It is simply amazing to see the level of activity on SOS. I haven't posted in a few days and I had to go and fish out my log from well down the page! This is great to see that people are not simply buying the kits but actively building them.
Something that I had not done up to this point was to install the "Hekbalk" and two "Kardinaalmutsen" (sorry guys I have no idea what the English is for these terms) on the stern. Without further ado this was done.
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There is still a ton of ornaments that need to be placed, but whilst there is also still a considerable part of finishing up to do.
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Whereas the main focus of my previous posting focused on the framing of the gunports on the Starboard side, the main goal this week was to do likewise on the Port side. Done. What I still need to do is to simulate two closed gunports (one on either side) towards the bow. That will bring the normal armament to 24 cannons plus my six extra ones on the deck and the two in the stern for a total of 32. Now she is officially no longer the Batavia, but the Haarlem.
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On the green bulwarks there are four little doors that need to be installed so I thought it best to give that part of the ship a second coat as you can clearly see the chipped-off paint towards the edge of the stern. This area was masked off ...
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--- and given it's second coat. This exercise was then repeated on the starboard side.
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Here are the painted doorframes and doors ready to be installed.
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And done. The same was done on the starboard side as well.
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And finally a port side view of where I am tonight. The starboard side looks identical to this.
One of the most fascinating builds I have followed in a long time is the development build of Kolderstok's new model - a Dutch Fluit. Hans from Kolderstok has already completed a prototype up to the point where he is busy with the rigging, while one of the senior builders on Modelbouwforum, Hans Groenenberg, is doing a "kit test-build".
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This picture shows Hans Groenenberg's build from the top. How is that for a planking challenge guys? !!! Bear in mind that it is single-planking. The model will probably carry a difficulty rating higher than even that of the Zeven Provincien, so you can only stand in awe of the result above. And just look at that incredible weathering effect - weathered without looking neglected or sloppy.
That is all from my side for now - please take care, enjoy your modelbuilding and cherish your friends and loved ones!
H