Peregrinator

What a wonderful looking kit and a simply superb build so far. Congrats to both Chris and James. This is the kind of build I dreamt of when I first bought my HMS Cruiser kit as a "learner build". Maybe one day I will feel up to attempting such a beauty. (Mind you I need to finish the Cruiser first!! lol)

There is a bit of space between the helm and the companionway... maybe I will scratch up a binnacle.

Finished the first cannon. And a shot of the deck layout. Still to make the gallows/stands for the launch.

Been a while since my last update. Unfortunately I haven't had much spare time other than to potter around on small items. However, all the deck furniture is about done and I have decided on the deck arrangement to accommodate the launch. I have decided not to fully rig the cannons but just stick to the breaching rope . I did a test on one cannon and tried out a method I have been thinking about to do the seizing. The good lady wife makes bead jewelry and uses a thread called fireline (gel-spun polyethylene) which is like fishing line but more "flexible" for want of a better word - you can fold it and it holds the shape (see photo). It behaves like a fine wire but with more flexibility. It worked quite well and relatively easy to work with so I think I will continue using it (I need to practice order to perfect the end result - I can do better than my trial attempt shown in the photo). As an aside, the various rigging threads that came with the kit had me confused. I should have, according to the plans 4 types of black thread and 3 natural. According to the instructions, 3 black, 5 natural. I actually have 3 black and 5 natural. One of those natural is the anchor line, so I assume not listed as a rigging thread on the rigging plans. So I have 3 black and 4 natural for rigging. I think the 1.25mm natural thread is listed as black on the plans and that is the error. The other confusion is that a couple of the threads are marked up with incorrect sizes (gauge). The 0.25mm natural thread is marked as 0.10mm and the 0.75mm natural thread marked up as 1mm. Anyway, I *think* I have figured out what is what and for what it should be used. Took my a while though! I have also made a stand which is awaiting a final coat of varnish. Once it's finished I will take a couple more photos to show the progress.

Incomparable . These wheels from Syren are excellent.

Quick update. The admiral returned from the States with 2 ship's wheels and 2 brass stands. I have been putting together the wheels. The first one seemed to take hours, but the second not surprisingly is much quicker and easier.

Thanks for the helm tip - I have ordered Chuck's nice bit of work. And I have ordered 2 brass pedestals from model-expo for the stand.

Lovely! Thank you Gregory!

Thanks for the comments Jim. Ref the copper, it's the shiny unweathered bits where the CA has seeped that annoy me. It's not drastically bad, but I do notice it - and you know how those sort of things can nag on one's conscious. Ship's boat: Yes agree, it would be sitting quite high. Another alternative is to switch out one of the gratings and place the capstan there, leaving ample space for the boat amidships. The stand: You know, your suggestion has its merits - we are firmly in earthquake territory here and the cradle may be the safer option. (We had a magnitude 5 only the other day - the epicenter was 150km to the south so it was just a bit of a lurch and a shake here)

It does look ok, it's true, but I thought a light varnish would make it easier to clean (dust removal). It seems that most people are treating the decks in some way.

I have decided to create a build log as it is the best way to garner advice from the many many experts on this site. As those who may have read my greetings on the new member introductions thread will already know, I am re-starting the build of Caldercraft/Jotika's HMS Cruiser which has been stalled for approx 14 years! The hull, as seen below, has been boxed up for most of that time and despite 2 international moves (Sydney to Connecticut to Santiago - my Cruiser is very well travelled dont you know) and 2 domestic moves has faired very well. The unused kit parts are in a decent condition too. This is my first build and I chose Cruiser accordingly i.e. to use it as a learning build, and I should keep telling myself this, but as I got into the build I found myself wanting to do the best job I could rather than simply completing the build as a learning exercise. As the photos show, the hiatus occurred at the deck furniture stage. Al these parts are pretty much completed. Non of the deck furniture is attached to the deck as yet. I have the following items under consideration at the moment and would be happy to receive comments and advice: 1) Decking. To varnish or stain? If so what varnish or stain? I like the colour and look of the deck planking so I'm leaning towards a varnish however I dont want it to have a glossy shine. I was thinking shellac but to be honest I have no idea if I am going to find that here in Chile. There is one decent modeling store in Santiago that sells this type of consumable, but I am not confident. 2) Copper plates. I bought the Caldercraft copper plates. You will see that in the intervening 14 years since they were installed they have "weathered" - I even have some green cuprite/patina! However, you will also see that as my less than skillful application of the individual plates shows, there are many areas where the CA has seeped and consequently the copper has not "weathered". I am not sure what to do. Ideas? 3) Ship's boat/launch. I bought a launch for the Cruiser from Caldercraft and have yet decided how to stow it - I have been looking at other build logs for some ideas but I think I will make some sort of frame over the capstan and position it there. I am open to suggestions. 4) Ship's wheel. Definitely need to buy something more realistic 5) Stand. I am at the stage where I should be thinking about the stand. I think I will buy some wood and make one up. I cannot find anything remotely like a brass column here, I may have to order them online, or I may knock something up from wood. Undecided. 6) Cannon tackle. All the cannons are completed. Should I (can I be bothered to) tackle them up more realistically? I have stuck with the 20 long guns supplied with the kit (I could have bought the more accurate carronades) so it's not like I am trying to achieve full realism and historical accuracy. At least, that's my excuse for not including more realistic tackle 😕. Again, I'm undecided on this and I will have to buy some more blocks if I am going to upgrade them. One last point, receiving stuff by post in Chile has been a nightmare in the past, the pandemic and subsequent move to a more online based economy has vastly improved the postal/delivery services here, but I know that if I am to make an order with e.g. https://shipwrightshop.com I will have to wait probably weeks (more likely over a month) for delivery as customs here are terribly inefficient. Anything from overseas gets held up. The Admiral is going to New York to visit the Ship's boy next month so I could get any ordered items delivered to his address. I include this info simply to state that buying additional parts etc is not so easy and does affect my thinking/planning. So, finally, here are some photos of the build to date:

You dont know the half of it 🥴

Thanks for the re-welcomes chaps. Already a lot of names there that ring some bells.

Hello all, I have just re-registered on MSW. I used to use this site many years ago when it was run by Chuck - I think it was around 2009 when I had to take a hiatus from my first and only build - Caldercraft's HMS Cruiser. At that time IIRC the MSW had a server change and many build logs were lost (mine included 😢). I had just moved from Sydney to Connecticut. A completed hull was boxed away, and due to many reasons, mainly work related but also available space in our house in CT, I never restarted the build and my MSW membership was lost. The poor unfinished Cruiser languished in that box for 8 years, when we upped sticks again and moved to Santiago, Chile, to an apartment with even less space. A further 4 years passed. However, some good news finally, we have just moved out of Santiago to the suburbs and a house with room to swing 2 ship's cats. The box has been re-opened, new supplies have been bought and the build is back on! So, greetings to all, I am happy to see the MSW is still alive and kicking. I haven't decided if I will start a build log, but for sure I will be looking at others' as I am a little rusty and I know the resources here will be of immense use me. I'm also looking forward to seeing if I can recognize any usernames from 15 years+ ago 😉