Mast Shaping Help

[mikiek]

I'm a little confused about the steps involved with shaping the various mast pieces. I've decided to start with square stock rather than the kit supplied dowel.

 

Using the main as an example - the entire piece is tapered. The bottom 2" need to be octagonal. The top 3" are square and in between is round. If not for the tapering, I get it. Just do the various shaping per measurements and done.

 

With tapering - do you taper the entire piece first then do the shapes? Just taper the round section?

 

I'm looking for some help on the order of steps in this process.

[GLakie]

There's a section found on the main page, called "Masting - Rigging and Sails", that you should be able to find the answer you're looking for. http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/forum/16-masting-rigging-and-sails/page-1?prune_day=100&sort_by=Z-A&sort_key=last_post&topicfilter=all

[druxey]

The method you need is to taper the square stick first. Then cut the octagonal and round sections to an octagon by the 7-10-7 proportion across each flat. Finally round off the octagon where the stick is to be round and voila! A perfect mast or spar. One book that illustrated this process is in The Fully Framed Model, Volume IV.

[mikiek]

Thanks Druxey - Thats what I was looking for. So simple and I always try to make it so hard.

[amateur]

And dont forget that most mast are sllightly thicker above deck than at decklevel.

Also, the taper isn't straight, but 'circular'

 

Jan

[mikiek]

As druxey suggested - I tapered the square stick first. Got that shape matched up to the foremast on the plans. As a newbie, I'm not ready for chiseling yet, so much of the work was sanded. It probably took a lot longer than if I had done some carving first.

 

I'm using a piece of birch I had lying around. My intention was for this to be a practice attempt. I have some boxwood on the way from Crown Timber that I was going to use for the real masts. Seems a shame not to use the birch piece but I suppose getting the practice out of it makes the effort worthwile.

 

I'll post some pix in my log this evening.

[mikiek]

I have pretty much finished the foremast. Shaped and rounded except for one thing. How do you transition from the rounded section to the square section? The corners of the square extend beyond the circumference of the round section. That looks kind of funky.

 

Oh yes, I did update my log tonight.