rvchima

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.
 
 

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.
 
 

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

I started the model a week before Christmas and have managed to make a little progress.
 
Bow & Stern Filler
Bow and Stern Filler pieces are made from a number of small MDF parts attached to a backing plate and sanded to shape with a rotary tool. Sanding was a little bit intimidating but came out just fine. The purple take in the third photo holds a temporary piece in place to protect two delicate vertical frame pieces.

Keel & Frames
I forgot to take a photo of the basic keel with frames attached, so I'll jump ahead a little here. The keel is a single piece of MDF, and the frames drop perfectly into slots. Nothing is glued at first. The manual says to place the lower deck with laser-burned planking lines on the frames. Neither the manual nor most of the build logs say anything about finishing the sub deck, but I went ahead and used a coat of Minwax Golden Oak oil stain and three coats of satin Polycrylic spray. Now I realize that you can't see that deck on the finished model, but hey, I know it's there.
 
Longitudinal gun port frames are attached to the top of the frames, then everything is glued with diluted PVA glue painted on from below. In this way the lower deck and longitudinal frames keep everything in alignment as the glue drys.
 
You know the laser-cut wooden toys/puzzles that are so common now? Names like ROKR, UGEARS, and RoWood? So far this model reminded me of those - no skill necessary. I think that planking the hull will be a different story.


Four lower coamings with gratings made of pear wood are assembled and attached to the lower deck.
Note to Self: These precisely thin laser-cut pieces can be extremely delicate! Don't ask me how I know.

The stern counter is made up of nine frames.

Horizontal supports for the gun deck are attached next, and then longitudinal supports are attached on top of them.

The kit includes a cradle to hold the model during construction. It matches two frames exactly, but until the hull is planked I am using two spring clamps to keep the hull from slipping off.
 
Next the gun sub-deck is attached in two pieces. Remember what I said about "no skill necessary?" I take that back. The gun deck was very hard to fit. The notches were all a little tight, and the two pieces wouldn't quite match up along the center line. I placed, removed, sanded, and replaced the two pieces for hours, and still ended up with gaps between them. Eventually a nicer deck will go over top so it won't matter.

I completed it that way because I wasn't completely happy with how the hull had turned out, but hey, I'll take 'brilliant'! 😁

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.
 
 

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.
 
 

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.
 
 

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.
 
 

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.
 
 

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

I finished my Mississippi River Steamboat Robert E Lee in early October, and took a break from ships to build a TV console for my son and daughter-in-law. In the evenings I was looking for a new ship to build - something beautiful but challenging that would not need to go in a case.
 
I found a build log for HMS Fly (Amati) built by moderator @ccoyle. Chris built his model as a hull model, no masts, yards, or rigging. What a brilliant idea! He built all the fun bits without ending up with a dust catcher. I started searching for other ships that might look good as a hull model and found the Diana by Caldercraft. I asked Chris for advice, and he told me that my taste was consistent as both models had been designed by @chris watton, owner of Vanguard models. I ordered the Sphinx and had it within a week, but haven't been able to start it until now.
 
There are at least 18 build logs for the Sphinx on MSW, 7 finished, 3 in progress, and 8 stalled. Here are links to the finished logs for easy reference.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 (prototype) by James H - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - FINISHED
12 pages, 5.5 months. This is the prototype build used for photos for the beautiful manual in the kit.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale
29 pages, 16 months. Built as a hull-only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn Shelton (glennard2523) - Vanguard Models - 1:64
10 pages, 5 months. Glenn wasn't happy with his work (which looked great to me) and stopped with a hull only model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by glennard2523 - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton
16 pages, 11 months. Glenn started over and completed an even nicer model.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by mtaylor - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
17 pages, 10 months. Mark also stopped with a hull-only model. A very nice build.
 
HMS Sphinx by ECK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
Only 3 pages, 5 months. A fast build with a short log, but the model is gorgeous.
 
HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64
19 pages, 16 months. Amazing model with full sails mounted in a diorama.
 

What's in the Box
A photo of the box is at the top of my first post. The box weighs a hefty 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg).  Here are a couple of composite photos of box contents.

A lot of the weight is paper - a beautiful 152-page manual and 23 sheets of plans. The cannons, figurehead, and stern decoration are 3-D printed. The hull is double planked with lime wood and pear wood. The masts and yards are walnut. Most of the blocks and rigging material will go into my leftover box if I stop with a hull-only model.

The kit includes 33 sheets of laser-cut MDF for the frames and pear wood for most everything else, 1 sheet of laser cut acetate for a stand, and 5 sheets of photo-etched parts.