glbarlow

The Quarterdeck (from the beginning, repeating a couple of update photos) The post is so long it is posted in two parts - couldn’t upload all the photos in one. That’s probably telling me something, anyway…. Part 1 Chapter 10 is all about the quarterdeck. So with some reluctance in covering up all the knees I began with the outer layer of planking. It’s pretty straightforward, beginning full width and ending with a taper consistent with the included template. It is obviously critical to have the centerline deck furniture, well centered. Finding that point can be a bit challenging. My way of finding it is once again using my handy laser level. It’s oddly satisfying to watch the laser lighted line go through the center of hatches ending with a little red dot on the stem. Once aligned I just pencil a line across the wood beams, using the light beam. It’s back to coaming and hatches. With Chuck’s lasered parts these are so much easier than Cheerful and my past models. Aside from more char removal it’s just about carefully squaring them up. Make up some hatches from a Syren mini-kit and jig, then sand to fit. The important is sanding the hatch pieces to near wafer thin until all the char is gone, keeping the curve, for the best look and a nice tight fit in the coamings. Then some placement testing based on the capstan partners and centerline and I’m ready to paint and install the hatches. Good time for the companion way ladder. These are nicely made laser cut pieces, again more char removal. Actually a lot of char removal as I want to leave them natural. While assembling is straightforward, they can be a bit of a challenge (and annoying) to get aligned and square (yes the char still shown was remove, damn micro images). While I was there I also made the four posts. Making one using my Proxxon lathe and needle files is not that hard, making four near the same a little more so. I painted, added pins, located and drilled the coaming, then sat them aside for later (they don't really look this rough, did I say damn micro images already.. I don’t recall who to attribute this tape method of installing the ladder, it works. Lightly tape to the bottom step then run it up the front with a fold over at the top, After multiple test fits, add glue on the bottom and top back, in it goes using the tape with an assist from some blunt tweezers. First stage of center line complete. There are two schools of thought, not gluing these in before planking and doing so. I opted to glue them in and work around with the planking. At least for me that’s trading a tight fit of surrounding planking vs. a more thorough sanding of that planking, but there are sound reasons to go either way. Made up the binnacle and ships wheel for later installation. I elected to use the side graphic on the binnacle but not the back. The large graphic was just a bit much for me, just a personal choice. For fun I added compass faces to the little discs inside the binnacle. Like with the forecastle rather than the stacked three rings, I added a mast ring I made from a solid block of boxwood my Proxxon mill. I endeavored to keep the mizzen one simpler. The center planking requires planning and use of the supplied template. The planking naturally tapers from front to back but since the center five are interrupted with the partners and hatches, each section between has to be fit and tapered separately. Measure and measure again, cut a couple of times, eventually I got it right. The center outer planks, like the main deck and forecastle, are cut around the partners and hatches. The taper here though is more severe so it’s not just the cut outs (the difference between the partners and the two hatches either side is one millimeter, that was fun), its also matching up also the taper to keep the open area to the outer planks and even flow and equal on either side front to back. Just more careful measuring to match up not only the template but the nuances of my particular hull. Like the forecastle I marveled at the detail of the cap rails and scrolls before I started the model. Chuck’s design makes constructing these easy, just fit and glue the pieces together. Mine matched up with little adjustment other than the curved pieces, these are provided larger on purpose to match distance and angle it to my model’s hull. I cut the little spacers to ensure I didn’t push down too hard and to keep the rails at an equal height throughout, especially given from here to the transom they are done in sections. Continued in the next post…

Next up, mini animatronic people moving about the cabin. Nice about your daughter, my kids just ask when will I float my Winchelsea in the pool.

Thanks Eric and Rusty, much appreciated! Also, thank you for all the likes.

I'm near complete with Chapter 10 and will post more soon. Meanwhile, with the transom cap rail added the stern is officially complete. The model has come a long way from it being framed out, looks just a tad different now.

With each project the level of detail increases tenfold. Quite amazing.

Excellent work Dusan. Lots of details in this phase. Well done.

Amazing details.

That is a clever idea, wish I’d read this about a year ago when I did my port lids. Nice!

You’re putting a lot of hard work in this and I can see attracting a crowd interested in your research. I have no detailed questions, just impressed at what you’ve accomplished already.

Amazing craftsmanship. Well done! Excellent photography as well.

You have come such a long way since Speedy and the decision to go at it full time. Well done!

Thanks Chuck. Absolutely, I’ve been forward to these next steps, fun stuff.

Thank you!

Thanks Rusty, I kind of feel that it is…no more big stuff.

27 months after starting the Last Plank has been laid (More coats of WOP to come). The two center outer rows were a treat (that’s what I say when endeavoring to be positive).

Looking really nice, a unit set of new challenges to master, well done!

I can delete this photo, I generally don’t like other models in my log. However I thought sharing how my cheeks and hair brackets lined up might be of help, especially given how different they are or at least for comparison.

Thanks JJ, still seems like a long way to go, but I’m in no hurry to get there.

I always round off/bevel the bottom edge of one side of each plank to meet the not rounded edge of the plank it sits against. It gives me a much tighter fit. I rip my planks near 1/16th so I have plenty to sand off ending up with about 3/64ths thickness. I agree with Gregory, don’t chase it if you don’t see a path to recovery. More than once I’ve ripped off whole sections of hull planking to do it over, sometimes even a third time.

Continued progress on chapter 10. The deck furniture is just roughly sitting there, still more work to do on wheel plus the final outer row of planking to add. Mini-me dropped by, I like that he provides scale to see just how big this ship was in reality.

My Proxxon mill doubles as a drill press for my limited needs, it also works as a spindle sander. But if I find table specie for a drill press this looks like a nice option, thanks for sharing.

Nice, I’ll use this technique for the quarterdeck guns. This should work great with a lighter look on those rails.

I always use Bob Smith Industries CA Medium Insta-cure purple bottle for planking. Not because I have to use CA but because I want to. Never direct from the bottle, from thin CA applicators also from Bob Smith.

The jigs and alignment designs are really clever, and we all gotta love those large rubber bands. Your nice work continues, well, nicely. Not just the build but the designing aspect, a talent that is well beyond me but one I admire.

Nice looking Flirt, well done. The number one rule of modeling is time to build is not a qualifier, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re enjoying yourself. The .1mm thread looks fine as ratlines, definitely don’t want anything thicker.