BareHook

I would consider using electrical multi strand wire, it is already in a twisted form and can be found in really small diameters. You could even use insulated wire, just strip the insulation. If the twists are not tight enough, secure one end and put the other in a drill motor, you can spin it tighter. You can find it tin plated (silver appearance) or bare copper that can be blackened.
 
Ken

I would consider using electrical multi strand wire, it is already in a twisted form and can be found in really small diameters. You could even use insulated wire, just strip the insulation. If the twists are not tight enough, secure one end and put the other in a drill motor, you can spin it tighter. You can find it tin plated (silver appearance) or bare copper that can be blackened.
 
Ken

I would consider using electrical multi strand wire, it is already in a twisted form and can be found in really small diameters. You could even use insulated wire, just strip the insulation. If the twists are not tight enough, secure one end and put the other in a drill motor, you can spin it tighter. You can find it tin plated (silver appearance) or bare copper that can be blackened.
 
Ken

Small status update - frame installation is slowly progressing. Also marked the cutoff points and gun ports.
Decided to skip the sweep ports on this model - they really do not look good with Hahn frame spacing - sweep port is narrower than the distance between frames. 
But I will definitely do them on a next model, that have a correct framing (as in TFFM), not a simplified one.
 

 

 
P.S.: careful viewer can mention a magnetic bar in the background, holding some hand tools. Really handy thing! Very happy with it.

Why scratch?
I always had a high requirements for a wood quality and fitting quality. Unfortunately, even expensive kits were never that close. After getting a first pack of boxwood, I would never go back to any inferior wood. Hence, only scratch. Not that scary though, I do most of the parts from scratch anyway.
It's a pity that kit producers do not offer a wood upgrade. For a serious build, cost is spreading over a number of years, so is it really so important?
Speed of the build is not important, I enjoy the process. As Remco says - "Treat each part as if it is a model on its own, you will finish more models in a day than others do in a lifetime".
 
Why Hahn?
For a weird reason, don't like the realistic framing style, like David Antscherl suggests. First - you don't see anything between frames, and second - uneven spacing and shape of frames make me feel dizzy when I look on them. Physically. I know it sounds weird, but I just can't. So - frames would be spaced evenly, even if it's unrealistic. So what, I'm not adding a rocket engines to my model
Also, Hahn's method for a frame construction looks easier. Yes, the wood usage is higher, but again - why that matters? I will build it for 5 years at least, so paying a bit extra for additional wood is not a problem. And I truly like the design of Hahn's jig!
 
Why Beavers Prize / Oliver Cromwell?
This ship has no honorable history. It was built in 1777 in Philadelphia, started a pretty good career - capturing 7 ships in 3 months after a start - but then was defeated by british HMS Beaver. Was downgraded from 24 cannons to 12, and served remaining time guarding british coast. Died in a hurricane after a number of years, slowly degrading and having a continuous problems with discipline onboard.
But there is something in the lines of that ship that touches me. Look on the model - hull proportions are pretty nice. It's not too high, and not too low, and I was looking for that photos a lot, admiring its beauty:
 

 

I've heard the same and have always used diluted PVA (white glue) with no problems. I have also seen situations where CA will cause paint to discolor or peel as well.

I've heard the same and have always used diluted PVA (white glue) with no problems. I have also seen situations where CA will cause paint to discolor or peel as well.

I'm finished tying clove hitches!  Yay!
 
Just before the final trimming...

 
All trimmed up...

 
And a couple of overall shots now.

 
I made a bit of a list of what I think I have left to do, and I think I'm on track to finish in 2-3 weeks, barring something unforseen, or something taking more time than I expect.  I then have an idea for a base which may take a couple more weeks, but overall, looking good for a mid-late October finish I think.

Slow progress on the hawse timbers.  I did finish a building cradle for the model, which will be her home in the shipyard until she'd mounted on the display stand.
 
I was satisfied with the fit of the first hawse timbers in bass wood so I fitted the real maple ones and glued them in place.  I just finished the bass wood mockup for the second timber and fit it in place.  It turned out pretty well.  I feel confident in the technique I'm using to shape these complex timbers to the model, and the practice on the bass wood mockups helps a lot.  Once the third timbers are mounted, the hull will be faired.

The inside of the ship was faired, as was the outside down to the jig.  I installed the temporary battens and removed the ship from the jig.   Next up:  Fitting the hawse timbers and fairing the outside.

All of the frames are glued to the rising wood and the deadwood except the last two, P and Q.  I had to remake the two pair of forward cant frames, because I didn't like the way they fit.  They are much better now, and the fairing of the hull will be easier.  I did rum into trouble with frame P, the next to the last one.  Basically the kit pieces made for a  set of frames that tended to "curl in" rather than line up with the upper futtocks of the frames that come before.  The size of the finished frame doesn't leave enough excess wood to fair frame P into the same plane as the frames before.  So I used the beveling template to make a new pair of frames, and beveled them to fit the hull curves at that station.  Cutting out the futtocks and gluing them together is easy...fitting the frame in place without an accurate beveling template is hard.  It took me a couple of hours to fit the new frames, but I like the end result.
 
The first photo shows the old frame P.  It is the first one.  Notice how the upper futtock is rotated inward.  The second and third photos shows the new frame P before beveling. The forward edge of the frame is high compared to the frame in front, and the uppermost  parts need to be shaped.  The last three photos are of the final pair of frames P in position in the jig.  The uppermost part flows more smoothly and the inside and outside surfaces are fair compared with the frame before.  A great improvement.  Once the poly is dry I'll glue this frame in place, fair the upper hull and install temporary ribbands to the frame tops.  The model will be ready to come out of the jig,

Not a lot going on in the shipyard recently.  The Admiral and I just got back from 5 days up in the Door peninsula of Wisconsin.  There's a nice collection of quaint waterside towns that remind me of New England seaside fishing villages, only these are in the Midwest!  We really enjoyed the little excursion. 
 
All the full frames for the sloop have been beveled and fit in place.  I laid a plank across the framing both inboard and outboard and it looks like there will be very little fairing to be done because of the pre-beveling of the frames before installation.  That's a relief!
 
The only mistake so far:  I installed frame H backwards, with the floor facing forward instead of aft.  The beveling is all correct...I just got a little confused when laying out the bevel pattern. I'm not rebuilding the frame, because I'm neither entering this ship in a contest, nor expecting my build to be examined by an expert in historic naval architecture. 

All my frames are glued up.  The first 8 have been sanded and beveled as needed and are sitting on the keel assembly in the building jig.  My frames are hard maple, the keel assembly is cherry.  Final fairing of the maple by hand is not going to be too easy!
 
Dave

And, the starboard side is done.  I was hoping to finish both sides this weekend, but I had a fair number of other chores to do around the house, and I discovered that I was only able to tie off about 6 lines before feeling the need to get up and do something else for a bit, so it took a little time.
 
Tomorrow night I'll put lines on the guide for the other side and start the next half.  Woo... 
 

Its been a while since I posted an update, but here it goes:
 
Most of the deck furniture is complete, but some is loosely placed.
Completed rigging the cannons, threading 2mm blocks was "interesting" I used these twisted wire needle threaders that I found at Michael's. I did the coils by wetting the line with diluted PVA and wrapping it around a small dowel then using a toothpick to slide the coil down to the deck, where the wet glue held it in place.
I made the ships bell from solid brass in a hand drill and shaped it using needle files (poor mans lathe).
Currently I am completing masts and spars, then the standing rigging.
 
Ken

So after spending a wonderful long weekend in San Diego enjoying the Festival of Sail, I haven't gotten back to the AVS yet because I had to catch up on work and some other issues.  Today was fix the plumbing in the house day, and then I wasted the rest of the afternoon & evening finally watching the final season of Justified off of Amazon streaming service.
 
If you don't check the General Nautical Discussion forum - here is a link to the thread I started where I've posted over 100 photo's of the ships from the Festival of Sail - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/11351-san-diego-festival-of-sail-2015/
 
I have gotten back into the hobby room and pretty much figured out where I was when I last left off, and am going to try to get re-started on the rigging tomorrow and see what I can get accomplished.
 
In the mean time, I took a couple pictures of where it was left off prior to the trip.  Seems I managed to skip taking pictures and documenting the last couple of work sessions based on my last update here vs. what it looks like today!
 

 
The jib traveler/inhaul arrangement looks much better now I think, and the main boom is mounted with foot-rope and the flag halliard, as well as the traveler on the cabin top (blackened brass) and the boom sheet is rigged.
 
 

Its been a while since I posted an update, but here it goes:
 
Most of the deck furniture is complete, but some is loosely placed.
Completed rigging the cannons, threading 2mm blocks was "interesting" I used these twisted wire needle threaders that I found at Michael's. I did the coils by wetting the line with diluted PVA and wrapping it around a small dowel then using a toothpick to slide the coil down to the deck, where the wet glue held it in place.
I made the ships bell from solid brass in a hand drill and shaped it using needle files (poor mans lathe).
Currently I am completing masts and spars, then the standing rigging.
 
Ken

Its been a while since I posted an update, but here it goes:
 
Most of the deck furniture is complete, but some is loosely placed.
Completed rigging the cannons, threading 2mm blocks was "interesting" I used these twisted wire needle threaders that I found at Michael's. I did the coils by wetting the line with diluted PVA and wrapping it around a small dowel then using a toothpick to slide the coil down to the deck, where the wet glue held it in place.
I made the ships bell from solid brass in a hand drill and shaped it using needle files (poor mans lathe).
Currently I am completing masts and spars, then the standing rigging.
 
Ken

Ugh.. I had a huge post all typed up and when I tried to post it the forum timed out and then I couldn't get to it for 10 minutes or so.  /sigh.. 
 
And... a second try failed too.  Doesn't seem to be my night to make an update!
 
Oh well, try again!  Third time's a charm and all that, right?
 
Thanks for the encouragement and likes everyone.  I managed to spend a good part of today working on the standing rigging, and got a fair bit accomplished.
 
Started out by making another mouse for the fore stay (smaller, since it's a smaller rope) and getting it all rigged up.

 
Then moved to the back stays.  The main back stays and top mast back stays attach to the same eye-bolt for some stupid reason, so I spent quite a while making the block and pendant arrangement on the eye-bolt before I was ok with it.

 
Then I couldn't get the eye-bolt to go back into the hole that I'd just pulled it out of, and managed to apply too much force, and break both the eye-bolt, and the block.  Grrr... 
 
Oh well, replaced the eye-bolt with a larger one, and proceeded on.  Some of these pictures aren't coming out that great, sorry about that.

 
Birds eye view!

 
Added the top mast fore stay, and the jib boom is now permanently attached.
Bow showing that some of the belay points are now being used.  None of the belayed lines are permanently attached with glue, just attached with the ropes as shown.

 
Not completely happy with the jib boom heel rope, but neither am I sure of any way to improve it, so this is likely how it will remain.

 
The kit calls for a traveler ring, but doesn't include one, so I made one out of brass, after considering making a spiffy one like I've seen in other build logs with the hooks and other bits, but discarding that idea for the time being.  Maybe in a future build.

 
And, how it sits right now.  Still need to add the bowsprit shrouds to complete the bowsprit standing rigging.

 
Crossing my fingers, clicking the post button!

Catch up time!  Several days since the last update, so a fair number of pictures for not a huge amount of progress.  But hey, progress is progress!
 
I'm getting to learn how to do new things on almost every line now.     First up, The Bobstay.  The end of the Bobstay is attached with a collar arrangement that is two eye-splices with a bullseye in the middle.  The eye-splices wrap around the bowsprit, but don't meet up, they are lashed together around the bowsprit with rope.   Another bullseye is on the end of the Bobstay and the two bullseyes are lashed together with a lanyard.   The last picture shows a bit of the foot-ropes.  I'm working on getting these to hang naturally by soaking the rope in 50/50 white glue & water mixture, then clipping little alligator clips to them for weight and letting it dry.  It's sort of working but it's got a ways to go.   The next piece of rigging is the thickest rope on the entire ship except for the anchor cables, the forestay.   I made the mouse by sticking a small dowel in the lathe and drilling a hole through the dowel just large enough for the forestay to fit into, and then shaping the mouse with a file and cutting it off (saw this method in a post here on MSW!)  I then glued the little wooden mouse to the rope, painted it brown so it wouldn't show the light wood through if I left any gaps, and then served the forestay right over the wooden mouse.  It came out pretty good.   The bottom end of the forestay is attached to the bowsprit by the means of two hearts.  One heart is attached to the bowsprit with a lashed setup just like the end of the bobstay, and the other heart is wrapped by the forestay and seized.  Then a rope goes back and forth between the hearts, gets tightened up, and seized to itself.  The kit provided hearts are terrible, so I replaced them, just like so many other things on this build, with 7mm closed hearts from Syren.   The eye-splice on the end of the forestay.   The top of the forestay showing how the mouse and eye-splice work to fix the rope in place.   The kit hearts are the ugly charred things on top.  The new hearts are on the bottom.   The top of the forestay wrapped around the top of the main mast.   The bottom end showing the heart lashed to the bowsprit and the rope between with the three seizings where it's tied off to itself.  Those seizings sucked.   And the 'big picture'.

With the shrouds attached to the dead-eyes, it was time to add the shroud cleats.  I hated the look of the kit brittania cast cleats, so I ordered some boxwood shroud cleats from Syren.  They look.. somewhat nicer than the cast ones.

 
Things have been going far to good for quite a while now, so troubles were bound to happen, and tonight.. was the night.
 
The starboard side is coming out great, all rigged up and set for final adjustments before I wrap the lanyard around the shroud and seize the end.

 
The trouble was on the port side.  Even though I measured both sides the same, and everything still measures the same relative to the chain plate locations, the ship is clearly not perfectly symmetrical, as this happened.
 

 
Stupid swivel gun post is interfering with one of the shrouds, and in a big way.

 
There is really nothing to do except deconstruct it, but man I'm afraid of this, those suckers are attached pretty firmly, and goodness knows how much damage I'm going to do getting it removed.  Oh well, it's got to be done, but I'm going to let it rest for the night and start fresh on it after work tomorrow I think.  Maybe I should import Dirk to help me  
 
Wish me luck!
 
 

Brian,
This is where almost every AVS build differs, depending on the interpretation of the plans by the builder. I ended up with the sides of my windows vertical and the angles forming an arch along the top and bottom (see pic). I also chose to round the frame edges and have them protrude out instead of being flush mounted. I think any way you do it will look good, just remember to keep the window frames identified in their laser cutouts because the inboard and outboard port and starboard are slightly different.

Today's project (and last nights) was the shrouds.  Lots of serving of rope, but I think I'm good on thread for a while.

 
The dead-eye/shroud jigs I made worked fantastically, and allowed me to make much better looking rigging than I would have thought at this point, being only my 2nd build.  I also used zip-seizings on top of the dead-eyes to allow the proper rigging of the shrouds crossing over on top of the dead-eyes.  Really like the way they turned out.

 
Current status, shrouds completed, but attached to the jigs.  I am trying to decide the easiest way to seize the shroud cleats - I am leaning towards removing the jig, and seizing them by sticking the shrouds in a third hand to the side of the ship, one at a time, rather than trying to work on the inside of the shrouds on the ship.
 

 
About a year ago, when I first started building the Carmen and found MSW, I spent a lot of time going through build logs, and like any new thing, I think people tend to see a specific 'thing' that make them go "Wow, that is amazing, I could never do that".  On this site, for this hobby, there is a lot of that 'wow' factor in many of the logs here, but one of the main ones that stuck out to me (for whatever strange reason) was the mast-heads on some of the ships, where so many ropes come together and chaos should reign, but instead, there is an orderly and neat stack of ropes showing a definite purpose and design.
 
Today I had a real 'wow' moment in my ship modeling.

 
I have no idea why that seems so amazing to me, but it really does, and even now I'm having a difficult time believing that yes, it really was me that did this thing (although there is more to go there of course).  There have been plenty of things on this ship that were more difficult than this, and took far more effort to be happy with, but for strange reasons in my head, this is probably one of the coolest moments for me so far in the hobby.  It's a good day.

I finally finished the keel.  The first step was to glue the stern deadwood in place.  The rosewood false keel was fitted and glued.  Next I cut the rabbet by adding a bevel to the top of the  keel and the bottom of the rising wood.  Then the rising wood was glued in place and the notches squared. Finally came the stem and the stem deadwood.  Once I finish beveling the frames, it'll be time to start framing the hull.
 
Dave

I am playing around with the deadwood assembly for the keel. The deadwood is made up of 4 parts glued together. I plan to blacken the joints between all the parts to simulate caulking, but I also think that some of the component parts of the deadwood can be broken down further than in the kit. For instance, parts SD1 and SD2 were probably each made up of smaller parts on a real ship. I'll simulate this by scoring lines in the parts and darkening the scoring with a pencil to simulate caulking between the parts. Here's a shot from the practicum showing the deadwood, and my proposal to alter it's appearance . What do you think?