mtaylor

Thanks for the tips, Dan. I have been mounting to scrap but not round. I'll try that. I seem to be using a mix of tools at this point. Both rotary (using dental burrs) and hand tools. At this point, I'm preferring the hand tools. I'll have a re-look at your builds. Thanks for looking in.

Beautifully done, Ainars. I hope you have a place picked out to display her.

Very well done, Chris. I hope it brings you many hours of joy and that it doesn't get commandeered by the youngsters all the time. Looking forward to the on the water photos.

Have you looked at any of the other Niagara logs? In this case, look at ones that have the cannon already and see what they have done.

I've found that with those "problem" woods, having a shop vac very close to the work area helps collecting the dust before it blows about the room and the rest of the place. Even hanging wetted towels in the area helps a lot. As for bending, try using thin strips and then laminating them together in the shape of the curves. Some ebony bends easier than others but it's still a headache.

Thanks for the comments and likes. I'm slowly hammering away at things not just carvings. There's things that plans don't really show but I'm getting them sorted out. Hopefully, another week or two and I can have the planking done and sanded but I'll have to deal with what ever gets in the way first. Don't sell yourself short, G.L. I think things will improve as I go which seems to normal for all of us. I tend to agree on your observations, EJ. I think my biggest headache is deciphering the drawings. Thanks Chuck. I'm going to do a few more of the different ones and then go back an look again at the earlier carvings. I've learned that doing is a great teacher. Thanks Gaetan. I've been following your discussions (and others) on the use of tung oil and am considering it over other coatings. Just not time yet to even test it.

Thanks for adding that, Lou. Yes, seems like industry wanted to go back to the old ways. Sad times for many of them after the war with no job and a husband or boyfriend who wasn't coming back.

Welcome to MSW, David. I would suggest you open a build log on your models as you build them. It's the best way to meet other builders and also get some help when you need it.

If one looks at WWII factories... many workers were women. I should probably say most by wars end. Women who had never held a job before much less done anything like build an airplane. As the war went along, more and more women entered the workforce to replace the men who either joined or were drafted into the military. I had aunts who did this. One joined the army and was Einstein's driver in Los Alamos whenever he was there. The others worked in factories building things... aircraft, etc. A pretty amazing thing and time when you think about it.

Salty Dog, I'm with Clare here. By all means start a log and use maybe the first post or two to bring us up to speed on where you are now.

Make that lots of skilled workers. I've seen photos of aircraft assembly from WWII and it's amazing how many workers were in and around each one during the building phase. And also during the subassembly phase. No CNC machines or computer welding then either.

Been awhile, I know. I'm still sorting out some things while working on the planking. Hopefully, that won't be too muich longer now that I have the stern planking figured out. One of my "side" projects was to "re-learn" carving. After a post here about it, and then I re-read Bill Shorts book and things started coming back as had done carvings on Licorne (not all but some). Long story short... here's one of the carvings with the references. First up is the stern plan showing the carvings. Not the greatest I've seen but it's what I have to work with. Some of these are super tiny so I'll figure something out on them. Next up are two photos from the Web... Both show the same carvings but different approaches and thus what they looked like. It should be noted that these are all 1:48 builds. They both seem to be pretty "flat" with not much depth and there's differences in what the builder saw in the plans. And here's mine. It's best I can do. This is one at the very top. It's (I think) a bird with the lantern post coming out of it's mouth. Go figure, right? That's a penny (American) underneath it. The carving is about 1.75 cm (less than 0.75 in) overall. From here, except for the Arms of France, the carvings get smaller. I don't think I'll be able to put any real detail into them. And that dark spot on the extreme tip of the left wing seems to be shadow as it's not on the carving. Back to the shop until next time. I'm doing carvings while waiting for glue to dry on the planking or for inspiration on problem solving. I should add, I thought about photo etch and even having 3D printing done but cost is big factor with 3D and I think my carvings will be better than photo etch. Ah... hope still springs forth internally.

Now that is a definition I didn't expect. I'm not sure I'll be able to clear it from my brain either.

This is pure speculation, Frolick. Yard and foresail handling maybe? Loading and unloading ship's boats and possibly rations, cargo, etc.?

The 64-gun ship was used heavily by both the French and the British and many were built on both sides. As models go, there aren't that many models or plans out there for this class. Le Fleuron is a beautiful ship and a great example of the French ships of this class.

I added the scale to the title, James. I'm looking forward to seeing your build.

Welcome to MSW, Bob. Give thought to opening a build log in the kit area. It's probably the best way to meet others and also get help when you need it.

Boaty? I thought the proper name was Boaty McBoatFace. It's best I quit here.....

Well that rules out Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Moved to the proper sub-forum.. Tools.

Moved to appropriate sub-forum.... rigging.

At this pace, you'll be on the water in a couple of weeks, Chris.

Etch a Sketch would work for me also, but I'm using CoreDraw. I'm making about 10% bigger to allow for removing the burn and also shaping. Maybe someone will come up with a miracle program/application that will automagically add the depth. All humor aside, this is enjoyable work instead of watching glue dry.

That's probably a good idea, OC. Drummers were used not just to set the pace while marching but also to relay commands to the troops during battle as they usually could be heard over the din. Commands such as "attack", "retreat", were pretty common up until WWI.