Bob Cleek

Dave,
Understood, they are laminating rather than assembling as was done in actual practice.   The only problem is that when the wales are laid in as another strake of planking, it parallels the strakes next to it but this does not seem to be the case in the photos above.
 
Regarding sealing and sanding I would think that this would be done after all the planking is complete rather than doing it with the second layer of planking and then the wales done separately.   If you sealed the planking then glued on the laminate to represent the wales, were there any issues with the glue bonding to the sealed planks?  With the sealer, I would worry that this would block the glue from penetrating and make the wales susceptible to delaminating in the future.
 
Allan
 
 
 

In my experience with Vallejo, Flow Improver is the key.  Model Air does not need to be thinned.
 
Often airbrush small amounts of paint, 5-10 drops.  Starting with an empty cup, load a couple of drops of flow improver, then dump the excess.  This coats the interior of the nozzle, and the needle, then a drop or two after the paint is in the cup.  Stirring is needed.

For larger jobs the label directions work -  ratio of flow improver to paint drops.
 
Watch for tip buildup and have a cotton swab moist with thinner at the ready to clean the tip.
 
Tip buildup or bubbles in the cup means more flow improver is needed.  A lot of bubbles?  The nozzle is clogged or needs to be tightened.
 
My go to airbrush is Paasche Talon with 3mm tip, about 20 psi.
 
Took a while to get it just right, been around for a while and started with and have Testors Airbrush/Paints, Badger, etc.  Vallejo is go to in my shop, water cleanup, no toxic waste, etc.  Like the opaque properties of Vallejo, buildup the color, etc.  Paasche Talon for small jobs.  Iwata RG3 mini spray gun for big jobs.
 
Learning how to keep the brush clean, without removing the nozzle after each color, was important for me.  Tamiya Airbrush Cleaner is essential.  Instantly dissolves paint.  It’s powerful, fragrant, and toxic.
 
Found that it’s easy to get caught up and distracted with compressors, airbrushes, tips, techniques.  
 
The bottom line is it comes down to a clean brush and properly thinned paint.  
 
At the end of a session my method, with Vallejo paint, is rinse the brush with hot water, slide the needle in and out until water flowing in the cup flows out of the nozzle.  Wipe out the cup residue with a swab with Tamiya thinner.  Load the cup with Tamiya thinner, shoot that out, then extract and clean the needle.  Clean the needle with steel wool.  Finally leave a few drops of Tamiya thinner in the cup.  Usually the nozzle does not need to be removed and cleaned.
 
Too many times, I’ve forgotten and left the paint in brush - the phone rang or something.  No big deal.  Let some Tamiya thinner soak in the cup until the needle can move. Clean as above.  Soak the nozzle in Tamiya thinner.  Then run the cleaning brushes through the brush.  Steel wool the needle.
 
Tip bent?  It’s all over.  Time for a new needle.  Coast Airbrush out in California is my supplier, they sell individual parts/needles.
 
Good luck with it.
 
-Rich
 
 

Interesting discussion! The term "kit bashing" seems to have evolved over time to convey the meanings others have noted. I'm not sure when it first came into common usage, but the first time I heard it used was in the second half of the seventies. I was living in Marin County at the time and had for many years. We had something of an "influx" of folks moving into my neighborhood who had been recruited by George Lucas, who was setting up his operations there, primarily, at first, Industrial Light and Magic ("ILM") and later Lucasfilm. I remember meeting one guy who moved in a couple of houses down from us telling me when I asked what he did for a living, "I'm a model maker." Of course, my immediate response was, "You mean people can make a living at it?"   After that, we were "off to the races." He was the first guy who told me about what they called "kit bashing." My understanding was that the term was commonly used by movie industry model makers to mean using off-the-shelf plastic model kit parts to build entirely different models from what the kits' original subjects represented. The technique was originated by model makers working on the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. They built a lot of models from scratch, but when they needed bits and pieces, they'd take them from plastic kits which had nothing to do with the model they were making. They'd often buy large numbers of the same kit just to obtain a sufficient number of a particular part they wanted that was in each kit. These kit parts which the modelers used frequently and in large numbers they called "greeblies," which I think was just a made-up word. It was all quite fascinating and at the time something of a "trade secret." (Lucas even kept the name and address of ILM secret for a long time. It was just a nondescript warehouse in an industrial district on Kerner Street in San Rafael, CA with a sign on the front that simply said "The Kerner Company.")
 
I found this photo online showing ILM's "kit bashing" shop in action building the original Millenium Falcon, Han Solo's space ship in the Star Wars movies.  Note the boxes of kits on the shelves in the background. Note the three rectangular parts with the black holes in their centers in the foreground laying on top of the front of the model. These appear to be tank body decks, the holes being where the turrets would be placed on the tank model. The second picture shows them in the finished model where they became exhaust ports or something like that.
 

 
 

 
Below is a yet-to-be weathered section of an ILM spaceship. Some may be able to recognize parts from specific model kits. I'm guessing there are some aircraft carrier parts in there somewhere!
 

 
 
Below is the original "droid strip," the top of the "X-wing fighter" right behind the pilot's seat, flown by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie with the original model kits from which the parts identified were sourced:
 

 
Close inspection of later Star Wars kits marketed to the public show some differences in the details. I wonder if some details weren't changed in the later model kits to avoid violating the original kit manufacturer's copyrights. I'd certainly hate to think Lucasfilm was authorizing the production of "pirated" kits!   Just kidding. I knew the lady who worked for Lucas writing "cease and desist" letters to anybody who so much as thought of violating a Lucasfilm copyright. They were very scrupulous about that.
 
So, I'd say that to be really accurate in the use of the term "kit bashing," it should only apply to building something entirely different from what the kit the parts came from was. Using tank kit parts to depict something different from what they were on the tank kit to portray a part on a ship model is "kit bashing." Using an anchor winch casting from one ship model kit to portray an anchor winch on another ship model isn't "kit bashing." That's just "parts swapping." But, it's really not all that important in the grand scheme of things, is it? 
 
 

Interesting discussion! The term "kit bashing" seems to have evolved over time to convey the meanings others have noted. I'm not sure when it first came into common usage, but the first time I heard it used was in the second half of the seventies. I was living in Marin County at the time and had for many years. We had something of an "influx" of folks moving into my neighborhood who had been recruited by George Lucas, who was setting up his operations there, primarily, at first, Industrial Light and Magic ("ILM") and later Lucasfilm. I remember meeting one guy who moved in a couple of houses down from us telling me when I asked what he did for a living, "I'm a model maker." Of course, my immediate response was, "You mean people can make a living at it?"   After that, we were "off to the races." He was the first guy who told me about what they called "kit bashing." My understanding was that the term was commonly used by movie industry model makers to mean using off-the-shelf plastic model kit parts to build entirely different models from what the kits' original subjects represented. The technique was originated by model makers working on the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. They built a lot of models from scratch, but when they needed bits and pieces, they'd take them from plastic kits which had nothing to do with the model they were making. They'd often buy large numbers of the same kit just to obtain a sufficient number of a particular part they wanted that was in each kit. These kit parts which the modelers used frequently and in large numbers they called "greeblies," which I think was just a made-up word. It was all quite fascinating and at the time something of a "trade secret." (Lucas even kept the name and address of ILM secret for a long time. It was just a nondescript warehouse in an industrial district on Kerner Street in San Rafael, CA with a sign on the front that simply said "The Kerner Company.")
 
I found this photo online showing ILM's "kit bashing" shop in action building the original Millenium Falcon, Han Solo's space ship in the Star Wars movies.  Note the boxes of kits on the shelves in the background. Note the three rectangular parts with the black holes in their centers in the foreground laying on top of the front of the model. These appear to be tank body decks, the holes being where the turrets would be placed on the tank model. The second picture shows them in the finished model where they became exhaust ports or something like that.
 

 
 

 
Below is a yet-to-be weathered section of an ILM spaceship. Some may be able to recognize parts from specific model kits. I'm guessing there are some aircraft carrier parts in there somewhere!
 

 
 
Below is the original "droid strip," the top of the "X-wing fighter" right behind the pilot's seat, flown by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie with the original model kits from which the parts identified were sourced:
 

 
Close inspection of later Star Wars kits marketed to the public show some differences in the details. I wonder if some details weren't changed in the later model kits to avoid violating the original kit manufacturer's copyrights. I'd certainly hate to think Lucasfilm was authorizing the production of "pirated" kits!   Just kidding. I knew the lady who worked for Lucas writing "cease and desist" letters to anybody who so much as thought of violating a Lucasfilm copyright. They were very scrupulous about that.
 
So, I'd say that to be really accurate in the use of the term "kit bashing," it should only apply to building something entirely different from what the kit the parts came from was. Using tank kit parts to depict something different from what they were on the tank kit to portray a part on a ship model is "kit bashing." Using an anchor winch casting from one ship model kit to portray an anchor winch on another ship model isn't "kit bashing." That's just "parts swapping." But, it's really not all that important in the grand scheme of things, is it? 
 
 

Interesting discussion! The term "kit bashing" seems to have evolved over time to convey the meanings others have noted. I'm not sure when it first came into common usage, but the first time I heard it used was in the second half of the seventies. I was living in Marin County at the time and had for many years. We had something of an "influx" of folks moving into my neighborhood who had been recruited by George Lucas, who was setting up his operations there, primarily, at first, Industrial Light and Magic ("ILM") and later Lucasfilm. I remember meeting one guy who moved in a couple of houses down from us telling me when I asked what he did for a living, "I'm a model maker." Of course, my immediate response was, "You mean people can make a living at it?"   After that, we were "off to the races." He was the first guy who told me about what they called "kit bashing." My understanding was that the term was commonly used by movie industry model makers to mean using off-the-shelf plastic model kit parts to build entirely different models from what the kits' original subjects represented. The technique was originated by model makers working on the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. They built a lot of models from scratch, but when they needed bits and pieces, they'd take them from plastic kits which had nothing to do with the model they were making. They'd often buy large numbers of the same kit just to obtain a sufficient number of a particular part they wanted that was in each kit. These kit parts which the modelers used frequently and in large numbers they called "greeblies," which I think was just a made-up word. It was all quite fascinating and at the time something of a "trade secret." (Lucas even kept the name and address of ILM secret for a long time. It was just a nondescript warehouse in an industrial district on Kerner Street in San Rafael, CA with a sign on the front that simply said "The Kerner Company.")
 
I found this photo online showing ILM's "kit bashing" shop in action building the original Millenium Falcon, Han Solo's space ship in the Star Wars movies.  Note the boxes of kits on the shelves in the background. Note the three rectangular parts with the black holes in their centers in the foreground laying on top of the front of the model. These appear to be tank body decks, the holes being where the turrets would be placed on the tank model. The second picture shows them in the finished model where they became exhaust ports or something like that.
 

 
 

 
Below is a yet-to-be weathered section of an ILM spaceship. Some may be able to recognize parts from specific model kits. I'm guessing there are some aircraft carrier parts in there somewhere!
 

 
 
Below is the original "droid strip," the top of the "X-wing fighter" right behind the pilot's seat, flown by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie with the original model kits from which the parts identified were sourced:
 

 
Close inspection of later Star Wars kits marketed to the public show some differences in the details. I wonder if some details weren't changed in the later model kits to avoid violating the original kit manufacturer's copyrights. I'd certainly hate to think Lucasfilm was authorizing the production of "pirated" kits!   Just kidding. I knew the lady who worked for Lucas writing "cease and desist" letters to anybody who so much as thought of violating a Lucasfilm copyright. They were very scrupulous about that.
 
So, I'd say that to be really accurate in the use of the term "kit bashing," it should only apply to building something entirely different from what the kit the parts came from was. Using tank kit parts to depict something different from what they were on the tank kit to portray a part on a ship model is "kit bashing." Using an anchor winch casting from one ship model kit to portray an anchor winch on another ship model isn't "kit bashing." That's just "parts swapping." But, it's really not all that important in the grand scheme of things, is it? 
 
 

Interesting discussion! The term "kit bashing" seems to have evolved over time to convey the meanings others have noted. I'm not sure when it first came into common usage, but the first time I heard it used was in the second half of the seventies. I was living in Marin County at the time and had for many years. We had something of an "influx" of folks moving into my neighborhood who had been recruited by George Lucas, who was setting up his operations there, primarily, at first, Industrial Light and Magic ("ILM") and later Lucasfilm. I remember meeting one guy who moved in a couple of houses down from us telling me when I asked what he did for a living, "I'm a model maker." Of course, my immediate response was, "You mean people can make a living at it?"   After that, we were "off to the races." He was the first guy who told me about what they called "kit bashing." My understanding was that the term was commonly used by movie industry model makers to mean using off-the-shelf plastic model kit parts to build entirely different models from what the kits' original subjects represented. The technique was originated by model makers working on the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. They built a lot of models from scratch, but when they needed bits and pieces, they'd take them from plastic kits which had nothing to do with the model they were making. They'd often buy large numbers of the same kit just to obtain a sufficient number of a particular part they wanted that was in each kit. These kit parts which the modelers used frequently and in large numbers they called "greeblies," which I think was just a made-up word. It was all quite fascinating and at the time something of a "trade secret." (Lucas even kept the name and address of ILM secret for a long time. It was just a nondescript warehouse in an industrial district on Kerner Street in San Rafael, CA with a sign on the front that simply said "The Kerner Company.")
 
I found this photo online showing ILM's "kit bashing" shop in action building the original Millenium Falcon, Han Solo's space ship in the Star Wars movies.  Note the boxes of kits on the shelves in the background. Note the three rectangular parts with the black holes in their centers in the foreground laying on top of the front of the model. These appear to be tank body decks, the holes being where the turrets would be placed on the tank model. The second picture shows them in the finished model where they became exhaust ports or something like that.
 

 
 

 
Below is a yet-to-be weathered section of an ILM spaceship. Some may be able to recognize parts from specific model kits. I'm guessing there are some aircraft carrier parts in there somewhere!
 

 
 
Below is the original "droid strip," the top of the "X-wing fighter" right behind the pilot's seat, flown by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie with the original model kits from which the parts identified were sourced:
 

 
Close inspection of later Star Wars kits marketed to the public show some differences in the details. I wonder if some details weren't changed in the later model kits to avoid violating the original kit manufacturer's copyrights. I'd certainly hate to think Lucasfilm was authorizing the production of "pirated" kits!   Just kidding. I knew the lady who worked for Lucas writing "cease and desist" letters to anybody who so much as thought of violating a Lucasfilm copyright. They were very scrupulous about that.
 
So, I'd say that to be really accurate in the use of the term "kit bashing," it should only apply to building something entirely different from what the kit the parts came from was. Using tank kit parts to depict something different from what they were on the tank kit to portray a part on a ship model is "kit bashing." Using an anchor winch casting from one ship model kit to portray an anchor winch on another ship model isn't "kit bashing." That's just "parts swapping." But, it's really not all that important in the grand scheme of things, is it? 
 
 

Interesting discussion! The term "kit bashing" seems to have evolved over time to convey the meanings others have noted. I'm not sure when it first came into common usage, but the first time I heard it used was in the second half of the seventies. I was living in Marin County at the time and had for many years. We had something of an "influx" of folks moving into my neighborhood who had been recruited by George Lucas, who was setting up his operations there, primarily, at first, Industrial Light and Magic ("ILM") and later Lucasfilm. I remember meeting one guy who moved in a couple of houses down from us telling me when I asked what he did for a living, "I'm a model maker." Of course, my immediate response was, "You mean people can make a living at it?"   After that, we were "off to the races." He was the first guy who told me about what they called "kit bashing." My understanding was that the term was commonly used by movie industry model makers to mean using off-the-shelf plastic model kit parts to build entirely different models from what the kits' original subjects represented. The technique was originated by model makers working on the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. They built a lot of models from scratch, but when they needed bits and pieces, they'd take them from plastic kits which had nothing to do with the model they were making. They'd often buy large numbers of the same kit just to obtain a sufficient number of a particular part they wanted that was in each kit. These kit parts which the modelers used frequently and in large numbers they called "greeblies," which I think was just a made-up word. It was all quite fascinating and at the time something of a "trade secret." (Lucas even kept the name and address of ILM secret for a long time. It was just a nondescript warehouse in an industrial district on Kerner Street in San Rafael, CA with a sign on the front that simply said "The Kerner Company.")
 
I found this photo online showing ILM's "kit bashing" shop in action building the original Millenium Falcon, Han Solo's space ship in the Star Wars movies.  Note the boxes of kits on the shelves in the background. Note the three rectangular parts with the black holes in their centers in the foreground laying on top of the front of the model. These appear to be tank body decks, the holes being where the turrets would be placed on the tank model. The second picture shows them in the finished model where they became exhaust ports or something like that.
 

 
 

 
Below is a yet-to-be weathered section of an ILM spaceship. Some may be able to recognize parts from specific model kits. I'm guessing there are some aircraft carrier parts in there somewhere!
 

 
 
Below is the original "droid strip," the top of the "X-wing fighter" right behind the pilot's seat, flown by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie with the original model kits from which the parts identified were sourced:
 

 
Close inspection of later Star Wars kits marketed to the public show some differences in the details. I wonder if some details weren't changed in the later model kits to avoid violating the original kit manufacturer's copyrights. I'd certainly hate to think Lucasfilm was authorizing the production of "pirated" kits!   Just kidding. I knew the lady who worked for Lucas writing "cease and desist" letters to anybody who so much as thought of violating a Lucasfilm copyright. They were very scrupulous about that.
 
So, I'd say that to be really accurate in the use of the term "kit bashing," it should only apply to building something entirely different from what the kit the parts came from was. Using tank kit parts to depict something different from what they were on the tank kit to portray a part on a ship model is "kit bashing." Using an anchor winch casting from one ship model kit to portray an anchor winch on another ship model isn't "kit bashing." That's just "parts swapping." But, it's really not all that important in the grand scheme of things, is it? 
 
 

Interesting discussion! The term "kit bashing" seems to have evolved over time to convey the meanings others have noted. I'm not sure when it first came into common usage, but the first time I heard it used was in the second half of the seventies. I was living in Marin County at the time and had for many years. We had something of an "influx" of folks moving into my neighborhood who had been recruited by George Lucas, who was setting up his operations there, primarily, at first, Industrial Light and Magic ("ILM") and later Lucasfilm. I remember meeting one guy who moved in a couple of houses down from us telling me when I asked what he did for a living, "I'm a model maker." Of course, my immediate response was, "You mean people can make a living at it?"   After that, we were "off to the races." He was the first guy who told me about what they called "kit bashing." My understanding was that the term was commonly used by movie industry model makers to mean using off-the-shelf plastic model kit parts to build entirely different models from what the kits' original subjects represented. The technique was originated by model makers working on the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. They built a lot of models from scratch, but when they needed bits and pieces, they'd take them from plastic kits which had nothing to do with the model they were making. They'd often buy large numbers of the same kit just to obtain a sufficient number of a particular part they wanted that was in each kit. These kit parts which the modelers used frequently and in large numbers they called "greeblies," which I think was just a made-up word. It was all quite fascinating and at the time something of a "trade secret." (Lucas even kept the name and address of ILM secret for a long time. It was just a nondescript warehouse in an industrial district on Kerner Street in San Rafael, CA with a sign on the front that simply said "The Kerner Company.")
 
I found this photo online showing ILM's "kit bashing" shop in action building the original Millenium Falcon, Han Solo's space ship in the Star Wars movies.  Note the boxes of kits on the shelves in the background. Note the three rectangular parts with the black holes in their centers in the foreground laying on top of the front of the model. These appear to be tank body decks, the holes being where the turrets would be placed on the tank model. The second picture shows them in the finished model where they became exhaust ports or something like that.
 

 
 

 
Below is a yet-to-be weathered section of an ILM spaceship. Some may be able to recognize parts from specific model kits. I'm guessing there are some aircraft carrier parts in there somewhere!
 

 
 
Below is the original "droid strip," the top of the "X-wing fighter" right behind the pilot's seat, flown by Luke Skywalker in the first Star Wars movie with the original model kits from which the parts identified were sourced:
 

 
Close inspection of later Star Wars kits marketed to the public show some differences in the details. I wonder if some details weren't changed in the later model kits to avoid violating the original kit manufacturer's copyrights. I'd certainly hate to think Lucasfilm was authorizing the production of "pirated" kits!   Just kidding. I knew the lady who worked for Lucas writing "cease and desist" letters to anybody who so much as thought of violating a Lucasfilm copyright. They were very scrupulous about that.
 
So, I'd say that to be really accurate in the use of the term "kit bashing," it should only apply to building something entirely different from what the kit the parts came from was. Using tank kit parts to depict something different from what they were on the tank kit to portray a part on a ship model is "kit bashing." Using an anchor winch casting from one ship model kit to portray an anchor winch on another ship model isn't "kit bashing." That's just "parts swapping." But, it's really not all that important in the grand scheme of things, is it? 
 
 

To make a living selling milled dimensioned modeling wood, yes, but that's only because the consumers are hung up on three or four now-exotic (over-harvested) species that were once plentiful and commonly used. To become a self-sufficient modeler, all you really need is a good (i.e. a Byrnes) micro-table saw and perhaps a (Byrnes) thickness sander. Heavier machinery which saves much labor in reducing larger stock to modeling-sized billets can usually be begged or borrowed when that task occasionally arises. There are many great species for modeling that routinely end up in the chipper because they don't exist in size or quantity sufficient to make milling it on a commercial scale worthwhile. That certainly doesn't mean that commonly available woods like apple, persimmon, satin walnut, chestnut, holly and such aren't probably readily available for the scrounging at the municipal brush dump or by plying a friendly arborist with a bottle of Jack so he'll save you some of the good stuff when he comes across it. 

To make a living selling milled dimensioned modeling wood, yes, but that's only because the consumers are hung up on three or four now-exotic (over-harvested) species that were once plentiful and commonly used. To become a self-sufficient modeler, all you really need is a good (i.e. a Byrnes) micro-table saw and perhaps a (Byrnes) thickness sander. Heavier machinery which saves much labor in reducing larger stock to modeling-sized billets can usually be begged or borrowed when that task occasionally arises. There are many great species for modeling that routinely end up in the chipper because they don't exist in size or quantity sufficient to make milling it on a commercial scale worthwhile. That certainly doesn't mean that commonly available woods like apple, persimmon, satin walnut, chestnut, holly and such aren't probably readily available for the scrounging at the municipal brush dump or by plying a friendly arborist with a bottle of Jack so he'll save you some of the good stuff when he comes across it. 

Thanks for the suggested reading of the Oxford Companion..I found a used copy for $5 👍📖

When you do get around to handling it, expect it to get a lot of use. It's one of those "there and nowhere else" sort of reference works.
 

After reading your post and the tasks you anticipate doing, I would say that a table saw is the tool you will use the most in those applications. This is especially true if you anticipate fabricating deck gratings, window frames, and such. However, it must be a highly accurate and sufficiently powerful mini-table saw. (It's got to be able to zip through rock-hard wood, not just balsa and basswood!) Accuracy is really critical. You'll also want a saw with a good precision cross-sawing sled.
 
"If you take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation would a Byrnes table saw or a mini mill be of more use for the tasks I listed."  The table saw is still the more useful by a long shot, in my opinion. Of greater concern, however, is the fact that you are not likely able to "take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation." At an ever-increasing rate, pre-milled dimensioned modeling wood is becoming unavailable. There just isn't enough demand for it that anybody can make a living making and selling it. There's some poor and medium grade modeling woods still commercially available in dimensioned sizes, but practically none in quality species anymore, but you'll quickly run into problems finding the size you need.  Moreover, when you mill your own on your own table saw, you have a far wider selection of woods to chose from, many which can be sourced for nothing or close to it. Just look at all the posts in here from people asking "Where do I buy wood?" 
 
You can use the MSW search engine and read what is probably the most extensive collection of hands-on reviews and information on the Byrnes table saw anywhere on the internet. You aren't likely to see one in the flesh before you buy it unless you find your way to somebody near you who has one, or visit Jim Byrnes in Florida where he builds them. See: https://byrnesmodelmachines.com/ I do not expect anyone will argue with the assertion that there is no mini-saw available anywhere that comes anywhere close to the Byrnes table saw. It's as simple as that. Spending money on anything else means getting a lot less "bang for your buck." The Byrnes saw, while not inexpensive, it wicked accurate and an extremely high quality piece of machinery. There's no way anybody beats their personalized customer service. That's what one should expect from what is essentially a bespoke high-tolerance machine tool.
 
That said, I regret to inform you that if the reports from your countrymen are accurate, shipping, import duties, and taxes raise the cost of any machine from Byrnes Model Machines, or much of anything else from this side of the Pond, beyond what many feel they can justify spending. As I'm sure this situation affects everyone in in the UK similarly, you may be able to find a "work around" that makes it less painful for you than others have found those drawbacks to be.

Eberhard,  You have kindly pointed out the obvious which I failed to notice.  What you wrote makes a lot of sense.  I checked on the architect's drawings and the gaff indeed has 6 inches clearance should it lie perfectly horizontal.    Thank you very much!!
Allan

Just a guess, as don't know, how the foresail is handled: if you lower the gaff, the angle may change, depending, how co-ordinated the two halliards are handled; there is the chance that the gaff comes down plus/minus horizontal, so it would have to still clear the space between the two masts, i.e. its maximum length has to be less than the distance between the masts.
 
I have seen quite a few illustrations that shows the gaff being lowered in a rather haphazard fashion ...
 

When you do get around to handling it, expect it to get a lot of use. It's one of those "there and nowhere else" sort of reference works.
 

I've just received The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea, hardcover version from amazon.uk for £6.65. It is the 2005, 2nd edition and looks brand new and unopened.  I will leave it lying in the shed for a few days before handling it.
 
Thanks,
 
Richard

All that remains is to add anchors and flags.
 

 
 
The crew was originally supposed to be on the model, unfortunately I was struck by a very cruel life event, when my husband died a few months ago and it changed a lot in my life. There will be only two figures on the model that will symbolize me and my husband, it is a remembrance and a tribute to the best person I have ever known and spent with him more than 20 years. He had a wish for me to successfully complete the Royal Katherine, and I want to fulfill his wish as best as possible.
 
Doris

Doris, I want to send you a big hug, and tell you that I will be very proud of you to see that you have managed to do the best modeling that exists.
I'm so sorry Doris.

Sorry to hear about your husband.  You have made a wonderful model, and I am sure he will appreciate the thought of having the entire ship to you and him.

Fortunately for the OP they live in the UK and Castello boxwood is easily available in very handy sizes
 
https://shop.exotichardwoods.co.uk/boxwoods/page/4/
 
So you don't need to cut down or dry out your own wood.  You just need tools to shape what you want to make.  If you need to see the tools I don't live a million miles from you and if you're in the Midlands you are welcome to try out my tools.
 
Importing a Byrnes saw is not that big a deal - Jim has just made me an 18' table for mine.  I'm only a truck driver and I got it sorted out so it cannot be that expensive.  Just compare it to a set of golf clubs that my mates buy - you'll be quids in.  Luckily I don't play golf

And, if you can pull this off, in your place, after looking back at missed opportunities, situations that I thought would always be there but were really a one time chance,  I would be greedy.  I would be very, very greedy.

The ultimate wood for the fine detail work that you anticipate doing is Boxwood.  You live near a wonderful source of this for most of us ultra rare wood- the formal gardens of large country homes.  Sadly, many of these shrubs are dying from an invasive blight.  If you can connect with the gardeners that maintain these estates you should be able to get some of this wood that would otherwise be burned.  You would then need a small bandsaw to break it down into billets suitable for your Byrnes saw.
 
Roger

One thing I forgot. I find that I now use a hand-held coping saw far more than the electrical scroll saw. It needs no set up (other than a good home-made bench pin), and is very accurate, especially for the tiny pieces we often have to handle. It's also quite cheap!
 
Of course, you can do very well indeed without any of the electrical equipment (and many modellers do), but some of it, especially the table saw and drill with a stand, makes the work a lot faster and easier.
 
Tony

After reading your post and the tasks you anticipate doing, I would say that a table saw is the tool you will use the most in those applications. This is especially true if you anticipate fabricating deck gratings, window frames, and such. However, it must be a highly accurate and sufficiently powerful mini-table saw. (It's got to be able to zip through rock-hard wood, not just balsa and basswood!) Accuracy is really critical. You'll also want a saw with a good precision cross-sawing sled.
 
"If you take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation would a Byrnes table saw or a mini mill be of more use for the tasks I listed."  The table saw is still the more useful by a long shot, in my opinion. Of greater concern, however, is the fact that you are not likely able to "take milling/planking your own timber out of the equation." At an ever-increasing rate, pre-milled dimensioned modeling wood is becoming unavailable. There just isn't enough demand for it that anybody can make a living making and selling it. There's some poor and medium grade modeling woods still commercially available in dimensioned sizes, but practically none in quality species anymore, but you'll quickly run into problems finding the size you need.  Moreover, when you mill your own on your own table saw, you have a far wider selection of woods to chose from, many which can be sourced for nothing or close to it. Just look at all the posts in here from people asking "Where do I buy wood?" 
 
You can use the MSW search engine and read what is probably the most extensive collection of hands-on reviews and information on the Byrnes table saw anywhere on the internet. You aren't likely to see one in the flesh before you buy it unless you find your way to somebody near you who has one, or visit Jim Byrnes in Florida where he builds them. See: https://byrnesmodelmachines.com/ I do not expect anyone will argue with the assertion that there is no mini-saw available anywhere that comes anywhere close to the Byrnes table saw. It's as simple as that. Spending money on anything else means getting a lot less "bang for your buck." The Byrnes saw, while not inexpensive, it wicked accurate and an extremely high quality piece of machinery. There's no way anybody beats their personalized customer service. That's what one should expect from what is essentially a bespoke high-tolerance machine tool.
 
That said, I regret to inform you that if the reports from your countrymen are accurate, shipping, import duties, and taxes raise the cost of any machine from Byrnes Model Machines, or much of anything else from this side of the Pond, beyond what many feel they can justify spending. As I'm sure this situation affects everyone in in the UK similarly, you may be able to find a "work around" that makes it less painful for you than others have found those drawbacks to be.