Some thoughts as I work... I find myself caught between my kit and reality. I’ve made many pieces from my kit’s instruction, only to find, after research and reference, that there were far better and more authentic ways of modeling my ship. Sometimes, the work (good clean work) is beyond the time and aggravation of tearing it all out for a rebuild. Many things I’ve made better and can live with for my skills and purpose. Some steps in my kit are so vague or unmentioned there’s no other way but to find the real-world way things were done just to have some kind of understanding. This is all coming together for me on the upper half of my build. I don’t want the hull and deck and everything involved with it to look great only to be completely dissatisfied and disappointed at the appearance of everything hanging on the masts. So more lessons learned for me I guess. Try to plan ahead better. Have a good sense of reason and history and reality. Pay attention to detail. Read a lot. Look a lot. And be happy... with the things that can’t change and work hard to make future things the best they can be.
