paints the Dogman from the Flintloque starter set.
I use a very fine mesh for my shrouds and ratlines. I got this from Langton many years ago.
When I do shrouds, I always attach the shrouds to the mast before I actually mount the mast. I cut a length of shroud that will be longer than I need, and affix it to the mast using a dab of superglue.
Some care is needed here, as a large drop of clue will be carried down the shroud by capillary action, and will fill in the gaps in the shroud, necessitating a redo.
When the shroud was dried to the mast, I glued the mast in place.
I then ran a thin bead of superglue along the channel. Using teasers, I pulled the shroud taut against the channel, then gave it a few seconds to adhere and dry.
Care must be taken to see that the mast is straight, and also that it does not get pulled over to the shroud-side when the shroud is drawn taut.
When the shroud dried on the channel, I trimmed it with a hobby knife.
I then repeated this for the other side.
The cutter has been temporarily glued to its base to make handling easier.
I do not like the look of the shroud. I may end up re-doing it last-thing...
Next, I glued the bowsprit in place.
Here I think GHQ did not understand the arrangement. In this little kit, the bowsprit piece has its own little brace that goes in a hole slightly offset to starboard. The bowsprit itself projects forward through two bits that hold it on the centerline. The stempost is cut at the level of the bulwark so as to allow this. My understanding is that cutters did not always run with headgear, and a bowsprit was fashioned out of a spare yard when needed. On most cutters, the stempost extended above the bulwark, and the bowsprit/yard was braced against a stout post on the deck, and was lashed to one side or the other of the stempost.
For this ship, I used a very fine thread that is no longer available from Langton. (I also occasionally use very fine brush bristles that I bought for just this type of work, but that brush seems to be hiding at the moment....)
I start by cutting a few 1" lengths of thread.
It is very easy to drown a model this small in rigging, so I decided to go light... just a few stays, lifts and other of the more apparent lines. Working 4-5 lines at a time, I dabbed a little super glue at the origin of those lines, and set the tip of a line in each dab.
After a couple of minutes, I put a dab at the terminus of one line and, using tweezers, pull the line taut through the dab. I repeated that process for each line. Once the terminus dab dried, I trimmed off excess line with a razor or scissors, and repeated with more lines until finished.
When I do a brig or ship-rigged ship, I do as much of the rigging on the mast as possible before attaching the mast to the hull. I also work from bow to stern, attaching and finishing one mast as much as possible before mounting the next.
The cutter is nearly finished. Note that there is always touch-up painting. She is already showing some wear on the hull.