"Ahab's Secret"--Preliminaries (4)

This is more of an "update" to work already underway rather than an introduction to any new developments. . .

• The neck/torso join has been finalized and I am delighted!!! All that was missing was the extension of the shirt collar to eliminate the dead space and address the disproportionate positioning of the head.
• I was hoping to avoid this, but the right thumb has been replaced with a piece of resin sprue. This will provide a much more realistic support to the lance, and hopefully allow me to avoid any post-painting/attachment modeling.
• The right arm has been permanently attached and the shoulder joint rebuilt. This, in conjunction with the repositioned head, makes for a remarkable difference! There is still some finishing and fairing to do, but this will be minor in nature.
  
• The harpoon has been reworked. The two-flue head, with its extended beards, was a disaster looking for a place (and time!) to happen, so I decided to replace the shaft with a length of [steel] music wire. Finishing and assembly await.
• Height of the crown of the hat reduced by ~ a third. PERFECT!
  

That should wrap-up the projected work on the figure itself. Henceforth, the focus will be on finishing and final clean-up. Once that is completed, the figure can be primed and work on the coffin will then begin in earnest.