Now, I can't speak for anyone else, but one thing i struggle with when building a wooden ship kit is the planking. While browsing the net, i can across websites praising Vanguard Models kits. Now Vanguard Models is owned by one Chris Watton, the very same person who has designed kits for Amati & Caldercraft. He even did the design for the long awaited 1:64 scale HMS Victory from Amati.

I wanted this particular kit to practice planking techneques, that wasn't going to cost me a fortune. Now none of Chris' kits are exactly cheap, but this one fit my budget, so was duly ordered.

Once you get the kit, you can see just why! It comes extremely well packaged, with full colour artwork on the box, full colour build manual (complied and edited by JamesH), as well as high quality woods and etch. There are even 8 plan sets for the masts, yards and simple rigging. If anyone is looking for a very good entry into the world of wooden model ship building, i can't think of a better start, as the instructions are so easy to follow, and the step-by-step guide actually assumes the builder has little or no experience.

Very nice start, count me in as one of your followers.

Mark

Once the bulkheads are set, the lower deck is removed and a square lower base pattern is added. Next, you run beads of glue over the false keel top, and fit the deck on place properly. I did fit the two front and rear bulkheads in the normal manner because the deck doesn't go that far.

The pre-faired planking fillers are added to the stem and stern bulkheads and sitting flush with the top edge of the keel. The fish hatch is slotted into place on the lower deck and goes together with ease. The sheer for the deck is created just by sanding the top of the frames to follow the curve of the deck.

The last step here might sound a little contrivercial and even a bit scary!
The deck is designed to be bent into place and clicks home under the recess on the bulkheads. This way no pinning is needed. Sounds way more scary than it is, and i think more kits should us this method. The ply for the deck is very pliable and once fitted isn't going anywhere! Just to be belt and braces i applied watered-down wood glue from underneath.

Looking very neat and tidy, excellent work.

Mark

Mark, Chris, thanks for looking in chaps, and the welcome comments

So far, she's going together like a dream. A real testiment to Chris' design skills. This is the first kit i've built that uses MDF instead of ply for the false keel and bulkheads, but they slot together like a jigsaw puzzle. The accuracy of the laser-cut parts is excellent

Thanks Del

So next on the list is to soak the bulwarks in warm water for about 15 minutes to make them a bit more pliable. These are then clamped to the hull and left overnight to form the shape of the hull. Another reason is that if you try to fit them when damp the wood may shrink, giving problems later on.

So, the next day i fit the bulkwarks with wood glue. On the inner edge of the bulwarks are lines to aid horizontal alignment, but you still could do with two pairs of hands to fit these!
Glue is only put on the edge of the deck and the bulkheads below the deck line. This is because the stubs above are removed in a later stage. So once the glue is applied, the bulwarks are clamped in place, and left to set.