This is a thread specific to the Armed Virginia Sloop by Model Shipways, but relevant comments from other modeling experiences are welcome.

freewheelinguy and I are both in the early stages with this model, which seems to be nearly as common as a Bluenose. He made mention of the great customer service from Model Expo, replacing a broken bulkhead, and after we exchanged some emails on the topic, we agreed to start this thread to share what we'd discussed and open it up for more to join in.

My next post contains the messages we've exchanged up to this point.

- Tom

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1/13/2005, 3:12pm
From tomse3
To freewheelinguy

I saw from your post in the Model Shipways thread that you'd broken a bulkhead when working on the Armed Virginia Sloop.

I think you and I are at nearly the same stage on the same model ... My next step is to put in the deck beams for the subdecks, before starting the planking. This will be my first "serious" wooden ship model, so I'm doing a lot of study.

I, too, broke bulkheads ... and I figured out how to repair them. Bulkheads A and B have particularly vulnerable extensions. I ended up cutting them off in a straight line that extended below deck level about an inch, gluing in some of strip wood and sanding back to the right profile. I did something similar for bulkhead extensions that were severly out of line ... sometimes by gluing additional wood (such as basswood plank) and sanding away most of the original; sometimes just replacing the whole thing.

A major bonus to this fix is that the grain of the bulkhead extensions is running the right way ... some of those laser-cut bulkhead extensions have grain at 45 degrees to the direction of the extension, making them very weak.

I also broke a bulkhead where it joined the keel .. snapped it right in half. At that point I decided to follow some of the advice I'd read on planking. I went to Michael's and bought a bag of mixed balsa stuff, and glued filler blocks between all the bulkheads. This not only reinforced the whole structure, but sanding them down helped guide the correct beveling of the bulkhead edges, making for more sure planking. I'll still be fastening the planks primarily to bulkheads, but I won't have to worry about planks showing discrete bends around them.

I've found that learning how to repair broken pieces is a major way to boost my modeling skills.

Drop me a line if you have any questions or problems. I may not have an answer, but at least I'll know where you're coming from.

- Tom

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1/14/2005, 12:07pm
To tomse3
From freewheelinguy

Yes, I think we're just about at the same stage of construction. This is my first attempt, also of a plank on bulkhead model. Don't know if you know about this site, but I'm building mine using a Practicum developed for this model at website
http://www.lauckstreetshipyard.com/
It's been very helpful. It's his approach of how to successfully build this and other models. Don't know if you have mounted the subdeck yet, but I can tell you it's very fragile. Broke off numerous edge pieces while fairing the hull.

Happy shipbuilding,
Len

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1/14/2005, 5:15pm
From tomse3
To freewheelinguy

I was wondering about that Practicum, since I'm a relative beginner too. They also sell a CD of pictures of the process ... any recommendation there?

I'm half way through installing the subdeck beams, but I've already done most of the hull fairing as part of the balsa filler block work between bulkheads.

Actually, "filler block" is a bit of a misnomer. The stern portion has blocks that completly fill the space between the bulkheads, but for the rest I just used diagonal blocks that would fill between the keel and the deck line.

After I finished sanding the blocks, I smeared some DAP lightweight spackle over the hull and sanded it after it dried. This gave me a first-cut at fairing the hull; I then addressed out-of-alignment bulkheads, re-spackled and re-sanded. I'm pretty happy with the result, although it's ugly. Glad it'll be planked.

So, given that, do you think I'll have problems with the subdeck?

I'm wondering if we should share this thread with the rest. Would you like to start one? Would you like me to start one? Or would you rather leave it as private?

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1/14/2005, 8:03pm
To tomse3
From freewheelinguy

I have no problem sharing these messages with anyone. Might be helpful to others.

Not sure about the photo CD's and what they contain, but I highly recommend the Practicum. They may contain only the photo's of this prac or maybe more detail.

Once we mounted the bulkheads we added the subdecks which gave rigidity to them. Then we faired the hull.

He had us do the rabbet for the keel differently then instructed in the plans. On his webpage he gives a sample chapter for each ship. Our ship has Chapter 3. I'm in Chapter 1 adding the bow filler blocks. If you send me your email I can forward this Chapter, this will give you a good idea of how he did the ship up to where we are. I can also take pictures of what I've done so far.

You're right that the model's in need of support in the early stages. Using the subdeck for that support is a risky approach, but the Practicum you're following has a stated constraint of building the kit as-is, so I guess that was their only option.

I'm attaching a shot of the balsa "filler block" approach I garnered from this website's 12-step article on planking. I took the cheap route and, except for the first bow and last three stern slots, just used diagonal balsa blocks to stretch from the bearding line toward the deck level. I have to admit that I'm cutting corners here (literally :wink: ). I was trying to stretch my supply of balsa.

When I decided to go this route, I realized two things: 1) it would slow me down a lot; and 2) that's not a bad thing. The process of building the model is my main joy, so anything that would stretch the time (while still making visible progress) would help me savor the experience even more. Kinda like mileage ... more enjoyment per kit dollar.

It took a while, but I got lots of experience "fine tuning" blocks thicknesses to fit between the bulkheads.

- Tom

The attached picture shows the hull after spackling and sanding. You can see where it filled out areas that would have been too low. It really gives me a lot more confidence that my planking will follow the right lines, particularly in the bow and stern.

Ben Lankford, who did the drawings and instruction book for the Model Shipways kit, also sells a book called "How to Build First-rate Ship Models From Kits". I got it as part of a "package deal" when I bought this kit. I used the kind of spackle he recommends in that book: DAP Lightweight Spackling ("Fast 'N Final") It goes on with minimal mess, cleans up with water and doesn't crack or shrink. Its finished consistency is approximately that of balsa, which is both good and bad. On the up side, it makes for consistent sanding between bulkheads. On the down side, it's vulnerable to later knicks and scratches, but since it's going to be planked over, that's not a real worry.

- Tom

DAP Lightweight Spackling ("Fast 'N Final") It goes on with minimal mess, cleans up with water and doesn't crack or shrink That is good stuff to use. Have you ever tried "Bondo"? See this old post - "Re: Modeling Paste (http://shipmodeling.net/vb_forum/showpost.php?p=784&postcount=9) ". Great for the final smoothing before painting. Sands down to a very fine feathered edge.

Hi Tom,

That's great what you did. I'm also feeling apprehensive in sending Chapter 1. I'll be posting a picture of my model once I complete chapter one.

Your model looks great, but it looks like a lot of extra work. Adding the subdeck did add alot of rigidity to the bulkheads and made it fairly easy to fair them. And your right, it's not about finishing fast but the enjoyment of the experience.

Len

OK, I'm officially ready to start the planking. When I realized I'd done all the prep work, I grabbed my camera and snapped things just as they were, to document the transition. I didn't mean it to look like an ad for Titebond II. I'd just finished putting in the subdeck and waterways, it just happend to be sitting there when I took the shot.

I have to admit that I prefer to limit my CA use to small things that are hard to clamp and won't be stressed. CA is so brittle that I am a bit leery of it when working with wood, since wood "moves" with changes in humidity.

I like the longer open time that Titebond gives me ... I can apply glue to both surfaces without hurrying. The clamping time can be minimized if I keep the glue on each surface to just a very thin smear (the less glue in the joint, the stronger to bond). I let each surface air dry for up to a minute before I press them together. When I glued in the subdeck and waterways, I could hand-press the pieces for the couple of minutes it took for the glue to set, and "fine tune" the alignment where needed during that time. When cured, the glue remains slightly rubbery, so it continues to hold even if the wood moves.


Len, the kit's instructions say to start planking with the transom and counter. Is that what your practicum does too?

In his instructions he starts with a 1/4inch plank (1/8inch above and below the subdeck) starting at the bow beveling it and placing into the rabbet and running aft using the provided pins to secure to bulkheads. Prior to doing this he puts a centerline on the inside of the plank, so you can see that your centered. He says he starts here because its the weakest point on the bulkheads. This is different than the plans. Then he mounts a 1/8inch plank above this, adds the waterways inside, then planks the transom. Hope this helps.

I've finished Chapter 1 and am posting photo's once I finish this email.

Take care,
Len

Interesting approach. Sounds like he's still dealing with the fragility of the keel & bulkhead structure.

Based on what you described, that plank doesn't match up to the wale, which should have a top edge even with the top of the waterways. Since the waterways were 1/16" above the subdeck, your plank will either need to be removed or you'll have to drill through it for the scuppers.

I'm looking forward to seeing what yours looks like.

- Tom

I not that far yet, but he has the wale top even with that first 1/4inch plank. He talks about the suppers in Chapter 3 which is the preview chapter for this Practicum. You can go there and check out how he addresses this.

I've posted the photo's in my album: Freewheelinguy's (http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=136)

I went ahead and bought the $25 photo CD from the Lauck Street Shipyart practicum. What finally tipped the balance was frustration with my sloop's stern construction

The drawings and instructions that came with the kit were correct as far as they went, but I just needed to see some pictures to figure out why my initial planking didn't seem quite right.

It turns out that the instructions make the assumption that you are not a complete novice, so you just _know_ that the counter planking starts at the wing transom. Of course, if this was a pank-on-frame construction it would be clearer, but where POF would have stern framing below the wing transom, this one's got a filler block. After fairing, it was hard to see where they'd joined, since they came from the same piece of stock, and the significance of the wing transom is lost to the uninitiated.

So ... I've ripped off and re-built the transom planks maybe three times, but based on Bob Hunt's practicum photos, I think I'm finally back on track.

It's interesting to see the different approach that the practicum takes. It diverges from the kit's instructions in surprising ways. The construction sequence is altered, as was mentioned in an earlier posting. In the sequence for building up the transom, the practicum has you install the stern sub-deck first. The kit has you build up the transom long before you get to the subdeck. By following the kit, you get a slight "saddle" shape to the stern decking, with a very small upward sweep toward the stern. With the practicum, you don't get this final upward sweep, as the bend of the subdeck forces a simple curve.

In other divergences, the gunport sills are added after the hull and ceiling planking, and I couldnt' tell from the photos how he'd deal with the planking gap in the sweep ports, which the kit has you fill in prior to planking. Also, the first layer of basswood planking of the wales is intentionally out of sync with the final layer of walnut planking . (The photos also showed final planking butts lined up on alternate planks, rather than every fourth. Go figure.)

I guess the lesson here is that, even with kits, each modeler's final product is going to be distinctive in more ways than you'd see with plastic kits. I think that's one of the big draws for me toward wooden modeling - there's more freedom for kit bashing.


- Tom

Hi Jerry, Welcome Aboard.
I never followed a practicum, but I understand that the "College" is very good.
I have a great way to mark off the reference lines on bulkheads if anyone is interested.Yes, why don't you post it. It may be of help to a lot of modelers.

Update- things are going slow.
Working on fairing the inner bulkhead extensions, then I'll be mounting the waterways. I can see now why Bob had us add two outer planks first. I'm sure I would have snapped several in this process without them. Following will be planking the stern transom. Hopefully, I won't run into the problems you did.

I'm very impressed with Bob's practicum. Being a novice, building without it, I'm sure I would have been very frustrated by now. And possibly just given up, although I hope not. It is tedious work, but I find it very rewarding.

Did Bob include the AVS Planking Scheme drawing with the Photo pack?

Take care,
Len

No, the Photo pack was just that - photos, no drawings. I guess they're considered part of the practicum text itself.

Yes, those bulkhead extensions are pretty fragile. In retrospect, I think my breaking one (ok, several) of them early on was really good for me. It forced me to think outside the (kit) box and come up with a viable fix, and got me more into a "kit bash" frame of mind.

I'm still following the kit's build sequence, but I feel much more free about it. I'm not afraid to look at something and say, "That's not quite right." and then tear it out, re-create the parts and go at it again.

Also, so far I'm still using mostly Titebond II rather than CA, so taking something apart an hour later is a bit easier. The other thing this glue does is force a more methodical pace, so I have time to back up and really look at how things are shaping up.

I've completed the counter and transom planking (both layers), and last night I finished up the fashion pieces and taffrail and got started on the port wale.

I must say that planking the stern was a most gentle introduction to planking and spiling. It started with straight, flat panks across the counter, then moved into very minimally bent and spiled planks around the stern lights. Nice little baby steps for a novice.

Here's a general newbie question for the more experienced modelers: Is the wale strake generally modeled as single plank from stem to stern? I seem to remember seeing scarfing patterns for wale strakes that would mean there would be no visible butts as one sees on the lower hull planking. What's the common approach for 1:48 scale models?

Hi folks,

I too am a student of the College. Before I chose this avenue of learning I was lost trying to build the AL Swift 1805. I'm now in chapter 2 of the AVS practicum and combined with reading some great books and reading online forums, I now have a much better grasp of the concept of model shipwrighting.
I'm currently having a challenge with the counter planking on the stern. My first try, I failed to thoroughly read and pay attention to what the practicum was instructing. Once I realized the counter planks stop flush with the bottom of the 1/4" wale plank I was finally starting to get it:) Now I just need to make sure the walnut planks and the arched fashion pieces all work out nice and neat.
Is it just me or does anyone else find one reason wood ship building is so much fun is because it is so challenging?

Don

Hi Don, and welcome!

Yes, the stern planking was a bit of a challenge ... as I mentioned above, it took me three tries before I was satisfied. After all that hassle, the fashion piece seemed to just come together easily. I'm delaying thinning the arch to its final thickness until I get the final layer of walnut on the black strake, but I'm pleased with how it all shaped up.

I also decided to cut the taffrail from the walnut sheet that holds the main rails. It's the right thickness, and the section of the sheet between the laser cut main rails offers a good choice of a curved piece to bring down to the sweep of the taffrail.

And yes, the fun is in the challenges of figuring things out, inventing new techniques, etc. This weekend I hope to have some time to come up with a jig that will help me assemble the cannon carriages consistenly and squarely.

Not that I'm that far along in the AVS ... At this point I'm shaping the black strakes, locating and carving their scuppers before I glue them in place.

Glad you have you join us, Don. It sounds like you, Len and I are all working in approximately the same phase of the kit.

- Tom

Progress Report:

I've attached a couple of shots of where I am tonight. They show the port black strake clamped for gluing; the view's from the starboard side, where you can see the other black strake. I tried to show some of the stern planking in the second shot.

Since I'm using Titebond rather than CA, I needed a lot of clamps. I found a pack of clothes pins in the local supermarket, and they seem to be sufficient. I've trimmed the claming faces of about half of them, cutting back 45 degrees from the front contact surfaces. This let me set some clamps at right angles to the hull, catching the upper edge of the black strake and the lower edge of the wale, to make sure they stayed butted together during glue-up. (These don't show too well in the photos, but you can make them out in the first shot.)

In the foreground of the shots you can see my quick & dirty "scupper tool". I'd puzzled a bit over how to get consistent scuppers. I ended up trimming some scrap to a short length with a cross-section that matched the scuppers. I then glued sandpaper to it, and glued it to another bit of scrap that had a straight edge. I then held the plank at right angles to the tool and started sanding, keeping it aligned with my fingers sliding along the tool's edge. I worked each scupper until the plank hit the wood on either side of the sanding bit. Nice & easy, and a consistent shape and depth.

My scuppers don't exactly match the plans (not quite as squat as what the plans show) but I'm satisfied. As the saying goes, "If you can't be right, be neat."

The AVS kit has a notorious "design flaw" that Lauck Street Practicum describes in its "free sample" extract. In it there's considerable discussion of the problem aligning the cannons if the spirketing plank is installed with the height as shown. This plank needs to be 1/16" narrower than the specified 3/16". This is revealed in the Practicum as the ceiling planking is being planned.

In the Practicum, Bob Hunt takes pains to build up a cannon ahead of time and prototype its position on the deck relative to the gun ports. He teaches a very important lesson here, to look ahead and understand where things will be fitting together later.

Here's another instance where the difference between the kit's and the Practicum's build sequence makes for a different modeling experience. I don't have all of the Practicum, but based on the free sample portion of the text and the photo CD that I bought, I didn't see much attention paid to the black strake (the one that sits atop the main wale and is the outlet for the scuppers). In fact, the Practicum's basswood layer at the wales were intentionally wider and "higher up" than the external walnut planking would be, effectively erasing the black strake at the basswood layer. And the Practicum's photos show no scupper holes in the external planking at the time the spirketing plank is installed atop the waterways.

I'm following the kit's instruction sequence, and after installing the black strake I immediately saw the issue that Hunt would encounter later, but on the basis of the external planking alone.

The seam between the wales and the black strake has to line up with the top of the waterways (which had been installed earlier). This provides one of the fixed reference points for planking, much like the garboard strake and the sheer strake.

There's one other reference point I noted, relative to the black strake: its top edge lines up with the top of the stem. However, the distance from the top of the waterway to the top of the stem is only 1/8". This confirms Hunt's design flaw discovery, but at a much earlier point in the construction. And for those who choose to lay the basswood layer to match as closely as possible the final walnut layer, it means the black strake has to be 1/16" narrower, as will the spirketing plank later on.

The need for this adjustment is confirmed when the kits instructions mention that the top of the black strake forms the bottom sill of the gun ports. The kit's earlier placement of the gun port filler pieces falls 1/16" below the edge of the installed black strake.

I tried to determine from Ben Lankford's plans where things might have drifted off. As near as I can tell, I think he expected the waterways to be 1/16" lower than they are. I'd guess that the keel and bulkheads are off from the get-go. Mistaking the deck plank top surface for the subdeck bottom surface during the drafting process would account for it.

This also reiterates another lesson from Bob Hunt: Don't assume that the instructions or laser-cut parts that come with a kit are 100% accurate.

- Tom

This weekend I'm about to complete the first layer of outboard planking above the wales.

One detail that I'm not seeing clearly in any resources or photos is the end-grain of the planking that extends from the quarter deck to just above the aft sweep port. I guess I'll just plan for a bit of walnut facing on the forward edge. (Any other suggestions are welcome.)

I'm still undecided about how I'll paint the model. I hate to cover up good walnut and I love the look of wood, but I also like the paint scheme of the inboard areas. I'll have to make up my mind at some point.

My next step will be to start on the planking between the wales and the keel. I expect to be in this phase for a while.

- Tom

My AVS arrived last night and I took the time to check all the parts. One bundle of wood strips was missing, but it sure was an education checking through everything. I'll start building soon, but I expect to be slow - lots of stuff going on in the Army right now, so have to take time when I can.

I also bought the Fair-a-Frame and will put that thing together first.
Dan

Welcome to the group, Dan. Model Shipways is real good with replacing missing or damaged parts. Their policy is to replace any with no questions asked. I broke a bulkhead and my walnut keel was warped. Filled out the form online at their website and received replacements in a few days.

Status on my model is I'm finishing the second planking on the transom (Chapter 2 of Bob Hunt's Freshman Practicum). I'm finding that the walnut planking is very easy to split. Especially, when making the tiny pieces between the stern window.

Happy modeling,
Len

I have received some questions regarding how I worked up the hull with balsa filler blocks, and I thought I'd share my answers here.

1. Did you shape the frames before you installed balsa?

My decision to do the balsa filler blocks came late ... I'd glued the bulkheads into place, carved and shaped the basswood filler blocks at the bow and faired the frames. I hate to admit it, but I decided to go that route because, while working on shaping the wing transom and the filler block below it, I wasn't paying attention to how I was holding the ship, and snapped a mid-ship bulkhead off at the keel. #-o That wasn't the first bulkhead I'd broken, and I figured out that gluing it back wouldn't be strong enough. So I went to my local Michael's and bought one of those random grab-bags of balsa from Midwest. The resulting construction is not only stronger, but I've found that the balsa surface between the bulkheads is great for planking. I can easily push T-pins into it along the open side of a plank to keep it flush against the previous plank during glue-up.

(I've since seen comments on other forums about the weakness of the 3/16" basswood bulkheads that Model Shipways uses. It made me feel a bit less of a klutz for having broken them.)


>2. Did you use balsa for the bow filler block or the kit supplied wood?

I used the supplied basswood. :idea: I also used another trick I came across while scanning ship modeling forums, for shaping the bow filler blocks. Using some of the spare wood from one of the bulkhead sheets, I duplicated the center profile former from the bow to just fore of the bulkhead B slot. I then slipped the A bulkhead into this "fake" bow, glued the blocks to the bulkhead (but NOT the fake bow) and then rough-shaped the blocks. This allowed me to go at it from all kinds of angles that wouldn't have been possible if the full ship (and walnut stem!) had been along for the ride. When I'd got it most of the way, I slipped the A bulkhead, with attached blocks, back onto the profile former for final glue-up and fairing.


>3. When the frames didn't quite reach the bearding line, did you make repairs before adding balsa?

I dunno ... I guess I took my bearding line from the bulkheads. I didn't see enough discrepancy between the parts and the plans to worry about it. (Maybe I wasn't paying attention. :yikes: )

>4. What sanding method did you use? Hand or block

I bought my kit directly from Model Shipways, and they had (have?) a package deal where you get the kit, a book by Ben Langford and a set of tools. In the tool kit was a nice 1" X 5" sanding block with rounded ends. That's what I used. Particularly when you're sanding a surface of mixed woods, you want to avoid hand sanding because you'll dip into the softer woods and end up with very nicely rounded lumps.


- Tom

I've finished the first layer of planking from the shear line to the bottom of what's labeled Belt A on the plans. I figured I'd next tackle Belt C which starts with the garboard strake along the keel, and move up to finish with Belt B.

My first order of business is to tack battens in place to define the line between Belt B and Belt C.

I started ticking off the marks for the upper edge of Belt C, beginning at the bow and working back. When I got to the mid-ship bulkhead, I was surprised to see a big discrepancy between the fore and aft planking views (Plan Sheet 2).

At bulkhead G, the outermost bulkhead shown in the fore planking view, Belt C consists of the garboard strake plus two planks. This matches the instruction book's description of Belt C on page 17: "This belt consists of the garboard strake a little wider than 3/16" and two broad strakes about 3/16" wide amidships."

However, at bulkhead H, the outermost bulkhead shown in the aft planking view, Belt C includes three strakes above the garboard strake instead of two. :no:

So I figured the plank line in the aft planking view flagged as the divider between Belt C and Belt B must be mis-marked: it must be the next lower line.

Ticking off the distances near the stern from the planking profile view at first seemed to confirm this, although nothing on the plans seemed to exactly match up. But then that didn't make sense after all, because Belt B wouldn't match its description on the same page of the instruction booklet: "Belts A and B each include six equal width planks amidships ..." and both the fore and aft mid-ship planking views show six planks for Belts A and B. If I choose the lower line for the B-C divider from the afte view, Belt B has six planks in the fore panking view and seven in the aft planking view. :yikes:

So nothing's adding up. The aft planking view has one more strake at midships than the fore planking view. I'm a bit at a loss as to how to position the battens that will guide my dividing line between belts B and C, particularly at the bow. :=((

Has anybody got any insight into this? If not, I'm just going to come up with my own solution and not expect the plans to provide accurate planking measurements.

I think perhaps I should go to bed and not try to force a solution tonight.

- Tom

Once again I am reminded that there's a fair amount of "scratch" even with an "entry level" kit.

I took stock of my situation with the planking, and determined that the best approach would be to figure things out myself. I took a lot of measurements, comparing the width of the A and B bands on the plans (they're roughly equal), the width of my finished A band, where a similar-width B band would end, and how much space was left for the C band.

Based on what I've completed so far, I figured that my C band would, at midships, have to consist of three 1/4" wide planks, with some narrowing toward the bow and with two stealers toward the stern.

I then reviewed what basswood I had left, and realized that I'd used the 3/16" almost exclusively for the A planking band. Where I probably should have used some 3/4" stock and done more spiling, I edge-bent instead. If I am to have enough of the 3/16" planking left for the decking, I'm going to have to finish up the rest of the hull planking using the 1/4" and 1/8" basswood strips. I'm sure I'll have enough stock ... I'll just be honing my spiling skills a bit more than I'd expected. :=)

The only siginificant departure of my approach from the written instructions is the wider two planks above the garboard strake, but looking at the profile view of the planking plan (sheet 2) it looks like that's what they've got going there too. This is especially visible at the stern where, thanks to a couple of stealers, Band C flares out into five planks that are each just a shave away from a full 1/4".

I find I'm still using Titebond almost exclusively ... the only place I've used CA is to "tack down" the stern ends of planks after their sharp bend below the wing transom. I'm more comfortable with a glue that gives me time to "fine tune" a plank's position, and that forces me to take my time and think about what I'm doing.

Maybe after I've done a few more models I'll feel more at ease with the process and be happy with the speedier pace of CA, but for now I feel like I'm not ready to take the training wheels off my bike.

Back to work. :build:

I think I'm the slowest guy on God's green earth. I finally finished putting in balsa filler and fairing the frame - except for the filler pieces at the stem, which I'm working on.

When I trimmed my main deck to accommodate the actual location of extensions, it split with the grain between extension openings. I'm considering just installing it with those tiny pieces missing. I'll have to make up for their thickness later. It's not too bad as a whole.

The Cabin deck and quarter deck seemed to work out fine. I'll attach all the decks once I'm finished with the stem filler pieces.

I've been nipping and tucking here and there to make things fit, but have the nagging suspicion that I'll be paying for it later. I think planking this hull is going to be a really interesting process.

I'm also taking the freshman course, and will be following the things as described there, but I'm learning a lot of things from everyone, especially tomse3, regarding techniques and methods that help in the construction.

I hope to post some pictures at things move along. I have to admit, I haven't had so much fun in a long time - adult play, what a great thing! Dan