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Thanks for all the kind words! Ian, I've just taken a look on the bricklaying of the kingfisher. It's just AWESOME. really making reconsidering on making it.. haha Anyway, I'm just back from Chinese New Year mood and currently tidying up my photos and progress.. will update here real soon

Nice update, Mike. really like the way you finish the coil. Thanks for sharing it Anyway, plan changes.. always. I also thought I can finish the all the deck fittings before Chinese New Year when I first started at the end of September.. it's now after CNY, but I haven't complete the stern gallery LOL It's good to hear that you're not rushing on this, and enjoy every progress. Cheers!

Hey Ian, Really nice update, and I just love the quarter deck rail that you just made. Another good reference for me! The waist area is now becoming more like a real ship design!

Hi Sam, I think there are some strips in correct thickness, but I need wider ones for other purposes. One of them is the belfry like how B.E. did.. I even planned to use it to make the stove, by making the basic shape out of wood first and then only wrap up using the sheet.. lol I tried, and gave up will just apply on the belfry i think

Nice start, mate hope to see more from you soon

Hey Mike, Million thanks on your sharing that really helps me a lot! I'll go with the 17mm coat of arm then the size looks perfect. I was planning to buy the crown too, but worried on the detail.. now you helped me solve my doubt. I'll place a new order at probably by tonight! Thanks again!

Cap Square Making Finally, I got sometime on my update after such a long while. This is done like 2 weeks ago, and now I'm slowly putting up my works here... I started working on it once my copper sheet arrived, and also made a jig to help on. Here's it is.. a short one tho I cut a 2mm strip from it. And with the aid of my jig to create the curve on it. To save time, I made them only for those exposing on the deck. Total of 20 guns, so 40 cap square. I also added nail detail to it, and continued to blacken. Thanks for viewing!

brilliant work on the nail details, Michael

Mike, Thanks for the info. I think I'll go for the Amati's thread then Regarding the windows, I'd vote for the rectangular ones too.. you can save a lot of times on the carving instead of the arc frames and the harder part is that the angle of the windows are different with position, which you might need few jigs to help on Nick, Thanks for your kind words!

Hey Mike, Sorry, I was so busy these few days and I only read your reply now. There's something wrong in my order placed. and there was no receipt sent to my mail... I realized it right after I paid the money and hope nothing goes wrong... but it does... I still remember that I ordered some wood strips, a wood board, few brass decoration and the coat of arms.. well, the wood strips and decoration arrived correctly, but when I opened up the other packages they were something else! They arrived just yesterday... I think CMB mistaken my coat of arms and wood board as Amati Planet Work Bench http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/amati_7396.html and a holding attachment. Anyway, it looks useful to me for my build and the price is around the same too (£18 in total), so I did not complain this to CMB. Well, the bad thing is... I'll have to on hold my stern gallery again. Anyway, now I've a good excuse to place another order too Will certainly order coat of arm again, and more wood strip, and.. oh ya some black threads too if possible. They should fit better to my colour scheme compared to the kit ones. Can I know which brand did you choose? My progress has been slow recently, and I don't think will be regular also till next month because Chinese New Year is around the corner.. and I've my future career plan to work on (really hate my current job ). From your sharing, I think Corel is right in the deck height. just that the windows are too tall for it. For my case, I think I'm now too late to alter it. Currently, I've only 10mm height of bulwark along the deck. So, opening the gun port is inevitable now. I'm still thinking to follow the Unicorn plan that you shared last time, which the gun port opening is wider towards the bow. Can be done by just adding one tapered strip. Anyway, cutting the brass port sounds a bit tough, I might use wood instead.. by drilling hole on a dowel? Hope it works

very nice work, Mike And thanks for the complete tutorial

I've just came back from Thailand and only able to read all your comments now ^^ Internet connection there was bad, and I didn't even login my fb page for 3 days!! lol Thanks all for the kind words! They really encourage me Ian, I must say you're like an encyclopedia for me, very resourceful Thanks for the link on Dan's step down and the notice the extension of my quarter deck, I'll certainly make my ladder pointing inward direction. Anyway, trimming the quarter deck will easily affect my main mast area, I can't think of any good way now on the modification (after 7 hours of sea and land travelling ). Hope I can have a clear mind on this this weekend. Cheers!

Some quick updates of recent works before Christmas. Rudder & Deck Modification Rudder I've done the rudder together with its hinges over the weekends, and also the painting. The rudder was done by using three 5mm x 5mm walnut strips, and tapper the last one to get into shape. Then, I continued to the hinges. Due to my silly mistake on the hull planking, I had to widen the hinges so that they can fit to the hull. Pictures below show the thicker hull compared to the rudder, not so noticeable from both sides; but from behind, it's really obvious. Here you can see the mistake of the planking... the sunken keel Deck Modification For the deck, I've decided to remove the gangways at the waist area. I also had some times to put some planking on, and cut the skylight portion off. Anyway, I've a little bit concern on the ladder position of the quarter deck.. My current plan is to locate the ladders facing towards bow direction and end between 2 guns, but I can't find any ship has similar design. Or should I make a jog plank like the HMS Pegasus (or Ian's modification)?? Hope anyone can help As previously mentioned, the bow of ship as shown on the box is different from the instruction. There are two gun port lids instead of just the ladder. I'm following the box's version and this is how she looks like now This should be the last update of this year and since I'm going off for a short vacation in Thailand again tomorrow (actually in few more hours ).. so, wish you all have a Merry Christmas in advance!!

looking forward your photo updates, Mike Modifying a kit is always fun! and most importantly a chance to learn more skills I'm going off again to a small island (Koh Lipe) in Thailand this Christmas. So, Merry Christmas and Happy Winter Solstice in advance!

superb job on the bowsprit!!

Sorry to hear about the accident... And glad to see you get back on the fixing By your skill, I believe no one could tell that she once fell after your fixing cheers

excellent works on the standing rigging

well done on EVERYTHING!! brilliant works

Thanks all for the kind words, that really encourage me Peter, Thanks for the tips. Anyway, I missed out one point on my other modification.. I'm planning to remove the gangway, and made it like the Pandora's main deck which fully exposed. The rigging should be fine, my main concern currently is the tiny little rigging blocks. Buying sounds bit over budget for me; while making them sounds too challenging Ian, Yea, thanks for link I clicked it, and watched his build log at least 20 pages more (like what I did when I first saw his post ).. just awesome I've also just noticed that the tackles are actually double sheaves!! OMG now I really wonder I can make it lol

Thanks Greg for the fast reply. Yea, Corel instruction mentions that modelers MAY add the tackles IF they want to.. I think adding the tackles is inevitable if I want my ship to be accurate.. I have 20 guns visible from outboard, each carriage need 4 blocks.. that makes 80. I'll try making my own using extra wood strips b4 I purchase from any manufacturers.

well done on the carriages and blackening! fantastic work

Putting All Together To put the axles on easier, I've made myself another jig. The two slots will help the axles staying in position. Then, I applied glue on the carriage, pushed it to the axles and let dry. And then glued the trucks and barrels on. Now, the major parts of cannons are basically done. I will add cap square to them when my copper sheet arrives, or perhaps some nails detail to them. For the cannon rigging, Corel provides 3mm wooden blocks which are way oversize. Both blocks will be touching each other if they are made to tackle. Way Oversize Blocks Now I'm stuck here on the rigging. I searched through the web and found that the Amati Xebec cannon rigging perhaps an example to follow with, which just securing the guns without any blocks, but not sure whether it is accurate? Hope anyone can help here. Thanks in advance

More updates.. *I actually done these updates a week ago, only update them here when a section is completed. That's why I have a bunch of updates coming in lately Carriage Colouring I am lucky to have a balsa board which is thick enough to hold the carriages, and it really eased my painting work. A beautiful door frame? Bottom and sides of the carriages after painting. For the inner part, I painted them one by one. Here you can see the fake bed that I previously added. To colour the trucks, I used this method (I can sure this is a strange one ). I put as many trucks as possible into the 'pool' to make sure they are full and don't easily move, so that when I brush them they can stay in position. The result is quite satisfying for me. Anyway, here's a problem that I didn't foresee. Since I didn't add a 'base' beneath it, I will need to turn them around almost one by one! If a base is added, I can just cover them with another piece of board, flip them over and start colouring the other side. For the parameter painting, I used a brass wire to help on. Now the eyebolts are good to put on. And of course, I added only on those which will be visible outboard. Cheers

Thanks Ian, It took me sometimes and trashed 1 jig to come up with this idea.. worth it tho

Metal Fittings on Carriage Preparing Corel provides some brass fittings and most of them need to be blacken. So, I started this part by cutting the brass rod as axles, and blacken all the brass fittings together. Using the depth ruler, I marked the length of axles on the brass rod, and cut them by using my power tool. Since my vise can't grab the brass rods real tight, so I used this method. Still slide a little bit, but didn't affect much. The result... Total of 32 cannons, so.. 64 axles for the carriages. Almost all brass fittings are in, besides the pump and bell. Yea.. Corel provides ready-made pump in brass. I added a coiled brass wire in because the eyebolts provided by the kit seems oversize for me. I'll need to remake some eyebolts. For the cannons, they are in brown brass. I thought they can be still blacken, but they didn't work out. After some minutes... While waiting the blackening process, I continued on drilling holes for eyebolts. Here's the jig that I made to get equal position of the eye bolts. It took me almost whole night on this including adding the beds to the carriages (which I missed to take photos on the process). The metals are left overnight in the solution , and the result looks satisfying. I continued on the eyebolts making. To make them, I've made another jig. Just a hole beside a pin, pictures below show how I did them. Plug the wire in the hole. Coil it to the pin. Cut at the end of the coil. And then flatten it back. The comparison. Thanks for viewing