TJM

I found this hard as well! So many, so small, so much re-touching! And in the end , I could not for the life of me get the thick ropes for the guns through eyes and will have to live without them on my model 🙄. I think it could be done by attaching the ropes before fixing the eyebolts to the bulwark, but I did not have the heart to rip them out and re-do it all.... I have seen many people make it work, but my fingers did not cooperate and after 2 hours of struggling on one cannon, I gave up. Next time!

Agree, that is really nice! Will probably do this on my next build - thanks for the idea! BR TJM

Log entry 22 A bit of progress. I have completed the lower shrouds and spent a couple of evenings with the futtock staves and shrouds. Up close, it is not the neatest work - I find it quite difficult to deal with the thin thread! From a little distance, it looks alright to me. The manual says to wait with the backstays until the yards are fitted, but I had a slight tilt to one side from the topgallant and up on the main mast, so I wanted to temporarily attach the backstays to correct this while I work on the topgallant shrouds. If I can work around them, I will leave them in place and otherwise it is not very much work to detach them and re-do the two lanyards. BR TJM

You are progressing unbelievably fast! Looking great as well!!

Looking very good!

Log entry 21 This is just a small update, as I continue to affix the shrouds. Not that much has happened, but mostly due to me being away all of last week so the progress only reflects a couple of evenings work. When I took the pictures, I had not noticed that Cochrane were lying at the back - guess he had a tad to much from a certain barrel... But it is very satisfying to see the shrouds I have completed on the model. I think it really moves the visual impression up another level. TJM

Thank you for the comments and the answers to my question! @Thukydides, what a great resource! At first I could not make sense of your numbers, until I realised that the 5in and 1in were circumferences! That will indeed give only around 8 mm i diameter, which is really quite thin! It also fits well with @chris watton's comment that the actual thread size is slightly larger than 0.1 mm. I was never actually in doubt that the kit is correctly designed, I just couldn't understand how thin these ratlines were - it is so great to have the creator of the kit explain, so thank you for that. And thanks @glbarlow, it is clear that 0.1 mm is good fit, it is just much thinner than I thought (based on no experience 😅). And I totally agree, the time spent matters not at all, as long as it is fun time - and it is! I just can't help gathering this kind of data for my own amusement and though perhaps other newcomers to the hobby might be interested. I don't think I shall keep this kind of track on hours spent on future projects. TJM

Log entry 21 It has been a few days since my last update while I have been working on the main and foremasts. It took quite a bit longer than expected! There really is a lot of components on them once you get down to it. And this was also a small start on the rigging, as there is quite a few blocks that need to go on. I decided that I would need a small break from masts and booms, so I started adding the shrouds. I am reasonably happy with the result so far. I made a small mistake and used the 0.25 mm natural thread to tie the shrouds around the upper dead eyes - it should be 0.1 mm. I will just go back and replace them before I continue. This is the 90 hour mark of the build. Either I am working very slow, or the 70-80 hours build time listed in the manuel is without rigging! 😅. But no worries, I keep having fun and are already planning future builds in my mind 🤪. Question: I have a question though: the manual says to use the tiny 0.1 mm natural thread for the ratlines (when I get to that), however, are they not too thin? That would correspond to a rope diameter of only 6.4 mm! It may just me ignorance on my part, but is that not too thin? Using 0.25 mm thread, would correspond to 1.6 cm rope - but is that way too thick? BR TJM

I would recommend attaching the keel now! I did not do that, and was left wit a gap that I had to fill! I guess the keel will be at risk, getting knocked off, but if I did it again, I would do it now. Or leave the garboard plank hanging over the edge, to enable trimming back to the 3 mm keel width later. But that could also be tough to get neat! Your capstan and anchors are looking really nice! And the hull is VERY neat and crisp 👍

Log entry 20 I have been working on all the deck fittings over the past few days, an I am very nearly there. Just missing the pumps and the anchors, thought the latter wont really be fitted until a bit later during the rigging. The manual would also have me assemble and attach the swivel guns now, but I will hold off on that, as I am sure I would bend and crunch them during the rigging! They will probably be some of the very last things to be added to the ship. This is the status now: I am very pleased with the look and relieved that the paint job turned out well as it did. And without any spills and drips on the deck! Phew! After I finish the two pumps, it is on with the masts - a very different part of the build. It will be interesting to work from the plans as opposed to the manual (though the manual still sets the order to progress and provides some helpfull images for reference!). Fortunately, I know where to ask if I have questions! TJM

Ahh, thanks!

Very interesting and I think I understand what you mean, but can't find anything that seems suitable - can you send image or a link for the type of heliostat pliers you use?

Thank you! But I really can't take any credit: I was inspired by the Sphinx build by @Blue Ensign, and basically copied his colour palette! It just looked so good to me! It was actually for a large part due to that log that I finally took the plunge and bought the Flirt kit, after having lurked here on MSW for a while.

That sounds smart! As a chemist, I approve! But that would entail making the eyelets yourself I guess. Also a fair bit of work! 😉

Thanks a lot, Glenn!

Thanks! I did prime them black with a rattle can primer. Normally it sticks pretty well to the metal, but it cant take the handling I give it with the pliers during application. But I agree, I want to avoid too much glue spillage. And there is no chance of me handling the small eyebolts without a tool!

Thank you all so much for the nice comments and likes recently 😊! This is such a great community! Log entry 19 Quite a bit of progress since the last update: I started by assembling the headworks - it went quite smoothly! Then I added the water level guage on the bow. I was worried about getting the alignment right and also about getting CA glue splotches on the wood that would be impossible to remove afterwards. My solution was to make a copy of the full size plan and cut out the relevant part AND the roman numerals. That made a nice template for positioning the small brass pieces: I held the small numerals with a toothpick with some wall gum (don't know the English term, in Danish it is unflatteringly called 'elephant snot'!). The result was neat and clean! Then I added the racks for the belaying pins and the pins themselves. This was frustrating work, as the racks repeatedly came off as I inserted the pins, no matter how gently I worked and even though I had used brass pins to strengthen the connection as per the manual. But I managed in the end. Then I added the channel parts, using some 0.8 mm copper wire to strengthen the connection with the hull and I have now managed to add all the deadeye strops and deadeyes for the starboard side. Port side will follow soon. I I am really liking how she looks now. There will be a bit of paint touch ups on the blue and on the wales where I have scratched the paintwork when pinning the deadeye strops, but nothing that won't be fixed easily. I actually also stated adding the tiny eyebolts around the gunports, but I am really struggling with the tiny parts and the paint is coming right off when I hold them with pliers. This is going to take a while and if anyone has any good tips for how to handle these tiny parts, it would be much appreciated! TJM

I should have done that as well on my Flirt! I noticed it a bit late and elected to add a bit at the ends to make them long enough. Your way is better! But interesting to see that others have found these pre-cut parts a bit on the short side! I thought it was just a mistake I had made (still may be, of course...!) Looking very nice!

Thank you for the compliment, much appreciated!

Thank you so much for all the kind words and the encouragement! It is truly appreciated! I am kind of looking forward to the standing rigging but am still a bit worried about the running rigging. I know I could stop after the standing rigging but I suspect I will not be satisfied with that 😉.

There are other German or Czech sites that offer the original manual for Vanguard Model kits, but I am not sure about the policy concerning links to those here. But Google will provide the anwer!

Yes, the only reason I got German manual and plans is because i purchased the kit through a German retailer! I have printed the English manual, but I am still left with the German full size plans. This is obviously only my own fault and I am just very grateful that Chris has the manual available from his website!

Really!? Wow, that must have been tough with a 200 ton boat! Thanks for the compliment!

Log entry 18 A fair bit of progress. I have added the gunwales, painted the blue section and added the swivel gun post timbers. I also added the stern post and the rudder (not glued in yet). With the painting, I am trying to not use all flat colours, by adding a bit of shadows with washes or adding som edge highlights. As a long time miniature painter, I have a bit of an aversion to flat colours, especially on areas with surface detail (like hard edges). I think I may go over the blue and clean up a few things, but overall I like the look. I also went for a much lighter and less saturated blue than the manual, as well as a darker, more muted yellow. It is Vallejo blue gray and yellow occre respectively for the base colours. BR TJM

Thank you! 😊