Hi everyone
Back on track now with the hull detailing, after many an hour studying the pictures I have and even many more I have been sent by mayhem members, I have started to glue what can only be described as a decorative rubbing strip. This has been made from 5mm square plastic rod, and using the admiralty drawings as a reference, I marked out each of the 'cut-outs'. I used a small rectangular diamond file and a mitre mate to file a 5mm groove into the plastic, filing out to about 2.5mm. When I had finished I went over the strip with some fine wet and dry sand paper to round off the edges. Luckily the GRP hull has the line required for this rubbing strip marked on the hull as a raised strip which runs to either end of the 'armour' plating. With a bit of super glue I slowly glued the strips to the GRP hull and using a metal rule I ensure this time that it was perfectly straight, not like my earlier attempt at drilling portholes!
I have started to create the deck capping strip, I cut out the sycamore 1/64" ply pre-lasercut deck supplied in the kit, and to my horror it looked incredibly small compared to my deck area. Know that everyone else who had made their models of the Majestic class had not mentioned any problems with the decks I quickly studied one of the few clear deck shots I have of the Majestic class I was quietly relieved to find out that the capping strip was very wide, the wooden deck is not as wide as on later ships. So some 1mm thick plastic card supplied in the kit was cut down in to 4mm wide strips and I started to glue them to the deck. Around the anchor beds, the strip widens further, to find out the required amount I laid the thin veneer deck on to the deck and carefully marked around it and put the lovely deck back into its protective sleeve.
I have also made what I thought were ash chutes but I was corrected that the two smaller chutes are not for ash but more for toilet waste, which is why they extend below the waterline.
The aft chute is made from 5mm square plastic rod rounded off and glued to a piece of 0.25mm plastic card sheet which is fraction wider than the chute itself. The forward chute will be constructed in this way too when I get round to building it.
P.S. the picture above from the starboard beam shows what looks like two tripod masts, don't worry they are not for this project!!! They are glued to my model of HMS Coventry behind the Prince George, she is resting whilst I get my sanity back- I was gluing individual strips of 1/64" ply only 2mm wide and 54mm long to the forecastle, almost done, only another 4ft to go!
Oh, and the room it sits is my the room I live in at work, not an ideal place to work- too many regular inspections by the Station Commander, have to keep it incredibly clean, mind you the models do distract him from looking too far into my room!