Chapter 5. Ship's Head
02.2024
So, the beakhead... One of the most challenging stages. It becomes even more complicated due to the lack of proper detailed drawings. Available resources include anatomy illustrations: side views, top views, and cross-sections. However, most of the elements lack specific detailed representations. Armed with all the information I could gather, I compiled everything into a "small" cheat sheet.
You can download the original file weighing 60 MB via the link provided in the photo >>> Below, I’ve attached the same image in low resolution to give you an idea of what you’re downloading.
As you can see, here I have collected all the fragments of the drawings that are associated with the latrine. And also, for clarity, a photo of the model Epur and another modeler, I don’t know the name (you can write in the comments if you know). At the same time, I constantly look at the photo of the original museum ship, which also helps a lot during construction.
There are two extremes in the drawings. Or they are like those from Ankre and the like - everything is clearly detailed, understandable and intelligible. Or - this is cutting from a box set, where there is terrible simplification, ignoring the scale and other disadvantages of “boxes” and “partworks”. But doing it according to anatomy means pain and suffering. Because you have to calculate, select, adjust and calculate everything yourself 100,500 times. This, by the way, took the most time.
And I started from the foundation, if I may say so.
All dimensions were taken from printed drawings I created based on anatomical references. I’ll mention this again, just in case anyone missed it: I discussed this in previous installments, and that is also where the drawings can be downloaded. Using these templates, I cut out the blanks and glued them in place. They will be painted, but they serve as the foundation for the decorative slats—more on those later.
The most challenging part was bending and securing the curved battens. What you see here is the base structure. That’s why I reinforced it with dowels. The outer decorative pieces will be glued onto these.
I bent the battens using a makeshift template (put together quickly from scrap materials). I used an iron to heat them and occasionally soaked them in hot water. Pearwood bends very well, with almost no material wastage.
Next, I needed to create smooth transitions in the corners. To achieve this, I made triangular pieces from balsa wood and then shaped the radii using sandpaper wrapped around an appropriately sized cylinder.
I then generously soaked all of this with superglue to harden the balsa and proceeded to work on the lower fairings.
None of these details are in the description or the drawings. Only images in the general plans, showing the front and side views. So, everything was done by fitting it on the spot.
What I really like about balsa is that it is incredibly soft and very easy to work with. It is ideal for rough work—parts that will be hidden inside or painted over. The only thing is that you absolutely must coat it with a layer of superglue to strengthen the surface.
After securing it in place, I marked the locations for the rigging holes (for the lines holding the bowsprit). I placed a small template on top—featuring notches for the lower head-rail supports—to visualize the path the lines would take.
Then I made holes for the rigging that held the bowsprit and holes for the anchor lines.
After that, everything could be painted with black matte enamel spray paint from a can, the same as the rest of the hull. Only the areas on the bent strips, where the outer decorative strips will be glued, were left unpainted.
The paint is slightly glossy because I didn't wait for it to fully dry, but the surface is matte otherwise. I also glued the gunport shutters onto the lower gunports (which I printed on a 3D printer, but I'll talk about that later). After that, I painted this area black as well.
With the painting of the hull completed, any further painting will be done separately. Overall, I'm really pleased with the appearance, especially when viewed in person. I'm eagerly waiting for the moment when I can start oiling everything, though that's still some time away, and I'm not done with the oil samples yet. Next, I'll continue working on the bow section of the ship.
07.2024
The next element at the bow of the ship I started working on was the beakhead gallery, including its ports and doors.
On the balsa base, I glued pearwood planks with openings for the doors and ports. Based on the anatomy plans, I determined the placement of these features, as well as the columns and other decorative elements. I crafted a couple of shaped planks using the scraping method and prepared one wavy blank.
Next, I installed the doors and port lids and fitted the finished panel to the model, adjusting it to align with the side midshipmen’s toilets.
I made the toilets themselves from a block of linden. First, I shaped it properly and then covered it around the perimeter with thin plates of daru.
The intermediate result after creating the upper surfaces of the midshipmen's toilets.
Next came the process of bending the decorative strips. The complexity was in bending them from a single piece, first along the edge and then across the plane. I was glad the plan worked out. I used the same method: bending with an iron on a special template, pre-soaking the strip in hot water.
I glued it gradually using super glue. It’s impossible to attach and hold such a complex piece all at once. After long and meticulous work, accompanied by a sea of colorful language, this was the result!
By the way, it was during this period that I finished completing my glass case, which continues to bring me joy. It provides perfect protection from sunlight and, most importantly, from dust. Yes, it’s a bit tricky to remove, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Let’s continue… For proper positioning of some details on the head of the ship, a bowsprit was needed. Until recently, an aluminum tube served this role, but I decided to make a wooden blank instead.
Realizing that creating a perfect cylinder with a taper at home was beyond my capabilities, I decided to find a turner. I found one online—a man who agreed to do the work for a reasonable price, and I’ll even show him…
...made the blanks for me. From square pear wood blocks, I first drilled holes at the ends for the axes and then turned them into the required cylindrical shape. Three masts, the bowsprit, and one more part that I’ll discuss later.
As promised, I will elaborate on my method for installing the spars (masts and bowsprit). Into the 6 cm deep holes at the ends of the blanks (on the side facing the hull), I inserted aluminum rods. Let’s use the bowsprit as an example to go over the setup.
The diameter of the hole in the wooden cylinder is 6.2 mm, allowing a 6 mm rod to fit inside. Over this rod, a hollow spacer cylinder is placed, increasing the diameter to 8 mm.
This diameter fits perfectly into the cylindrical tube (embedded piece) in the hull with an internal diameter of 8 mm.
Later, I fabricated some very complex parts for the masts, but honestly, I’m not sure I’ll ever need them, since I’ve decided against rigging this model. Still, here is what they look like...
Continuing with the bowsprit...
...the bowsprit also requires a 30-degree angle cut.
I created this angle using an angled sanding machine set to 30 degrees. Here's how it looks in its finished form.
Everything fit perfectly, with no gaps and, most importantly, without lengthy adjustments.
The situation with the masts is similar but much simpler, as there’s no need to create an angle. However, I plan to add an anti-rotation system for the masts using square inserts, which I’ll discuss later.
I also checked the 3D-printed rings for the masts. They are not painted yet, but it's already clear that they fit perfectly. I will go into detail about all the printed parts later. For now, we have 2.5 more parts to cover, focusing on the bow of the ship.
So, continuing the assembly diary... I got so carried away with making this part that I forgot to photograph the calculation process for it—the part that supports the entire head structure. The radius was too large to bend such a thick plank, and the only wide plank I had was made of gray boxwood. With no better option, I used it. I cut it according to a pre-calculated curve, which took a long time to determine because McKay's plans for the head structure had a significant error in the deck and superstructure. I’ve written about this earlier.
As a result, the curve of this part was adjusted through trial fittings and modifications. Moreover, in the plans, this part was only shown from the top, bottom, and side views, but its diagonal dimensions were not provided. So, the design had to be visualized from a perspective not included in the plans. For reference, I used drawings from another source, adjusting the curvature to fit my dimensions.
Ultimately, I glued a decorative plank onto the boxwood arc and bent it where possible. For areas where the radius was too tight, I created a composite structure. I understand this approach isn’t entirely accurate to the anatomy, but replicating the original method wasn’t feasible for me. So, I improvised. On the left side, by the way, it’s coated with oil, and any traces of superglue are invisible—only the wood joints are visible, as I mentioned earlier.
Таким радиусом невозможно согнуть такую толщину рейки. А широкая плашка у меня были только из самшита, но желтого, а тускловато-серого. И за неимением иного, взял ее. Вырезал по, заблаговременно просчитанной, дуге. Которую, к слову очень долго подбирал, т.к. в чертежах гальюна МакКея очень большая ошибка с палубой и надпалубной надстройкой. О этом я уже ранее писал. И потому, дуга этой детали уже выяснялась методом примерок и подгонок. Плюс, по чертежам эта деталь была указана только сверху, снизу и сбоку, но деталь то по диагонали. Соответственно и вид должен был быть таким же, но такого вида в чертеже не было. За образец брал чертежи с другого источника, подгоняя кривизну под свои габариты.
И в итоге, я на cамшитовую дугу приклеил фигурную рейку, и где возможно было - изгибал ее. А там, где радиус не позволял - сделал составной. Я понимаю, что это не совсем по канону, но так как было в оригинале я бы не выточил. Потому импровизировал по своему. Слева, кстати, вскрыто маслом, и подтекания от супперклея не видно, только стыки древесины, о чем я говорил ранее..
The process was further complicated by the need to fit this part to the midshipmen's toilets. However, in the end, I was very pleased with the result. It turned out symmetrical, and finally, something is starting to take shape.
This is just an intermediate result. Up next are the grates of the head... and then only two more parts will remain before I catch up to the present.
07.2024
So, while I'm currently working on teak oil samples, today we'll continue looking back at how I constructed the head.
Briefly, my experiments with oil application are going well so far. I've already applied several layers to the deck and hull sample, but I'll provide a detailed update later, once there are longer-term results. I'm also coating the stand with teak oil. There will be many layers, as I'm aiming for a perfect glossy, deep shine, but more on that later. For now—back to the head...
Work continued on the midshipmen's toilets. I attached decorative planks to them, then glued two curved pieces together and attached four toilets to them—two for the midshipmen and two adjacent, shaped like half-moons. The photos will best illustrate what was done.
While I am working on test pieces for the stern gallery, today I will show how I made the grates for the bow section of the ship.
This will include two parts at once. On drafting paper, I marked the lines for the beams between which the grates would be placed. All dimensions were taken from the anatomy plans, which I printed at a 1:1 scale.
I prepared templates for both sides at once. Using an angle sander, I sanded the required angle and glued a strip to the edge.
The finished piece just needed to be cut into two parts and glued into the required positions. Beams are placed between the grates, and the process with the grates is repeated.
The gaps between the beams were then filled with cross inserts, forming four rectangular openings—two for the toilets and two for the ropes.
Simultaneously, I glued in sewage pipes leading from the midshipmen's toilets and the adjacent ones. The pipes in the center of the forecastle are still removable. I adjusted their geometry, leaving only the painting to be done.
Rarely have I seen modelers pay attention to these elements, but I believe they are a logical detail. I researched the literature, and the information varies: some sources say the sewage pipes had a square cross-section, others claim they were round; some depict the pipes as simple cylinders, while others show them beveled like a needle. Ultimately, I chose the latter based on logical reasoning. It was easier for me to create a cylinder of this diameter, and I assume the bevel was used to save material and weight—though I might be wrong. Nevertheless, the decision is made, so this is how it will be.
Let's continue... I decided to switch things up and try my hand at making spars myself. As I mentioned earlier, I had the masts turned by a lathe operator because those parts were far more complex (which I’ll discuss later). Then I had a brilliant idea: to take a screwdriver and a sanding machine and attempt to make a round spar blank myself.
And it worked! I couldn’t believe it during the process, but the result far exceeded my expectations.
The principle is simple: insert a square blank into the screwdriver (I didn’t even round it beforehand, though that’s an option). Then, sand it at an angle so that the rotations, as shown in the earlier photo, meet each other as if they were counter-rotating. By carefully adjusting the angle, pressure, and abrasiveness, I achieved an excellent and repeatable final result.
Not only did the tapered cylinders come out perfectly smooth and even, but the octagonal part of the piece transitioned seamlessly into the cylinder, rather than the other way around. That is, I didn’t make the octagon from a cylinder but correctly shaped the cylinder from an octagon.
Using this method, it’s possible to create the entire mast system—yards, topmasts, and more. As for these specific pieces, I’m not sure of their exact names. They were fixed on the bow and served as supports for the fore braces, if I’m not mistaken.
Honestly, I didn’t think this method could produce such precise and, more importantly, repeatable parts. I haven’t come across this technique before, though it’s possible someone else might have thought of it too. I hoped it would work, but the results pleasantly surprised me.
Continuing with the mast system, I returned to the bowsprit—specifically, to the stopper pads for the standing rigging on it. From the hollow cylinder that the turner made for me, I sanded an angle on the grinding machine.
Then, I cut a fragment to the required length and sanded it parallel to the cut, securing the part with double-sided tape.
Here are the resulting blanks, which will be cut in half and glued onto the bowsprit as stoppers.
Well, the final part (there will be three posts in total), and my journal will be complete. From here on, I'll be working in real-time. By the way, I'm currently working on the gallery, and it's turning out quite well, but more on that later. For now, let's return to the head of the ship.
I continue adding details to the bow. The knightheads are still unfinished, and I've also carved an ornate railing that will be painted.
Returning to the grates, I created a base to secure the longitudinal slats—more details on those will follow.
Afterward, I completed work on the "sewage" system and the details that follow the contours of the hull. Now, everything is ready for painting.
08.2024
Continuing with the grates, the remaining empty triangles need to be filled in.
While I continue working on the stern (and I must say, the results are truly surprising), today I present the penultimate entry of my diary.
This time, I tackled the most challenging elements of the headrails.
I’m not sure what these supports are officially called, but they certainly gave me quite a bit of trouble. The main difficulty, as always, was the lack of detailed plans. There are front and side view illustrations, but the individual components themselves are missing.
As a result, everything had to be determined through trial and error: measure, test fit, cut, test fit, adjust, test fit, adjust again, test fit once more, and finally—"ah, it fits!"—only to repeat the entire process about 100,500 times
Not only did all these stanchions have to be perfectly vertical and evenly spaced, but there also needed to be enough room to later attach decorative planks to them. Considering the inaccuracies in the drawings, this process became a game of guessing the exact dimensions and transferring the measurements using a jig like this one.
With its help, I marked the positions of the stanchion points and connected them using a ruler to approximate the curves derived from the plans. This method allowed me to fine-tune the placement and achieve a balanced result despite the challenges.
Currently, the situation with the contours is as follows. For now, I've only created templates and decided to pause work on them due to the sheer complexity of the process. This break was necessary to step away from the endless corrections and reworks.
Despite all the challenges, the alignment is there, and what's left is to craft the final pieces based on the templates and their mirrored counterparts. This pause allows me to approach the next stage with fresh energy and focus.
The part extending upward from the bow area also proved to be quite challenging. Initially, I planned to bend it into the required shape, but after several attempts, I realized that this method wasn't feasible. The bending angles were too close to each other, and while I was bending one side, the heat would cause the other to straighten out.
As a result, I had to craft the shape by cutting it directly from a single strip of wood. This approach turned out to be more effective and precise for achieving the desired form.
Next, I glued the parts together using a strip in the central section. To ensure stability, I secured the bottom with wire and temporarily attached a horizontal strip at the top. This horizontal strip is only temporary and will be removed later when the upper ladder is fixed in place..
While pausing work on the posts, I decided to make the "pads" for the anchor chain holes. I started by drilling two holes in a rectangular blank and then flared them. Afterward, I cut the blank into two parts, creating both the left and right pieces. Using files and sandpaper, I shaped them into curved and rounded forms. Finally, I glued them in place, along with the supports for the standing rigging ropes of the bowsprit.
Incidentally, I will briefly touch on some 3D-printed details here, but only on the surface to avoid repetition later. The first such detail is the hinges for gun ports and doors. I’ve already shown them when attaching the hinges to the gun ports under the gallery. Here, I glued similar hinges onto the head rail’s gallery.
All the hinges were designed, printed, and painted by me (I’ll delve into this process in detail later). I’d like to make a quick point. Yes, many people don’t take 3D-printed details seriously, but I think I can at least partially change your perspective. For now, though, you can see how these parts look alongside wooden elements in the finished example. AH... I also forgot that I also printed the windows of the toilets))
In my opinion, under paint and at this scale, everything looks great. The details are visible—hinges, rings—and the main advantage is that I can print as many of these hinges as I need right at home with my printer!
Let’s move on. Once again, we’re back to the toilets, now in a paired design. From the photos, I think the process of how they were made will be clear.
The lower parts were painted, and although the pieces are assembled, they have not yet been glued to the hull.
And finally, I completed the work on the head with decorative inserts.
For now, that's all. I'll return to the ship's bow later. And now... my favorite—3D modeling (in the next part).
For the record, there are 4,050 parts on board.
Nest...
I created this angle using an angled sanding machine set to 30 degrees. Here's how it looks in its finished form.
Everything fit perfectly, with no gaps and, most importantly, without lengthy adjustments.
The situation with the masts is similar but much simpler, as there’s no need to create an angle. However, I plan to add an anti-rotation system for the masts using square inserts, which I’ll discuss later.
I also checked the 3D-printed rings for the masts. They are not painted yet, but it's already clear that they fit perfectly. I will go into detail about all the printed parts later. For now, we have 2.5 more parts to cover, focusing on the bow of the ship.
So, continuing the assembly diary... I got so carried away with making this part that I forgot to photograph the calculation process for it—the part that supports the entire head structure. The radius was too large to bend such a thick plank, and the only wide plank I had was made of gray boxwood. With no better option, I used it. I cut it according to a pre-calculated curve, which took a long time to determine because McKay's plans for the head structure had a significant error in the deck and superstructure. I’ve written about this earlier.
As a result, the curve of this part was adjusted through trial fittings and modifications. Moreover, in the plans, this part was only shown from the top, bottom, and side views, but its diagonal dimensions were not provided. So, the design had to be visualized from a perspective not included in the plans. For reference, I used drawings from another source, adjusting the curvature to fit my dimensions.
Ultimately, I glued a decorative plank onto the boxwood arc and bent it where possible. For areas where the radius was too tight, I created a composite structure. I understand this approach isn’t entirely accurate to the anatomy, but replicating the original method wasn’t feasible for me. So, I improvised. On the left side, by the way, it’s coated with oil, and any traces of superglue are invisible—only the wood joints are visible, as I mentioned earlier.
Таким радиусом невозможно согнуть такую толщину рейки. А широкая плашка у меня были только из самшита, но желтого, а тускловато-серого. И за неимением иного, взял ее. Вырезал по, заблаговременно просчитанной, дуге. Которую, к слову очень долго подбирал, т.к. в чертежах гальюна МакКея очень большая ошибка с палубой и надпалубной надстройкой. О этом я уже ранее писал. И потому, дуга этой детали уже выяснялась методом примерок и подгонок. Плюс, по чертежам эта деталь была указана только сверху, снизу и сбоку, но деталь то по диагонали. Соответственно и вид должен был быть таким же, но такого вида в чертеже не было. За образец брал чертежи с другого источника, подгоняя кривизну под свои габариты.
И в итоге, я на cамшитовую дугу приклеил фигурную рейку, и где возможно было - изгибал ее. А там, где радиус не позволял - сделал составной. Я понимаю, что это не совсем по канону, но так как было в оригинале я бы не выточил. Потому импровизировал по своему. Слева, кстати, вскрыто маслом, и подтекания от супперклея не видно, только стыки древесины, о чем я говорил ранее..
The process was further complicated by the need to fit this part to the midshipmen's toilets. However, in the end, I was very pleased with the result. It turned out symmetrical, and finally, something is starting to take shape.
This is just an intermediate result. Up next are the grates of the head... and then only two more parts will remain before I catch up to the present.
07.2024
So, while I'm currently working on teak oil samples, today we'll continue looking back at how I constructed the head.
Briefly, my experiments with oil application are going well so far. I've already applied several layers to the deck and hull sample, but I'll provide a detailed update later, once there are longer-term results. I'm also coating the stand with teak oil. There will be many layers, as I'm aiming for a perfect glossy, deep shine, but more on that later. For now—back to the head...
Work continued on the midshipmen's toilets. I attached decorative planks to them, then glued two curved pieces together and attached four toilets to them—two for the midshipmen and two adjacent, shaped like half-moons. The photos will best illustrate what was done.
While I am working on test pieces for the stern gallery, today I will show how I made the grates for the bow section of the ship. This will include two parts at once. On drafting paper, I marked the lines for the beams between which the grates would be placed. All dimensions were taken from the anatomy plans, which I printed at a 1:1 scale.
I prepared templates for both sides at once. Using an angle sander, I sanded the required angle and glued a strip to the edge.
The finished piece just needed to be cut into two parts and glued into the required positions. Beams are placed between the grates, and the process with the grates is repeated.
The gaps between the beams were then filled with cross inserts, forming four rectangular openings—two for the toilets and two for the ropes.
Simultaneously, I glued in sewage pipes leading from the midshipmen's toilets and the adjacent ones. The pipes in the center of the forecastle are still removable. I adjusted their geometry, leaving only the painting to be done.
Rarely have I seen modelers pay attention to these elements, but I believe they are a logical detail. I researched the literature, and the information varies: some sources say the sewage pipes had a square cross-section, others claim they were round; some depict the pipes as simple cylinders, while others show them beveled like a needle. Ultimately, I chose the latter based on logical reasoning. It was easier for me to create a cylinder of this diameter, and I assume the bevel was used to save material and weight—though I might be wrong. Nevertheless, the decision is made, so this is how it will be. 
Let's continue... I decided to switch things up and try my hand at making spars myself. As I mentioned earlier, I had the masts turned by a lathe operator because those parts were far more complex (which I’ll discuss later). Then I had a brilliant idea: to take a screwdriver and a sanding machine and attempt to make a round spar blank myself.
And it worked! I couldn’t believe it during the process, but the result far exceeded my expectations.
The principle is simple: insert a square blank into the screwdriver (I didn’t even round it beforehand, though that’s an option). Then, sand it at an angle so that the rotations, as shown in the earlier photo, meet each other as if they were counter-rotating. By carefully adjusting the angle, pressure, and abrasiveness, I achieved an excellent and repeatable final result.
Using this method, it’s possible to create the entire mast system—yards, topmasts, and more. As for these specific pieces, I’m not sure of their exact names. They were fixed on the bow and served as supports for the fore braces, if I’m not mistaken.
Honestly, I didn’t think this method could produce such precise and, more importantly, repeatable parts. I haven’t come across this technique before, though it’s possible someone else might have thought of it too. I hoped it would work, but the results pleasantly surprised me. Continuing with the mast system, I returned to the bowsprit—specifically, to the stopper pads for the standing rigging on it. From the hollow cylinder that the turner made for me, I sanded an angle on the grinding machine.
Then, I cut a fragment to the required length and sanded it parallel to the cut, securing the part with double-sided tape.
Here are the resulting blanks, which will be cut in half and glued onto the bowsprit as stoppers.
Well, the final part (there will be three posts in total), and my journal will be complete. From here on, I'll be working in real-time. By the way, I'm currently working on the gallery, and it's turning out quite well, but more on that later. For now, let's return to the head of the ship.
I continue adding details to the bow. The knightheads are still unfinished, and I've also carved an ornate railing that will be painted.
Returning to the grates, I created a base to secure the longitudinal slats—more details on those will follow.
Afterward, I completed work on the "sewage" system and the details that follow the contours of the hull. Now, everything is ready for painting.
08.2024
Continuing with the grates, the remaining empty triangles need to be filled in.
While I continue working on the stern (and I must say, the results are truly surprising), today I present the penultimate entry of my diary.
This time, I tackled the most challenging elements of the headrails.
I’m not sure what these supports are officially called, but they certainly gave me quite a bit of trouble. The main difficulty, as always, was the lack of detailed plans. There are front and side view illustrations, but the individual components themselves are missing.
As a result, everything had to be determined through trial and error: measure, test fit, cut, test fit, adjust, test fit, adjust again, test fit once more, and finally—"ah, it fits!"—only to repeat the entire process about 100,500 times
Not only did all these stanchions have to be perfectly vertical and evenly spaced, but there also needed to be enough room to later attach decorative planks to them. Considering the inaccuracies in the drawings, this process became a game of guessing the exact dimensions and transferring the measurements using a jig like this one.
With its help, I marked the positions of the stanchion points and connected them using a ruler to approximate the curves derived from the plans. This method allowed me to fine-tune the placement and achieve a balanced result despite the challenges.
Currently, the situation with the contours is as follows. For now, I've only created templates and decided to pause work on them due to the sheer complexity of the process. This break was necessary to step away from the endless corrections and reworks.
Despite all the challenges, the alignment is there, and what's left is to craft the final pieces based on the templates and their mirrored counterparts. This pause allows me to approach the next stage with fresh energy and focus.
The part extending upward from the bow area also proved to be quite challenging. Initially, I planned to bend it into the required shape, but after several attempts, I realized that this method wasn't feasible. The bending angles were too close to each other, and while I was bending one side, the heat would cause the other to straighten out.
As a result, I had to craft the shape by cutting it directly from a single strip of wood. This approach turned out to be more effective and precise for achieving the desired form.
Next, I glued the parts together using a strip in the central section. To ensure stability, I secured the bottom with wire and temporarily attached a horizontal strip at the top. This horizontal strip is only temporary and will be removed later when the upper ladder is fixed in place..
While pausing work on the posts, I decided to make the "pads" for the anchor chain holes. I started by drilling two holes in a rectangular blank and then flared them. Afterward, I cut the blank into two parts, creating both the left and right pieces. Using files and sandpaper, I shaped them into curved and rounded forms. Finally, I glued them in place, along with the supports for the standing rigging ropes of the bowsprit.
Incidentally, I will briefly touch on some 3D-printed details here, but only on the surface to avoid repetition later. The first such detail is the hinges for gun ports and doors. I’ve already shown them when attaching the hinges to the gun ports under the gallery. Here, I glued similar hinges onto the head rail’s gallery.
All the hinges were designed, printed, and painted by me (I’ll delve into this process in detail later). I’d like to make a quick point. Yes, many people don’t take 3D-printed details seriously, but I think I can at least partially change your perspective. For now, though, you can see how these parts look alongside wooden elements in the finished example. AH... I also forgot that I also printed the windows of the toilets))
In my opinion, under paint and at this scale, everything looks great. The details are visible—hinges, rings—and the main advantage is that I can print as many of these hinges as I need right at home with my printer!
Let’s move on. Once again, we’re back to the toilets, now in a paired design. From the photos, I think the process of how they were made will be clear.
The lower parts were painted, and although the pieces are assembled, they have not yet been glued to the hull.
And finally, I completed the work on the head with decorative inserts.
For now, that's all. I'll return to the ship's bow later. And now... my favorite—3D modeling (in the next part).
For the record, there are 4,050 parts on board.
Nest...