HMS Terror by HakeZou - OcCre - 1:75

[HakeZou]

When I started building model ships, I was mostly interested in building French ships. But when OcCre released their Endurance kit, I jumped at the opportunity. Researching and working on the Endurance, got me thinking about building a collection of ships of exploration (I'm just not all that interested in warships). So, after browsing around and considering my options, I thought the HMS Terror looked like an interesting next project for me. And thus, I've joined the Terror Club here on MSW!

 

When I started the project, a few months ago, I didn't know anything about the Terror beyond the blurb on OcCre's website. But browsing through the other buildlogs and through Matthew Betts's outstanding blog, really got me hooked. I've already watched AMC's series The Terror. I'm reading Paul Watson's Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition (I highly recommend this piece of popular historical work for anybody reading this who hasn't read it yet). And I have devoured all of the documentaries and other videos that I can find about the Franklin expedition, especially the coverage of the discovery of the ships a few years ago. I got obsessed with the Endurance as a teenager, but now my interest in the Terror is rivaling that.

 

I approach each project by thinking about particular skills I want to develop. In this case, continuing on my experiences with the Martegaou, I'm very focused on the hull. The rigging is, by far, more complex than anything I've done, so I'm looking forward to that challenge somewhere down the road. This will also be my first experience with plating a hull, so that promises to be a bit of an adventure.

 

But enough introduction, time for the photos! I've been working on this ship since May, holding off on starting my buildlog since I knew I was going to build the first layer of the hull at a very slow and deliberate pace. The kit started off in the usual way, by adding the frames to the spine. I didn't include a photo of it here, but I use 1" square braces to align each frame while the glue dries. As with the Endurance, the pieces here are cut really well and fit perfectly without sanding.

Next up was the deck. All of my previous decks have just had planks running the length of the deck. The pattern for the Terror added a fun new wrinkle to that. I'm generally pleased with how that turned out. The lines marking the ends of the center planks are a departure from OcCre's designs; they approximate what Betts found in his research and did on his model. 

Then, on to the bulwarks. I used a plank bending iron, which made fairly quick work of shaping the plywood pieces. As an upgrade, I chose to line the bulwarks with sapele strips, rather than staining the plywood. In hindsight, I probably should have waited until I had finished the first layer of the hull, but my thought process at the time was focused on cutting and filing out all of the ports.

On close inspection, I'm concerned about the cable holes that will be on either side of the bowsprit. I think OcCre misplaced the slots for the forward tabs on the deck, positioning them about 1.5mm too low and causing these holes to eventually be buried by the channels that edge the deck. I'm not entirely sure yet how I'll address that problem, but I have plenty of time to work out a solution. (Sorry that I didn't vacuum up the sawdust before taking the photo!)

After fairing the frames, it was on to the first layer of the hull. As has been noted elsewhere, OcCre's approach to lining the hull is a simplified approach that involves laying as many straight planks as possible, then filling in the gaps with wedges. However, I wanted to try running strakes that were much more consistent in shape. I measured each frame, found that I would need 23 strakes, and then divided the length of each frame by 23. I don't have digital calipers, so there was a bit of fudging the measurements. But while watching one of the video updates on the rebuild of the Tally Ho, I was struck when Richard discussed using measuring sticks. I realized that this strategy would help me achieve a higher degree of consistency across all of the planks. So, I made one for each side.

 

These photos document my process. The measuring stick is on top, with lines marking the forward edge of each frame. There's a bit of extra length on both ends, so the first pencil line on the right is actually the forwardmost frame. First, I aligned each new plank alongside the measuring stick, so I could copy over the vertical lines for the frames. Then, I aligned the measuring stick on top of the new plank, so I could trace the shape. The result looked like photo #2. After this, I sanded the plank down to shape it, checking it on the hull to confirm where any beveling might be needed. After soaking the plank, I used the plank bending iron to do the final shaping. While the glue dried, I clamped the plank in place with a combination of binder clips and rubber bands (and eventually thumbtacks when there wasn't enough room for the clips anymore). 

The notepad in this photo has my chart of measurements. The plank underneath the ship is the measuring stick for the portside, tucked out of the way while the glue dries.

I need to keep practicing with this planking strategy, but I'm generally happy with how it turned out, especially since I had to fudge my measurements a bit. Based on my measurements, I expected to need 23 strakes per side, and I ended up with 22—only one of which doesn't run end-to-end. There are a couple gaps that will need wood filler (especially one sizable gap on the starboard side), but they are generally lying well against each other.

 

This week, I installed the whiskey plank and the forward blocks (per OcCre's instructions, there are four plywood pieces used on either side of the stempost to create the bluff bow). Then it was time to sand and fair the hull. I've made a lot of progress on that, though I'm not done yet. However, it is satisfying to hold something that actually looks and feels like a ship!

Next steps: finish sanding and fairing the first layer of the hull; prepare the rabbet line in the stempost, sternpost, and keel.

[clearway]

welcome to the Terror club Hakezou .There is a fascinating video on u tube with an interview with matthew betts which was filmed a few months ago (cant wait till the hard copy of his book is available, had it on pre order for several months now)!

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

7 hours ago, clearway said:

welcome to the Terror club Hakezou .There is a fascinating video on u tube with an interview with matthew betts which was filmed a few months ago (cant wait till the hard copy of his book is available, had it on pre order for several months now)!

 

Keith

Thanks, Keith! I'm assuming that this is the video to which you referred? At the very least, this was a very interesting hour to spend with Betts!

[clearway]

yes that is the one😁.

 

keith

[HakeZou]

I've managed to get in a fair amount of work on the Terror this week. I installed the stempost, keel, and sternpost earlier than OcCre calls for, so that I could use a rabbet line while installing the second layer of the hull. That rabbet line was massively helpful, which has allowed me to make fairly quick work of the hull. As of this morning, I've installed all of the second layer planks on the stern and on the starboard side of the hull! Plenty of sanding left to do, but I'm mostly pleased with how things look...though I'm also glad that there will be paint to cover up some of the imperfections (especially on the transom). 

After looking at that last photo, I noticed that the keel got a bit wonky at the stern...I'll have to take a look at that when I head back down to the basement.

 

Next step: install the second layer of the hull on the port side.

[HakeZou]

Another week of steady progress and I've finished the second layer of the hull! Everything generally went pretty smoothly with this. It was very helpful to have cut a rabbet line into the keel and stempost, since that helped keep everything firmly in position while I was fitting, marking, and then installing the shaped planks. The planks on the two sides are not perfectly symmetrical, but the metal plates will cover up the most noticeable issues there. The sapele planks in this kit are not as high of quality as I've worked with in other kits (including OcCre's Endurance), so I went over everything with a thin coat of pore-filling varnish. I'll sand that off before installing the ice bumpers.

Knowing that I'm nearing the stage at which it will be helpful to have my stand ready to go, I also came to a decision on that. Eventually, I'll install this on  a base, but for now, I've dressed up the plywood stand pieces that come in the kit by lining them with sapele and adding strips of felt where the hull will rest.

Next steps: sand off the pore-filling varnish, then start work on the ice bumpers.

 

[allanyed]

It is great to see someone like yourself wanting to delve deeply into the history of the vessel and do a lot of research!   One of the great things about selecting this particular vessel, is that you have the 10 very detailed contemporary plans available at RMG from when she was converted to a research vessel so you can make sure the kit got it right or fix things if they got something wrong.   Have you found many/any differences between the contemporary plans at RMG and the kit version of Terror?  

Allan

 

 

Edited August 1, 2022 by allanyed

[DanielD]

Great work on your Terror so far!

[HakeZou]

Thanks, @DanielD!

 

@allanyed, my apologies for the radio silence. Between a much-needed vacation and a very intense start to a new semester, I've been away from the Terror and MSW. But to your question! To be honest, my research has mostly been focusing on learning the story of Franklin's expedition and less on the details of the ship itself. For that, I've been relying heavily on the work of Matthew Betts and @clearway, who've both done so much of that research so well. As I finish up the hull, though, I need to start digging into more of that work in preparation for the work on the deck, where I'm anticipating that OcCre has made more compromises. I know that the davits in the OcCre kit are a pretty significant simplification and I'm going to try to do those more like in the midship section plan preserved at the museum in Greenwich. 

 

And a quick progress update: I've started building up the ice bumpers. These are made of 5x2mm planks; 5 layers in the top tier, 4 in the middle, and 3 at the bottom. At this point, I have installed 2 layers on the starboard side and 1 on the port side. Hoping to get back work on these later this week.

[clearway]

Welcome back fellow terrorite😉Hopefully we will have the ice bridge Azimuth compass scenario sorted by the time you get there! As regards Occre throw the plans out once the ice bumper and stern gallery is done! Between us Keith S and myself have all the info you need along with Matthew Betts book and blog on here (under E&T - finished) in scratch built build logs....... oh god sanding the ice bumpers - was like some sort of prison style punishment!

 

Keith

[Keith S]

Your attempt to shape the hull strakes to achieve a more realistic planking scheme is commendable. I did the same thing and also found that the wood for the second layer made it a tough job due to its coarse grain and brittle texture. If I were to do it all again (I won't) I would discard the wood for the second layer, and buy some nicer, thicker material, like   Clearway (other Keith) did on his. I am happy I did it because it was a useful exercise, but we are the only guys to be able to take satisfaction from the nice tapered planks, because the good part gets covered with metal armour!

 

It's a good thing you've set your own course, rather than following the instructions. Once your chocks are done, and the propeller well and its associated iron bands (which are quite well done in the kit at least), that's about all you're going to get from the kit. You can use the deadeyes, of course, and the metal for the armour is "OK", but everything else is unsuitable if you want a realistic model. The belaying pins are too big, the fife-rail patterns are incorrect, the skylights are coarse, the wheel doesn't have enough spokes, the masts are too skinny, the davits are wrong, et cetera. 

 

If you follow the kit and use all its parts, you will have a model that looks like a Royal Navy bomb-ship from six feet away. If you go the extra mile on details (and it's not too difficult: Keith and I have been sharing our work for almost four years, plus there's THE BOOK now by Dr. Betts) you will have a "Terror" that looks the part from a lens placed at deck-level. 

 

I'm on a bit of a hiatus from model-building at the minute but for what it's worth, here is my build log too. "Clearway" and I have been back-and-forth on our models for years now. It might entertain you to have a look at mine. I haven't started on the rigging of mine yet. 

 

 

 

 

[HakeZou]

Thanks to both of you, Keith(s)! As I started checking in again on MSW, I was surprised to see that I was suddenly about 90 posts behind on reading Keith's (clearway's) log! I'm not sure how much I've set my own course yet. I went into this planning to more-or-less build the kit to the instructions. But as I've read more and learned more, I find myself—once again, just like with my Endurance—wanting to push myself and challenge my current skills.

 

Keith S, thanks for bringing your log back to my attention. I have browsed through it awhile back, but haven't studied it closely yet. I'll let you know if I have any questions!

[clearway]

On 8/24/2022 at 6:44 PM, HakeZou said:

I went into this planning to more-or-less build the kit to the instructions. But as I've read more and learned more, I find myself—once again, just like with my Endurance—wanting to push myself and challenge my current skills.

To be honest Hake you dont have to go as in depth as Keith S and myself to create a better model, even just reorganising the fife rails around the foremast, moving the massey pump supports and replacing the mizzen mast fife rail with a spider band + of course adding the deck houses will bring her into a league of her own. 

 

Whichever way you steer as always just ask us fellow Terrorites😁.

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

Thanks for the encouragement, Keith! I have plenty of time to study and plan, to figure out what I'd like to try to achieve. All I know for sure right now is that there are things that I think I can improve on...I don't know which things or how many of them yet, but I'm grateful for all of the inspiration that's out there now!

 

After a few weeks away from the Terror, I made a point tonight to start getting back on the horse. I installed the second layer of the ice bumpers on the port side, so the ship is balanced again. While the glue is still setting, I have them clamped pretty thoroughly—3 clamps squeezing the three planks vertically (parallel to the hull), and another three holding them down to the hull with some pieces of spare wood. Once everything is dry, I'll sand these down, so that I have an even surface for the third layer. Even though it feels like a baby step, it was nice to be back at my (messy) worktable and making forward progress.

A quick question for the Keiths and other Terrorites: since the ice bumpers aren't a uniform thickness, is it really necessary to install all five layers the whole length of the ship? That seems to me like I'm just setting myself up for a LOT of unnecessary sanding.

[clearway]

2 hours ago, HakeZou said:

A quick question for the Keiths and other Terrorites: since the ice bumpers aren't a uniform thickness, is it really necessary to install all five layers the whole length of the ship? That seems to me like I'm just setting myself up for a LOT of unnecessary sanding.

Ahh ice bumper joy! But yes Hake - i wondered the same thing myself but it is needed (think i was sneezing sawdust for a month after final shaping)!

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

I finally have some progress to report! I've attached all of the 5x2mm planks for the ice bumpers. I did end up installing all of them the full length, so the next step will involve a lot of sanding. I'm generally pleased with how these are looking, though the photo from the bow shows that I'll need to do a little bit of correction while sanding. A plank bending iron made the job go pretty easily. That this took a few weeks was more about how little time I been able to spend at my worktable as I'm adjusting to the rhythms of a new semester in a new position. 

Next step: sanding down the ice bumpers. Even though I'll be painting the ship, I'm thinking about lining the ice bumpers with sapele strips to get the texture of the planking that is shown in the midship half section plan; however, I'll have to see how well the planks will lie on the curved angles near the bow.

[clearway]

Even though i was sanding outside a dust mask is definitely recommended! As regards the bumpers prime, then sand back then repeat- do the same with the paint proper and it will fill any blemishes which would negate having to plank them (also recommend this for the hull when painting- see my hms victory log) you will still see the odd line here and there which shows there is planking though will be more subtle.

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

Keith had warned about the joys of sanding the ice bumpers. This is indeed a process that is going to require patience and a lot of clean-up. Although I spent part of last week traveling in Northern Minnesota (an especially beautiful place at this time of year!), I've put in a few sessions working on sanding the bumpers. The top sides are mostly even. The starboard bumper is mostly even on the outboard side. Next up will be working on the outboard side of the port bumper, then evening up the bottoms. After that, I'll use some wood filler on the gaps (which are all too clear in this photo!) and work on smoothing out all of the surfaces, so they are better than just "mostly" even. I'm still looking at a lot of work and a lot of sawdust before these are finished.

I've struggled a bit to get a handle on the tapering of these bumpers. However, I finally found a very helpful description in Matthew Betts's book. In short: during the 1836 refit, "six large, unglamorous protuberances" were added as ice channels to protect the chain plates. In the 1839 refit, the spaces between these ice channels were connected, "to form a sort of uninterrupted smooth and tapering 'bumper', if you will" (page 90). Betts goes on to describe the materials and design of the bumpers, noting that they extended about 2 feet from the hull. If I'm doing my math right, then I'm envisioning the bumpers as being a consistent .8mm thickness (60cm/75) from the forward end of the foremast chainplates to the after end of the mizzenmast chainplates; then the forward and aft ends should probably taper gracefully to the stempost and the support pieces at the edge of the transom. Betts also mentions that some of the 1839 plans indicate iron plates running on the top side of the bumpers. It's unclear whether they were actually installed, and as I study the photos and videos from Parks Canada, I'm not convinced that I see (with my very inexpert eyes!) any metal plates there on the wreck.

[DanielD]

Keep up the good work!

[clearway]

ahhh the memories!!!! keep sanding until no ridges compadre- also for reference in Matthews book and blog are plan views of the "bumpers" which give the general shape towards bow and stern.

 

Keith

[HakeZou]

8 hours ago, clearway said:

ahhh the memories!!!! keep sanding until no ridges compadre- also for reference in Matthews book and blog are plan views of the "bumpers" which give the general shape towards bow and stern.

 

Keith

Oh yes, there's a lot of sanding to do still, Keith! I just about have the rough shape on one side, but there's a lot more to do before I can actually call it done. The plans in the Betts book are definitely helpful for the shape of the bumpers. As near as I can tell, the cap rails aren't shown in those plans, which gives a clearer view...unlike the plans from OcCre which include the cap rails.

[HakeZou]

So. Much. Sanding! I'm making progress on the ice bumpers, but still have a long way to go. At this point, the port side feels like it's getting significantly closer, while the starboard has gotten less attention. The bottom of the port bumper has been sanded almost flat to the hull, but the tops are still about 1.5mm too wide; using those measurements as a guide, I'm working on the angle of the outboard side. I've done a bit of shaping at the stempost and the transom, but there's still a lot of work to do in both places. I got things started with the sanding barrels on my Dremel tool, but have found sanding sticks to be the most useful tool for this job. I'm almost out of both sanding barrels and sticks, so I need to restock, which made this a good time to reflect on progress again.

 

After this evening's work session, I snapped a couple of photos. I'm not sure they're all that great, but compared with the photo in post #18, you can see that things are coming along slowly.

Apart from this, I've also been starting to look ahead at some of the deck fittings and pondering what upgrades I want to attempt I still need to study some of the other buildlogs for this, but here are my thoughts for the moment—feedback definitely welcome!

• As I study the 1839 plans, I notice that there are five (or maybe 6?) ship's boats indicated. In his book, Betts notes that records show 8 boats of various sizes and styles were taken on the 1839 expedition, then he goes on to speculate that there were four of various sizes and styles taken on the 1845 expedition (104–6). I've been playing around a little bit with the three boats in the kit; I think I've made them look okay, but I'm not sold on using them yet. Mantua has some lifeboat kits that look like they could work well for the job, but I haven't found any other comparable options yet.
• I've been taking note of the Preston's patent illuminators, which OcCre represents with their standard hollow portholes. (Side note: Here's an interesting link of the history of Preston's illuminators, including some of the drawings included in his patent paperwork and the Parks Canada photo of one that they recovered.) I'd like to fill OcCre's portholes with something to simulate the glass in the actual illuminators. I haven't started experimenting yet, but would love some ideas of what might work. I'm thinking a drop of wood glue, maybe?
• The closets at the stern (marked as "Hen coops" in the 1839 plans) seem like a big oversimplification on OcCre's part. I'll definitely be doing something with these.
• Beyond this, I'm pondering my options. However, Keith Shergold's realization of the OcCre kit, shown in Betts's book, lists a number of possibilities that I think are mostly possible given my skill set.

Next steps? You guessed it. Continue shaping the ice bumpers. 

[clearway]

Nearly there Hake- to me it was like some sort of punishment given to victorian prisoners! I use various grades of sandpaper wrapped around a 4" offcut of 2" x 1" timber for sanding down things like hulls and those accursed bumpers😁. Does the occre kit now include the deckhouses at the stern - Keith S and myself along with others had to scratchbuild them? 

 

I used Humbrol "clear fix" to make my 'glass' in the illuminators- it was originally designed to make the windows in model airliners and glue clear canopies in place.

 

I used the mantua kit for the larger boat then resin models from quaycraft model boats for the launches (i try to mention sources manufacturers for any extras i have bought in the log).

 

Keep up the good work

 

Keith

 

 

[HakeZou]

Hi Keith! Thanks for the recommendations. I started feeling more confident with my Dremel tool, so made quicker work of the starboard side than the port. (It wouldn't have taken much to be quicker!) I have some wood filler setting on both bumpers, so will post new photos once I have a chance to clean that up. 

 

The OcCre kit does not include the stern deckhouses, so those will be a scratchbuild for me, too. 

[HakeZou]

I've had a chance to smooth out the wood filler, so I think that the ice bumpers are essentially done. I need to take a closer look at the curves around the bow to ensure that they match...they don't appear to be symmetrical in the overhead shot below. Although I've sanded the wood filler down so that it's even, it left a bit more of a mess than I was hoping it would. Not a big worry since I'll be painting, but I'm going to have to revisit that, too. In the meantime, a few photos of how they're looking right now:

Having reached this point, I'm struggling a bit with where to go next. As Keith mentioned above, OcCre's plans leave a bit to be desired and I'm entirely sure why they recommend doing things in the order that they do. I've started a spreadsheet to organize my thoughts, but for right now, I figure that I'll be taking my sweet time getting through the next steps that I list below. 

 

I also have a question for those who've built and studied the Terror. In the OcCre plans, part E20 includes several pieces of .6x5x10 pieces that are mounted inboard and outboard in the quarterdeck. These pieces appear in the 1839 plans, in Betts's plans, and in his final model. In OcCre's plans, they are just simple panels with no elaboration, but in the other places there's...something...on them. There must have been some kind of functional purpose for these, but I can't imagine what. They're a rare part that Betts never identifies by name (unless I've missed something in his book). Can anybody shed light on these? 

 

Next steps, order yet to be determined: waterways, cap rails, lining the gun ports, stern gallery, scuppers, hawse holes (I'm planning to add some brass rings for these). Also the rings around the bases of the masts (I really should know the name of those parts!); this means I will probably also need to start thinking about shaping the masts, for which I'm planning to follow the measurements Keith shared in post #94 of his buildlog.

[clearway]

Progressing nicely Hake- don't worry too much if slight discrepency in ice bumpers port and starboard as the bow area gets very busy later on. The panels are actually for sheaves to guide rigging through the bulwarks (its what i used for my sheets on the fore/main sails and the main yard braces.

 

Keith

Edited October 5, 2022 by clearway
typo

[HakeZou]

Thanks for identifying the sheaves in the hull, Keith! Can you recommend any sources where I can learn how the rigging runs through them? I've been poking around online a bit to no avail (except for an excerpt from the instructions for the Model Shipways Syren, in which the sheets are glued into the sheaves).

 

After staying up for a while last night, I had a plan for the next few steps. First up, the bow plating. I'm not excited about the aluminum plates that came with the kit. They'll require a bit of work to cut and shape and I'm not convinced that I can do that satisfactorily, especially since this will be my first time plating a hull. After reviewing Betts's book, though, I had a thought. The original plates on the ship in 1845 were roughly 5/16 in. thick. At 1:75 scale, then, the plates should be just over a tenth of a millimeter...almost exactly the thickness of 20-pound paper. After a few more calculations, I printed a sheet of paper with a bunch of "iron plates" that were 29x67 mm in size (scaling up to approximately 20x50 inch on the real ship, which seems to match Betts's plans).

 

As a test, I laid these paper plates on the starboard bow. I need to live with this a bit to decide if I'll be satisfied once they're painted. They're attached with white PVA glue, so I think I should be able to remove them if I'm not happy. Hmmmm....

 

[clearway]

2 hours ago, HakeZou said:

Thanks for identifying the sheaves in the hull, Keith! Can you recommend any sources where I can learn how the rigging runs through them? I've been poking around online a bit to no avail (except for an excerpt from the instructions for the Model Shipways Syren, in which the sheets are glued into the sheaves).

Hi Hake- there are various journals on rigging and belaying in general If you can find a copy and intend to continue building naval ships then James Lees Masting and Rigging The English Ship of War (3rd print version if possible) is highly recommended, and they reprinted Darcy Lever's young officers sheet anchor not so long back. Also lots of great build logs on here😉.

 

As tregards the iron (paper) plates they will look fine once painted (don't use acrylic though as that will wrinkle the paper- use enamel- say Humbrol matt 33) .Don't forget you will need some wrapped around the stem as well.

 

Keith

 

Keith

Edited October 6, 2022 by clearway
missed info

[HakeZou]

Thanks again, Keith! Your comments and the Lees book ultimately led me to Sir George Biddlecombe's 1848 treatise, The Art of Rigging. He refers to the sheaves in the sides (and masts and yards) as sheave-holes. He describes their use very clearly in several places, for example in the section on "Reeving the Gear and Bending the Fore-Sail," he writes: "The leading-part [of the Sheet] leads through a sheave-hole a little before the gangway; then leads forward, and belays round a large cleat in the side" (page 91). This will be very useful later on!

 

I've decided that the paper solution for the iron plates won't be satisfactory enough for me. I'll play around a bit with the aluminum plates that come in the kit, but have also picked out some self-adhesive copper tape that may be easier to work with. Time to start removing the paper plates... 

[HakeZou]

As I mentioned a few days ago, I wasn't satisfied with the paper pieces I had used for an initial draft of the bow plating. I used a hair dryer to soften the glue, tweezers to pull of the paper pieces, and then had some sanding to do to finish the cleanup. I ended up using the aluminum plates that came with the kit, which were easier to work with than I had anticipated. I've installed the bow plating on the starboard side, except for the portions that cover the bottom edge of the ice bumper and stem. Since this is my first time plating a hull, it's safe to say that it isn't perfect, but I'm pretty pleased with how it's turning out so far! 

I found that the rounded end of one of my sanding blocks was perfect for bending the plates to fit the curve of the hull. I initially tried attaching the plates with PVA glue, but got frustrated with that very quickly, so switched to CA glue. That worked much better, though it made a bit of a mess, which I cleaned up using a cleaning/polishing attachment on my Dremel tool. Now, if I could just figure out where my wife is hiding her nail polish remover, I could clean my fingertips!

 

Apart from this, I've spent the last couple of weeks doing some long range planning for the deck fittings. I've identified several upgrade items that I'm going to need to purchase, so am starting to shop around for them. Top of the list are brass belaying pins, 8mm dowels for the mainmast, foremast, and bowsprit (the latter two will have to be sanded down a bit), and lifeboats. I'm planning to include the cannon that have been found on the wrecks and am trying to find a US-based source for the 10-spoke ship's wheel from Caldercraft. 

 

Next steps: Continuing installing the bow plating.