gregs1234

I know this is a little late, but I am a model railroader who is building the Bluejacket Jefferson Davis. (Started before the MSW Crash.) In all of my years, I have never thought "I wish I had a lathe". But spar making made me look into it. I ended up with a Grizzly Industrial hobby lathe/disk sander. Kind of like a home made lathe, but better quality. And It is relatively inexpensive. Mine cost about $55 US, but it is now up to $89 US. Since I am incapable of using a plane of any sort, this was a lifesaver. (Modelsaver?) I start with square stock, put it in the lathe, use a Stanley rasp to cut it down to Octagonal shape. (Actually, I cut it pretty far down with the rasp) then use #80 sandpaper to get it round and tapered. I hand sand it with finer sandpaper to get a nice smooth finish. It is a pretty inexpensive way to get nice round (or whatever) spars.

I know this is a little late, but I am a model railroader who is building the Bluejacket Jefferson Davis. (Started before the MSW Crash.) In all of my years, I have never thought "I wish I had a lathe". But spar making made me look into it. I ended up with a Grizzly Industrial hobby lathe/disk sander. Kind of like a home made lathe, but better quality. And It is relatively inexpensive. Mine cost about $55 US, but it is now up to $89 US. Since I am incapable of using a plane of any sort, this was a lifesaver. (Modelsaver?) I start with square stock, put it in the lathe, use a Stanley rasp to cut it down to Octagonal shape. (Actually, I cut it pretty far down with the rasp) then use #80 sandpaper to get it round and tapered. I hand sand it with finer sandpaper to get a nice smooth finish. It is a pretty inexpensive way to get nice round (or whatever) spars.

I know this is a little late, but I am a model railroader who is building the Bluejacket Jefferson Davis. (Started before the MSW Crash.) In all of my years, I have never thought "I wish I had a lathe". But spar making made me look into it. I ended up with a Grizzly Industrial hobby lathe/disk sander. Kind of like a home made lathe, but better quality. And It is relatively inexpensive. Mine cost about $55 US, but it is now up to $89 US. Since I am incapable of using a plane of any sort, this was a lifesaver. (Modelsaver?) I start with square stock, put it in the lathe, use a Stanley rasp to cut it down to Octagonal shape. (Actually, I cut it pretty far down with the rasp) then use #80 sandpaper to get it round and tapered. I hand sand it with finer sandpaper to get a nice smooth finish. It is a pretty inexpensive way to get nice round (or whatever) spars.

I know this is a little late, but I am a model railroader who is building the Bluejacket Jefferson Davis. (Started before the MSW Crash.) In all of my years, I have never thought "I wish I had a lathe". But spar making made me look into it. I ended up with a Grizzly Industrial hobby lathe/disk sander. Kind of like a home made lathe, but better quality. And It is relatively inexpensive. Mine cost about $55 US, but it is now up to $89 US. Since I am incapable of using a plane of any sort, this was a lifesaver. (Modelsaver?) I start with square stock, put it in the lathe, use a Stanley rasp to cut it down to Octagonal shape. (Actually, I cut it pretty far down with the rasp) then use #80 sandpaper to get it round and tapered. I hand sand it with finer sandpaper to get a nice smooth finish. It is a pretty inexpensive way to get nice round (or whatever) spars.

I know this is a little late, but I am a model railroader who is building the Bluejacket Jefferson Davis. (Started before the MSW Crash.) In all of my years, I have never thought "I wish I had a lathe". But spar making made me look into it. I ended up with a Grizzly Industrial hobby lathe/disk sander. Kind of like a home made lathe, but better quality. And It is relatively inexpensive. Mine cost about $55 US, but it is now up to $89 US. Since I am incapable of using a plane of any sort, this was a lifesaver. (Modelsaver?) I start with square stock, put it in the lathe, use a Stanley rasp to cut it down to Octagonal shape. (Actually, I cut it pretty far down with the rasp) then use #80 sandpaper to get it round and tapered. I hand sand it with finer sandpaper to get a nice smooth finish. It is a pretty inexpensive way to get nice round (or whatever) spars.

So I took a chance and sent an email to PRIDE2 dot org. I got an answer from Captain Jan Miles. His previous two answers were very detailed and long. But here is what he sent me this morning.
Happy to be of assistance.    Realize this morning that there is another topsail yard halyard mechanical advantage layout.    Shorten the initial section of halyard leading from yard in lowered position up through the pulley in topmast. This section is as short as is feasible meaning there is a block placed on that section as close to the aft side of the pulley in the topmast.   The line passing through that block crosses the rig from side to side of the ship. On one end of that line is the hauling tackle I described coming up from the bulwark rail. At the other end can be another tackle serving as a jig...as per my description of mainsail, foresail, staysail and jib halyards.    For some reason I did not say this is actually the way PRIDE’s square-fore-topsail-yard is rigged. Here fore-topsail is relatively huge for her size. If you are familiar with the Revenue Cutter style schooner SHENANDOAH of Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts it might surprise you to learn PRIDE’s square-topsail is larger than SHENANDOAH’s to square-topsails combined.    If your model is of a vessel of similar size to PRIDE & SHENANDOAH, it is very likely this cross vessel arrangement was used. But maybe, maybe not also with a jig tackle at the opposite end from the hauling tackle.    So I guess the answer is yes, there is a mechanism between the halyard and deck. I'll have to plan a trip to Baltimore or Martha's Vineyard and see for myself. Thank you both for you help.

Hello, I am so glad to see this build log. I had an older version of this model and put up a build log before the crash. This was my very first ship model. It was probably a little too difficult for me, but with the help of the forum members, I built a pretty nice model. I finished the hull and deck furniture, stained everything and cut away the model from the original keel piece. I built the two masts before some family issues arose and I had to stop. I've started up again and have the gaffs, boom and main yard built. I expect to finish it this time. I'll be watching this log and hope you ask for help if you need it. And what I learned is that if I wasn't  sure that a piece looked good...I threw it away and built another one. (I am pretty sure I built some pieces 4 times.) Good luck with your build.

Allanyed, when you look at the original drawing, it is more clear. (Less blurry, not easier to understand) Lines 30 and 31 are both identified as halyards. But as you see in the scan that I attached, they go down from the sheave and are not showing up again on the plan. There is a plan for belaying pins, but 30/31 don't show up there either. My kit is the older version. Bluejacket has updated the kit since then. Maybe the current version shows something at deck level. What I am concerned with right now, is what hardware I need to add to the yard so I can consider it finished. I still have some time before I need to add hardware at deck level. Thanks.

Well that was fast. Thank you for your help Nic.
 
And if the mods don't mind: I have kit built and scratch built many models in my lifetime. Mostly railroads. (I was born and raised in Chicago) I have seen good kits, mediocre kits and kits that were a waste of money. Bluejacket kits are among the best I have ever built. Realistic with fittings that are close to scale, and great plans. If only they would run rigging classes a little closer to Chicago...
 

Hello, I am so glad to see this build log. I had an older version of this model and put up a build log before the crash. This was my very first ship model. It was probably a little too difficult for me, but with the help of the forum members, I built a pretty nice model. I finished the hull and deck furniture, stained everything and cut away the model from the original keel piece. I built the two masts before some family issues arose and I had to stop. I've started up again and have the gaffs, boom and main yard built. I expect to finish it this time. I'll be watching this log and hope you ask for help if you need it. And what I learned is that if I wasn't  sure that a piece looked good...I threw it away and built another one. (I am pretty sure I built some pieces 4 times.) Good luck with your build.

Hello, I am so glad to see this build log. I had an older version of this model and put up a build log before the crash. This was my very first ship model. It was probably a little too difficult for me, but with the help of the forum members, I built a pretty nice model. I finished the hull and deck furniture, stained everything and cut away the model from the original keel piece. I built the two masts before some family issues arose and I had to stop. I've started up again and have the gaffs, boom and main yard built. I expect to finish it this time. I'll be watching this log and hope you ask for help if you need it. And what I learned is that if I wasn't  sure that a piece looked good...I threw it away and built another one. (I am pretty sure I built some pieces 4 times.) Good luck with your build.