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This weekend I have been doing channels. Very fiddly if you ask me. To  make them sturdy I drilled two holes on the back side towards the hull in which I put two nails backwards into the edge of the channel. Then I gently pushed the channels towards the hull to create a small punch mark. I drilled 0.7 mm holes as guidance. This way it is possible to try out the correct position. Twice I actually drilled new holes 2-3 mm aside to get a better position. Anyhow the edge of the channel hides the old holes.
 

 
Best regards
 
Henrik

Thank for watching and thanks for all likes. Some more decoration on the stern.

 
Best regards
 
Henrik

Have been working on bits and pieces over the week. I added gun lids to upper gun deck, some decoration to the quarter gallery and the balcony railing on the stern. The balcony railing was fiddly but finally I got it in place.

 

 
Best regards
Henrik

Dear friends,
I have come to the section of the building instructions called Hull side fittings. My question is about the chess tree fittings, item 138 below. It is far too long compared to the drawing.
 
1. Which side of it should be up?
2. Should it be shortened? If so, which end?
 
Instructions say it will need filing to sit on the side of the hull correctly because of the upper wale and slotted strip/brass profile. I have not done that yet. Please help me out on this? I suppose the slot is for a sheave or pulley wheel. My upper wale is perhaps 1-2 mm off-set compared to the drawing but the drawing is 1:1 and when I compare the chess tree piece 138 to the indicated length in the drawing it is far from right.

 

 

 
Best regards
 
Henrik

This week I have been working with the upper gun deck guns. Starboard side is now finished (guns on lower and upper gun deck).

 

 
Best regards
Henrik

First thanks for thoughtful comments Bruce, GrandpaPhil and Sjors. It helps.
 
And now two pictures of this week's efforts.

 

 
Regards
 
Henrik

Mounted the ship's boats and fixed two small things I bunged while doing so.
At the end of a leisurely 2 1/3 year journey - this model is now finished!
Interestingly I tried to order a brass plate from an Amazon seller I had used for my other builds. It (or their police bot) refused to accept "Confederacy" by policy. So it's titled "United States Frigate 1778". I suppose I could have worked on getting the name on it, but at this point I didn't feel like it.
So here are some final views:
 

And here are the two of them, ready for mounting onto the ship. I'll bring her out of her case down to the shipyard for the process.
 

Finished the pinnace! These little boats took me longer than I expected them to take.
 

Finished the first of the two ships boats: The Longboat.
A bit of a challenge at this scale. The planking job was iffy but the final product looks OK.
Tomorrow I start on planking the Pinnace.
 

A big moment!
After 2+ years the Confederacy itself is done. Still have the ship's boats to build, but it's great to see the ship itself finished.
I'll move it up to its case, clean up the shipyard, and start to work on those 2 ship's boats.
Overall I'm pleased with the result, even with the warts most of which only I notice.
The most complex thing I've built, and I doubt I'll be making anything this hard (more accurately, this complex) again.
Here it is:
 

Gangways now in place.
 
I STRONGLY suggest installing the gangway hanging knees BEFORE installing the channels, chainplates, and cannon port covers. I followed the sequence in the instructions instead, and found it very difficult to install the knees without being able to brace my fingers against the exterior hull to accurately hold the knees in place both to shape them and to apply appropriate pressure while holding them in place accurately for the glue to "grab". Also, necessary to install "from above" as a more deck level approach difficult to impossible due to hands, tools, and arms interfering with the fragile hull structures on the other side. Plus, several cannon port covers were inadvertently snapped off and had to be repaired.
I'm not really happy with the placement of the knees but it will do.
 
Now for 4 gangway stairs.
 

I have finished the exterior on the port side (my "practice' non-primary view side) today.
I am actually very pleased with the photo-etch chain plates. I painted them all on the sheet, first with vallejo grey primer airbrushed on and left to cure for 12+ hours, and then airbrushed with model expo hull black suitably thinned and left overnight. This created a relatively durable finish. With a good sprue cutter the pieces are easily removed as needed.
I put the deadeyes in by snipping the round part and spreading slightly, inserting the deadeye with correct orientation, and closing by pinching the base with a fine needle nose hobby pliers. Sealed the snip with a drop of CA and touched up when dry with some black paint.
2 cautions with the other pieces: those with holes for the nails required a gentle reaming of the holes to make certain the nails would drop through easily. I did this before cutting them free. I'm glad I thought to check before actually mounting them. The other caution is not to mix up the middle links that come in 3 lengths - I avoided this by removing them one at a time (or a few sets of 3) when needed and placing them in separate small trays.
Once an entire chain was made, I mounted the deadeye in the channel groove, made sure it was pushed well in so as not to interfere with the subsequent trim strip and added a drop of CA. I found that friction alone was not sufficient to hold them in place when manipulating to mark, drill, and place the nails.
With the deadeyes all mounted, creating and placing each chainplate "chain" was very easy and quick. A bit of black paint touch up where brass was exposed due to tweezers handling, and done.
After that, glued on the trim strips to the channels, put in all the eyebolts called for on the plans, and retrieved by cannon port lids from their labeled card and glued them in. Care is needed (despite the pre-drilled holes for each) as the "pins" - the piece of sprue left on the hinges - is very fragile and buckles easily.
 
One note: There are not nearly enough eyebolts included with the kit to even come close to all those indicated on the plans. So either make or buy lots of extras. I have trouble making them that small.
 
So here is where things stand with the port hull done. I'll turn it around and finished the starboard side within the next couple of days as I have the techniques down now.
 
Then I get to finish the waist detail, step the masts and lash the anchors.  After that she goes in her case of honor till the ships boats are done. 

Finished installing the skids, steps, and channels on both sides. The cannon port covers are done, with the holes pre-drilled - I will wait to glue them in until the chainplates are done.
After all this time it is getting a bit exciting to be this close to finishing the model (aside from the ship's boats).

Hello,
Major milestone achieved for the restoration.  All of the yards are now on the masts!  Final running rigging for main and mizzen masts, gun ports, cannon placement and some detail work should wrap things up.
Thanks,
Mark

Hello,
Major milestone achieved for the restoration.  All of the yards are now on the masts!  Final running rigging for main and mizzen masts, gun ports, cannon placement and some detail work should wrap things up.
Thanks,
Mark

Hello,
It has been some time since my last post.  Moved to the southern US and finally got my shipyard set back up.  Yards are finally back on the main mast with one mast to go.  The end to the restoration is actually within sight!
Thanks,
Mark

Thanks for all the well wishes guys, I am feeling better and have been getting out for walks each day and definitely have more stamina now. Hospital is quite pleased with my progress and apparently modelling is good physiotherapy for my bruised wrist and hand, who knew!
 
I have looked at the revell hull and deck plans and they are just wrong. Even when you buy the wood deck for the plastic hull the mizzen mast is in the wrong place.
 
The Mantua plans are 1:124 I think as that appears to be the only scale the do this in. They are an option of course and can always scale these up on the copier at work once I have the correct dimensions. There are a couple of books I have under consideration that have plans included for Thermopylae but as they are second hand I am waiting on the seller to advise if the plans are still with the book.
 
In the mean time, I have been updating the starboard mizzen pin rail and back stays.

Well, December was a quiet month for boat building in the end, way to much to do in the house getting ready for Christmas.  Today was the first day that I could spend any time on her so pulled up Keith's images as a guide and the new vlocks I ordered in November.  The 2mm ones are miniscule and too small but the 3mm look ideal, especially on the sky sail and royals. These are the main sky a royal yards 
 

 
The ropes are 9.5mm below the yard which scales at 3ft so the yard would be at waist height for the sailor working there. 
 
It feels good to be back making progress again even if it does mean that I have to redo much of the yards to come closer to this, although I won't be changing any of the installed jackstays.
 
Simon

Hi all,
 
I have been quiet of late as progress has been slow. Basically, I have been trying to make head or tail of the Rigging plan for Cutty and not getting anywhere. I dont want to start on bits and pieces only to realise later on I have made a rod for my own back, so I want to make sure that I am working from the centre line of the boat outward. I have made and installed the Gaff sail, and am now working on fully dressing all the yards for the Mizzen Mast. Just the Royal to finish off. I have given up trying to understand Cambells drawing and have gone to Harold Underhills Plate No 34 - Running Rigging on Square Sails. 

I am fairly sure I know where I am going with the Stays and Shrouds. If I am reading this right, Bunt and Leech Lines go in front of the sail and Clew, downhaul and sheet lines behind. This starts out very simple from the Royal and gets more complex as you work your way down to the course and the deck. At that point, I will have to go back to Cambells drawings to get an idea on where to install the belaying points for the lines.
 
One thing is for sure, I dont have enough Pins. Oh well, after I have completed the Mizzen, at least I will be able to estimate what I will need for the rest of the boat.
 
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

A little progress made.
 
 

Working on those pin rails I have the aforementioned problem with the proportions of the pins. They are 9mm so already large scale wise, but the pin is disproportionately short compared to the handle. Not a major problem when used on the brass pin holders on the mast but problematic on a pin rail.
 
I have some mahogany strip that I wanted to use but as you can see, there is not enough pin protruding from the bottom of the rail.
 
I don't have a micrometer but that looks about 1.5mm thick.
 
I tried  a Starbucks stirrer.
 
That is better as the stirrer looks about .75mm.
 
I then tried a Costa stirrer, this looks about .5mm so I suspect I will have to go with that.
 

 
So one more to make, then I can look at the posts, that will be square mahogany stock and I will try to make them a little less blocky.
 
Simon

Today
 
Well, I turned them around and managed to install the chains. I will put the rear stays in place tonight so it is not swinging around. Will have to sort out the stations and rails on the Liverpool House next.
 
I have made canvas covers for the two life boats. Might be a little oversize but I have not tied them down yet.
 
I have now installed the rails o  the Liverpool house and set up stays for the gaff.
 
still need to install a pin rail either side before I can go ahead with the Mizzen Backstays. 
 
Simon

Well, I turned them around and managed to install the chains. I will put the rear stays in place tonight so it is not swinging around. Will have to sort out the stations and rails on the Liverpool House next.
 
I have made canvas covers for the two life boats. Might be a little oversize but I have not tied them down yet.
 
Simon