Moonbug

Several hours of work, and very few photos can only mean one thing - ratlines.  Finished up the rest of them. No mystery here - same as the lowers, with a piece of 5mm graph paper serving as a template and spacing them out then filling in the gaps. Ratlines are tied off with half hitches, then diluted glue on all the knots. I give it a good overnight drying before I go through and clip off all the ends with a scalpel. 
 

 
I also added the upper shroud cleats. 
 
 
 
 
 

Several hours of work, and very few photos can only mean one thing - ratlines.  Finished up the rest of them. No mystery here - same as the lowers, with a piece of 5mm graph paper serving as a template and spacing them out then filling in the gaps. Ratlines are tied off with half hitches, then diluted glue on all the knots. I give it a good overnight drying before I go through and clip off all the ends with a scalpel. 
 

 
I also added the upper shroud cleats. 
 
 
 
 
 

Thanks so much Bob - appreciate the support.  I’m confident your Peg is going to be great; you’ve definitely got the skills to make it so. 

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

Several hours of work, and very few photos can only mean one thing - ratlines.  Finished up the rest of them. No mystery here - same as the lowers, with a piece of 5mm graph paper serving as a template and spacing them out then filling in the gaps. Ratlines are tied off with half hitches, then diluted glue on all the knots. I give it a good overnight drying before I go through and clip off all the ends with a scalpel. 
 

 
I also added the upper shroud cleats. 
 
 
 
 
 

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

Thanks so much Bob - appreciate the support.  I’m confident your Peg is going to be great; you’ve definitely got the skills to make it so. 

Your work is always so impressive Bug, I certainly hope that my Pegasus will be similar, wishful thinking on my part lol
 But thank you for posting,  great information on this build that will help when I restart the Pegasus  again.
Amazing work.    
Bob M.

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

As I illustrated above - Added the additional stays to the upper main and fore masts.  It definitely adds to the complexity and bulk on the mastheads, but still looks good to me.  And more importantly, I've utilized those extraneous deadeyes. 
 
 
 
 
 
   I guess we can just rest assured that this would be the most stable 14-gun sloop in the Navy! 
 

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

The main topmast stay and main topmast preventer stay obviously follow the same pattern as the foremast - though they are reversed in their placement. Meaning, the preventer stay is laid over the masthead first, then the main topmast stay.  The preventer is a 4" line - .50mm at scale - served to just past the mouse as with the others. The line feeds through an 11" (4.5mm) block that is lashed to the foremast just below the hounds and above the catharpins. The block is stropped with a fully served .38mm line.  I used the FFM's version of this strop - an eye on one end, wrapping around the block, then the free end looping around the mast, through the eye, and tied off against itself.
 

 
The bottom tackle of the preventer (as well as the main topmast stay) is made up of a violin block at it's top and a single block attached to a hook that is secured to one of the eyebolts in the deck at the base of the foremast.  The preventer is secured to the port side foremost eyebolt. This was a tricky bit to get measured properly. My process was to first secure the single block to the hook then measure it's length to find a reference point on the mast. Then, I laid the violin block against the stay pulling it down the mast until I found a reasonable distance between the blocks for the lanyard. In this case, it was about 7mm. Then, I unhooked the hook and added the lanyard using .30mm line without securing one end of the line.  Finally, I re-hooked the bottom block into place, tightened the lanyard and stay, and secured the lanyard to the bottom end of the tackle. 
 

 
This process is repeated for the main topmast stay with the line being 5.5" - .70mm at scale - and using an 14" inch (5.5mm) block that is stropped and lashed to the masthead above the stays and jeer tie lashings. The bottom tackle is the same and hooked to the starboard side eyebolt at the front of the foremast.  
 

 
 
 

 
Starting to look like a rigged ship!

Nice work!

Really, really nicely done. 

If we recall, I used served sewing pins for the futtock staves on the lower masts, providing something a bit more firm than just a served line.  The futtock staves on the upper masts are smaller in circumference however, so instead of pins I opted for #28 beading wire - which worked quite well.  I did have to put a very, very thin coat of tacky fabric glue on the wire before I served it however to get the thread to stay put instead of just having the wire rotate with the thread doing it's job.
 
 
 
Next step was measuring the length of the stave for the given mast - which ended up being 7mm for the main and 5mm for the fore mast. This small size was quite tricky to work with - so I coiled a knot on each end first, then attached it to the shrouds.  As a note - I touched each end of the stave where it was cut with a black sharpie to cover the exposed wire.
 

 
The staves were attached just far enough below the sister blocks to allow for the two foremost shrouds to be pulled apart a bit and all four shrouds to be evenly separated as they have a tendency to overlap where they come together in the limited space below the heads.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

As I illustrated above - Added the additional stays to the upper main and fore masts.  It definitely adds to the complexity and bulk on the mastheads, but still looks good to me.  And more importantly, I've utilized those extraneous deadeyes. 
 
 
 
 
 
   I guess we can just rest assured that this would be the most stable 14-gun sloop in the Navy! 
 

Finally finished up the Main upper shrouds today.  Nothing special about them - served just past the hounds and hooked to the deadeyes. 
 
 
 

 
Here is a tip however - that I figured out way too late. As in, after replacing / repairing three futtock shroud hooks that had snapped off from the tension of the lanyards, etc.  I shoved a toothpick into the chain to relieve the tension on the hook while rigging - then eased / twisted the toothpick out after the rigging was tied off.
 

Deadeyes - Backstays - and Shifting Backstays....
 
As continue to work on the shrouds and stays, I've noticed some conflicting information regarding the number of deadeyes and their corresponding stays. This is certainly something of which to be wary when you're working off a few different plans - i.e., a kit build but also guided by Steel, The Fully Framed Model, and sometimes Lees.  TFFM has the fewest stays - and Chris Watton's plans for the Peg have the most. TFFM specifically mentions the Swan class only having single stays off the masts, and Steel specifically mentions three pairs for ships of 74 guns or larger, two pairs for 74 to 20 guns, and a single pair for 18 guns and smaller.  However Chris' plans show multiple stays off the main and fore.  Chris' plans also show Royal Stays  and a shifting back stay off both main and foremasts - which are not shown in other guidelines. As a result - if I continue to progress using primarily TFFM  - I'll end up with some unused deadeyes.  In fact - even on the final images of TFFM's Swan - there are unused deadeyes - which I've also seen on Dan's Vulture as well as BE's Peg.
 

 
Here's the thing - I know my personality; I'm the guy who has all his stuff positioned specifically on his desk.  So having unused deadeyes is going to drive me crazy.  As such - I'll be diverting from TFFM and Steele and including enough additional stays to use the deadeyes. So - I'll have two back stays and one t'gallant stay on the fore, three backstays and a t'gallant on the main - and I'll forego Royals (Lees says they weren't introduced until after 1810) and shifting backstays - because I'm running out of room on the top masts.  
 
So here's what I'll have:
 

 

If we recall, I used served sewing pins for the futtock staves on the lower masts, providing something a bit more firm than just a served line.  The futtock staves on the upper masts are smaller in circumference however, so instead of pins I opted for #28 beading wire - which worked quite well.  I did have to put a very, very thin coat of tacky fabric glue on the wire before I served it however to get the thread to stay put instead of just having the wire rotate with the thread doing it's job.
 
 
 
Next step was measuring the length of the stave for the given mast - which ended up being 7mm for the main and 5mm for the fore mast. This small size was quite tricky to work with - so I coiled a knot on each end first, then attached it to the shrouds.  As a note - I touched each end of the stave where it was cut with a black sharpie to cover the exposed wire.
 

 
The staves were attached just far enough below the sister blocks to allow for the two foremost shrouds to be pulled apart a bit and all four shrouds to be evenly separated as they have a tendency to overlap where they come together in the limited space below the heads.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

If we recall, I used served sewing pins for the futtock staves on the lower masts, providing something a bit more firm than just a served line.  The futtock staves on the upper masts are smaller in circumference however, so instead of pins I opted for #28 beading wire - which worked quite well.  I did have to put a very, very thin coat of tacky fabric glue on the wire before I served it however to get the thread to stay put instead of just having the wire rotate with the thread doing it's job.
 
 
 
Next step was measuring the length of the stave for the given mast - which ended up being 7mm for the main and 5mm for the fore mast. This small size was quite tricky to work with - so I coiled a knot on each end first, then attached it to the shrouds.  As a note - I touched each end of the stave where it was cut with a black sharpie to cover the exposed wire.
 

 
The staves were attached just far enough below the sister blocks to allow for the two foremost shrouds to be pulled apart a bit and all four shrouds to be evenly separated as they have a tendency to overlap where they come together in the limited space below the heads.