I have finshed the stern galleries for the model of the Victory.  There is no question that building at 1/100 scale gives great challenges.  I normally work at 1/48 or 1/72 but this is a large ship so to keep it manageable for Andra and Sean I have gone this way.

Fortunately the HMS Victory does not have an exorbitant amount of carvings.  There are far worse ships.  Andra could have asked for Sovereign of the Seas  (not the cruise ship but the Royal ship built in 1637)  That is a madhouse of carvings built for the only King of England hung by the English army (Charles I)  Look it up on the internet and realize the issue.  A crazy bordello of carvings. 

I would have gone bonkers trying to do that model.  Not that the Victory does not have its challenges.  The Stern has some carvings culminated by a diaorama of furled flags with guns and pikes.  Attached is the picture of what I have achieved.  The entire diaorama is about 1 1/4 inches long and 1/4 inch high.  Carved from boxwood, The pikes were turned on my mini lathe from brass and are at most 3 /16 inch long. 

If you blow it up you see the flaws but at real life scale… not bad.  I am pleased.  Took me several attempts and this version was about 12 hours of work.  And you wonder how I fill my retirement years.