Geoff Matson

(This is a post-post question. Does anybody know how to format photos in these posts, so that they look good on both a cell phone and a desktop PC? This post looks great on my PC at home, but I just called it up on my phone and the formatting is completely different.)
 
A little clean up and some poly, the wheel will be, for the most part, done. Still to do would be the little brass sleeves where the wheel rope would disappear below deck.
 
A little tip: you can manually rotate the divider attachment for the Proxxon mill with the cutter spinning in place to effectively turn the divider into an ersatz lathe.  

 
Using this bit, and rotating the Proxxon divider 36-degrees at a time (locking it in at every step), I milled the detail grooves into the wheel hub.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Again, using the dividing attachment like a lathe, I turned the axles on the hub.  (Now, Grok informed me that the hub s/b called the axle.  If so, I turned the axles on the axles..)
 


  
 
Nothing's glued yet, and, as I said, some cleanup needs to be done to tidy the wheel assembly up, 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Unlike the stern, the 3/32” x 1/32” planks are not tapered as they approach the bow. The planks remain straight and those bordering the waterways were customed fitted into the curving bow. I planked the bow in the same manner as I did the stern, from the waterways inward and from the center outward. It did not surprise me, as the planking approached each other and as open space narrowed, I had to taper the widths a bit of some of the planks to ensure a proper fit when they merged.

Another “mini-project” done (well, mostly done), so another short update.
 
Bow Knightheads and Timberheads
 
Using the plan copies that I had made to cut up and use as templates, I cut out the spar deck framing piece and outlined it on a 3/32” section of provided basswood sheet.  I also flipped it and re-outlined it for the port side framing.  Using my scroll saw, I then cut the framing for both sides and sanded to shape.
 
   
 
Using the same outline the template” process, I also cut out the knightheads and timberheads for both sides.  Several of the build logs I have used for research and guidance mentioned that the lengths of the plan’s pieces might have been a little short, so I added 1-2mm to each of the framing pieces as I cut them, so I could adjust as needed when I fit them on top of the filler blocks.
 

 
I worked on the starboard side first and used the knighthead #1 piece and the timberhead #5 piece (the one closest to Bulkhead A) to have the spar deck frame to sit on for fitting and adjustment.  A bit of sanding was needed for the spar deck frame to sit well in its “slot” between the center keel and Bulkhead A, and the notches both in the filler block and the spar deck frame needed some small widening in spots for the frames to fit well.  I also tested the height of the spar deck frame, as well, against the existing tops of Bulkheads A, B, etc., to make sure the spar deck planking will be level.
 
   
 
I then repeated all of this process on the port side of the ship.
 

 
The plans also show the addition of planksheer supports, stiffeners and bridle port header and sill.  Using some suggested 3/32” square strips, I added the planksheer supports just above the spar deck level.  I’d like to hold off on any stiffener additions until I get a better idea of how the bow area will be completed,, and I’m holding off on the bridle port frames until I get to the gun deck gunport framing, as that will all be done at the same level and I want it to be as accurate as I can.  Whether these are good decisions or not… we shall see.  It will be easy, though, to add (I think) when needed.  I also need to do some additional sanding, both inside and out, to smooth things out.
 
   
 
Also, I do recall Jon Gerson mentioning an issue he discovered at this point in his build regarding the bowsprit placement and, in looking further at his build log and at some other logs, I reminded myself that, at some point before it all gets closed up and hard to get to, I will need to widen the area where the two spar deck frames come together to allow for the bowsprit to fit properly.  Thanks, Jon!
 

 
I am also cognizant of the issue Peter reminded me of in his post above regarding the planking placement on these spar deck frames.  It is great to have such awesome build logs and followers to rely on through this Constitution build!  Y’all are fantastic! Thanks!
 
For now, though, I think I am moving to the back of the ship to begin the stern and transom framing.  This, of course, is where everyone’s building methods have changed depending on which Constitution era we are shooting for.  Exciting times ahead!
 
Appreciate the likes, follows, comments and criticisms.

Aft cant framing completed and then I added the two inner stern posts ready for the transoms.
 


 

All framing has now been completed and the sanding and fairing of the hull has begun, this is going to take time and make a lot of mess.
 



 

You have some very nice skills for modeling. I enjoy your posts0

While I await delivery of the 2nd Syren wheel kit, I'm diverting to the construction of the binnacles, giving me ample opportunity to make use of the Proxxon mill.
 
Since the accessory I'm using to hold the material only has a three jaw Chuck, I'm making square dowel out of round dowel for both the base and the top of the binnacle. 
 
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I decided to make another top, this time trying to simulate the lamp on top of the binnacle.  Before I cut the binnacle off of the brass rod, I gouged out a groove and then rounded the top on the lathe.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Is there a tutorial somewhere at this website on how exactly to format photographic content with text?  I just can't seem to figure out how to get the results I'm looking for.  Also, it would be nice to know why posts like this look different when entered via cell phone vs. a desktop computer.
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Sorry about the confusion, Jon, 
I guess I wasn't clear in the above post (#813).  What is pictured is one metal wheel (left) unpainted from the MS kit and the Syren kit wheel (right) stained after assembly.   BTW, that Syren wheel took roughly 5 hours to assemble, which included time on the lathe to turn the spokes into something more realistic than the blanks that came in the kit. And talk about fiddly work!  The assembly  required the patience of Job.
 
These photos come from the assembly instructions for the Syren wheel. Note the unmodified blank on the left vs the turned version on the right.  X marks the spot!

 
Because it'll be a week before I get the second wheel from Syren, I will experiment with painting the metal wheels from the MS kit.  However, I'm fairly certain that once I get a coat of poly on the Syren wheel, I'll simply invest the additional five hours to have the pair.  Maybe I'll get lucky and love the paint job.  We'll see.
 
P.S. Jon, you don't need to wait until you have to install them to construct the wheels. Think of it like the ship's boats, an extra curricular activity that can be done at any time. Some choose to start with them before they tackle the Constitution itself.

Today I finished the main wale, a huge milestone after 10 days of a nonstop planking party. Just half of the other side to go now. Once both wales are complete I can move onto finishing out the gunports with some fine tuning and another nice coat of red. I need to figure out the width of 1-2 planks below the main wale and probably 1-3 planks up from the keel, then I can finally protect all those pear frames and move onto the QG’s.
 

Progress continues and today I got the lower counter glued on and faired in so I could finish the planking belt on the stbd side. The lower counter is laser cut with some extra material on it. I centered it over the gunports and positioned it so that it was sitting level on each side then clamped it down

once it’s in place it can be glued from
The Backside with CA, just don’t glue to the jig pieces! I also wetted the inside face of it so that it wanted to curl in the right direction.
Once it’s in place you can see where things need to be sanded. I also trimmed the lower part of the counter about halfway up The wing transom, I’m going to take an additional 1/32-3/64th off so the mounding can rest there.

Once completed the counter should have a nice curve into the outboard stern framing and the aft cant frames


once this is done the last planking strip can be added and work can resume on the last few belts.

I finished up the last remaining lower planking belt before the main wale. I will start on the black strake tomorrow and finish with the main wale and 1-2 planks  below that. 
Also testing one of the QG’s and the printed drop, which is actually going to be boxwood.

Today’s progress, moving at a glacial pace but I have some of the lower planking belt in place. I need to install the counter tomorrow and fair down the filler pieces on the side to define stern before I can progress any further with planking. 
Once the planking fully blocked down and is sealed with WOP I can then proceed with painting the gunports and the edges of the planking as I did on the POB version.
 

Well, we’ve had a spell of extremely hot weather in the Kansas City area, with recent “feels like” temps over 100o, so it’s good to spend some time in my cool shipyard.  Therefore, another small update…
 
BULKHEAD PLACEMENT
 
After doing what I can to the bulkheads and the bulkhead former to prepare for the bulkhead placement, it was time to get them secured in their spots.  So, I got the obligatory Legos back out and, beginning with Bulkhead A, went through the slow process of painting a thin strip of Titebond glue on the contact points and then sliding each bulkhead firmly in its slot, matching the reference lines and securing the Lego blocks for the 90o placement while the glue dries.  Then moving on to the next bulkhead.
 

 
At the locations where I will be installing the ladders going from the gun deck to the berth deck, I wanted to have small “landing areas” for the ladders to rest on, so using some thin scraps of strip wood, I glued some support strips and small sheets at those ladder locations as I was permanently securing the applicable bulkheads.
 
       
 

 
Also, in order to provide additional support and strength to the bulkheads, I measured and cut (using my small bench top cut-off saw) some scrap 3/8” square dowel to use as struts between each bulkhead.  This gave me the opportunity to make sure the distances between bulkheads on the port and starboard sides were equal (or as close to equal as possible when measuring in hundredths of millimeters).
 

 
A view of the full ship at this early stage and it’s shaping up nicely…
 

 
COUNTER & STERN FILLER BLOCK
 
The Model Shipways kit provides a couple of large basswood blocks to use for these pieces.  First, let’s work on the counter.  The plans suggest a block size of 5” x 1¾“ x ½“, but I started with a 6” x 2” x ½“ block.  I used a thicker block so that, in order to drill the hole for rudder stock at a slight angle, I would have room to place a ¼“ dowel underneath the block as I was drilling the 5/16” hole.  That worked out well.
 

 
Once I had the rudder hole placed and drilled, I then repositioned the cut-out counter drawing on the block to trace the outline.  I could then, using my scroll saw, cut down the shape of the counter to a more manageable size (less cutting and sanding required).  The only recommendation to do differently is to reduce the thickness cut from ½“ to somewhere between 7/16”-11/32”.  More on that in a bit.  But the initial cuts and sandings had the counter thickness at just about 7/16”, it looked “ok”, and a quick test-fit of the counter and the rudder was successful.
 

 
 
       
 
I then moved to working on the two stern filler blocks.  As suggested in the plans, I cut the blocks to 2-3/4“ x 2-3/8“ x 1-1/8“ sized pieces.  I fit the blocks against Bulkhead R and traced the rear profile for the required cuts.  I then used the scroll saw again for the initial curved cuts.
 
     
 
Then, using the plan and profile lines on the Stern Filler Block Detail 2-H plans, I drew the shape lines on each block piece to help me with the sanding and shaping and… made a whole bunch of sawdust!
 

 
Using just my Dremel with the sanding disks (went through several of the disks in this process) and my hand-held sanding block, I was able to shape the two stern filler blocks to their required shape.  What helped me in gauging the shapes needed were two thin and flexible 0.51mm brass rods that I cut to the lengths shown on the Detail 2-H “plan view” for the C & D waterlines.  The A & B waterline marks were so small I could gauge those by eyeballing them to shape as needed.  But on the larger curves, the brass rods definitely helped me get to the curvature and shapes needed.
 

 
As a side note, I really do like the hook & loop “velcro-like” sandpaper sheets and sanding block I have been using.  I bought the assorted sandpaper grits that come in rolls in a box and you can cut off what is needed to place on the sanding block.  Works really well, and much more convenient than the sanding block I was using previously that I had to measure and cut strips from full sheets.
 
So, as I was once again test-fitting the stern filler blocks and the counter and seeing how everything looked placed against Bulkhead R and the counter sitting on top of the sternpost, I noticed a height level difference between the top of the counter (which will serve as the floor of the Commodore’s cabin) and the rest of the gun deck level on all of the bulwarks.  The Commodore’s cabin floor is going to be higher than the rest of the gun deck.  Well, crap, shouldn’t these obviously be at the same level?!?
 
When I made the decision to have a detailed gun deck, I followed the lead of others who have done this previously with the Model Shipways kit, and I trimmed 3/32” from the bulkhead former and bulkheads, but I did not trim the section of the bulkhead former directly behind Bulkhead R, where the sternpost attaches.  I don’t recall any of the other builders commenting on that piece specifically, but maybe it was just assumed that when you trimmed, you trimmed everything.  So, I trimmed that section off, as well.
 

 
Even with that piece now trimmed, though, the counter was sitting a bit too high.  That’s when I gave a shoutout to one of my fellow Constitution builders, Jon @JSGerson, to ask his advice, since it looked like in his pictures, his transom counter sat flush with the gun deck.  Jon, confirmed for me that, nope, there actually is a height difference and his photo made it appear to be an optical illusion.  Magic…..!  Once the front wall (including the buildout for the sofa area) is fully constructed, you can’t see the difference.  Very interesting, Jon!  Thank you!!
 
He did, though, remind me that Bob Hunt’s practicum does emphasize the importance of getting the transom counter thickness down to that 11/32” point.  So, I continued to sand that block until I got to that measurement (with a little more on each side to account for the deck curvature) and, ya know what?  I think once we add the gun deck base sheet and the deck planking, the cabin floor should be right at the same level as the rest of the gun deck.  Sweet!  Sorry for the long explanation but thought it might be worthy of documenting my perils.  My concern now is what I might have done to the sternpost in bringing that down the additional 3/32” and will that cause problems with aligning the hull planking, the stern frames, the quarter galleries, etc.  The rudder still fits in its eventual place just fine.  I guess “we’ll cross that bridge…”.
 
When I was making the cuts into some of the bulkheads and the bulkhead former to allow for the ladders going down to the berth deck from the gun deck, I failed to also make a cut into Bulkhead R prior to placement for the sofa area buildout.  According to the US Navy plans, if I am measuring the small scale plans accurately, that buildout area looks to be 8’ wide, which at our 1:76.8 scale, converts to 1.25”.  So, I cut that area out of Bulkhead R.  I did make a couple of notched cuts at the top of that extraction so that, when necessary, a new support beam can more easily be placed at the top of that cabin wall.
 

 
With that opening completed, I think I was ready to permanently secure (glue) the two stern filler blocks.  Of course, additional sanding and shaping will be necessary once the planking is placed, but I think we’ve got the stern area about where it needs to be for now,
 

 
While I placed the counter on top of the stern filler blocks for looks, I have not glued the counter in place yet.  In looking ahead at the work I am going to be doing with the transom frames and their locations, it may be wise to keep the counter loose for now, so that it will be easier to cut the slots in the counter where the frames will be seated.
 

 
For now, though, I think I will move to the bow filler blocks, the knightheads and the timberheads.
 
I hope I am doing things well.  I certainly have a treasure trove of available insights and information from prior build logs.  Thank you!  And thanks to all for reading, following, commenting, advising and criticizing!  You are all appreciated!

I have come up with my plan for the Futtock and Bentinck shrouds. I did not like the kit supplied parts so I made my own. I made the hooks, and jumps rings out of wire, instead of hearts, I opened up some thimbles and used them instead. 

I can rig the futtock shrouds and the bentinck shrouds off the model. My connecting point will be the large jump ring. I will have two parts, on the top the futtock shrouds and on the bottom the bentinck shroud.

Each futtock shroud will have a hook, two small jump rings in the middle, and then a smaller jump ring on the end. There will be five of them on each side.

Each bentinck shroud will be attached to the waterway with a wire wrapped thimble with a lanyard in-between the two thimbles. The top end of the bentinck shroud will be seized to the large split ring. There will be two of them. One on each side of the model.

While on the model, the lower ends of each futtock shroud will be slipped on the large jump ring. 

My final adjusting point will be the seizing at the bottom of the bentinck shroud. Once it has been adjusted it will be seized with diluted white glue like the rest of the seizings.

I hope this all makes sense. Now all I have to do is make 20 futtock shrouds and 4 bentinck shrouds for the fore and main mast.

Good evening--
  Here's the stempost and the keel that I added today. Everything was stained with Minwax "Red Mahogany."

 

 
--Michael

Eyebrows fabricated.                                                                              Belaying pin decision made. 

The experiment with the paint was a complete failure. I'm not going to bother with photographs on that.. I revisited the Boxwood curtains (meaning I fabricated another 30 plus blanks, this time 1/16" (1.6mm) thick) and got almost spot on to the dimensions of the Britannia pieces.  The bit was perilously close to the vise on the final cut, but production begins after I post this entry.  
 
They will be stained to match the planking behind them.

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks again to Mustafa for sharing his technique.
 

Excellent way to test how it would look with various stains/paints, Peter.  Good work.  And very good analysis by Jon.
 
Along those lines, my vote is for the "similar to planking" stain above.  I recall you invoking the KISS principle previously.  This stain choice keeps everything subtle, IMHO.

Another decision made - pin rails before tackles and breech lines. It seemed to me I would have a difficult time positioning the rails once the carronades were glued into place.  So, after I completed fabricating the breech lines, I fabricated and installed the pin rails. 
 

 

 

 
I finished the tackles and breech lines lines, but I think I'll have to hold off on rigging the guns until I get the cleats installed and make sure I haven't overlooked any eye bolts that need to be placed somewhere on the bulwarks.
 

Another (I’ll try to be) quick update on this Constitution build.  In my mind, this feels like one of those “…small step for model builder man, giant leap for Gregg-kind” type of accomplishments.  I’ll take the baby-step wins when I can get them, because I know a ton of “what the…?!?”s will cross my lips ultimately in this journey, as well.
 
First thing I wanted to get done was what I had mentioned at the end of my last post… and that is to insert some brass tubes up through the keel and into the bulkhead former a bit in order to provide additional support for when this ship is placed in a permanent base.  Several builders have done this on whatever ship they were constructing, and I mentioned that Jon gave an excellent tutorial on what he did early on for his Constitution, so… I had to follow suit.
 
I decided to place the two support holes about 12” apart, approximately at the F & N bulkhead locations.  Using just a pin vise and drilling holes by hand, I had to accurately drill straight down through the rabbet and keel in order to insert a 3/32” tube at each spot.
 

 
I started with a #60 micro drill bit and carefully worked my way up through larger drill bits so as to not tear out the hole.  So, a #60 drill bit, then a #54, then a #50, then 5/64”, then finally a 3/32” bit so that I could tap in the small tubes.  Sweet!
 

 
I had also mentioned in my last post that I was considering making some cuts into the appropriate bulkheads and keel locations in order to have visible ladders going from the detailed gun deck down to what would be the berth deck.  I looked at what others had done to the bulkheads and bulkhead formers to accomplish this visual.  Some had made the cuts at this stage, others had made cuts into the frames after the bulkheads had been secured to the center spine.  I decided to do this before attaching the bulkheads.
 
After reviewing several previous build logs and several USN documents, I made the following cuts in the center keel…
 

 
For the fore hatch going down to the berth deck, I cut out the center keel 19.34mm back from the Bulkhead F and 1” deep.
 
For the main hatch going down to the berth deck, I cut out the center keel 37.12mm back from Bulkhead I, which removed all from between Bulkheads I & J and went back another 12.44mm from Bulkhead J.
 
For the after hatch (the one that will be just in front of the capstan), I cut out the center keel 19.43mm from between Bulkheads L & M, beginning 9.78mm back from Bulkhead L.
 
For the companionway hatch (the one that will be just behind the capstan), I cut out the center keel 19.43mm from between Bulkheads M & N, beginning 14.52mm back from Bulkhead M.
 
  
 

 
In addition to the cuts made to the center keel, cuts also need to be made to a couple of the bulkheads that will be in the way in order to accommodate the “ladders to the berth deck” illusion.  So, the gun deck beams from Bulkheads I & J were removed now (other gun deck beams will be removed similarly later) as well as some deep cuts.  According to the USN plans (and looking again at other builds), it appears all of the gun deck hatches going down to the berth deck are 5’ wide, which translates in our 1:76.8 scale to 0.78125”.  So, the openings in these bulkheads were made that wide.
 
   
 
And, yes, the beams that are being removed will be saved in order to use as templates for when the new beams are added back in later on in this build process.  And, yes, I am still worried about snagging and breaking off at least one of these bulkhead extensions at some point during this build process! Uggghhh...
 
So, all in all, a good start to the first major bashing in this project.  I believe, then, that the next task is to get the Lego blocks out and, after a bit of initial fairing on a few of the bulkheads, secure each of the bulkheads to the center keel.  Then, begin on the filler blocks.
 
Thanks, as always, for peeking in.  Appreciate the likes, comments, advice and criticisms.

In your leaving the spa deck open to permit viewing the the gun deck below, is the intention to leave the planking, and I apologize for not having a better word for this, ragged?
 

 
As far as the carronades are concerned,  the beauty of the selection you made is that you bypass the obstacle of the overly wide waterways. Unlike mine, your guns will actually poke through the gun ports.
 
Good choice!
 

I started planking the center of the spar deck, starting from the capstan opening and working my way back to the stern until it filled in to the width of the hatchways. Then I applied the planks against the waterways, starting from the stern and working forward. The stern was fully planked to just forward of the captain’s dining area, then the plank voids will allow the gun deck to be visible. The forward areas are yet to be planked.

The MS plans show the planks tapering towards the stern on the spar deck, with the planks from 3/32” wide to the transom at 1/16” wide. The model’s far aft area of the stern is to be fully planked. I started the taper of the planks per the practicum, from the most aft hatchway.
 
Unlike the gun deck, the spar deck does not have a plywood sub-surface for planks to rest and adhered to. If I had not opted to create the gun deck, it would have. Still, the planking is relatively easy to do although I had to make minor adjustments as the support beams were not always at the proper height as I thought they should be. Also, in order to provide as much viewing space to the gun deck below as possible, I wanted to plank the minimum number of strakes to support the carronades. To determine that, I finally took out one set of 3-D printed 1812 styled USS Constitution carronades I bought from Model Monkey a number of years ago to use as a measuring stick. These are the vertical angle, screw adjustment, type. Just to reiterate, because the 1927 restoration version (with the wedge adjustment) on the actual ship are known to be historically incorrect, all the carronades on my model are to be of the more accurate 1812 style.
 
After I removed the excess spruce from the raw 3-D printed carronade, something didn’t look right. Looking at the available US Navy plans for the 1812 carronade and carriage which matched the few 1812 style carronades on the actual ship, there were some glaring differences to the Model Monkey versions. The sled (the part that slides back and forth on the skid) was perfect. The skid, however, was much narrower. Also, the pivot base on the nose of the skid was fastened to the bottom of the skid. According to Karl Heinz Marquardt’s book “The 44-Gun Frigate USS Constitution ‘Old Ironsides,” their diagram matched the Model Monkey’s version with one exception. The pivot plate was fastened to the top of the skid, to rest on the sill of the gun port (which the actual ship’s carronades do). No way was this lower pivot plate going to work on my model. So, there are three separate versions of what is supposed to be the 1812 carronade:
1812 version carronades installed on the actual ship now Marquardt’s, diagram Model Monkey 3-D printed version and this doesn’t include the carronades installed during the 1927 restoration. Is everything clear as mud!!?? So, the conclusion is: NOBODY knows for certain what the carronades looked like in 1812! Therefore, as Captain of this might ship, I’m going to make the Command Decision to use the carronades I purchased from Model Monkey and modified the pivoting base…unless I change my mind. Now back to planking.

Once again, my apologies to those who have done this before.  I'm documenting the procedure for creating the breech lines for my own use later, when I copy from these posts to my personal build log. Still, there might be one or two newbies out there who might benefit from this exhibition.
 
To free up my hands for the seizing, I literally bolted two Proxxon vices to my workbench. The rest should be self-explanatory.
 

 

 

 

 
Note: the carronade is not glued in. This was just a test fit..

 
I started working on the pin rails as well, but have yet to decide which I will install first - the pin rails or the carronades. So, I will make the breech lines first and postpone the decision until the later.   
 
 

Hello Everyone
 
Not a terribly exciting or in depth post today. Just an update to show the first planking. There is nothing of historical significance here except for the fact that one can now more clearly see the 1707 spacing of the gun ports, which are evenly spaced below the gun ports above and the absence of a bridle port. 
As some of you may know I am going with a double planking approach, the first layer being done with the supplied timber(fairly nasty stuff) and the second with pear wood(still to be cut from logs which are drying). 
 
This approach has 2 main benefits, the first being the creation of a smooth stable shaped hull to secure the pear wood to and the second being an opportunity to learn a bit about planking. This being my second build this was much needed to hone my skills before the final planking. 
 
I did the starboard side "correctly" besides the fact that I used single runs of planking as far as possible instead of the correct length planks as in the final layer. I did however attempted to taper the planks correctly etc. This went pretty well on the Starboard side but I somehow messed up the process on the port side and developed a strange curve in the planking. At this point I decided that it didnt make sense to keep torturing myself and completed the final planking with full width planks. 
 
My next step is to plank below the stern gallery and then move onto the final hull planking.  
 
All this being said...does anyone know where I can find a good complete planking tutorial. I have seen chucks great videos but they begin after the hull has been marked as far as I can tell. 
 
T.B.E.




20250718_071315.jpg-autosave.kra

Another photo suitable for framing? Straps added to all Spar deck guns.
 

 
Next up? 
Address gammoning issue?  (Drill out the dowels I stupidly plugged the holes for the gammon chain with.  See Gregg's recent posts about turning those holes into slots for rope gammoning.)
 
Fabricate breech lines?
 
Fabricate or ignore "eyebrows" ( gunport curtains? 
 
Start chain plates and channels?
 
We'll see..