For those interested, I've posted new photos on the progress of my new ship so far. Today I attached the decks for the holds and planked them, and attached the main deck as well. Following the contours of the bulkheads, the main deck had a tendency to curve, but since the cargo hold decks went on perfectly straight before that, I'm going to assume for now that the main deck is meant to curve the way it does.
I'm not sure how I'm meant to file/sand the parts of the bow where the bulkheads are sticking out from the main deck (ie, whether they're meant to stay that way or be filed/sanded to follow the edges of the deck), as the instructions and provided diagrams don't really show it or explain very well.
As an added bonus, my father brought me home an early birthday present yesterday (3 weeks early!) in the form of my own brand spankin' new Dremel kit and a set of 150 extra attachments, making my job a lot easier. It'll also make my warhammer stuff look a whole lot better, as i've wanted one of these for years. I used to work as an apprentice jeweller with one of these all day, and I must say I've been missing not having one handy.
So, for those in the know, please take a look-see at the new photos and let me know if I've missed anything or done something wrong that can be fixed before I go too far into construction. As much fun as I'm having with this, I certainly don't want to get halfway through building it only to find I've missed a vital step somewhere!

 

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Prior to the planking process, you will need to smooth down the bulkheads. This is called beveling. Right now the outer edges of the bulkheads are square, parallel to the keel. If you were to plank now, as you bent the planks around the shape of the hull, they would only contact the corner of the bulkhead. So there wouldn't be much surface to glue to, and there wouldn't be much support. You'll need to trim down (bevel) one side of the bulkhead (the forward side in the bow bulkheads, the aft side in the stern bulkheads) so that the planks will lay flat across the outer edge of the bulkhead.
Then you will need to "fair the hull."
Most planking guides recommend taking a flexible strip of wood (called a batten) and bending it over the curve of the hull. It should bend smoothly and touch all the bulkheads. The bulkheads will need to be sanded down or built back up so that this occurs. Go slowly, don't take too much wood off at once. Test with the batten over and over, and in different spots of the hull to make sure that when done, your planking is smooth and solid.
Fairing the hull is an extremely important part of the planking process. Take your time. There are plenty of planking guides out there, read a few of them for tips on fairing the hull. I think I recall that some of the members here linked some of them in your previous topic about your grandfather's model. If not, let me know and I'll post some links.

 

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Awesome, thanks for that. My main question is about the bow. If you look at the photos, I don't know if you can see it too well, but the bulkheads are sticking out from the main deck (if looking from a top-down view). So should these be beveled to a point where they are even with the deck and no longer stick out as they do now? The way they're sticking out was unavoidable, it seems the deck was cut a little too small for the bulkheads that lie under it.

 

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Yeah, I saw that from the pictures, but it looks like the only part of the bulkhead that's sticking out is the forward edge, which would be removed when the bulkheads are beveled. Each bulkhead in the bow will be widest on the side that faces aft. It looks like the aft-side of the bulkhead is flush with the edge of the deck. The problem with them sticking out should be eliminated when you have beveled the bulkheads.

 

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Thanks, I think I'll also take some advice from a few of the articles I've read and also use some chunks of balsa wood between some of the bulkheads, particularly at the bow and stern sections, and sand those along with the bulkheads to give me an easier guide when I eventually begin the planking. My pop had started a similar process on his ship as well (between the first few bow bulkheads) and i found it much easier attaching planks on that end than at the other end where all I really had to stick them to was the bulkhead itself.

 

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A good source for a lot of the balsa and other items you'll need is your local arts & crafts store. We have "Michaels" & "AC Moore" to start with. You'll find yourself visiting them a lot.
As for the deck and hull planks, make what's called a batten. A very thin plank that can be bent to the shape of the hull to test the way the planks will lie on the frame. Aircraft balsa works well or any wood that is very thin and flexible will do.
The only places you'll really need blocking is the bow and stern. The rest of the hull will be fairly straight.
The curve in the deck that you mentioned is correct. It's so that water will roll off the ship toward the scuppers or drains and not accumulate on deck.
Finally, when you start bending the planks, it's 3 parts water to one part clear ammonia. Heat as you bend with a soldering iron and a blunt or no tip at all.

Post some more photos as you progress.

 

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Ok, so I cut some square chunks of balsa (of which I already have loads for building Warhammer stuff, but thanks for the tip), glued them into the gap between bulkheads 1 and 2, then used the Dremel cutting wheel to carve it up like a christmas turkey before finally sanding it into a reasonably rounded shape.
Like the new photos say, maybe it's just me, but it looks as though I've made a mess of this and may have to dig it all out again. For one thing, it doesn't look to me like I can get it to the proper angle to wrap the hull planks around it. For another, before I filled it I was sure where the planks were going to end, and now it all sort of blends together and i'm no longer sure.
Have I buggered this? Should I go back and dig it out or leave it as is and continue sanding it down?
I know I'm probably starting to get annoying at this point with my supreme newbie-ness, but short of having someone sit me down and physically show me step by step, this is the only place I've found any sort of meaningful help thus far.

 

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Brad:
When you begin the fairing process the bow area will be sanded/filed into a smooth surface level with your bulkheads.
Does the kit provide additional wooden pieces to form the bottom of the keel, stern post and bow? Or is the keel you have the final form? I'm not familiar with the Swift's lines.
It's not "buggered-up" yet (that comes later ;) It appears you're progressing well and with-in limits. Take a deep breath, relax and enjoy, this is supposed to be fun, not torture. :)

 

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To answer your question, the