CaptainSteve

Dom, I built two ships before discovering MSW. To date, they are the only two I have done. On the first (HMS Victory) in one section, the hull needed so much sanding back from the planking errors I had made that it is paper-thin !!! Just touching it makes the hull flex. It was, luckily, a double-planked kit, so I was able to cover up all those mistakes. However, I was to make many, many more !!! . In the end (some FIVE years later). She looked good enough to me to proudly give it my brother, as I had intended at the start. Fast-forward some six years (and a further build) to when I discovered MSW. After seeing many far superior builds of HMS Victory, I almost shudder when looking at that first ship, nowadays !! To this day, however, my brother still proudly displays it in his home and tells every friend and visitor that HIS brother made it. (I have pointed out a number of the errors which I made. Just check out those bloody ridiculous rings I used at the corners of the sails !!! What was I thinking ?!?!?!) BUT, that ship still remains where it is !! Since joining MSW, I've only just begun my next build, am half-way thru a side project AND have chosen at least three more that I'd like to do one day (Santa Maria is one of those). I've probably spent far more of the last year and a half reading up on how others have built theirs, on information about my current builds as well as all the tutorials and guides that I can find THAN actually working on my builds. My point being that I have found MSW to be immensely helpful !! Sure, some of my work has confounded other builders, Yes, I have taken some of their advice the wrong way. But, overall, that advice has forced me to make changes (again and again) ... until I became a lot happier with what I had done. (And, yes, some of what I have done would most definitely NOT be "historically correct".) I guess, what I am trying to say is, Don't give up, Dude !!

Dom, Dude !! Please don't stop now. For one thing, I'd be willing to bet that those of us who say your planking isn't "historically correct", are only saying so to encourage you to apply your obvious skills to do better. In addition, I'd also be willing to bet that, once you are done, NOBODY is going to point disdainfully at your model and comment that they don't like such-and-such ... the good details will over-power anything that may not be "correct". And, besides, apart from the population of MSW, just how many 15th Century Historians do you personally know ?? Anyways, what you have done looks quite good, and, as you have said, you do what you wanna do. As do ALL of us ... Damn, you wanna see a mess ?? Just check out some of MY work !!! I change my mind on a regular basis, rip up what I've done and re-do it as a matter of (almost) normalcy. But, you gotta remember, this is YOUR build ... do it the way YOU want to do it. The comments from other builders - some more experienced, others not so much - are only intended to suggest what you COULD be doing. Just consider this, if it bothers you, there's always a wonderful product on the market called Isopropyl. I use it so regularly that I should buy shares in the stuff. It removes glue. Then you can re-do things !!! Don't go chucking in the towel now, Dom. Please !!!

She looks really good, Nenad.

... and go back to the Sovereign ??

Could you let me know as well, Denis ?? I'd definitely be interested in acquiring a sawdust-maker for myself, as well - and that looks to be a real beauty. (Maybe even a Thick Bob, also)

Awww Denis, Sounds like you are starting a family !!!

Just one word for now ... "Tree Nails" (actually, that's two)

Thanks heaps for all the likes and comments from the Horde !!! (CaptainSteve doth blush a deep crimson in colouration) Jesse, I really don't mind in the least if you (or anyone else) wishes to try my distressing methods. In fact, I'd consider it an honour and would love to see how it turns out on your own build. Alde, That's not a bad idea at all. Though, beyond attempting to sculpt a model of Bligh (like Amfibius did) I really hadn't considered doing a diorama with this boat. Will give it some thought, but no promises. EDIT: See Cap't Rat Fink's final diorama here.

Whence last we didst leave our Hero, CaptainSteve be just in the process of finishing installing the last of the floorboards. It hadst been his intention to distress and fadeth the colouration of these. As hast been written afore, Bligh and company didst findeth it most necessary to bail constantly. "I doest wisheth to show further the extremes of the Journey undertaken by Bligh and Co," he didst state. "They be most distressed now," he added. "And much water-damage be evident." Our Hero then didst turneth his gaze astern, his intention being to next worketh upon the Quarterdeck. As others who hadst goneth before him had done, he hadst intended to constructeth the Quarterdeck arrangement directly onto the Plans. But, Lo, he was to findeth minor vagaries and variations betwixt a tracing he didst maketh and this Launch itself !! "Arrrgeth!! I shalt noteth be beaten so easily," he didst declare. Thusly, adopting Plan B, CaptainSteve tooketh the very last remaining pieces of Cherrywood and didst begineth working out an erstwhile solution to this problem. Firsteth, he didst install some of the pieces as guides for the placement of the Deck, which was yet to come ... ... and, thence, didst he use the last pieces as a frame for the now-distressed planks to maketh up the Deck. Having thus achievedeth some level of success in this matter, he then didst turneth his attentions again unto matters of colouration. "As the Quarterdeck doth lieth at an angle, I wouldst fadeth the lower portion of the planking, showing further the trials and tribulations that Bligh didst meeteth with," CaptainSteve didst endeavour to explaineth. "But I must maketh a hatchway," our Hero proclaimed. "For how else couldst Bligh hideth the Rum, as indeedeth he must." And so he didst, adding a small rope loop to alloweth for the opening of the hatch ... Surveying his work, CaptainSteve doth feeleth that the hatch doest lack for hinges. But this be a matter for another day ...

Enough of that sort of language, Nenad ... make it like the Admiral wants it, or you'll be in trouble.

Patrick, I'll be looking forward to seeing how you fare with this. When I progress to that stage of my own Constitution build, that is the stern arrangement I have decided that I would like to use.

Nope. Haven't looked any further into getting the Patina/Brass Black as yet. Will be taking holidays in a few weeks ... AND doing the house-move thing. So, once that's all out of the way, I'll consider adding to the clutter that is my work-space.

Phew !!! That's a lot of hard work. I was working up a sweat just reading about all your work.

A stunning job !!!

Is that as per pic C2/3 from pg 67 of AOTS .... ?? Coz that is, by far, my favourite !!!

Time for some tree-nails now, Dom ??

Good idea .... and try taking slightly fuzzy photos next time you notice a problem with this beautiful ship !!

Thanks Michael, DG, Jesse, Meredith and everyone. Progress slowed a little this week with me being on the late-shift at work (I HATE the late-shift). But this week, I did manage to add the last two floor-boards and install the supports for the quarter-deck. Must say I was a little bemused (though shouldn't have been surprised) that Bob the Builder has completely skipped any mention of the quarter-deck installation in this kit's instructions. Prior to adding the planks to this area, I'm planning on distressing the floor-boards a little, in a similar fashion to how I did the external planks. Also, as the quarter-deck sits at a bit of a slant, I have something in mind to show off the water-damaged effect a little better. Once this is done, I'm hoping to begin tree-nailing of the floor-boards and quarter-deck planks. Stay tuned for further Adventures of CaptainSteve ....

Good to have you back, Alde, and nice work on the rudder. Where are you going to mount the cannon ?? Personally, I reckon if Bligh had one of Chuck's cannons, the whole Mutiny thing could've played out a whole lot differently !!

UV, I may be wrong - it may just be the camera playing tricks with my eyes after a hard day at work - but, it looks as though the planking has progressed inwards from the bulkheads the further astern they go. Here's what I mean: The green arrows indicate planks that meet the bulkheads, but a bit further down the same strakes, the planks appear to be a bit closer to the centre of the deck. However, this could be because the deck grows wider between the two sets of arrows, thus the bulkheads would be wider. Of course, I probably never would have noticed - and certainly never would have counted your planks - if you hadn't pointed out the problem. Anyway, as you said, it is not going to be noticeable seeing as how this is a lower deck. If it were me, I would've just taken a slightly fuzzy photo and tried to pretend it was all perfect.

It just gets better and better with each update, Matti !!!

I think she looks good as it is, Denis. If anything, maybe a touch more on the TOP sails on both fore and main masts. But I'd leave the main-sails on both these as you have done them. Furled as they are, they will show off your deck details beautifully. Just my two-cents worth ... (From someone who fully unfurled all sails on two previous builds ... and regrets it every time I look at them.)

... because we are all waiting soooo patiently to see them !!

I don't know about "patiently". But as Sam said, it IS real good to see you up and about and back to your modelling desk.

Just a few pics to show where I'm up to at the moment ... Firstly, the water-damaged floor-planks laid out prior to installation: .... and how they look so far ...