AJohnson

Very nice Aidan, I hope you do a build log for your other kits like the Supply.

Thanks all for your likes and comments, finally back in the saddle! The house all back to normal and the garage (my workshop) is cleared out, so after a restful holiday in North Norfolk last week (yes I did go for dinner at "The Lord Nelson" Inn at Burnham Thorpe, but it was too dark after that to go see his birthplace plaque) - we are back to the Trial! 😁 First planking commences and I am taking this opportunity to improve my planking skills by trying to line-out the bulkheads and work out plank widths in advance, as per the tutorials by Chuck and others on MSW/NRG. I marked out some plank widths and tested them along the middle bulkheads and then tried to set out three bands using thin flexible tape. This took ages, lots of squinting at the hull from various angles and repositioning the tape. The Admiral thought I was going mad! 🤓 Anyway a couple of evenings later and I settled on the bands and started setting out the planking. Pen marks for the band boundaries and pencil marks for the intermediate planks. First planks are on, I did start bending and thinning the planks a little from the start and I am going to try and do one plank per. side as I go to try and keep them even on each side. I know this is the first planking and all will be hidden, but if I practice on this layer, hopefully the second planking will be better and one day I might dare to do a single layer hull! 😱 With the rubbish weather forecast for the next few days, I hope to get some planking done and get some momentum going on this build at last!

Looking really neat David, like you I have been wondering about those forward most ports and left them in and glad I did, bending the foremost part of the bulwark pattern is quiet a bend, so taking it out earlier might make the pattern split?

Hi Brian, Missed this, I've been on a holiday in Norfolk this last week. No I don't have a broach set, but interested to see those, they might be a new purchase soon! As for rigging, yeah I use a combination of stiffening the tread with glue, or a needle, but I don't have hard and fast rules on that.

Well apparently you are going to Chris - good luck, may the force be with you!

Welcome to MSW!

Hi Brian, lovely to see some progress on your Granado. Good luck with the rigging. Regarding rigging, I think the main thing is to make sure the blocks are “free” for thread to run through. I poke a pin through each block hole first to make sure a thread can follow.

Great job, really neat and crisp paint job.

Welcome to MSW!

Glad you are out Alan and good luck with your recovery. In the meantime I believe this emoji is now yours! you deserve at least one or two Rums. 🥃

Good to see your planking progress David and interesting what you say on banding of the planks, as Trial is small, the number of bands can only be two/three. As I am about to start the first planking I will try out either two or three bands of planking and see if that informs how I go on my second planking. Like you say, each go at planking is a means of improvement/learning for the next "big" project. 👍

I found this:- "Shipbuilding in Ireland in the Nineteenth Century" - Shipbuilding in the United Kingdom in the Nineteenth Century (cambridge.org) Nothing specific on the RN. but the tonnages mentioned may have included Cutters/Brigs/Sloops at a push, maybe commercial vessels brought into the service as transports etc I could imagine, but don't know. Hopefully some history buffs on here know more. There obviously Harland & Wolff, but that is much later than the period you are interested in.

That's some of the neatest first-layer planing I've seen in a kit build!

Just a little update, the house it getting back to normal and the garage where I do my modelling is now emptying of "stuff", so I can get at the Trial again! 😀 I've not done much, but very pleased to be back doing even a little. Assembled the Prow and glued in place, holding it straight and true with plenty of elastic bands and a clip to hold it straight to the keel. Leaving this to cure a day or so before I progress, but I have been dry fitting the bulwark templates to see how they will sit, showing so far I need to do a little more fairing of the hull yet. Hoping to keep David @dunnock company now with his Trial build.

Agreed, a great looking and unusual project Richard. Following along with interest, the engine came out really well, I hope you will be able to some of it when the rest of the superstructure goes on.

Agreed that is a very fine model.

That’s a very nice model Dan, well done!

Agreed, this is going to be so impressive when completed!

Looking good Alan, hope you don’t run out of blocks, can you get extra ones from anywhere?

Coming together well, nearly there!?

That 'frost'? effect on the larger plate is amazing, I know its plastic, but in looks like cold steel! 🥶

Ha! - Just how long did that hat last! Our pooch would have shredded it in no time, he looks great fun! 🐶

That way madness lies... 🤪

Hi David, I feel your frustration, brings back memories of my Sherborne. But as Chris says, people can get hung up on this stage of the build. I did line out and work out the plank widths on my Nisha, but that has a more forgiving bow shape!

This will be good, I like the Whirlwind, often wondered if it would have done better or was more widely adopted if it had two merlin engines. 🤔