druxey

That brings a smile to my face as well, Alan! Merry Christmas!

Russ: no formal bibliography, but various works are cited in the author's foreword. There is also a good glossary of nautical terms (probably unnecessary for this audience!) at the back of the book which I should also have mentioned.

I was fortunate enough to be presented with this book for Christmas. The fact that I'm already posting a review on Boxing Day tells you what a gripping read it is! There are many books about the founding of modern Australia in 1787-1788. Rob Mundle is a practical sailor as well as engaging writer, so writes about what he knows. He lays out the perils involved in the voyages, as well as the founding of the penal colony on what is now Sydney. The saga, interlaced with eye-witness accounts, is a compelling one. The historical background to the grand plan of transporting convicts from England is clearly sketched out. The First Fleet was remarkably well planned by Captain Arthur Phillip, especially given the politics and bureaucracy of the day. The preparation, the arduous voyage and the difficulties of the earliest days of settlement are vividly described. There are many anecdotes about the convicts and their activities, legal and otherwise. The first contacts with the Aboriginal population are also described, as well as the conflicts that arose. There are lengthy appendices with lists of seamen, marines and officers on the different ships in the fleet, as well as an alphabetical listing of the convicts, their ages and offences, sentences, occupation (if any!) and the ship they were assigned to. All in all, a book I thoroughly recommend. The First Fleet, Rob Mundle, ABC Books/Harper Collins Australia Pty Limited ISBN 978 0 7333 3236 4 (Hardback) ISBN 978 1 4607 0062 4 (ebook)

Planking would be 'dubbed fair' as Chidokan suggests.

Merry Christmas to you as well, Ben.

Snow is very convincing, Ed! Is there nothing you can't do? A very merry Christmas to you.

Lovely! Season's greetings, Jürgen!

Very, very nice work, Alberto. She is looking lovely.

The round metal bar carrying boom tackle across the stern was called a horse, I believe.

Yes, Antscherl's models are somewhat stylized. White stuff would end just above the waterline and wood (perhaps oiled) be seen above.

To reduce the transparency of certain reds, the first coat of paint should have a little white mixed in. This will create a dark pink but, panic not! The subsequent coat or two of red alone will give sufficient coverage.

Congratulations on a lovely model, Matija. It's always nice to see something different. Your model has some very interesting details.

Well done: completed on time! More work than you originally thought, eh? I hope the recipient appreciates all you've put into the model.

Bill's advice is excellent: you need to both collect dust at source and filter the ambient air in the room/workshop.

A tilting table is a useful feature at times. Have you checked out the DeWalt 778 (assuming it's available in your part of the world)? Mine has given years of trouble-free service.

The dull powdery grey color of zinc could easily be simulated with matt grey paint.

Vinegar does the trick and is relatively safe, but is very slow in acting. I'm not sure what good salt will do: vinegar is an acid, salt is a base. They will counteract each other.

Every time you post your progress, you make me smile. Thanks, Ed!

Ouch! Hope the rework goes all right for you.

As noted, this topic has been discussed at length before. Search the archives for the back story. Two of many issues in the AOS series are inconsistency between drawings and inaccuracy of constructional detail. Some books are better than others, but there is no substitute for research from primary (that is to say, contemporary to the time period) sources.

The issue is not necessarily the concentricity of the pin chuck or collets, but the concentricity of the chuck on the power equipment you are using. If the latter is off, the pin chuck or collet in the machine, however accurate, won't be any good. It's the weakest link effect.

Very, very nice, Michael. Great little video as well!

Well researched, well executed figures, and at such a small scale! Great stuff, Dafi!

Like everything else, Toni; step by step!

Nicely done, Chuck.