72Nova

The fore stay is finally in place, the mouse is made up using 1/8" rod pared down to the appropriate size, visually anyways, this was done on the drill bit in the pin vase, the lanyard is rigged but not yet tied off, I'll let it sit for a few days before that, also the lower tackles are just about complete, thanks for looking. Michael D.

Thank you so much Ian, means a lot coming from a long-time follower. Frequent breaks are mandatory working at this scale. The tackles are coming along pretty good, using 2.5mm double blocks on the runners that are led through an eye bolt and tied to a dead eye on the channels and 2.5mm single blocks hooked to eye bolts on the deck. Michael D.

Work on the lower fore shrouds continues, the swifter shroud was a little challenging getting the eye splice to fit around the mast head and look somewhat decent, not perfect but looks good, also a 3mm single block is stropped to the mast head for the main topmast stay. All of this is just in the test fitting stage to make sure the shrouds are not fouling anything like the guns, fish davit etc, still lots of work ahead like fabricating the mouse, gun port lids and pendant tackles, speaking of which I'll lead the runners down to the channel but the falls will be belayed on the deck close to the bulwarks rather than on the channels. Thanks for looking and the likes. Michael D.

I was able to lay up 4 pairs of shrouds, I'm using shroud laid rope for these, with the exception of the foremost shrouds which are served their entire length, the rest are served 14.4mm from center either side. I forgone using the bolsters at this scale. Michael D.

I made up the fore and main stays minus the mouse, mocked them up and I think they'll suffice, the main stay at scale is just under 5.5" in diameter and the fore stay is just over 4.5" at scale and looks about right next to the scale figure. The pendant of tackles are completed using .35mm line served with 100 wt thread and 3mm single blocks, long-tackle blocks where in use from 1733 to around 1773 in the aft pair. Test fitting revealed the main top gallant stay did have enough clearance to pass behind the stay and pendants, so I had to open up the cutout in the top just a bit. Michael D.

I made up the main stay collar using .63mm line served with 100wt thread, the main stay will be .76mm line, these are just slightly undersized, but not noticeable to the eye, this was done before setting the lower fore mast as it was easier to seize the dead eye in the bight, I also rigged the parrel tackle prior, up next will be rigging the lower fore stay using .63mm line while setting in the lower main mast along with setting up the shrouds, all in all, this old tiny vintage model is looking fairly convincing for what it is, thanks for looking. Michael D.

Exquisite work!!. What's the finished length going to be, 40 plus inches? Michael D

The parral is completed using 0.5mm thick styrene for the ribs and 1.0mm rod for the trucks, I did consider doing something different and forming the trucks out of sculpy clay but settled on my usual method at this scale. the parral measures out just under 5mm in height. I did strop the jeer block to the yard using a 3mm single block, 24" at scale. Thanks for looking as always. Michael D.

I was hoping to use the kit supplied fore course yard, but it is far too short as you can see, new one measures out to approximately 6-1/8", at scale is 86', mocking up the top rope I forgot early on when rigging the hallaird for the tie, the deception looks pretty good, up next I'll be fabricating the parral. Michael D.

The timberheads on the portside waste railing are finally competed, along with gluing in the bitts and knightheads, also rigged up the main topmast stay tackle and falls, I was a little concerned with the tight space between the mast and bitts, but the 2mm single block fit nicely. Michael D.

The link on rigging techniques by Mr. Dressel and his beautiful model I've had for a while and refer to it often, my rigging will be based on a combination of James Lee's, RC Anderson and John McKay mainly for the construction of the masts and more detailed illustrations of the rigging, like everything else they all have their varying differences and can be quite vague at times, and one needs to interpret that in a logical way. A few examples: bow sprit shrouds, Don mentions they weren't in use until around 1702, but Paynes engraving clearly shows them, yet Lee's and Anderson never mentions them, also in Paynes engraving all the running rigging runs down the bowsprit terminating in the beakhead area instead of running thru gammoning blocks and up to the fore castle/beakhead rails, what would they be belaying to? It's a fact that the Vasa had belaying pins in this area and seems quite logical to me that SOTS had them, again based on Paynes engraving. Regarding the jeers, I've read of no instances of them being rigged on the upper yards, course yards on early bigger ships perhaps used two jeers with 3 single blocks, this the route I'll be taking. The picture you posted from Andersons showing the early English jeers can be confused for a trestle tree, but I interpret it as the floor of the lower top. This is all good stuff and appreciate you taking the time to look and comment and I love the work you're doing on your SOTS. Michael D.

The colors are striking on this fabulous build. Michael D.

I have completed the timberheads on the starboard main deck railing along with the main bitts, knighthead for the tie and the 3mm single blocks stropped to the base of the mast for the jeers, these are slightly under scale, but look good, this would date the rigging around 1640, but it's conceivable SOTS already employed the use of the jeers at the time of launch, these blocks at scale would be around 30." Thanks for looking. Michael D.

The fitting out of the upper Qtr deck is just about complete minus the ladders leading to the poop deck, next I need to finish up the poop deck then fabricating the main bitts etc, thanks for looking. Michael D.

Work is continuing on the upper Qtr deck, added more cavals, the mizen bits, the knighthead for the tie, mocking up the run of the tie and Hilliard and trial fitting the cannons, still much more work left to do in this area. Michael D.