popeye2sea

Some of the tools I have purchased for this project. The t-shaped, wooden tool on the left is a strip cutter. There a various sized stitching irons, stitching awls, hole punches, end punches. Also shown are edging and burnishing tools, stitching needles and thread, and the tool on the right with the harp shaped extension is a stitch grooving tool. It is used to allow the leather stitching to end up flush with the finished leather surface and not get abraded or cut. I purchase vegetable tanned leather for these projects. Depending on the item, I will get it either dyed or natural. All of the items we use are either black or white. Already dyed black leather is easy to find, but getting white leather can be a problem. Leather is purchased by the cut and the weight (thickness) You can get whole sides, half sides, single or double shoulders, bellies, backs, or panels. Leather weight is by the ounce, for example an 8 to 9 oz. single shoulder. But I always have trouble figuring out what thickness that is going to be, which is what I am really interested in. So, you can also convert that weight to an average thickness in millimeters. In the picture below are a half side of 8-9 oz. (on the right), a single shoulder of 5-6 oz natural, a half shoulder of black dyed 5-6 oz, and a black dyed 3-4 oz. panel. The natural half shoulder will be cut into strips, etc. for the cross belts for the marines, while the black leather will go into the various parts of the cartouche boxes. The 9 oz. half side will be patterned out and then dyed black and will form the bulk of the cartouche boxes. Regards, Henry

As some of you may already know, I run a non-profit corporation that serves aboard the USS Constitution as its Marine Detachment. We recently had some new members join and I need to stock up on some new equipage for them. In addition, I will now be portraying the Captain of the Marine Guard, so I need to make a new baldric and sword hangers for my officers sword. I also need to make a shoulder hanger for our snare drum. The pictures show the items I need to replicate. This won't be so much a build log as much as a little taste of something I have yet to see here on the forums. The first item is a baldric, also known as a shoulder belt, to carry the bayonet. The one in the picture is for the sergeant and has a double frog to carry both a bayonet and a sword. The other enlisted ranks would only have a bayonet. The next item is a cartouche box. This holds 26 rounds of ammunition for the musket in paper cartridges. Here is the neck stock. This is where the US Marines get the name "leatherneck". Contrary to popular belief, the neck stock is not designed, or capable of, stopping sword cuts. It is there simply to keep your head erect and improve your military bearing, so you can't do what is termed in the modern military, "eyeball the deck." Next up is the snare drum carried by our musics. "Musics" is the word used back then to refer to the drummer and fifer, or musicians, assigned to every company. Finally, here is my new officers sword. The regulations of the period did not specify the sword that an marine officer could wear, except that it have a gilt (non-leather) scabbard. This is a Georgian period, horse head saber. It would have been worn by a gentleman of means due to it being more elaborate than the average sword of the period. Since I am portraying a more senior officer, Captain, I thought it appropriate. Next steps are to create patterns for the pieces and source the leather. I have also started to acquire the leather working tools needed for the project. The new Gerstner tool chest a recently acquired will house these new tools so that I can keep them organized and separate from the rest of the tools in my very small workspace. Regards, Henry

Gregg, Thanks for the reply. I just attempted to download that specific PDF in the post. Clicking on the hyperlink does nothing. Not even an attempt to retrieve the file. I am wondering if a recent upgrade to chrome may have changed some security setting on my PC, but I can not find anything that works to reverse the problem. I even tried after disabling security features completely. Regards, Henry

Perhaps I am missing something obvious, but I can no longer download .pdf files attached to posts. I am currently using Chrome. Regards,

Shrouds were well stretched while preparing them for serving in the riggers loft, so I don't know if there would be a lot of movement in them after they are set up on the ship. Regards, Henry

I have no gripes about your gripes. They look good. Regards, Henry

A couple of points: US Navy ships (or any Naval vessel) would rarely dock. They would normally anchor off (reduced the potential for desertion). When a ship did dock, the side chosen to be alongside the quay would be determined by the purpose or the job to be done while docked. At anchor, the angle that a ship assumes to the wind is dependent on both the wind and the current, with the bow pointing generally up-wind and against the current. Set your flags flying however floats your boat. Regards, Henry

A steam trunk is the compartment through which the smoke stack passes. In modern ships it often contains blower motors for ventilation and exhaust and would often have a hatch for access. A steamer trunk is a type of valise for travel items on longer voyages. Victory probably has a rudimentary steam trunk around the galley smoke stack to keep the heat from the beams. Regards, Henry

Marc, I have a spreadsheet that I have partially completed that details and elaborates on all of the rigging. It is still a work in progress (Life, right?), but I can send it to you. I will also send the finished product when done. Regards, Henry

"Drench", nice. I will have to remember that one.

How low do these tables adjust to? It would be nice to have a table that lowers so that working on upper rigging is not such a reach. Regards, Henry

That will work for the fore braces, but the main brace standing end starts right aft on an eyebolt on the exterior bulkhead aft of the mizzen channels. The plan has the working end made fast to the flagstaff. Obviously that is incorrect, but I have not yet worked out where to belay it. Perhaps to one of the kevels in front of the half poop deck. Regards,

I don't agree at all. Syren makes some of the most accurate and well formed blocks on the market! Possibly the only thing better would be an actual working block. Which would be next to impossible for a 2mm block. Regards, Henry

That is correct. Although there may have been more than one linstock per barrel. Perhaps one tub per two guns would have worked? Or maybe one tub per division of guns? I have also read of something called a halliard tub that would be placed to corral the length of the halliard after raising the yard. But, I do not know why, or how they might have been employed. Wouldn't you just coil the halliard on the belay point just like any other line? Regards, Henry

Like all of the cannon implements, the linstocks were normally kept stowed away when not in action. The tub is there to hold the lighted slow match, held in the linstock, from falling over and igniting anything inadvertently. The slow match is lit and remains smoldering throughout the battle. That is why you so often read about the gunner blowing on the slow match to cause the match to flare prior to applying it to the touch hole. So, no, the linstock is not stored in the tub upside-down. There is a separate tub provided for the sponge water. Regards, Henry

The instructions call those slow match tubs. The other tubs (part no. 160, two halves) are supposed to be a sponge tub. In my opinion the slow match holder (linstock) is a very poor representation. There should be sort of a, curved, tee-shaped, iron bracket at the top to hold the slow match. What they have there looks like it comes straight out of Disney's "sorcerers apprentice." Regards, Henry

Another way that the lanyard was finished was to seize the parts of the rope together at several points within the turns and the end hitched once or twice around the stay, similar to rigging shroud deadeyes. Or the hitches can be omitted and the end just seized to the part next to itself between the deadeyes or hearts, which will provide a much neater look. Regards, Henry

A becket is the loop (eye) of rope on one end of the block. It typically takes the standing end of the tackle fall. The fall is the rope that reeves through the sheaves of the blocks. The standing end is the end of the rope that is fixed (does not move), with the other end of the rope being known as the running or hauling part. Sometimes the becket is part of the block strop. In other applications the becket is a separate loop of rope attached to the strop. The standing end of the tackle fall is fastened to the becket using a becket bend (I know, creative naming). Regards, Henry

Robin, I am assuming that the block in the last pic is the one you are using, and that the eye bolt is already installed on the gaff. Take that strop (the rope loop around the block) off of the block and remake another one so that there is a loop (eye) on both ends. One way to do that is to make a loop with rope that will be large enough to go around the block with extra on both sides to form the eyes. Then you finish making the eyes by wrapping a few turns of thread and tying off so that the wraps (seizing) are tight against the block, just above and just below the block. You should end up with a block that is stropped like the one in the plans. Now you can simply tie the lower eye to the ring bolt on the gaff, and the upper eye will take the rope which forms the tackle (the part that runs through and between two blocks). Regards, Henry

That's a beauty. Have you seen the YouTube channel by Engels Coach Shop. He builds real coaches for a living. Yours looks identical. Regards, Henry

Anyone else having trouble opening this file? Henry

Glen, Great fix on the trysail mast, and an overall superb job on the re-rig for your client. Ah, yes, mai-tai's and scorpion bowls; de rigueur cocktails at Chinese restaurants everywhere. I remember putting together several straws to make one very long one and stealing from others scorpion bowls in my youth. Regards, Henry

Each pendant or block should have an eye spliced in and fitted over the end of the yard arm. The inside one butts up against the yard arm cleat and the rest snug up close to the preceding one. The fittings usually went over the yardarm in a specific order, usually with the footrope being first over (most inboard) and then proceeding outward with the yard tackle pendant, brace pendant, topsail sheet block, and the lift block being the last (furthest outboard). Regards, Henry

Hi Glen, I know it's too late for this build, but you appear to be installing your blocks backwards. The hole for the tackle line should be closer to the top or strop eye end of the block. The hole represents where the line enters to go around a sheave that has its pin or axle in the middle of the block. The line should appear to pass on both sides almost the length of the block and around that imaginary sheave. Info for the next build. Regards, Henry

If you are feeling ambitious, The Ashley Book of Knots describes several ways to make up baggywrinkle. Picked apart rope yarns (thrums) are knotted around or through a line and packed together tightly. Winding the line around the article to to be protected completes the baggywrinkle. Regards, Henry