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HMS Agamemnon by Caldercraft

Gentlemen,

I have an important question. I'm going to close the gunports on one side. But, here's the question: should the ports be painted black or the same color as the hull (ochre)? Caldercraft recommends painting the ports black. The HMS Victoria's ports are actually black. On the other hand, I've seen the ports painted the same color as the hull on several older models. Can anyone give me some advice?
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Good morning, I suspect that the models you might have seen are builders models focussed on the shape of the hull. HMS Victory and a number of paintings I have seen suggest that the closed port is black. In this way a chequerboard effect is created and the number of guns clearly identified. You can also google the images of HMS Surprise used in the film. Peter Weir was scrupulous in the authenticity of his film.
 
Good morning, I suspect that the models you might have seen are builders models focussed on the shape of the hull. HMS Victory and a number of paintings I have seen suggest that the closed port is black. In this way a chequerboard effect is created and the number of guns clearly identified. You can also google the images of HMS Surprise used in the film. Peter Weir was scrupulous in the authenticity of his film.
Hello,

Thx for the advise: you are confirming what I also noticed. I'll paint them black ;)
 
High time for an update, right?
Over the past week and a half, I've been building the Gunports (sanding, painting, installing eyebolts, etc., and last but not least, fitting them in neatly). It's a lot of work, and it's time-consuming.

But first, the Bumkins:

Caldercraft's plan only includes one shroud: see drawing. However, according to James Lee's reference work (Masting and Rigging...), a second shroud was provided from 1777 onward (see photos). This is missing from the Caldercraft plans, so I've naturally corrected it. The Bumkin should also be slightly curved: this, too, is not mentioned in the Caldercraft plans.
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