Bellerophon -9 Stain-> Glue-> Finish deck planks.

Further to my enthusiastic posts about using Huon pine for the model Bellerophon deck planks, I did make the 13 panels which contained the 400+ upper gun deck planks.

I decided to stain them, using the black stain diluted 1:4 with turpentine and I was rather disturbed by the way that the huon pine took up the stain. It was quite patchy, and I could see that the panels, rather than individual planks, would look different from each other at their edges.

Oh dear!. Should I have cut individual planks, all 400+ of them, and glued them to the deck individually?

Well, I decided to proceed with my plan of the 13 panels, glue them down and then see what could be done. At least the trenail lines would be in line, whereas that would be in considerable doubt if I had made the planks individually.

Also, most of this deck is hidden beneath other decks, cannons, ships boats, capstans, etc etc. So I pressed on.

The top gundeck plank pieces glued into position. You can see how the pieces took up the diluted black stain differently. And also how the trenails are highlighted appropriately at the right size. I have started on the ships galley (foreground). The piece of decking around the mainmast penetration needs, and will get, a slice removed to relieve the lateral pressure and tenting.

Overall I am satisfied with the grey colour. I understand that Huon pine has a high level of natural oils. One reason that the wood is so long lasting, and also why different pieces take up stains at such different rates.

I have decided to add at least one coat of matt clear Carbothane. Today I assembled the capstans.

Oh, and the bare areas at the sides will not be visible when the planking of the hull and the bulwarks is finished.