glbarlow

I am enjoying your build log! You are doing a nice job, and have convinced me that I should purchase this kit.  I'm getting a lot from it!
 
Bill

I have noticed having a nice camera has its drawbacks - I see things in these photos I didn't and don't see when I look with my eyes...
 
Instructions are like Italians and red lights, merely a suggestion. I decided at some point to work back to front so now my model is essentially finished from the quarterdeck to the stern rail. I haven't looked at the instruction book in a long time. It is a bit of a pain though as Amati provided an instruction book, a second book for the hull (or some of it), and the plans. Some things for the hull are in the plans and some in the hull book - the instruction book isn't much help.
 

 
I had panicked a bit when I couldn't find the curved railing that bridges the poop and quarterdeck - that's because unlike the Pegasus kit, there wasn't one. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, though curving about ½ inch of 5 mm wood isn't the easiest thing to do. One discovery I made is that the supplied laser cut rails are about 4mm, so thanks to my trusting Byrnes saw I could trim the portions of the rail that that called for 5mm strip.
 

 
Those dedicated to accuracy will note I used cannons on the poop deck and not carronades. Due to not having a place this model other than a bookshelf, it won't have masts (I ran enough string on Pegasus and prior models to be content...) I didn't like the look of the carronades - thus cannon. I also thought the cannon balls made the deck look busy, so my ship is on a humanitarian mission and is unarmed. I did leave the stubs loose though in case someday I go crazy at seeing a ship with no masts.
 

 
Cutting and fitting the poop deck rails is an exercise in patience - with the curve of the stern not exactly matching the curve of the rails (close, but some bending required) I couldn't build them off the ship, so it was bottom up, lining up the stanchions with the top pieces as I went. What fun.
 

 
All in all I'm happy with the results of the back half of the ship - it may not be accurate but its pretty enough to occupy a bookshelf. I'm leaving the hammock holders and stanchions for mid ship until after the ship's boats are installed and I'm not as likely to bend or knock them off while working on the bow.
 
On previous model build logs I've been asked about the paint. I'm a total fan of Caldercraft Admiralty paints. They claim they are historically accurate, whether that's true of not they are nice shades, cover well, and go on easy.
 

 
I've turned my attention to the bow, and again ignoring instructions. As everyone who's build a model knows this is a tricky area. I spent a day dry-fitting and testing how things would go together including the bowsprit and the figurehead. I was amazed and how much carving, modifying, and filing I had to do to simply get the figurehead to fit beneath the bowsprit. I had to lower the "seat" (front notch) and extensively file off the back of the guys fur collar (of course after I'd spent hours painting him). I did this after discovering the best fit was with the head and neck flush with the stem, not above it. I'm very glad of dry-fitting - it would have been so much harder to "fix" the fit if the headrails were installed (as would have happened if I had followed the directions). In this photo he's just dry-fitted, I may have to tilt him a bit later.
 

 
It's a fact of modeling that every bow and stern on every model turns out a bit different. I discovered the first trim piece (the curved yellow one with the circle at the top) was going to be a tough fit. Turned out for me it was 2.5mm too long. I found the best way to get a good and accurate fit was to first install the howser hole trim boards - those I had to trim down by 1.5-2mm to get the proper height. They really are the anchor point of every other part of the head rails, I don't know why the instructions would say to put the other stuff on first when its so much easier to start with the howser trim (which to follow the curve of the bow requires some fun bending). That done it was much easier to fit that trim piece the instructions had said to do first.
 

 
I'm not happy to see how far off the four cheek pieces that come next, they aren't even close - so its back to sand-fit-sand-fit-sand- oops don't go to far, can't put it back. Back to the sanding I go.

I have noticed having a nice camera has its drawbacks - I see things in these photos I didn't and don't see when I look with my eyes...
 
Instructions are like Italians and red lights, merely a suggestion. I decided at some point to work back to front so now my model is essentially finished from the quarterdeck to the stern rail. I haven't looked at the instruction book in a long time. It is a bit of a pain though as Amati provided an instruction book, a second book for the hull (or some of it), and the plans. Some things for the hull are in the plans and some in the hull book - the instruction book isn't much help.
 

 
I had panicked a bit when I couldn't find the curved railing that bridges the poop and quarterdeck - that's because unlike the Pegasus kit, there wasn't one. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, though curving about ½ inch of 5 mm wood isn't the easiest thing to do. One discovery I made is that the supplied laser cut rails are about 4mm, so thanks to my trusting Byrnes saw I could trim the portions of the rail that that called for 5mm strip.
 

 
Those dedicated to accuracy will note I used cannons on the poop deck and not carronades. Due to not having a place this model other than a bookshelf, it won't have masts (I ran enough string on Pegasus and prior models to be content...) I didn't like the look of the carronades - thus cannon. I also thought the cannon balls made the deck look busy, so my ship is on a humanitarian mission and is unarmed. I did leave the stubs loose though in case someday I go crazy at seeing a ship with no masts.
 

 
Cutting and fitting the poop deck rails is an exercise in patience - with the curve of the stern not exactly matching the curve of the rails (close, but some bending required) I couldn't build them off the ship, so it was bottom up, lining up the stanchions with the top pieces as I went. What fun.
 

 
All in all I'm happy with the results of the back half of the ship - it may not be accurate but its pretty enough to occupy a bookshelf. I'm leaving the hammock holders and stanchions for mid ship until after the ship's boats are installed and I'm not as likely to bend or knock them off while working on the bow.
 
On previous model build logs I've been asked about the paint. I'm a total fan of Caldercraft Admiralty paints. They claim they are historically accurate, whether that's true of not they are nice shades, cover well, and go on easy.
 

 
I've turned my attention to the bow, and again ignoring instructions. As everyone who's build a model knows this is a tricky area. I spent a day dry-fitting and testing how things would go together including the bowsprit and the figurehead. I was amazed and how much carving, modifying, and filing I had to do to simply get the figurehead to fit beneath the bowsprit. I had to lower the "seat" (front notch) and extensively file off the back of the guys fur collar (of course after I'd spent hours painting him). I did this after discovering the best fit was with the head and neck flush with the stem, not above it. I'm very glad of dry-fitting - it would have been so much harder to "fix" the fit if the headrails were installed (as would have happened if I had followed the directions). In this photo he's just dry-fitted, I may have to tilt him a bit later.
 

 
It's a fact of modeling that every bow and stern on every model turns out a bit different. I discovered the first trim piece (the curved yellow one with the circle at the top) was going to be a tough fit. Turned out for me it was 2.5mm too long. I found the best way to get a good and accurate fit was to first install the howser hole trim boards - those I had to trim down by 1.5-2mm to get the proper height. They really are the anchor point of every other part of the head rails, I don't know why the instructions would say to put the other stuff on first when its so much easier to start with the howser trim (which to follow the curve of the bow requires some fun bending). That done it was much easier to fit that trim piece the instructions had said to do first.
 

 
I'm not happy to see how far off the four cheek pieces that come next, they aren't even close - so its back to sand-fit-sand-fit-sand- oops don't go to far, can't put it back. Back to the sanding I go.

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Never mind - I finally found in your log that you created that by bending some 1x5mm board.  It just seems surprising to me they'd create such an obvious curve on the model and not provide a part to fit it.  And as significantly the neither manual included with the model nor the plans ever say or show anything about it.  My Pegasus had a similar height shift on the hull and there was a part for it.
 
Not cool Chris Watten and Amati, not cool
 
So now I know I need to make something.  Thanks for the trouble...

Where did you find the curved pieces for the cap rails?  I cannot locate them in my kit.

Surely I'm missing something in my Amati Vanguard kit.  There should be 6 curved pieces that are part of the cap rails 2 curving from the poop deck 2 near midships, and 2 from the forecastle.  I see them installed on other Amati Vanguard build logs but I cannot find them in my kit or on the plans showing the parts.
 
Can someone point me where to find them in this kit?  I must be looking right past them, its quite frustrating knowing they must be there somewhere

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Turns out I needed only about 25 copper plates to finish - so about $50 and 3 weeks later I've finished the coppering and have plenty of copper for some other project. It's weird that I had enough for the starboard but not enough for the port.  If anything I was more efficient on the port.  Oh well, its done.  The ship is very heavy now.
 
I've finished the upper gun deck - as far as I'm coning to finish it.  I've decided I've built out enough cannon kits in my life so only those gunport that didn't havet lids have cannon mounted, plus a few extra for whatever you might be able to see once the main deck is installed.  The gunports with lids are closed and will remain that way.  I did all the cleaver work of open ports on Pegasus.  Vanguard is enroute with no imminent threat of attack so the ports are closed:-)
 
If you look close at the photos you'll see some plywood spacers between the outer hull and inner bulkhead.  These insure both hulls have some extra support and were helpful in holding things steady when the gunports were cut.
    The cross beams that will remain exposed by the main deck were a bit of a challenge.  There is no "kit" way of mounting them, basically they are force fit between the bulkheads which is fine if you ship is built perfectly, unfortunately mine isn't so I had to sand a few to make them squeeze between the bulkheads.  Gluing, aligning to the plan measurements, and not wrecking the bulkheads took some pre-positioning and dry-fitting to get it all right.       I did two things to help myself.  I did the measurement work to determine where the ship's boats tie downs need to be and drilled those eyelets in before installing the beam.  The cradles are a bit tall, I figured I'd break one in the remaining build process so I'll not install those to later.   I wasn't comfortable with the "squeeze fit" for the beam that supports the forecastle of the main deck.  So using the stock the beams came from I created a new beam that was long enough that I could cut notches (very carefully to get the right depth) into the bulkheads.  I'm now confident this beam will support the weight and any pressure I might apply during the rest of the build.     It also took a bit of sanding on the edges of the beams after installation to ensure the main deck is flush to the deck amidships.  If there is one absolute of modeling it is that dry-fitting is an essential skill as in pre-planning what is easier now that later (which the instructions or plans never offer) like the eyelets for the ship's boat's tie downs.  It's not that it can't be done later, its just that its so much easier to do some things before installation (or before the installation of something else that obstructs the path getting to it).   So now on to the main deck.  My two year break is apparently over.

I have both the Byrnes saw and disc sander.  They are more than worth the cost, spending money on any other saw is a waste.  I find many uses for both and frankly don't know what I'd do without them or how I did anything before I got them.  
 
There are 4 pages of replies as testament to how good they are.  The answer to you question is yes, you absolutely need them.

I have both the Byrnes saw and disc sander.  They are more than worth the cost, spending money on any other saw is a waste.  I find many uses for both and frankly don't know what I'd do without them or how I did anything before I got them.  
 
There are 4 pages of replies as testament to how good they are.  The answer to you question is yes, you absolutely need them.

I have both the Byrnes saw and disc sander.  They are more than worth the cost, spending money on any other saw is a waste.  I find many uses for both and frankly don't know what I'd do without them or how I did anything before I got them.  
 
There are 4 pages of replies as testament to how good they are.  The answer to you question is yes, you absolutely need them.

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Continuing to making progress. The Vanguard is now fully decked and the main deck is finished. Next step is the various rails on the forecastle and poop deck plus the cap rails and finishing up the poop deck furniture.
 

 
As you can see in the photos for now I'm not planning to add the masts, so I have stubs cut to finish off the mast holes. These aren't glued in so I can come back some day and add them if I want. Its simply a case of not having a place to put a finished 3 ft long, 3 foot high model. Plus I've been there, done that with my 7 prior models. This one is just about building a '74 on a relaxed pace without the extreme attention to detail and accuracy of models like my Pegasus.
 
I deviated from the plans with the support beam for the poop deck. Like I had to do with the beams where the boats will sit and the finished beam for the forecastle, I cut a notch in the bulwarks the exact right height and width required to match the beam and decking.
 

 
I added a rope to the wheel that wasn't mentioned in the plans. Not sure why, now that the poop deck is installed, it will never be seen again - but I feel better about myself :-)
 

 
I also decided on simple breech rope rigging for the cannon - I've done the full blocks and tackle on my prior models, but it required ordering custom blocks. The ones supplied with the kit are way out of scale for this purpose in my opinion, with as little as the cannon are seen and this 1/72 scale of this model I am content with the simpler approach.
 

 
If I didn't mention it earlier, the decking is 4mm ash supplied by Hobby Mill. I like the its bright natural color, I've used this on my last 4 models and will continue to use it for any future models. The discoloring is more pronounced in the photos than it actually is, this comes from the water based Poly I use to seal and finish all painted surfaces. It also doesn't shine like it appears as a result of the camera's flash.
 
The bulwarks were done with swiss pear, also from Hobby Mill mostly because the 4mm width seemed more to scale - but then it was painted red so this expensive wood's nice color is lost. Still the right choice - the 5mm walnut just looked to big (its used on the gun deck, but that really can't be seen much now).
 
The cabin bulwark matches the color scheme I chose (or made up I guess) but again its lost from view with the poop deck installed.
 

 
Its a really big model, with all the wood, pain and glue now on it, its also getting pretty heavy. I'm glad I modified the hull way back in the beginning to better anchor the mounting screws. If I'd just followed the plans and put them just through the keel the model would have split off the mounting base a long time ago.
 

Turns out I needed only about 25 copper plates to finish - so about $50 and 3 weeks later I've finished the coppering and have plenty of copper for some other project. It's weird that I had enough for the starboard but not enough for the port.  If anything I was more efficient on the port.  Oh well, its done.  The ship is very heavy now.
 
I've finished the upper gun deck - as far as I'm coning to finish it.  I've decided I've built out enough cannon kits in my life so only those gunport that didn't havet lids have cannon mounted, plus a few extra for whatever you might be able to see once the main deck is installed.  The gunports with lids are closed and will remain that way.  I did all the cleaver work of open ports on Pegasus.  Vanguard is enroute with no imminent threat of attack so the ports are closed:-)
 
If you look close at the photos you'll see some plywood spacers between the outer hull and inner bulkhead.  These insure both hulls have some extra support and were helpful in holding things steady when the gunports were cut.
    The cross beams that will remain exposed by the main deck were a bit of a challenge.  There is no "kit" way of mounting them, basically they are force fit between the bulkheads which is fine if you ship is built perfectly, unfortunately mine isn't so I had to sand a few to make them squeeze between the bulkheads.  Gluing, aligning to the plan measurements, and not wrecking the bulkheads took some pre-positioning and dry-fitting to get it all right.       I did two things to help myself.  I did the measurement work to determine where the ship's boats tie downs need to be and drilled those eyelets in before installing the beam.  The cradles are a bit tall, I figured I'd break one in the remaining build process so I'll not install those to later.   I wasn't comfortable with the "squeeze fit" for the beam that supports the forecastle of the main deck.  So using the stock the beams came from I created a new beam that was long enough that I could cut notches (very carefully to get the right depth) into the bulkheads.  I'm now confident this beam will support the weight and any pressure I might apply during the rest of the build.     It also took a bit of sanding on the edges of the beams after installation to ensure the main deck is flush to the deck amidships.  If there is one absolute of modeling it is that dry-fitting is an essential skill as in pre-planning what is easier now that later (which the instructions or plans never offer) like the eyelets for the ship's boat's tie downs.  It's not that it can't be done later, its just that its so much easier to do some things before installation (or before the installation of something else that obstructs the path getting to it).   So now on to the main deck.  My two year break is apparently over.

Turns out I needed only about 25 copper plates to finish - so about $50 and 3 weeks later I've finished the coppering and have plenty of copper for some other project. It's weird that I had enough for the starboard but not enough for the port.  If anything I was more efficient on the port.  Oh well, its done.  The ship is very heavy now.
 
I've finished the upper gun deck - as far as I'm coning to finish it.  I've decided I've built out enough cannon kits in my life so only those gunport that didn't havet lids have cannon mounted, plus a few extra for whatever you might be able to see once the main deck is installed.  The gunports with lids are closed and will remain that way.  I did all the cleaver work of open ports on Pegasus.  Vanguard is enroute with no imminent threat of attack so the ports are closed:-)
 
If you look close at the photos you'll see some plywood spacers between the outer hull and inner bulkhead.  These insure both hulls have some extra support and were helpful in holding things steady when the gunports were cut.
    The cross beams that will remain exposed by the main deck were a bit of a challenge.  There is no "kit" way of mounting them, basically they are force fit between the bulkheads which is fine if you ship is built perfectly, unfortunately mine isn't so I had to sand a few to make them squeeze between the bulkheads.  Gluing, aligning to the plan measurements, and not wrecking the bulkheads took some pre-positioning and dry-fitting to get it all right.       I did two things to help myself.  I did the measurement work to determine where the ship's boats tie downs need to be and drilled those eyelets in before installing the beam.  The cradles are a bit tall, I figured I'd break one in the remaining build process so I'll not install those to later.   I wasn't comfortable with the "squeeze fit" for the beam that supports the forecastle of the main deck.  So using the stock the beams came from I created a new beam that was long enough that I could cut notches (very carefully to get the right depth) into the bulkheads.  I'm now confident this beam will support the weight and any pressure I might apply during the rest of the build.     It also took a bit of sanding on the edges of the beams after installation to ensure the main deck is flush to the deck amidships.  If there is one absolute of modeling it is that dry-fitting is an essential skill as in pre-planning what is easier now that later (which the instructions or plans never offer) like the eyelets for the ship's boat's tie downs.  It's not that it can't be done later, its just that its so much easier to do some things before installation (or before the installation of something else that obstructs the path getting to it).   So now on to the main deck.  My two year break is apparently over.

Turns out I needed only about 25 copper plates to finish - so about $50 and 3 weeks later I've finished the coppering and have plenty of copper for some other project. It's weird that I had enough for the starboard but not enough for the port.  If anything I was more efficient on the port.  Oh well, its done.  The ship is very heavy now.
 
I've finished the upper gun deck - as far as I'm coning to finish it.  I've decided I've built out enough cannon kits in my life so only those gunport that didn't havet lids have cannon mounted, plus a few extra for whatever you might be able to see once the main deck is installed.  The gunports with lids are closed and will remain that way.  I did all the cleaver work of open ports on Pegasus.  Vanguard is enroute with no imminent threat of attack so the ports are closed:-)
 
If you look close at the photos you'll see some plywood spacers between the outer hull and inner bulkhead.  These insure both hulls have some extra support and were helpful in holding things steady when the gunports were cut.
    The cross beams that will remain exposed by the main deck were a bit of a challenge.  There is no "kit" way of mounting them, basically they are force fit between the bulkheads which is fine if you ship is built perfectly, unfortunately mine isn't so I had to sand a few to make them squeeze between the bulkheads.  Gluing, aligning to the plan measurements, and not wrecking the bulkheads took some pre-positioning and dry-fitting to get it all right.       I did two things to help myself.  I did the measurement work to determine where the ship's boats tie downs need to be and drilled those eyelets in before installing the beam.  The cradles are a bit tall, I figured I'd break one in the remaining build process so I'll not install those to later.   I wasn't comfortable with the "squeeze fit" for the beam that supports the forecastle of the main deck.  So using the stock the beams came from I created a new beam that was long enough that I could cut notches (very carefully to get the right depth) into the bulkheads.  I'm now confident this beam will support the weight and any pressure I might apply during the rest of the build.     It also took a bit of sanding on the edges of the beams after installation to ensure the main deck is flush to the deck amidships.  If there is one absolute of modeling it is that dry-fitting is an essential skill as in pre-planning what is easier now that later (which the instructions or plans never offer) like the eyelets for the ship's boat's tie downs.  It's not that it can't be done later, its just that its so much easier to do some things before installation (or before the installation of something else that obstructs the path getting to it).   So now on to the main deck.  My two year break is apparently over.

Looks like I'm back in business.  Cornwall has shipped the copper I need. Once in I can finish the coppering and move on to something more interesting.  I put a keel board (I've been gone so long I've forgotten the proper terms) on the keel to finish off the copper there using a 5mm strip of hull planking and stained it natural.  Looks much neater than just wrapping the copper.
 
There is no good way I found to finish off the bow and stern except a single width of copper plating. (that's what the book says to do anyway).  I have to say I'm proud of a lot of the work I've done on past ships, the Pegasus especially, but I'm not particularly proud or thrilled with my copper work.  Its on (mostly) and it looks ok, but not something I'll EVER repeat.  It single handedly stopped me from building ship models for 2 years until I finally decided to just do it (maybe inspired by Nike commercials) but I don't recommend it.  Though I'd done it on my much smaller Pickle I think there is enough copper on the Vanguard to (if converted to 14 gauge wire) to wire my work room.  Yay...
 
I'd post a photo but the port side looks like the starboard side above...

Keith, Thank you for the link.  I had searched Cornwall's site and failed to locate the copper plating.  With your link I was able to place the order, I appreciate it!

Thanks - I sent them and Cornwall an email along with Amati.  Seems like something you should be able to find.  
 
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.