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.

You have the option of modelling the Cross-section ship either as it appeared during a routine day, when the hammocks would have been stowed, or at night when they were slung, but you need to make this decision now.
Later on, we will be building areas of the model to demonstrate how the lower decks appeared with the hammocks slung, and using other areas to illustrate a daytime scenario with the mess tables erected.
The midshipmen’s hammocks are quite fiddly to make, which may also influence your decision on whether to add them or not.
The ordinary seamen’s hammocks (which will be slung on the lower and middle gun decks) are much simpler to make.

The official build for this Issue will follow the route of a day time scenario.

Fitting the deck support pillars - There are four pillars on the orlop, positioned irregularly under the deck beams, as shown in Steps 8-10 on page 10.
The turned columns were supplied with Issue 134, and you will also need some pieces of wooden strip.

Each deck support pillar requires a square base block. To make one, cut three 5mm lengths of 1.5 x 5mm wood, provided with Issue 133.

Glue these three on top of each other to form a flattened cube, 5 x 5 x 4.5mm high. When the glue is dry, sand the sides smooth and flat.
Sand the top and bottom of a turned column flat, and then glue the base block to the bottom.

Try the pillar in position (see Steps 8-10) to see how much of a gap there is between the top of the pillar and the bottom of the deck beam. Try fi tting a scrap of 1mm-thick wood between the top of the pillar and the deck beam. If it is a tight or snug fit, use it for Step 5. If it is loose, use a 1.5mm-thick wood for Step 5.

Cut a 5 x 5mm square of either 1mm- or 1.5mm-thick wood (see Step 4) and glue this to the top of the pillar.

Repeat to make four pillars.

The pillars on the Victory are darker than the deck, so stain them a suitable colour such as walnut.

Try all four of the pillars back in position (see Steps 8-10 again). If necessary, sand the tops to get a snug fit, but make sure you don’t mix them up.

The pillars on both sides are fi tted under the beams attached to rib frames 3 and 7. Start with the right-hand (starboard) side. Cut an 18mm strip of stiff card (cereal packets are ideal) to act as a spacer. Use it to position the pillars 18mm away from the base frame around the pump well. Glue them to the beams and the deck.

Fit only the forward pillar on the left (port) side 18mm from the frame of the pump well, mirroring the starboard pillar.

Fit the aft pillar on the left (port) side 18mm away from the bulwark. Cut a corner out of the card to fit around the rider.

Making the hammocks - The midshipmen’s hammocks were more elaborate than the crew’s, being a box shape rather than just a sling. If you have decided to add them, you will need five hammocks for each side of the model. Follow the magazine steps to make them.

Adding the hammock support bars - The hammocks were slung from bars attached to the deck beams. Make and fit these now, although you won’t attach the hammocks until a little later. You will need the 2mm dowel supplied with Issue 135.

Take the 2mm dowel supplied with Issue 135, and cut three 36mm lengths.

Sand a flat on one side, then use the edge of a flat needle file to cut notches across the flattened area,
1-1.5mm wide and 1mm deep. Space the notches as shown:

Bar 1: 6mm, 12mm, 12mm, 6mm.
Bar 2: Every 6mm.
Bar 3: 12mm, 12mm, 12mm.

Use a strip of card 16mm wide to space the bars 16mm away from the bulwark, and glue them in place with super glue, just above the bottom of the deck beams. Bar 1 fits on beam 3, facing beam 2. Bar 2 fits on beam 5, facing beam 6. Bar 3 fits on beam 7, facing beam 8.

Repeat on the other side of the model.

Paint the bars white, being careful not to block-up the notches with paint.

Assembling the pump columns - The metal castings for the chain pumps and elm tree pumps were supplied in Issues 130 and 135, and retrieve the diecast octagonal pump sections from within the pump well.

File any flash or mould lines off the castings. Pay particular attention to the end joints. The ends of the tubes need to be flat, but do not file off the locating pins that fit into matching holes.

Take the four sections of the octagonal elm tree pumps and glue them together as shown, using super glue. Make sure that the sections are in line, and place a piece of plastic on your work surface to prevent the parts getting stuck to it. (Make sure the moulded letters are on the same side, so you can position the pump with them hidden from view).

Take a column of the chain pump that has a round and a square section, and glue it to the extension pipe that has two bands. Make sure that the extension is the right way around and that the bolt heads are all facing up.

Take a long square column, and glue on an extension piece with one band. Make sure that the extension is the right way around and that the bolt heads are all facing up. Allow the glue to dry completely before continuing.

Glue a U-shaped end piece to the square column. The bolt heads should face towards the outside of the ‘U’. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly before continuing.

Cut a 6.5mm-long spacer from a scrap of wood. Glue the round end of the column to the end piece with the bolt heads towards the outside of the ‘U’, and place (do not glue) the spacer between the columns at the top end. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.

Repeat the steps to make four chain pump sets.

Paint all four chain pumps and the shorter of the two elm tree pumps with white metal primer – automotive spray primer is ideal. Then paint them white. (The other pump will have another extension piece attached before being painted.)

Paint the bands on the chain pumps metallic black.

That's it for this stage, store the remaining parts (and hammocks if made), also handle the pump chain assemblies with great care as they are very fragile!

Future Issues:

Issue 137 - Contains two 32-pounder gun kits, dowl, blocks and eyebolts., and has instructions for fitting the knee reinforcements, the seamen's chests & hammocks, preparing and adding the buckets, fitting the pump colums, and making & fitting a grating and the companionway frame.

Issue 138 - Contains two 32-pounder gun kits, eyebolts, blocks, thread, pins and brass rings., and has instructions for planking the lower gun deck, assembling the 32-pounder gun kits and making the pump heads.

Issue 138 - Contains two 32-pounder gun kits, eyebolts, blocks, thread, pins & brass rings., and has instructions for planking the lower gun deck, assembling the 32-pounder gun kits, and making the pump heads.

Planking the lower gun deck - You will need the 1.5 x 4mm planks supplied in Issues 134 and 135.
Unlike the orlop deck, which had removable planks, the lower gun decks planks were permanently fixed and caulked with tar.

Colour one edge of the planks with a black permanent marker. You will stain the decks dark oak later in this stage of the build, so try the stain you are using on a couple of small pieces of ‘caulked’ planks to make sure it doesn’t make the marker pen ink run.

Cut strips slightly overlength and start laying planks on both sides, working from the bulwarks towards the centre. Continue planking until the last planks fall over the ‚first fore-and-aft beams on either side of the hatchways.

Temporarily ‚fit the port (left) elm tree pump in position, then continue planking the deck until you lay planks overthe inner fore-and-aft beams. Cut short sections to ‚ fit aroundthe pump columns. Remove the port (left) elm tree pump once the planks are ‚ fitted and the glue is dry.

Fit two planks, running left to right across the gap, and butting up against the grating and ladder frames.

The centre section of the deck forms a raised platform. Start by cutting two lengths of plank to fit between the grating frame and ladder frame. Cut two 1 x 4mm notches in each plank, just forward of the chain pumps. Then glue the planks in place against the outer legs of the chain pumps.

Cut four cross pieces to ‚fit across the notches.

Put the mast in position and ensure that it can be angled back so that the front face of the mast is 40mm from the front of the grating. If necessary, ease the mast hole in the orlop deck with some ‚fine sandpaper glued to a length of dowel.

Add the two planks either side of the mast, fitting them around the mast while ensuring that it remains at the correct angle described earlier.

Complete the last two planks in the centre of the platform, (you will need to trim the last plank to fit the narrow gap).
Try the mast and elm tree pump in place. Make sure that there is a gap of about 1mm round the mast. The elm tree pump must ‚fit into position easily. Sand or ‚file the holes if necessary.

Sand the ends of the deck ’flush with the deck beam. Then stain the deck dark oak and the visible ends of the beams, also touch up the deck beams with white paint.

Assembling the 32-pounder guns - The 32-pounder guns are assembled using the parts from 137 and this issue. The magazine steps only show the assembly of one gun, but you will need to make four identical guns, which will be further assembled and rigged at a later stage.

To add the breeching ring to the cascable, drill a 0.7mm hole in the top of the barrel at the position and angle as shown in the step, a couple of millimetres deep, (I used an auto-punch to centre the drill point to prevent bit skate).

Then cut the shank o”ff an eyebolt, leaving just 1 or 2mm. apply a drop of super glue to the shank and insert it into the hole, parallel to the length of the barrel.

Mount the barrel onto a cocktail stick, then paint it with a metal primer, and then paint it stain black.

Sand the laser-ash from the gun carriage parts.Then take one side of the carriage and glue in the front cross bar. Note that the wider tab goes towards the top. Angle the bar very slightly towards the front of the cannon to allow for the taper in the carriage.

Glue the base of the carriage to the side with the narrow end at the front. Note that the end of the base is inset from the end of the carriage by about 1mm, and that the base is ‚fitted flush with the top of the axle recess.
Add the other side, making sure that the carriage is square and sits ’ at on the work surface.

Cut a 16mm and a 18mm length from the 2mm dowel supplied. Glue the shorter axle at the front of the carriage and the longer one to the rear.

Paint the carriage yellow ochre, and the wheels black, then glue the wheels onto the axle stubs.

Repeat the carriage assembly to make four matching gun carriages, (further assembly will be carried out later on).

Making the chain pump heads - You need to make four identical pump heads using the laser-cut parts from Issue 135 and a 1 x 4mm strip from 134.

Sand the laser-ash from the pump head parts, then glue the two centre parts of the pump head together. Note that they are not quite symmetrical (One support is slightly thicker than the other), so make sure you match the two parts properly.

Glue the sides to the pump head, then glue the larger pair of legs under the support, so that its inner face is flush with the rectangular recess in the pump head. If necessary, carefully widen the gap at the top of the legs to ‚fit the pump head.

Glue the smaller foot to the other end of the pump. As before, the inner face lines up with the edge of the recess in the pump head.

Cut three lengths of 1 x 4mm wood, each 7mm long, and one length 6.5mm long. Then use PVA adhesive to glue two of the 7mm lengths together as shown. Make sure that the ends line up, and the vertical part is upright.

Turn the assembly through 90 degrees and add another 7mm length. This makes up 3 sides of the square outlet tube.
Then fit the remaining 6.5mm length to complete the square tube with one end slightly inset as shown. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly, preferably overnight.

Sand the end with the inset at an angle so it matches the angle of the side of the pump head. Sand the other end square and sand the whole tube smooth.

Glue the tube to the end of the pump with the longer feet. Position it centrally, so that the bottom of the tube is in line with the bottom of the pump.

Repeat the pump head assembly to complete four matching pump heads.

That's it for this stage, store the completed assemblies and remaining parts.

Future Issues:

Issue 139 - Contains assorted wood strips, laser-cut deck beams & knees, thread, eyebolts and cotton material., and has instructions for finishing the lower gun deck bulwarks and preparing & rigging the 32-pounder guns.

Issue 140 - Contains assorted wooden strips, grating strips, cannonballs, 7mm eyebolt, pin, laser-cut fairleads and die-cast elm tree pump parts., and has instriuctions for rigging the guns onto the deck, fitting the pumps, and making & fitting the mess tables and benches.

Issue 140 - Contains assorted wooden strips, grating strips, cannonballs, 7mm eyebolt, pin, laser-cut fairleads and die-cast elm tree pump parts., and has instriuctions for rigging the guns onto the lower gun deck, fitting the pumps, and making & fitting the mess tables and benches.
Before fitting the guns, you need to decide whether to show the guns run in or out (both alternatives are demonstrated in the magazine steps). Then, after fitting the lower elm tree pump and the chain pumps, the steps show how to rig a mess table and benches. This is optional, as tables were only fitted by day and would not normally be rigged alongside hammocks, (the construction of which will be shown in issue 142).

Rigging the guns - You have a choice of rigging the guns in different positions, as described above.
Magazine steps 2-6 demonstrate how to model the guns run out, and Steps 7-10 show how to model them run in.
I have opted to show a pair of guns run in and a pair run out. Follow the magazine steps for your chosen configuration.

Fitting the pumps - Assemble and fit the upper part of the elm tree pump (supplied with this issue), then complete and fit the heads of the four chain pumps that you assembled in Issue 138.
Take the parts of the elm tree pump from Issue 136. Slide the eyebolt over the handle as shown. You may have to round the corners on the handle to get it to fit.
Fit the handle and eyebolt to the pump body as shown. You will have to shorten the shank of the eyebolt a little.
Insert the pin through the holes. You may need to clear the hole with a 0.7mm drill if the pin can’t be inserted easily. Secure the parts with super glue, then trim the end of the pin with a pair of side cutters.
Paint the entire head of the pump black. Then glue the head of the pump to the top of the column with super glue. Ensure that the pump is vertical and that the handle points at 45 degrees to the deck planking.
Take the four chain pump heads and stain them walnut, then paint the feet black.
Glue a pump head to the deck behind the elm tree pump. It should sit close to the elm tree pump, with the inboard pump column resting against the edge of the inboard foot.
Place the second pump opposite the first, and place the remaining two pump heads so that the holes for the pump handles line up, and the pumps are as far forward as they will go. This will allow space for the mast collar.
Make two pairs of pump handles from the 1mm brass wire supplied with Issue 136. Straighten the wire and bend it to the lengths shown on the photo. You need to make two sets. (The crank of each one is 10mm, with a 5mm offset. The long axle is 44mm and the short axle is 16mm.)
Paint the handles black. (The paint will adhere better if you spray them with a metal primer first – an automotive primer is ideal.) You can hold the handles by the tips of the axles for painting; these will be hidden after assembly.
Fit a long handle through the aft pump and into the front pump so that the crank is 1mm past the edge of the ladder frame (as arrowed). Glue the end with a drop of super glue.
Insert a short handle into the front pump head until the crank is in line with the second grating strip. Turn the handle until the two cranks are at 180 degrees to one another (for instance, one up and one down). Glue it in this position.
Repeat to add the the second set of pump handles.

Making the mess tables and benches - The steps show how to rig a single table and pair of benches – but tables would normally be rigged on both sides by day and taken down at night, so you may choose to rig hammocks instead. I have chosen a "by day" guise and will therefore be adding the mess tables as described below.
Make the parts from the 1x3mm strip from 127 (not 139) and 1 x 5mm strip from 139, and pieces of 2x3mm wood left over from Issue 136.
Take the 1 x 5mm wood and cut two lengths, each 50mm long, then glue them side by side with a small amount of PVA adhesive.

Cut two 5mm lengths from the surplus brass wire supplied for the pump handles. Bend 2mm at right angles to make two brackets.
Glue the brackets to one end of the table, making sure that the space between them matches the space of the eyebolts in the bulwark. Drill a 0.7mm hole in the other end.
Cut a 50mm length of 1 x 3mm wood and two 5mm lengths of 2 x 3mm wood for each bench. Use a mitre block and razor saw to keep the ends square. Glue the ‘legs’ to the bench about 2mm from the ends.
Repeat to make two benches for each table you are fitting, then stain the table and benches dark oak.
Tie a knot in some 0.25mm thread. Seal the knot and trim one end short; the other end should have a 50mm tail. This will support the end of the table. Feed the tail through the 0.7mm hole from the underside of the table.
Hook the table over the eyebolts in the bulwark, but don’t glue it yet. The other end will be supported by the deck beams later on.
Glue the benches to the deck on both sides of the table. Repeat steps 1 to 11 to make a second table and benches for the other side of the model if desired.

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

Issue 141 - Contains wooden strips, grating strips, cannon balls, laser-cut beams, port linings and knees, die-cast pump parts & dowel., and has instructions for fitting the middle deck support beams, fiting the support columns and roller fairleads, making & fitting the shot garlands, and making & fitting the gratings.

Issue 142 - Contains assorted wooden strips, brass rod & wire, thread and cotton fabric., and has instructions for making hammocks, lining the entry ports, making the gunners' tools & tool brackets, and finishing the mast.