Mike Y

To test the finishes I made some test pieces:
1) Boxwood planking fragment. With a bit of treenails, cross-piece with a glue left over from one side, and a few glue drops specifically planted.
I remember that some finishes highlight the glue drops and any imperfections, so I've made them on purpose
The cross-piece makes it harder to wipe off the finish, and I want to see how the build-up in that corner would look like.
2) Deck structure imitation, with a bit exaggerated curve to see how finish absorbs into diagonal grain. Half-circular piece creates a tiny corner that is hard to clean up, again to test the build-up.
Most of the piece is made using swiss pear (pink-ish), but two parts are in a yellow pear (aka regular pear, but non-steamed), leftover from the original timbering package. I am planning to use different shades (a bit like Albert on his Naiad) and curious to see how different finishes highlight that difference.

This was a fun project of its own, I really enjoyed making them.
It was a good opportunity to test my fancy fret saw. This brand is usually used as a decoration on a background of your woodworking youtube channel, but since I do not have one - I just cut wood with it  

It's quite ok, need to practice more to cut straighter, but the main benefit is quietness - I can slowly cut my pieces while the family is around, while they need to hide somewhere if I fire up a bandsaw.
The common way of cutting the underside of a beam by using a mill is a bit too cumbersome with such tiny pieces, so I just scribe a line and then sand to this line with a small sanding drum:

It was also a good practice in cutting notches. Two marking gauges and very handy, chisel registers in the scribed line and does not slip anywhere. 


The resulting quality was not always good, you can see a few gaps and dings, so this practice run was quite necessary.

Each piece got one coat of finish, non-diluted, just as it says on the box. Excess wiped off more or less immediately with a paper towel.
After a few days, I imitated a spot-fix (e.g. if I need to glue something to a finished part) - scraped away a small spot and re-applied a drop of finish to that area, blending it to the adjacent area. The point is to see how well it blends, if there is a visible difference between that area with two coats as compared to one coat on the rest of the piece.
There was no post-finishing with steel wool - since this would be hard to do on a model, and I'm afraid of tiny metal particles getting stuck in random places and rusting after a while. 
 

Carl, I'm not denying the history or suggest to remove Cromwell from all the books. I just don't want him anywhere close such a intimate thing like a model that you put hundreds or hours and elbow grease into   In the same way as I would never build a model of Herman Göring's yacht.
And, as Brian mentioned, I am lucky to have a choice - the ship was captured, slightly modified and renamed, it's not too late to pick the version to build. 
 
So back to the modelling!
 
Roughly 1200 holes were drilled, the Buzzr did its job perfectly with zero broken bits! 💪

 
Bamboo treenails were glued in

 
Resulting in a pretty satisfying sight  

 
Pointy bits were cut off and most of the glue was removed with a dremel with nylon bristle brush. The hull was covered in plastic since this process is quite messy, small bits of glue are statically charged a bit and stick to everything.

 
Now the best part - sanding and fairing. I really love this one, turns an ugly uneven surface into a neat and clean one (unless there are gaps)  
 
Hahn jig is really convenient for such work, since you can actually lean on it and rest your hands on it without damaging the model. That allows you to work precisely and for a longer periods of time with elbows resting.  I can really recommend constructing support like this even if you do not use Hahn's method. 
Nevermind my corona haircut

 
 
Wide gauge chisel (Pfeil #7) came in handy for removing the remaining glue residue in hard-to-reach areas, as well as fairing the planks. It's surprisingly easy to control, can definitely recommend this tool.

 
The rest was done with a combination of sanding, scraping and chiseling. Final sanding grit was just 400 instead of a usual 600-1200.
 
Here is the end result. Notice how the treenail color is quite different, even though they were all cut from the same wood that looks identical from the outside. I know the the nail pattern is not entirely correct, as an excuse - it was marked up a year ago!  





 
It's definitely not perfect, there are a few tiny gaps and dings, but it's good to practice on an internal planking (that would be barely visible afterwards), to build up skills for the more exposed areas.
 
Now it's time to apply some finish (at least to get an even treenail color), but I have no idea which one to use - these planks are actually the first boxwood parts on the model! All my finishing experiments were on pear, cherry and walnut, and the results are very wood-specific. I definitely do not want to turn this boxwood dark green-ish or dark yellow, ideally want to keep the color as light as possible. My guess is that oil is not the way to go, but some kind of sanding sealer would be better. Will make some samples and try all the main finishes I have before using them on the model.
 
Feels a bit wasteful to spend quite a lot of boxwood for these experiments, considering its price and availability... But I wasted less than budgeted on whoopsies and redos, so there is a bit of a reserve  
 

I have a shameful confession: since the beginning of the build, I've never actually read who Oliver Cromwell was further than a basic summary. "Some aristocratic British dude, whatever, I like the model". In hindsight that was not the smartest thing, it's like picking a rare name for your child without googling it first 🤦‍♂️
Over the last year I found more and more articles about him and his legacy, and it started to smell pretty bad. History (and the present) have had enough brutal authoritarian tyrants, and Cromwell was a pretty dedicated one. I started feeling shame and disgust when opening my own build log, like it's a dirty word that may be actually offensive. I hereby apologise to Irish for my ignorance..   Luckily, there is a way out without deviating from history - that ship was renamed once it was captured by HMS Beaver. The new name was very creative - "Beavers Prize" - probably to make sure nobody would contest the origin of the vessel   It's great! It has no relation to any historical figures, a bit humorous and may work as a conversation starter  The spelling is not so obvious (Beaver's Prize is also used), but I would use the simpler spelling with no apostrophe, same as on the original NMM plans.  So from now on this log is renamed accordingly.  Horrah to the Beaver!      There are a few modifications that need to be done. When captured, it was measured and the plans were drafted. While there, some improvements were suggested and then implemented: * Second double-level capstan (I guess capstans were like clamps - you can never have too many) * Improved lower deck layout * Fore mast moved ahead a bit * New galley stove installed   Quote from the Hahn's book "Ships of The American Revolution":   Suggested changes are drawn as a dotted line on the NMM plan:    I really like that changes, especially the second capstan - it would make the quarter deck a bit more interesting.   P.S.: the actual construction is going well, all treenails are in place and I'm sanding and scraping the internal planking. Will post photos once that phase is completed.

Pat, very interesting idea, thanks for sharing the link!
Heard about the dental tools, but always postponed the purchase due to their price. Maybe it's time to go for another ebay hunt
 
Carl, thanks for the generous offer, I'll keep it in mind! No need so far, and it mounts to the full-size Dremel, which is too bulky and aggressive to be brought close to the model, I'm a bit scared of it after using the mini dremel tool..
 
I've now realised what made my life more difficult than it should be - it's a small downside of the Hahn building method. The top of the hull is higher and narrower than it should be due to dummy parts that attach it to the jig, so it really limits the angle of the tool that you can use inside the hull.
(The photo is quite old)

It would not be an issue once the hull is cut free, but that would happen way further down the road.
 
At the moment my handmade drill seems to work just fine, already drilled and treenailed a quarter of the inner planks. To be on the safe side and avoid overheating I simply switch it off after every row of holes and move over to drawing bamboo through a drawplate for a few minutes. That way I keep a roughly 1:1 ratio of holes-to-treenailing-stock, and switch tasks to break the monotony - otherwise it's too easy to phase out and make some dumb mistake  

Richard, interesting idea for the next generation of the tool! I'm pretty sure this one would break before I finish the model
 
Had a few late-night drilling sessions in .45mm size (#77, third smallest hole in Byrnes drawplate). This corresponds to 7/8in in real life.
 
First problem: tiny drill bit is too tiny for any collet. I tried wrapping it with masking tape, aluminium foil, etc - all was fruitless, it was spinning once bit bites into the wood.
I turned the internet upside down trying to find a proper chuck/collet or a set of bits with larger shank. That was fruitless, but I found a great advice on MSW from Von Stetina in 2013: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/4348-micro-drill-holders/?tab=comments#comment-125198
 
 
You basically wrap a wire around a bit, which provides enough grip. In my case just a wire was not enough, but if you add soft solder on top - then it works like a charm! Looks like a horrible feat of redneck engineering, but it works  Due to a low rpm of my drill a minor wobble induced by this abomination is not an issue at all.
 
 
So after all a set of tiny holes was drilled.

 
I tested it with both bamboo and boxwood treenails. It is much easier to draw bamboo (I managed to do it all the way to second hole in the drawplate without breaking), with boxwood it becomes even more delicate. 
Results were quite different when oil is applied, bamboo has some dark blotchy spots, while boxwood is evenly colored.
Here bamboo is on the left side, boxwood is on the right. Top plank is pear, boxwood is in the bottom.

 
Will probably go with a compromise - using bamboo treenails for internal planking and boxwood ones for external planking and deck planking.
If somebody asks - will blame the crew for the poor maintenance of their living quarters 😜
 
 

Once I've lined up the treenail holes - I realised that I do not have a way to drill them. Dremel is too long, manual drill is too long as well, so I need to make a tiny micro drill that is as short as possible.
But then the spring came, I got into mountain biking hobby, youngest daughter started to grow up and need attention, then we had a fantastic boat trip in the archipelago, one thing lead to another - and I found myself in the middle of Christmas holidays, realising I haven't touched the model for a year, such a shame! When you have a break that is soo long - it feels pathetic. You don't remember when some tools and parts are, there is a thick layer of dust built up on some tools, and so on.
 
So back to making tools  The idea is simple - use a tiny geared down motor as a drill, control it with a button that is held with another hand (to reduce the chance of whoopsies when drill bit wanders off when it touches the pilot hole).
 
Milled the recess for the button, using a blue tape + CA trick as a workholding method.
That would be a perfect job for a CNC mill, if only I had one...

Shaped it with my new toys - miniature rasps. They are fantastic for that, cutting pear pretty easy:

That's how the assembly looks before the glue-up.

 
Next was the drill part.
Due to noise limitations imposed by a younger kid - I am trying to avoid using power tools if possible. 
While table saw is gathering dust - tried ripping a block of pear with a handsaw, following the scribed lines. The result was surprisingly ok, nearly straight, and took just a few minutes.

 
Interesting shot - here is the blank after drilling the hole for the chuck

 
After milling the internal recesses or the motor I tried to mill the outside shape using a vertically mounted rotary table, but faced a very stupid problem: jaws of the chuck hit the milling table. Adding a spacer underneath the rotary table would have solved that problem - but requires a longer mounting bolt, which I did not have

 
No mill then, back to shaping by hand with a rasp. That was pretty satisfactory, though the result is clearly hand sculpted and not as precise.

 
Everything is ready for the glue-up, and I managed not to cut off too much wood to expose the inner recess. Got pretty close though.
The glue-up was delicate, I forgot to seal the gear block, so used very little glue in that area to avoid it getting into the gears.

 
And the final result - the mighty Turbo Buzzr 3000 🤣 It works and make a buzz, the drill bit rotates, you can actually drill with it! 
Now I have a few hundred holes to make  
Feels very strange to hold a wooden drill, so used to the feeling of rubbery plastic when drilling, wood feels entirely unnatural in that situation. 
 
Glad to be back! A lot of build logs to catch up on MSW... Which is a good problem to have.
 
Stay safe and Merry Christmas to all! 🎄🎄🎄

Before I continue with the rest of the cross beams I thought that it would be time to prepare the floor boards. There is no evidence for these in the find; they floated away, or they never existed, who knows. They where not part of the reconstruction drawings either. Remember that the original assumptions was to have ballast, and then they would have been constructed differently. I base my model on how the floor boards currently look on the reconstruction.
First I created cardboard templates.

Then I cut longer planks and built several at a time.

Now all the floor boards are fitted:

 
Note the space between the frames where the halyard is belayed, no floor there. It is also the area used for bailing the ship, so a floor would be in the way. (Note that the floor is not used to walk on, its for keeping the cargo out of the bilge water.) You walk on the rower seats, see the little girl in the film here:
 
 

The keelson of walnut turned out well, so I proceeded as planned.

Note the peg and the wear on the underside of the keelson.

The groves are from the halyard which is led under the keelson and belayed with support of the peg. Every time the yard is raised or lowered the rope eats away at the wood.

 
I have also installed the first cross beam and tested the mast in place.
 

Thanks Mark,
 
Yes the construction certainly has just enough stability, it only weighs about 4500kg. The clinker built hull means that a lot of the strength lies in the shell, the frames only helps to keep the form. When sailing in higher waves you can see and feel how the hull twists through the sea. For a first timer this can be nerve wrecking.
 
The seaworthiness of the ship was certainly one of the topics that interested the archeologists when the reconstruction was made. In the report that documented the reconstruction it was for example suggested that an extra plank might have been installed outside the oarlocks to prevent waves to reach over the railing when not rowing. I don't think that it was ever tried in practice.
 

Another topic that is mentioned several times in the report is how much ballast that would be needed. The radical answer is: none. After about two years of sailing with ballast it was concluded that it did not provide any benefit in this ship. Due to the shallow hull the center of mass will not move much when the ship rolls, so the righting momentum is low. A better solution is to use a movable ballast, the crew, to trim the ship when sailing. This is a typical situation when going high into the wind:
 

Even so, the conclusion after many years of sailing the reconstruction seem to be that, while it has been crossing open sea to Gotland in the middle of the Baltic, and Åland between Sweden and Finland, it is not risk free. This ship was built for sailing close to the coast, in particular on the lake Mälaren and in the Stockholm archipelago.
 
 
 

It's been almost a year since my last update. The reason is that Speedwell has been landlocked in Canada since last November. My very talented collaborator David Antscherl had made and applied all the carvings and I was going to pick her up to rig her just when Covid struck and the border was closed. I have all the blocks, ropes, masts and spars ready but no model. I'm hoping to get her this summer but who knows at this point. At any rate here are some photos of her sporting her wonderful carvings. 

Mast & calcet
The calcet, or mast cap, is described as follows in the monograph:
 
Masts with a calcet are similar to those used on Mediterranean galleys. The difference between masts with a calcet and regular masts is in the fact that the former are big and short and carry a lateen yard much longer than the mast, and they have no top. Vessels that carry one or more masts with a calcet are galleys, xebecs, pinques, tartans, feluccas, Provence barks, etc. They are all Mediterranean vessels.
 
The problem for me was that the calcet is 2.87mm square, and this stands on top of a round mast. I couldn’t work out how to turn this easily, as I’d have to start with 6mm square stock for the mast.
 
Fissore’s method is to cut a long diagonal joint at the top of the mast, but that looked way to complicated for me. I decided I go for a simple pin to hold a separate calcet to the mast.
 

 
My first attempt at a mast was with pine wood. However, no matter how I sanded it, there were still flat surfaces left around the mast, so I discarded it and went for my usual pear wood.
 
 

 
I set up the 6mm square pear stock in a lathe and centred it using a dial indicator as shown:
 

 
 
I again used the sticky tape to point to the changing circumference of the mast, and, after rounding the mast to a constant 5mm diameter using lathe chisels, sanded it down (from the deck level upwards) to the correct dimensions. I then cut the steps at the top of the mast as shown in the plans diagram above, and drilled the 0.6mm hole in the top of the mast to take the steel pin as described above.
 
Those with a keen eye will note that neither the base of the mast nor the top have octagonal sides. This is quite deliberate as I know if I tried to make them so at this scale the result would look atrocious.
 
 

 
 
After using the lathe to cut the small steps at the top of the mast for the shrouds and rigging, I made the calcet, its brass sheave and the 0.5mm flagpole.
 

 

 
 
The combined mast and calcet was then fitted to the hull.
 

 
I will now go on to making the yards and rigging the model, which will probably take quite a time.
 
Forgotten addition re bollard
Just as a small postscript, I found a spare bollard that allows me to show one before fitting. I had wanted to include such a picture in the earlier logs, but hadn’t taken any photos of one; so this one will be inserted into the relevant log.
 

 
 
Thanks again to everyone who is following this build.
 
Tony
 

Side wings

The build of the side wings posed something of a problem. This was because the build shown by Fissore in his photos differed radically from the plans.


 
The plans showed a complex S-curvature to the wings, whilst the photos of Fissore’s build showed them as straight panels.


 
The side panels as shown on the plans:

 

 

 
You'll note that in the plans forward four of the side panel strengthening timbers seem to come straight from the frames below. This would clearly be impossible, and, as you will have seen from the photo of Fissore's actual build, they are as they should be. The side panel made by Fissore (the author of the plans) follows.
 
 

 
 
It was clearly easier to cut the wings as flat panels, so as I could not figure a way of shaping the panels with their internal supports and top rail symmetrical on either side, I chose the easy route and made them flat without curvature.
 

 
Rear superstructure

This is supported by the main top rail. I am unclear about its function. One thought would be that it could provide a base for a tarpaulin to protect the helmsman. Another would be that it helps support the sometimes enormous loads that could be carried by the allèges.

Again I made a prototype in card strips to check fit and alignment, then made the final with pear wood.
 

 

 
 

 
Next up, bow timbers.
 
Tony

Thanks for all the likes, which I'm very grateful for as good wishes for the future outcome! I just hope you won't end up a little let down as for me it's been like starting all over again with scale and card. Both these require new skills and techniques which I'm still learning.
 
PLANK ON BULKHEAD

As the next stage of my apprenticeship, I wanted to try my hand at making a POB version of a ship based on the plans. In particular I wanted to see the possibilities of building the frame in card but finishing the planking and the rest of the model in wood. This definitely is a plus for a scale of 1:100, since the frames have very small sided and moulded dimensions: the frame sided measurement being only 1.2mm (moulded 3mm). I could have used the method of Javier Baron by making a mould, as done for longboats, but preferred the opportunity to do something new.


 
There are advantages and disadvantages of making a model at a scale of 1:100, as opposed to the 1:48 at which the plans are drawn. The main disadvantage, of course, is the level of detail that can be provided. A quick look at the photos of M Fissore’s build at 1:48 provides amazement at the detail, finish and skills in making such a model. But bigger models require more wood and space.


 
Smaller models are the reverse. One question is that of rope. The sizes at this scale should be 0.2-0.6mm. My smallest thread is 0.3mm, which means I have to drill 0.4mm holes for the sheaves. This is probably ok visually, but the problems for me come with making the smallest blocks while still retaining the shape of blocks. At 1:100, the smallest blocks would have to be 1.49 x 1.19 x 0.76.  The smallest block I found I could make comfortably was 2.27mm long, which certainly looks a bit large for the blocks holding the tiller.


 
I could try to buy manufactured blocks (e.g. photo-etched), but I like the challenge of making things myself whenever possible. I suppose I will just have to try harder in future, but for the moment I’m sticking to 2.27mm blocks.


 
On the subject of detail, as usual I discarded the idea of treenailing as they would be next to invisible at this scale, and only displayed larger bolts, as for the bitts.


 
THE FRAMEWORK

I prepared a suitable holding frame from card and used the frame stations as sites for the bulkheads. So far, so ordinary.
 

 

 
I used a copy of the base from which to cut the spacers between the bulkheads so they remained at right angles to the longitudinal spine.
 

 
The stem, keel and stern were cut in card as one single piece, and fitted into corresponding grooves in the frames. I much regretted not making them from wood. Although I had strengthened all the parts with gesso, this proved inadequate to resist the problems of chafing, distortion and sanding during the handling of the model. CA glue might have been more effective, but I found even that not enough when I tried to use it on the tops of the bulkheads and the stem.
 

 
The base for the deck was then installed.

 

 
Followed by card plates for the flat bottom.

 

 
My problems started when I tried to emulate those card modellers who fill between the bulkheads. It feels like I’m starting modelling all over again as I clearly botched it this time! But I put it all down to the necessary learning experience.


 
I used a water-based filler made up from powder to fill the spaces between the bulkheads. This was supposed to avoid the problem of an irregular surface when I came to applying the sheets of card over the bulkheads to serve as a surface for the planking. I made the paste as thick as possible in order to avoid much shrinkage, but there were some essential problems which I failed to overcome.


 
First was the contraction of the filler as it dried, making it difficult to have an absolutely flush surface to the hull.

Second was the difficulty of providing an accurate base for the deck as it curved in both directions.

Third was the discovery that the water from the filler distorted the card both of the deck base and the bulkheads themselves – making it difficult to keep them square to each other. This also resulted in making the timberheads distorted and expanded. This problem might have been avoided if I had covered the bulkheads with CA glue in advance. The gesso only absorbed the water. I think in future I'll go for filling with wood blocks as these can be shaped so much more easily.

Finally, I came to realise that I had to leave a space for the mast, and this made filling of that area rather tricky, again rising to distortion in the framework.

 

 
This is where the wooden parts of the build began. I started on the waterway, which I cut from 0.5mm thick pear wood. This would stand in contrast to the deck planking which would be from lime wood.

 

 
This was followed by the deck planking, using 2mm strips of lime 0.5mm thick, so as to be close to scale as possible.
 

 

 
After completing the waterways and the deck planking I moved on to pasting strips of card to act as the base for the hull planking.

 

 
A strip of low-tack transparent tape was laid on which the outline of the top sides could be traced, and then cut out on some pear wood.

 

 

 

 
The wales were made from card, again something I later regretted when it came to sanding as they proved very easy to fray at the edges.

 

 
The hull planking was also made from card. This was ok until I tried sanding it. I found that my sanding produced a really dreadful surface for painting. It led me to understand why so many card modellers then use a plasticised laminate for the planking. More experienced card modellers have somehow cracked the problem, producing beautiful surfaces, but I have still to learn and practice much!


 
I thus decided I would complete the upper planking in wood to make my life easier. In addition, because the sternpost was by then quite distorted, I replaced the card version with a wooden one for strength as well as appearance, since it would have to hold the pintles for the rudder.

 

 
The rudder

I completed the initial basic structure with the rudder, using a 0.5mm hole for the tiller. The photo shows the brass rod I used to check the angle of the tiller.

 

 
I ended by making up the ironwork for the rudder in the usual ways.

 

 
Till next time!
 
Tony
 
 

Some more done on Le Rochforte.  Another 720 bolts drilled and glued in - I find this job strangely therapeutic and relaxing which is just as well.  I've also thicknessed and cut the wood for the final 5 frames at the stern all of which are rising frames.  These bring up a new challenge as they are built on chocks on the half floor side.  It's been nice to look at the plans and understand them without scratching my head too.  Tomorrow I'll hopefully get all of these parts sanded to shape and then start the assembly.
 
 

Hi Clogger - On frame 2 the floor side of the frame is the tallest.  All of the floor side cuts have a solid line and this marks out the individual pieces.  Similarly the dotted lines mark out the half floor side and this is the same for all of the frames.  I'm sorry that I've not posted anything but our heating system at home has been causing us major issues.  I've had to cut holes in the drywall to find a problem and its taking up a lot of my time to get it sorted out.  Attached are a couple of pictures of frame 2 for you.

Fore capstan.

window construction:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started the construction of the bottles and treated the bridge with a coat of shellac

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Implementation of howitzers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning.

I wanted to have a lighter craddle for the 74, so I did another the V4 version.
 
V1: as usual on wheels. The biggest disadvantage no height adjustment. I repeat it working at the good height, makes the difference.
 
V2: Transformed an hydraulic chair into a height adjustable hydraulic piston. I added a blocking mechanism on the piston so that the table does not turn around the piston.
 
V3:  Transformed a dentist chair into a height adjustable table. The angle of the table was adjustable too but there was no real use to it. It was heavy and as I grow older, i do not get stronger. The way to make the table to move in a more easier way is to change the wheels. I bought a 8 inches sets that I will receive in a few weeks.
 
V4: Additionally, I decided to change, again the table for an electric table. The 2 most important  specs are the minimum height adjustment and the weight it can lift. This table is rated for 275 pounds. The model weight around 100  and the cherry wood table between 30 and 60 pounds. The only thing I kept from the previous chair are the wheel base that I have temporarily fit until I receive the new wheel set. Actually the 2 wood bases are parallel to the feet. In the last photo, at the maximum height, we can observe that the leg want to open slightly. With the new wheel set, the wood base will be perpendicular to the metal feet, this way the feet will not move.

For the last 2 weeks, I continued the ceiling lighting. The first upgrade was to continue to replace fluorescent tubes with LED tube. The cost is becoming more reasonable as time goes. This is the easiest way to get  a very interesting lighting.
 
Also, I continued the studio lighting with video LED panels on the ceiling which are very helpful for photography. Usually when we have one  light fixture, it is installed on a tripod. But when many lights are used, the footprint of all the tripods on the floor is embarrassing because it is difficult to move around easily. The easy way to reduce the footprint is to transfer the light to the ceiling. Photography store sell fixtures for this but these are excessively expensive. Since a few years, I did use the lathe extensively to adapt some "light holders". I did experienced with few prototypes adapting light stand  accessories. The  systm for a simple holder is light, metal rod and balanced by a counterweight to easily  change the angle. At the begining of the year, I found another type of accessories which could help to hold some LED lights. I ordered music Drum hardware. After now 2 months, I am still waiting for some chrome tubing jammed at Fedex Memphis.  I did a control board for all the switches, it is easier this way to light up.
 
With this, a lot of wiring, I found 2 little gadgets very helpful. The first one is rolls of velcro tie wrap. In contrary of traditional tie wrap which are not reusable, the velcro ones are. The other one is to pre drill holes for screws. I often assembles pieces of wood  with screws and I tried many versions of this tool. The last one I tried, is called  screw digger bit by Wolfcraft. In comparison with all the others, this one is extremely performing. One of the reasons id because the drill bit is tapered.

Aawww! 
How does it look when LED strips are on? Never tried lighting from that angle, can you show a few photos?  

Hi Guys,
 
Not much inspiration today... so just a small update 🙃
 
So far mizzen and main mast are done with shrouds and lanyards.
Just one more to go... foremast.
 
Few quick photos.
 
Single shroud and my way of making eye.
I'm cutting end of served rope at angle and forming an eye.
One drop of CA to keep this in desire shape and hand made serving over the glue point.
 

 

 
 
Main mast head with laid sequence of tackles and shrouds.
 

 
 
...and quick shoot on channel with lanyards.
 

 
 
Cheers,
Matt

Thanks Steven
 
yes I know the place and even more I am subscribed to their news letter. Jejeje
 
I am amazed with that ship. In the meantime.... fighting with my Quanzhou