Snug Harbor Johnny

Ahoy ! Its been a busy couple of weeks, and I've been slow turning the palm (not lotus) head verticals ... and pondering how to best make the upper framework. Today I got around to putting the forward canopy together - and it was a lot of trouble ... more than anticipated. The supports had to be cut in pairs to different lengths so the top would be more or less 'level' given that the forward deck is ascending with the graceful curve of the vessel. I put brass wire into the pre-drilled hole in the head of each support, then secured with 'penetrating' CA. The top piece proved to be very fragile - so when I nearly broke it completely, gel 'gap filling' CA was used to get a pretty good repair. As mentioned elsewhere, I find CA wicked to work with and can't seem to avoid getting some on my fingers. So I chew it off (the crusty CA ... not the finger itself !), spit out the bits (not recommended to eat) and touch up any rough spots with fine sandpaper. Too much of this might temporarily remove fingerprints ... something a safe cracker might want to do, but not me. Once each wire set, flush cutters left enough at the tops to engage the wooden canopy roof. Perhaps I should have left extra to help in the assembly - then made a final cut flush with the roof. The photo below shows how I set-up the verticals. The bottom of the verticals were whittled carefully so they would fit into the laser cut post holes. There is stock in the kit (very thin indeed) that one is instructed to 'round' and use for these verticals - but I wanted something a.) more substantial and b.) having the profile at the top. After many attempts because things kept falling apart and getting mixed up, I finally succeeded in getting the thing positioned to accept CA at the top joints. Then the bottoms were glued. The shot below shows the forward canopy trial positioned on the boat. I still will add some shellac finish on the canopy assembly. I realize that a miniature lathe is something a 'beginner' is unlikely to have ... but if one is going to get involved in kit building (or other types of craft work), I highly recommend one. It occurred to me after the fact that I could have a.) chosen a wire drill to match the 20 ga. wire on hand, b.) used the drill butt as an end support then c.) turned a somewhat thinner diameter to the vertical ... but not too much. One can also use toothpick stock with pointed ends to go into the laser cut holes (not unlike the original pictured earlier in this log), The profile head could be a piece of wider dowel drilled out to the diameter of the toothpick and cut off into a little ring that can be glued on to the end of the toothpick. 'Just thinking about alternate ways of doing these bits. In this hobby, one can imagine all sorts of alternative ways to go to tackle any sticking point in the assembly. The verticals are a little out of scale with-wise, but they 'read' very well at an observing distance - and I'm satisfied with this bit. With th3 Ca cured, it is very sturdy and resists finger pressure. Making the main canopy frame is going to be another challenge. A detail from the Scientific Robt. E. Lee steamboat kit instructions gives me an idea of how to proceed with the skeleton canopy top. We'll see. I do have enough verticals, but will make a few spares. Once again - there's no rush in finishing this build, since I want to 'get it right'.

'Just love your build ... and the Beagle is an historically important ship !

Ghosh, Eric ... I must first finish the Khufu barge. That ... and the Admiral has ordered solid hardwood flooring to be installed in the parlor and dining rooms! Admittedly, there was assistance unloading and transporting eighteen 70 lb. cartons of oak up into the house, but from here on mate - I'm on my own. Time to re-deck ! Johnny

Ahoy ! After following two recent builds of the Robert E. Lee Mississippi steamboat (1866 - 1876 for the first incarnation) I looked to see what options for unbuilt kits might be on Ebay. (Sometimes 'stashes' become available and perfectly good kits get put on-line - which makes a sale more likely than an ordinary yard sale ... and the price can be much lower than new stock. 'Vintage kits' can go for even less.) I couldn't resist the 'buy now' button for the 1970s version by Scientific (made a Cutty back then either by Scientific or Sterling ... can't remember - and a cousin did a good job of wrecking that model for me) for just under $60. Seriously, how much a gamble was that? The prices for the same unbuilt kit ranged in the $70 - $90 range for the most part, with the highest price being $138. So I went for the $60 kit. There were a few forum comments criticizing some aspects of this kit (when aren't there any?) and one characterized it as simplified. Well it just arrived and I decided to my own kit review before doing anything with it. The 'real' scale of this kit works out to 1:162 based on the 21" wooden hull size of the model and the 285' hull size of the original. (The Pyro/Lindbergh plastic kit hull is ALSO 21" - so components from the plastic kit can be used to ease/improve the build of the Scientific kit ... there's noting like a real wood model hull.) A misunderstanding (printer goof?) of the Scientific kit put 1/8" = 1.45' on the box. First up is the box art, which should be familiar. So here's what's in the box ... and was surprised to see how much was in there, neatly compartmentalized with a long narrow sub-box and spacer. There are two large plan sheets printed on both sides ... something not seen too much in contemporary kits. 'Sorry that the sheet order got mixed. I just LOVE those nice, big plan sheets - chock full of details. And the next picture shows an amply illustrated instruction manual ... another thing you don't see as much these days. All in English (Hey, I got tired of having to use the Google translator on my Tracphone), its hard to go wrong. Now to the right of the booklet is a piece of card stock (something that's critiqued elsewhere) for the windows and some of the trim. OK, for a builder less inclined to model all the windows, I think that this is a valid way to assemble 'out of the box' 'as supplied'. But as another suggested, just get it printed on acetate at Staples. Then small cut-outs can be made on the cabin sides, thin stock can surround the opening to frame the window (slightly covering the cut-out to create a ledge), then the acetate window can be mounted from the back side ... and you have a more detailed window. No big deal. Where another kit might have photo etch for other trim (actually, photo etch can be kinda thin and hard to work with - perhaps better suited to 20th c. kits of battleships and the like), copying that trim on regular copy paper and rubber cementing it onto brass sheet then sawing out by hand can provide an alternative to card stock ... take your pick. BTW there IS a piece of printed acetate (not shown here) included for the windows in the wheelhouse. On the left is the only piece of balsa in the kit - part for making the ends of the boiler and a piece to make a jig to help make three smoke stack spacers (one of the 'fiddly bits' to this model). The color sheet is gummed on the back for application. There area several basswood sheet with printed parts that the builder must cut out. (Another ding from someone who is too used to laser cut parts). OK, but the basswood is not too hard to cut, and a 'rough cut' with space around the printing can be made - then an X-Acto can shave up to the line ... big deal. I mean, are we in a big rush to do our builds? I note that the deck has the plank printed, so one doe NOT have to plank the decks. But then again, if one really wants to - there is nothing to stop one from planking over the deck with the printed lines as a guide. Again, its your pick. The next photo shows a whole bunch of stock in the long sub-box ... too much to try and spread out in this review - but they seem to have included lots to do a fair job on this build. One can, with a little thought, plank over some of the surfaces that are otherwise plain wood if built 'out of the box' ... and that might require a little thin veneer not included in the kit. Again, I don't think its a big deal. Note what appears to be complex gallery railing with 'gingerbread'. This is made of a flexible substrate (not sure exactly what) and painted white on one side. This will DEFINITELY save a ton of work assembling all those pickets. There is stock that gets glued on the surface to make it more 3-D. I rather like this feature of the kit. Note also the fully turned smokestacks and steam stacks. How nice is that? Now there is a basswood hull that only needs some shaping ... nothing too dramatic. A keel piece can be fitted to the bow if desired. Due to the overhang of the deck, most of the hull isn't that visible anyway. I suppose you can plank over it if desired ... another 'bust' that's a user option. I note that the display stand is out of Mahogany (with a finish applied, no less) ... now THAT is something you don't see much these days ! Not shown are 4 felt disks to go on the bottom of the mahogany base ... they seem to have thought of everything. Geeze, have I got my $60 worth so far? But wait, There's MORE ! There are many cast fittings included that see pretty good to me, and can really help because one doesn't need to model them at this scale. The parts seem pretty good as-cast, and can clean-up easily. Part of one of the bags is shown below, with the rest from that bag to follow. The tiny ladders will save a lot of trouble. Cleats, blocks, bell, whistle and weather vane ... the segments of the paddle wheels will suffice, as that's all that will be visible on the model. The next picture was made through the bag, so I wouldn't risk loosing any of the small parts contained therein. OH, and then there is a casting for the 'Grand Staircase' (instructions show how to add the side pieces for the stairs) plus three small boats. Two screws for the display stand are included. I'm no expert by any means, mates, but this kit seems to have a lot going for it ... with work-arounds for any perceived shortcomings. After all, this isn't a plastic kit - seriously, we're supposed to be modelers after all. I've mentioned elsewhere that this is also one of the projects that doesn't involve a lot of complex rigging (stropping tons of block and deadeyes, rigging halyards, lifts, braces, bunt lines, clew and sheet lines ... to name a few). So my review is a definite 'thumbs up', and the relatively modest cost of acquisition is icing on the cake ! Smooth sailing ! Johnny One Edit I forgot to make: The Scientific kit does omit a feature that educated observers will note, and that is the omission of three masts on each side with anti-hogging cable fore-and-aft - presumably due to the amount of heavy cargo often piled on the 'apron'-like deck on the front half of the vessel. 'Guess that was to simplify what is already a sophisticated build. Not to worry, these can't be too much trouble to add. 'Haven't had the opportunity to examine any of the other vintage kits of this manufacturer, and I imagine each will have its strong and weak points. Building a riverboat is like assembling a floating building - an architectural exercise. It is a different beast than 'main stream' sailing ships, and I look at the challenge of a tea clipper or a man-of-war as more of an art form - hence a difference in skill sets and level of difficulty. As an old manufacturing engineer, I'm more 'assembly oriented', and have to work on the artistic aspect versus the industrial.

Bravo! Very nice indeed. Now I saw a picture of her early in her career when she had two fire control 'towers' that were a steel 'basketweave' ... presumably so hostile shots could pass right through. 'Don't know of any models made of that version.

Your Robt. E. Lee was nicely finished ... congrats! Obviously the best visual upgrade was the HIS Models wooden decking, as plastic is notoriously difficult to paint resembling unpainted wood. Reals wood is ... real wood! Recently I chanced upon a Lindbergh version of the kit (didn't note the price) in a gift shop of a PA tourist cave (the Admiral wanted cabochons from the adjacent rock shop), and I'd later go through all the builds on the forum for all kits (using the handy shortcut list of links). Duh, it seems that here is another project that doesn't involve the sort of extensive rigging needed for 'mainstream' models in the age of sail (stropping blocks/deadeyes, shrouds with ratlines, lifts, halyards, braces, clew and sheet lines, ... ). A couple 'limited rigging models' are in my stash - Billings Roar Edge and Oseberg - and I'm 2/3rds done with Woody Joe's Khufu ship. So the Lee would also fall into the same category. (I'll take my dip into 'real' rigging eventually, perhaps with OcCre's Endurance - which has rigging of 'moderate' complexity.) While surfing Ebay, I found a 'vintage' Scientific Robt. E. Lee kit (unbuilt) for just under $60, while other listings for the same went up to $138. Lindbergh kits were about $60, but the wood deck upgrade is $70 ... so I ordered the Scientific version (photos of the box content were satisfactory) and should get it next week to add to the stash. It was quite interesting to compare and contrast all the Lee builds available on MSW. For one thing, there was some discussion as to what the 'actual' scale of the Scientific was - since the box printing states 1/8" = 1.45' . The model's full length is 24 1/2" (also on the box) ... and the original was 297' (3,564"). Divide 3,564 by 24.5 and you get 145.46. Hmmm, that rounds to 1:145 ! Perhaps a flub somewhere (or miscommunication) explains what got printed on the box. The Amati kit is about 1:150 (thus very close to the Scientific) but retails for around $400 new. Both kits have pluses and minuses, which I may go over if I do an unbuilt kit review of the vintage version. The plastic versions say either 1:163 or 1:164 (22" model). The Bluejacket version is supposed to be around 1:130, thus about a 28" length. Given the aprox. 100 yard length of the original, a 1:100 model would be about 36", but would have to be scratch built. Pick your poison , I guess. Johnny

You show initiative to do a scratch build ... perhaps with the greatest satisfaction once complete - and the greatest learning experience. Don't forget the distinctive curve of Thermopylae's 'Aberdeen' bow - and the outward angle at the stern. The Cyril Hulme model is also from scratch (with input from surviving crew members). I note on that example that anchor chains go quite far back on deck before descending below deck. The gunwales are wide enough to mount the deadeyes without protruding channels - ditto for a similar model in the Aberdeen museum.

Ahoy, mate! You'll likely find a world of info scattered throughout the form. You can use 'search words' in various ways to find likely build or discussion logs on the ship or topic desired. There are also indexes of build logs by time period/ship. Have fun! Johnny

Hi Demostenes, With some searching (and patience), a copy of Hackney's #3 (Cutty Sark) was purchased. I've noted else where that this series was done with the help and promotion of Airfix models - who made the plastic kits that are covered by the Classic Ships series. Hackney covers a standard build, optional modifications, "Harbour Rig" and full-sail rig. So there are four basic combinations ... each requiring a certain order of assembly - and some modification/rigging steps may also be omitted or further modified. To do this with the least number of pages (thus cost to publish), the book may be compared to a 'compressed file' because a complex lettering, numbering and asterisk coding scheme is used throughout. Thus the builder must first decide WHICH version of the ship/rigging is to be done, then must flip back and forth to get all the pertinent details. Actually, it is on my 'to do' list for me to go through my book slowly and ferret-out all the applicable paragraphs/steps for whatever version I end-up deciding on building, then put them all in the proper order for my configuration ... which amounts to a 'decompression' of the data. As a former manufacturing engineer (and a present Pharmacy Technician), this de-coding does not present too great a conundrum. The book's illustrations/schematics are invaluable, yet leave the reader wishing that there had been more of them for greater clarity. I found that the Cutty model in question is only 1:150 scale (an kit was ordered from Korea 'just to see'), and very difficult to incorporate the extensive detail laid out in the text of the book. Yet for a 1:96 model of either Cutty Sark or Thermopylae, the modifications/details may be reasonably accomplished. Hackney's book may also assume some prior knowledge or exposure to Nautical terms - hence there are several other books noted elsewhere on this forum that are helpful in this regard. Keep your lantern lit ... Johnny

What scale did you choose? Keeping to a scale determines the sizes for deadeyes, blocks, belaying pins, rope, etc. At 1:96, the 9 1/2" shroud deadeyes (ok, I'll use 10" or 250mm and 1:100 to make the math easier) would be represented by 2.5mm - with the backstay deadeyes at 2mm (even smaller aloft). These are devilish to work with, so no wonder many choose to go at least a little 'out of scale' for manageability. HisModels supplies 3.5mm in the 1:96 Cutty accessory set, which would translate to about 14" in real life! Of course the (aprox) 1:72 scale kits (they vary slightly) make for a 4' (overall) model (versus 3' at 1:96), but the 3.5mm deadeyes would be very close to scale. A compromise scale would be 1:84, and one can get away with the 3.5mm shroud deadeyes (just over 11" in real life) ... 'close enough'. Let's see, the backstay deadeyes would be 3mm, with 2.5mm for the next higher section of masting - and perhaps a few at 2mm highest up. That made me consider getting an Artisan Latina (AL) Cutty kit in 1:84, then 'bust' it to become the Thermopylae. All the hardware and materials would make that much easier than a straight 'scratch build'. Of course, one must pay for the kit. There are a few builds of that kit in the forum, and the critiques include too few bulkheads for single planking. OK, making more bulkheads - or even pairs of half-bulkheads - wouldn't be too hard if one goes by the available lines. More bulkheads = easier single planking (perhaps with wood filler blocks near the bow and stern). The deck planking is done 'on the flat' before installing bulwarks (not a bad way to go - and OcCre has models using this approach). Deck planking can be done on the plywood under-deck entirely off the model (as with the Endurance) so that deck eyes and some other stuff can be secured right through the deck to prevent later pull-out during rigging. Still there are challenges, and I can experiment with the OcCre Endurance (presently in my stash) - my next build after completing the Khufu barge.

BTW, on page 8 of the Cutty Sark by Bruma log, there are three posts showing a method I used to represent a clipper sail furled, with 'dog ears' (some call the mouse ears) hanging. The proof of concept used paper (versus fine cloth or silk span) folded as crewmen would haul up sections over the yard (after the bottom corners were raised by the clew lines) as they stood on the foot ropes and leaned over they'd to grab each section. A narrow rectangle was used, with a trapezoidal portion cut out of the bottom center so it would not 'bunch up' too much on the yard. Split topsails or topgallants were comparatively narrow rectangles anyway, but even a main sail compresses enough in real-life to look like almost nothing is on top of the yard - thus a narrow rectangle so folded can still look OK furled on the main yard.

Kevin, Rob is right-on with innovative ways of doing (or not doing) things. From pictures of actual clippers (then and now), furled sails don't look like there's much there, so very little material is needed to represent them. Laid on top of the yards, (as Rob has done) the bunched fabric completely covers the jackstays ... so you don't need to do them at all in that case. Gammoning rope keeps the furled sail on top of the yard, where any rain will just roll off. Rob shows bunt blocks, but a furled sail could just as easily cover them as well as the jack stays, so only the bunt lines will come out from under the furled sails and go the the blocks at the mast to be routed down through the appropriate fairleads. Another thing you could get away with not doing (via furled sails) is to 'forget' about luff lines ... they won't be missed. As a ship so portrayed would be dockside, the yards can be tilted to one side - meaning that the model can have a narrower display case ... that can fit on a narrower shelf. The book 'Cutty Sark' in the Classic ships series (Their History and How to Model Them 1974) ... out of print but they can be had now and them as used books (author Noel C. L. Hackney) deals with an Airfix 1:150 scale plastic model. Although an extreme challenge at that small scale, most of the modifications (additional eyes, etc.) apply to the 1:96 Revell kits ... although to take advantage of some of them, they must be attended to while building the hull. YET, the rigging diagrams and supplemental sketches (wish there were more) provide a 'blueprint' of how to proceed with rigging. I note elsewhere that this book resembles a 'compressed' file, as one has to flip back and forth to make any sense of the contents. The author tries to cover simplified v/s detailed hull assembly with either 'standing rigging' (he calls harbor rig) OR fitted with complete sails. Before proceeding with a future build of the Thermie (to be rigged the same as the Cutty), I plan on ferreting out the relevant information and re-arrange it in the order of assembly for a clipper in port with the sails furled due to an anticipated short stay.

Penguins DO fly ... underwater !

Ahoy, Brian ! Back in the day, I designed tooling and modifications to industrial pipe bending machines - so I've some mechanical engineering experience. The twin rudders (and their tillers) would logically move in tandem, and the best way to assure that would be to have a bar connecting them. The ends of such a bar would have either a yoke on the ends or would be slotted to fit the flat metal end of the tillers. A thru pin would complete the assembly (with a cotter pin, ring or nut to retain the pin), and steering force would be evenly transmitted between the tillers while maintaining the pre-determined distance between them (assuring identical rudder angles). That's the way I'd have designed it, and said bar would likely have been bent or otherwise deformed in the intervening century or so. Obviously, beyond the tillers a flexible means of control was required, and wire rope seems the most appropriate to have been used (easier on the pulleys in the drawing - a reason that wire rope was used when elevators and cable cars were invented). End yokes to the central bar would extend slightly beyond the tiller to allow for a second thru pin. The ends of the wire rope would be formed into 'eyes' (several ways to do that) to engage the thru pin. You can model wire rope with dead-black miniature rope.

Ahoy, Simon ! Many libraries are 'de-accessioning' book in droves. I bought a copy of 'Cutty Sark' in the Classic Ships - Their History and how to Model The series by Noel C. L. Hackney (1974 printer Patrick Stephens ... in association with Airfix Products Ltd. - aha, they made the plastic models at the time). Kept 'thin' to hold down printing costs, its kind of like a 'compressed' file ... just bursting with information, but organized with a logic depending open how one wants to build and rig the model ... so I have to constantly go back and forth to cross-reference whatever detail I'm is trying to clarify. It also needs more diagrams, although the drawings included do help. The model in question is listed as 1:130 in the book and may not be produced anymore ... but somewhat small (at least for my fingers and eyes) to do the kind of detailed rigging set forth in the book. YET, for a larger scale (say, 1:96) it is quite doable, so I plan to 'uncompress' the file somewhat to get a 'road map' useful for the Thermopylae as well as the Cutty. Opening the cover reveals a side-view related to the text, and a Library stamp for the Jervis Public Library Assn., Rome N.Y. ... so at first I feared that it might have to be returned to the library. But in the back is the 'pocket' where the book card used to be, an accession date of Sept. 23, 1976 (acquisition cost of $5.95 ... I paid much more) and a record that the book was lent only once with a due date of June 1, 1988 ! There was a library stamp that the book was "Discarded from Jervis Public Library Rome, N. Y." ... most likely in a mass book sale. It a good thing the book was officially released from the library, because there is a fine of 5 cents per day charged for each day the book is kept beyond the due date stamped above. Some day long hence, when most of the libraries are gone and the 'cloud' goes away due to some war or catastrophe, will we enter another "dark age" ?

There is an awesome model of Thermopylae built by Cyril Hume with several photos accessible on line.

You've picked an excellent ship to study, mate. It's a future project for me, but not for some time - ergo I'll watch with interest whatever you may post on the Thermie. So many have done the Cutty Sark (quite understandable since she still exists), but there are just a few builds on the forum of Thermopylae ... all of them worth a look at. Both clippers had the same hull length (about 212' 'between perpendiculars'), but Thermopylae had the graceful 'Aberdeen bow' (versus the sharp angle of the Cutty) and the stern profile had an outward angle (CS looked closer to vertical above the rub strake). 1:124 is a tougher scale (see the log by Popeye the Sailor of the Sergal kit of the Thermie - and the old Scientific kits were around the same scale), and its harder to keep many details 'in scale'. Hull size is around 21" at 1:125. The 1:96 plastic Revell kit (adapted from their CS) goes only so far, and I'm uncertain whether its worth trying to correct the deficiencies (there is an unbuilt kit on my shelf). Yet some of the components (like the pulleys, pump and winch) might come in useful on a wood build at that scale. See the build of the Glory of the Seas in 1:96 by Rob Wiederrich, who uses pulleys from Revell kits of the same scale. The extreme composite clippers had internally stropped pulleys, so using the ordinary sort of wood pulleys would have them externally stropped with rope, whereas the Revell pulleys are good as-is (internally stropped with an iron ring represented on the end). Hull size is about 26 1/2" at 1:96 EDIT: The mfgr. used 212' as if it were 'on deck' to arrive at this scale. Since the registered length was between perpendiculars (cutwater at waterline to center line of rudder post), the hull scale is actually 1:100. Yet even those might be a wee bit 'out of scale', so would be great at around 1:72 or so. A CS or Thermie hull in the larger scale would be around 36" (not including bowsprit) ... 1:84 would have about a 32" hull. So it's hard to make a choice sometimes. Once can get a wood kit of CS in the larger scale, and the conversion to Thermopylae would be easier to accomplish. Many items (pump, winch, etc.) would come in the kit instead of having to scratch build. The best of luck at whatever you choose to do !

'Just had to think about the problem some before a likely solution came to mind. The battens glued to the outside of the cabin walls (stained darker) are a source of interference near the ends. So why not sand them down where needed? They are of 1mm x 2mm cedar stock, so the thickness can be reduced by half, and they can be re-colored. I used my sandpaper covered hacksaw blade as a handy tool. 'Still needed some more relief, so I filed round grooves where the vertical canopy supports will go. The cabin was a little wobbly on the deck, so sandpaper was put on the deck, and the cabin was rubbed against to hit any 'high points' ... the result was a much better fit. The notches at the bottoms of the stern facade were filled to adjust the exact location of the cabin a little. Then I set the works on the model stand and found that the end verticals will nest between the cabin wall and deck rail just fine. So far, so good. Now I have to make another 40 verticals (plus some for the little pavilion that will go farther forward on deck), then make an altered plan view of the canopy frame - which will only go a little further beyond the cabin roof as seen on the original - and build the frame. Then the verticals can be pinned and trimmed to length.

I'd like to keep the end hole in the supports small, and trying a center support wouldn't stop the length from springing. The best results (not clear in the picture) is to turn the wood close to the chuck (no more than 1/2" at a time) before advancing to do a little more. There is still post-processing ... these supports are also a little out of scale. Now the problem: The original ship does have wood at the ends that 'notches' to the side deck rails ... which fixes the position of the cabin nicely. But note that the walls of the cabin have room for the vertical canopy supports to fit between the wall and the side rail - even at the ends. Towards the middle where the rails bow out, there is more room - and the verticals tilt out some, so that the bases are against the inside of the rail (and cannot slip out). Another picture from a lower angle showing the cant of the verticals in the middle section of cabin. Now look at what I have on the model at present. Verticals can just fit between the cabin wall and the side rail ONLY in the middle section - and then they must be straight up (not canted, like on the original). They are still longer than needed, and will only be trimmed when trial fitted ... but they cannot fit into the gap fore or aft of the two shown. The end facades are OK with the notch, but the walls should be about 1/16" more away from the side rails. This is a subtle effect that would have required much forethought ... perhaps taping the cabin together with blue tape for a trial fit (as well as deciding on the method to make the canopy frame verticals) and finding this out. Even so, the end substrates were already glued to the end facade wood. The underlying end pieces would have had to be trimmed back in width on each side when originally built (and also the top piece, carefully keeping the contour of the tabs) - so this fit problem was likely unforeseeable. Someone doing this kit who sees this build can likely take the steps to correct the oversight in the kit design ... the door(s) on both ends also shift slightly - making the cabin build a touchy thing. Internal blocking in the corners would also aid assembly. I moved the cabin a little to the side to simulate where the cabin walls should be. Not straight, but you likely get the idea. But now I can't go back on what I've done, and must look at the alternatives. #1 will be to place the bottoms of the verticals on top of the side rails ... and this is implied on the drawing, as the overhang of the many sideways canopy stringers go out as far (seen from above, aka 'top view') as the side rails. #2 might be to place them on the outside of the side rails - and a thin rope would have to be go from the existing holes in the rail to pass over the verticals to 'retain' them ... still they seem precarious sitting on narrow deck beams. #3 would be to shave the bases of the verticals enough to 'force' them into the gap near the cabin ends (where there is almost no gap). Perhaps some discreet whittling of the cross bracing wood at the base of the cabin wall where each vertical has to go might be done. The modification would not be obvious with so much going on elsewhere on the model - especially once the canopy, oars and figures are added. BTW, the rail 'tie downs' done with flax thread are decidedly inferior to the tie downs on the other side done with miniature rope I made on the Rope Rocket. As I said, this build offers a learning experience. My inclination is to go with option #3 as best as I can manage, as that will appear closest to the original.

'Looks like after the blocks and tackle are used to run out the gun, they are not made fast - and the line is left loose on either side. When fired, the recoil is slowed (energy absorbed) by the loose line racing through those pulleys as the distance between them (under strain) increases ... sort-of like "brakes". Then the remaining force is checked when the thick line goes taut. This constitutes a recoil 'system'.

Old Johnny's been doing too many things lately, but thinking about what is described as 'palm' capitols on the canopy supports (somewhat like the capitols of pillars in the hypostyle hall at Thebes) I've decided that 'rounding' the 1.5mm x 1.5mm stock provided inboxed the kit (while adequate) may not be the best way to go. The cedar stock is so thin that its quite quite bendable ... a little too much perhaps. Rounding all that can be tedious, with the risk of too much removal and too much irregularity. But then, many aspects of this hobby can appear 'tedious' to the casual observer. So a universal three-jaw chuck was put on my Unimat to try and turn the supports from 1/8 hardwood dowel (found in an old-style hobby shop). Other vendors like Hobby Lobby may have it with other wood stocks. The long dowel goes right through the headstock like it does on a full-sized lathe, and the concentricity of the Unimat chuck seem right-on. With the dowel advanced only a little, the tailstock with a pin-chuck head (meant for drilling) and a #60 drill was used to put a hole in the end of the dowel about 3/16" deep. The tiny drill was a little wobbly, but the hole ended up close enough to center for my purposes - to accept the pointed end of a brass escutcheon pin without splitting the dowel. Then the dowel was advanced some to turn the 1.5mm shaft (target somewhere between .060 and .070) partially, since the end is not supported and there would be too much deflection if it was worked too far from the chuck. Sequential advancement of the stock permitted turning more until an oversized length was achieved (to be trimmed during trial fitting as needed). OK, I realize that this piece of equipment will not be in the toolbox of a beginner ... perhaps an electric drill mounted on a horizontal drill stand (purchased or home-made) might spin a piece of stock to be sanded at a moderately slow speed with a folded piece of sandpaper? Alternative 2 might be to use 1/16" diameter toothpicks or match sticks as the verticals, then drill-out 1/8 inch dowel to cut-off short pieces to glue onto one end. One may need to be creative - or just round the 1/5mm square stock from the kit. I had to use a small file to form the capitol on the end - so I'm thinking about making a form tool to do that on the lathe. Below is a view of the end-hole drilled in step 1. So now I've done 4 of the anticipated 48 needed, and at over 10 - 12 minutes a piece I may take between 8 and 10 hours (altogether) to do the lot. They are still a little rough, and I may fuss with them some more. Today some 1:72 Egyptian military figures arrived (bought on Ebay) and enough of them can be modified to put on the barge. There is one Pharaoh, a couple of attendants and one drummer - plus various men at arms that I want to modify into standing oarsmen. 'Guess careful heating and some re-modeling with a heated dental tool can do the job. They'll all be painted. This model is somewhat off the 'mainstream' on the Forum, so why not add some figures? I did see a source for seated Egyptian oarsmen, plus an overseer and standing steersman made in several scales via a resin solidification process done in an Eastern European country ... but without paying $$, the production-to-order would be 2-3 weeks plus slow shipping. My payment information would also have to go to the manufacturer. Buying through a trusted third party like Ebay, Amazon or ETSY is safe, as it can be done by credit card as a 'guest', and the seller never sees personal information (other than the name and address to ship to). I'm reluctant to do business otherwise.

'Just got the idea to look for some 1:72 ancient Egyptian figures to put on deck. Given the popularity of several scales of historical figures used in gaming and dioramas, I might be able to scare some up. That will affect how I decide to configure the oars. Maybe they have a Pharo (Kufu may have used this yacht while still alive), or perhaps an 'inner coffin' brought on board post mortem. The immense sarcophagus was already in place inside the pyramid - with the King's chamber built around it.

The cabin doors needed top and bottom battens, so they were glued in place. It seemed best to install the open door IN the cabin first while there is access from the bottom ... and scrap material was glued behind the doorframe sides where a door will hang, so there is something to glue the door to besides the frame. Again, nothing in the instructions about this, but it seems a useful thing to do. The picture below shows the clamped pieces. After curing, the wood behind each doorframe was trimmed and the door test fitted to judge the angle. The doors were glued and appear in the picture below. I slopped a little color inside where it might be possible to see from the outside once installed. The cabin was given a light coat of shellac and placed (without gluing for now) to the deck to see how it will look. I'll tape the two plan sheets together to make one large sheet, so I can frame the canopy right on the plan ... not unlike building a model plane many, many years ago (won't say how many). This build has gone reasonably smoothly - with just a couple of digressions/modifications. Each step has me thinking on how to proceed, so I generally ponder it while doing something else. That's why its helpful to have more than one 'pot on the fire'.

'Found that the cabin pieces were definitely tricky to hold together. First, there were many trial fits - each time I had to see what needed sanding or tab trimming so that things would fit properly (squarely). Then it was still a bit 'rickety', so I glued some stabilizing battens along the top of the side pieces. These had to be positioned 'just so', and I used wood glue. I couldn't figure how to clamp everything ... or even if I should attempt a single 'mass glue-up'. Well, the decision was to hold it all together with one hand, then make sure one corner was fitted just right - then use CA to 'tack weld' that bit. The 'thin' CA tends to 'wick' its way quite a bit, so I had to hold the workpiece so that a near lever applicator tip could release the smallest amount. This stuff can be 'wicked', and wants to stick to fingers like crazy. I kept an open tin of acetone handy to get off any as quickly as possible. The stuff gives off some sort of gas while curing (within 10 seconds), so I'd blow that away. Yet the process is exothermic, and I could feel the heat of the joining. So then I'd go on to another point, etc. etc. 'tack welding' as I went - then finishing the in between joins with CA. The result was OK, and the small notches at the base of the end pieces (both sides of each piece) 'fit in' to the deck side rails within a narrow range - exact location to fix will be determined by (duh) consulting the drawing. 'Doesn't look too bad at this stage. I'll figure how I want to mount the doors and apply the top coat of shellac. I'm thinking that I'd like the canopy framework to be pinned together (might be better than gluing). A method of making better 'lotus' style canopy supports is still being debated. BTW, I found that the side rails (as laser cut) have (just astern) one of the rails slightly longer than the other. This makes one of the steering oar mounts a little crooked ... 'don't know right now if I want to bother 'fixing' this - and tilted the rearmost one to match. But it is something to check for anyone else doing this build. A previous builder noted this kit is 'easy, but not too easy' .. I'll second that opinion - as there is some good exposure with wood bending, gluing, etc. - and I needed some skill building in this area. Luckily this project doesn't have a lot of rigging to do. 'Thought I was an 'old salt' before starting ... but it seems that I'm not as salty as I imagined. Hmmm, though the Admiral thinks at times I'm a 'salty dog'. Rruuh - rhrooh.

Gosh that rudder looks swell ... I'll have to try an emulate on another project of mine, where I've been 'stuck' for awhile.