Beef Wellington

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

I've had a go at building the first of the 4 forward rising frames.  This is frame number one and it needs to be spot on as all of the hawse timbers are attached to it later.  I think if I get this one wrong it will have a lot of knock on consequences later in the build.  Just out of interest what do you all think is a good wood to make tree nails from to complement Castello?  Bear in mind that I will need to source it in the UK and I quite like the subtle look.  I do have quite a good stock of pear and mahogany but I would very much appreciate any advice.
 
I used a photocopy of the plans to workout and check the angle where the frame meets the rising wood.  There's also a lot of material to remove too to get the bevel.  I must also thank Barkeater as he helped me to understand the drawings of the rising frames as I just couldn't see them until he explained - cheers mate!
 
 

Next was to make a small piece of the rising wood so that I can glue the floor timber and the cross chock together. I would love to be able to say that my first frames went together with no issues - but no!  I had sanded them far too much and had to make them again.  Its not a problem I'm in no rush. 

I wasn't sure whether to put a build log on here as this is my first POF build and I'm not sure how it will go.  I keep on asking random questions about issues that I've had, and to me it would be better to put them all in one place.  So I've taken the plunge and I'll give it a go.
 
I'm building Le Rochefort using the Ancre Monogragh which in itself is a lovely piece of work.  I'm also using the book by Adrian Sorolla called Model Shipbuilding Dockyard Style.
 
So why Le Rochefort and also at 1/24th scale?  I chose this ship after having communicated with a few people on this forum as to what a good first ship would be.  I didn't want to start something that I would loose interest in due to my lack of skills and experience.  I only ever build one ship at a time and my last two boats have been POB builds at about the same size as the 1/24th scale version.  So building in this size will feel familiar to me and let's be honest we all like a big ship!
 
Time is one of my biggest issues as I'm a truck driver and my job takes me away from home all week, so I only get to work on it at the weekend which also has to fit in family time.  So thats an introduction of me and why I'm building this lovely ship so I believe its the right thing to put a bit of history on here too.
 
Le Rochefort 1787
 
This is the third ship of this name and was built in Rochefort France in 1787 on the plans of Hubert Penevert.  It was classed as a yacht and was designed to navigate the shallow waters of the Charente.  Its job was to carry powder from the safe port of Rochefort to the larger fighting ships that could not sail the Charente and as such had to wait in deeper water in the estuary.  Its design was very detailed such as specific instructions on how the hold must be fully planked and caulked and a floor above the keelson.  This details were all about keeping the powder dry.  One funny reference is to the ships kitchen and how it says that it may not be used with powder on board.
 
So I hope all of the above makes sense as I'm certain that I will need to ask many questions.  The good news is my kit has arrived in the form of Castello planks
 
Mark

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Thanks for the likes.
 
A short update.
 
The gap under the outboard end of the tafferal will be filled with a quarter piece, which will extend down to the wale. It’s a complex shape as it has to blend with the counter, be shaped to suit the PE decoration which will adorn it and taper to nothing at the wale. The photo shows the two quarter pieces after shaping. Each is about 25mm long and is laminated simply because I didn’t have a suitably sized piece of wood - they are to be painted.
 

 
Two photos showing the piece in place.
 

 

 
I didn’t like the rather ugly box (on the left in the photo) that was provided as the cover over the rudder head, so I made a new, smaller, octagonal one.
 

 
In doing so, I freed up enough room between the rudder head and the transom to install an ensign staff, following the description in TFFM. The staff apparently has two small sheaves in the cap, so I’ve assumed two halliards would be present and I’ve added two cleats on the transom for them. I also made a new tiller and attached two small rings at its end with a simulated iron band.
 

 
Cheers

Thanks for the likes.
 
A simpler binnacle than the one provided in the kit was made following advice from Blue Ensign and Greg Herbert - thanks guys.The photo shows it roughly in place on the deck.It will be finally fixed quite a bit later.
 

 
The capping rail is made up of four laser-cut pieces that go on the fore and quarter decks, and in the waist, the instructions say to use 1.5mm thick strip here. When I offered up a section, it seemed to me to be too thick, so 1mm strip was used instead. Slots in the bulwarks for the catheads were cut before the capping rail was glued in place.
 

 

 

 
The inboard end of the kit supplied catheads are at the  wrong angle to allow them to fit under the capping rail and sit flush on the deck. While sanding a more correct angle, I broke one of the catheads and so had to make two new ones. Holes were drilled in the outboard ends to simulate the sheaves that would be there - the instructions do not mention these, nor do they mention cutting the slot first. It would certainly be tricky to cut the slots after the capping rail was in place, which is what the instructions say. The photo shows the kit supplied cathead on the left and the new one on the right.
 

 
The catheads loosely in position, they will be removed for now and fastened sometime later.
 

 
I have made a start on the fascia and tafferal at the stern. I prebent the tafferal then glued the fascia to it. I then added the windows to the tafferal. To ensure the PE window frames finished up flush with the outside of the tafferal, a piece of strip wood was held in position as shown in the photo.
 

 
The frames were then inserted from the rear and gently pushed home against the strip. A thin bead of epoxy was run along the edges of the frames to hold them in place. As I did with the quarter lights, gloss pale blue paper was used to represent glazing of the windows. These were individually cut and a small amount of PVA used to glue them in place. 
 

 

 
The next job will be to do something about the very obvious gap under the lower, outboard ends of the tafferal.
 
Cheers
 
 

Hi, and thanks 🙂 Allan, I am looking at the drawings, and I was wondering if there were any gratings in the lower and upper decks, I only see them shown in the forecastle deck, it's correct?

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Just for Rob (and others if interested )
 
I have made a start on the spider bands for the three masts.  I experimented with several methods but settled on using my tried and trusted soldering a brass tube into a brass washer as the starting point.  Fiinding a brass tube that is of the correct diameter is the hardest as the OD can be thinned if need be, or the hole in the washer can be reamed out a touch. 
 
Below are two shots of my progress.  The one to the right (as viewing it) was my test piece where I used a mild steel washer to work out how to set-up the mill to allow me to drill the 0.8mm holes equally spaced (for the belaying pins.  The specification is silent on the type or material used for the spiderbands - the belaying pins were specified to be brass.  I am going to leave them brass but equally, they could have been painted white.  I will part the inner part on the lathe to the same height as the test piece once I finish polishing it.
 
Points to anyone who can spot the error in the test piece.
 
cheers
 
Pat

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Here is a picture of all the parts going into the building of the windlass: 
 

 
The Deck #B, covered with fine planks of basswood and stained to show the outrages of the North sea: 
 

 
The main 4 inches gun will be part of Deck #C and is not described in this section. The platform has just been assembled to see how things fit together.
 
Below is a picture of the Snowberry after her refit: 
 

 
And here is the model. I have tried to depict all the major components, visible on the deck. 
 

 
The large ring at the bow is a piece of brass tube (not provided in the kit)
The cleat are from the kit but have been closed with small strips of styrene, to reflect the real cleats.
The two round vents are not provided in the kit and are tack pins, inserted in the deck.
The central mushroom vent is not bent...sorry.
I am also missing the two tall and thin tubes located ahead of the gun platform. Not sure what they are....
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
The stanchions are 20 mm high, two holes and are provided by Calder Craft. They are inserted with a #60 hole and CA glue to secure them. The railing is done with Bead Stringing wire which is very realistic of a steel meshed wire used on the bow of these ships. Its diameter is 0.46 mm allowing it to pass easily into the 0.7 mm holes.
 

 
That concludes the Module #1 (bow). I will be presenting another module in a few days.
 
Yves
 
 
 
 
 
 

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

Thanks for all the likes and encouragement.
 
I thought it might be helpful to some if I described in a little more detail how I'd planned out the bands along the top of the plating, when the plates are all laid from the keel up. It presents an interesting challenge, because the shaped tiles must be laid first, then the bands along the top which overlap them. All must be done leaving enough space for the top plates to overlay the lower, and leaving a smooth waterline, and without too much distance between the plating below the bands, and the waterline so that messy gaps are left.  In addition, one can't simply leave full tiles underneath the top bands as they have raised rivet detail which will raise them unevenly. Hence they must be trimmed. I wondered whether I might hammer down the detail, but I was unconvinced that I'd manage to do that on the rivets in question without completely destroying the visible area of the tiles.
 
Here's how I managed it. I measured the width of the bands at the top, and marked that width down from the waterline minus two millimetres. That gave me the line I wanted the plating to finish at below the bands. Once the lower plates reached that line they are now being cut to follow that line. The lower band can then be started overlapping those plates slightly, and leaving 6mm for the upper band.
 
Hopefully that makes sense. At each sense, I'm making sure I'm measuring again carefully and checking as I go. I'm using 6mm masking tape to keep a nice neat space for the top band (which are the tiles with rivets on the top AND bottom) to finish off. This should, hopefully result in a nice neat line. The waterline painted will be the guide for this.
 
Here are the results so far...
 
The first photo shows the lower plating cut to the pencil mark (which shows the bottom extent of the two bands, minus the overlap). The first two plates  of the lower of the two top bands have been added, with the yellow masking tape giving a guide to make sure sufficient room is left for the top of the two top bands. 
 

 
The second photo is the same work but from the stern to show the sweep as it goes forward.
 

 
And a couple of angles of progress so far.
 

 

 
These plates are quite simply cut where necessary with little scissors, so with a little care the job is proving relatively straightforward. I've also realised that the photo etch tags can be easily cut with a scalpel to remove them from the main sheet without any bending. So that's now my preferred method of doing that. Once done, they are then trimmed and separated with tiny sewing scissors.
 
Happy building!
 
Rob

Time to clear away the cobwebs and dust from this buildlog and play a little catch-up.  Have been grabbing a few moments here and there to on some items that aren't really that interesting, and especially mulling over the approach to take on a few things.  The quarterdeck and forecastle decks are in place, this is a very large piece so these were cut into more manageable sections which works better for me, otherwise I find that the PVA glue has set too much by the time all surfaces have been glued up.  Cutting sections at points where there is support from the beam underneath makes this a much more manageable exercise and allows the sheer of the deck to be maintained.  Once installed, glue was forced into the gap at the edges of the deck to prevent any future flexing, and then filled and faired to get as smooth a run as possible.  The stern fascia has also been finished with some interior planking and a preliminary coat of paint, a margin deck plank installed and the rear gun ports finished.  The strips on the stern fascia were shaped by steaming longitudinally first, otherwise the two compound curves would make this very challenging.

One feature that I've been obsessing over is the quarterdeck skylight.  The kit provides a structure that reminds me a lot of a small greenhouse enclosure, and this is a feature that I found hard to find many suitable examples of on contemporary frigate models.  The various Artois models show both an exaggerated grating or the 'greenhouse'.  Somehow I mislaid some of the pieces so scratching something myself was always going to be a requirement.
 
Like many features, this seems to be a transitionary period, moving from the skylight being an addition to a existing companionway (e.g. clerestory style top that is wider than long - the example BE put on his Pegasus being excellent example), to more modern structures that are longer than wide and form the more typical shape.  Interestingly, some slightly later plans (e.g. the very slightly later Leda class) show this feature on the plans suggesting it being a more permanent or standardized feature, but none of the Artois plans show anything beyond a small coaming.  In the end, I decided to take some inspiration from HMS Trincomalee, and build a structure that has side lights similar to the cleristory top, but with solid wood roof.  In the main, the was driven by the fact that glass at this time period was still realistically only available in smaller panes, and that a solid top just seems a little more utilitarian and cost effective.  Once that decision was made, I needed to figure out how to execute...
 
Firstly, a very simple jig was made up with blocks the size of the needed glass panes, this would allow the narrow strip to be secured while being glued to what will be the lower part of the structure. The method of assembly required that at each end, a wider 2mm piece is needed to simulate what will be the corner structure.  Once dried, the supports can be cut back to th e necessary height before removing from the jig.

The upper structure can then be attached out of the jig either a strip for the side wall or a shaped 'end'.  The end of the left and rigt supports are approx 1mm wide so that when joined with the sides the corner support will be of consistent dimension.

When fully glued, the structure is stronger than I expected, but still clearly very delicate.  The end pieces were cut back as close as possible flush to the last support with a knife, but the last effort had to be with a sanding stick.  Clamping the structure between some ply offcuts allowed the ends to be carefully sanded relatively safely.  The structure could then be assembled, lego blocks were used to keep everything as square as possible.

Once fully cured, a rectangular section was inserted to introduce some additional strength (forgot to take a photo) before the side were carefully sanded back flush.  A profile was introduced into some 1x1mm strip for the upper molding which was attached prior to installing the sloping roof pieces.  Not finished yet, but this is sufficient to allow for some planning of the deck planking.

And finally, the various coamings and capstan partners have been made up to give a sense for the layout.  These items will be attached to the subdeck so deck planking will butt up against them as was actual practice which I suspect will prove to be a little challenging, but more to come on that hopefully.  One compromise that I saw as being unavoidable is that the 3 hatchways directly aft of the capstan should taper slightly.  In practice I believe that the battens in the gratings themselves would taper as well, but that is just not an option. Given that it would look very odd to my eye to taper the coamings but not the gratings, the decision was made to not taper.  Don't think this will be noticeable, and a compromise I can happily accept.

Finding a little time to update some (small) progress, thanks everyone for the interest, comments and likes.
 
@Eamonn, @Mike - One comment off the bat, certainly would not want to be claiming this approach as my own.  I think we all stand on the shoulders of others, and it was Rob's Ethalion build that inspired me to try this approach...how's it going?  Read on....
 
Before pressing forward with the deck, I had to decide how the companionway cover would sit.  While not being quite sure how much would be visible through the tiny windows, the decision was made to once again install some false beams and carlings for the companion cover to sit on.  This sits quite nicely in place, and is once again put aside for final detailing.

 
Jumping into planking proper, it quickly became clear that initial steps required a bit of fine tuning.  Once the various coaming are glued into position, quite a bit of  care is needed to ensure alignment to the centerline, and also address any potential symmetry issues.  It was necessary to re-attach the rear hatch coaming as it was clear that this was slightly off-center and the misalignment would have been emphasized by the run of the planks.  The only other slight complication was the need to cut custom planks to flank the hatchway, capstan step and rear grate coamings.  Not difficult, just time consuming to ensure a fit and keep the necessary curvature for the run of the planks.
 
Overall, pretty happy with how this is turning out.  The only other thing to comment on is that the decision was made to plank the top-tackle and pump scuttles which seems more consistent with the original plans, rather than the raised gratings suggested by the kit. 
 
Note - The planking lines drawn onto the subdeck are not 100% accurate, and they're there just to help plan the butt-shift and get a better sense for the how the alignment will eventually run into the waterway.  There's also a little bit of pencil lead smudging from the caulking which always seems unavoidable and hasn't been cleaned up yet...

 

What a brilliant idea Jason .. I shall have to investigate this method when the time comes to deck 'Shery' !  (BTW Ballier isn't quiet finished just yet, just a teeny bit to do but I have been turfed out of my build room as it has become a temporary bedroom whilst a family member awaits their delayed move to Holland 🙄 😃)
 
Looking forward to your next installment.
 
Cheers Mate
 
Eamonn

Ah... it does.  Delightfully, it's the inverse of your jig for shaping your hatch-comings on Snake.
 
I'm currently sitting in a Zoom meeting, which gives me enough time to go full-engineer on planning out my next stage of my Snake, so if it goes to plan, I'll post calculations, sketches, workflow and final result.  Fingers crossed.  
 
I must say that your advice philosophy of "thinking ahead and not sweating the small stuff 🙂", is just what I strive for.  The paradox is that thinking ahead is all about sweating the apparently small stuff!

That’s lovely work Jason

I have scroll back and drooling again!
I was almost forget how great this is!
Just love it.
 
Sjors