Beef Wellington

Thanks everyone for the continued interest and kind words.
 
Planking of the foc's'l has started and wanted to catch up before I get too far behind, wanted to record how I approached this for my own benefit as much as anything.  Breaking down into the main tasks:
 
Ensuring appropriate sheer of the foc's'l:
There was always going to be something to fettle here.  There were a number of items that needed to be fine tuned before planking could get underway on the deck.  There are a number of items that need to look right:
Sheer of the foc's'l planking- this should be parallel to the wale Sheer of the deck - need to avoid any unnatural dips and bumps, probably caused by the false deck supports not being perfectly positioned These two elements need to also come together in a way that gives a gradual steady decrease in the bulwark height, and avoid situation where this does not transition smoothly This did require some filling of the false deck and additional sanding to get this to where I was happy.  Marking the edge of the deck with a pencil line really helped with the visuals here as there are many curves competing with each other.
 
Determining the appropriate taper of the planks:
Really not much to go on here and went with a planned reduction of around 10-15% between the waist and the bow which seems consistent with many pictures and plans I could find.  The only consideration here was to not taper these too much so that a 'half moon' shape develops towards the edge of the deck.  Considering this, and estimating the number of planks needed, I used the same jig used for the quarterdeck to introduce the curve.
 
Bowsprit partner:
In David Antscherl's TFFM series, he notes that sometimes partners were used on the bowsprit.  I latched onto this as a way to tidy up the way that planks terminate against the bowsprit....especially because I think at this point I will not be adding one (more on that later).  Adding the partner here neatens up the planking in this area and also helps hide the PoF constuction a little more with the bowsprit not hiding this.  This wasn't too challenging to make, first a key was cut into the false deck and a plug made to match.  This was then glued to a larger boxwood sheet that would be visible, and which ensured that the partner would sit snuggly when in place.  The top was deliberately left oversize at this point as the final dimensions would be dictated by the width of the planking.  The concave curve of the underside was made with a suitably sized file approximating the bowsprit dimensions.

 
Planking:
With all the prelim work done, planking could commence!  First step was to install some scrap wood strip on one side of the center line using a ruler as a guide.  This proves to be very helpful in ensuring that the initial runs stay true as once the coamings are installed there is no simple way to do this other than relying on one's eyeball, and once the first central plank is in place can be easily removed.  The fore-grating could now be installed, and experience from the quarterdeck suggested that using the bare minimum of PVA glue is a good idea in case that it proves necessary to fine tune the position.  Luckily however this did not prove necessary.
 
The remaining wildcard is how the planks will butt up against the installed coamings.  As for the quarterdeck, fine adjustments were made to the strips to ensure that they would not result in inappropriately thin widths around the coaming.  This also allowed the bowsprit partner dimensions to be finalised so that they all align appropriately.  It's interesting to note that the partner is a slight wedge shape, reflecting the inward curve of the planking.

Once the first 4 planks were on, the margin planks needed to be installed as all planking from here will butt up against it.  For now, only the forward section has been installed, and the joint between then will (hopefully!) be hidden by the cathead.  Planking could then continue aft, with a similar approach being taken for the steam grating coaming as before and the top of the beam being installed.  The area directly to the rear of this was a bit of a pain as the planking strips are only about 5mm long and difficult to get nice clean tight joints.
 
It proved necessary to once again make custom planks from maple sheet athwart the steam grating coaming, and these proved surprisingly challenging, mainly because there are many edges that need close alignment.  The maple being used also does have a tendency to splinter at the edges.  The gap on the outmost plank is where the top tackle scuttle will be.  Hopefully things will speed up a little now the foundations are in place, at least until hooked planks are needed....


 

Thanks everyone for the continued interest and kind words.
 
Planking of the foc's'l has started and wanted to catch up before I get too far behind, wanted to record how I approached this for my own benefit as much as anything.  Breaking down into the main tasks:
 
Ensuring appropriate sheer of the foc's'l:
There was always going to be something to fettle here.  There were a number of items that needed to be fine tuned before planking could get underway on the deck.  There are a number of items that need to look right:
Sheer of the foc's'l planking- this should be parallel to the wale Sheer of the deck - need to avoid any unnatural dips and bumps, probably caused by the false deck supports not being perfectly positioned These two elements need to also come together in a way that gives a gradual steady decrease in the bulwark height, and avoid situation where this does not transition smoothly This did require some filling of the false deck and additional sanding to get this to where I was happy.  Marking the edge of the deck with a pencil line really helped with the visuals here as there are many curves competing with each other.
 
Determining the appropriate taper of the planks:
Really not much to go on here and went with a planned reduction of around 10-15% between the waist and the bow which seems consistent with many pictures and plans I could find.  The only consideration here was to not taper these too much so that a 'half moon' shape develops towards the edge of the deck.  Considering this, and estimating the number of planks needed, I used the same jig used for the quarterdeck to introduce the curve.
 
Bowsprit partner:
In David Antscherl's TFFM series, he notes that sometimes partners were used on the bowsprit.  I latched onto this as a way to tidy up the way that planks terminate against the bowsprit....especially because I think at this point I will not be adding one (more on that later).  Adding the partner here neatens up the planking in this area and also helps hide the PoF constuction a little more with the bowsprit not hiding this.  This wasn't too challenging to make, first a key was cut into the false deck and a plug made to match.  This was then glued to a larger boxwood sheet that would be visible, and which ensured that the partner would sit snuggly when in place.  The top was deliberately left oversize at this point as the final dimensions would be dictated by the width of the planking.  The concave curve of the underside was made with a suitably sized file approximating the bowsprit dimensions.

 
Planking:
With all the prelim work done, planking could commence!  First step was to install some scrap wood strip on one side of the center line using a ruler as a guide.  This proves to be very helpful in ensuring that the initial runs stay true as once the coamings are installed there is no simple way to do this other than relying on one's eyeball, and once the first central plank is in place can be easily removed.  The fore-grating could now be installed, and experience from the quarterdeck suggested that using the bare minimum of PVA glue is a good idea in case that it proves necessary to fine tune the position.  Luckily however this did not prove necessary.
 
The remaining wildcard is how the planks will butt up against the installed coamings.  As for the quarterdeck, fine adjustments were made to the strips to ensure that they would not result in inappropriately thin widths around the coaming.  This also allowed the bowsprit partner dimensions to be finalised so that they all align appropriately.  It's interesting to note that the partner is a slight wedge shape, reflecting the inward curve of the planking.

Once the first 4 planks were on, the margin planks needed to be installed as all planking from here will butt up against it.  For now, only the forward section has been installed, and the joint between then will (hopefully!) be hidden by the cathead.  Planking could then continue aft, with a similar approach being taken for the steam grating coaming as before and the top of the beam being installed.  The area directly to the rear of this was a bit of a pain as the planking strips are only about 5mm long and difficult to get nice clean tight joints.
 
It proved necessary to once again make custom planks from maple sheet athwart the steam grating coaming, and these proved surprisingly challenging, mainly because there are many edges that need close alignment.  The maple being used also does have a tendency to splinter at the edges.  The gap on the outmost plank is where the top tackle scuttle will be.  Hopefully things will speed up a little now the foundations are in place, at least until hooked planks are needed....


 

Thanks everyone for the continued interest and kind words.
 
Planking of the foc's'l has started and wanted to catch up before I get too far behind, wanted to record how I approached this for my own benefit as much as anything.  Breaking down into the main tasks:
 
Ensuring appropriate sheer of the foc's'l:
There was always going to be something to fettle here.  There were a number of items that needed to be fine tuned before planking could get underway on the deck.  There are a number of items that need to look right:
Sheer of the foc's'l planking- this should be parallel to the wale Sheer of the deck - need to avoid any unnatural dips and bumps, probably caused by the false deck supports not being perfectly positioned These two elements need to also come together in a way that gives a gradual steady decrease in the bulwark height, and avoid situation where this does not transition smoothly This did require some filling of the false deck and additional sanding to get this to where I was happy.  Marking the edge of the deck with a pencil line really helped with the visuals here as there are many curves competing with each other.
 
Determining the appropriate taper of the planks:
Really not much to go on here and went with a planned reduction of around 10-15% between the waist and the bow which seems consistent with many pictures and plans I could find.  The only consideration here was to not taper these too much so that a 'half moon' shape develops towards the edge of the deck.  Considering this, and estimating the number of planks needed, I used the same jig used for the quarterdeck to introduce the curve.
 
Bowsprit partner:
In David Antscherl's TFFM series, he notes that sometimes partners were used on the bowsprit.  I latched onto this as a way to tidy up the way that planks terminate against the bowsprit....especially because I think at this point I will not be adding one (more on that later).  Adding the partner here neatens up the planking in this area and also helps hide the PoF constuction a little more with the bowsprit not hiding this.  This wasn't too challenging to make, first a key was cut into the false deck and a plug made to match.  This was then glued to a larger boxwood sheet that would be visible, and which ensured that the partner would sit snuggly when in place.  The top was deliberately left oversize at this point as the final dimensions would be dictated by the width of the planking.  The concave curve of the underside was made with a suitably sized file approximating the bowsprit dimensions.

 
Planking:
With all the prelim work done, planking could commence!  First step was to install some scrap wood strip on one side of the center line using a ruler as a guide.  This proves to be very helpful in ensuring that the initial runs stay true as once the coamings are installed there is no simple way to do this other than relying on one's eyeball, and once the first central plank is in place can be easily removed.  The fore-grating could now be installed, and experience from the quarterdeck suggested that using the bare minimum of PVA glue is a good idea in case that it proves necessary to fine tune the position.  Luckily however this did not prove necessary.
 
The remaining wildcard is how the planks will butt up against the installed coamings.  As for the quarterdeck, fine adjustments were made to the strips to ensure that they would not result in inappropriately thin widths around the coaming.  This also allowed the bowsprit partner dimensions to be finalised so that they all align appropriately.  It's interesting to note that the partner is a slight wedge shape, reflecting the inward curve of the planking.

Once the first 4 planks were on, the margin planks needed to be installed as all planking from here will butt up against it.  For now, only the forward section has been installed, and the joint between then will (hopefully!) be hidden by the cathead.  Planking could then continue aft, with a similar approach being taken for the steam grating coaming as before and the top of the beam being installed.  The area directly to the rear of this was a bit of a pain as the planking strips are only about 5mm long and difficult to get nice clean tight joints.
 
It proved necessary to once again make custom planks from maple sheet athwart the steam grating coaming, and these proved surprisingly challenging, mainly because there are many edges that need close alignment.  The maple being used also does have a tendency to splinter at the edges.  The gap on the outmost plank is where the top tackle scuttle will be.  Hopefully things will speed up a little now the foundations are in place, at least until hooked planks are needed....


 

Thanks everyone for the continued interest and kind words.
 
Planking of the foc's'l has started and wanted to catch up before I get too far behind, wanted to record how I approached this for my own benefit as much as anything.  Breaking down into the main tasks:
 
Ensuring appropriate sheer of the foc's'l:
There was always going to be something to fettle here.  There were a number of items that needed to be fine tuned before planking could get underway on the deck.  There are a number of items that need to look right:
Sheer of the foc's'l planking- this should be parallel to the wale Sheer of the deck - need to avoid any unnatural dips and bumps, probably caused by the false deck supports not being perfectly positioned These two elements need to also come together in a way that gives a gradual steady decrease in the bulwark height, and avoid situation where this does not transition smoothly This did require some filling of the false deck and additional sanding to get this to where I was happy.  Marking the edge of the deck with a pencil line really helped with the visuals here as there are many curves competing with each other.
 
Determining the appropriate taper of the planks:
Really not much to go on here and went with a planned reduction of around 10-15% between the waist and the bow which seems consistent with many pictures and plans I could find.  The only consideration here was to not taper these too much so that a 'half moon' shape develops towards the edge of the deck.  Considering this, and estimating the number of planks needed, I used the same jig used for the quarterdeck to introduce the curve.
 
Bowsprit partner:
In David Antscherl's TFFM series, he notes that sometimes partners were used on the bowsprit.  I latched onto this as a way to tidy up the way that planks terminate against the bowsprit....especially because I think at this point I will not be adding one (more on that later).  Adding the partner here neatens up the planking in this area and also helps hide the PoF constuction a little more with the bowsprit not hiding this.  This wasn't too challenging to make, first a key was cut into the false deck and a plug made to match.  This was then glued to a larger boxwood sheet that would be visible, and which ensured that the partner would sit snuggly when in place.  The top was deliberately left oversize at this point as the final dimensions would be dictated by the width of the planking.  The concave curve of the underside was made with a suitably sized file approximating the bowsprit dimensions.

 
Planking:
With all the prelim work done, planking could commence!  First step was to install some scrap wood strip on one side of the center line using a ruler as a guide.  This proves to be very helpful in ensuring that the initial runs stay true as once the coamings are installed there is no simple way to do this other than relying on one's eyeball, and once the first central plank is in place can be easily removed.  The fore-grating could now be installed, and experience from the quarterdeck suggested that using the bare minimum of PVA glue is a good idea in case that it proves necessary to fine tune the position.  Luckily however this did not prove necessary.
 
The remaining wildcard is how the planks will butt up against the installed coamings.  As for the quarterdeck, fine adjustments were made to the strips to ensure that they would not result in inappropriately thin widths around the coaming.  This also allowed the bowsprit partner dimensions to be finalised so that they all align appropriately.  It's interesting to note that the partner is a slight wedge shape, reflecting the inward curve of the planking.

Once the first 4 planks were on, the margin planks needed to be installed as all planking from here will butt up against it.  For now, only the forward section has been installed, and the joint between then will (hopefully!) be hidden by the cathead.  Planking could then continue aft, with a similar approach being taken for the steam grating coaming as before and the top of the beam being installed.  The area directly to the rear of this was a bit of a pain as the planking strips are only about 5mm long and difficult to get nice clean tight joints.
 
It proved necessary to once again make custom planks from maple sheet athwart the steam grating coaming, and these proved surprisingly challenging, mainly because there are many edges that need close alignment.  The maple being used also does have a tendency to splinter at the edges.  The gap on the outmost plank is where the top tackle scuttle will be.  Hopefully things will speed up a little now the foundations are in place, at least until hooked planks are needed....


 

Thanks everyone for the continued interest and kind words.
 
Planking of the foc's'l has started and wanted to catch up before I get too far behind, wanted to record how I approached this for my own benefit as much as anything.  Breaking down into the main tasks:
 
Ensuring appropriate sheer of the foc's'l:
There was always going to be something to fettle here.  There were a number of items that needed to be fine tuned before planking could get underway on the deck.  There are a number of items that need to look right:
Sheer of the foc's'l planking- this should be parallel to the wale Sheer of the deck - need to avoid any unnatural dips and bumps, probably caused by the false deck supports not being perfectly positioned These two elements need to also come together in a way that gives a gradual steady decrease in the bulwark height, and avoid situation where this does not transition smoothly This did require some filling of the false deck and additional sanding to get this to where I was happy.  Marking the edge of the deck with a pencil line really helped with the visuals here as there are many curves competing with each other.
 
Determining the appropriate taper of the planks:
Really not much to go on here and went with a planned reduction of around 10-15% between the waist and the bow which seems consistent with many pictures and plans I could find.  The only consideration here was to not taper these too much so that a 'half moon' shape develops towards the edge of the deck.  Considering this, and estimating the number of planks needed, I used the same jig used for the quarterdeck to introduce the curve.
 
Bowsprit partner:
In David Antscherl's TFFM series, he notes that sometimes partners were used on the bowsprit.  I latched onto this as a way to tidy up the way that planks terminate against the bowsprit....especially because I think at this point I will not be adding one (more on that later).  Adding the partner here neatens up the planking in this area and also helps hide the PoF constuction a little more with the bowsprit not hiding this.  This wasn't too challenging to make, first a key was cut into the false deck and a plug made to match.  This was then glued to a larger boxwood sheet that would be visible, and which ensured that the partner would sit snuggly when in place.  The top was deliberately left oversize at this point as the final dimensions would be dictated by the width of the planking.  The concave curve of the underside was made with a suitably sized file approximating the bowsprit dimensions.

 
Planking:
With all the prelim work done, planking could commence!  First step was to install some scrap wood strip on one side of the center line using a ruler as a guide.  This proves to be very helpful in ensuring that the initial runs stay true as once the coamings are installed there is no simple way to do this other than relying on one's eyeball, and once the first central plank is in place can be easily removed.  The fore-grating could now be installed, and experience from the quarterdeck suggested that using the bare minimum of PVA glue is a good idea in case that it proves necessary to fine tune the position.  Luckily however this did not prove necessary.
 
The remaining wildcard is how the planks will butt up against the installed coamings.  As for the quarterdeck, fine adjustments were made to the strips to ensure that they would not result in inappropriately thin widths around the coaming.  This also allowed the bowsprit partner dimensions to be finalised so that they all align appropriately.  It's interesting to note that the partner is a slight wedge shape, reflecting the inward curve of the planking.

Once the first 4 planks were on, the margin planks needed to be installed as all planking from here will butt up against it.  For now, only the forward section has been installed, and the joint between then will (hopefully!) be hidden by the cathead.  Planking could then continue aft, with a similar approach being taken for the steam grating coaming as before and the top of the beam being installed.  The area directly to the rear of this was a bit of a pain as the planking strips are only about 5mm long and difficult to get nice clean tight joints.
 
It proved necessary to once again make custom planks from maple sheet athwart the steam grating coaming, and these proved surprisingly challenging, mainly because there are many edges that need close alignment.  The maple being used also does have a tendency to splinter at the edges.  The gap on the outmost plank is where the top tackle scuttle will be.  Hopefully things will speed up a little now the foundations are in place, at least until hooked planks are needed....


 

Happy New Year everyone!  Know I have been absent for what seems an eternity, my usually slow pace was additionally impacted by the many hurricanes and storms that hit the US earlier this year, our basement had some water damage that put an end to ship modelling activities until it was sorted....which it just has been.  Luckily, no damage was sustained to any models, but, I did lose a number of kit pieces and wood strip supplies that were stored in cardboard boxes.  Luckily nothing terminal.  Decent maple strip now needs to be even more carefully husbanded but hoping I will have enough to ensure consistent material on the remaining planking.
 
The holidays provided an opportunity to get back into it and finally was able to complete the quarterdeck planking.  Very slow and intensive, but I am happy with the result and the fact this is task at least is done.  The pictures below show the deck without any tidying up and show the slight differences in plank thicknesses and pencil lead smudging, so next step will be to clean all of this up.  The forecastle planking will require a slightly different approach and planning, but there are some additional things to finalise first which can wait for a future post.
 
Cheers

Thanks everyone for the continued interest and kind words.
 
Planking of the foc's'l has started and wanted to catch up before I get too far behind, wanted to record how I approached this for my own benefit as much as anything.  Breaking down into the main tasks:
 
Ensuring appropriate sheer of the foc's'l:
There was always going to be something to fettle here.  There were a number of items that needed to be fine tuned before planking could get underway on the deck.  There are a number of items that need to look right:
Sheer of the foc's'l planking- this should be parallel to the wale Sheer of the deck - need to avoid any unnatural dips and bumps, probably caused by the false deck supports not being perfectly positioned These two elements need to also come together in a way that gives a gradual steady decrease in the bulwark height, and avoid situation where this does not transition smoothly This did require some filling of the false deck and additional sanding to get this to where I was happy.  Marking the edge of the deck with a pencil line really helped with the visuals here as there are many curves competing with each other.
 
Determining the appropriate taper of the planks:
Really not much to go on here and went with a planned reduction of around 10-15% between the waist and the bow which seems consistent with many pictures and plans I could find.  The only consideration here was to not taper these too much so that a 'half moon' shape develops towards the edge of the deck.  Considering this, and estimating the number of planks needed, I used the same jig used for the quarterdeck to introduce the curve.
 
Bowsprit partner:
In David Antscherl's TFFM series, he notes that sometimes partners were used on the bowsprit.  I latched onto this as a way to tidy up the way that planks terminate against the bowsprit....especially because I think at this point I will not be adding one (more on that later).  Adding the partner here neatens up the planking in this area and also helps hide the PoF constuction a little more with the bowsprit not hiding this.  This wasn't too challenging to make, first a key was cut into the false deck and a plug made to match.  This was then glued to a larger boxwood sheet that would be visible, and which ensured that the partner would sit snuggly when in place.  The top was deliberately left oversize at this point as the final dimensions would be dictated by the width of the planking.  The concave curve of the underside was made with a suitably sized file approximating the bowsprit dimensions.

 
Planking:
With all the prelim work done, planking could commence!  First step was to install some scrap wood strip on one side of the center line using a ruler as a guide.  This proves to be very helpful in ensuring that the initial runs stay true as once the coamings are installed there is no simple way to do this other than relying on one's eyeball, and once the first central plank is in place can be easily removed.  The fore-grating could now be installed, and experience from the quarterdeck suggested that using the bare minimum of PVA glue is a good idea in case that it proves necessary to fine tune the position.  Luckily however this did not prove necessary.
 
The remaining wildcard is how the planks will butt up against the installed coamings.  As for the quarterdeck, fine adjustments were made to the strips to ensure that they would not result in inappropriately thin widths around the coaming.  This also allowed the bowsprit partner dimensions to be finalised so that they all align appropriately.  It's interesting to note that the partner is a slight wedge shape, reflecting the inward curve of the planking.

Once the first 4 planks were on, the margin planks needed to be installed as all planking from here will butt up against it.  For now, only the forward section has been installed, and the joint between then will (hopefully!) be hidden by the cathead.  Planking could then continue aft, with a similar approach being taken for the steam grating coaming as before and the top of the beam being installed.  The area directly to the rear of this was a bit of a pain as the planking strips are only about 5mm long and difficult to get nice clean tight joints.
 
It proved necessary to once again make custom planks from maple sheet athwart the steam grating coaming, and these proved surprisingly challenging, mainly because there are many edges that need close alignment.  The maple being used also does have a tendency to splinter at the edges.  The gap on the outmost plank is where the top tackle scuttle will be.  Hopefully things will speed up a little now the foundations are in place, at least until hooked planks are needed....


 

Thanks everyone for the continued interest and kind words.
 
Planking of the foc's'l has started and wanted to catch up before I get too far behind, wanted to record how I approached this for my own benefit as much as anything.  Breaking down into the main tasks:
 
Ensuring appropriate sheer of the foc's'l:
There was always going to be something to fettle here.  There were a number of items that needed to be fine tuned before planking could get underway on the deck.  There are a number of items that need to look right:
Sheer of the foc's'l planking- this should be parallel to the wale Sheer of the deck - need to avoid any unnatural dips and bumps, probably caused by the false deck supports not being perfectly positioned These two elements need to also come together in a way that gives a gradual steady decrease in the bulwark height, and avoid situation where this does not transition smoothly This did require some filling of the false deck and additional sanding to get this to where I was happy.  Marking the edge of the deck with a pencil line really helped with the visuals here as there are many curves competing with each other.
 
Determining the appropriate taper of the planks:
Really not much to go on here and went with a planned reduction of around 10-15% between the waist and the bow which seems consistent with many pictures and plans I could find.  The only consideration here was to not taper these too much so that a 'half moon' shape develops towards the edge of the deck.  Considering this, and estimating the number of planks needed, I used the same jig used for the quarterdeck to introduce the curve.
 
Bowsprit partner:
In David Antscherl's TFFM series, he notes that sometimes partners were used on the bowsprit.  I latched onto this as a way to tidy up the way that planks terminate against the bowsprit....especially because I think at this point I will not be adding one (more on that later).  Adding the partner here neatens up the planking in this area and also helps hide the PoF constuction a little more with the bowsprit not hiding this.  This wasn't too challenging to make, first a key was cut into the false deck and a plug made to match.  This was then glued to a larger boxwood sheet that would be visible, and which ensured that the partner would sit snuggly when in place.  The top was deliberately left oversize at this point as the final dimensions would be dictated by the width of the planking.  The concave curve of the underside was made with a suitably sized file approximating the bowsprit dimensions.

 
Planking:
With all the prelim work done, planking could commence!  First step was to install some scrap wood strip on one side of the center line using a ruler as a guide.  This proves to be very helpful in ensuring that the initial runs stay true as once the coamings are installed there is no simple way to do this other than relying on one's eyeball, and once the first central plank is in place can be easily removed.  The fore-grating could now be installed, and experience from the quarterdeck suggested that using the bare minimum of PVA glue is a good idea in case that it proves necessary to fine tune the position.  Luckily however this did not prove necessary.
 
The remaining wildcard is how the planks will butt up against the installed coamings.  As for the quarterdeck, fine adjustments were made to the strips to ensure that they would not result in inappropriately thin widths around the coaming.  This also allowed the bowsprit partner dimensions to be finalised so that they all align appropriately.  It's interesting to note that the partner is a slight wedge shape, reflecting the inward curve of the planking.

Once the first 4 planks were on, the margin planks needed to be installed as all planking from here will butt up against it.  For now, only the forward section has been installed, and the joint between then will (hopefully!) be hidden by the cathead.  Planking could then continue aft, with a similar approach being taken for the steam grating coaming as before and the top of the beam being installed.  The area directly to the rear of this was a bit of a pain as the planking strips are only about 5mm long and difficult to get nice clean tight joints.
 
It proved necessary to once again make custom planks from maple sheet athwart the steam grating coaming, and these proved surprisingly challenging, mainly because there are many edges that need close alignment.  The maple being used also does have a tendency to splinter at the edges.  The gap on the outmost plank is where the top tackle scuttle will be.  Hopefully things will speed up a little now the foundations are in place, at least until hooked planks are needed....


 

Amazing planking!

I definitely fall into the non-gold camp as well...my personal opinion is that the gold actually cheapens the look of a model.  I also suspect that gold paint was not used (did it even exist at this period?) and that actual gold leaf would have been the method used.
 
I recently obtained a copy of "Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns", in it the author alludes to the very elaborate and complex figureheads of the mid 1700's on 1st and 2nd rates (Victory of 1737 and Royal George 1756 being illustrated) were only partially 'guilded' on the primary element, with supporting details being painted.

I definitely fall into the non-gold camp as well...my personal opinion is that the gold actually cheapens the look of a model.  I also suspect that gold paint was not used (did it even exist at this period?) and that actual gold leaf would have been the method used.
 
I recently obtained a copy of "Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns", in it the author alludes to the very elaborate and complex figureheads of the mid 1700's on 1st and 2nd rates (Victory of 1737 and Royal George 1756 being illustrated) were only partially 'guilded' on the primary element, with supporting details being painted.

Thanks for the likes, comments, and glue suggestions.  I'm going to look more into it now that things are quieting down around here.   
 
I guess I'm just slower than molasses in January.   Been working on the stern and gallery windows as I could find time.   I used the method in the build manual and overall, I'm pretty happy.   Made a decision after making a post in the paint area.....  All the gingerbread/decorations will be yellow ochre.  I could see no reason for them to be gold colored.  I'm giving thought to figuring out how to highlight things a bit.  We'll see as this is new turf for me.
 
Here's photos of the state of the build and yes, I really, really, need to take some time and get the dust off this thing and also some touch ups.  And lastly.... take her outside in the afternoon while there's good natural light instead of doing photos at night with a flash.  I think it's the flash giving me so weird light flares in places or I really am that poor of a builder and just don't see some stuff.
 

So I have come here with a last update because the build is finished for me. Due to shortages in time I did often take pictures but forgot to upload them to the forum. however, we are done which means it is time for the post build reflection and some final pictures.
reflection.
 
Tamiya kits have been recommended to me as being great fits, immaculate engineering and also very friendly builds. I generally did find this all to be true but after building fujimi and trumpeter kits I had become used to have some wiggle room. This kit didn't which means I had to adapt. The quality of the plastic was great, it was clean, not much waste from the molding itself on the plastic was present, if any and the parts were decently detailed. However Tamiya's style of detailing has struck me as a little cartoonish/simplified at times. I think in general i prefer Hasegawa, Fujimi or trumpeters style. It is executed with less finesse but the overal atmosphere/style of the model appeals a little more to me. Not to say the Mikuma isn't a great kit, it is just not fully how I would like to see it, Aoshima's Atago is an example of something I would prefer instead with hindsight.
 
The painting of this kit has been part new method, part old stuff. The base colors were Tamiya paint. For all their inaccuracies in color, their handling is unsurpassed for me and with some good old mixing I find i can get colors that appeal to me which in the is what i build for. The new part is the use of both washes and rust effects. This went wrong since I did not see that my new stuff was also enamel which smudged my whole weathering. This is something that I need to consider for my next build. Especially if I want to use the ColorCoats enamels I would need to use two clearcoats which in itself may give rise to other problems. All in all the end product isn't perfect. But sometimes I find it easier to except that flaws and make sure not to repeat them next time. I have applied post shading for the first time as which has given such a nice touch that with some more refinement this will definitely remain in work process. 

ven me enough lessons for my next build especially on the painting process but also the building process. Instead of using a build all and then paint all workflow I will adopt the modular way of working. Which may also help keep stuff a little bit more paced.
With IJN builds the last step is painting the Chrysanthemum on the bow, (special picture included). As for the final results here are the usual pictures, I have tried using a better camera + tripod and a healthy dose of light to capture the ship. Note that on one of the turrets I had a very sad reaction between some rust powder on enamel wash that I had applied an hour before, It just stained out overnight and I have polished off a little bit of the stuff but was afraid I would damage the PE on the turret so I let it be as is. Now when reviewing the pictures I see more paintwork stuff, but I will let it be too. In general when working in modules I can focus on smaller sized pieces which hopefully will allow me to work with more refined detail and less errors.
Since I have not updated for so long I will also put in the relevant pictures for the steps in between. 
 
The floatplanes when drying
 

 
The Ship before the weathering and post shading
 

 
When the weathering with new materials reacted with the washes underneath it
 

 
After a thorough cleaning
 

 
With one turret so smudged I needed to sand it and still it wouldn't completely come off, also because I was afraid to sand away the pain and postshading. 
 

 
End results
 
 













 
 
 
 
 


















 
And per tradition, the last imagine is also the last part I painted and added, the Golden Chrysanthemum.
 

 
Stay safe, and till next time.

Post Sixty-Seven
 Rudder Fitting (Part Two)
In recent times I have preferred to use the Syren laserboard representations of the rudder pintle and brace straps rather than etched brass kit versions.
With rudder straps it is so easy to mar the blackened surface when fitting to rudder and hull on an uncoppered or unpainted hull.

5434(2)
To my eye the Laserboard is realistic looking and saves the time as well as patience taken up in chemically blackening the brass etch.
 

2336
A coat of W-O-P is applied to the rudder to finish it off, and the bolt heads will be represented by blobs of pva.

2363(2)
At the Rudder head are a set of iron hoops; for these I use my old standby of Heat shrink tubing which gives a fair representation of iron work, certainly at this scale.

2324
During the fitting of the rudder my eye kept being drawn to a gap between the top of the sternpost and the tiller which looked a little too large.

2328
I added a small section of Pearwood atop the stern post, and my eye at least is now satisfied.
I would have been less concerned if I were adding a Rudder coat but on this unfinished hull it would look a little incongruous.

2329
The Gudgeons are now painted black to represent the ironwork.

2349
With the rudder in place, I use tape to mark the line of the Gudgeon straps on the hull, before gluing in place.

2351
 
This is also a convenient time to prepare the Horseshoes, Fishplates, and spectacle plate.

2344(2)
I used the brass etched pieces for these which are chemically blackened.
Always useful to have some blackened pins to hand.

2366(2)
I have started to feather the stern planking into the lower counter and tidy up the line. A moulding strip will cover this.
 
The next stage will be to add the lower counter decoration and fix the moulding rails.
 
B.E.
21/01/22

I definitely fall into the non-gold camp as well...my personal opinion is that the gold actually cheapens the look of a model.  I also suspect that gold paint was not used (did it even exist at this period?) and that actual gold leaf would have been the method used.
 
I recently obtained a copy of "Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns", in it the author alludes to the very elaborate and complex figureheads of the mid 1700's on 1st and 2nd rates (Victory of 1737 and Royal George 1756 being illustrated) were only partially 'guilded' on the primary element, with supporting details being painted.

I definitely fall into the non-gold camp as well...my personal opinion is that the gold actually cheapens the look of a model.  I also suspect that gold paint was not used (did it even exist at this period?) and that actual gold leaf would have been the method used.
 
I recently obtained a copy of "Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns", in it the author alludes to the very elaborate and complex figureheads of the mid 1700's on 1st and 2nd rates (Victory of 1737 and Royal George 1756 being illustrated) were only partially 'guilded' on the primary element, with supporting details being painted.

I definitely fall into the non-gold camp as well...my personal opinion is that the gold actually cheapens the look of a model.  I also suspect that gold paint was not used (did it even exist at this period?) and that actual gold leaf would have been the method used.
 
I recently obtained a copy of "Old Ship Figureheads and Sterns", in it the author alludes to the very elaborate and complex figureheads of the mid 1700's on 1st and 2nd rates (Victory of 1737 and Royal George 1756 being illustrated) were only partially 'guilded' on the primary element, with supporting details being painted.

Suffice to say Mark, there will be no gold paint on my Sphinx.
 
B.E.

It is a while back that I did this, but as far as I remember I followed Chuck's instructions in the Syren manual. I drilled holes from both sides of the hull at an angle and made sure they connected. Then I blackened them with a pen. The attached figure shows a closer look at the scuppers. I hope this helps.
 
Thomas
 

 
 
 

Hi all,
 
A very quick update... I turned the capstan on the lathe this evening from 12mm walnut.
 

 
I left a small peg on the bottom to sit in a hole drilled in the platform.
 

 
The result...
 

 
And an overview of the deck of Stefano as she stands... 
 

 

Just because I've been rather silent, doesn't mean I haven't been working.  I'm amazed it's been 10 months since my last post.  With the free time afforded by COVID I have been working away, albeit a bit slowly.  Most of the hull construction is finished.  A few challenges faced and met.  Some of the coppering needs a bit of recleaning but close to time to start thinking about masts, spars and some rigging.  I have gotten a lot of help from the Build Logs on line - without those this would be infinitely harder.  Thanks to all those who have "gone before".  Stay well.
 

The lower hull is finally finished.  All the excess CA was cleaned off by using a brass wire wheel in the Dremel tool.  It was not easy, but it did work.  The best approach is to try to minimize CA squeeze-out when applying the plates.  I probably over-applied CA being cautious about the plates adhering.  When using the wire wheel it has to be low speed, low pressure.  If you generate too much frictional heat you get transfer of brass onto the copper and that is harder to get off then the CA!  That requires medium coarseness steel wool.  The top of the coppered area was finished off with a 1x1mm walnut strip as others have done - it dresses it up nicely.  Hanging the rudder was a bit challenging, but once you realize the gudgeons are at a right angle to the stern post the rest is just care in fitting them, aligning the gudgeons on the rudder and putting in the dozens of nails.  The preventer  chains will be put on later.  Now onto the upper decks.
 

 

During my downtime I did some research into the ship's wheel.  Seems it was very much like the Victory's.  A double wheel with a tall fore pedestal and a short aft pedestal.
 

HMS Elephant plans (above)  and HMS Victory wheel (below)

 
So I drew it up to fit between my decks and forward of my mizzen mast.
 

Assembly between decks (above) and details (below)

Then I drew up some details so when I need a change I can chose to work on my fore or mizzen lower mast and trees, painting/asembling my 74 guns, or the ship's wheel.  It is nice to have options.

A major update on mast making, and as promised, some photos and info on keeping my plane and chisels sharp.
 

 
My steel Ibex plane blade has been removed from it's two-part brass carrier assembly and securely mounted into a honing guide at the proper angle (30 degrees). The shiny, hexagonal pattern is a diamond sharpening (honing) stone that has two surfaces at 400 & 1000 "grit." This is the 1000 grit side which is the principal one I use on my finger plane and some small chisels.
 

 
Here is the arsenal for sharpening my plane blades and small chisels: a diamond honing stone, a smaller conventional two-sided sharpening stone, the honing guide and behind these a leather strop and honing compound. My favorite small finger plane sits atop the diamond stone. Note: always "rest" your block planes on their sides if you can, never on the shoe.
 

 
My plane's blade is mounted in the honing guide at the proper angle (blade protrusion where it contacts the stone surface at a flush angle and evenly across the blade's width). The diamond stone is held tightly within a heavy steel and rubber bed with thumbscrews that clamp the honing stone material with thick rubber blocks (essentially, non-slip feet); this beefy arrangement keeps your stone stationary once you begin blade honing.
 

 
This particular honing guide has the amount of extension for your blades imprinted on one side; in this instance, I've set my blade - clamped it into the guide - at 38 mm from the honing guide's face (per the ruler's measurement above). This extension will position your blade's cutting edge at the proper flush angle to the stone surface for full sharpening contact.
 
Once the blade is firmly clamped into the guide (a single thumbscrew), one simply presses down with two hands on the guide to hone the blade's cutting edge on the stone. I use a small amount of water to "slurry" the metal particles that result from the back and forth honing action. The water and the metal particles simply wipe off the stone with a rag. A Tip: if you don't use water to accomplish this necessary by-product, don't use an oil that has a lubricant in it like "3-In-1." These oils will defeat the purpose of honing since they will leave a thin film residue on the honing material and prevent good contact of your blade against the sharpening surface. Oil is messy too. Water is best in my opinion (it's is NOT a lubricant); having a fluid "slurry" also isn't necessary for the types of tools we typically use.
 
NOTE: there is an "up market" honing guide called a Veritas Mark II which is coveted by many toolheads. It's about $50-$100 for the precision guide which has a built in "blade angle setting fixture" (depending on the model); if you have a number of conventional chisels and flat plane blocks - and do a lot of wood carving and planing - it's probably worth the investment. For me, my honing guide was $14 (blue item), and the diamond stone (and its kool holder), the leather strop & compound (Schaff) were all about $50+. These work a treat for my small block planes (but not my micro chisels which have no guide, but I do employ all the other honing items noted here).
 
There are numerous informative YouTube videos on honing that are worth watching. It is absolutely a truism that the quality of one's woodworking is only as good as the sharpness of one's cutting tools!
 

 
While on the subject of useful (essential) tools, I use this simple, little plastic jig a lot when it comes to making masts and spars. I need to find the exact center of square stock so I can chuck an octagonally-planed "stick" into my small lathe, on-center (the free, rotating tailpiece). I forget where I got this handy little, inexpensive guide; should I recall I'll post it later on this thread. I use my "deadly" pointed awl (in the background on my cutting mat) to scribe two intersecting lines across the stock's corners, and on one end of the square. Where these lightly scribed lines cross, I prick a tiny hole smack in the center of the end grain and thus, form a small starter hole for the lathe's tailpiece. Believe me, if this starter hole isn't located exactly on-center, it's miserable to attempt shaping the round section from the octagon!
 

 
Here's Chris Watton's Lord Cochrane inspecting one of the new-fangled carronades on the quarterdeck of HMS Camilla. "Jolly good!" I heard him exclaim as he reminded me that the King will be pleased Camilla carries the officially-branded mark - a monogram insignia that shouts-out: "The Crown Reigns." (the crown profile and fancy script letter "R"). I'm speculating that this raised, cast mark on the weapon was to show sovereign ownership and remind everyone who was boss. 
 
I've mounted these tiny insignia to all of my visible cannon, carronades as well as the long cannon on the midship's gun deck. I used Liquitex Matte Medium Acrylic adhesive which is easily applied with the end of a toothpick. It dries transparent and isn't shiny, unlike CA, aliphatic or epoxy glues.
 

 
The monograms, laser-cut micro-beauties from SyrenShipmodels. The #72 drill (.079mm) and a toothpick to show the scale of these tiny pieces. Three sizes are available from the company's online store. In this close-up you can clearly see the (Royal) crown and "R" image (Reigns) entwined.
 

 
All lower masts test positioned for HMS Camilla. The three vertical masts have their rigging hardware and blocks pre-mounted. DO THIS BEFORE you do any standing rigging! The bowsprit is mounted but will get its stay blocks soon, but also prior to any standing rigging attempted. MSW'ers with Eagle eyes will note that she stands on a hardcover copy of "Lees." I frequently use this book - along with two others* - when I'm diving into square sailer rigging and I have questions or need a reminder of some detail I've forgotten.
 
*Lennarth Petersson's "Rigging Period Ship Models" and SeaWatch's Swan Series, Volume IV by David Antscherl.
 

 
All three lower masts are complete with their blocks. The wooldings (rope windings along the length of the fore and main masts), were accomplished with Syren's new "Ultra" rigging rope which is a dark brown hue. It appears nearly black when contrasted to the lighter pear but on closer inspection the color is a really good approximation of "tarred" rope.
 

 
The tops, trestletrees, top supports and fish pieces (three of them) come together quite nicely once the proper flat profiles to the mast's sides are created. This is a result of the exacting manufacturing tolerances in this kit; the precision laser cutting continues to be very precise at this later building stage where the pear pattern pieces are provided to create all the masts.
 
However, as thread reader's have already noted, I set aside the kit's walnut dowels for the masts and yards into a spares box. The walnut dowels will still work for making masts but I preferred to shape my own pear stock to capture more accurate details as well as to keep the finished color of the kit's pear hardwood consistent.
 
Fashioning the masts (I've only shown the lower sections on this update - as well as the completed bowsprit) is a wood-shaping task that requires many critical steps to accomplish with any degree of accuracy. Rounds, octagons, squares, angles- all present carving and fitting challenges that are not enumerated in the kit's excellent manual. But the good news is that the kit's provided plans - multiple large sheets devoted to masting and rigging - offer very well drawn and dimensioned guides to what you'll need to accomplish with your "scratch work", but not HOW to do it.
 
To state this observation in another way: a separate and quite extensive set of detailed instructions could be created just to guide one's building of this model's masts, spars and the many intricacies of accurate and convincing square sail rigging.
 
Two suggestions come to mind for some HMS Sphinx builders who will complete her as a fully-rigged model: if available, refer to author David Antscherl's excellent Swan Series books, particularly the fourth (and final volume, IV) - or - alternatively, spend time reading through MSW's sub-forum threads and posts here under resources - "Notes, Tips, Techniques & Research."
 

 
The main mast is ready to slip into position. A rigging stay block (the deadeye) is pre-assembled, as are the eyebolts for other rigging blocks. Earlier, I mentioned shaping the bolsters; here you can clearly see the half-round section of one. These (and the thin wood battens on the upper square section) will take the force of the shroud lines and in practice would reduce the amount of chafing on these ropes as well as give them proper purchase when multiple lines overlapped around this post. The topmast(s), when completed, are dropped through the mast caps openings and secured adjacent to the bolsters and trestletree supports.
 

 
On the level: it is critical to set the proper angle on all three mast tops when one finally glues the assemblies together. Here I've lined-up the top of the main mast to be perfectly level with the ship's waterline.
 

 
When mounting the various blocks to the tops of the lower masts, I used a thumb drill to ensure there is sufficient clearance in the block's holes for rigging lines.  Regardless of the blocks one uses in rigging (in my case, aftermarket pear ones from Falkonet and also, Syren), it's a good idea to take the time and do this now and not later when you'll find it difficult to accomplish this simple task. How do I know about this seemingly insignificant step?...haha. Try to access and drill-out these tiny block openings to fit a balky line of rope when most of the standing rigging has been accomplished and is in your way!
 

 
A gulls-eye view of the Main Mast top, ready for a topmast to be dropped into place. I won't mount the safety rails (rear edges of all the tops) until all the shrouds (lower and upper) have been rigged. I usually attach safety netting to my rails too; this is considerably easier to do once most of the primary (standing) rigging is completed. The rails - and the netting - also interfere with some of the rigging processes and are prone to being damaged if they're done at too early a stage.
 

 
The completed bowsprit. With the mast making process, this assembly is the most difficult to create. It involves numerous steps to fashion both pieces (bowsprit and jiboom). The identical rope I used for the lower mast wooldings is also used here. One of the trickier steps - a seemingly innocuous one - is to properly locate the tiny cleats that will meet the gammoning lines that attach the bowsprit to the stem as well as the tiny forward cleats that keep the stays and preventer ties - open heart blocks, deadeyes, etc.- from slipping. The fairlead (just above the gammoning area) also requires precise placement for optimum arrangement of the running rigging lines. I will add all the standing rigging blocks to the bowsprit BEFORE I mount it and secure the gammoning rope. I'll use a slightly heavier, larger diameter Syren "Ultra" brown rope for this task.
 

 
When creating the bowsprit assembly, I noted that the kit only provided the "Bee" at the tip of the bowsprit; I added the "Bee Blocks." This isn't that big a deal, however the naked Bee didn't look right to me. In practice, this flat piece that guides critical standing rigging lines needed reinforcement with additional carpentry pieces to either side. Also, these Bee Block support pieces carried built-in sheaves for handling thick foremast rigging lines. I omitted adding sheaves here since they really won't be easily seen, but the bee blocks will be noticed on close inspection. A detail compromise, but what the heck, this isn't a 1:48-scale model either.
 
A separate and important personal building consideration: the plans specify the painting of tops and the corresponding carpentry to be black. This also applies to the yards (all of them) and portions of the bowsprit (per the above spec on the kit's plans). I'm not certain I'll do this to my model, although the black paint is historically accurate.
 
One argument is to stay "kosher" and go for the black which presents a quite dramatic image to one's model. On the other hand, the beautiful pear woods and the delicate lasered details look very attractive to this modeler's eyes. The satin poly-finished pear wood on the majority of the hull looks especially nice to me too - and I rationalize: "why not stick with this look with the masts and yards?" Decisions. decisions. I've got a couple weeks to think about all this and complete the masting and yards. I'm nearing the point where the "strings" need to be strung! And...I just can't wait to do hundreds of ratlines...mmmmmm
 

 
The mizzen mast has a belaying rack (ring) and I've placed the belaying pins into the holes (after drilling them out). I attached the pins with Matte adhesive so the pins don't "disappear" during the rigging process. I did the same with the belaying pins on the foc'sle bitts and mid-deck belaying rails near the belfry. None of the belaying pins need to be removed during rigging; after the termination of lines are made to these, rope coils will hang from these pins.
 
The next stage is fashioning the topmasts with some of the same techniques I've already described in earlier posts. Thanks to all the forum members who have commented on this Build thread. Much appreciated.
 
Ron
 

After the supports for the rafts, we need to install the cabinets and lockers for the ammunition. Again, this is done from historical pictures and the readers should keep in mind that this arrangement has evolved multiple times throughout the life of the ship. We also add the rear gun turret, after improving it a little bit.
 

 

 
The anti-flak cabin is just a big block of PLA, in the kit. It would take way too much work to hollow it (the material is so hard) and I wish the designer would have done it in parts to assemble. So, in order to give it more dimension, I added a front wall and frame around the opening. The "stuff" above the cabin is made of brass wires, welded together and provide 5 hooks for the lines between the main mast and the rear gun tub.
 
One painted and installed, it looks pretty decent and gives the illusion that it is indeed hollow:
 

 

 

 

 
That pretty much concludes the Module #5. The machine gun is being 3D printed in resin and I do not have it yet.
 
A few overall pictures to satiate your impatience and curiosity:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Next will be Module #6, the rear deck.
 
Yves