dcicero

It is time to start rigging the mast.  Some lines are served with an additional layer of line wrapped around them to protect them wherever they would be at risk of damage from rubbing.  On this model, the pendant of tackles, the foremost shroud, the other shrouds above the catharpins and the jeer block strop are served.  Because this is a cross-section, the main and back stays will not be installed but they would also be served.  Standing rigging is protected from water damage with a tar-like compound.  This resulted in a dark brown appearance to the lines.  The running rigging was not protected and so was a natural hemp color.  On this model, the burton pendants and shrouds are standing rigging;  everything else is running rigging
 
Rope sizes are calculated from the diameter of the mast.  The kit contains a table with the dimensions for the various ropes, based on the diameter of the mast.  To measure the diameter of the line, I wrap it around a dowel twenty times, measure the width of the wrapping and divide by twenty.  This is much more accurate than  trying to measure an individual line. The first rope to go over the masthead is the pendant of tackles.  On the topmast, this line is referred to as the burton pendant.  This rope is completely served, and has a thimble on one end.  The other end is spliced to its opposite, resulting in the rope in the diagram below.  Where the red and blue lines meet are splices.  The pendants extend to approximately two feet below the hounds.  They were used with a tackle to raise and lower heavy weights.

To properly rig a model there is no substitute for the appearance of a served line.  I use 6-0 fly tying thread, which can be purchased at a sporting goods store or online.  I start by running thread, from left to right in this case, into the depression between the rope strands (worming), smoothing its surface (the yellow areas seen in the drawing below.  Then I serve the rope from right to left. 

I find it easier to serve short segments of rope, such as this, on the same piece of rope and then cut them apart.  I served the rope, leaving approximately six inches of serving thread for the splices (red circles).

Then I made a diagonal cut, following the lay of the rope ¼” away from the end of the serving.  The unserved line was held against the other line where the splice would go and I wrapped the two lines with the left-over serving thread “splicing” them together.  I continued the wrapping a few more twists to smooth out the transition and tied it off.  A tiny bit of dilute glue held everything together. The pendant was put over the mast head and onto the bolsters.  It was marked on each leg, two feet below the hounds and removed from the mast.  I used blackened 1/16” ID brass tubing for my thimbles.  The mark was placed on the side of the thimble and the pendant was wrapped around it.  For simplicity I used a simple seizing to secure the thimble and put it back on the mast.

 
 
 
 

Good evening MSW
 
I won one of Chuck's Battle Station kits at the Joint Clubs Conference so I'm taking a short break from my Armed Virginia Sloop.  I justify taking on a second project with the excuse that this kit will be a great way to practice rigging a cannon, which I have never done.  The kit includes Syren rope and blocks, and at the Conference Chuck gave a presentation on how exactly he likes to seize his rope.  With this knowledge still fresh in my mind I felt I better use it before it was forgotten.  So here I go
 
Here's the kit unwrapped on my bed; there's a lot of parts in the little box.  Directions are downloaded from Syren's website.

 
I read through the directions, unpacked all the parts, and re-read the directions.  The wood is all AYC I think, which I haven't worked with before, my previous experience is with basswood (blah) and holly.  AYC seems to be a good compromise wood; midway between basswood and holly in hardness, very minimal grain pattern, and it looks great under polyurethane.
 
I glued the two base panels together at right angles, creating a 2-ply plywood of sorts.  The thicker piece had warped a little but I left them clamped under a block of wood overnight and it came out flat.  Then I used water-based polyurethane (because thats what I have for my AVS) on both sides of the panel.  I plan to paint the top black somewhere down the road and the urethane provides a good base.
 
Next was gluing in the frames.  Mine fit fine without any sanding and I checked each piece for square as I went.  The slots are deep and the frames didn't require much adjustment and stayed put, and each frame is labeled.  Frame 5 (pictured below) is narrower and will only fit in 1 slot so its harder to screw up placement.

After gluing in the 5 frames I waited an hour then sanded the backside of the frames flat and added the back panel  Once it dried I sanded it flush with the frame edges.

And finally I added the blocking.  The Ultimation Hand Sander I got 2 Conferences ago worked great for removing small amounts of wood without rounding the edges.  I glued the blocking in place and clamped (gently) across the top.

And thats where I am tonight.
 
thanks for reading
 
Cisco

We stumbled on the Arabia Steamboat Museum in Kansas City this weekend. It’s currently in the City Market downtown but will have to close down and relocate in Nov 2026. I talked with the son of one of the guys who found it. They were originally on a treasure hunt and planned to sell whatever they found but instead taught themselves how to restore the artifacts. They said it’ll be another 15 years before they restore everything they found. 
 
They said if they can secure funding they hope to uncover the Malta, another of the hundreds on steamboats that sunk along the Missouri. The Arabia is from the settlement era from the 1850s and was filled with items destined for mercantile shops. The Malta is from the fur trapper era. 
 
There is on scratch build of the Arabia built by @Cathead
 
I’ve posted just a few of the photos. 
 
After seeing a gift shop on ground level with Beanie babies and sadly not a single book on steamboats or the steamboat era, our expectations were low. But it was pretty cool. Outside the KC Lyric Opera, which was why we were in KC, there isn’t a ton to do (some great restaurants). If you’re in KC, make a trip to the Arabia. (And grab a sandwich at Pigwich). 

Might be tough to get a definitive answer to this one, but the rig from Olympias would be a good source.  And thanks for the reference to Severin's work.  I read The Ulysses Voyage many years ago, when it first came out.  (And I seem to remember reading The Brendan Voyage, too, although I don't recall any details of it.)  I didn't know about The Jason Voyage, but I'll look for that one now.
 
Most of what we know about these ancient vessels is conjecture.  It's certainly been well-informed conjecture, but still conjecture.  There are no plans.  Getting what one can from a drawing on a vase is problematic, as is drawing conclusions from a couple of lines or poetry or from a play, and, although, say, the remains of a ship shed might exist, that doesn't tell you how to rig the ship that was stored there.  Some of the problem is not even knowing what we don't know.  I recall an anecdote about Olympias.  When they started testing her, they found they were constantly breaking the ropes that attached the oars to the thole pins.  Certainly, these things would break, but they were breaking all the time.  Someone associated with the vessel was talking to a local Greek fisherman who showed them a knot that everyone, apparently, knew ... except the British guys who built Olympias.  They tried the knot.  Problem solved.  Now, is that the same knot that was used 2,400 years ago?  Who knows?  Nobody knows. But that knot is certainly better than the one the British guys were using, so it's got to be closer to the original than theirs.  The things you learn when you try things... 
 
 
 
Dan

Im creating quite a lot of sawdust at the moment...
So, improved dust protection of model required (it took a lot of time to hoover out all the accumulated dust and clean before I varnished last year...).
I also wanted any cover to be transparent so that any darkening of the model (now its varnished) will be even. Found these 0.19mm Acetate Mylar sheets (300x600mm), which folded quite neatly over the deck (extending over the sides and covering all the oar ports).

So, 62 oar shafts all tapered and rounded....
Next stage, making and fitting handles:
The oar shaft is drilled to take a brass rod to act as a core for the removable handle and also as a bearing to the connector that will hold the oars in place within the boat.
I machined a brass section to the same dimensions as the oar shaft drilled at its center to enable the drill to be properly aligned with the center of the oar shaft as shown below. The second image shows the brass rod in place and the oar shaft marked out for shaping the transition to the handle

The oar handles are then drilled and turned befor fitting over the brass rod on the oar shaft as follows:

The total time taken for all this is about 0.5 hour (if I'm working efficiently!). 
(Total cummulative time/oar, so far 2.25 hours...)

Recently, I started posting on MSW.  I started the USS Perry on 12/15/24 and will describe some interesting modifications that have brought me to the current stage of my build log.  I must acknowledge the generous coaching of a USSCMSG member who has mentored me for 25 years.  To build the Perry, he recommended I follow Chuck Parrasro's instructions on the Modey Shipways website for the 1/16=1" scale USS Syrene, a similar ship of this era in the US Navy, as well as his instructions on Model Shipways Sultana of 1767.
 
To begin with, I copied all templates and pasted them on the hull and penciled horizontal lines on each of the deck planks.

I started following Bluejacket BJ's instructions.  For the past decade, I have used as a workbench a table with a glass top that allows for plans and other pertinent documents to be stored below that table top.
Taped deck and installed cap rails.

To rid the brush marks I was advised to sand with 350 grit, buy quality brushes, and use model paints (Tamiya).  
 

From a Guild member, I acquired wood from the real USS Constitution which I have used to make block stands for many of my models.

 

Built Chuck Passaro's tape jig and made nail perforations in simulated copper sheathing. 


Installed furniture, added 6 more pins at the bow, and installed chains according to BJ's instructions.  First, I blackened the chain with Brass Black at a 9:1 ratio with water, because ships did not use a gold or brass chain.  At the time, this ship was built the Navy was just beginning to install chains and it is unlikely that chains would have been used on a ship built in 1843.  As you will see, I had to undo and redo with Syrene's line, 

I was advised to touch up the white paint and remove the gloss on the anchor line scuttles by using 2 parts water and one part matte medium.

I have been advised to vertically cut the companionway doors in half with a Zona razor saw to make them more accurate.  I was also advised to paint the skylight frames brown and to simulate the glass skylights.  This is done by cutting clear plastic to fit the skylights and painting the underside black.  

Following other NRG USS Perry build loggers, I purchased Syrene and Model Shipways deadeyes and blocks to replace the BJ white metal fittings.  I then installed the deadeyes for the shrouds using my unorthodox method.   I found it difficult to follow Passaro's method of making links to connect the deadeyes to the hull because the deadeyes for the Perry are 3/32" are smaller than the 3/16" scale of his Syrene.   My method was to take 28 gauge dark annealed wire wrap it around the deadeye and twist it to the correct length. 

I painted the cannon carriages red, as well as the inner port frames, painted the cannons black, and made eyebolts from the annealed wire,  

In preparing the masts and yards, I used my modified Vevor mini-lathe tapering lathe.



Following Passaro's Syrene instructions, I added battens to the fore and main topmasts, added lower mast irons, foot ropes to all but the royal yards, painted the rear fish white, stained the jib boom, stuns'l yards, jib boom, boom, and gaffs, and installed the ball truck to the top.

Before rigging, I had to install the cannons to complete the deck accessories.  I started by using a hemostat to hold the block, secured my annealed wire, connected the other end to an additional block, and attached it to the underside of the carronades.


I secured the wire eye bolts to the bulwarks with one long tail that was to be fitted through the hull.   
 

 
Using a portable drill with an extension and 5/128" bit, I reached through the cannons and furniture and could appropriately place the hole for the eye bolt.  I then drilled hole through the hull, grabbing the end and attaching it with glue on the inside bulwark and cutting off the eye bolt tail and painting over the outside hull.  Thus, securing the eye bolt in its proper place. 
I also installed eye bolts in the empty ports. 

I then attached lines to cannon blocks.

I then attached the breech lines first to hold the cannon in place.

Used clamps to tightened lines.

To create a coil, I cut off the head of a needle and installed it into a Dowell.  I would use it to grab the end of a line and twist it to the appropriate size.  I used a dropper mixed 50/50 with water and a matte medium to lubricate the twisting.

This method worked well on BJ's .010" line but the .005" line kept popping up. To solve this, I cut a piece of clear plastic and pressed it over 1/2 of the coiled line, and let it dry overnight. Another method would be to add 5% rubbing alcohol to the matte medium to penetrate the line.

 

Tightened lines and installed coiled lines.

I still must rig the lifeboat and install its oars. 

This is my progress to date and I am now ready to rig this kit
 
This is also my first post in years.
 
 
 
 

Well, That Was Quick…and a Concern
 
The airplane assembly took barely any time away from the Syren and I have moved on.  The next step on the hammock cranes is done and also raised a concern.  After painting, and adding them to the cap rail, I have seen how delicate they are.  The slots that fit the inside wood rail are not wide enough to accommodate the strip that is used.  So, I either have to sand the wood used so it will fit, OR modify each crane by widening the slot on each.  Neither choice is very palatable..thin the wood making it weaker, or figure out a way to widen the slots on 20 cranes without damaging them in the process.
 
Newbie Note:  If this is your first build like me, fit each crane slot to the wood BEFORE you glue them to the cap rail.
 

Just Couldn’t Do It..🤫
The crooked ladder step just kept bugging me, so I fixed it.  I was lucky, and didn’t have to remove it, as I was able to fix it in place.  Now I am ready to move on.
 
 
 
 

Thanks, @Overworked724  I was so glad I did it.  Not a fault in the kit, but I would opt for either better wood, or let us cut in the groove around the perimeter in a thicker, single piece.
 
Half Way to Chapter 15 in the Manual………
I have reached the part where, the hammock rail assemblies are to be installed.  To me, this translates to the deck being just a little bit tougher to get to the outside deck area.  So, I went back to earlier chapters looking for items that I may have waited on.  Already mentioned; Ship’s Bell, Traveler, and Belay Pin Placements.  However, as it happens, I missed adding the boarding ladders when I added the companionway.  This will require moving the carronades outhaul coils to accommodate the ladder….oh, and building 2 of them first.  I am sure this will not be the last time I check for anything missed.  And, lastly, I took liberty and did the frame for the ships bell differently. 
 

Ladders In, and a Small Dilemma.
I was able to construct and add the boarding ladders.  They look better from regular distance even though the steps look out of alignment. Now, it’s on to the hammock rails….but, first.  It is fast becoming flying weather, and I really need to assemble a new plane.  I have only one work area, and I need the same area that I am using now.
I will be stepping away from the Syren while I put together an A10 “Warthog.”  Once it is together, I will continue with the Syren.  And, weather permitting, some flying in.
And the PICS.
 

Placeholder for the kit instructions of the Speedwell Battle station.  The kit will be given away at the Joint Clubs show this Saturday.  But I will be heading up a group build at out local club in New Jersey.  The goal for our small club was to create a teaching mini kit to help describe one method for doing three things.   I will also be distributing a bunch of these small kits here on MSW.
 
-Building a cannon carriage with a jig
 
-Rigging a cannon with a simplified approach
 
-Painting small figures for your ship models.
 
The last tech group tech session will require a separate set of instructions for the group to be made later.
 
Mono
SpeedBattleStationInstructions.pdf
Plan sheet
joint clubs.pdf
Material list
list materials.pdf
 
I have been asked by so many people to NOT make this a limited edition kit at all.... and because it would be a great opportunity for other local clubs to also use it as a group build.   I havent decided yet.  Same is true with doing a group project here at MSW because this is something that wont take several years to finish and it is a very quick project.   Plus it has three main points of teaching that is commonly asked about by new and intermediate builders.  Granted this is just one approach to doing them all.  But it would be interesting to see some of the other approaches.  The instructions attached contain a very detailed step by step for rigging the cannon because that was one of the main focuses for my club group build.   The kit also contains a jig for making the gun carriage.
 

 
 

Moving forward again I’m in easier country. I’ve been painting and weathering the ships boats. I’ve lost a bit of the bottom boards wood color with the washes but there wasn’t a lot of contrast between the Tamiya light grey XF20 and the deck tan. The oil wash did improve the detail on the steam launches though.

The major achievement was assembling and installing the boat deck derricks without getting the PE cables damaged.
I’ve started on the deck detailing with the capstans and ventilators. I also assembled and added the two QF 3 inch guns. I didn’t plan on using the brass barrels but one of the plastic barrels was badly damaged so I had to try.



Amazingly there suddenly seems to be only minor parts to be added, mostly David’s and the remaining boats. Lots of PE railings still of course.
im trying to ignore the large elephant sat in the corner. There is a large multi yard mast to go on the top of the tripod and I am not looking forward to placing that.
Thanks for looking in, for the likes and kind comments.
alan
 
 
 
 

A couple of days ago, I posted here asking if the Davis book was worth using anymore.  I scored a First Edition (1933) a while back and thought it would be fun to work through it.
 
It appears, based on the posts above, that the answer is no!  But, as long as one is not claiming to build Lexington, I suspect the techniques would work for any vessel for which accurate plans DO exist.
 
Funny how synchronicity works...  
 
Many miles away
Something crawls from the slime
At the bottom of a dark
Scottish lake
 
Dan

A couple of days ago, I posted here asking if the Davis book was worth using anymore.  I scored a First Edition (1933) a while back and thought it would be fun to work through it.
 
It appears, based on the posts above, that the answer is no!  But, as long as one is not claiming to build Lexington, I suspect the techniques would work for any vessel for which accurate plans DO exist.
 
Funny how synchronicity works...  
 
Many miles away
Something crawls from the slime
At the bottom of a dark
Scottish lake
 
Dan

The NRG kit does use spiling techniques.  As Toni Levine has said about spiling, it's "the only right way to plank a hull."  It's challenging and I built the half hull fully three times before I got it right.
 
As Trevor noted, there are multiple planking techniques and I read them all as I did the NRG project.  In the end, I used a hybrid technique that worked for me.  The big lessons I learned were 1) spend a lot of time, more than you think you need to, fairing the hull.  Any imperfection there will show up in the final project.  2) Lay out the three belts of planking and the individual spacing on each frame carefully once the fairing is done and then -- and this was a big thing for me -- BELIEVE YOUR OWN WORK.  I would be going along, planking stuff and thinking, "that looks a little high" or "that looks a little low" and then making a decision on the fly that differed from the lines I'd laid out.  Every time, my layout work was right and the spot decision was wrong and I needed to re-do work.  Finally, 3) in the immortal words of Billy Crystal, "it is better to look good than to feel good."  Every time you lay out a plank, make sure it looks good.  It's one thing to be mathematically perfect, but the flow of the plank needs to look right.  Once you're happy, move along, but not before.
 
 
 
Dan  

The NRG kit does use spiling techniques.  As Toni Levine has said about spiling, it's "the only right way to plank a hull."  It's challenging and I built the half hull fully three times before I got it right.
 
As Trevor noted, there are multiple planking techniques and I read them all as I did the NRG project.  In the end, I used a hybrid technique that worked for me.  The big lessons I learned were 1) spend a lot of time, more than you think you need to, fairing the hull.  Any imperfection there will show up in the final project.  2) Lay out the three belts of planking and the individual spacing on each frame carefully once the fairing is done and then -- and this was a big thing for me -- BELIEVE YOUR OWN WORK.  I would be going along, planking stuff and thinking, "that looks a little high" or "that looks a little low" and then making a decision on the fly that differed from the lines I'd laid out.  Every time, my layout work was right and the spot decision was wrong and I needed to re-do work.  Finally, 3) in the immortal words of Billy Crystal, "it is better to look good than to feel good."  Every time you lay out a plank, make sure it looks good.  It's one thing to be mathematically perfect, but the flow of the plank needs to look right.  Once you're happy, move along, but not before.
 
 
 
Dan  

I came upon a First Edition of Charles Davis' The Built-Up Ship Model a while back.  It's a cool book, but I wonder how useful it is now.  The book was originally published in 1933.  I love reading old model building books just to see how people built ship models before most people had a lot of power tools, computers, digital research capabilities and all the modern stuff like photoetch and really great fittings.
 
So, if a guy wanted to build the Lexington, would Davis' methods be worth pursuing?  Or has the Swan-class books completely replaced this old book?
 
 
 
Dan

I came upon a First Edition of Charles Davis' The Built-Up Ship Model a while back.  It's a cool book, but I wonder how useful it is now.  The book was originally published in 1933.  I love reading old model building books just to see how people built ship models before most people had a lot of power tools, computers, digital research capabilities and all the modern stuff like photoetch and really great fittings.
 
So, if a guy wanted to build the Lexington, would Davis' methods be worth pursuing?  Or has the Swan-class books completely replaced this old book?
 
 
 
Dan

The NRG kit does use spiling techniques.  As Toni Levine has said about spiling, it's "the only right way to plank a hull."  It's challenging and I built the half hull fully three times before I got it right.
 
As Trevor noted, there are multiple planking techniques and I read them all as I did the NRG project.  In the end, I used a hybrid technique that worked for me.  The big lessons I learned were 1) spend a lot of time, more than you think you need to, fairing the hull.  Any imperfection there will show up in the final project.  2) Lay out the three belts of planking and the individual spacing on each frame carefully once the fairing is done and then -- and this was a big thing for me -- BELIEVE YOUR OWN WORK.  I would be going along, planking stuff and thinking, "that looks a little high" or "that looks a little low" and then making a decision on the fly that differed from the lines I'd laid out.  Every time, my layout work was right and the spot decision was wrong and I needed to re-do work.  Finally, 3) in the immortal words of Billy Crystal, "it is better to look good than to feel good."  Every time you lay out a plank, make sure it looks good.  It's one thing to be mathematically perfect, but the flow of the plank needs to look right.  Once you're happy, move along, but not before.
 
 
 
Dan  

The NRG kit does use spiling techniques.  As Toni Levine has said about spiling, it's "the only right way to plank a hull."  It's challenging and I built the half hull fully three times before I got it right.
 
As Trevor noted, there are multiple planking techniques and I read them all as I did the NRG project.  In the end, I used a hybrid technique that worked for me.  The big lessons I learned were 1) spend a lot of time, more than you think you need to, fairing the hull.  Any imperfection there will show up in the final project.  2) Lay out the three belts of planking and the individual spacing on each frame carefully once the fairing is done and then -- and this was a big thing for me -- BELIEVE YOUR OWN WORK.  I would be going along, planking stuff and thinking, "that looks a little high" or "that looks a little low" and then making a decision on the fly that differed from the lines I'd laid out.  Every time, my layout work was right and the spot decision was wrong and I needed to re-do work.  Finally, 3) in the immortal words of Billy Crystal, "it is better to look good than to feel good."  Every time you lay out a plank, make sure it looks good.  It's one thing to be mathematically perfect, but the flow of the plank needs to look right.  Once you're happy, move along, but not before.
 
 
 
Dan  

In my curiosity regarding rotary tools as applied to shaping hulls, I have found these videos of Frank Russell, a prize-winning carver of wildlife in conjunction with the Foredom tool company. I found them on Amazon for very cheap but my three dollars plus shipping was misspent. Here they are for free: https://www.foredom.net/woodcarving-demonstrations-with-frank-russell/ The first 30 minutes or so covers a bit of safety then a section on bits and would I watch the section on roughing out and watch a bit of the cutting of the fur to see how he anchors the hand piece for control (and safety). Pictured are the two types of bits he uses for roughing out.

Stupid saw trick: you can judge if the saw is 90 degree from the wood, looking at the reflection. If the reflected surface is line and matches then the blade then the saw blade is perpendicular to the wood.

The NRG kit does use spiling techniques.  As Toni Levine has said about spiling, it's "the only right way to plank a hull."  It's challenging and I built the half hull fully three times before I got it right.
 
As Trevor noted, there are multiple planking techniques and I read them all as I did the NRG project.  In the end, I used a hybrid technique that worked for me.  The big lessons I learned were 1) spend a lot of time, more than you think you need to, fairing the hull.  Any imperfection there will show up in the final project.  2) Lay out the three belts of planking and the individual spacing on each frame carefully once the fairing is done and then -- and this was a big thing for me -- BELIEVE YOUR OWN WORK.  I would be going along, planking stuff and thinking, "that looks a little high" or "that looks a little low" and then making a decision on the fly that differed from the lines I'd laid out.  Every time, my layout work was right and the spot decision was wrong and I needed to re-do work.  Finally, 3) in the immortal words of Billy Crystal, "it is better to look good than to feel good."  Every time you lay out a plank, make sure it looks good.  It's one thing to be mathematically perfect, but the flow of the plank needs to look right.  Once you're happy, move along, but not before.
 
 
 
Dan  

About sixty years ago I ran across a copy of To Glory We Steer, one of the Richard Bolitho series by Alexander Kent, in the Plattsburgh AFB library and started a decades-long on and off love affair with the fighting ships of that era. Made a few half-hearted attempts at modeling but was rapidly overcome. Then, about a month ago I ran across an ad in Smithsonian magazine for Model Expo’s Shipwright Series which sounded right up my alley. Currently working on my second attempt at the Norwegian Sailing Pram, waiting on the glue to dry after breaking (again!) the goddam aft transom support and trying to balance my latent OCD/perfectionism with a desire to learn some skills, which will involve tolerating mistakes. The Grand Banks Dory came out fair on the second try (I can only tolerate so many glue-unglue-reglue cycles before I start over from scratch). Gonna make a third attempt later. 
Been lurking the forums and build logs for a week or two and am seeing an improvement in my skill level as a result. Enjoying the new hobby, especially since my back will no longer tolerate golf.