BANYAN

Thanks for the comments and encouragement everyone, much appreciated. cheers Pat

Hi again all, well progress has been slow since getting back to the workbench. The problem with builds such as this, where there is little information available (such as the Masting and Rigging of HMCSS Victoria) is that often you find better, or more relevant information after doing a part. In this case I have to revisit the masts, so back to confirming the new information and remaking the lower masts. I have also decided to remake, or I should say 'make' the boat davits out of brass. The ones I planned on using are made of some form of 'white metal' and as soon as I try to add the ball head and eyes for the chain guys and braces, they fall apart/melt. I am attaching some photos of a 'trial' set of the after (transom) davits to see what is achievable. One thing I have learned is that the cleats would have been abaft the davit legs, not to their side. The plan is to use beads for the ball head, then drill a vertical hole through for the swivelling eyebolt. A small brass plate is them soldered behind that with a hole either side for the chains to attach to. The second photo shows the old set. Since the last post, I have added the gun tackles, which are 'cheesed down' beside the gun carriage, in similar fashion to the photo of the actual item shown in a photo taken back in 1865. Yes, one gun tackle still to put in place, and I have yet to fix the ready-use shot in one of the shot garlands, as it does not fit properly. cheers Pat

Looks great, those paddle boxes really set her off. Be careful when making statements like that mate, they usually come back to bite; you never know what those pesky penguins are planning. cheers Pat

Great to see you back Dave, and that you appear to have 'defeated' that trigger finger issue. That planking is looking great. cheers Pat

Great update Eberhard, they fit nicely. That will have been a very interesting exercise sorting through that armaments documentation, hopefully a fruitful exercise for you? cheers Pat p.s. I still get tool envy looking at those great little power tools you have built and/or refurbished .

That hull looks great Glen. cheers Pat

PS - despite the error message, the link appears to work Pat

Hi Richard, not sure if you have seen this? May be of interest, but no additional info for your build I think. cheers Pat

It doesn't matter how slowly it progresses John, it is always a please to see the updates. cheers Pat

Nice job on Billy Keith, as others have said you pretty well nailed it for scale and look. Looking forward to the final little details which will really set off this miniature 'beauty'. cheers Pat

I keep missing the starts of your wonderful builds Glen, may need to borrow one your long horns to provide a 'not so gentle' nudge (assuming they are in tune with your build cadence Looking forward to see how you get around that long neck issue; looks like a challenging build for you. cheers Pat

Thanks for the pointer, very useful. cheers Pat

Very nicely done indeed Richard, that is a very true miniature copy of the the original. cheers Pat

What a wonderful little build Keith. My hat's doffed in respect. cheers Pat

Keith, I know you receive a lot of plaudits and you have earned every one of them. However, I must add to them. Some of those shots, especially showing the door and side panelling, bed etc, are so life like, if you posted them in a magazine without explanation, I believe most people would think them the real deal. Exceptional quality and building. As Druxey says, perhaps you are having too much fun with this (even if 5 deg.)? cheers Pat

Looks great Eberhard, I like the methodological approach you are taking with this little gem. Glad to hear you had a great Christmas and wishing you only the best in health and prosperity for 2026. cheers Pat

Great to hear from you Michael, and many thanks for your kind thoughts. Like you, I am returning to a long suffering project which I hope to (re)start in earnest tomorrow with a good dust and clean up. We had our coldest Christmas in 20 odd years yesterday at 15degC so looking forward to some warmth soon Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and my best wishes for a great 2026. Looking forward to some updates on that beautiful model of yours. BTW, those third hands you produced are one of the most used in my workshop; still much appreciated. cheers Pat

Merry Christmas to you also Bob, I hope it is a safe and joyous day. cheers Pat

Merry Christmas Keith, I hope Santa's helpers surprise you with some modelling goodies cheers Pat

A unique model of a quirky PS Keith, looks great! Considering the limited source/reference material you had this has really turned out well. Merry Christmas mate. cheers Pat

Glad you did Steven, quite an amount of small incidental and/or supplemental detail about the vessel is dispersed throughout the state, records offices and personal collections. IK am sure I have missed, or I am not aware of many others, so I very much appreciate pointers such as yours. Have a safe and happy Christmas and the best of modelling wishes for 2026. cheers Pat

Thanks Eberhard, best wishes for the season to you and your family also. cheers Pat

Hey congratulations on your 50th Keith and Ann, that is truly a wonderful milestone to achieve. cheers Pat

Excellent workmanship (as is usual) Keith, that panelling looks great. You don't want to pop on over this side of the equator and do some 'life size panels' do you cheers Pat

Wow, nice catch. cheers Pat