight. Before adding the stern post, I deepened the rabbet. The stern post was then glued and pinned. I cleaned out the rabbet of some glue with a flat file. I’m glad that I created the rabbet before adding the keel – it was much easier. Sanded the exterior and interior of the quarter boats and the stern boat to a rough finish with sand paper and a Dremel. I will apply some wood filler to even things out. I won’t spend much more time on the interior because once all the thwarts, seats, gratings, etc. are added much of the interior will not be readily visible. Also, I'm afraid to make them too thin. There’s a lot more to be done on these. I plan to jump back in forth between the boats and the ship while glue is drying and to break the monotony. Moving on to the bulkheads. I beveled bulkhead A. I took the advice of some other build logs and assembled bulkhead A and the bow filler pieces, knightsheads, timberheads, and support pieces before permanently installing the bulkhead on center keel. The filler blocks were made from the kit suppled 3/4"x1"x1" basswood blocks - they're a little harder to shape than balsa wood. It took quite a lot of sanding and filing to get the right shape. Once that was done, I made a copy of the filler block top from plan sheet 2 and used it to mark the cut outs for the knightsheads and timberheads. The cut outs were notched with x-acto knife and evened out with a flat file. Next, I cut (from 1/8" x1/8" basswood), test fit, assembled, and glued the knightheads, timberheads, and laser cut top stiffeners. A added a little CA at the joints to further secure the pieces. I did some final filing to further shape the assembly. Next up, bulkhead Q and the stern blocks. Stay tuned.

Your ship is coming along well. I found the cannons to be monotonous as well as tedious.

Thanks everyone for the compliments on the final build. I had indicated in the last post that my next build might be the Constitution. However, after seeing the scale of the Constitution (48") and looking ahead to the size display case that would be required to display her, I've decided against it. Instead, I am now contemplating building the Niagara. The Niagara is a little shorter (43"), so I think the a display case for it would be more manageable. And, based on some logs I have reviewed, the Niagara build is very similar to the Syren in many aspects. I welcome any comments and suggestions for my next build.

Thanks for the compliment.

Just hit upon your build log while contemplating what model to build next. You're doing a fantastic job! I recently finished the Syren. I was thinking about building the Constitution next, but the the size (48") concerns me. Thinking ahead, the size display case needed to store it would be huge. The Niagara build is very similar to the Syren in many aspects. The length is 10" longer then the Syren (33") but not as long as the Constitution. I think a display case for the Niagara would be more manageable than the Constitution. With that in mind, I'm now leaning toward the Niagara for my next build. In the meantime, I'll continue to review your build log.

Thank you!

Thank you, Sir!

Thank you.

Thanks!

Thank you.

Well, 26 months later, the USS Syren is finished. I permanently rigged the braces, tacks, and sheets. The rope coils required a lot of time and, I must admit, was not an enjoyable task. Even at that, there are many belaying points that do not have a rope coil – I decided enough is enough. The final task was to add the flags – fairly straight forward. This was a challenging and, at times, frustrating build that had its share of Murphy’s Law incidents, most of which seemed to occur in the final stages. Most notably, when the fore top gallant mast pole snapped off with all its rigging attached (see photo). At that moment I was ready to give up, but I persevered. It was actually an easy fix. The tension in the rigging allowed the mast to be reset, and trusty CA glue held it in-place. The only ramification is that the top mast is angled slightly more than it should be. In the final analysis, I'm satisfied in the outcome - it honed my ship modelling skills. I’m glad that I could share the work progress with fellow builders. Your comments were complimentary and encouraging. And for that I’m gratefully thankful. I dedicate this build to my late wife Diane. I’m thinking my next build will be the USS Constitution. As always, stay tuned. In the mean time, enjoy the following photos. BTW, the display case was purchased from Abordage.

Excellent build and photography. A project well done, one that will become an heirloom.👍