Beef Wellington

Post Forty-seven
 
Gallery -Part Two
I have replaced  the middle  gallery pattern (Part45) with a replacement Boxwood Frame.

1528
The lower pattern (45a) and its lower slot sits too high to represent what would be the floor of the gallery so this too will need modification at some point.
 
The problem is compounded by the later insertion of another filler piece (45c) between the middle and lower parts 45 and 45a which would block off the gallery opening  below the window level.
Parts 45c and 45a provide the formers against which the berthing pattern (159) is glued below the window pattern.
 
I concluded the issue could be resolved by doubling the depth of the middle frame to incorporate what would be part 45c.
A frame was cut to match  Part 45c which was glued to  Frame 45.

1561
The  combination frames pinned into place.

1565
The part 45a as shown here will not be fitted.

1573
Before fitting, the frames will require bevelling to suit the fit of the Gallery window pattern and Berthing pattern.

1570
To create a gallery in this style effectively means working from middle/bottom up rather than middle/top down as per the kit instructions.
 
Fitting a seat of ease is required to be done before I fit the gallery window pieces and gallery top, but after the finishing piece is installed, as this will provide the floor. Any painting/varnishing of the gallery interior will also need to be done at this point.
The finishing piece comprises  four parts (29,45b,46)

1580
To assemble the finishing piece I used double sided tape to secure part 29 to the hull, it effectively runs along the top of the Black strake below part 45a the slot for which can be seen.
The other parts were  glued to part 29 insitu on the hull. The lowest part of the finishing piece follows the angle as indicated by the yellow tape.

1558(2)
Finishing piece assembly, Starboard side.
Note the angle of the two lower pieces(46) of this assembly.
 Shaping and fitting these will be the next task.
 
B.E.
04/12/21
 

Post Forty-four
 
That stern business
I had intended to fit the port linings next, but with the stern patterns and Qtr galleries on my mind, I won’t settle until it’s sorted.
I have to admit that I approach this task with a deal of trepidation. I have not actually fitted a Qtr gallery  for over thirty years, Pegasus had a Badge, not a gallery, and that was tricky enough as I recall.
 
This is one of the critical areas of construction with multiple parts requiring to be aligned.
 
Additional self inflicted difficulties arise because my intention is to open up the galleries and install seats of ease, which means a deal of modification to the Quarter gallery patterns.
Whether I can pull this off, or come to the conclusion that it’s not worth the effort I don’t know until I get into the assembly.
 
I had done some preliminary work when I fitted the lower counter, so I will start with the Stern facia inner and work everything from that.
This needs to be high enough to allow for the 1mm  Quarterdeck rail with 1mm to spare.
The Upper counter (inner) requirements will then be clear.
 
The assembly will be looked at concurrently with the Qtr Gallery fitting as the top and bottom edges of the counter are critical to the mouldings that match up with those of the  gallery. There will be a lot of temporary pinning and fitting before I finally commit to glue.
To begin the process I separate all the parts relating to this area so they are handy to check fit as I go along. Identifying, locating, cutting, and sorting all the parts took a surprising amount of time.

1451
The Inner stern facia is pinned into place; tape is used to mark the line 2mm below the point where the bulwark meets the facia. A check is made to ensure the extensions are equidistant each side.
 
The upper counter can now be tried in place.

1469
As can be seen there is a gap between Facia and counter, not unexpected but I need to decide whether to fit the upper counter hard against the facia or fill both sides.

1474
At this point I am also trial fitting the Quarter Gallery pieces to get a feel for how the assembly will  hang together.

1465
I think I will  bevel and butt the upper counter against the facia bottom, the lower gap is less  important as is more easily filled and covered with a moulding.

1462
The line of the galleries suggests to my eye that the positioning is  ok so tomorrow I will glue the facia and upper counter in place.
 
B.E.
30/11/21
 

Thank you Thuky, I'm strictly a brush man, but I'll keep your advice in mind.
 
Post Forty-three
 
Completing the Wales.
With the wales in position, the holes filled, it is time to think about colour.
Damn! I’ve just realised that I forgot to  thin down the back side of the wale strips for the first cm or so to give more of an impression of it fitting into the stem rabbet.
Too late to do this now  as it would destroy the planking lines, but I would suggest that future builders  do this as it is more authentic.
Before fitting the wales I looked at and trialled two different finishes as a change from my usual Humbrol matt black, or Admiralty Dull Black.
These are Vallejo Black Grey and Colron dark Jacobean Oak wood stain.

1370
Vallejo Black/Grey (left) Colron dye (right)
 
I dismissed the wood stain as it would have to be applied post fitting of the wale and it presented too high a risk of bleed onto the surrounding woodwork.
 
I start with Vallejo Black/Grey thinking the less than hard black may provide a more scale appearance to the wale finish.
Thin coats are applied as I am anxious not to hide the T&b plank lines.

1423(2)
This is the result after two coats, I will leave it at that for the present.

1418(2)
Wales do tend to get marked during the build process and there will be the need to apply more coats.

1420(2)
Not set in stone, but I quite like the muted black effect.
 
Above the wale is the black strake; not always black but on the Joseph Marshall painting of 1773 it is, so black it will be.
The kit provides pre-spiled strips for these, no fitting issues but it is perhaps strange that the engraved plank butt lines match those to the top wale strake.
This is of little consequence as  they don’t stand out under the paint.
I used ca to glue these strips to the hull.

1444
The outlets for the scuppers were drilled from without but I didn’t risk drilling completely through to the waterway.

1439
The flanges for the outlet pipes will be added later.

1437(2)
 
The next job is to re-do the Port linings, what joy.🙄
 
B.E.
29/11/21

 

Post Forty-two
 
Fixing the wales.
It may be thought that this is a fairly straightforward procedure, given the marked lines of fitting on the hull coupled with pre-formed wales, there is no working out for yourself that critical wale position.
 
I considered constructing my own t&b wales as I had with Pegasus, but the thought lasted but a nano second.

1367(2)
The kit supplied pieces are nicely engraved with the Top and Butt planking lines, and it would be a pity not to use them.
The trick will be colouring it without covering up the plank lines.
 
I followed the given procedure and used fine pins liberally to secure the wale strip against the hull for the shape forming process.
The hull was then left overnight to fully dry out.
 
Probably due my increasing decrepitude I didn’t find fitting the wales the easiest of tasks.
They have to be correctly positioned, and held in place while pins are inserted to hold them fast, all before the pva starts to set.
 
Preparation is the key. I have the fine pins inserted in a balsa block for quick access, a micro pinvise, a jar of water and brush to clean off any pva overspill, and the pin pusher close to hand.

1376
The pva is decanted into a small jar and is slightly diluted. It is applied by brush as the wale is fixed along the hull.
The hull is secured in the keel clamp, better to see the required line and piled towels are used on the opposite side to support the hull against the pressure of the pin pusher.

1377(2)
Tamiya tape is applied above and below the wale position to mark the glue line and reduce the risk of overspill marks.
The forward end of the wale strips needs a slight bevel to fit tight against the stem.

1381
On my build the wales required a lot of pins to hold it firmly against the lower edge and additional pinning and clamping on the upper edge.

1387

1388
A prime objective is to get the wales looking symmetrical at the bow.
The stern area is the tricky part where the aftermost lower edge needs to curve downwards laterally very slightly, to meet the round of the hull.

1393
 I was able to clamp this by using a pin head on the wale and the rudder port as anchor points.
The  set-up was then left overnight for the glue to fully cure.

1402(2)

1405(2)

1408(2)

1410(2)
 
Before I move on I need to resolve a puzzling issue with the  pre-drilled scuppers, of which there are six.

1412
The forward two are offline against each other and the preceding four, which run along the top edge of the wale. This is not reflected on the plans where they all run along the top edge of the wale.
 
This in itself is an issue as they are too close to the top of the wale with no allowance for the flange that would surround them.
I rather think they should exit thro’ the Black strake above the wale, which is how I will position them.
 
The holes on the wale will be filled before painting.
 
This is a small thing and overall the wales look good and surely save an awful lot of T&B  cutting.
 
B.E.
28/11/21
 
 

Thank you to everyone for the likes on, they are much appreciated previous posts
 
Head Rails
Looking at the drawings of the head rails in the AotS and the photos in Robert Gardiner’s The Sailing Frigate, both upper and lower cheeks in the kit look too short. I believe that the cheeks should extend almost to the line of the cathead and so I have scratched some from 3mm boxwood sheet.
 

Comparison of Upper & Lower Cheeks
 
The quality of the rails in the kit were thin and of very poor quality, so again I have made them from boxwood sheet.

Comparison of Upper Rails
 
I cut some shaping into the rails, firstly using a pen from my father’s old drawing set, which creates a nice clean line parallel to the edge, and then gradually opened them out with files and a sanding stick. 
 

 

 
Now for the confession.
 
Starting on the filling piece, I suddenly realised that I was in deep trouble. The filling piece, which should be about 8mm deep, on my model is nearer 10mm. Checking all the relevant measurements, I realised that the wale is 2mm too low at the bow. Everywhere else along the side is fine but the sweep up to the bow is wrong.
 

 
The space between the tapes shows where the wale should be.
 
After a lot of swearing and telling myself how stupid I’ve been, I’ve resisted the urge to turn the whole thing to matchwood but am left with the dilemma of how to proceed.
 
I don't think that replacing the wale is feasible at this stage of the build because the planking above and below follows the same line and that would mean taking apart the front half of the ship.
 
As I see it, I have two options. I can carry on with the lower cheek sitting on top of the wale and making the filling piece deeper than it should be or I can sit the lower cheek above the wale and restore the distance between lower and upper cheeks to the correct spacing.
 

Option 1
 

Option 2
 
Neither is ideal but my inclination is for option 2 as the least worst: to sit the lower cheek above the wale which although wrong, I think the relationship between the various elements would be more balanced than if I make the filling piece deeper.
 
 Having spent a lot of time upgrading and scratching various parts, having to make such a compromise is really annoying.
 
David

Hi David.
 
She's looking fantastic! I didn't register I'd changed the gaps with the channels - perhaps because I'd reworked the quarter deck for the lower bulwarks... but it looks like you've worked out a great solution, and I'm sure the captain will be much happier with the shot passing well clear of the shrouds. 
 
 
Looking back on my build, this is one of the few things I would definitely have done differently. Trying to glue in a bunch of blocks to fill the gaps where the chain plates went through was fiddly and annoying, and I should have followed Jason's @Beef Wellington example in retrospect. I would strongly advise having a strip along the outside of the grooves that the chain plates fit into if you can.
 
Here's the post where Jason talks about what he did...  
 
Rob

Thank you Jason and Glenn, and for the 'likes'
 
Post Forty-one
 
The moment of truth
A coat of w-o-p is applied to see if the result is now good enough to leave the lower hull unpainted.
On balance I think that it just about makes the grade.
 
A further two coats are applied; the keel and stem areas are brushed with w-o-p and immediately wiped off with a clean rag as I move along.

1337(2)
I do like the look of the knee of the head with its engraved constituent parts, the lines pop out once the w-o-p is applied.

1319
As a bonus, I avoid the troublesome task of marking the waterline, and I wasn’t really keen on that vast expanse of white paint anyway, at least not in relation to the Navy Board style of display I am seeking to achieve.

1317(2)

1330(2)

1323(2)

1315(2)

1333(2)

1331(2)

1347(2)

1329(2)
I can't be sure that I won't indulge in a little further fiddling with it before the point of no return,  but  for now, I'll move onto the Wales.
 
B.E.
26/11/21
 

Great catching up on your progress, really beautiful planking, and really nice rework - as you say, there is very little that can't be fixed, and fixed very well in this case!

Great catching up on your progress, really beautiful planking, and really nice rework - as you say, there is very little that can't be fixed, and fixed very well in this case!

Great catching up on your progress, really beautiful planking, and really nice rework - as you say, there is very little that can't be fixed, and fixed very well in this case!

Thank you Rusty, but things don't always go well as you will see below. 🙄
 
Post Forty
 
A step backwards.
Just as I was getting ready to  finish the hull my eye was drawn to the forward end of the Garboard strake on the Port side and the two adjacent planks to it.
 
The finish against the stem wasn’t good enough and no minor filling however well matched would mask the deficiency.
The problem was caused by the protective tape on the stem overlapping the inner edge resulting in a fractionally short fit against the stem.
 
Nothing for it but to remove sections of planking and replace.

1297

1298

1300
Marking a template for the Garboard replacement.

1308

1309
The removals went better than I could have hoped greatly assisted by Swann-morton chisel blades, and carefully applied Acetone to assist with ca de-bond.

1306(2)
These chisel blades are perfectly sized for delicate work and very sharp.

1313
A mornings work and the issue is resolved.
 
There is very little on a wooden model that can’t be rectified and where it is possible it is always a good idea to go back, otherwise these things tend to catch your eye forever.
 
 
B.E.
25/11/21
 
 

Post Thirty-nine
 
Sanding and finishing the hull.
The hull needed only a light sanding and minor plank line gaps were filled with a dilute pva/pear dust mix.
 
My approach is to use a syringe filled with dilute pva to run along the seams, sprinkle pearwood dust over the line and gently brush  it across the line  before sanding to consolidate and smooth the mix.
The Pearwood sands up beautifully, and even after a fairly short time there is a silky  smooth feel to the hull.
 
These pics were taken after an hour or so and were taken to highlight any further  attention required.

1280(2)

1279(2)

1276(2)

1281(2)

1278(2)

1294(2)

1293(2)

1292(2)

1287(2)

1288(2)

1283(2)

1289(2)
 
I am fairly satisfied with progress thus far, a little more fettlin’ and I think I can move on.
 
B.E.
22/11/21
 

Post Thirty-seven
 
Planking - Band Two
In the light of the modifications to Band one, Band two is re-set and the  tick divisions re-marked.

1221
In practice I am following the previous planking line and the bow taper remains constant at 3mm.
A shallow edge bend at the bow  is required on each strake, and full width planks run to the stern.

1218
The run up to the stern post requires both edge bend and twist  on the aftermost planks of strakes 11,12,13.

1207
I found it easier with these to fit the stern post edge first and trim the other end to fit the plank butt.
The tight curve was formed from a longer strip  to ease the process and avoid splitting.
With the eight strakes of the second band completed  it is time to review and re-check the planking runs.

1236(2)
The planking line matches each side as measured down from the keel against the bulkhead positions, and at the bow and sternpost.
 
I had a change of mind about using the extra Pearwood strip I purchased for the wider strakes, the colour difference is too marked against the very pale and uniform kit planking.
The resulting spiled planks would stand out  too much and be a distraction if  I am able to leave the hull unpainted.

1211(2)
Any wider spiled planks including the Garboard will be cut from some of the ‘waste’ 0.8/1mm Pearwood fret which is too good to waste.
 
Fitting  the Garboard.
My best guest is to use a slightly wider 5mm strip, broadening to 6mm at the sternpost.
This was cut and shaped from fret Pearwood of a matching tone.  At the bow it begins at b/h 1.1 and runs uniformly to b/h9 where it gradually broadens to 6mm at the sternpost.

1213
Once the curve at the stem has been formed the strake is wetted and clamped in position to form the subtle angles as it runs along the keel line.

1224
 For the Garboard I used pva glue given the good clamping positions.

1244

1233(2)

1239(2)
There are now nine strakes left to do.
 
I will re-mark the  plank lines, hopefully to best effect, and work both up from the garboard and down from  the wale.
The final spiled plank should  appear at strake five up from the Garboard, tucked away beneath the hull.
 
B.E.
16/11/21
 

A case for Sphinx
I don’t usually invest in a case for my models this early in a build but earlier this year when my regular case maker delivered the cover for the Royal Barge, he announced his retirement.
He wasn’t making any more but he did  have one ready made that would suit Sphinx as I intended to build her.
 
Today he delivered that case as he was also doing a final delivery to the IPMS Scale model show at Telford.

1196(2)
The model sits well in the case, leaving adequate room for a stub Bowsprit.

1198(2)
The base already had a ‘tarmac’ finish,  a reference to its previous purpose.
I was prepared to remove or cover this but  I quite like the look.

1205(2)
Once I reach the detail stage it will be useful to have a cover to keep the dust off.
 
This is the eighth case Paul of Just Bases has made for me, he will be missed in the Model making community.
 
 
B.E.
13/11/21

Thank you Bob, Chuck is the man to follow. 👍
 
Post Thirty-six
 
Planking - at last.
Planking of the first band begins with the strakes fitted in two halves at differing points along the hull. The first strake is covered by the wale.

1125
The first strake fitted, you can see how the tapering follows the tick marks on the hull.
I did decide to use ca for fixing .
 
Thinking About a Drop plank
This would sit immediately below the Wale, but with the post fitting of the wale pattern it would be tricky to acertain the right level with the risk that the wale would eventually part cover the drop plank set-up, and negate the effect.
With two planks fitted there was a  good match with the wale bottom at the bow, but an awkward narrow strip would be required further back to support the wale bottom. This would also throw out the planking run.
I decided that it was a fiddle too far so, like the plank I dropped the idea.🙄

1133
 Three strakes fitted, from this point on I will be below the wale  lower edge.

1130
At the stern I wet the plank for a short distance where it curves sharply down to the lower counter.
Clamps were used to hold the plank closely down until the glue set, altho’ this was fairly instant with the non runny thick ca I am using.

1138
Here you can see I suffered the issue of a ‘sprung’ plank. Not too problematic just needs cutting with a scalpel and re-gluing.
Soft or sprung planks  should be attended to they will come back to bite you later on.

1141
From the fourth strake  down  a degree of edge bending was required, and at this point  tick marks at the front half were already showing signs of running off.
 The band tape was repositioned and Fresh tick marks were re-drawn.
 The strakes have been divided up into individual planks, not a formal arrangements but roughly in sync with  scale lengths.
 
So after four days work the first band of eight strakes is completed.

1179
At the fore end the  plank run matches the band line.

1151
At the aft end which was unadjusted there is a slight divergence from the band line. I didn’t want a wider plank at the counter, so this is ok, and I will adjust the position when I re do the second band.

1171(2)
The run of the planks to the stern counter.

1169

1149

1177(2)

1178

1167(2)
 
Onto Band two and a repeat exercise.
 
B.E.
11/11/21
 
 

Thank you Gregory, not entirely altruistic, I also do it  as an aide memoir to prop up  my own failing memory.
... and cheers guys for your continued interest and 'likes'
 
Post Thirty-five
 
Second planking – It's all about preparation.
Tick strips have been applied to each bulkhead along the first belt, matching both sides of the hull.

1116
The eight plank divisions have been marked on the strips and transferred to the hull.

1109(2)
These do provide a useful guide to see how the plank runs go, but inevitably (for me) there will have to be some tweaking as I go along. Errors in pencil line positions, slight variations in plank widths all conspire to throw things off.
 
I start by sorting the planking strips; on first selection 18 strips were put aside by reason of colour and/or marks on the strip.
This doesn’t mean all the strip is unusable and sections may come in later.
 
The remaining strips are then checked for consistency of width and thickness.

1121(2)
Of the remainder (32) strips were sub 4mm and (20) plus 4mm.
I then looked at the thickness, I am more concerned with consistent thickness than width.
The stated thickness of 0.8mm was met with all planks being between 0.01- 0.07 over size, mostly +0.05.
This is fine, and sanding will take care of the minor differences.
 
I am also looking at using scale planks.

Sphinx Expansion Plan.
The sharp eyed will see that a drop plank is shown directly below the wale, and that the six strakes below the wale are also formed top and butt.
The other thing to note is that on this plan the  bulwarks on the Quarterdeck and Foc’sle have been pierced for the addition of twelve pounder carronades fitted in 1794.
 
Not sure my skill set will run to replicating the top and butt combined with a drop plank, or whether it is worth the effort for something that won’t be that obvious at 1:64 scale. I’ll think on it a while.

1110(2)
I printed out an enlarged image of the expansion, each half on an A4 sheet.
I need to refresh my memory of working out scale plank sizes, butt positions, and shifts on a hull, but this will be my guide.
 
Time to fit the first plank, which will in practice be covered by the wale pattern.
 
B.E.
08/11/21
 
 

Post Thirty-four
 
Planking (Part two)- The real thing.
From this point onwards it’s back to traditional planking using 0.8mm  x 4mm Pearwood strip.
In addition to the provided planking strip I purchased various  widths of 0.8mm planking strip to assist with  spiling and varying width strakes as they run from  bow to stern.
Before I start, the hull has to be marked with the bulkheads and has to be lined off for the planking.
On my hull there are 25 strakes of 4mm widths mid ships, with negligible variation on the two bulkheads forward of this.

1069
I decided to line off the hull into three  bands; two of 8 strakes and the lowest one of nine strakes including the Garboard.
I am using narrow 3mm Tamiya tape to separate the sections.

1073
I find this aspect quite difficult as it’s down to eye to adjudge  the run of the line, and decide  when it’s as good as it gets.

1071(2)

1105

1102
The width of the bands at the bow are the same for bands one and two altho’ the  photos appear to show Band two at the bow to be narrower.

1103

1074

1084

1086(2)

1096

1088

1099
At the stern there is the greatest variation in band widths.
Band one matches the mid ships,(33mm) Band two is narrower,(25mm) and band three down to the keel  is the widest (43mm).
 
So I stare at the model with Chuck’s words from his tutorial in my head.
It won’t look right initially…tweak them at each bulkhead Slowly adjust the tape at each bulkhead until it looks good based on your contemporary model observations. Take your time with this. When one side is done, take measurements and replicate on the other side.
 
To begin I will sort the planks for colour and sameness, and I will add the first strake which should take me down to the point where the lower edge of the Wale sits.
 
Below this the planking will be on full view.
 
B.E.
07/11/21

Post Thirty-three
 
Completing Keel, Knee of the Head, and sternposts
As is common with Vanguard kits, cover pieces of Pearwood or outer patterns as they are described are used to provide a pristine finish to these parts which are of themselves Pearwood.
 
 This is a great improvement on having mdf or ply versions which are difficult to match to the finishing timbers.
I well remember the time I spent in getting the mdf Prow on Pegasus to match the Boxwood planking.
1059
The ‘Prow’ piece is also nicely engraved with the various sections that would otherwise make up the knee of the Head.
Before I fitted these pieces I fined down the first layer planking a little in places to provide  a slightly better rabbet for the second planking running into the bow.
It really helps to have a rabbet to get a nice clean and tight look to the bow timbers, and also helps with the fitting.

1041
The most prominent feature is the Prow piece and it fitted spot on, I was careful not to get any glue stains on the surface.

1045
Following on from the Prow the keel and sternpost pieces slot into place without issue.

1042
Finally there is the lower counter upper pattern to fit followed by two further strakes of pre spiled planking.

1058
I used ca gel for these two planks, but I did keep a pot of acetone on hand in case of marks.
I really dislike ca and will probably only use it to secure the first few inches of the planks at the bow.

1050
One slightly worrying thing, out of curiosity I tried fitting the  rudder in place. It looks like it won’t fit without enlarging the rudder port in the lower counter.
Probably down to something I’ve done, but it’s not a big issue to adjust.
 
With these fitted, it’s onto the wonderful world of hull planking and all it entails.
 
B.E.
04/11/21

Thanks Dafi, that is great research on something that is easily missed or misinterpreted, once you see it, you can't unsee it!  The cross (St George's) in the center in the center is something I've always struggled with conceptually when describing a 'compass rose'.  Even though the star itself would only only be worn by the very few members of the order, it is one of those things that is more widely used and seems entirely consistent with your analysis.  Below for example is a picture of a uniform rank star (commonly referred to as a "pip") used by officers of the 'Blues and Royals' in the British Army....not exactly naval I know, but supports the point...and interestingly regiments use their own, different, style of star.
 

Shrouds
I rigged the lower shrouds a fortnight ago, and after a weekend in Whitby, and the excellent museum there, have just about rigged the futtock shrouds as well.  
 
As guided by the minimal insturctions I made small wire spacers to set the upper deadeyes a reasonably constant distance from the lower.  As the photos show I also put some pins in to stop the deadeyes from rotating

 

 
Seizing ropes is much easier off the ship than on so I made up pairs of shrouds like this with a single loop to go over the mast and one for each deadeye.  I then fitted the top loop over the mast and pulled the seizing tight.  The two lower loops then went over the deadeyes and I pulled the shrouds and seizing tight - easy to say, harder to do.  Not too tight, though, and reasonably uniform for all the shrouds on a given mast.

 
It was slow going at first but over time repetition made it easier:

 

 
I found that in order to get any tension I had to anchor the knots with CA rather than PVA, though I then top-coated with the latter (diluted) to give a smooth overall appearance. Tying off the shrouds at their lower end with clove hitches was virtually impossible with the very springy 0.25 mm black thread, until I discovered that soaking it and the shrouds in diluted PVA reduced the springiness.  It's all a learning curve.

Thanks Dafi, that is great research on something that is easily missed or misinterpreted, once you see it, you can't unsee it!  The cross (St George's) in the center in the center is something I've always struggled with conceptually when describing a 'compass rose'.  Even though the star itself would only only be worn by the very few members of the order, it is one of those things that is more widely used and seems entirely consistent with your analysis.  Below for example is a picture of a uniform rank star (commonly referred to as a "pip") used by officers of the 'Blues and Royals' in the British Army....not exactly naval I know, but supports the point...and interestingly regiments use their own, different, style of star.
 

Thanks Dafi, that is great research on something that is easily missed or misinterpreted, once you see it, you can't unsee it!  The cross (St George's) in the center in the center is something I've always struggled with conceptually when describing a 'compass rose'.  Even though the star itself would only only be worn by the very few members of the order, it is one of those things that is more widely used and seems entirely consistent with your analysis.  Below for example is a picture of a uniform rank star (commonly referred to as a "pip") used by officers of the 'Blues and Royals' in the British Army....not exactly naval I know, but supports the point...and interestingly regiments use their own, different, style of star.