Nautical Research Journal 197


6. Unusually for small sixth-rate warships of the era, Swan-class sloops had abundant decorations. Embellishments included ornate, carved pieces and hand-painted trompe l’oeil designs along the entire length of the upper hull.


by 4-millimeter-wide Swiss pear strips that extend upward from, and including the wales, to the tops of the bulwarks. To impart a subtle weathered look to the waterline area and below the wales, I used walnut strips colored with a natural stain to darken them. I should mention here that I work exclusively in metric, not imperial measurements. I fi nd this necessary with European plans. It is easy to use the opposite side of numerous rulers and change the mode of my ever-useful digital calipers.


Aſt er adding basswood decking strips to the


bulkhead’s skeleton frame, I used Age-It-Easy, an alcohol-based solution from Micro-Mark, to weather the strips; exposed decks were


called “weather


decks” for good reason. T e solution penetrated the semi-porous basswood grain just enough to impart the look I was seeking: not too much greying, but just enough to simulate a realistic, ship-at-sea


appearance. I experimented with the solution before applying it; the Age-It-Easy was brushed on in a single application and then quickly wiped-off with a clean cloth. Once the wood was dry, I then scribed the joints of the decking planks to replicate a three- butt shiſt pattern. I then used an awl to make tiny, simulated trunnels into the plank ends. At 1:64 scale, I have found this technique to be wholly adequate and scale-realistic. Once the plank ends were scribed and the simulated trunnels poked into the wood, I carefully touched each scribed joint and trunnel hole with a small paintbrush using a maple Minwax stain, my preferred color for these deck details. T is mineral-based stain darkens the broken wood grain just enough to enhance this eff ort. I will also note that I use full-length basswood strips for deck planking and not individual board lengths; this speeds up the planking process considerably. Once scribed to accurate lengths, it is more precise-looking, too. To


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