Issue 131 - Contains assorted wood strips, small barrels & buckets and laser-cut orlop beams., and has instructions for completing the shot lockers & pump well door, constructing the hold platforms and adding the orlop beams.

Completing the shot lockers - For the closed hatch option, follow Steps 1 and 2 of the magazine. If you have constructed the internal compartments to have open hatches, follow Steps 3-8.

For the open hatch option, cut part 20 (supplied with Issue 127) into three equal parts. Then chamfer the rear edge so that the hatches can be glued to the shot locker. The magazine suggests that they are set at slightly different angles for a more realistic appearance, as shown in the steps.

Plank the top and front edge of the hatches with the oak veneer, then cover the outer edge of the left and right hatches.
Cut the hinges as shown in the step, and glue them to the hatches with super glue. Then carefully bend up the protruding end to form a 90-degree angle between the hinge and the chamfered edge.

Stain the undersides of the hatches dark oak before fitting them, then glue the hatches in place at angles of your choosing.

Completing the pump well door - The pump well door wast you removed from the pump well panel in Issue 127. Glue three lengths of the 2mm dowel supplied in Issue 123 to the window opening in the door, (use cocktail stick if you do not have enough dowel).

Plank the door with oak veneer as shown, then stain the reverse side dark oak. Glue the door in place, either open or closed according to your preference.

Constructing the hold platforms - You will need the 1x3mm strips supplied in Issue 127 and the laser-cut platform supports from Issue 126.

Cut two 76mm lengths from the 1x3mm strip. Glue these edge to edge, using a very sparing amount of PVA adhesive, and place them on a piece of plastic to stop them sticking to the work surface, then add another five strips to form a platform 21x76mm. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly before continuing.

The platform needs to be 75mm long, so trim the ends to make them smooth and square. Now repeat the above make a second identical platform.
Draw lines at right angles across both platforms, 39.5mm from one end. (This is deliberately placed 2mm off the centre, to enable you to position support B2 in the middle).

Assemble the two platforms back to back so they are mirror images of each other, with the lines drawn in Step 4 in line with each other. Take the two pairs of larger platform supports (parts B2). Glue one pair at the end of the platform. Glue the second pair against the line drawn earlier, off set so that the support is central on the platform.
Glue the smaller supports (B1) to the other ends of the platforms. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly before continuing.

Place a platform in position in the hold so that its front edge is flush with the front of the model (rib2), the legs are vertical, and the platform is level and parallel to the sides of the pump well. Hold the platform in position with some blue-tack.

Cut notches in a plank so that it fits neatly round the riders as shown in Step 9. Use your model to gauge the exact position of the notches. You will need to chamfer the bottom of the notches to match the curve of the hull to get a good fit.
Glue this plank to the platform, but be careful not to glue it to the hull just yet. Fill in the remaining gap with 1x3mm planks. The last strips will need to be trimmed down to the correct width and chamfered.

Allow the glue to dry thoughly, then remove the platforms and sand the edges smooth. Stain both platforms with a dark oak wood stain.

Glue the platforms in position, making sure that the legs are vertical and the platforms are level.

Adding the orlop beams - Try the two long beams, 22 and 23 in position. They rest on frames 3 and 7 respectively.
If you find that the beams are a loose fit, your frame may have opened out slightly. This is perfectly normal as wood is a ‘live’ material and can change shape with temperature and humidity. Pull it back in with a piece of masking tape around the top of the model. You should not need to apply a lot of pressure.

Remove the rest of the parts from the fret and sand off any rough edges. Stain the beams dark oak.

Glue beams 22 and 23 to frames 3 and 7. The beams are identical, so it doesn’t matter which way round they go, (You may need to sand the top of the pump well to get the beams to locate properly).

Add the two fore/aft beams 25. Make sure you get these the right way round. Sand the top of the pump well or the bottom of these beams if necessary to get a perfect fit.

Add the beams 26. They  t to frame 6 and the fore/aft beam 25. Note that the square end  ts the beam 25, and the slightly angled end fits to frame 6.

Add beam 27 which sits just behind the front of the pump well.

Add beams 21 to the front of the model, frame 2. Note that these are shorter than beams 24.

Add beams 24 to the rear of the model, frame 8.

Stain the ends of the deck support beams with Dark Oak wood stain if necessary. Keep the masking tape on (if used) until the orlop deck has been planked.

That's it for this stage, carefully store the remaining items.

Issue 132 - Contains planking & oak veneer strips, upper pump well parts, brass mesh and wire., and has instructions for adding the pump well posts, planking the bulwarks, constructing and fitting the deck gratings and planking the orlop.

Issue 133 - Contains wooden strips, laser-cut deck beams and knees, brass knee reinforcements, eyebolts and gun port plans., and has instructions for fitting the frame reinforcements, cutting the lower deck ports, planking the inside the hull, completing the orlop planking and the cutting out of the orlop deck cut-outs.

Fitting the frame reinforcements - Fit the short sections (parts 32) that reinforce the sides of the lower gun deck ports. The plan provided shows these as grey-shaded lines.

Take a part 32, and try it in place against frame 2 in the position shown. Note that the arrow indicates the top of the part (the gun ports will be lined, so any visible parts of the arrows will be covered). It should fit snugly between the dowels. Remove any excess glue inside the planking and make sure that the inner edge of part 32 is flush with the inner edge of frame 2 before gluing the reinforcement in place. You can sand the outside edge of part 32 to get a flush fit if necessary.

Take another part 32 and fit it so that the edge closest to the gun port is 25.5mm from the outer edge of frame 8, as shown on the plan. As before, remove any excess glue inside the planking and make sure that the inside edge is flush with the inside edge of the other frames. Also make sure that the part 32 is vertical before the glue dries.

In the same way, fit a third part 32 so that the edge closest to the gun port is 10.5mm from the outer edge of frame 8. Then repeat all three reinforcements on the other side of the model.

Cutting the lower gun deck ports - Trim the lower gun ports to match the positions of the reinforcing frames you just fitted.
Cut out the gun port positioning plan and align the bottom edge against the keel as shown, making sure you don’t mix up the port and starboard sides. The front edge aligns along the edge of frame 2.
Secure the planin position with masking tape, and be careful not to damage it as you will need it again later on.

Mark the corners of both lower gun ports with the point of a compass, or similar sharp-pointed implement. Then join the pin points to draw the gun port outlines. (I marked the entry port and upper gun posts for my purposes).
Using a fresh knife blade, carefully trim the edges of the lower gun ports, using the lines as a guide only, as the finished ports may not correspond exactly with them.
Cut slowly and carefully until the sides of the ports are flush with the parts 32 you just fitted. Make sure that the tops and bottoms of the ports finish flush with the ends of ribs 3 and 7. Repeat the process on the opposite side of the model.

Planking inside the hull - Fit the last planks that line the hull inside the orlop.

Fit the last 1.5 x 5mm plank (from Issue 131) to the top of the orlop planking. Cut a length of 1 x 6mm plank, 100mm long. Cut 4mm notches to fit around ribs 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8, using the frame jig as a cutting guide as you did before and ensure your pencil marks are on the inside. Then glue the plank in place as shown and repeat on the other side of the model.

Completing the orlop planking - Continue planking the centre of the deck, then cut holes to allow you to lower the mast and pumps into place at a later stage.

Depending on the gap between the last plank and the larger grating, you can either use a 1.5 x 4mm or 1.5 x 5mm plank, (you should have some spare 1.5 x 5mm planks from Issues 125 or 131.)

Finish planking the centre section with 1.5 x 4mm planks. Make sure that the edges of the planks are all thoroughly glued. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly before continuing.

Sand the ends of the deck and the ends of the hull planking you fitted in the previous section, until they are smooth and flush with frames 2 and 8. If you sand through the wood stain on the deck beams, sand them back to bare wood and re-stain them.

Trace the template provided top left on page 13 onto plain paper and cut out the marked areas. Then tape the template to the orlop deck.
Use a ruler or dividers to check that the centre line is exactly in the centre of the model. Make sure that the front edge is flush with the front edge of the deck.

Use a compass or other pointed object to prick the outline of the holes for the mast and pumps., then draw the outlines with a pencil, and then chain-drill the holes on the inside of the line. Use a fresh knife blade to cut out the holes, do this gently, making small cuts, as the deck is quite fragile.

Try the mast and elm tree pump castings in position. There should be about a 1mm gap to allow for any slight misalignment. The mast and pumps should be able to stand upright. If not, enlarge the holes as necessary.

Stain the deck dark oak or your chosen shade.

Paint the bulwarks white. If you prefer a natural wood finish, you could stain these parts dark oak, or any other colour you prefer.

That's it for this stage, carefully store the remaining parts and plans.

Issue 134 - Contains wood strips, turned columns, brass wire, hammock material, thread and eyebolts., and has instructions for assembling the orlop pump well, fitting the rider tops & knees, and making the seamen's chests.

Issue 135 - Contains Wooden strips, dowel, laser-cut pump head parts, and diecast pump sections.' and has instructions for adding the frames to the pump well, fitting the lower gun deck beams, lining the lower gun deck bulwarks & gun ports, and has further material to make more seaman's chests.

Adding frames to the pump well - Use the 2 x 2mm strip supplied with Issue 132 to make vertical frames for the pump housing.

Start by painting the 2 x 2mm strip white. Then cut four lengths the same height as the pump well, and glue one to each corner.
Glue another length on the left of the door, then glue two lengths equally spaced along the aft wall, and two more lengths equally spaced along the port side wall.

Fitting the lower gun deck beams - The laser-cut lower gun deck beams were supplied in Issue 133.

Take the full-length deck beam, part 33, and lay it across the deck supports. If the beam is too long, sand the vertical tip of the beam and the tip of the deck beam support until the beam drops into place. (Sand both ends equally.)

Take both part 34 beams and cut a half-height notch in their flat ends so that they will engage with the notch on the short beams 35b as shown. Check that the notch allows beam part 34 to fit† flush with the short beam 35b,both on top and at the end.

Separate all the beams from the fret, then paint the sides and bottoms white. Keep beams 35b and 35c to fit at a later stage.

The fore-and-aft beams parts 35 are not quite symmetrical. Line up the deck supports with the notches, and then mark the front with an arrow on top.

Take beam 35 and beam 33 and glue them together. Note that beam 33 fits in the notch towards the back of beam 35. Ensure they are set square, and place the assembly upside down to keep it flat while the glue dries.
Glue the second beam 35 in place. Again, use the toy brick to keep the parts square, and make sure the assembly stays flat while the glue dries.
Glue the two beams 34 in place one at a time, making sure that they are square and that the assembly stays † flat.

Now glue the assembly into the hull, fitting the ends of the deck beams onto the supports (you may need to adjust the fit of the forward beams).
Then glue the two short beams 36 across the back of the model, and glue the four short beams 33b to the notches and deck supports towards the front of the model.

Lining the lower gun deck bulwarks and gun ports - Use the 1.5 x 5mm strips and 1 x 6mm strip from Issue 133, plus the 1 x 10mm strip from Issue 134.

Cut a 1.5 x 5mm plank slightly longer than the model, and lay it on edge across the deck supports. If necessary, trim the tops of the supports until the plank sits † at. When you’re satisfied with the fit, glue this plank in place.

Add a second plank, making sure that it overlaps the bottom of the gun port.

Cut and fit two shorter planks to ll the space between the two gun ports, leaving a slight overlap.

Add two more short planks beside the gun ports at both ends of the model, leaving slight overlaps.

Continue fitting full-length planks to the top of the lower gun deck, trimming the last plank to fit under the deck supports as necessary.

Carve and/or sand the inside of the gun ports so that the sides are †flush with the rib reinforcements and the tops and bottoms are † ush with the ends of the ribs. An emery board (nail file) is ideal for the final sanding.

Sand the ends of the planks smooth. Repeat the same process on the other side of the model.

The lower gun port linings are made from 1 x 10mm strip, use the method shown in the magazine to cut and fit the pieces, leaving a slight overhang on the inside and outside of the hull.
Sand both the outside and inside of the linings flush with the planking. An emery board (nail file) is ideal for sanding inside the port.

Cut a length of 1 x 6mm strip slightly longer than the model, and make 4mm-deep notches for frames 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8. Glue this in place, and repeat on the other side of the model.


Use the 1 x 3mm wood supplied in this issue to make more seamen’s chests following the instructions given on pages 12-13 of Issue 134. The size and number you make of these is up to you, as they were simply stowed loose in the orlop. You will place the chests at a later stage, so there is plenty of time to complete as many as you like. There is material for 10 or so, depending on size.

That's it for this stage, carefully store the remaining parts, beams 35b x2 & 35c and any chests made.

Issue 136 - Contains wooden strips, grating strips, brass wire, eyebolts, cannon balls and pump castings., and contains instructions for fitting the deck support pillars, making the hammocks,adding the hammock support bars and assembling the pump columns.