Mike Y

Very neat trick! Sounds easier than soldering and bending it, and "wasting material" is a non-issue at this scale

It is coming together very nicely! Looks like the preparation is paying off

Really like the organic shapes of the framing! It feels like the tree is growing around the mast step, hugging it with branches A bit too much decking obscuring it, the photos in post #135 are golden!

Great repair! Interesting gantry, could you please show more of that measurement probe mechanism on top?

Modelling ”career” definitely splits on ”before and after getting your first lifting table” 😊

Next was the fitting the lower deck beams. Fairly straightforward and the alignment "jig" helped, though awkward to use (need to clamp its parts in a specific sequence, I dropped parts of the contraption into the hull many times, etc). Of course my deck clamps were not perfectly level to begin with, so some notches needed to be cut deeper than necessary to ensure a level deck. A curved Vallorbe file came in really handy to tune the depth of some notches! Once all beams were horizontal - the run of the deck was already quite fair, with only a minor adjustments to be done for a couple of beams. I was worried it would be a never ending process of alignment (fixing one dimension just to re-align the other), but it was not that bad. End result. Note the tiny gaps on the right side, I do not want beams to push into the frames on both ends to prevent any buckling or tilting due to the seasonal wood movement. The gap would be hidden by the inner planking on the right side, while allowing the hull to "breathe" a bit. My mind got carried away with plans for the deck structure, all the carlings and ledges, thinking how I would approach the construction. Marking up in situ? Making some paper template? Add temporary spacers to lift the deck in one "piece"? Use some rubber bands to firmly fix beams in position without drilling pin holes? Oh, right, that comes much later, I only did them to install pillars... I then remarked the true centerline using a string and placed these two test pillars under a beam. To my horror the beams standing on the keelson looked clearly off-center! The centerline string was already removed by that point, so I pulled two strings for a quick illustration. After careful checks the reason was found - the keelson is not perfectly level and is glued slightly tilted, resulting in a skewed pillar if you just place it on top. No big deal, can be easily compensated for. Luckily there is no issue with an off-center keelson or an incorrect hull shape. Always a bit scared of finding some critical mistake done 10 years ago... 🫣

I use a very thick black fishing monofilament for the bolts (designed to catch alligators and giant squids, I guess). No problems with any chemicals bleeding into the wood, etc. It is held inside the wood with CA glue and sands nicely to be flush.

It's been 1.5 months of "aging" the Pink Ivory sample - the plank was laying on one specific side in a sunlight on my table, but not in an extreme way, sun hits it at an angle. As expected, it got darker, almost like a fresh vs aged red brick Coincidentally I bought that piece of Ivory because of the build log where brick oven was made out of pink ivory "bricks": https://modelshipworld.com/topic/11140-washington-galley-by-yamsterman-148-scale-pof/?do=findComment&comment=436782 To simplify the comparison I split it in half, the difference is clear (on the second photo both halves are flipped). No sanding to avoid damaging the "patina" layer, so sorry for some stains or fingerprints. Text says "shadow" and "exposed", but you can easily guess which one is which Both pillars were also in a direct sunlight, and looks like the one with Osmo finish aged tiny little bit less. Even when aged they look quite fine, and I think I'll go with it instead of a pear / box / ebony that are the usual candidates The texture is interesting - it has some grain, but not extreme like a walnut. It looks rougher when surrounded by the pear/box hull, but not too extreme or out of scale, even on close-up photos: (I know that this is not how pillars are attached to the beams, these are just test pieces freestanding on the keelson)

I love your building jig! Looks like a loom from some angles

Now that is "painting with wood" taken literally, well executed!

Such a beautiful scale! Very charming model.

As always strongly recommend to buy an electrical lifting table, they are quite affordable nowadays with many companies on the market (including IKEA that sells frames separately). Replace a flimsy office tabletop with a sturdy solid wooden one - and you will end up with a fantastic build table that allows you to find a perfect height for any operation. I added an inset vise and peg holes into mine, the possibilities are endless. It is a relatively new "accessory" that is often overlooked, well worth the cost. I would avoid hammering mortise joint with a chisel on such a table, so it is not a full replacement for a workbench if you do a normal woodworking. But more than sturdy for all the modelling needs. Some examples of my setup (IKEA table frame, solid top cut to size of the working area, Veritas inset vise), very easy to customize it for your space.

Glad to see your new build, subscribed with interest

Thanks Druxey and Alan! Sometimes a little nudge is all we need Toni, it feels similar to pear or box when it comes to hardness, definitely not soft. Holds an edge pretty well, but despite a clean geometrical shape the edge blurs visually due to the grain of the wood. But definitely an interesting wood to have in your palette. Will report in a couple of months on the way it ages!