GLakie

Michael - this has given me some vague idea of how to accomplish some items I was having trouble visualizing how to do on my project! Thanks a lot!
 
And Patrick - is there any centralized stairway, or other vertical shaft/causeway (elevator or ventilation, etc) that you can discern? These would be good candidates for centralized 'pillars' that can stay fixed to the main hull assembly, while the decks slide over them. Then, if you have say, two of these vertical causeways you can use, that will fix the decks in rotation and translation, allowing the only free movement to be vertical. I can draw up a sketch to clarify if you need. The only trouble I see with this idea might be scale - the size of any vertical causeway, to scale, may not be structurally sound enough to act in the way proposed. It truly is an interesting challenge...

Rigging the sail.  Half way there.  This is a very tedious step.
 
   Bob R.

Thanks George, I hope they make sense.

Thanks for you comments. I too am looking forward to that day I can put my Conny into the display case.
 
Once you get the rigging figured out, it is fun. But coming up with that original plan to follow can be a pain. It is really tough at this scale to add detail and not make it look clunky. I am on my third try to get things right. I want the rigging to look as good as it can.
 
The kit supplies several sizes of rigging and tells you to do your best. I purchased the Jim Byrnes rope walk and decided to make my own rope. I use about eight sizes of thread. This gives me about 24 different sizes of line consisting of eight single strands, eight three strands, and eight nine strands. If you serve a few of sizes you now come up with a few more sizes.
 
My hopes are to come up with a more realistic looking rigging at this scale. As the rigging goes up the masts it becomes smaller and smaller. The shrouds and stays are larger than most of the rest of rigging. You can see the size difference between the shrouds and the swifter, The shrouds and swifter are the same size, the only difference is that the swifter is served. 
 
It has taken a long time and lots of mistakes and do overs to get where I am at. So far I am happy with my results. I can't wait to move on to some larger scale models, I seem to be leaning toward 1/48th scale where you can add more detail than at 1/76th.

Looking good Sal! Thanks for sharing your techniques. 

Thanks Bob,  I think I need to put some caution tape up all around it.

Looking great Sal. Don't ever forget just how long that bowsprit assembly is. It's like a magnet for hands and elbows. You don't have to ask how I know.  
 
Bob

Big step..stepped the bowsprit, no going back now.
 

 
A heads up about the splash guard.  The manual says that the laser cut pieces were suppose to be cut with the grain running top to bottom, which makes sense to make them easier to bend around the jig.  The pieces on my sheet, however, were cut with the grain running lengthwise or perpendicular to the way described in the manual.  With the grain running in that direction the pieces seemed too stiff to ‘dry’ bend around the jig without breaking so I soaked them in hot water for about an hour.  Not only did I soak them but I used a hand steamer to really soften them up.  I formed them around the jig provided, bending one piece at a time.  I let them dry overnight and then glued them together, clamping the pieces back onto the jig.
 


 
The gammoning for the bowsprit was next which was straight forward enough but awkward working in such a tight area.
 

 
First casualty while rigging, I knocked the dolphin striker off. This was probably a blessing in disguise because I hadn’t thought that it was very secure from the beginning.  This gave me the opportunity to add a pin to its back in order to secure it better to the bowsprit cap, hard to see the pin.
 

Before starting the bowsprit rigging and after studying the plans I came up with a procedure that, for me, seems to work.  I decided that in order to keep the lengths of the lanyards between the hearts consistent that I would tie those first.  To do this I made a little jig that would hold the hearts at a set distance apart so I could lash them together.  The jig is made of two smooth jawed alligator clips, soldered together with a piece of copper wire.
 

 
I don’t have pictures doing the bobstays because I was seeing if this method was going to work but I do have them doing the bowsprit shrouds.
 

 
Hearts held in position
 

 
Adding the lanyard.  I didn’t tie the lanyard in place I just glued the ends to the line adjacent to it.
 

 
The shroud was then looped around the heart, tightened and seized.  The hooked end of the shroud was already hooked to the hull.
 

 
Early Christmas present to myself, Dr. Slick 3 1/2" scissors.  works well.
 

Oh and this is a great way to make tiny "fiberglass" model hulls over a wooden form. mini production runs of things like lifeboats as well
 
Michael

Hi Patrick here are a few pics that shows the process, you can use some old blister pack material which is clear or use some clear sheet styrene. These pics show a fairly deep draw or drape so your would be quite easy because you would not have to draw so deep. just enough for enabling a clean cut around the bottom as in the fourth pic
 
 
first a former is made of the basic shape and a window of a thin material 1/8th inch ply or MDF is cut to hold the plastic which is attached with some masking tape. the frame or window with the plastic is then heated up so that the plastic is soft, this is easiest with a hot air gun but an oven will suffice if you don't have a hot air gun
 
sometimes the plastic pulls away like this
 
 
 
just stick a new scrap and do another like this with .015" styrene sheet
 

 
or like ]this with some scrap blister pack sheet
 

 
then you can cut off the section you need like this
 

 
which gives you sections like these
 

 
if you use the white you can fret out the windows like this
 

 
and assemble the parts to form the whole
 

 
I hope this helps.
 
Michael

Seems like I've used the same "Wow" to describe your work Tom.

When I did my Connie, I was really unsure of the rigging. I knew and had confidence in woodworking. However, I found that rigging was actually fun to do. The lines started making sense and it really made the ship start to seem more alive. However as each line went on, it made me more leery of approaching it since I could see myself accidentally catching something while working on something else. It is just so easy to do when you have your magnifying hood on and focused. However other than that,  I really enjoyed rigging. 
 
I cannot express the relief once she was safely in her case.
 
My current ship, the Brig Eagle will be rigged. The next one will in all likelihood be an admiralty build of the Naiad and will not.
 
You are doing a great job on your Connie. I am enjoying following your blog.

On this lovely day with a little sun and temp. around 12 C and before I take a walk to see something outside instead of only the hobby room an little update .
I finished the chains and dead eyes on the starboard side.
And what's left ? 
Yep, de port side     
That's for next week......
 
Sjors
 
 

That gun looks great, Ken. You look good to go with them.

Brian,
Someone actually told you put a model on hold?  You're not talking about the Yacht Mary, are you?
 
Patrick,
There was (might still be there) a frigate, as I recall in the Japanese Model site The Rope.  The interesting part that applies is the builder used small hydraulics to lift the model into several sections such that each deck was visible.    So instead of hydraulics, maybe something along the line of telescoping stanchions that would allow the interior to be raised and displayed as "layers"?   

Only one word Dave - WOW!!! 

Thanks for dropping in Mark, Patrick, and Piet.   Always appreciate your comments and interest.
Just seems nice to be able to show some progress on this project again after three months of gathering dust.
Still a very long way to go.

Fantastic stuff you're doing for the decorations, Dave.   They look super...

Hi Piet
 
Beautiful work AND, not to mention picturesque. The colours are wonderful and contrast nicely.
 
I also agree with Gwen. She's looking very spiffy!
 
All the best for Christmas and the New Year.
 
Cheers
 
Patrick

I'm new to this one Mark. What a beautiful  planking job. Seeing work like this is intimidating at best. I could only dream of doing something like this some day.
 
Paul

Inspired,of course!

Wow, reading through builds like this I'm not sure whether to be inspired or just give up! Great work.

You're absolut right, Mark. Order is order.
 
I only got the order to finish my sloop, before I start another project.   So I am very happy with my admirality

Looking good Piet! 

Heck of a find Dave! Ingenuity at it's best!