MrBlueJacket

Added the caprail and skylight frames. Still needs touch up.

After the paint dries, hit the tops of the waves with flat white, glue the ship in, and I'm calling this model complete!
 

After the paint dries, hit the tops of the waves with flat white, glue the ship in, and I'm calling this model complete!
 

It took awhile, but I was successful. I think the look is quite good at this scale.
 

So now it's time to make the water base. Start by making off the edges to where you want them to be, and scoop some spackle onto the base.
 

 
Then smear it sort of evenly over the surface. no need to be neat about it.

 
Unfortunately, the next step photo didn't come out. You put on a vinyl glove and slightly wet it. The tap on the spackle to make a wave pattern. If you don't like it, wipe it off and do it again. when you're happy with it, wrap the hull in saran wrap and press into the wet spackle. This photo is the result. Let it dry

Now that the spackle is dry, it's time to paint. Spray the entire surface with a medium to dark blue.
 

 
Next step is to paint light blue, spayed at a very shallow angle, to just highlight the sides of the waves.
 

 
Then flip it to the other side, and do the same with green.
 

 
 

A more detailed description of this water technique can be found at the bottom of this newsletter here:
 
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News--tips--and-happenings-from-BlueJacket-Shipcrafters--Inc-.html?soid=1105166336677&aid=cPJIB86-yUw

After the paint dries, hit the tops of the waves with flat white, glue the ship in, and I'm calling this model complete!
 

After the paint dries, hit the tops of the waves with flat white, glue the ship in, and I'm calling this model complete!
 

It took awhile, but I was successful. I think the look is quite good at this scale.
 

So now it's time to make the water base. Start by making off the edges to where you want them to be, and scoop some spackle onto the base.
 

 
Then smear it sort of evenly over the surface. no need to be neat about it.

 
Unfortunately, the next step photo didn't come out. You put on a vinyl glove and slightly wet it. The tap on the spackle to make a wave pattern. If you don't like it, wipe it off and do it again. when you're happy with it, wrap the hull in saran wrap and press into the wet spackle. This photo is the result. Let it dry

So now it's time to make the water base. Start by making off the edges to where you want them to be, and scoop some spackle onto the base.
 

 
Then smear it sort of evenly over the surface. no need to be neat about it.

 
Unfortunately, the next step photo didn't come out. You put on a vinyl glove and slightly wet it. The tap on the spackle to make a wave pattern. If you don't like it, wipe it off and do it again. when you're happy with it, wrap the hull in saran wrap and press into the wet spackle. This photo is the result. Let it dry

It took awhile, but I was successful. I think the look is quite good at this scale.
 

And the staysail and jibsail are attached. I glued them to their respective stays with tachy glue. Next I have to figure out how to do the mast hoops.
 

And the staysail and jibsail are attached. I glued them to their respective stays with tachy glue. Next I have to figure out how to do the mast hoops.
 

Here's the jib sail pattern being test fitted.
 

 
And it gets the same treatment as the staysail did.

 
 

Here's the jib sail pattern being test fitted.
 

 
And it gets the same treatment as the staysail did.

 
 

The sheet on the right is liberally sprayed with flat clear lacquer, which doesn't shrink it.

 
Then the second piece is laid over it, and wiped with a finger to remove any air bubbles.

 
 

Starting to do the sails. First step is to tape the sail pattern down, then tape silkspan over it.
 

Next step is to trace the lines onto the silkspan, then cut another piece with the grain at 90 degrees to the first piece.

Here's the jib sail pattern being test fitted.
 

 
And it gets the same treatment as the staysail did.

 
 

Deck planking is done - a long, fiddly process.  I planned to start at the bow with a king plank and work out from that.  The sides of the king plank needed to be parallel with each other and with the sides of the hold structure - I got close but not perfect.  Gluing it in...

Next I glued in, at long last, the hold and cabin assembly, locating it with the dowels I installed previously.

I installed the planks in three groups. The first group built out from the king plank to the planks that run along the sides of the hold.  Again, it was critical to get these right since the remaining planks would be fitted to them.  I cut and fit the planks on the hull but laying them out on the plan gives a better idea:

Note the slight asymmetry - the sides of the hold are not quite on the centerline I used for the king plank, as shown by the differing widths of the long outer planks.  Everything glued in...

I sanded and varnished the individual planks before gluing them in since there was not enough room to properly sand the deck.  Next I filled in the area between the long planks at the stern, working toward the middle.  Here the planks are dry-fitted, with a wider plank in the middle.  Note the slight taper in the wider plank, resulting from lack of parallelism in the starting points and/or the crown of the false beams.

Once those planks were glued in, I filled out the sides of the deck.

I replaced the wide central plank behind the hold with a normal-width plank and a little tapered sliver.

It's not perfect but I'm pleased with the look.  Putting the crown in the deck was a lot of work and created some problems, and it's hardly noticeable, but I'm still glad I did it!  Next I need to install the mitered trim strips around the cabin and hold, a job I am not looking forward to.
 

Both gaffs installed. All that is left are the sails, davits, lifeboat, anchors and stern flag. Oh, and putting it on a water base display.
 

Both gaffs installed. All that is left are the sails, davits, lifeboat, anchors and stern flag. Oh, and putting it on a water base display.
 

Prepped blocks for both gaffs.
 

Prepped blocks for both gaffs.