ASAT

Robert, your build is impressive, I can't believe the success you are having with your first build. Your carriages are outstanding, as good as I have seen on any build. Lots of great info on your techniques as well. I will continue to look in on your build and use your ideas as a reference for improving my ability's. 

Lou

Mark, I will try that - the scissors does really curl the strip and you need to straighten it up. Do you bend the sheet or the strip that you scored?  (if that makes sense).

Thanks Floyd, yes I passed them through - the POB plans showed them as going through the jib boom and terminating at the hull with deadeyes. Next time I will try and simulate some sheaves in the jib boom though - would look better....

Robert, thanks for looking in and the affirmation, I will check out your Mars build as well....

Ron, (rlb) - I forgot to thank you for looking in, thanks for the kind words, I hope to one day be able to have the tenacity to rip out a mistake and start over - it always amazes me to see you guys do that and it ends up looking like you never made the mistake....

I used some sheet stock that my wife had - I scored it first with a utility knife (thanks Krug) and then I cut along the scoreline with scissors... clean up the edges and shape the ends with sandpaper

A few close ups of the area.... It's been fun so far, lots of oh crap's and do over's but I'm liking the overall effect.... now on to the foremast backstays and main mast....

Lou

More rigging - bowsprit and forestays completed.... rigging is definitely not my best suit, but I am learning more with every effort.....

Blackie, I like all the little nuances in our builds, sort of a reflection of our individuality.... I keep bouncing between your rigging drawings and the POB plans, the bowspit is getting pretty busy.....

The wire I used is .75mm and the sheet stock is .26mm

Richard, did you have to taper the bearding area and the stern post area or is the keel and sternpost wide enough to accept the planks? Like your decision not to use the patterns...

Lou

Very nice AJ - Really enjoyed your Freisland build as well. I know you mentioned RA getting the best of you and only building a couple more ships... would it be any easier if you built in a larger scale? Like some of the 1/24 and 1/36 cross sections over in scratch built forum? I hope you can continue for a long time....

Lou

Thanks Bill, I can't wait to see your heart and soul revealed in your POB build, I know it's going to be great! 

Floyd, I set the rake at 9 degrees as indicated on Blackies foremast drawing.... I like it better than the massive 14-16 degree rake on POB.  Get yours planked dude, it goes pretty quick from there.... Blackie and Krug are doing all the hard work for us....

Lou

You bet, I forgot to add that your bulkheads look symmetrical but you can check them by tracing their outline and then fold the tracings on the centerlines. That would give you a reference to shim or trim depeding on the shape on the plans. I pretty much forego that step anymore as I usually do all of my shimming and trimmingduring the fairing process before planking, but it does reveal any gross disparity. Is the bearding line depicted on the plans? If not, just flow a nice curve where the rabbit and bulkheads start deviating at the last few bulkheads. The sternpost joining area is the critical dimension so you have enough clearance to run the planking fair into the sternpost.

Lou

Bill, thatmuch varience is to be expected, plans will shrink / expand depending on humidity. The bearding line can be set with reference to the bottom of the bulkheads and corresponding to the plan, just fudge them a bit to cover the discrepency and you will be OK...

Lou

Wow Mark, those blocks (v2) look real! Where do you get your ideas from? I need to start a file on all the great techniques here on MSW. I think your figurehead idea is spot on as well.

Lou

Ron, that binnacle is at least half the size of the one I made andI had a heck of a time with some of the smaller pieces. Well done and very pleasing to the eye. The skylight is off the hook! Hinges? I am in awe!!

Lou

Elia, beautiful as usual, that yellow stripe has got to be tiny! I don't see it wavering in the pics..... Your metal work is just awesome - those details are what set you and Ron and a few others on here apart from us mere mortals... great to see you back at it!

Lou

Thanks Elia, good to see you back on the Arethusa.... Blackie - if you want a mini how to on those "tricky" chainplates, check out Elias metal work on his Arethusa log.

Lou

Your planking looks great AJ, nibbing them looks great too but if you mess it up, you rip out the waterway and start over. Plus they are a pain to cut accurately.....  Nice build!

Channel and chain plate close up....

Blackie, I used brass strips and brass wire rings - bent them to sort of follow the POB plans. I will take a picture and post it....

Another overall shot and started on the fore gaff....  close up on deadeyes...

Been doing some rigging..... decided not to install the bowsprit spacer as I had already chamfered the deck end of the bow sprit, been tying a bunch of ratlines which I do not relish - don't know how you guys persevere on those three master's....  

Bill, as to the bulkheads - get some basswood or equivalent ply at your local hobby store and make some new ones... much easier than fighting the wood. The Wenge does  have some pretty large grain - I prefer walnut, bubinga, or many of the rosewoods depending on the color scheme I am trying to achieve  for Keel, stem, top rail, etc. but in the end it's your ship so go for what you like...

Lou

Sherry, nice work.... maybe a nice golden oak stain and then some satin poly? Chuck P. has used that combo on basswood and it seems to give it a nice amberish hue as well as help to highlight (darken) the more recessed areas. Might give it some color as well as intensify the excellent carving work. 

Lou

Thanks for those drawings, I will be using them as I progress, starting on the bowsprit now...

Lou

I have used it for planking on my Syren as it is a nice yellow color - I try not to use paint on my models when wood will suffice. It is a nice hard wood that stays straight after milling, sands and machines well and has very little noticeable grain so it is perfect for a lot of applications in ship modeling - framing, fittings, planking, masts and yards etc... I get mine form Macbeath Hardwoods but I have a store 40 miles from me in SLC - it is a reasonably priced wood for an imported exotic.....

Lou