Gregory

Something else about those cast transoms..

They are often a lot thicker than they need to be.  You may be able to sand them down from the back and make them easier to bend..

You might find the high resolution plans of Cormorant at Wikimedia commons helpful..  There are several different sheets..  You can click through them at the link provided.

All Rattlesnake kits are based on these plans.

The plans do not show any quarter badges, but they make a nice extra touch..

The carving detail and figurehead are very interesting..

I've seen some pretty decent mahogany veneer..  Not cheap but not crazy either..

I like veneer for 2nd planking on double planked kits..   You can do some spilling and really fine tune your plank widths..

At Rockler for instance..

I think you should go with what works and looks good to you.

Is there some room to add a cleat to the bulwark?

I respect your decision to paint, but that wood looks fantastic..

1 hour ago, allanyed said:

Many modern models of British ships for example show a single and double block when this was not the case for guns lighter than 32 pounders.  

This is good to know...

Look through this anchor rigging on GBarlow's Cheerful..

 I don't think you can go wrong by using this information. ( follow the arrow at the top right of the post quote.. )

Mark,

' Martindale ' would not search at either of those sites..

If Googling doesn't turn up a retailer, I would be surprised if anyone here knows of a source..

For years, the go-to blades  here were Thurston, then when they went out of business, Malco  is the preferred source.

Why the Martindale blades?

14 hours ago, Boatsinc2000 said:

Sorry if my comment came across poorly.   

Really it didn't..  I sensed the spirit of your comment..   

Actually, I do hate the idea that I missed out on some essentially free stuff, that is hard to get today at any price..

  It's like the thought of  all the comic books and baseball/football cards I had as a kid in the 50's...

https://martindaleco.com/store/product-category/circular-saws-cutting-tools/solid-carbide/

28 minutes ago, Mark P said:

although when fired in action the gun's recoil acted as the inhaul force

I seem to remember a long discussion where there was speculation that the recoil forces would not contribute that much to gun movement.

But I might be remembering incorrectly.  I'll have to see if I can find the topic..

1 hour ago, Mark P said:

My theory, for what it is worth, is that the train tackle, which was not used at all for training the gun, ie aiming it, was originally called the 'restrain tackle', as in restraining, or holding back.

 I  thought I had seen it called the " in-haul " tackle, and used to pull the gun inboard, and also restrain the gun from rolling when hauled in..

A true train tackle would be attached to either side of a carronade on a swivel mount.

The only way to train a carriage mounted gun would be to pull the rear sideways across the deck, not from a tackle to the rear of the gun.

You have to add the paper..  I don't know if they have this in the UK, but it is my go to sanding for all uses..

Dura Gold Adhesive backing that is  really good, but not too hard to remove..  Many different grits

The sanders themselves are not real soft.  They are a firm foam, but not spongy..

No reason to  hate..  Times have changed.

I bought this on a whim just to check the quality, knowing I could return it if I had a problem..

Getting a decent board, or combination of similar pieces from Gilmer would probably put me at least $30 before shipping costs..

Our sponsor Modelers Sawmill has some nice sheets for what seems a reasonable price..

Another easy place to find them without having to pay shipping, are places like Walmart, Michaels and Hobby Lobby.

Look in the jewelry crafting department.

It is easy to resize them if you need to..

Your question would take a lot of answering that would probably lead to many more questions, and I'm sure you will get some help..

For something so essential to model ship building you need a good reference like Historic Ship Models where you will find drawings like:

Or Rigging Period Ship Models.. where you will find a diagram for every line on the ship..

Knowing you were in the doldrums for a while, I'm looking forward to seeing your progress on this kit..

I know you will do it justice..

Do you have Amazon Prime?

I can return this within 30 days, no questions asked, even if I use some of it.. 

I would not buy wood from eBay..  Too much hassle if not satisfied..

Here is what I received..  It looks like other castelo I have, and have seen in the past.

It is very dense and fine grained. The finish is marble smooth.

 May be a while before I see how it saws and carves..

The big pieces are 15cm long and 5cm square.

I have yet to see anything compared to this price in this type of size..

Here are a couple of eBays:

South American Castelo Boxwood turning blank 1-7/16" x 1-7/16 x 6   $13.25 shipped.

Boxwood Logs for Knife Handle Scales Blanks Wood carving, 15cm Length, 1 piece $37 shipped

Those prices seem pretty outrageous, but I guess someone is buying it..

To take the discussion a bit further, archjofo makes rope from silk.

It looks good, but I wouldn't know about overall performance..

There has also been discussion about linen but it seems to be relatively expensive and hard to source..

It was Chuck's preferred thread at one time, and I believe the go-to standard for museums..

Looks really good.

When I think boxwood these days, I'm thinking " Castelo " ...

Thinking it's probably China..

I'm going to check it out..

Next day, free shipping..

If this really is boxwood. is it a good price?

The total is 12 pcs.The size of 2 large boxwood carving blocks is 2x2x6 in.The size of 4 medium blocks is 1.5x1.5x4.5 in.The size of 4 small wood blocks is 1x1x3 in.

At Amazon     $30