Aligning the gun ports seems like a pretty simple process, but is crucial to the symmetry of the ship as well as aligning the cannon and other deck fixtures. The pre-fabricated gun port templates not only set up that alignment, but they also set the stage for how the entire hull will be planked.
To get the gun ports even and accurate, I soaked them in water for a couple hours to loosen them up, then clamped them to the sides of the ship – careful to line up the ridges with the bulwark posts that extend up through the deck. Then I left them there overnight to dry in that fixed position.
Then, I glue them along the sides using PVA (wood) glue along the posts and outside the deck and add nails into the bulwarks and posts. I used a little bit of CA (super glue) on the inner posts just to hold the gun ports in place. But these posts will be removed later.
The pre-fab template comes in to pieces that link together toward the stern. This is kinda funky because there’s really nothing holding them together and very little space to adhere. So, I added a flat piece of wood behind the seam to bolster the joint. I’m hoping it’s thin enough that it won’t interfere with planking – otherwise I’ll remove it and let the wales hold it in place as it’s planked.
When the hull is planked, so shall the gun ports – so some imperfections will be covered. But, needless to say the smoother the job here, the easier it’ll be to have a smoothly planked hull later.
The Lehman Shipyard 