druxey

If it's real sable it will be a very expensive brush! However, properly looked after, it will last decades. Some of my brushes lasted for many years, so the initial cost amortised over time was far better than a cheapo brush. The performance of a real Kolinsky sable brush, if you've never used one, is a revelation.

Same principles, but formed over a curved surface and 'fixed' with acrylic matt medium.

But we do! See SeaWatchBooks:
 
https://seawatchbooks.com/products/swan-iv-sail-making-supplement-from-the-revised-and-expanded-edition-by-david-antscherl
 
 

It seems quite reasonable to me that all QG windows would be false.  You have given me good reason to black-out the single window on the Quarter Deck level of my model.  Observe Tanneron’s model of L’Agreable of 1697.  All QG windows are shown as false:

 
As for placement of guns within the quarter galleries, one thing seems pretty certain to me.  A gun would not have been rigged in the door opening to the QG.  This, for all the reasons you mention, but most especially because it must remain a clear pass-through - even in battle.  If one doubts that officers had the need to use the facilities during battle, they must consider that battle raged for hours and hours at a time, and they were certainly anxiety producing affairs.
 
The Tanneron model of Soleil Royal is a confusing representation of the structure and function of the QGs.  I will preface my following comments with the disclaimer that they are merely my observations, and not expert-verified facts.
 
Tanneron, in my opinion, has created a composite of what Soleil Royal may have looked like, both at the beginning of her career in 1670 and after the replacement SR was built in 1693.
 
Early features include the very tall stern, the completely open quarters and three stern balconies.  The overall shape of the QGs, on the other hand, suggests the style of ships built during the second major building program of the 1690’s.  The primary difference would be that the bottles, by this later date, would have been completely closed-in, in order to adhere to the reglements mandating this change in approach.
 
Tanneron shows an extra port on the main deck level, at the forward edge of the QG, where it makes structural sense to place a port within the QG.  Also, though, he shows a port in the middle of the QG at the middle deck battery.  This should be where the entry door to the QG is placed.  Instead Tanneron shows this door opening from the center of the lower stern balcony, which is represented as open and walkable.

Perhaps, Tanneron pulled this idea from the conceptual LeBrun drawing for the Royal Louis of 1668, and the finished Girardon drawing of the same.  Both show an open doorway in the center of the lower stern balcony, which suggests a walkable balcony:


In my view, though, there are several issues with Tanneron’s construction, at this level.  My primary issue is that it seems to ignore the practical function of the QG as a functioning toilet.  If the lower stern balcony wraps to the quarters, where is the seat of ease supposed to be?
 
The other issue has to do with the fact that even at this early time in the 1670’s, a lower stern balcony would be vulnerable to heavy following seas, and could be washed away.  It is my belief, that the lower stern balcony was always a bit of theatrical representation; a shallow decoration of the lower stern counter, made to look like a walkable balcony, but whose functional purpose is really to serve as a shelf for the Four Seasons figures that support the middle balcony.
 
As you mention, though, there are early contemporary drawings that support the idea that the QG’s were occasionally armed.  See the Royal Therese, below:

 
And, also, a contemporary drawing of the port of Rochefort:


The vessel above shows a gun through a panel opening, forward of center.  I think, perhaps, that your idea for a split panel has some traction.  That is the solution Lemineur applied to the middle deck stern chase ports of the St. Philippe of 1693:

As for your email problems, perhaps the issue might resolve itself, if you created a new email account for your client correspondences.  ‘Might be a glitch in your current account.  Computers and their inner workings remain a mystery to me.  I am like the dog that has no conception of what happens to their owner, when he walks out the front door.

Added the endboss, the cheeks, and the bolsters.

If it's real sable it will be a very expensive brush! However, properly looked after, it will last decades. Some of my brushes lasted for many years, so the initial cost amortised over time was far better than a cheapo brush. The performance of a real Kolinsky sable brush, if you've never used one, is a revelation.

If it's real sable it will be a very expensive brush! However, properly looked after, it will last decades. Some of my brushes lasted for many years, so the initial cost amortised over time was far better than a cheapo brush. The performance of a real Kolinsky sable brush, if you've never used one, is a revelation.

For being that tiny those are some well executed cap rails, Eberhard.  🙇 

At that scale everything so far is very well done; very crisp and a; lot of detail.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Impressive - and beautiful.

Thanks for the 'likes' !
 
***********************

Fitting the rails
 
The rails are 0.75 mm x 1.50 mm styrene strips on top of the bulwark and a 0.75 mm x 2.00 mm strip over the stern. The edges of the strips are rounded.
 
To this end I cut a scraper from a piece of razor-blade which is held in a short pin-vice. The strip is held in a simple jig made from cardboard. Strips of cardboard were cut with clean and vertical edges and glued to a cardboard-base so that styrene strips of 0.25 mm, 0.50, and 0.75 mm thickness can be wedged into the resulting notch, holding it straight and vertical.
 
In this way a clean and uniform profile of the styrene strip can be achieved quickly.
 
The styrene strips then were pre-bend, holding them lightly in round-nosed pliers and by ‘massaging’ them around my thumb to make them conform to the sheer-line as closely as possible. They then were glued onto the stanchions and the top bulwark strake using styrene-cement.
 
As can be seen from the cross-section shown in the previous post, the profile of the rail may be even more sophisticated with some cornice planed in. I simulated this my lacquering a 0.1 mm copper wire into the outboard corner under the rail.
 
The next step will be puttying up any small gaps that have developed during the planking process.
 
As one can see on the pictures, I also started to work on the deck by making a paper template for it.
 
To be continued …  

What joint? Oh - there it is!

What joint? Oh - there it is!

Fantastic, Alberto

There is nothing more satisfying than getting the last of those seemingly never ending frames done!  
BZ

Amazing work.

Last frames, thanks Gary and thanks for likes.

The problem with such meticulous work is that the joint is barely visible when completed. Lovely work!

Either method works. However, if roughly fairing frames before erecting them, make sure you haven't trimmed off too much. You can't glue shavings back on again, and removing a bad frame to replace it is a pain.

Nice complication, pocketing the battens! That is not beginner level.

A small update on Echo. I've made and installed the spirketing plank above the lower deck waterways on the starboard side. As noted above, the port side is asymmetrical to the starboard and the waterway curves inboard as it runs aft. I made a spirketing for the port side, but this curved waterway means that I need to sculpt the plank a little bit more than was the case with the starboard side....I'm considering not planking the port side lower deck to avoid this....and rationalising this choice by deciding to alternate the full planking port and starboard...anyways, there's lots of time to make decisions...
 
I also started the lower deck planking - beginning with the strakes just outboard of the hatch/mast partners. These have to be notched around the hatch, which is wider than the partners, and a notch needs to be cut in for the passage of the outboard chain pump shafts. I marked these cut-aways out and removed the wood on the scroll saw, cleaning them up with some needle files after. I will be planking the deck fully on the starboard side, but will only install one or two other strakes outside of the currently laid one on the port side. These planks are as yet unfinished - a light sanding and sealing will happen once all the deck planks are in place.
 
Happy modelling and bye for now
hamilton
 

Indeed! I sometimes think it might be easier to make a full sized ship rather than a model! 😀

Great start. I'm sure that you see how awkward it would be to fair the cant frames last with all the other frames in the way!

Nice complication, pocketing the battens! That is not beginner level.

Great start. I'm sure that you see how awkward it would be to fair the cant frames last with all the other frames in the way!