Nice one and will be watching

Look forward to following this, am sure it'll be a great success..... .. Good luck with the build.....

Regards

Alan

Hello guys,

thanks for the good comments, even if I haven't started the build yet.

Well... actually I started yesterday.

Cut the rib pieces out from the laser cut panels.
I laminated the rib plan instead of protecting it with cling film.

Also as an experiment, I started to use Super Phatic Aliphatic glue instead of PVA.
It dries quicker and penetrates better, especially in the laser cut pieces.
Works fantastic for me.

All seven ribs assembled.

Finally I found a good use of my son's Lego bricks.

I made a jig which helps to glue to ribs to the keel all square and vertical.
The layers of the bricks on the two side towers also help to ensure that the rib is level.

Looking good and nice start

Looking forward to this nice start
Martyn

Hello All,

Good progress in the last two days:
- Display stand assembled
- Before I started to plank the inside, I sorted the strips. There were few strips which are darker, I guess they are another type of wood. I took the darker strips out because the hold area will be stained, and I want more or less the same stained shade which might be impossible if the darker strips used.
I use them for the outer planking because it will be painted, so darker strips don't matter.
- Inside of the hold area planked
- Outside fully planked
- Made the mast step and with my well established vertical lathe method ( ) I tapered the mast
- Pump well and shot locker assembled.
Hint: As the edge of the cutout on the wall will be visible, I slightly sanded the edge all around, just enough to remove some of the charring (and hide the signs of the laser cut) but keep it dark brown enough to approx. match the colour of the oak veneer covering the walls later on. I done the same with the door inner edge, which also will be visible if the door will be left open (yet undecided).
- Added the last few strip of planking below the support brackets.

P.S. In case anybody wondered how do I progress so quick, the answer is simple... I'm on annual leave this week, so I work on the model 10-12 hours a day.

Hello All,

Progress over the last two days:

- riders assembled and all fitted. There are more clips than riders. Like a X-mas tree...
- Filled the gaps between the planks with wood putty then sanded smooth.
- Cut the pump openings and made the shallow holes for the elm tree pumps.
Hint: I used two different drill bits. One normal HSS and one for wood with the pointy centre. If I would use only the normal one then the centre of it would go through the plank before the edge is able to make the 5mm shallow hole.
Hence I used carefully both, the normal one cut the centre of the hole while the wood bit cut the outer part without making the centre part deeper. With this I was able to make a completely flat bottom.
- Mast step and limber boards fitted... it was very fiddly to fit the two tiny pieces next to the mast step but finally managed it.

Hello All,

Progress of the last few days:

- Stained the hold to dark oak.
- Glued the pump well in place and fitted the oak veneer planks.... wow they are fairly brittle piece of woods...
- Now waiting for the last side (front) to dry fully before I can sand the veneer for the irregular cutout shape.

In the meantime some goodies arrived:
- Seven different colour waterbased wood stains. These are for the barrels and the chests. I don't want them all the same colour, so ordered different shades of brown: Jacobean Oak, Teak, Rosewood, Walnut, Black, Medium Oak, Dark Oak.
- Round display base. It will be stained to the same colour as the ship display cabinet frame. And YESSSS.... the base will rotate at 1 RPM to able to show the cross section all around... I guess nobody expected a stationary display knowing what I've done with the cabinet... The cross section will just fit in the corner at the bowsprit.

Ahoy Shipmates,

I done a test on a leftover oak veneer strip how does it look if one coat of the same stain applied.
It looked very good I think, so I decided to stain the whole pump well.
I like the result much better than the original red-ish shade of the supplied oak veneer.

Cannon shots spread into the lockers and as I haven't got any acrylic stain, I used few drops of superglue in each compartment to secure the shots.

Carried on the work with the door...
I didn't like the idea to use the 2mm leftover dowel for the bars in the door, for me it looks way too thick.
So I took my Dremel, a needle file and some toothpicks and using the Dremel as a mini lathe I reduced the toothpick originally 2mm diameter to approx 0.8mm.
It looks much realistic to the scale, I'll be able to fit five bars into the door window. They've been stained before cut to size.

The door has been planked with the veneer and stained on both sides.

Also made the shot locker hatches, again, added the veneer and stained.

All looking good and nice work