Thanks Guys. I want to get the fills and touch ups done now so she can go aside and then I can carry on with SOTS for a little while.

How would I get hold of admin to move the post?

I found that the back is vertically challenged
COmpared to the instructions that I have on the model where they say I merely add a 6ml width of Sapele strip on there, it just wouldnt make sense because I would be left with a strip on top that would have nothing to "Grip" onto.

Decided to change it around anf then have a gap which I would need to fill on the hull with a strip that would have to be severely tapered to fit.

Praising the clamps here

Wow, I your planking skills. She looks great.

Been working on 2 ships, HMS SOTS and this HMS Victory.
I have started cutting the gunports on the victory. It has been pretty easy so far. I have made a few minor mistakes in terms of the getting them to line up but I don't think its too much of a train smash.

I have found that the measurements on the plans are not correct and that I have ended up cutting a gunport or 2 over a rib frame - where I have had to cut the rib frame to accommodate the csnnon.

Your thoughts?

Very nice contrast in the planking, looks amazing
Steve

Very nice work. Love the planking and the contrast between the different wood.

Regards

Foz

Hi cuandv

She's looking exceptional with that self coloured wood. With regards to cutting the gunports into a rib or two, the way you have gone looks perfectly good. The other solution is a very simple one - if you hit a rib simply model that gunport closed!
If you have a look at other Victory models in various manufacturers catalogues you'll find that many of them exhibit a closed port here and there, the reason is - they're over the ribs underneath! Even my own DelPrado had four moulded closed ports for the same reason.

Whichever way you go its looking a real classy build!

Robin

Hi Cuan,
At the end of the day it has to be your call, it seems a shame to go over such a nice finish, (but I think we have all done it at some stage, I know I have) but I think you have already mentioned a couple of reasons for doing the second planking and are probably 90% decided to do it anyway. Another reason, something I did think about when I first saw your build, but didn't like to say, is how thin the edges of the gun port openings were. Another layer of planking would make them look more correct scale wise for hull thickness. You could always line the inside edges of the gun ports to achieve the same look, but as I said, it has to be your decision. These projects are always a big learning curve and I'm sure you will do a great job whatever you decide to do.
Regards
Alan

Well done Cuan. She is looking great. I have to agree with the others, it is your choice at the end of the day and you have to look and be proud of the end result. I think the second layer will give it a more polished look. Well done, keep it up.

Hi again cuandv.

I'm surprised the Constructo doesn't supply a stand although, come to think of it I had to build a temporary build stand for my Grimsby by Constructo too!
You basically have two options:

1. Build a temporary stand to use for the construction and then build a better permanent display stand afterwards.
2. Build a permanent stand from the start and use that for the construction as well.

The stand itself comes in two basic types:
1. A 'cradle-type' with solid shaped wood supports, either joined by horizontal bars or else with a rectangular plaque type wooden base which the supports are fixed on to.
2. The same rectangular plaque with two or more brass pillars which the keel sits into (my own favourite as I think it shows off the lines of the hull 'cleaner' than the cradle)Brass pillars are usually available from CMB

The pillar type is the more 'heart wrenching' to set up as the pillars are secured to the base with a long screw which passes up through the base, through the hollow pillar and THROUGH the keel of the ship. Drilling through the keel is best done after the final wood layer but before you start adding lots of sticky out bits like channels and gun port lids etc!

If you go for a cradle type your best tool is the (preferably plastic' shape takers composed of lots of little bars held in a flat handle. You push the tool up to the bottom of the hull and the bars are forced down into the shape of the hull contours which you can then transfer by pencil onto the cradle wood for cutting to size. That's what I used for the Grimsby.
The other option would be to look on ebay for any odd copies of the DelPrado "Build the Victory". Your model is almost the same size as mine, according to my build instructions the stand was supplied in two parts, if it was 100 parts in total they should be No.s 97 and 98?
Best of luck with it anyway, a good stand really sets off a good model!

Robin