Just a progress shot. Can't say it's been the smoothest build but I've not yet thrown in the towel.
The idea of using rolled mast and bow sprit quickly went out the window once I printed out the parts and saw how small the diameter really was. I originally thought I'd be able to roll them around a bamboo skewer to give them strength. Nope, I'll just use the skewer and be done with it.
I wish there was more color on this model. Even the decks on the real skipjacks were painted white. As I build this I find the white card showing more and more dirt smudges. The black cut lines are also a bit distracting though I'll probably break out the paint to hide those. I tried using a white pastel but let's just say that added to the smudge issues....
The biggest challenge I'm facing at the moment is fitting the bow sprit. As it is, the deck sits up too high. The bow sprit is supposed to sit along the deck forward from the sampson post. At the moment, though, that would leave too much of a gap between the bow sprit and the cut water. I might have to carve away part of the sprit to make it sit lower. I'll also have to rebuild the very top of the bow since I mangled that part when assembling the hull and ended up cutting it off entirely. It was just too delicate as designed.
Live and Learn.
--jeff
