usedtosail

Mast rake from my notes when I built the Connie:

2.5 deg fore, 3 deg main, almost 4 deg mizzen

I believe I measured these angles off the Model Shipways plans.

I finished cleaning up the topmast shrouds and added the futtock staves. I used pieces of thin wire for these and tied them on with fly tying thread b because they are so small. That thread looks nice when done but it is sure a pain to work with. It is so thin that it is hard to grab and tye and being black it is very hard to see. But I persevered and eventually got them all tied on. I used some thin CA to fix the threads to the wire to really hold them in place.

I started the ratlines with the mizzen topmast shrouds but I need to seize the topgallant shrouds to the topmast shrouds at the futtock staves before I can add the ratlines on the fore and main topmasts.

I glued the fore and main topG masts in place but not before I added all the blocks (not like last time). I will now add the topG shrouds and the topmast ratlines, but I am also preparing to add the crows feet. I stropped 2mm single blocks to tie to the stays and also stropped them to the euphroes. Those blocks are the smallest I have ever worked with, but I was able to use the same technique I use on larger blocks. I also stropped hooks to thimbles for the ends of the preventer stays and the main topG stay.

Stropping those blocks to the masts was not very difficult, so once they were in place I was able to add the topmast shrouds, the topmast stays and preventer stays, and the backstays. I served these lines like their lower counterparts. On the backstay pairs I seized a short piece of served line in the middle as a cut splice. Working from the mizzen mast to the fore mast, I first seized the deadeyes to the ends of the topmast shrouds and added the lanyards, but did not tighten them up yet. I then added the stay and preventer stay but again did not tighten the tackle lines yet. Finally I added the backstays, tightened them, then the stay and preventer stays, then finally the topmast shrouds. I found this the best way to keep everything taught without pulling the masts out of alignment. I am still working may way up to the bow, with the mizzen topmast just about finished.

I had a bit of a scare when I was adding the fore topmast stay and preventer stay. I started to tighten the tackle lines and the bowsprit decided to come unglued and slid back into the hull. I realized that the only thing holding the bowsprit was the glue in the hole in the bitts which didn't; really make a good gluing surface. Nothing was pulling the bowsprit forward. So I held the bowsprit in the bitts with some clamps and drilled a small hole through the bitt into the bowsprit and put one of the nails that came with the kit into the hole. I cut off the excess nail and put a drop of brown paint on the end to hid it. Now the bowsprit can't move and I could continue rigging the stays.

Next I'll be adding the topmast futtock staves and the ratlines, then rigging the topG shrouds on the fore and main masts.

I have finished the standing rigging for the lower masts, including the futtock shrouds and ratlines.

I have added the topmast to the three masts, which I glued in place to make sure they stay straight. I just wish I had remembered to include the few blocks I stropped previous that go between the mast top and the cap on the fore and mizzen masts. I will now have to strop them in place, which shouldn't be too much extra work.

Thanks Glenn and for the likes.

After a nice week's vacation in Canada I am back in the shop. I have finished installing the futtock staves and have started adding the catharpins and futtock shrouds. I apologize for the crappy photos but I find taking pictures of rigging not easy.

You have created a true masterpiece, BE. Very well done.

Its been a while since the last update but I have been making some progress with the rigging. I finished rigging the lower shroud deadeyes and the stays. I started to move onto the futtock staves and ratlines by first enlarging the supplied plans that show the ratlines to the same scale as the model, cutting out the shroud sections and gluing them to some manila folder material. I trimmed them to fit behind the shrouds and immediately saw that the mizzen mast was too high! The mizzen mast top was almost as.high as the main top, so I should have noticed it sooner. I made the mast the correct height but it did not fit all the way into the hull when I installed it. So off came the mizzen shrouds and stay and out came the mast. I trimmed the bottom of the mast to fit more into the hull and checked the height, which was now good. I was able to salvage most of the shrouds but I did have to remake one pair and the stay. These are now re-installed and I just need to tighten the shroud lashings and tie them off to the shrouds.

While I was reworking the mizzen mast I also started adding the futtock staves to the fore and main shrouds.

I have also started making the futtock shrouds using the supplied PE hooks. I did have to carefully drill out the holes in the hooks to fit the line for the shrouds.

Nice clean rigging Tom. Good job.

The bowsprit rigging is completed as are all the lower mast stays. I can now tighten and tie off the deadeye lanyards, then start the ratlines.

Thank you Glenn. They took a bit of time but were fun to make and rig.

I am working on the rigging of the bowsprit shrouds and stays and the lower mast shrouds. I had to drill out the holes in the stem for the bowsprit stays because of the serving on the lines. I was a bit apprehensive about it but I just drilled half way from both sides and it worked out fine. I also had to drill out two eyebolts so the served line would fit through them for the bowsprit shrouds. I am working on a lot of lines at the same time as it takes time for the lacquer to dry on the fixed seizings.

I finally finished the yards with all the blocks and foot ropes. I'll leave the parrels until I am ready to add each yard.

I have started rigging the bow sprit by adding the gammoning. Adding the stays and sprint sail yard will be next.

Its beautiful Rusty. Great job.

So in the last couple of weeks I have managed to clean up the yards and paint them black. I have also stropped all the blocks for the yards and added the stirrups for the foot ropes. I added one foot rope to each of the topGallant yards and will start adding them to the other yards soon.

I have also added all the lower shrouds to the masts and have started adding the upper deadeyes to the shrouds. I am using a throat seizing to attach the deadeyes initially, which I can slide to get them even. I am also using two twisted pieces of wire to hold the upper and lower deadeyes while I get the seizing tight. Once all the deadeyes are on the shrouds I will start doing a final height check and fix the seizings to hold them, then add two round seizings to hold the loose ends of the shrouds to themselves.

So I was planning to build the Vanguard Speedy kit sometime in the future but not necessarily as the next build, but we found out recently that we are going to be grandparents for the first time and it is a boy, so I want to build the Speedy as a gift for the baby. WIth luck it will be completed by his first birthday. I ordered the kit today to take advantage of the discount that Chris has going on now, but I won't start it until this model is done and in its case. Perhaps the baby will have some of the traits of Sir Cochrane when he grows up.

Beckets are what they are called 

Thanks Glenn. It helps to have other build logs like yours to refer too.

I have turned all the yards on the lathe and glued the chokes in place. I have most of them cleaned of char except for a few that fell off while sanding them. I glued them back on and will clean them up tomorrow, then paint these all black.

I have also started stropping the blocks for the yards. Many of these have loops for other ropes (I can't remember what these are called at the moment) so I started by making a bunch of strops with small loops, as shown on the right. I then used these strops for the blocks, as seen on the left. That is all but one block for the fore yards that have loops.

I served all the lines for the fore, main and mizzen shrouds.

I also finished the bowsprit with all the deadeyes and blocks.

Now I will make all the yards before I start rigging the masts.

I put the anchor cable in place. I had to drill out the inner hawse hole to get it to fit but to did fit in the hatch grating with no problem. I glued the hatch grating in place but left the anchor cable loose for now after wrapping it around the windlass.

The really hot weather finally broke here this week so I have had more time in the shop. I finished adding the various chocks and other bits to the bowsprit and gave it and the jib boom a coat of wipe on poly. While waiting for that to dry I made a new anchor cable line to replace the one that came in the kit, which was just a little too loose for my liking. I started by making four strands of 0.035" tan line, then twisted these together counter clockwise to make the cable.

Since I had the rope walk out, I started making the lines for the shrouds and backstays. I am using 0.035" line for the fore and main lower shrouds, and 0.030" line for the lower mizzen shrouds. I already had some lengths left over from my last build but I need a few more lengths of each. The 0.030 line is on the left.

I painted the first coat of black on the bowsprit and jib boom and will continue stropping the deadeyes for it when the painting is completed.

After a few weeks I have finally finished stropping all the blocks and deadeyes for the masts. This has taken a bit more time than I expected but then again I have only been working an hour or so a day because the weather has been so hot. I am now working on finishing the bowsprit and stropping the blocks and deadeyes for it.

I reverted to using seizings for the smaller blocks. I was able to make a single loop that went around the block and the mast with a single seizing to hold it all together, which to me looked better than the fake eye splice. I am currently serving a length of line to use for the bowsprit deadeye strops.

I finished adding the wooldings to the fore and main lower masts. I used 0.5mm dark brown line that I made from poly thread instead of the supplied black 0.5mm line. I will be making my own line for most of the rigging.

I then started stropping the blocks and deadeye for the fore mast. I am using the supplied 0.25mm black line for stropping the smaller blocks, but for the larger ones I served the 0.25mm line with thin black thread. I started by serving a length of the black line then started adding blocks and the deadeye to it. I first started making the loops by serving them but later changed them to use a fake splice, where I thread the line back onto itself in two places. It is a little tough getting the served line back through itself but with a bit of perseverance I was able to do it. I think these loops look better and hold better than the seized loops. Here are the blocks and deadeye in various stages of stropping. The deadeye still has the seized loops.

You can also see how I am making the two block sets for the lifts. I first tied the two blocks together with thin thread, then added the strop over the thread to hide it. I also started the fake splice but left it loose until the stropping was set around the blocks. I then adjusted the loop to the right size and added the second part of the fake splice. After these are finished I get to make most of them again for the main mast.

Thanks Rob.

Here are some bad photos of the mast parts painted and dry fit together. I have started adding the wooldings to the lower main and fore masts. It is not much different than making seizings. Oops - seems the mizzen mast cap has slipped down to the top. It will be glued in the correct place later, after the mizzen shrouds have been added.

I am slowly working on the masts between lots of family visiting over the 4th weekend. I have made all the parts of the masts but will not assemble them totally now. I am assembling the lower masts first so that I can slip the shrouds over them instead of seizing them on the masts. I have added the eyebolts and railings to the mast tops and glued the tops to the lower masts.

I also had to modify the lower mizzen mast to get the correct rake angle. I notched the bottom to still fit into the hole on the inside lower deck, but part of the open hole could be seen, so I made a mast coat that covers the opening. I was able to manipulate it over the hole with tweezers and push the mast through it.

Thanks Rob. It is funny because right after I posted that I saw your build log and thought the same thing. You will do well with the Proton mill. I had one but then upgraded to a Sherline mill and lathe combo a few years ago that I like even better. It was a pre-retirement present to myself. The only complaint I had with the Proton mill was that the mill bits only went up to 1/8" wide, so you have to do multiple passes along the length of the mast. I used a 1/2" end mill bit in the Sherline and was able to do the square sides in one pass.

Thanks Glenn. You guys that have already built this model have been a big help.

I started working on the various mast sections using a combination of the mill for the square sections and the lathe for the round ones. Here are the fore and main masts and topmasts which are ready to go. I have the mizzen mast ready and am working on the mizzen topmast. I made sure all these sections fit into the various holes in the tops and caps so I won't have to fiddle with them when it is time to assemble the masts. I do still have to file the flats in the lower masts for the hounds but I will do that when the tops are ready to fit.