Roman

I did a quick test of layering the excelsior material on card backing, gluing at a couple of points to simulate attaching it to the framework, and determined that it wouldn't work very well for my purposes. It twists and curls too much to be readily glued into place, and doesn't really look all that much like thatched reed. The curves in the fibers made it very hard to work with.

 
But, while getting groceries at Trader Joe's, I saw this:

 
I first tested out breaking down the stalk into thin strands of fiber. This didn't work very well, as it was very difficult to get anything close to a consistent length. The interior also has a notably different texture and color than the exterior.

 
More promising, though, seem to be the awns--the little fibers extending from the seeds. They're aready the right diameter, very consistent in coloration, and quite straight. The one issue is that, as they developed to help spread the seeds, they catch onto things if approached from one direction. This makes them a bit odd to work with--one way they slide and move easily, the other they stick to your fingers, the workboard, etc. I was able to similarly test a bit on the card, and I think they'll work. I used tweezers to place them, as they didn't stick to the metal. Hopefully a matte spray varnish will block them from sticking to things--if not, they won't work very well on the model. I think my plan is to use ordinary white glue to first stick them in place, and then to spray the matte varnish at the end (or at least after each layer or section).

Thatching in Europe and Japan is a serious business and the workmen take great pride in its execution to ensure that it is watertight and its longevity. I think thatching with straw is rarely practiced anymore, but in some areas of Europe (for instance, the Cotswolds in England, northern Germany, Denmark, ...) it is still practiced with reeds. It's expensive and fire-insurance premiums are high, but people like to preserve the traditional appearance of their houses. I happen to have a little booklet about thatching practice in England and watched it in execution on the building of a museum near Hamburg, where an uncle of mine was a volunteer.
 
Model railway guys predominantly reproduce reed-roofs, which have a geometrically quite well-described shape and a uniform surface. I gather, the 'gaming' modellers, who work on medieval subjects, may have techniques for roofs thatched with straw. However, they tend to work in a somewhat exaggerated 'cartoon', rather than naturalistic style.
 
I could imagine various routes to reproduce such thatched roofs. Next time you are down Mexico-way, you could try to find some dry grass, hammer it to break the fibers and comb it with a bristle-brush to remove small and loose bits. Alternatively, you could try to find some plumber's hemp and also brush it to straighten out the fibres.
 
I would then put two strips of self-adhesive tape in the distance of the scale-length of the stalks, lay out the fibres in not too thick layers and spray them with some matt varnish to lightly glue them together. Once dry, you can cut swaths of this 'thatch' and glue them in rows onto the lattice work, beginning from the bottom. Normally the thatch is 'sewn' to the lattice work and you could reproduce that.
 

Nice work!  I'm anxious to see how you pull off the thatching!

Like Chuck I have had the privilege of test driving Jim's new disk sander and echo everything that Chuck has written. As a scratch builder I find the disk sander amongst my most used power tools and the new version is smaller, quieter and in every way the equal of the larger version. But it has the added advantages of a reversable motor and variable speed.  There are many times where sanding a complex piece on the left side just makes things a whole bunch easier. As well the smaller disk is not a problem as how often does one use the full disk for sanding at one time anyway? Of course I'll keep both of my Byrne's disk sanders on the workbench - with different grits to speed up things.
 
Hat's off to Jim for building a better mousetrap. Maybe now he'll consider a oscillating spindle sander for the workshop.

Congratulations Adrian, looking forward to a copy.

Mahonesa was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful frigates of the time. The hull lines attest to the advancements made by the Spanish throughout the 18th century which of course made them desirable prizes for the British. Much is known about French and British ship building practices in the English speaking world and thanks to individuals such as Boudriot, Lavery, Dodds & Moore who have recognized the importance of Spanish technology and design we can see and appreciate its significance in architecture. Following Mr. Sorolla and his masterful rendition of the Mahonesa has been a treat.
Adrian Sorolla is the author of a very valuable book titled “ Introducción al Medelismo de Arsenal” or Introduction to Arsenal Ship Modeling I believe it is available in English and published by ANCRE. No doubt of the value of his work. Masterful skills indeed. I look forward to seeing more.

Congratulations Adrian, looking forward to a copy.

Hello,
The monograph of the Mahonesa is already announced on the site of ANCRE,
Already the reservation can be made, the mono will be available on 30-11-2021(in French, Italian and Spanish)
Available in English in February 2022.
This is the direct link to the English monograph:
 
https://ancre.fr/en/monograph/123-la-mahonesa-fregates-espagnoles-1789-9782382820131.html#/langue-anglais
 
 
Adrián Sorolla

Liberto Ámate Aguilar. Lives in Almería Spain. You will find more on his Facebook page. Very talented indeed.

Liberto Ámate Aguilar. Lives in Almería Spain. You will find more on his Facebook page. Very talented indeed.

Mahonesa was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful frigates of the time. The hull lines attest to the advancements made by the Spanish throughout the 18th century which of course made them desirable prizes for the British. Much is known about French and British ship building practices in the English speaking world and thanks to individuals such as Boudriot, Lavery, Dodds & Moore who have recognized the importance of Spanish technology and design we can see and appreciate its significance in architecture. Following Mr. Sorolla and his masterful rendition of the Mahonesa has been a treat.
Adrian Sorolla is the author of a very valuable book titled “ Introducción al Medelismo de Arsenal” or Introduction to Arsenal Ship Modeling I believe it is available in English and published by ANCRE. No doubt of the value of his work. Masterful skills indeed. I look forward to seeing more.

Saludos compañeros ... sigo con la construcción y montaje del "mascarón", representando a Miguel que junto con Rafael y Gabriel, eran los tres arcángeles de la "Santísima Trinidad"      (Paso imágenes)
Liberto  
 
 
 
 
 
 

We continue with new images ...
 
Seguimos con nuevas imágenes... 
 
 

Hello colleagues, after some time without activity, I start again and I pass new images.
The capstan constriction and the scales.
Very soon we will continue,
  best regards Liberto  

Hello friends Mike, Albert, Wacko, Chris, E.J. Best regards to all fellow members of the forum. Forgive for not answering your kind comments before, but for reasons of displacement I could not do it. I'm back in the workshop and with renewed strength. I finished the kitchen of the Holy Trinity, it is built in brass of 0.3 m / m and once finished I have pavonado, the covers are of copper of 0.6 m / m is something thicker so as not to have problems in the drawing. I pass some pictures, again thanks Liberto

Good morning and thank you all, with these photos I finish with the decorations, personally it was a nice challenge, also because it was the first time I faced the decorations.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un saluto.

Hello and thank you all, I use a dentist's handpiece with very small burs.
More photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Unsaluto.

Good morning and thank you all, I continue with more photos of the decorations.
The wood used for all the sculptures is boxwood.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un saluto.

Good morning and thank you all, there are many things I don't know how to do Hoving, I always try to do the best I can.
More photos of the decorations.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un Saluto.

Good morning and thanks to all, more photos of the stern decorations.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Since Tiziano Mainardi and Gérard Delacroix had pointed out to me an error in the lines of the frames of the painted pictures, I have fixed them; I hope they are now correct.
 

 

 

 
Un Saluto.

Good morning and thanks to all, I continue with the sculptures....
Hi, I'll put up the link where I started to learn how to make sculptures, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Bill Short who helped me a lot with his book.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un saluto.

Good morning and thank you all for the likes.
more photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un Saluto.

Good morning and thank you all, more photos....
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un Saluto.

Good morning and thank you all for your likes, I will continue with more photos.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un saluto.

Hello and thank you all for the messages and likes.
More photos.
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Un saluto.