Jump to content

popeye2sea

NRG Member
  • Posts

    1,800
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by popeye2sea

  1. It has been my understanding that another name for right hand laid rope is hawser laid. Three hawser laid ropes twisted up left handed into cable laid rope. So named for it's usual usage for anchor cable. Shroud laid rope is four strand or three strand around a central heart. So named for its common use as shrouds. Regards,
  2. RC Anderson, The Rigging of Ships in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast 1600-1720: page 94 - 95
  3. It is not just the starting point, or the reeving direction that is important. When using cable laid (left hand lay) rope the upper deadeye is turned in by passing the end under the deadeye from right to left as one looks at it from outboard. Then the end crosses behind the standing part and comes up on the right side of it. With right hand laid rope the end goes from left to right under the deadeye and comes up on the left side of the standing part. The end result is that with cable laid rope the ends lie forward on the starboard side and aft on the port. With right hand laid rope the opposite is the case. The laniard always starts from the hole furthest from the end of the shroud. Regards,
  4. Reseting the steeve of the bow sprit should not be a problem. The complication is getting the doubling for the spritsail topmast back to vertical afterwards. Regards,
  5. The standing end of the top rope would be seized to an eyebolt under the cap, opposite the block. You are also correct that the top rope would only be rigged when raising or lowering the top mast. BTW, in the second photo, the second image makes no sense at all. If you just consider the first and third images you have it right. Regards,
  6. As far as I can tell, the inset is more correct. Line 92 is the inhaul for sail 10, attached to the top corner of the sail through the block at the base of the gaff and down to the pin rail aft of the mast. Line 94 is the down haul for sail 8, attached to the lower forward corner of sail through one of the blocks at the mast cap, down through the top platform on the port side and belay to the pin rail forward of the mast. Line 95 is the peak halyard for the gaff of sail 10, attached to the end of the gaff through the other block at the mast cap then down through the top platform and belay to the pin rail forward of the mast. Line 96 is the downhaul for sail 9, attached to the lower forward corner of sail 9 then through the block at the back edge of the top platform then down to the pin rail forward of the mast. Line 109 is the sheet for sail 10, attached to the lower aft corner of sail 10 and then belay directly to the pin rail on the port side. Perhaps for this line the diagram is calling for you to lead line 109 through both lower corners of the sail 10, the forward part through the block at the lower forward corner of the sail and then to pin 92, but this part does not make much sense to me. I hope that helps. Regards,
  7. Kev, At the risk of answering the wrong question, The line that runs from the mast head to the bowsprit is call the fore stay (this is the line I mentioned to you in your other thread). For the shrouds, the top deadeye gets two and sometimes three seizings around the shroud. The first is called a throat seizing and it goes where the two parts of the shroud cross above the dead eye. The second is called the middle seizing and it is a round seizing. The third is called the end seizing also of the round seizing type, and comes at or near the end of the shroud. The very end of the shroud would also be whipped to prevent unlaying. The stay, where it comes down to the bowsprit will be attached in some fashion to a collar that is seized around the bowsprit with either a heart, a deadeye, or a block seized in. The lower end of the stay will have the corresponding heart etc. seized in. A laniard will be passed between the two fittings to set up (tension) the stay. Depending on which fitting you use will determine the type and number of seizings required. If you use a dead eye it will be seized in in the same manner as the shrouds. A heart or a block would probably only have two seizings. A lot of terminology, I know, but it will become familiar soon enough. Regards,
  8. The instructions did not call for that. I used it the way it was. That model foundered in a storm (the infamous cleaning whirlwind of '79) and was lost with all hands, and I have no pictorial evidence to show you how the rigging looked. Regards,
  9. The traditional method is to start on the starboard side. Then alternate port and starboard pairs. In fairness, I can't see how starting on one side or the other has any advantage. The important thing is to start with the forward most pair and proceed aft. The stay, which is what I think you are referring to as the bowsprit shroud?, would be the last to be fitted over the mast head. Regards,
  10. I still have some of that thread from my Cutty Sark kit from back in the day. It is definitely what came with the kit. And those are the original spools. As far as I recall, it was always that color. Regards,
  11. Although I have no direct evidence for SR, I believe that the one of the mistakes is that the fore halyard knighthead should not be placed directly abaft the fore mast. The halyard will foul on the main stay. I think it should be offset to starboard a bit. I did this on my build. Another issue I have is the included casks/tubs for the cannons. I think these are supposed to be match tubs, but they look all wrong to me. The halyard tubs that are supplied are kind of strange, too. I am not planning on using any of those items. The hatch gratings are poorly modeled. And I am not sure about the arrangement or placement of the various knights on deck. Also, where, if any were present on the upper decks, would the pumps go. I assume somewhere near the main mast. There are no wedges or mast boots for any of the masts. I'm sure I am missing some items. Regards,
  12. Thanks Bill, This build and modelling in general keeps getting pushed to the back of the priority list. Work, running a non-profit business and life in general keep getting in the way. The SR keeps staring at me from the top of my desk and I will get back to work on it eventually. The total build years has accumulated to over 40 now. Regards,
  13. The ship I served in whilst in the Navy had fairleads for the signal halyards made from lignum vitae. 1985. Regards,
  14. I have used UNI-Thread 3/0, 6/0, and 8/0 depending on the thickness of the rope being seized or whipped. Some of the UNI-Thread are flat monofilament and to my eye they do not produce a good looking seizing. The stuff with a rounder cross section works better. Of course you can always build up a few layers of the flat monofilament to compensate. A proper round seizing has 7 - 9 turns of marline followed by one fewer riding turns on top and then two crossing turns between the ropes being seized together. I has a very distinct appearance. For a flat seizing omit the riding turns and for a throat seizing omit the crossing turns. Regards,
  15. I build up my strops on a serving machine. I pass a few turns of sewing thread between two hooks on the serving machine. The number of turns will determine the thickness of the finished strop. Then I serve between the hooks. The eyes formed at the ends where the turns passed around the hooks will be lashed together so that the strop forms a continuous loop. If necessary I then serve over the lashed eyes. The thickness I use for a particular block is pretty much just what looks good and in proportion to my eye. You can use variations on this method to make any variety of strop needed, for example long and short eye, eye and tail, etc. Regards,
  16. Well, the good news is that they are not really spliced. The cross rope is just tucked under one strand and passes straight through. Still a lot of eye splicing at the ends though. Regards,
  17. Not to make things more confusing, but chain was not used for the entire length of most lines. A topsail sheet, for example, would be chain for the portion that would see the heaviest wear from the clew of the sail through the sheave at the yardarm and then to a point below where it turned through the cloverleaf block at the center of the yard. From there it was shackled to wire rope to lead down to near the deck where a rope tackle was shackled in for purchase. Regards,
  18. What is the source for these photos. They are mislabeled. I would not trust them at all. This one mentions a dispart sight on the muzzle which is not evident in the photo. Regards,
  19. Beautiful work! BTW, you are correct about the line. The tackle is what is referred to as the halyard. The part above it that runs over the cap and suspends the yard is called the tye. Regards
  20. The US paid tributes/bribes to the Barbary states for many years. Frequently, even after making a tribute agreement to secure protection from attack, the payor would find that the rulers (Deys of Algiers, Tunis or Bey of Tripoli) would go back on the deal and demand further gifts and tributes. They would enslave the crew and ransom anyone whom they felt was important enough to demand payment for. They would even demand that ships be built for them as gifts. The Barbary pirates are the reason for the existence of USS Constitution. She and her sisters were built to counter the pirates. Regards,
  21. Great video. Reminds me of my years as a signalman in the Navy. Did a lot of splicing of double braid and three strand flag halyard. Regards,
  22. Most often a knot will be at the end of a line, i.e: stopper knot, man rope knot, bell rope knot. Also a lot of decorative ropework will be knotted. However, a hitch or a bend joins two ropes. Hitches and bends are generally designed to be readily untie-able or loosened, Knots are designed to be more permanent. Splices, seizings and lashings are another story. There are very few actual knots employed in the rigging of ships. In a similar vein, there are very few ropes in the rigging. The two I mentioned above being the only ones I can think of at the moment. Plenty of lines, though. Regards,
×
×
  • Create New...