Sorry for the delay.
So, what's happening now is absolutely nothing. I'm primarily an aircraft modeller but got inspired to try this ship after seeing another one built. I'm not ignoring it but have just either not had the time or the inclination to get back to it but I will at some point. It's on the corner of my work bench so not far from my view. There are two other ships in my stash, a Graf Spee and the Scharnhorst.
Thanks for the very kind words both here and in your Essex thread. As for getting CA to stick to PE parts, I too find this a bit of a challenge but have not found it so bad that I would have to resort to soldering. The thing with PE is that it is very shiny whereas CA likes to stick to things that have a bit more texture. Where possible, I try to increase the chance of a good bond by scuffing the mating surfaces with a file, sandpaper, or even just scoring them with a blade, Of course, this isn`t always possible when dealing with stuff like railings and tiny gun shields but it`s worth doing where you can.
Before applying the glue, I want to also make sure that the parts that are to be joined have no spring in them that would tend to force them apart. In the case of the tower, for example, the edges to be glued need to be perfectly straight. Bent edges should be at the correct angle and any unwanted bends should be eliminated by continual adjustment of the part until it fits. It`s worth taking the necessary time to do this. Once the parts fit, I find a way to securely hold the parts to be mated that does not involve using my free hand. This allows me to support my hand that`s applying the CA if I`m going into a particularly tight area or to have a tissue ready to sop up excess glue if needed. I apply the CA using a round toothpick that is clamped into a pin vice or just held in my hand for easier jobs. If I want to apply a tiny dab, the toothpick is used as is. If I want to apply a bit more glue, as for example, applying along the edge of the tower or gluing a rail to the deck, I cut the toothpick to a chisel edge using a blade so that it looks like a small, straight screwdriver. Sometimes I use that as the applicator and sometimes, if I want even more glue on the end of the pick, I`ll cut a V-notch into the end. When I`m ready to glue, I put a drop of CA onto a piece of masking tape I stuck to my cutting mat, dip the toothpick and apply it to the parts. I never apply it from the bottle. I`ll then spread the CA along the joint and sop up any excess with the edge of a tissue. I often use accelerator as well, especially if applying glue to secure rigging. Those shrouds holding up the mast on the tower would have been held in place with tweezers in one hand, glue applied with the other, glue put down, dip brush in accelerator, then apply to the glued end of the shroud, all the while holding it in place until the glue sets.
I don`t want to imply that all this works perfectly. I did have instances where the glue separated on the tower and I had to redo some of the joints, sometimes more than once. It can be frustrating and it`s why I need to get away from the project at times. Having said that, I hope to get back to his build soon and do another spurt of PE work. I bought the White Ensign set and there are two large frets full of PE parts so there`s lots more to do.
Thanks again for the comments and I hope I`ve been able to help in some way.