JSGerson

You will find that that you will make mistakes, things break, the kit will have omissions, whatever. It would be good idea to invest in some basic wood stock as a reserve. Your local hobby store will usually have basswood which I believe is the basic wood stock for the MS kit. My Mamoli boat is built with a fancier wood package I purchased from HobbyMills  which means I have/need extra boxwood, holly, and swiss pear wood, Jeff Hayes, who runs this HobbyMills, will bend over backwards to get what you need, just ask anyone who has dealt with him.
 
If you are in a real pinch and must complete the waterways NOW, then yes you can skip areas that are unseen. I personally would try to avoid that because you would know you skipped part of the build. It will bother you and haunt you in your dreams (maybe) even though the casual observer won't even know it even exists or it's missing.
 
Remember, its a hobby, not a race. Time is on your side. I've been working on my boat for over four years and have just reached the masts.
 
Enjoy!

The platforms were then glued into position on the trestletree/crosstree structures. The images below show the fighting tops on their mast as a dry fit. They won’t be glued into place until all the components of the masts have been made.

The platforms were then glued into position on the trestletree/crosstree structures. The images below show the fighting tops on their mast as a dry fit. They won’t be glued into place until all the components of the masts have been made.

The chocks are the little cross pieces inside the trestle tree. According to the Practicum, the aft piece is glued in place butted against the aft crosstree. According to everyone else, it a bit forward of the aft crosstree. The chocks were made from 1/32” x 3/32” boxwood in the shape of a “T” with a fat stem. A set of notches were cut with an X-Acto knife for the aft chock first based on Hahn’s plans. With that chock set in place as a dry fit, the assembly was then slipped over its mast to determine where the forward chock was to be placed. The forward chock notches were then cut.
 
Additionally the Practicum called for bolsters to be made from 1/32” square boxwood a little later on. I saw no reason why they couldn’t be set into place at this point. Unfortunately, I had run out of 1/32” square boxwood, so I used 1/16 x 3/32”. The bolsters have a quarter circle cross section to allow lines to drape over them without damaging them.

The platforms were then glued into position on the trestletree/crosstree structures. The images below show the fighting tops on their mast as a dry fit. They won’t be glued into place until all the components of the masts have been made.

The platforms were then glued into position on the trestletree/crosstree structures. The images below show the fighting tops on their mast as a dry fit. They won’t be glued into place until all the components of the masts have been made.

The chocks are the little cross pieces inside the trestle tree. According to the Practicum, the aft piece is glued in place butted against the aft crosstree. According to everyone else, it a bit forward of the aft crosstree. The chocks were made from 1/32” x 3/32” boxwood in the shape of a “T” with a fat stem. A set of notches were cut with an X-Acto knife for the aft chock first based on Hahn’s plans. With that chock set in place as a dry fit, the assembly was then slipped over its mast to determine where the forward chock was to be placed. The forward chock notches were then cut.
 
Additionally the Practicum called for bolsters to be made from 1/32” square boxwood a little later on. I saw no reason why they couldn’t be set into place at this point. Unfortunately, I had run out of 1/32” square boxwood, so I used 1/16 x 3/32”. The bolsters have a quarter circle cross section to allow lines to drape over them without damaging them.

The chocks are the little cross pieces inside the trestle tree. According to the Practicum, the aft piece is glued in place butted against the aft crosstree. According to everyone else, it a bit forward of the aft crosstree. The chocks were made from 1/32” x 3/32” boxwood in the shape of a “T” with a fat stem. A set of notches were cut with an X-Acto knife for the aft chock first based on Hahn’s plans. With that chock set in place as a dry fit, the assembly was then slipped over its mast to determine where the forward chock was to be placed. The forward chock notches were then cut.
 
Additionally the Practicum called for bolsters to be made from 1/32” square boxwood a little later on. I saw no reason why they couldn’t be set into place at this point. Unfortunately, I had run out of 1/32” square boxwood, so I used 1/16 x 3/32”. The bolsters have a quarter circle cross section to allow lines to drape over them without damaging them.

Finally, I've drilled what seemed like a billion holes into the fighting tops.

Finally, I've drilled what seemed like a billion holes into the fighting tops.

Finally, I've drilled what seemed like a billion holes into the fighting tops.

Steve - When I started this build soooo long ago I knew nothing except how to follow directions. I had no books and few ship building skills. Now I have so many directions it gets confusing, as I have noted above numerous times. Actually I have all of the books you mentioned plus another 20 or so. I have spent a fortune in books alone. My latest one is The Fully Framed Model, Rigging a Sixth Rate Sloop of 1767 - 1780 Vol. IV by David Antscherl which excellent. I wish I had known about and read his first three volumes when building the Rattlesnake hull. That's one of the reasons I go so slow, I'm always pouring through my reference library.
 
I can't stress enough the importance of a build log. I was afraid, like you, to write a log knowing there were craftsmen out there who had skills way beyond mine. I was pushed and reluctantly started to write. It was the best thing I could have done. Just organizing my thoughts to tap them out on the keyboard helped me understand what I was doing, plus the feedback was invaluable.
 
Jon

Steve - When I started this build soooo long ago I knew nothing except how to follow directions. I had no books and few ship building skills. Now I have so many directions it gets confusing, as I have noted above numerous times. Actually I have all of the books you mentioned plus another 20 or so. I have spent a fortune in books alone. My latest one is The Fully Framed Model, Rigging a Sixth Rate Sloop of 1767 - 1780 Vol. IV by David Antscherl which excellent. I wish I had known about and read his first three volumes when building the Rattlesnake hull. That's one of the reasons I go so slow, I'm always pouring through my reference library.
 
I can't stress enough the importance of a build log. I was afraid, like you, to write a log knowing there were craftsmen out there who had skills way beyond mine. I was pushed and reluctantly started to write. It was the best thing I could have done. Just organizing my thoughts to tap them out on the keyboard helped me understand what I was doing, plus the feedback was invaluable.
 
Jon

Chuck, I welcome another Rattler. You will find I have documented a lot of errors. Just don't follow too close and make the same ones! 8-)

Since this appears to work I now know what size hole to drill for the stanchions. Next I need to figure out how the futtocks work. The last item to the stanchion to be made is the little base plate which is not needed at this time so it will be created later.

Since this appears to work I now know what size hole to drill for the stanchions. Next I need to figure out how the futtocks work. The last item to the stanchion to be made is the little base plate which is not needed at this time so it will be created later.

The stanchions that came with the Mamoli kit I feel are too thick and clumsy. They just don’t seem to be to scale. I would be a lot of work to file them down and I’m not sure the results would be worth the effort. If I am to drill the stanchion openings now, I need to know what I putting in there to determine the size and shape. So, I’m going to take a stab at making them with 3/64” “music wire” for stiffness of the posts and connected to copper plate (to be determined) bent to cradle the railing; more on that effort later. At this point I haven’t determined the size of the futtock plates.
 

OK, where to begin? I started with creating the ribs or battens, those radial reinforcing members. These seemingly simple elements really aren’t. They actually taper down thinner in height towards the center square hole in the top and (although you can’t see it in the pictures below) they also have a very slight narrowing taper when looked at in the plan view. The battens were made from 1/16” x 1/32” boxwood stock. Because the Practicum did not address these, the wood supplement package from HobbyMills did not supply this size stock which required that I mill them from scrap wood on the Byrnes Saw. The taper was made using a hand-held vise and a file.
 

The stanchions that came with the Mamoli kit I feel are too thick and clumsy. They just don’t seem to be to scale. I would be a lot of work to file them down and I’m not sure the results would be worth the effort. If I am to drill the stanchion openings now, I need to know what I putting in there to determine the size and shape. So, I’m going to take a stab at making them with 3/64” “music wire” for stiffness of the posts and connected to copper plate (to be determined) bent to cradle the railing; more on that effort later. At this point I haven’t determined the size of the futtock plates.
 

OK, where to begin? I started with creating the ribs or battens, those radial reinforcing members. These seemingly simple elements really aren’t. They actually taper down thinner in height towards the center square hole in the top and (although you can’t see it in the pictures below) they also have a very slight narrowing taper when looked at in the plan view. The battens were made from 1/16” x 1/32” boxwood stock. Because the Practicum did not address these, the wood supplement package from HobbyMills did not supply this size stock which required that I mill them from scrap wood on the Byrnes Saw. The taper was made using a hand-held vise and a file.
 

Actually they are more complicated than that but at 1/64 scale, I’m no Master Builder…yet. Once all the battens were installed I wanted to drill all the holes and slots for the rail stanchions, futtock plates that hold the deadeyes, and the crowsfeet. Based on Blue Ensign’s log for his build of the 1/64 scale HMS Pegasus, I will drill the crossfeet holes 0.5mm for 0.1mm line. As near as I can determine from Hahn’s plans, 13 holes in the Foremast top will be required.

The stanchions that came with the Mamoli kit I feel are too thick and clumsy. They just don’t seem to be to scale. I would be a lot of work to file them down and I’m not sure the results would be worth the effort. If I am to drill the stanchion openings now, I need to know what I putting in there to determine the size and shape. So, I’m going to take a stab at making them with 3/64” “music wire” for stiffness of the posts and connected to copper plate (to be determined) bent to cradle the railing; more on that effort later. At this point I haven’t determined the size of the futtock plates.
 

I made my Rattlesnake Long Boat from a separate POF kit because Mamoli provided a semi-completed shell. I felt like that was cheating so I took the different route. A least the Model Shipways method forces you to construct the boat. I am waiting with anticipation to see how it all comes together. This is the same method that their USF Constitution's boats are made, which in the next decade or so I hope to start. I learn from example.

Continuing the Mast Tops
 
Yeah, I know it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been on sort of a holiday for the last month or so since I completed the Ship’s Boat. That, and visiting my 96 old Mother in Florida (where else?) for a couple of weeks with my Sister took me away from model making. Because she still lives by herself (with daily visits by a Nurse’s Aid, we had a long To-Do List and it took both of us to complete it. It was a nice break.
 
At this point in the Practicum I should be starting Page 14 of Rigging Chapter 1. Here the Practicum directs the builder to construct the trestletrees and the crosstrees and attach them to the top platforms. It states: “I made the trestletrees and the crosstrees from 3/32” x 1/16” boxwood.” Looking at the plans I realized this had to be wrong. The trestletrees were obviously thicker in height than the crosstrees. I determined that the trestle trees had to made from 3/32” x 1/8” stock and the crosstrees from 3/32” x 1/16”. Also looking at all the different plans and reference books, they were consistent in showing the ends of the trees were rounded, something the Practicum did not address.
 
Then because I was studying the mast tops it occurred to me that the Practicum did not address the ribs on top of the platform, bolsters, sleepers, and adding all the holes necessary that had to be made for the stanchions, deadeyes, and blocks. If I follow Harold Hahn’s rigging plan, which shows “crowsfeet” rigging (which Mamoli and Model Shipways plans do not) then even more holes would be required. Wouldn’t it be simpler to drill them now before the trees were added let alone attaching it to the mast per the Practicum? It obvious Mr. Hunt had no intension to rig his model. He was running out of time to meet some deadline with this and three other models he was constructing at the same time. Now as I have stated before, I could not have gotten this far if it weren’t for the detailed instruction provided in his Practicum. However, now I must proceed with caution reading the kit plans with a lot more intensity and using the Practicum only as a guide instead of an absolute how-to set of instructions. I’m treading on thin ice as I have never rigged a ship before.
 
The first diagram below is from Model Shipways
The second and third are from Mamoli
And the last is a diagram of the Crowsfeet from James Lee’s The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625 - 1860

I ran across this little interesting article about the Constitution's head:
 
http://usscm.blogspot.com/2014/01/head-lines.html