Building the
Fly's stern fascia was like a renovation project for a discerning Lilliputian who enjoys natural light and got the notion to add more windows to the hallway of his tiny house. It started by painting the cast-metal tafferal decoration in gold, black and yellow ochre, and overlaying it on the tafferal piece which is itself painted black to blend in as a backdrop.
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The fascia is painted carefully in background colours that will be visible when the tafferal is in place. Black on the outer perimeter to match the tafferal border, red ochre for the decoration archways, gold as a background for the mullions, and white for the window sill below.
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Plywood cut-outs served as a backing for each window and painted black to continue the 'lights out' theme that started with the quarter galleries. The cut-outs are depressed a smidgeon below the level of the each frame opening to allow for the white-painted window frames to fit flush with the fascia's surface.
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The fascia is quite a colourful affair when all is done and dusted. The only deviation from the kit was a window ledge fashioned from a strip of walnut (yet to be varnished) and steam-bent to follow the curvature of the window sill.
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The stern fascia is fitted temporarily to the hull to help align the brass-etched
FLY lettering in the upper counter area. It took me quite a while to get just three letters in the right place, but happy that my ship now has a name! The lettering was coated in yellow ochre which will be the modus operandi for all of the friezeworks on the ship.
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