Issue 60 - Contains assorted wood strips, dowel, grating strips, 'L' brackets, chimney, eyebolts, bulwark trims, cannonballs, acetate sheet & pin rails; and has instructions for fitting the skid beams, adding the ladders & frames, and preparing and finishing of the forecastle bulwarks.
A lot to do in this issue, carefully study the steps and take your time!You will also need to have to hand from issue 59: The turned pillars, skid beams, completed ladders, 2x5mm & 2x10mm strips, and from 58 the 2x10mm strips.
Fitting the skid beams & pillars - The skid beams are fitted into the large opening (waist) of the quarterdeck, each beam is supported by two wooden pillars and is made up of two halves.
Start by measuring the length of the opening, then divide your measurement by seven to calculate the distance between each beam.
Place strips of masking tape along the long side edges of the opening, mark the front edge of the opening on the masking tape, then make six pencil marks, each spaced by the measurement you calculated earlier.
Then take two pillars and make sure the tops and bottoms are smooth/flat/identical in height, glue them either side of the grating - Use a strip of wood to ensure you place their centres in line with the pencil marks.
Repeat the process in line with all pencil marks until you have added six pairs of pillars, (with 2 pillars left over).
The outermost side of each skid beam half is flat, while the other runs parallel for a short distance, then tapers.
Sand the laser-burned edges off the beams, and round off the thin end inwards towards the mating surface of the corresponding beam half.
Apply glue to the contact area of where the beam halves meet, fit the two halves together holding them in position between the lining of the opening to get the right length, but
DO NOT glue them into position upon the pillars at this stage.
When the glue is dry, stain the beams to your chosen colour or you have opted for the painted version paint them black; when the glue is dry glue each beam into place on top of the pillars and then remove the masking tape.
Adding the ladders and frames - Note the positioning of the ladders within the opening - The ladders nearest the bow fit up against the lining, and the aft ladders fit against the forward edge of the last beam, glue the ladders into place.
To make the frames of the opening, take a piece of 3x3mm strip, mark and then cut to length to fit between the two ladders; repeat for both sides. Then mark and cut a third 3x3mm strip to fit across the front of the opening.
Round off the upper ends of the side strips, then stain or paint all three strips to match the linings of the opening, glue them into position on top of the linings so that they are flush with the edge of the linings.
Preparing the forecastle bulwarks - Measure the height of the forward bulwark above the head deck, it should be 28 to 29mm.
If it is too low or high, build up the bulwark with a strip cut from a spare length of plank, or sand the height down.
Now measure 150mm back from the inside planking of the forward bulwark and make a pencil mark on the side planking.
Then cut a small piece of 3x3mm wood, and glue it on the inside of the bulwark so that it fits between the pencil mark and the next rib forward.
Then cut and glue a small piece of 2x5mm plank to extend the lower planking as far as the pencil mark.
To make it easier to cap the forward bulwarks, thin the forward frames from 3mm to 1.5mm, (the bulwark capping will be fitted later on).
Cut and glue two strips of 2x5mm plank to form the inside of the bulwark. The upper plank can stop about 50mm short of the end, as the bulwark will taper down to the deck, use a plank bender so that the planks follow the curve of the bulwark.
The forward bulwark needs to be cut to height, make a mark at the front the same height as the height measured earlier above the head deck at the forward bulkhead (height of 28 or 29mm), the rear mark is made 2mm above the deck; draw a line between the two points on the outside of the planking, and then using a razor saw, cut just above the line to remove the excess planking.
Sand the top of the bulwarks smooth and straight, and continue until flush with the forward bulkhead.
Line the inside of the front bulwarks with 2x5mm planks, when the glue is dry sand the top flush with the forward bulkhead and the inside surface smooth.
Take the 4x4m strip, and cut a strip to fit across the front of the deck so that it fits up against the bulwark, but
DO NOT glue into place as yet.
Using a 3x3mm strip, cut two lengths 15mm long and two lengths 20mm long, and then drill shallow 1.5mm holes spaced 3mm apart (cannonballs will be seated into the shallow's at a later point).
Stain the 4x4mm bulkhead strip and cannonball pieces your chosen colour and glue them into place, if painting, paint them black and glue into place after having painted as noted below.
At this stage, if you are painting your model, you need to paint the inside of the forecastle and poop bulwarks yellow ochre.
Finishing the bulwarks - The bulwarks are completed by adding capping strips provided in 58, 59 & 60.
The capping process is repeated both sides of the model, you should retain all offcuts as they will be required to complete the process.
Take two lengths of 2x8mm strip (from 59) and cut them to fit along the quarterdeck in the space between the forward and aft bulwarks. Sand the strips to remove any rough edges, and round off the corners, then stain or paint and glue into place with the outer edge overhanging the hull by 1mm.
Use the offcuts of 2x8mm strip, and cut small uprights to fit the need of the aft quarterdeck bulwark, sand, stain or paint and glue into place.
Fit a length of 2x10mm strip (from 58) on top of the aft quarterdeck bulwark. Cut a section out of the aft end to fit around the curved edge of the poop bulwark, and trim the forward end of the capping flush the with upright just installed, stain or paint these caps and glue into place, so that you have a 1mm overhang as before.
The poop bulwark capping needs a tight curve. Take a 2x10mm strip (from 58), and make a series of shallow cuts with a razor saw across the first 20mm of one end. Space the cuts 1mm apart, and make them 1 to 1.5mm deep, being careful not to cut through the strip.
Soak the cut end in hot water to make it pliable so that the end of the strip will bend around the curved part of the bulwark. Because of the tight radius, you might find it easier to glue this cap strip in place before staining/painting; hold the front end of the cap in place with two pins and hold the main length of the cap down with pins or weights. Finish the strip length using offcuts, which should be shaped to meet with the gallery wall.
Cut a length of 2x8mm strip so that it is about 20mm wider than the front bulwark (overhangs 10mm either end). Stain/paint and glue this strip into position, leaving the front edge of the strip overhanging the forward edge of the bulwark by about 1.5mm.
Then cut a piece of 2x12mm strip so that the forward end fits against the rear edge of the strip just fitted, and that the rear end extends over the previously fitted quarter deck strip by 1mm.
Stain/paint the strip and glue into place, flush with the inner face of the bulwark at the front and the cap strip at the rear.
Sand/trim the ends of the forward bulkhead cap flush with the butting cap strips, then touch up the stain or paint as necessary.
That's it for this week, carefully store the remaining parts for later use.
Future issues:Issue 61 - Contains assorted wood strips, eyebolts, blocks, thread & crosstree parts; and has instructions for the assembly of the main mast fighting top.
Issue 62 - Contains a 1:1 main mast plans, assorted wood strips, mast dowel, heart blocks, mast collar, thread, pulley blocks & mast top supports; and has instructions for the start of the main mast build; starting with the shaping of the upper end of the lower mast, shaping the base of the lower mast and adding the top supports, (the main mast is not installed until later on).
Issue 63 - Contains assorted dowel & wood strips, cross tree parts, blocks, mast caps, thread, heart blocks, eyebolts, guides and cradles; and has further instructions for preparing the lower main mast, mast cap, cross trees, main top mast and the fitting of the main top mast.
Issue 64 - Contains dowel & wood strip, assorted blocks, brass wire, thread, quarter irons, studding sail boom irons and gun port wriggles; and has instructions for the making of the main topgallant mast and adding the rigging blocks to the main mast.
Tomick attached the following image(s):