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Ab, thanks again – I'm keeping it going!
Bob, I hear you on the rigging. I've got a couple rigging projects and I'm really dragging my feet on them. Of course, the Schwarzer Rabe has three masts to rig. But, I'm hoping because it's such a small model and a different ship than what I'm used to that it will keep up my interest in getting her rigged.
That metal model sounds very interesting. I'll have to check out the kit.
As for the Schwarzer Rabe project, my GPM order just arrived today. It was mostly cannon barrels for an HMS Mercury project I started some time ago. It stalled out quite a ways back, but I thought getting the cannon barrels for it might rekindle my desire to make some progress on it. Between the new cannons and experience I getting with the Schwarzer Rabe, I'm thinking I probably will be picking it up again. But, later, after this build is done.
Along with the Mercury's cannons, I order a couple other types of cannons, to see how they'll work for this kit. Also, I went ahead and ordered the masting set. It includes all the dowels needed for the Schwarzer Rabe, not that I need any dowels. But, it also includes 6 small sheets of laser cut parts for the mast tops, cross trees, mast caps, etc. For some reason, Ages of Sail didn't stock these, so I picked them up from GPM as long as I was ordering something else.
Schwarzer Rabe now has four thick strakes on each side of the hull. There are still two smaller ones to add farther up, but I ran into an issue with another part whose name I can't recall. It's like a post attached to the side of the ship that contains a sheave.
It's labeled part #127, but I discovered there are two very different parts with the same part number. Took me a while to find the correct one, but I found it. I want to get that into place before I try to add the last thick strakes.
But, I have to say, I'm anxious to finish the lapstrake planking of the upper bulwarks. You can also see in the photos where I've been fitting the main hatches and gratings.
Looking back, I wish I had test fit the hatch when I initially cut the deck, as it would have been much easier to properly cut the deck to fit the laser-cut hatches I got. Now, my deck openings are just a little small, and it's hard to cut them to get the hatch coamings to fit correctly.
Oh, and one other thing I did... There's a strip of the sub-deck that supports the middle of the main hatch coaming, but there's nothing under that strip to support it. So, I cut a narrow piece of wood and glued it to the underside of that strip to give it some support. I was afraid that if I didn't do that, the coaming might sag a bit in the middle.
I might do this also just aft of the main hatch, as there is nothing supporting the deck between the main hatch and a small hatch just aft of it, and I can already see a little sag in the deck. I took a photo and marked the sagging area with a red arrow. I don't have the same problem at the forward end of the main hatch, as that end is supported by a bulkhead.
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