Next up were the Orlop Deck supports. These are really simple - detach from the template, remove the charred edges, glue, 220 grit, 320 grit. However, you do need to be very patient with a few of them, especially as you get closer to the bow and stern ribs.

Reading ahead in the instructions (something I always do), it was apparent that there were many pieces that were very similar is size and shape. Therefore I initially took a pencil and wrote the corresponding part number next to each bit while it was still in the template. Simple refer to the instructions at the beginning of this section and you will see the reference numbers. This helped ensure that, as I removed pieces, I knew exactly which ones paired together to make the Orlop supports.

When assembling I was extra careful to ensure the pillar beam was 90 degrees to the joist. If you don't do this you will regret it later as you may struggle to properly fit these to the ribs.

Installation of the stern Orlop supports continued. I made sure to level each and every one and also made sure to continuously check level of the dry dock as well as making sure the ship was properly seated within the dry dock. I have a bit of a wonky work area, so these checks and double checks are necessary to make sure I haven't accidentally knocked out a shim under the dry dock. Eventually, all stern Orlop supports were in place and looking pretty good.

Yes ! Those kinds of things happen. I expect it to happen to me at some point . It always does. With this model, I'm glad that I no longer have a house cat.

Hi Tenderfoot,
That is really annoying when you catch something with your sleeve and snap it off but yes, it does happen.
I remember when I first started modelling that I was always having to carry out repair work. Accidents occur and as has been said, it probably happens in the real world a lot more than we imagine.
You are making a fantastic job of this ship and I look forward to seeing more progress.
Chris

Like you I jumped ahead and built the lifeboat. Unlike you I made a complete horlicks of the job! It ended up useless with more glue than wood Yes the ribs are extremely fragile. Fortunately I have access to a laser cutting machine and recut the sheets in 1.5mm ply which was stronger but the wrong colour. Not too bad when stained. I strengthened the ribs by putting a thin layer of super glue on both sides. I misread the instructions and thought the strips at the bottom went on the outside not as planks. I am enjoying the build but am envious of your obvious skills. Many congratulations

Next up were the bow Orlop supports. Basically the same process as the stern supports and again, emphasizing the need to level the cross beam for these and always double checking that the dry dock is level and the ship is properly seated within the dry dock.

The final support that is closest to the bow was the most tedious (attached an image of this one). It must have taken me at least two dozen turns or test fit, sand, test fit, sand. Due to the complexity of the angles where the support connects to the rib it was critical to take all the time needed to get a nice fit. This may seem a bit tedious, but I actually enjoy it. I find that I like to imaging the skills needed for carpenters back in the old days to cut these angles so precisely. Not to mention the engineering it took to calculate the exact compound angles needed at these points...truly impressive and inspiring.

Once all the bow Orlop supports were in place and after a short break to scrutinize my efforts I find myself satisfied with the results.

Having decided to lay the support up next to the ribs to get a feel for how they would align and attach it quickly became apparent that there would be a need for some bending. This is another case where the instructions are a bit light for those who are new to these types of models. A beginner may not be aware of the need to bend these let alone a method for doing so. For those who may find it helpful I will provide the method that I use.

Another issue with this step is the joint in the supports. If you do not bend these before hand there is really no way to get these to fit properly without them coming apart where you glued two pieces together. I have included a couple images that highlight where the joint is that would separate as well as how much of a bend would be needed for both the bow and the stern areas.

Once the bending was to my satisfaction it was time to attach the supports. Some of the ribs have precut locations where the supports rest. This was extremely helpful and kudos to the designers for including these. Simply lay the supports along the inside of the ribs, taking not to align them as indicated by the laser etched rib numbers on the supports as well as resting the supports within the precut area of specific ribs.

These were fairly simply in the stern, however, towards the bow I did find that the bend was a bit extreme and it was difficult to keep the support tight against the rib. Similar to what Gandale suggested in an earlier post on the benefit of brass pins for repairs, this is a situation where I like to use brass pins for structural reasons.

Knowing this area will not be visible on the finished model, but also understanding the importance of keeping the supports tight against the ribs at an area where there is an extreme bend in a plank I decided to use a brass pin in the last couple ribs. Initially I had planned to only keep these in place until the glue was thoroughly dry. However, after further contemplation I decided it was best to keep them in place permanently.

For those new to this practice, my brass pins are nothing more than a brass nail with the head cut off. Typically, I will pin/nail as needed without driving the nail all the way in. Then I go back and snip off the head. This snipping of the head after putting the nail in place also has the benefit of driving the pin a bit further into place - the energy of the snip causes the pin to dig further in, but note it also causes the head to go flying across the room. Once I snip the head I may sometimes need to drive the pin a bit further to make it flush with the wood. Typically I do this with a nail driver (those little palm things that sort of punch a nail into the wood).

An excellent build diary giving a very good insight into what to expect for future builds.
Well done Tenderfoot.
Chris

Last post for today...couldn't wait and decided to test out some options for the wood finish. But a quick note before I go further. To all newcomers to the trade, it has been strongly suggested by literally everyone in the universe to use a piece of test wood for your finishing choice before actually applying to your actual model. This advice is so universally accepted that I, knowing better than everyone in the universe, have decided in the past to completely ignore it.

I know what I want...and I want it now!

Yeah...it never works out as planned.

Listen to the universe...it has been around a lot longer than you or I. When the universe speaks, we must listen. Always, always, always use a test piece for staining/varnishing tests. Never, never, never test directly on your model because you think you are the smartest entity in the universe...you will be quickly humbled. And likely upset. And likely spend a lot of time correcting your mistake. And, if you start a build log, likely copying this post into your log.

That said...I went ahead and took a couple scrap pieces to test my thoughts on a finish for the wood. Initially I thought I would go with a simple wipe on poly, but after seeing the results I was not happy. For me, the grain of the wood just did not stand out enough and the overall color was a bit drab...sort of reminded me of the wood on a weathered shed or barn...not what I was going for.

So I went ahead and tried Minwax Gunstock stain. Personally, I like stains in the reddish family as they tend to really bring out the natural beauty of wood with some nice contrast in the grain. After applying the Gunstock I was much much happier. However, it still just seemed a bit flat.

So I also tried doing a wipe on poly on top of the Gunstock and what do you know...perfection! This is what I was going for. The grain stands out with such glamour, like a movie star on the red carpet...such beauty.

I have attached some images to show the process. I actually did this same test on a piece of scrap wood that was only sanded with 240 grit along with the piece of scrap that I sanded down to 320 grit. I like the lighter, more delicate details the 320 grit bring. It may be difficult to see in the images, so I highlighted with an arrow the difference between the stain and the stain+poly on the 320 grit piece. Also included a shot that has the 240 grit piece alongside the 320 to show the difference. Again, the difference is much more visible in real life than in the photos - doing the best I can with my smartphone camera.