garym

Latest progress at the front!  For the anchor winch arrangements I looked at the Sergal plans and the photos of the real ship and decided to try to model the real version instead.  The handles are cut down from the kit items and removable as in real life.  The ship's bell is a bit over-scale and really a bit too low as I have placed it, but not too bad in general.  
 
From spare bits of brass sheet I've also tried to cut the cat-faces for the end of the catheads, reasonably successful but I may try again.
 
 The Sergal plans didn't show the companion steps for the front deck at all. The CS specification says that in real life they apparently had brass treads to give firmer footing. Trimming a narrow strip from spares of the metal plates for the hull provided a good approximation to those.

Maybe this helps?
 

Brian
 
Here is picture of CS. If you want accurate model. it must be so
 

It's been a wet week here in Wiltshire so good for being indoors in retirement!
 
Latest progress is fitting all the freeing ports and the port side deadeyes and belaying pins.  I spaced the deadeye cut-outs and pin holes from the spacings given on the plan sheet but in life when assembled they are a bit closer together than the plan sheet shows.
 
All this latest progress would have been very difficult without the Amati keel clamp that I bought recently!  I hesitated because it's quite an expensive item but it makes holding the keel so much better. The only drawback is that it grips on only about a 5mm depth where the keel projects below the planking, so I might glue two short depth extension pieces to give more to grip on and then cut them off when the whole thing is finished.

Happy New Year!  
 
Progress here since my last posting....cutting all the aft hatch apertures was definitely a trial of patience and sanity.
 
And now I've taken the photos I see a bit more straightening of the rear deck rails is needed ! 

After looking at Nenad's photos (for which many thanks!) and some web searching I found that although the model kit has all the pinrail deadeyes the same size, in real life there were 6", 7", 9" and 10" ones.  That is shown in the extract I found on the web from Campbell plans (second picture).
 
That Campbell drawing also shows some chainplates were fixed in front of freeing ports.  The kit version has the thin brass chainplates bent to be clear of the ports but in practice it's almost impossible to make those bends without distortion and certainly not to have the foot at deck level as shown in the elevation view in my first picture.
 
 If one follows the kit drawing and cuts slots for the chainplates as shown, where the deadeyes are closest together and because they are all the same - largest-  size,  it's very difficult to avoid breaking off the tiny wooden pieces that are left after cutting a long way back into the 2mm thick strip.
 
 So...I decided to take off all that I'd done and to make new strips with holes bored in them to set the deadeyes at the sort of angle they have on the real ship,  then cut off the chain plate tops and soldered them to the brass wire projecting through the holes as shown. With care and a small iron it's possible to make the joint without scorching the wood.  I've fixed one finished set in place so far and when installed the soldering is scarcely visible, but I'll add a touch of suitable paint to hide it.
 
A lot of extra work but the result is much better than cutting slots, and looks more realistic!

Glad to be of some help, Bob. Heck, your build helped inspire me many times, so I'm glad to return the favor!
 
Well, the last couple of days, my brain has just been all fuzzy. I'm not in a ship modeling rut, just a general rut. Looking forward to our local gathering of forum ship modelers in Vallejo tomorrow. Maybe that will wake up my brain a little.
 
Am managing this post, though, so I guess I'm not totally fried...
 
 
Okay, so about that walkway platform. The kit instructions translate this to either railing or parapet. I'll just call it railing. Here's the translation I worked out from the instructions for this step:
Step 15 Installation of Railing, Part 1•Refer to the plans in the installation of the walkway.
 
Cut (planks ends) flush with the edge of the beams
Trim off the protruding ends of the beams
 
 
This step requires a little soaking and bending of wood strips. Again, definitely wet the wood thoroughly before trying to bend it. Bends very nicely when wet, no heat required.
 

Walkway planks added.
 

Closeup of the walkway planks. You can see the beam sticking out a little at lower left that will need to get trimmed flush with the planking. Also, I think you can make out that the outer planks here are the L-shaped ones. This creates a little lip against which the posts of the side railing fits against.
 
Carrying on to complete the rail installation...
 
 
Step 16 Installation of Railing, Part 2• Please assemble the handrails according the full size diagrams.
 
Mount the railing to fit up against the lip
 
 
With pre-cut parts for the rail stanchions, this step is pretty simple. It just requires a little pre-bending of the rails themselves, and the stanchions should be kept vertical, so they aren't all perpendicular to the rails themselves.
 

Rails assembled according to the full-size plan sheets
 

The stanchions aren't pegged in, just glued. I'm using Titebond, so I want to clamp them firmly in place until glue sets
 

Both rails now in place
 

Closeup of the rail detail.
 
 
It's at this point that I really started to look at this model as a really nice example of a very Japanese boat. The concept of the pleasure boats with several people out on the water for an evening and watching fireworks over the river on a warm summer night is a very charming image.
 
In a previous post, I mentioned Japanese lanterns. Then, the person who suggested them had a though about how maybe these standing floor lanterns might not have been used by a boat that might rock and they might tip over, which I really did wonder about. Then, I spoke with my Japanese music teacher (I have been a student of the Japanese 3-stringed lute called a "Shamisen" for about 10 years now), who used to live in Asakusa, which is a part of Tokyo with a traditional Edo period theme (well, that and lots of old style shopping).
 
As far as Japanese people go, my teacher is pretty connected with traditional culture and she's been interested in my traditional Japanese boats, but especially the Yakatabune. I think it's a real cultural symbol of "the good life" and very important to many people when they think about it.
 
Anyway, I mentioned the lantern to her and about the possibility that they might have had to use hanging lanterns because it was in a boat. She pretty confidently dismissed that idea. I guess the idea is that floor lanterns were classy and the hanging ones, not so much, except outdoors. Probably the boatmen worked pretty hard to not rock the boat.
 
Thinking about it, it's not like there were any power vessels at the time to create big wakes, so not much reason for a decent sized boat to rock. So, I'm sticking with the floor lanterns idea, which I'm really glad about.
 
Clare
 

yea.......sorry Sam........I really don't want it to glow like a ghost ship......    but that would really send out an eerie message now,  wouldn't it 
 
the fascia problem is solved.......I just hope those parts I used were truly extra pieces.   I finally cemented the first pair of cranes in place.......glued in the fascia in place as well.
 

 

 
then all of the life boat cradles were painted white,  on the boat deck.   later I'll go back and touch them up.
 

 
the stern section got the mizzen mast rigging glued in ahead of time
 

 
I started to work on the boat deck structures at this point.  still need to cement in the rigging for the funnels,  and then the A deck and boat deck can be cemented together.  duct work was painted flat white..........the grating grids were then dry brushed with the paint I mixed for the hull........just to soot things up a bit.
 

 
these four ducts are located at the first and second funnel
 

 
finally I got back to the bow section,  and cemented in the fore castle railing
 

 

 
so now it's the boat deck....there's a lot to do here 
 
 

Now, getting back to boat construction. The deck planking is complete since the center section is the area for the deck house. 
 
The next step is to cut and fit the beams. On a real traditional Japanese boat, the beams would be mortised into place. On the model, they're not really structural members and just glue in place in the laser cut notches of the upper planks. If the upper planks were mounted too low, the beams wouldn't fit properly as there is little clearance for them once the deck planks are installed.
 
The beams are among the included strip wood supply, so they have to be cut to length. This was a good opportunity for me to use the Japanese hobby saw I got from Zootoys. The saw isn't cheap, but if you're buying a kit from Japan, it shouldn't add much to the shipping cost since it's so light.
 
This is the first Japanese saw I've owned and it is a treat to use. Unlike Western saws, Japanese saws cut on the pulling stroke. This keeps the cut very straight and allows the saw to be very thin. This is, in fact, the thinnest hobby saw I've ever seen at only 0.1mm thick. All in all, the cuts are very straight, very quick, and very clean.
 

This photo may make the saw look a lot bigger than it really is. It's just under 8" long and is very light weight.
 
 
Anyway, cutting and fitting the beams was very simple. The short beams were a bit more of a challenge since the inside edge is sanded flush.
 

 

 
 
Below, you can see how the battery cover section of the deck is left so that it can slide in and out of place. I recommend removing this section while working on steps 13 and 14 to better avoid accidentally gluing it into place.
 

 
Note that all the photos show the caprail in place. That's actually step 14. Basically, full length strips are shaped to fit at the stem, but the won't be long enough to reach the full length of the boat. At the aft end then, short pieces are put into place. The caprail fits so that the inner edge is flush with the hull planking.
 
This is a very straightforward part of the build.
 
 
Roughly Translated Text (some of this required a little more interpretation to make sense):
Step 13 Installation of Beams
• Cut and install 17 to dimensions shown and install.
 
Short beams should be mounted flush with the inside of the hull planking
Cut a part 18 to fit the laser cut area at the bow deck as illustrated.
Fit of short beams on starboard side is the same as on the port side.
 
One line I can't quite translate exactly, but can only interpret.
 
On Bing Translate it comes out as:
"3 mm difference between narrow the scope"
 
On Google it comes out as:
"3 mm Masu Plug"
 
What do either of these mean? This is a straight forward step where a 2mm hole is drilled in either end of a beam and a 12mm long dowel piece is fit into them. The exact positions can be viewed on the plans. The only thing that I can figure about the “3 mm” reference is that 3 mm of the dowels will fit into the beam.
 
I should point out that Bing seems to translate better than Google – At least for Japanese text.
 

The above text makes more sense with the instructions illustrations. Again, with permission from Woody Joe.
 
Step 14 Installation of Deck Edge (Caprail)
Bend pieces to shape of hull.
Please add short sections at stern. (Japanese instructions are quite polite and often say "please")
Align inside edges of rail to inside of hull.
 
 
The model is looking more like a traditional Japanese boat now and I'm really finding that I am enjoying this build perhaps even more than the last one, which had sails and oars. This one, somehow feels culturally significant, if that makes sense.
 
Clare

The Yakatabune kit is designed with internal lighting. Kind of separates this model from some of Woody Joe's other models. The lighting is simple and consists of a pair of small incandescent bulbs powered by a pair of AA batteries.
 

 
I considered a few possibilities with this. One possibility is just to leave the lighting out of it, since the real idea behind building this model is to accompany a couple other models for a bank window display. The lighting wouldn't be noticeable and certainly wouldn't last long on a pair of double-A's. Also, the battery switch is made to stick up out of the deck and I don't like that idea.
 
Another possibility is to use LEDs, light up the interior and make new hanging lanterns outside the deck house with LEDs in them. Problem with that is all the wiring and the fact that I don't necessarily want to light it up like a Christmas tree.
 
The last option I considered is to just replace the bulbs in the model with LEDs, which should give longer life, and not require too much wiring.
 
In all cases where there is lighting, I wouldn't want to go with a battery pack. So, I'll have to do some planning out of the wiring to use an external power source.
 
 
 
Steps 10 and 11 mostly deal with the battery pack, so I skipped most of this in my model construction. However, the kit text is roughly as follows:
 
10 Installing the Battery Box
• Referring to full scale drawings, install Part 14 stands for battery box.
• Wire leads pass through hole in bottom of frame
 
There are a couple parts labeled
• Miscellaneous Part 2, Battery Box
• Metal Part 3, Screws  
This step requires gluing a pair of support blocks to the floor of the boat, running the wire leads forward through the hole in the bulkhead, and screwing the battery box into the support blocks.
 
 
11 Installing the Battery Box Lid
• Do not glue battery cover in place. This needs to be free to open and close.
• Deck/Battery Cover should be long enough to cover the edge of the frame (frame 6).
• Cut a slot in the deck 3mm wide and 27mm long to allow movement of the battery switch.
 
You'll need to refer to the position of the switch to make sure the slot in the cover lines up with it properly.
 
 

 
You can see here that Woody Joe now puts a nice big icon with a glue bottle crossed by a red "X" to indicate to not glue a part. This was one weak point on their Higaki Kaisen instructions that I wrote to them about. I don't know if I was any influence, but this is a big improvement for those who don't read Japanese AND for those who just don't read instructions very closely!
 

Here's the deck piece that would have served as the battery cover. I'm leaving it removable so I can work on wiring.
 

And here is the battery cover deck in place. It's a bit of a pain trying to slide it out as it's hard to get a grip on the deck without marring it. I'm probably going to glue something to the edge of the cover so that I can get a better grip without causing any damage to the wood.
 
And, now that I think about it, with that battery switch, I'm not sure how that would work. If it's sticking up through the slot, you can't slide the cover out. If you push it into the slot so that you can slide the cover off, how do you reach the switch to pull it back up into place once the cover is back on?
 
Maybe I'm not seeing something here. But, since I'm not installing the battery pack and switch anyway, that's a question I'll leave to another builder.
 
 
My latest thought is based on a suggestion someone made when I discussed the adding of details to the model. The idea is instead of putting in two ceiling lights, which would not have existed in an Edo period boat, putting in a couple large floor lanterns. These would be box-like structures that would probably sit in the corner of the room to provide light.
 
This avoids having to run wires into the ceiling. This also should make the deck house more easily removable if needed. I can try to make the lanterns and mount LEDs in them quite easily. The resistors for the LEDs can then easily be mounted just underneath the floor.
 
Here's a look ahead in the instructions, so you can see how it's intended to work.

 
The lanterns should be similar to these modern made floor lamps that I found on the Internet.

 
Not sure yet what level of detail I want to go to yet, but I'm developing some ideas.
 
 
Clare
 

Hi Grant, Mark, George, glad to have you aboard for the Yakatabune build!
 
George. Regarding online translation, it's tricky. As Mark points out, you have to scan the instructions and then pass the image through OCR software or Optical Character Recognition. The software takes the image and turns it into text. Specifically, you need Japanese OCR software which turns it into Japanese text. This can then be passed into Google or Bing Translator to give you results in English.
 
There are problems with this depending on the OCR software. It doesn't work 100%. And, if you have no way of correcting the Japanese text before sending on to Google, then you get some pretty weird translation. 
 
FYI, I do this now so I don't have to bug any of my Japanese friends or relatives for help. There is a free Japanese OCR service online here:
 
http://www.i2ocr.com/free-online-japanese-ocr
 
You just upload the scanned image and it converts it into Japanese text. Again, it's only maybe 80%-90% correct. I know enough Japanese to recognize where the OCR software screws up. Interestingly enough, it screws up the simplest of Japanese characters, but tends to get most of the more complicated stuff.
 
Now, on my Mac, with an external trackpad, I can actually use a character input system that will recognize strokes drawn on the trackpad and it takes a stab at recognizing the character being drawn. That's not 100% accurate either, or my strokes aren't accurate, so it takes a while to input corrected characters.
 
Anyway, this is a long winded way of saying, it's not going to work very well unless you are willing to put in a lot of effort into it. But, help may be on the way.
 
Woody Joe knows they need to translate their instructions into other languages. Which ones they're going to go with is not known yet. But, a fellow ship modeler and professor of Japanese studies visited there just a couple weeks ago and offered to translate my kit review articles into Japanese for them. I myself have been working on translations of the Hacchoro and Yakatabune kit instructions, which you find in my build log here. But, I have to do it the hard way. I'll be in touch with these folks to see about getting an official translation of some kits put together.
 
But, even so, as I've tried to illustrate in this build log, there's nothing much in the text that you can't get from the illustrations. Measurements are all readable, the plans are clear, and the steps are simple and well laid out, at least for the Hacchoro, Yakatabune and for the Hobikisen and Utasebune mini-kits.
 
Clare

I though I should mention something about the name. Yakatabune is pronounced Yah-kah-tah-boo-ney. Pronouncing Japanese is actually pretty easy. Each vowel is only pronounced one way. It's not like English. Also, there is no accent of syllables. All words are pronounced flatly. We here in the US would tend to say yah-KAH-ta-BOO-ney, but it's not like that. There is no emphasis on any syllable.
 
On to construction...
 
 
This kit is not built in a traditional Japanese fashion, though it represents a traditional boat. Woody Joe in redesigning the kit, gave it a western flair, simplifying the construction a bit for us by adding a standard internal framework.
 
The use of relatively thin wood for structural parts means that there is less charring of the wood. Parts are very easy to find. In the image below, the parts are identified by the number 1 in a circle with a light red (pink) background. The pink color indicates that the part is a laser-cut part and the number indicates the sheet number where the part is located. The letter next to this identifies the specific part.
 

 
Below you can see the sheet number, a "1", and one of the part numbers, "D"
 

 
The frame sheets are the largest laser cut sheets in the whole kit. Most laser cut sheets are relatively small at maybe 8" to 10" long and about 1-1/2" wide. The frame sheets are some kind of high quality plywood, possibly birch, but all other wood in the kit is Japanese Cypress, a very aromatic wood called Hinoki (He-No-Key), which is a pleasure to work with. In fact, every time I sand the wood, I have to stop and smell it's soothing aroma. Very theraputic!
 

 
1 - Keel, Frame Assembly – That's translated directly from the instructions with the help of a scanner, online free OCR, and Google and Bing Translation.
 
The other text in the instructions say:
• Assemble the keel and frame
• Use wood glue
• Please work on a flat table to prevent twisting of frame
• Use care to maintain horizontal and vertical angles
• Bevel the bottom plate according to the laser scribed lines
 
Plus there are some labels indicated bow and stern ends and labeling part 1A the "keel". Also there are inset images showing the beveling of the bottom plates.
 
All in all, there is nothing here that an experienced ship modeler couldn't figure out from just the drawings, common sense, and some model building experience.
 
 
The laser cutting of the parts is done to close tolerances and the frames fit very nicely. As you can see from the photo below, it should be pretty easy to get the right frames in the right locations.
 

 
The bottom plate, or floor of the boat, has to be beveled to match the angle of the frames. But, this is simplified by the presence of laser scribed lines, which indicate the extent of the beveling, so beveling is something of a no-brainer.
 

 

 
There are actually two floor piece that fit together and the edges between them do require a little beveling so that they fit flat. These are not laser etched because the etching would have to be on the back side of the piece.
 

 
This last shot shows the frame and bottom boards put together. The above photo and the one below are actually from my Hacchoro kit build as I didn't have photos at this stage of the Yakatabune build. But, these particular parts appear to pretty much identical in both kits.
 

 
 
Clare

The reason I'm working on this kit now is that I've been developing a display of traditional Japanese watercraft based on Woody Joe kits (so far). My first display began with just the Higaki Kaisen, but it looked EXTREMELY lonely in a big display window, so I quickly added the Hacchoro. As a matter of fact, I kind of had to rush through completion of the Hacchoro kit, and the result was that I got the sails on upside down! I didn't notice it until it was pointed out to me. They are nearly square, but actually slightly larger at the top than on the bottom, with is opposite of what one would find on Western sailing craft. Embarrassing, but you live and learn!
 

Initially, this was only a display of my Higaki Kaisen model.
 
 

As you can see, it was pretty sad all by iself.
 
 

Two's company. Better, but next display needs more to it.
 
 
The display was set up in the window of the Community Room of Union Bank in the Japan Center Mall in San Francisco in Spring. The bank people were very pleased to have the display, so it was easy to arrange for version 2, or what I call Wasen Display 2.0. That is currently running from June 3 through July 10. Version 2.0 features new display pedestals I threw together to raise the models up and to create more contrast. I also took some decent photos and created some posters which I then hung from the back wall using plastic clips I had to make for the occasion.
 

I learned I need to add more visuals for Wasen Display 2.0.
 

Viewing this from a distance, people can see something to attract their attention.
 

This is just a view of the models being prepped for the display.
 
The Yakatabune will be part of Wasen Display 3.0. Probably that won't be much more than an augmented version of Display 2.0. No set dates for that yet, but I want to be prepared.
 
Clare

Someone out there is thinking "catopower is starting another build log? When's he going to finish the ones he's started?" Or maybe that's just me thinking it... Well, no matter, I need the model for my next display of Japanese traditional boats and I might as well write about it for others to enjoy. This is a pretty simple model and a quick build. Woody Joe calls it a 50 hour build. Its similarity to their fishing boat kit, the Hacchoro, leads me to think this sounds about right. 
 
The Yakatabune was a pleasure boat that became a popular way for commoners to enjoy leisure time during Japan's Edo Period, which began with the rise of the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603 and continued until the fall of the Shogunate in the 1860s, prompted by the arrival of Commodore Perry and the forced opening of Japan to the West.
 
 

 
 
The Edo period was also the time of the closing of Japan to foreign contact and trade that ended with Perry's arrival. Under the single military ruler known as the Shogun, Japan had entered a period of relative peace and with it, economic growth. The period saw the rise of the merchant class and the fading influence of the Samurai. Prosperity brought with it leisure time.
 
The Yakatabune was one way for commoners to enjoy a warm summer evening, floating along the river and maybe being entertained with drink and song. Today, Japanese people still seem to think of the Yakatabune as a symbol of the Japanese "Good Life". My mother, who is Japanese, talks about how people would float along Tokyo's Sumida river to watch fireworks at night. The boat may not seem as interesting to Westerners, but it seems to have a lot of meaning to many Japanese people I've talked to.
 
 
The Kit
 
The kit is from Woody Joe of Japan, which was revised last year about this time. It relies heavily on laser-cut parts and is built to 1:24-scale, making it about 25" long. Woody Joe kits aren't marketed in the U.S., so it usually has to be purchased on Ebay or Amazon. For the last year and a half, I've bought all my Woody Joe products from a Japanese online seller called Zootoyz. The store is a small one run by a gentleman by the name of Kazunori Morikawa and I like to send him business to help him out. His prices and service are good. The Yakatabune kit cost about $165 shipped by EMS, an Express service.
 

 
As with all Woody Joe kits, the box is nicely illustrated, and the kit is well packed. No room for things to slosh around and get broken, and parts are all bagged and labeled. There is nothing loose in the box.
 
The turn-off for a lot of people is that the instructions are written in Japanese. But, they are extremely well illustrated, and this kit appears to have no surprises the would be hidden in written warnings. I've found the same to be true of their 1:24-scale Hacchoro fishing boat, their Hobikisen mini-kit and their Utasebune mini-kit.
 

 
Parts are easily identified by part numbers and these are relatively simple designs, and engineered so that just about anyone can build them. That's probably one of the biggest differences between Woody Joe and wester ship model manufacturers. Their models tend to be a little bit simplified in detail, so that any person who is interested in building one of their models, can be successful. Details on their kits can be on the light side. But, anyone who wants a more detailed build, can very easily add any level of detail desired.
 
 
This will be my fifth Woody Joe kit, having built the HIgaki Kaisen, Hacchoro, Hobikisen mini-kit, and Iwakuni Castle. Details to follow...
 
Clare

the place is hopping here........although I'm not spending it where I would like to.   compound that with a dog that is deathly afraid of loud booms,  and you get a very short attention span.   I've kept him close these last couple of days.....last night I was up well after 2 AM.   anyway.......to recap what I've been up to 
 
I put a few lights in the hull to see how it would look.   too bad it was daytime......it might have looked better.
 

 
I only have two lights in the hull..........as many as five may be needed.  touch ups were done to the mid ship section.
 

 
the fore stays and the three main back stays will be the larger size thread.   I opted to use the kit supplied ratlines.  they cleaned up well and I refined the contours,  getting rid of any mold marks that might be on them.
 

 
this part is the front fascia for the bridge deck.......it is sooooooo incorrect.   the slant of the outer edges are wrong,  it appears to be too tall,  and there is no slot cut out for the stairs.   I may have to cement the bow section to the mid section,  in order to straighten it out.
 

 
more stays were added to the bow section......all the lower ones will be the smaller thread.   there are quite a few of these lines,  but it will need them all for support,  when the communication lines are installed.  they will span from the fore mast,  all the way back to the mizzen mast.
 

 
using clothes pins for weights,  they will be hung off the sides and cemented on the underside of the deck.
 

 
almost all of the lines are done on the bow section..........one more pair and the back stay terminating on the boat deck, from the forward structure roof,  are all that's left to do.   there are still a few more parts that need to be added to the bow section.   more to come.......
 
 

Good evening from Germany :-))))
 
building the stern is really fun. That´ s why I have to post 2 new photos.
I filled the spaces between the windows on the lower gallery. As usual I use two different woods to imitate the colour. 
 
Kind regards
 
- Heinz -
 
 

Thank you Ludger, but I think this is a little bit exaggerated. But it feels good to hear   .
 
Here are a few more pictures from this weekend.... 

it's been a week or so since my last update.   along with the chores I've had to do around the house,  the admiral and I have been battling this nasty summer cold.   'ole Suzanna was right!  we've been miserable!  it's now settled in my chest,  to make life even more so.  but I have been too lax with the Titanic....as well as skeptical with the instructions.   I decided to go my own way.......if the need arises to modify......so be it    I'm still in a quandary over the ratlines........using the preformed ones instead of the plastic ones.   while I was in my thoughtful spot,  I looked at the photo of the Mini Craft proto type model....and it made me stare........
 

 
not too keen on having this on my build........note the rigging as well.   this is where I tend to think that there should be different size rigging thread.   it would be hard to come up with blocks for the rigging diagrams I have though......too bad this isn't at 1:96 scale........I do have some from the C.S.S. Alabama,  the Cutty Sark,  and the first U.S.S. United States build.
     I've always loved this Revell series........in spite of the conjectures ans conceptions that surround them.   anyway.....I still need to check this out.  last week or so,  I showed where I was,  with the boat deck.......the aft structures need to be painted, the life boat cradles need to be done.......various touch ups....
 

 
 
the fascia wall that houses the fronts of all three decks,  need to be widened at the base of the wall.   one of the name flags was cut out of the parts sprue and slivered into tiny slices,  which were cemented on both sides of the bridge deck portion of the wall front.
 

 
when dry,  it was trimmed and fitted to mate the adjoining wall structures better.
 

 
here,  the slot impression in the deck,  shows where it is to be located.   once fitted,  it stands in place much better.
 

 
now comes the part I've been dreading.........cementing all this together.   the deck itself is so long and flimsy,  it was really a feat to get everything lined up.  imagine trying to do this with three decks cemented together.   I even snapped at the admiral.......she saw my frustration and offered to help.  I apologized profusely after the ordeal......it's never been my way to get that agitated.  I was very glad to hear she didn't take it to heart.   during the procedure,  one of the  walls came off.
 

 
before the fascia was cemented in place,  the wall was reinstalled.  I made those simple clamps to keep the walls perpendicular while the assembly was drying.   I did the same for the aft section,  cementing on the top areas of the mating at the aft........it won't be so flimsy,  when I do the underside {where I wanted the glue marks to be in the first place}.   I have some damage control to do later.
 

 
there was a slight adjustment of the clamp,  but the front fascia was cemented in place at this time.   I will also finish this up,  when the glue has had time to set.    yea..........like all night!!!     this morning.......I took a look,  but haven't touched it yet.  when I do,  it will be to pull it back off and cement the underside.  the fore and aft sections of this part of the assembly,  will need to be masted and rigged,  before all three sections can be cemented permanently in place.
 

I have a Kodak easy share......just a simple camera.   it does have auto focus,  so I have to wait the min or so, for it to focus in.   it will even adjust lighting to a certain degree.   I had one of those energy saving bulbs in the crane light,  but I didn't like how it made the pictures come out.  I have since switched it over to a regular bulb,  but I'm going to look at the main table light to see what I'm running in that one.   it seems to make a difference if it's a cool white,  or a frosted bulb.   as far as background goes.......yea,  it's kinda busy...........on my table with wood grain paneling.   I will find a solution........but first,  I moved the hull over to the main table.   I think you'll see a difference.
 

 

 

 

 
the first one came out a little blurry.......I didn't add that one 

I think that may be the reason why they are slanted to the degree they are,  is to give the smoke direction,  and decrease fall out onto the aft decks.  I will be concentrating on getting a mock up of the boat deck together.  here is a good diagram as to how they look
 

 
I did manage to clean up the stripe yesterday.........but sadly that's about all I could do.   ended up mowing the lawns,  trimming the back yard trees,  running errands,  and putting up window blinds.   then my pesky neighbor.....{I still believe he was watching for when I got home},  stopped the admiral and asked if I'd come out to diagnose a lawn mower problem for him.    you know the drill.........by the time I was done explaining it to him,  the mower was in my garage,  to wait till I had some spare time to look into it further.   sounds like simple tweaking,  but it needs a primer button....I can get it for him and put it in.
 
I do have these as well to show you......just contrasting pictures of the stripe to deck {bulwark} mating.   it also uncovered another minor problem that I'm weighing out.  here is a shot of the bow section.
 

 
I'm using the small table crane light {remind me to shoot that bulb}....lighting is terrible!  you might be able to see the tip of the railing,  that is missing.   same for the stern section.
 

 
the stripe may look a little thick.......but looking at the hull in it's entirety,  it looks better.
 

 
here is a better picture.......not sure if it would be worth trying to retro...it's a very small part.
 

 
when the bow and stern sections are in place,  a small section of the inner hull can be seen.  these I painted white.  you will notice that on the starboard side of the aft section,  there is a touch of black.   this is the aft section of the hull being slightly warped.   I'm wondering if cementing these sections to the bridge deck,  would straighten all this out,  since there are tabs that the sections slide onto.
 

 

 
well gotta take the dog out............perhaps I'll snap a couple better picts for you.
 
 

you think I was finished with those railings?????   ohhhhhhh noooooo,  this kit isn't through running me through the ringer yet     I found out that there are two other parts that go along with the bow and stern railings.   the railings were cemented on the bow section.......minus the tip of the railing.
 

 
on with the stripe.........the hull was masked and redied for paint.
 

 

 
man.....I pressed the living crap out of the tape.....to insure that the plastic's detail was sealed away,  to give me a good line.
 

 
and then my heart stopped!   since it was such a small area to paint......I figured that I didn't need to mask up the entire hull.
     I think this should be a warning to those who are just starting out with their airbrushes.......never misjudge over spray!
 

 
I put into action,  a technique I used to do long ago.   got a clean rag and some thinner and gave it a gentle wash over. 
   the bottom paint has been on there about a week now.......plenty of time to cure.   the yellow overs pray is new and hasn't cured yet.....as long as you don't scrub,  it should come off very easy.   gentle strokes in one direction and move very fast.......don't dwell on any part of the hull,  this is what it looks like now.
 

 
the stern railings were cemented in place at this time.   you can see the section that's missing at the very aft
 

 
there is some repair and touch up to be done with the stripe.   I tried so hard to get the tape to stick completely.   I made the stripe a wee bit wider than it probably should,  but I think once it's touched up and the deck / bulwark assemblies are in place,  it should look OK.
 

 

 
I left the name plates at the bow open for the name decals.

today......it was the upper hull that got focused on.  I need to mix a special black,  according to the TRMA  site
 

 
I had noticed that there was raised lettering where the name should be.   I trimmed it off and sanded the area
 

 
the final hole was drilled through the pedestals.  they are ready to paint.
 

 
I didn't want to use Testor's gold for them.......it would be too shiny.   I decided on the Billing's gold paint.  after they were dry,  gave them a coat of dull coat.
 

 
the props were painted with it as well.   I'll later give them some green patina....perhaps a touch of flat black.
 

 
now......I wanna warn you...the next two pictures will scare you {they did me}.  I had mixed light gray and a touch of med green to what was left of the flat black I had on the table......until I had what matched the last example on the chart.   I took these with normal light,,,,I think the camera adjusted it as well.
 

 

 
I thought I had painted it with battleship gray.....or something!  it had time to cure when I put on the overhead crane light for these next photos.   I felt better about  it when I saw them 
 

 

 

 
I did a little bit more to the cranes.........work in progress
 
 

Tuesday,  I began work with the bottom paint.   I kept my fingers crossed I was right about the spray primer.
 

 
it wasn't........I did a review of the color chart on the TRMA site.
 

 
it seemed a lot redder and flatter,  than the rustoleum example.   I added some light brown to it,  and fiddled with the paint I had decanted into a 1/4 oz bottle....I knew where I'd be going with this.  especially when I saw how this paint looked,  after I had touched up one of the screw tunnels.
 

 

 
I lost some of the red tint,  but I got closer to the rustoleum......and the Floquil examples.  the only thing to do now,  is touch up the other tunnel,  and paint the entire bottom.
 

 

I have been very busy what with planking, lining gun ports, etc but I think I am now about ready to tackle the tiles!
 
 
I decided a long time ago to use Pva glue for the planking and use pins so I have been busy filing the holes and some open joints..
 
I think one of the pitfalls in doing the planking this way is one lowers ones standards and I ended up piecing in small bits of plank rather than cutting planks to fit. Having now done some filing and sanding I decided to apply a coat of primer to fill the grain etc so I will now be doing some more filing and sanding until I have had enough.
 
Here are my pics to date

On the subject of gun port linings. I am just about to line the gun ports on the upper gun deck.
 
I have seen much discussion on this web site and I have John McKay's, Anatomy of the Ship on Victory.  Looking at this book it seems the linings on this upper deck, ports 3 to 10 have linings visible on the outside so they project forward of the first planking and the second planking runs into the side of the lining. Page 10 of the instruction manual seems to say the second planking goes over the outer edge of the linings. In this case the linings are hidden.
 
McKay shows a similar detail on the ports with lids where one can see the out edge of the linings around the ports, with the planking again running into the side of the linings. The lids in McKay sit inside the linings. I have not yet checked to see if the lids actually fit inside the linings.
It would be good practice for the linings to protect the end grain of the planking assuming marine detailing is similar the building construction.
 
I have a problem where on my build where the line of the cills of the upper gun deck on the outer skin is lower than on the inner bulwark and the linings would slope down from inside to outside. The difference is less front and rear than in the middle. I have decided to lower the cill on the inner bulwark a little so the slope on the cill linings is less pronounced.
Any thoughts?