Mayflower by Tigersteve - Model Shipways

[Tigersteve]

Quick update on the completed door handles. After drilling the holes deeper I was able to place the eyebolts through before bending and using marker to blacken them. The paint I have wouldn’t adhere. I am not completely happy with this result but it is tidy enough for this scale and I believe it will blend in when other details are added.

 

The main hatches and upper deck planking is next. 
Steve  

[Knocklouder]

Man you can make it look so good . And so straight. Mine has straight lines to glue to but by the time I quit shaking they're not so mmm straight,   lol           Great work        

[Tigersteve]

Gratings for the upper deck were completed using 3/16” cherry grating strips from Model Expo. The coamings were created first using a jig I created from previous projects.
 

The quality of the grating strips were good. It was a tedious and frustrating process. The center gratings are slightly askew. This being my second assembly of this portion, I opted to not redo them. They will be obscured by the ships boat anyway. 
Steve

[Tigersteve]

Upper deck planking is complete with the exception of a final sanding and second coat of Poly. Planks were staggered as per the shift pattern in the instructions. I tried to capture the color of the wood as best I could in the photos. I think the Cherry is a nice fit for this project. 
 

I need to make some tweaks to the bulkheads before they are glued in place. 
Steve

[Chuck]

Nice progress…

[Tigersteve]

Thank you for the positive comments and likes everyone. Much appreciated. 
Steve

[Tigersteve]

Bulkheads and transom are installed. Next up: metal rings on the decks and mast holes. 
Steve

Edited March 13, 2023 by Tigersteve

[Tigersteve]

It’s been a day so why not undo some of this work. Uggh! I haven’t been pleased with the handles for these doors so I decided to add some black paint with a toothpick. This did not improve the appearance so after some fidgeting I had to remove some parts. 
 

While I was at it I removed a wonky part of the main deck. The tools used for deconstruction were the exacto knife to open the groove and steel ruler to pry the pieces carefully. Patience is key. 
 

I’m considering redoing the gratings but I would need to purchase more gratings and I’ve spent enough $ on the wood for this project already. I think they will be fine under the ships boat. This is still up in the air. What do you guys think?

Steve

[Stuntflyer]

Only you can make that decision, Steve. Do-overs are common in this hobby. Believe me, I know!

 

Mike

Edited March 15, 2023 by Stuntflyer

[Knocklouder]

They look good from here, but like what Mike saying  if it's going to haunt   you for ever change it, but it's under the boat, so you won't see much. Ps modelers don't take short cuts lol.   

[James G]

I agree with the others. If it’s going to gnaw at you I’d redo. There’s always imperfections but it’s hard to live with the ones that glare at you. Thus far it’s a beautiful build!

[Tigersteve]

Thank you for the redirection. Absolutely spot on advice. It is a hard band-aide to rip off. 

Steve

[Tigersteve]

The last deconstruction is the poop bulkhead. The window opening is not as sharp as I would like. Of course, I did not notice until the macro photos. My eye keeps going back to this error so this bulkhead will be recut from excess of the laser cut sheet and redone completely. 
 

Next I will replank the opening in the deck and prep the coamings interior with 1/32” x 1/32” strips. Deck planking is 1/32” x 1/8”, of course. 
Steve

 

[Tigersteve]

Recovery began with repairing the Forward Cubbridge bulkhead and replacing the deck planks that were removed during deconstruction.

 

I had a new poop bulkhead complete by reusing the door and some of the planking from the original bulkhead, but by the time this was complete I noticed the door was mounted askew. (Now I will really have to redo it completely.) At this point I felt like destroying the model so I walked away. 
Steve

[Stuntflyer]

Steve, you have done a great job on her so far. This is no time to walk away over one little section of the ship. Slow down, concentrate and get it right. You’ll be glad you did.

[Tigersteve]

Thanks Mike. Don’t worry, I’m not abandoning the project. 
Steve

[Tigersteve]

Back on track with the planking of this bulkhead completed. More cherry grating strips were ordered from Model Expo. I considered cutting them from scratch, but did not really want to get into this exploration on my table saw just yet. 
 

Up next: create new windows for this bulkhead and bulwarks. Then, I will detail this bulkhead before install and final shaping. Gratings will be completed before metal rings and eyebolts are added. 
 

Anyone use this stuff to blacken brass? Birchwood Casey Brass Black Metal Finish, 3-Ounce https://a.co/d/fJ63x1v
Steve

[Knocklouder]

I found this stuff works good way cheaper

[hamilton]

Looking good, Steve 

 

I have used Blacken-it, as Knocklouder recommends, but can I ask you, Knocklouder, can you get that in Manitoba? My local hobby store owner here in Vancouver said that it was no longer available for import to Canada - were they just blowing smoke?....clearly you have a line....I like this product way more than what I'm using now, and would love to get my hands on some....

hamilton

[Tigersteve]

Going to go with one of these as they are available on Amazon. Anyone have experience with either of those? They look pretty similar. 
Steve

[ccoyle]

I have used Birchwood Casey's cold bluing agent with excellent results, so I would expect their blackening agent to perform similarly.

[bobandlucy]

Steve, great build!

 

I have used the B/C Brass Black. Works great, pieces should be very clean. I use acetone and a pickling solution.

 

Bob

[Tigersteve]

Thank you both. I ordered the B/C Brass Black. Below are photos of the poop deck installed. I started rebuilding the coamings. Ledges will be created next using 1/32” x1/32” strips. 
Steve

[Tigersteve]

Working on bulwarks as I wait for more grating strips. 
Steve

[Tigersteve]

Completed gratings on the third attempt. I ended up orienting them so the top of the battens run port to starboard instead of bow to stern. (Hope that makes sense. It’s hard to explain.) I am shocked the transom is still attached after all the deconstruction. 
 

I deleted the redundant posts on this update as well. How many photos of this grating debacle do we need?

Steve

Edited May 3, 2023 by Tigersteve

[Tigersteve]

A small update, but one worth posting for me. Back on track with the Mayflower build. It is full speed ahead as I work on the interior planking of the bulkhead templates and redo the metal work for the door handles. The first planks on the templates are basswood, as they will not be seen on the model. The remaining planks will be cherry. 
 

I had a small surgery in the last few months, but mainly I have been procrastinating on this metalwork. It’s good to be back. I ordered a cheap optivisor and some thin CA glue. Hopefully it will be easier to work with than the medium CA that I have. 
Steve

[Knocklouder]

Nice work, good to see you back. I bought some of those  long plastic tips for CA, I found then very helpful ,just the right amount, not a blob like before. 

Anyway  glad to follow along 

Bob  M.

[Tigersteve]

Making slow but steady progress on the bulkhead templates. 
Steve