augie

I'll be checking back here as well. Nice job!

Good stuff, Popeye! Hey, instead of a picture, how about a small section of a map to look like a chart of the coast?

That last shot is the golden ticket. It reveals all that's gone on to get to this point. Beautiful!

That was quick, my friend. The color will settle in with time. She seems to grow with every update --- and now 4 boats!!!

Thanks, Popeye. Be interested to see if it takes paint well. Keep us posted.

Take your time. Yes, the pinning idea helps a lot.

I think the bands look good.

Seeing that last plank go in brings a big smile for today. Go do some 'drillin' and fillin' !! Gorgeous!

A lot of fine details coming together. Wish I could help on the 'black box'.......access to a chain locker???? Are you using that thin liquid glue on the styrene?

The method suggested by Bill works very well. An additional benefit is that the line going through the hole doesn't stick out in front of the pin rail and make it hard for you to attach the pre-made coil. Just be absolutely sure you have the right tension on the line before you glue in the pin.

Lots of things going on there! That 'unflattering photo' looks great from here!

Nice bars, nice paint. And very nice Confed. That Hahn full framing is way beyond my capabilities.

Haven't really made enough progress for a proper update but there's something important I need to point out ... and now is the time. The bulkhead beakhead doors were made the usual way by laminating 3 sections together, thinning them down, applying the finish and hardware. They required only minor adjustments to fit the openings properly. The two outermost doors will be covered by the roundhouses down the road. Next, we fabricated the bowsprit step out of 3/16 and 1/4" strips. After painting, it was securely pinned to the deck: OK, here's what I wanted to discuss. The bowsprit hole in the beakhead is quite a bit undersized for the bowsprit. The bowsprit will be tapered but the hole still needs to be enlarged. With the stem already in place, getting the proper angle and size on that hole is somewhat problematic. Also, the next steps will include installing additional deck fittings as well as forecastle deck beams which will largely cover the bowsprit step. I could visualize painting myself into a corner and being unable to properly fit the bowsprit 6 months from now. So I fabricated and aligned this NOW and I'd strongly suggest you do something similar. If you check Rusty's great Confed log you'll see that he left off the upper part of the stem (that which holds the figurehead) at this point ----that would give you room to work. But I didn't think that far ahead. I don't like breaking out my dad's old Craftsman 1/2" drill for work on a 1:64 ship model. So I slowly enlarged the hole using slightly tapered sticks (old paint brush handles) wrapped in sandpaper. Yes, it's just this side of Neanderthal (and slow) but it works..... and nothing got destroyed in the process. Here's what we have: The bowsprit has a tenon cut in to sit nicely in the step. That will need to be painted red just prior to final installation. Didn't mean to bore anyone with this as I'm sure you all know it's good to think ahead. But now my conscience is clear.

A week? Maybe ---- maybe not!!! Just keep in mind that each piece of wood has it's own mind so if the first doesn't work, try another. I know Dirk used something he called 'Bendable Beech' but I'm not sure it's from Earth.

Really coming together now John!

Hey guys...lighten up. Augie is not a 'master'. Syren was essentially my first ship. I just keep good notes It's always good to get Chuck's blessing when you get blown off course a bit. And now we can all breath a sigh of relief. Also heed his advice that the final sanding of those lintels comes after the planks are laid so you have some strength there. I'm really glad the 'new' Syren crew is enjoying the build. Back in the Dark Ages (MSW 1.0), we had a Syren thread and when you opened it you saw about 12 ongoing projects.....one better than the next. Hope you've checked some of that out. Of course we now have Dirk who keeps setting the bar higher for everyone!

Great work, Sal. Hull looks spectacular. Transom shaping up. Don't you just love the dummy canon idea? If I recall, the cap strip over the top of the transom comes next. Be very patient here. May take one or two extra trys but it can be done!

As long as the top of the sill is at the correct height, and the gunport opening the right height as well, you should be ok. But since the height of the gunports is so important, I'd zip off a PM to Chuck and get his read on it.

If something must be glued to wood having a finish, you can try poking tiny holes through the finish with a fine, sharp needle. This will allow the glue to find its' way down into the wood and improve adhesion. It's still not as strong as unfinished/unfinished.

That deck is a real gem with that weathering. Great effect!

Looking really top notch. Now the fun begins with the lower hull. Take your time and enjoy it!

I have the utmost respect for the folks who roll out the mills and lathes to turn this kind of thing out. But seeing it done this way ---- and so beautifully ---- brings a smile that lasts all day. Really first rate, mate.

Beautifully clean work all around.

Thanks to all for stopping by once again. John - yes, the details are fun......if sometimes a bit frustrating. Rich -- no, the pumps don't work. But at my elevation, no need to worry. I know there are many craftsmen on board who wouldn't rest until they did !!

The quarterdeck details, beams, carlings and knees have been completed: With that, we bid fare thee well to the stern and turn our attention to the long forgotten bow. Before tearing into it, I've prepared the beams and knees to go under the forecastle deck. These will be set as we install the bow details: