Professor

Ahhh, sanity is overrated.   Thanks, Ken.

They seem as though they would be more to scale than similar offerings but I'm guessing they're still too large. I have passed  in the past on attempting to add the bulwarks rivets; every other effort I have seen, including those by some fabulously talented model shipwrights, has resulted in rivet heads that would be the size of small grapefruits if the model was expanded to life size. Inevitably the ship winds up looking as though it has contracted a bad case of nautical smallpox or perhaps maritime measles. (I appreciate your sharing the link all the same, Ken. It says much good about you that, with all you have on your plate, you took the time to research the product and post it.)
Professor

Ahhh, sanity is overrated.   Thanks, Ken.

Hi all got the rear railings on and made a start on the aft mast ratlines connections.
 

 

Ahhh, sanity is overrated.   Thanks, Ken.

Ahhh, sanity is overrated.   Thanks, Ken.

Thanks, Canute. Now for the internet hunt!

Forgive my ignorance in the matter, Stubby, but what book is that? Would you please be so kind as to share the title and ISBN? Ken's ship modelling skills are truly exceptional and couple well with a not a inconsiderable talent for macro photography and the ability to explain tasks in a straightforward, easy to absorb fashion. Despite long experience of my own, I'm never going to be too old to learn something new or just appreciate the work of a model shipwright rock star. I'd certainly want to lay my hands on anything he has authored on the model shipwright's craft and art.
 Best Regards,
 Professor    

They seem as though they would be more to scale than similar offerings but I'm guessing they're still too large. I have passed  in the past on attempting to add the bulwarks rivets; every other effort I have seen, including those by some fabulously talented model shipwrights, has resulted in rivet heads that would be the size of small grapefruits if the model was expanded to life size. Inevitably the ship winds up looking as though it has contracted a bad case of nautical smallpox or perhaps maritime measles. (I appreciate your sharing the link all the same, Ken. It says much good about you that, with all you have on your plate, you took the time to research the product and post it.)
Professor

Well done, Doug. No gaffes on the gaffs. Nice work...and nice word play.
Professor

They seem as though they would be more to scale than similar offerings but I'm guessing they're still too large. I have passed  in the past on attempting to add the bulwarks rivets; every other effort I have seen, including those by some fabulously talented model shipwrights, has resulted in rivet heads that would be the size of small grapefruits if the model was expanded to life size. Inevitably the ship winds up looking as though it has contracted a bad case of nautical smallpox or perhaps maritime measles. (I appreciate your sharing the link all the same, Ken. It says much good about you that, with all you have on your plate, you took the time to research the product and post it.)
Professor

I'm making my 1st tentative steps at the rigging.
 
Part of the challenge with this 1:100 scale kit is the size of the blocks and deadeyes.  My first successful attempts at stropping the blocks:
 

 

 
Working on the foremast required my 1st gaff.  Seemed to go without any major gaffes.
 


 
The throat that that holds the gaff to the spar doesn't have any barrels to hold it on so I've temporarily wired it onto the mast.  I presume at the end of the day (i.e when the model is done) I'll have to glue it to the mast?
 

Hi friends:
I am almost finishing the deck furniture (so many details!!  ).  Now  there are the Fife Rails, including the winches:
 

 
Saludos, Karl
 
 

I am off and running to continue my education of model ship building and hopefully on this one I will add sails. Like my Niagara build I will start with the small boats which are mini model kits in themselves and that my two young granddaughters like looking at the "baby boats". They are 2 and 4 years old.
 
I will skip the presentation of the box and contents since others have done it so well. I am starting with the pinnace the larger of the four. I started by marking the top surfaces of the laser cut parts before removing them from their parent sheet. The reason is that the laser cutting process burns a slight angle in the wood and when layering and gluing together you can use this angle to your advantage and avoid super thin areas.

I glued all the layers of all the boats together minus the bottom layer. I used the scrap center as a clamp surface to provide even compression.

Here is the reason to leave the bottom layer off and allow clearance to work on the inner walls.

Here is the finished up inner walls rough cut and then sanded.

Next I added sparingly automotive glazing putty to the inner walls for additional smoothness. This glaze dries quickly and is very easy to sand. Think of it as a thick layer of primer filler.

Here is the finished exterior 

Here the bottom layer was added and shaping started by rough cutting with an Xacto blade, sanding block and sanding sticks.

Here is the finished exterior ready for the keel.

Here is the finished sanded interior ready for keel and other details.

First I had to address the bow to stern sidewall curve which I developed using 1/4" masking tape, then marked the upper edge with a pencil and removed the tape and trimmed to the pencil line.

Here is the interior with all the details added that will be painted while the rest will be bright stained finish. The exterior keel has also been added. The ribs are .0208" square Basswood Midwest Scale Lumber item number 8000. I have used their micro cut lumber for years on airplane builds.
 
Next the pinnace will be primed and sanded and readied for paint per the plan scheme. 
 

I'll be joining the audience for your build of what has always been my favorite of the majestic China tea clippers.
May the coming year bring you all good things. Happy modeling, mate.

The end of an era. This is the guy who got me into ship building. More than a mentor but someone who also set me on the creative path always inspiring with your creations. Rest well grandpa after 96 years you've earned it. Perhaps we shall meet again some day... <3
 
<3
The end of an era. This is the guy who got me into ship building. More than a mentor but someone who also set me on the creative path always inspiring with your creations. Rest well grandpa after 96 years you've earned it. Perhaps we shall meet again some day... <3

Hola a todos:
During the Holidays I had no much time to make some advances in my ship, nonetheless I finished some details:
 
After several tries I make the Step Pads using the Word program of my computer:

 
Also, some of the Bitts, the wood cleats to hang the Life rings and the Gun stowage blocks:
 

 
The channels:
 

 
The Cat Heads:
 

 
The Steps:
 

 
And finally, I varnished the Hull:
 

 
Saludos, Karl
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hola a Todos:
 
After more than a week here is a new update.  First I finished the two lockers that laid close to the Galley access:
 

 
Also I install the eyebolts and skylights that run along the deck:
 

 
Saludos, Karl
 

Hi everybody:
 
After finishing the lockers I decided to follow with the lifeboat:
 
The most tricky part was to sand the interior because the kit comes with the "bread and butter"laser-cut lifts.  To accomplish this I glued only two of the lifts and before gluing another pair I carved and sanded the inner surface of the pairs. Nonetheless it is quite difficult to achieve a "perfect" soft interior.

 
Here you can see some pictures of the finished boat:

 
The cradles:
 

 
 
And the boat in it´s final position:
 

 
Saludos, Karl
 
 
 
 

Hi Friends:
Now another trunk finished, in this case the main salon trunk:
 

 
Saludos!!
 
 

Hola:
 
Now I decided to assembly  the Windlass.  For this, the first step was to position the bowsprit (in a provisional way) to locate exactly where the Samson posts would be placed.
 

 
Before assembling the different parts I painted and varnishing them:
 

 
Saludos, Karl
 
 

Hola:
 
Now I finished one of the Vent Box.According to the instructions these boxes have no pre-installed coamings instead  they are bolted to the deck having only a couple of transverse wood strips.  But seeing pictures of the actual modern ship they have coamings so I put them.
 

 
Also, and to change activity,  I painted the lower part of the hull using a combination of dark green with forest green and a little blue acrylic paint. Now it has two layers of paint and only need to apply the layers of satin varnish.
 

 
Saludos, Karl