_SalD_

Glen, your preservation with glycerin is/was a technique used by model railroaders to preserve the weeds and lichen used as the flora on old model railroad scenery. those plants should last.
 
Been lurking here; you really have an intriguing subject. 👍 Of note for any sci/fi fans, the opening credits of Star Trek: Enterprise has one shot of a Polynesian vessel. They were some remarkable navigators, crossing the Pacific like they did.

Time to dive into the sails or pe'a's as they wee called.  Each pe'a is shaped like an upside down triangle with the upper section curved downward like the letter U.  According to https://www.hemakeewaa.org, "the U in the sail serves as kind of a safety valve allowing wind to escape over the top of the sail thus reducing the force that could capsize a canoe."
 
As far a construction of the pe'a, it was made from the leaves of the hala tree.  The leaves (lauhala) were cut into very narrow strips, maybe 1/4" wide, then woven together to form mats about a foot and a half square.  Finally, the mats were sewn together to create the full pe'a.  
 
So far, I've been trying to make as much of my wa'a kaulua as possible with native Hawaiian materials.  There are no hala trees around here in central Texas, but I do have a pineapple plant and a plumeria tree which I am going to try and make the pe's's from.  I took a couple of dead leaves from each because I need a brownish/yellowish color.  Obviously, they were pretty crunchy, so I need a way to make them pliable again.  Hmmmm.  Several years ago, I killed a few small rattlesnakes and a couple of copper heads at my ranch.  I preserved the skins by soaking them in a glycerin/water solution and to this day they are still soft. 

 
Would that same method work for leaves?  There are people in the googleverse that say it will, so I'm giving it a try.  The first pic shows the leaves from my pineapple plant and the second is from the plumeria.  The plumeria is a little darker than I want, but I like the prominent veins that could maybe pass as sewing seams.  We'll see how everything looks in a couple of days when they are done soaking.
     

 
While the leaves are relaxing in their glycerin bath, I decided to get the water in the bottle.  I went with more of a turquoise color instead of the deep sea dark blue I usually use.  I also wanted it to be a little more transparent to indicate shallower water like you would find at the base of a waterfall. 

  
 
     
 
  

I think we might have a few Larrikins on MSW, but I won't name names!!  😃😃😃

Thank you, Glen. Yes, Louie's been around since the early 60's when he was in black and white on TV (and pretty primitive). He's got a place in Australian folklore and we're actually rather fond of him because of his rebellious attitude - he's what we in Oz call a larrikin ("Larrikin is an Australian English term meaning "a mischievous young person, an uncultivated, rowdy but good hearted person", or "a person who acts with apparent disregard for social or political conventions") which fits very well with the Australian psyche.
 
But it's "rubbish tip" (i.e. garbage dump), not "rubbish tin" - a whole bigger area of rubbish to come from and much more shudder-inducing - which is what the advertisers had in mind . . .
 
Steven

Jib Stay:
For the jib stay I decided to try rigging this line something like what is shown in ‘The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor’ book on page 61.

My first hurdle was how do I make and then attach the traveler to the jib boom now that the boom is already in place.  My solution was to bend some 28 ga. wire around a round nose pliers to the diameter of the jib leaving extra wire at the ends in order to work it around the boom.  The two long ends of the wire ring were spread part and wrapped around the jib and then reformed into its circular shape.  The excess wire was removed once the traveler was in place.


The next challenge was to drill a hole through the jib boom to simulate the sheeve and to not snap the end of the jib off.  By supporting the underside of the boom and applying gentle pressure on the pin vise the hole was successfully drilled.

Next I chose to use two single blocks for the running rigging for space considerations.  One block was seized to the end of the jib stay; the other was stropped to an eyebolt that was attached to the bowsprit cap.  The running rigging was reeved through these blocks bring the working end aft through the fairlead and tied to a cleat added to the bulwarks. The jib stay was then threaded through the hole in the jib boom, through the traveler and then tied off to the fore topmast.

For a finishing touch I added the inhaul line to the port side of the traveler which also ran back through the fairlead and tied off to a cleat on the bulwarks.

Finished jib stay

 

Chuck, Thanks so much for the kind words.

Jib Stay:
For the jib stay I decided to try rigging this line something like what is shown in ‘The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor’ book on page 61.

My first hurdle was how do I make and then attach the traveler to the jib boom now that the boom is already in place.  My solution was to bend some 28 ga. wire around a round nose pliers to the diameter of the jib leaving extra wire at the ends in order to work it around the boom.  The two long ends of the wire ring were spread part and wrapped around the jib and then reformed into its circular shape.  The excess wire was removed once the traveler was in place.


The next challenge was to drill a hole through the jib boom to simulate the sheeve and to not snap the end of the jib off.  By supporting the underside of the boom and applying gentle pressure on the pin vise the hole was successfully drilled.

Next I chose to use two single blocks for the running rigging for space considerations.  One block was seized to the end of the jib stay; the other was stropped to an eyebolt that was attached to the bowsprit cap.  The running rigging was reeved through these blocks bring the working end aft through the fairlead and tied to a cleat added to the bulwarks. The jib stay was then threaded through the hole in the jib boom, through the traveler and then tied off to the fore topmast.

For a finishing touch I added the inhaul line to the port side of the traveler which also ran back through the fairlead and tied off to a cleat on the bulwarks.

Finished jib stay

 

Chuck, Thanks so much for the kind words.

Nice!  Really excellent solution and execution, Sal!  

Jib Stay:
For the jib stay I decided to try rigging this line something like what is shown in ‘The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor’ book on page 61.

My first hurdle was how do I make and then attach the traveler to the jib boom now that the boom is already in place.  My solution was to bend some 28 ga. wire around a round nose pliers to the diameter of the jib leaving extra wire at the ends in order to work it around the boom.  The two long ends of the wire ring were spread part and wrapped around the jib and then reformed into its circular shape.  The excess wire was removed once the traveler was in place.


The next challenge was to drill a hole through the jib boom to simulate the sheeve and to not snap the end of the jib off.  By supporting the underside of the boom and applying gentle pressure on the pin vise the hole was successfully drilled.

Next I chose to use two single blocks for the running rigging for space considerations.  One block was seized to the end of the jib stay; the other was stropped to an eyebolt that was attached to the bowsprit cap.  The running rigging was reeved through these blocks bring the working end aft through the fairlead and tied to a cleat added to the bulwarks. The jib stay was then threaded through the hole in the jib boom, through the traveler and then tied off to the fore topmast.

For a finishing touch I added the inhaul line to the port side of the traveler which also ran back through the fairlead and tied off to a cleat on the bulwarks.

Finished jib stay

 

Jib Stay:
For the jib stay I decided to try rigging this line something like what is shown in ‘The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor’ book on page 61.

My first hurdle was how do I make and then attach the traveler to the jib boom now that the boom is already in place.  My solution was to bend some 28 ga. wire around a round nose pliers to the diameter of the jib leaving extra wire at the ends in order to work it around the boom.  The two long ends of the wire ring were spread part and wrapped around the jib and then reformed into its circular shape.  The excess wire was removed once the traveler was in place.


The next challenge was to drill a hole through the jib boom to simulate the sheeve and to not snap the end of the jib off.  By supporting the underside of the boom and applying gentle pressure on the pin vise the hole was successfully drilled.

Next I chose to use two single blocks for the running rigging for space considerations.  One block was seized to the end of the jib stay; the other was stropped to an eyebolt that was attached to the bowsprit cap.  The running rigging was reeved through these blocks bring the working end aft through the fairlead and tied to a cleat added to the bulwarks. The jib stay was then threaded through the hole in the jib boom, through the traveler and then tied off to the fore topmast.

For a finishing touch I added the inhaul line to the port side of the traveler which also ran back through the fairlead and tied off to a cleat on the bulwarks.

Finished jib stay

 

Jib Stay:
For the jib stay I decided to try rigging this line something like what is shown in ‘The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor’ book on page 61.

My first hurdle was how do I make and then attach the traveler to the jib boom now that the boom is already in place.  My solution was to bend some 28 ga. wire around a round nose pliers to the diameter of the jib leaving extra wire at the ends in order to work it around the boom.  The two long ends of the wire ring were spread part and wrapped around the jib and then reformed into its circular shape.  The excess wire was removed once the traveler was in place.


The next challenge was to drill a hole through the jib boom to simulate the sheeve and to not snap the end of the jib off.  By supporting the underside of the boom and applying gentle pressure on the pin vise the hole was successfully drilled.

Next I chose to use two single blocks for the running rigging for space considerations.  One block was seized to the end of the jib stay; the other was stropped to an eyebolt that was attached to the bowsprit cap.  The running rigging was reeved through these blocks bring the working end aft through the fairlead and tied to a cleat added to the bulwarks. The jib stay was then threaded through the hole in the jib boom, through the traveler and then tied off to the fore topmast.

For a finishing touch I added the inhaul line to the port side of the traveler which also ran back through the fairlead and tied off to a cleat on the bulwarks.

Finished jib stay

 

Thank you, Steven!  I'm actually not too nervous about the insertion process this time as I know my hull assembly will fit easily and I think my deck/mast/sail assembly will not be too tight either.  My concern right now is whether or not this idea I've got for the sails will work (speaking of weeds...).  More on that in my next post.  
 
On another note, curiosity finally got the best of me.  I'd been wondering for a while about your screen name and if there was a story behind it.  My initial thought was that it sounded like some kind of gangster from the roaring 20's.  So I googled and found that it's a mascot for a bug spray (Mortein)!!  And I even listened to his jingle:
 
Louie the Fly, I'm Louie the Fly, Straight from rubbish tin to you!
Spreading disease with the greatest of ease, straight from rubbish tin to you!

I'm bad and mean and mighty unclean, afraid of no one,
except the man with the can of Mortein. Hate that word, Mortein!
 
He even has his own Facebook page with 242,000 followers!!!  And apparently I was on the right track with my initial thought because I read that the producers of the jingle wanted his voice to sound gravelly, like a Chicago-land gangster.
 
So now I think you have the coolest screen name on MSW!!!
 
    

Thank you very much, Javelin, John and Phil,
for your good advice with the making of fake wire. I`ll keep that in mind...., but meantime can also live with the greyish 0,7mm polyester rope, also used for the davits rigging.
 
I`ve just made the infeeds of the coal chutes for the bunkers, and acc. to Andy`s post (#137) and my post (138) they are situated (dryfit) on the boats deck near the funnel. Stb. side is a closed chute cover, and port side the cover is open with view into the chute. They may be shifted a bit, when the tube connections to the watertank are made
 
Nils

cover for the coal chute closed

and open on port side
 
 

Update
 
Made the rigging for the boats and for the cargo derricks. There are also hand-winches for the boats. The fastening points for the stays are set, I`m waiting for some ordered workable bottleneck-screws to arrive. The bridge still needs to be done.
 
Nils

 

all holds have supporting brackets

 

The cargo derricks are rigged

the boats have their own hand-winches (two per boat)

the derrick winches are rigged
 
 

Once upon a time ...

The dafi had its annual public tinkering session with its modelling club at the Stuttgart trade fair. Then we went straight from the trade fair to a customer in Austria for a while. I didn't have a chance to think about anything model-building-related.

I'm back home now, and I can only catch up on what I've been doing over the last two months. But first things first 🙂

Before the trade fair, I had finished the running rigging. I wanted to try it out at the fair to see if it would be manageable, as the stuff - if true to scale - is very, very small.



As with the standing rigging, I have summarised the block sets for the individual locations.

Here are the yards of the main mast ...



... of the foremast ...



... and the mizzen mast.



There are also the collections for headsails, stunsails and other locations.

It was fun again at the trade fair.

Our booth ...



... my workplace ...





... and my colleagues in typical working posture 😉



It was especially funny there when you want to try out the 2 mm blocks - the smallest of the sets - and don't have everything you need with you. Dear Alex then played vice and held my auxiliary jig for rigging - thanks for that!

It worked straight away and with my now tried and tested technique, even these small blocks are wonderfully quick and easy to rig.



What was still missing were the parrells. I also managed to do this in a last-minute operation. Here are the two sizes with ribs for the top and topgallant yards.



Threaded for neatening ...



... and the first tying attempt to find out how many are needed.



Here is the final version on the main top yard ...





... and with a able seaman for the dimensions.



Someone also climbed up especially for the topgallant yard.



And to round things off, the stuff for the gaff also got their own size of parrells. First try ...



... the shape was adjusted a little and the final version is on its way.

The claw is also grained with the centre punch ...



... and drilled out with 0.5 mm ...



... the blocks trimmed and wooded ...



... and into place ...



... and everything fits! Fits 🙂



Best regards, Daniel  

That's very impressive, Glen. She's really taking shape. I wish you the best of fortune in inserting her in the bottle without mishap.
 
(BTW, I used weeds I found growing across the road from my home in one of my own models, as 'padding' or perhaps 'underlay', for the cargo in the hold (as it had been found in the remains of a 15th century cog). Your deckhouse looks very good.
 
Steven

Incredible work, Glen. 

On to the masts, which are called kia's and look quite interesting.  The wa'a kaulua sails were triangular in shape with a straight vertical kia (mast) and a 'o pe'a (curved spar).  I made the kia in my usual way with a small bamboo rod hinged near the base and shaved down to 1.5mm above the hinge. 
 
 
For the 'o pe'a's, I boiled a couple of bamboo rods for 20 minutes, then rubber-banded them to a couple of wood scraps that I had shaped to the proper curve.

 
While the curved 'o pe'a's were drying I went to work on the thatched structure that rests between the pe'a's, or doghouse as @Keith Black called it.  I think it's called a halau wa'a, which translates to canoe house but I am not sure.
 
I was out on a run yesterday and saw some very thin, hairy, dead grass growing out of a crack in the pavement.  It looked perfect for small thatch like I needed.  So I grabbed a handful and carried it home.  I built a little halau wa'a out of a bamboo chopstick, chopped the grass into tiny pieces and glued it on.  As with a lot of my deck fixtures, they look better the further you are away from them.  
 


 
By the time I finished the halau wa'a, the 'o pe'a's (curved spars) were done drying. 

 
 
Here's a pic of everything I've made so far, dry-fitted into place.

 
 
 
 
 

Chuck, Thank you and best of luck with your build.  Will you be doing a build log?  If so I'll be interested in seeing how you modify her armament.
Also, if you have any question don't hesitate to ask.

I’ve been a little delinquent in my postings so this will be a two part post which will be somewhat longer than my usual posts so I apologize in advance. 
 
Once all the lower rigging was completed and the futtock shrouds were installed the topmasts were mounted.

The Topmast shrouds were installed the same way the lower shrouds were except for the way the deadeyes were held in place.  These deadeyes were pinned to a piece of card stock that I had used for the lower shroud ratlines.  The line spacing on the card stock just happened to be at the right distance for the deadeye spacing.  After pinning the deadeyes to the card stock it was clamped to the crosstrees. The shrouds were then seized around the deadeye.

I should also mention here that I chose to use a smaller diameter (2.5mm) deadeye for the upper shrouds than the 3.5 mm diameter deadeye that was provided with the kit.  I just liked the looks of the smaller deadeye for the upper shrouds.  The lanyards were then reeved through the deadeyes and rattled up.

Completed shrouds.

The ratlines for the fore topmast shrouds were tied the same way the lower ratlines were done.


The Fore topmast backstays were added next. The deadeyes were tied to the stays the same way the lower shrouds were done using the twisted wire spacing guide.  Lanyards were then reeved through the deadeyes and tightened.

 

Glen, I quite agree with Kieth.  I think the sails are giving us an optical illusion.  If looked at one way, it appears they are billowing from bow to stern.. and yet, they; also look like wind from astern and blowing forward.  Makes my eyes cross if I look too long.

That's always the way isn't it Glen?  Probably natures way of ensuring we don't get to complacent I suppose    Anyways perhaps worth another tot?  Now where is that keg?
 
cheers
 
Pat

Great job, Glen!
 
 Hey, in the illustration you're using as a build guide a figure is seated on something at the bow, is that something you'll try replicating and also the doghouse between the mast? 

Really Amazing Glen, especially working tiny:-)