mij

Hi Dan
 
A very small dab of Coptdex is put on the top and bottom of the top and floor timbers just to hold them onto the paper template while the 1st futtock is glued on.
when the Titebond has set, the frame can be peeled away from the paper template and the Copydex can be rubbed off with your finger.
 
As for the Proxxon long neck tool, the Wife ask me what I wanted for my Birthday, and that is what I picked.
I will let you know how I get on with it.
 
mij

If you go on YouTube and search for Building Cruise Ship Model you will see amny different examples from Legos to plastic to wood. Here is one that I found particularly interesting from England.
 

I have continued on and cut the remainder of the deck beams.It was a slow job due to the parallelogram shape of the aft beams because of the deck sheer.These are inserted through corresponding slots in the hull.These will be slid out and the remaining deck clamps fitted.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel
 
P.S.Excuse the dust,my compressor gave up the ghost the other week so I am currently without an airline for dusting off

I have fully sanded the deck smooth.After this,the deck was wiped with an extremely diluted mix of Liver of sulpur gel,http://www.metalclay.co.uk/patinas/,thiswas to take the shine off the copper,rather than turn it black,which a stronger mix would have done.It has removed the shine and darkened the copper ever so slightly.So far two coats of poly have been applied and the deck has been rubbed down ready for the third.
 
Happy New Year everyone
 
Nigel

Thank you Giorgio!!
But what you're doing is really wonderful!!!! 
 
I started laying the planks of the false bridge:

 

 

 

 

 

agujeros para la cuerda del ancla, no coincidían. la tuvo que hacer de nuevo

Log 29 – lower standing rigging
 
Two weeks ago there were no masts or rigging set up.  The channels weren’t even on.
 
1
 
Today, with the invaluable help of JerseyCityFrankie, the lower standing rigging is done and the upper rigging well on its way.
 
2
 
Here is how it was done. 
 
First came the channels.  They are all situated in the line of the second molding, just under the blue painted bulwarks and above the gunports.  In typical fashion they are stylishly curved at each end, with a cap strip that captures the deadeye “chains”.  They are located such that the foremost deadeye lines up with the center of the mast.  In the photo you can see how I miscalculated this and the main channels had to move aft about half an inch, leaving a gap in the molding that had to be filled later.  Unlike English practice which usually had the supports under the channel, French practice at the time was for wooden knees above the platform.
 
3
 
For the lower masts, the rule of thumb is that deadeyes are half the diameter of the mast, while for upper masts they are more closely the size of the mast.  For this 17mm main mast the deadeyes are 9mm boxwood ones purchased from Model Shipways and stained.  Each hole was opened a little and a lanyard groove cut for each hole on an angle to ease the bend in the lanyard line.  In my restoration work it is almost invariably true that the rigging line fails at these sharp corners in deadeyes and blocks, so wherever possible I will be preparing the rigging fittings this way.
 
The deadeye “chains” are not the three links that are seen on later ships, but solid iron straps that are bolted through the hull at the bottom.  At the top there is a loop that hooks through a raised section of the deadeye strop.  This setup has been seen in contemporary drawings and confirmed by artifacts discovered in the excavation of La Belle, LaSalle’s ship when he explored Texas in 1674.  La Belle is a little early and about half the size of the QAR, but the rigging fittings should be similar so I have decided to go with this.  I will be taking many cues from the La Belle excavation as reported by Glenn Greico in his Master’s dissertation, available here: http://nautarch.tamu.edu/Theses/pdf-files/Grieco-MA2003.pdf
 
My deadeye straps were made from brass strip, with a narrow section ground and bent to a hook, then chemically blackened.  They are pinned to the hull with half inch roundhead steel nails that are glued into holes that angle upward slightly to counteract what will be some pretty high stresses as the shrouds are tensioned.
 
4
 
The metal strops were formed from stiff iron wire.  (Yes, there are straps, strips, and strops.  Sorry about that, but I’ll try to keep them straight).  Here is the jig that I used.  It is for the deadeyes in the tops which have long legs to go through the top, but the principle is the same.
 
5
 
A length of wire is bent around the middle pin, which is there to keep the loop open for the later hook.  The legs pass between the pair of larger pins and are then bent out in a straight line.  A deadeye is held hard against the center point and the legs are bent by hand into the groove till they cross at the top.  Using the legs as handles the strop is spread apart until the deadeye can be popped out.  A bit of epoxy is laid into the strop groove and the deadeye is put back into the strop and rotated as needed to line up properly.  The legs of the strop are clipped short and the ends bent down into the groove with pliers.  When the epoxy dries they are ready for use.  Although the gap in the strop used to worry me, I have never had one open up.  Besides, if the stresses are that great, I would rather that the strop open up than have the entire channel pulled up.
 
With the deadeyes all strapped and stropped to the channels the rigging could begin.  I did this from aft to forward, with one exception.  The very first piece of rigging was the gammoning around the bowsprit.  This is important because all of the stresses and tensions of the standing rigging are anchored here.  You can see the way the lines cross as they wrap from aft to forward on top of the bowsprit, but from forward to aft within the gammon hole in the stem.  The gammoning is finished with a few round turns just above the grating in the head.
 
6
 
You can also see in the photo that the seat of ease has been lined with lead like the scuppers.  I would not otherwise show this feature, but the excavation of the QAR has turned one up, so it has been added.
 
7
 
Beginning with the mizzen mast the deadeyes were turned into the shrouds and given three seizings.  The shrouds were made from linen line sourced from a pool cue manufacturer who uses the line to make non-slip grips.  The line comes in unbleached white, which was dyed with RIT liquid black dye according to the package instructions. 
 
8
 
As was consistent for almost all ships of this period, whatever their origin, the deadeyes were laced with oiled line.  The lacing had to be protected from salt water, but could not be tarred since it must have been adjusted fairly often as the shrouds stretched from the strains of sailing and weather.  This has been represented with a dark brown line rather than the darker black of the tarred shrouds.
 
9   
 
At the mizzen top the shrouds are served as they go over the trestletrees and around the masthead.  Under the top are several blocks for the running rigging and for the crojack yard halyard.  The mizzen stay is served and an eye worked into the end.  A mouse is raised on the stay to form the loop that drops over the masthead and the heads of the shrouds.  The mouse is shaped with the bulbous end down, in the French fashion, so the bulb jams against the eye.  English practice is to have the tapered “tail” of the mouse slide through the eye until it has no more space to run.  I don’t know why there is this difference, or whether one or the other conveys any kind of advantage.
 
10
 
At the lower end I ran into a problem.  Although never detailed, it is clear that the mizzen stay has to set up to a collar on the main mast.  However, if the stay is centered it interferes with the ramshead block and tie for the main spar.  I decided to offset the collar to starboard with a bullseye seized into it.  A set of double blocks were seized into the lower end of the stay and the upper end of the collar, then joined with a lanyard.  The lower end of the collar is belayed to one of the large mast cleats.
 
11
 
The shrouds for the main mast are set up much like those of the mizzen.  There are five heavy shrouds with large deadeyes, and two more on the aft end of the channel for the topmast shrouds. 
 
12
 
For the main shrouds the forward one is served its whole length to protect it from chafing by the mainyard sail.  The other shrouds are served only where they go around the masthead and then for a short distance below the top where they are seized to each other in pairs.  The three futtock shrouds have been hooked into the strops of the upper deadeyes then turned around a futtock stave that is seized across the shrouds.  You can also see the pendants that hang below the top, which are served all over with an eye worked into the end.  They were used as anchor points for hauling up the ship’s boat, supplies, etc. 
 
12a
 
Here in a later photo they are shown with a double block hooked into the eye, the running line goes down to a corresponding block at the deck which is hooked into an eyebolt near the base of the mast.
 
13
 
These hooks were made up in my usual way, by turning an eye into appropriately sized iron wire using orthodontic wire bending pliers.  The wire is then turned back over the pliers and clipped off.  For the larger hooks used for the pendants the clipped end was further tapered with a grinding drum, then the tip was recurved as in full sized practice.
 
14
 
Aft of the mast a set of catharpins are laced to the futtock staves and pull them inward against the strain of the futtock shrouds.  According to R.C. Andersen this diagonal pattern was used by the French, probably to leave space immediately behind the mast for the main yard ties and other rigging lines.  They were installed on all three masts as they were rigged.
 
15
 
The main stay is set up with an eye and mouse, just as the mizzen stay was.  Although this is the largest of the rigging lines on the ship I decided not to worm it, nor to have a preventer stay.  I reasoned that a small ship that had been a slaver for several years and was now in the hands of pirates would not have the spare manpower to maintain lines that would not be called on except in battle, which the pirates avoided at all costs.  The collar is set up in the French fashion, served all over and anchored around the base of the bowsprit.  The two legs are seized together at the bow and then on both sides of the foremast.  Large triple blocks are seized into the ends of the stay and collar and laced together.
 
16
 
In this close-up you can see the blocks, which the French used rather than hearts favored by the English.  You can also see the thumb cleats that secure the collar to the mast on either side.
 
17
 
The standing rigging to the foremast is identical to that of the main mast, except that the stay goes to a collar on the bowsprit.  You can see most of what has been discussed in this one photo.
 
18
 
The fore and main masts had crowsfeet laced from the top to the stay to prevent the lower edge of the topsails from curling under the top and fouling all the lines and blocks that live there.  These were made by first shaping the euphroes out of pear.  They are about ¾” long, with a strop groove cut in all around the edges.  Since there are 16 holes in the forward edges of the tops, the euphroe has 8 corresponding holes.  A strop was seized into the groove with the tails left on which were used to attach the euphroe to the stay.
 
19
 
The crowsfoot was formed by lacing the line up through the hole in the top closest to the center cleat on the starboard side.  A stopper knot under the top prevented it from pulling through, much like the deadeye lanyards.  The line laced down and through the top hole in the euphroe, up and over the lip of the top on the port side, down through the first port side hole, and up the second port side hole.  It continued down and through the second euphroe hole, up over and down the second starboard hole, and up the third starboard hole.  The lacing continued loosely back and forth in this manner until the line reached the outermost starboard hole.  All the lines were tightened and a knot was worked close under the top and the excess line snipped off.  To strengthen it all the lines were painted with dilute PVA glue.
 
20
 
The final element for the lower standing rigging is the ratlines.  The line itself was selected to scale out to ¾” diameter, suitable for the weight of a man, and spaced 10mm apart, which converts to 15” in real space.  As for tying them, many others have gone over the lacing of ratlines, so I will not repeat that here.  Suffice to say that they are attached to the outermost shrouds of each gang with an overhand loop, which makes the smallest bulge around the shroud, and secured to the inner shrouds with clove hitches.  This is not nearly as daunting as it may seem.  Once a rhythm is established it goes rather quickly, like knitting.  Frank and I tied all the ratlines for all the lower shrouds in just four hours.  No special effort was made to have the ratlines sag between the shrouds, but they naturally take on a mild curve as the tying proceeds.  This can be increased or reduced by gently tugging on the appropriate knots until the desired look is achieved.  Once I was happy with the overall look the entire shroud gang was painted with dilute glue and, when the glue was dry, the tails were clipped as close to the shrouds as could be managed.
 
21
 
I hope to have another report out before Christmas, with the completion of the standing rigging and the beginning of hanging the spars and sails. 
 
If not, a very Happy Holiday Season to all and I will be back in the New Year.
 
Dan

I've often heard that that it's not about the destination but the journey that's important.  I agree but this journey is currently being measured in inches and not miles. 
 
I added the timbers the taffrail will sit on and worked up and installed the two outer timbers for the counter. The whole stern area was then rough faired.  Final fairing will be just before planking. 
 
The taffrail timber needs to be shaped after cutting loose the stern (the red curved line).  I still have a lot of shaping to that curve and most can be done while it's in frame and on the build board but I need to set up the rest of the stern framing.   This will be filling in the area between the final cant frame and the stern frames with framing for mounting the quarter galleries and the hatchway from the Great Cabin.   I'm have some ideas on how to do this as this another area that Hahn is a little vague on how to do.
 
Anyway enough out of me, here's the photos.   Feel free to click on and enlarge them to see everything in horrible detail.   
 

 
 

Great Tool, it looks lile it will do any thickness.
 
This is my main hogger a modified Delta belt sander
 

 

 
Not the nicest looking thing but its a work dog! not prone to bogging down

For sometime I will work in the fore part,

The block on top was added after a month or so of using the sander as by then I was sick of the dust that it blew out. The hole is just the right size to fit the vac hose. With the vacuum attached all the dust is taken away, I don't even need to wear a dust mask while it is operating. The round cap is used to block the hole and also to check the condition of the sandpaper during use without removing the front cover.  Here are a couple of extra pictures showing some of the details.
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Thanks for the likes and comments. 
 
Finally... happy dance time again.  At least a small one..
 
It took me several tries but the top transom is done and in place along with the stern timbers.   I used some pen blanks as I didn't have any stock of cherry, boxwood, or pear thick enough.  The final ended up in yellowheart.  Thankfully, it will hidden by the planking. 
 
I cut the curve (which doesn't quite match the deck camber per the plans) on the top and bottom.  Spot glued the waste back on and then the cut the curve of the stern.   A soak in alcohol and the piece emierged.   Notches were cut into the timber for the deadwood and frame timbers.  Everything was then finessed into postion per the plans.  The photos I contrast corrected helped a lot.  Then the stern timbers were cut and matched to size and finessed into position.   The further outboard the timbers go, the longer they get.     I've checked and rechecked as these two bits are critical to the stern being right. 
 
I still have a lot more work in this area, but at least I know I won't be scrapping this one out because the stern was a hopeless cause.  Just a small amount of fairing needs to be done before planking but I feel the rest of the framework should be added first to give it some strength.  Those timbers are bit fragile as they are now.
 
Here's the pics.   Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the process.  As always, you click on them for enlargement.  
 

 

 
 

With all that corrected, we're back in business for the planking job.
 
Last night i glued another plank in its place. The last plank of the first belt. It sure is very time consuming, but i like to do it.
 

 
 

All the lower mast stays have been completed, time to turn my attention to the top masts.
 

Whilst I have been doing a little work on Mordaunt,I am holding back on pics for now.However I received another delivery of Pear(some is for Royal William).I had asked Dennis at Twigfolly.com,if he had a small chunk of Pear to carve the figurehead from and he said he would have a root about.The result is the massive Pear chunk for free with the rest of the order!!!!!
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hello again and, as always, thanks for the likes and comments.
 
This time I turn to the details of the foredeck.  Although the basic structure and planking has been completed for a while, it was never attached to the hull because various components under the deck had to be completed first.  These included the guns that were done last time, the anchor bitts, and the post with sheaves for the foreyard halyard and tie system.
 
Here is the system on a contemporary model.  This is the one for the main yard, but the pieces are the same: a post attached to the deck with a number of sheaves for the halyard line; an upper ramshead block with matching sheaves and a transverse hole for the tie which comes down from the masthead; and the halyard line running between the two.  As you can see, the line goes through the deck and must pass through a series of holes or a scuttle of some sort.  There are no clear photos of this detail that I could find.
 
1
 
I also had to figure out how to install them fully rigged, since it would be quite difficult to get to the posts once the upper decks were in place.  Even RC Anderson recommends fully rigging them, then tensioning the system with the tie and not the halyard.  Here is what I came up with.
 
I started with the ramshead blocks.  I made these up with false sheaves rather than trying to build them up since they would be rigged and the sheaves hidden under the running line.   A series of five holes was drilled in a sized piece of hardwood in two matching horizontal lines using a Dremel drill press.  Then a thin grinding bitt was laid against the wood to cut a channel from one hole to the other.  You can see where I am starting the process in the right side hole with the others in later stages of carving.
 
2
 
These channels were carefully deepened and straightened, then angled at the ends of the cut until they approximately replicated the curve of the sheave that is not there.  This was done on both sides of the workpiece.  Now the blocks will accept the line which will look as though it is running around a circular sheave. 
 
Once all the slots were cut and cleaned up, the block was parted off to length and taken down to the ramshead shape with a sanding drum.  Here are the two for this model.  I do see that the tops of the blocks need some further shaping to match the one in the earlier photo.
 
3
 
In a similar way the posts that will go under the foredeck and quarterdeck were cut, pierced, and shaped.  The one on the right is an early example, before my technique was perfected, and which would be replaced if it were not going to be hidden under the foredeck.  The cut at its base is so it can fit over the knee of the anchor bitts, which brings it to the starboard side of the centerline.
 
4
 
And here are both sets, which were made up at the same time to maximize consistency.  You can see how the posts will be secured with brass rods into the deck for strength.
 
5
 
Here is the foreyard set fully rigged.  Sharp eyes will notice that there are only 4 loops of the halyard line and not 5.  When I went to install the set initially it really seemed too large for the ship.  I went back to my photos of contemporary models and found that the 5-sheave blocks were used on the largest three-deck warships.  This small frigate would not have needed such lifting power, so I took the finished pieces to the table saw and sliced off one side of all the pieces to eliminate one sheave.  This had the happy result that the scuttles in the decks did not have to be quite as large.  More on this later.
 
6
 
The next detail for the foredeck was the railing to keep sailors from falling into the waist and to house the ship’s bell.  I wanted to build and install it now so I could secure it from beneath the deck with metal pins before the foredeck was put on the model.  Here is a photo of a fairly fancy one from a model of a French ship of a somewhat later period.  Although this one is continuous from port to starboard, Budriot shows two gaps which will be used later to house spare spars and topmasts, so there is a long central section with two short sections flanking it.
 
7
 
I decided that my railing would have balusters set in channels for the body of the railing, with posts that went up through a caprail and ended in shaped timberheads that could be used to secure rigging lines.  The first task was to make a fairly large number of identical balusters without spending days turning them on a miniature lathe, which I don’t have.  I opted for the mill-and-part-off method that has worked for me with support knees, shingles, and other repetitive parts.
 
On the left is the baluster shape that I selected from internet images, then the cross section of the workpiece after milling channels with the Preac table saw and rounding off as needed with a carving bitt.  On the right is the side view of the workpiece with the parallel channels cut by the saw.  Note that the grain runs vertically.
 
8
 
Here the individual balusters are being parted off the workpiece on the Preac.  It is set up with the tall vertical fence and the thinnest, finest blade that I have.  The workpiece is being fed into the blade and is supported by a sacrificial stick held against the miter gauge.  This support stick is taller than the blade height so the end remains attached and I can push the workpiece through repeatedly, taking off identical slices.
 
9
 
Here are four of the balusters set into upper and lower channels ready for the end posts and caprail.
 
10
 
And here are a set of completed railing sections ready for installation.  Note that four of them are angled slightly to match the round-up of the deck.  
 
11
 
However, when I went to install them I realized that I had made a major mistake.  I made the railing about 40 inches tall in scale, enough to keep a man from falling over it into the waist.  This looked terrible against the size of other fittings.  I went and rechecked my dimensions to find that the railing is really only 18-24 inches tall.  Proof, once again, that if it doesn’t look right, it is probably wrong.
 
Instead, a new workpiece was shaped and short balusters were parted off.  Here you can see the relative heights of the old and new railings. 
 
12
 
You can also see that the new workpiece did not cut as cleanly as the old one.  I gave them a few coats of finish and, when dry, took off the wood fuzz with a thin pointed grinding bitt.  Here is the final set of railings, the upper ones for the quarterdeck and the lower ones with the belfry for the foredeck. 
 
13
 
So here is the foredeck ready for installation on the model.  You can see not only the railing and the scuttle for the halyard, but some additional features whose construction is pretty straightforward:  the smokestack for the galley stove, a small grating for the galley, a set of riding bitts with sheaves (also quite low to the deck), the mast coat, eyebolts for hooked rigging blocks, and that curious rigging fitting with ten cleats set onto the deck.
 
14
 
And here it is, installed.  Newly added are the catheads for the anchors, which are secured to the deck with headed bolts and the timberheads around the low bulwarks, secured with metal pins.  You can also see how the ramshead block was led up through the scuttle.  It was a tight squeeze but it made it, and then the scuttle was mostly closed off with wood battens to help keep the lower deck dry.
 
16
 
Next time, the gangways and quarterdeck, including the whipstaff.
 
Be well
 
Dan
 
 

Hi Everyone. Thanks for the comments and likes.
 
Sorry for the delay getting back to you all. My PC's hard drive started failing and had to take her to the doctor.
 
During that time I was able to complete the startboard side planking, sanded it down and applied one coat of
wipe on poly. The good news is that I was successful in doing it without any drop planks or steelers. The bad
news is after sanding it a few joints aren't as tight as I would have liked.
 
All in all I'm happy with my first attempt at this type of planking. Hopefully the next one will be better
and the planks a little more uniform.
 

 
Well I'm off to the port side to start the last two bands of planking.

Progress
 

little progress: I started the construction of the deck beams

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuation.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
The beginning of the relationship is available at this address:
 
 
http://5500.forumact...ndre-1-24#66516
 
 
Regards, Paul

I have the gunports properly silled and sized (is silled a word?).  I've also hit her with another round of fairing and am almost comfortable with it but I'll hold off until the stern is built, checked, verified and approved as this was my Waterloo the last time.  Or maybe the wrong side of Trafalgar?   Hmm... 
 
Anyway, I've started measuring, scratching my head, and sorting out how I'm going to do this and get it right.  I'm thinking I'll have draw the transoms, make templates for starters.
 

 

A small,but possibly useful update Work has stopped on my deck 'treenailing' as I have now been waiting a week for some more drillbits to arrive
I have decided to start producing the deck clamps 'in the rough'.These are made from 3mm thick pear sheet and spiled,profiled and prebent where necessary to conform to the inside of the hull.This is not helped by the fact that the tumblehome changes direction right in the middle of these pieces.My plan is to make and bend the sections overlength and add the hooked scarph joints to the ends a little later.
I have started at the bow,a paper template was made for the shape and pieces cut to suit oversize in height and length.The top edge cannot be accurately established until the deck beams are dry fitted and the hull cutouts used as a reference.The angle of cut of the top edge also changes massively at the bow as the profile is in effect twisted.
I soaked the piece to be bent for three hours in water,then this was placed in the kettle and boiled up.The strip was first worked in my fingers to ease the bending process.The strip was then clamped to the inside of the hull and left for 3 days!!!!.Upon removal absolutely no spring back was experienced.The final job for now was to dish the matting face to suit the tumblehome.
The second one is now clamped in place and is resting for it's 3 days I will continue with something else for the rest of the weekend
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

This the way I made my hinges on my Xebec.
 
I cut a piece of tube to length.
 

 
I used soft solder to solder the tube to the strap.
 

 
One hinge ready for the fixing holes
 

Whilst awaiting table-saws and blackening agents and the like, our Hero hath turned his attentions to other matters, such as making the Carpenter’s Toolbox.
 
"The job not be finished yet," said CaptainSteve, "but here be a few pics for ye."
 


 
It seems our Hero was greatly inspired by Capt RatFink's work, and has vowed to also create an open tool-box.
 


 
O'course, an open tool-box be meaning the need for tools to be going in that tool-box. Firstly (and stolen shamelessly from RatFink's build), a rack for storing chisels.

 
To date, a wooden mallet, a saw and an axe have been created ... 

... with a brace 'n' bit drill in the works ...

Arrr …
It ‘as been awhile since me last update, but that be only ‘cause I ‘as been busy in the shipyard …
Occasionally …
For starters, me thwart knees now be in:
 


 
Although there was only the one vote cast (Thank you, Jesse), ultimately, CaptainSteve doth be a fan of democracy.
 
… and me Tool Chest be lookin’ like this:
 

EDIT: For those with a quick eye, the brace 'n' bit in the above pic has not yet been fixed into place
 

EDIT: Here, our Hero didst simply applyeth a thin layer of PVA glue to the inside o' his chest, and didst thence add a few pinches of saw-dust.
"Let thee glue set," CaptainSteve did addeth. "And then invert the tool-chest, tapping rapidly upon its' base to unsettle any residual traces."
 

"Incidentally", CaptainSteve didst helpfully add, "I forgetteth to mention that thee straps holdin' me saws in place I didst maketh wi' strips o' black card."
 
"Oh yeah !! An' me chisels ... well, they once was the 'legs' trimmed from a couple o' staples ... merely simple office supplies. And thee saw-blades they-selves, were salvaged from an Exacto mini-sawblade I didst breaketh just the day afore."
 

"Arr .. ye shall be needin' a rubber neck to spot me saws once the tool-box be finally a-fixed into position."
 
The hinges and trunk clasp were both made using the kit-supplied copper strip which hadst been oxidised in the blue patina purchased earlier. Our Hero didst merely cutteth a single link from a piece of costume jewelry and thence oxidised it to create the lock loop at the front o' the chest.
 
Nonetheless, our Hero confesses that he didst kinda, sorta cheat with the hinges ...
 
“Look," didst CaptainSteve most humbly admit, "Mario's hinges they be stunning !! But thee bluddy things they be no more ‘an 4mm across, so I didst thinketh unto me own self,
‘Self, why the f*** wouldst thou doest that untoeth thine own self ??’”
 
In the end, CaptainSteve didst simply fold the 4mm long pieces of copper in half lengthwise.

 
Next up, our Hero didst decideth to tackle the boat’s oars:
 
“Firstly, I didst cutteth-out and shapeth the templates supplied … “
 


 
“ … and thence didst I applieth some colouration unto them.”
 

(Yes, that doth happen to be a band of Docker Purple immediately above the oar blades.)
 
Having painted his oars, and wishing to continue the theme of creating a well-travelled and weather-beaten appearance, our Hero didst next lightly sand them back ….
 

 
And here, CaptainSteve doth sigh most heavily …
“Thusly, we dost cometh unto me latest conundrum. This next pic cometh directly from the plans … and showeth lashings upon the oars.”
 

 
Our Hero explains: “Whilst I haveth narry aproblem wi’ lashing me oars, I doth wisheth to know which COLOURATION of thread I shouldst use for doin’ these lashings!!”
Wouldst oar lashings have been tarred (black thread) … or nay (tan thread) ??