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I have been thinking about doing this project for a while. There has been a few beginners that have signed on to the site so I thought maybe now is as good a time as any. What I want this build log to be is a step by step instruction in how to build a simple first ship in bottle. This isn't to say don't comment or ask questions. Please ask lots of questions or give input. I want others to learn a lot from this log. Part of the purpose for creating this log is the lack of good kits out there. There are some kits that create beautiful models but they are difficult for beginners. Theres others that are good to learn on but they make ships that look childish. I wanted to make something in the middle. Simple for beginners but not childish. For this project I chose the Burmuda Sloop. It is simple in that it has one mast but as far as ships go this one has great lines and makes for a beautiful ship. To start we need plans. Googling bermuda sloop plans will give a lot of information. Another great resource is the maritime meuseum in Greenwich which has a lot of original plans. These plans for a sloop came from http://prints.rmg.co.uk/art/494822/unnamed-58ft-bermudan-sloop-no-date I also found some rigging plans that can be used. This site also has an extensive history on the bermuda sloop. http://herossea.blogspot.com/2014/02/?m=1

This ones about done but I thought I'd share. I'm starting to get into war gaming so I thought if make a fleet. This is my first model for that. As a war gaming model she won't be bottled. Still got to come up with rules but I thought I'd put a fleet together first.

I started this log on MSW some time ago and never really completed it. With the Scavenger commission I brought it back out to test some new techniques. My object really was to take a kit that I received and build a really good ship in it. At least better than what I think the kit makers intended. Over all I like the Wood Krafters kits as beginning ship in bottle kits. They are simple and their bottles are clear with huge openings that gives you a good idea on ship in bottle techniques with out it being overwhelming. As far as historical or actual ship quality goes they aren't that great. I think they are meant to appeal to kids. In this case it's what the pirate reenactment community would call a polyester pirate ship. IN any case I was given the kit and asked that I show it off when I completed it so that's what I'll do. Here's the kit and everything that comes in it. I started by reforming the hull. Ships in the early 18th century had a more rounded hull with pointed bowsprits. I also widened the weather deck and added another deck on the stern. This gives it a more East Indiaman look. Probably a ship pirates liked to plunder more than sail but it fits the kit piece and falls in line with the polyester pirate theme. Also on a side note has any one else noticed how many pirate ship build logs there are here? I think it's a lot of fun. Almost like an inadvertent community build. I then planked the ship using a new technique. I had experimented with planking a ship with paper before and honestly it wasn't great. A miniature model builder in my local club introduced me to a company call Cards of Wood that sells sheets of wood that are .015 to .025 inches thick. Definitely thin enough to plank a ship this size with actual wood. He gave me a few sheets and I did scribing for the deck planking and then stained the bulwark planking with a dark stain. More planking completed. At this point I started adding more details still using the cards of wood sheets I received. I tried drilling through the keel to add the lashing to the bow and it ended up snapping off. The wood in this kit is very hard and brittle. It seems like pine to me but I could be wrong. Any how I got a piece of bass wood and replaced the keel. For cannons I used wire out of an old cell phone charger cable. They are about the right size and hollow if you pull the wires out. I painted over them since getting the wire out turned out to be a real chore and no one looks that close to see hollowed out cannons anyway. So that's where I'm at so far.