David Lester

Hi Dave, I can't answer your questions specifically, and personally, I don't worry about such things too much as I tend to paint my models. However, have you discovered Tom Lauria's series of youtube videos. They're all excellent, but he has one specifically on choosing and finishing wood so that it mimics the real thing, yet keeping the grain in scale for the model. He also feels that the finish is an important part of scale and that even a too thick coat of varnish can look over scale. One area where I have adapted his technique to a degree is on my decks. I like my decks to be gray, and as he shows, a good effect can be achieved by using watered down acrylic paint, rather than stain, to get the colour you want and then rubbing it with a paper towel. It gives a very nice look with a soft sheen. Even a lowly basswood deck can look ok with this technique. Here is my Niagara: That's black, white, a little brown and a little yellow mixed into a very watery mixture, then rubbed with a paper towel. I think it gives a fairly natural representation of a real deck. David Here's the link to Tom's video:

Good Morning, I'm now getting very close to the finish line for the running rigging. I've been working my way through it, step by step without any real problems (except for a couple of my own making.) The plans are excellent and it really couldn't be more straightforward. Boom and gaff - The lifts - Many times when I return to the model, I look at what I did previously and think "Were you on drugs? What were you thinking?" In this case, for reasons I don't understand I had placed the lower yard lift blocks near the aft side of the mast cap and not the fore side. So I had to fix that in situ, but otherwise smooth sailing. Clews, tacks, sheets and bow lines all added next - I'm now working on the braces. The spritsail yard braces are in place and here are the blocks attached to the main stay for the lower fore braces - I did run into a complication with the spritsail yard braces that a bit of foresight on my part would have avoided. One of the nice things about well drawn plans is that they show each component of the rigging in isolation so it's quite clear where each line originates, its path and where it terminates. However, this also makes it easy to forget that in actuality you end up with a tight concentration of lines and blocks in a very small area, such as under the mast top. In the picture below, you can see that the spritsail brace (#49) runs through two blocks underneath the mast top. They are actually double blocks which the brace shares with the clew line #29 in the second picture. I had previously attached the clew line and belayed it and as a result those two blocks no longer had much range of movement. When I went to add the brace, it was almost impossible to thread it through the second block. The area was dense with shrouds, futtock shrouds and many other lines running down. It was difficult to even find the block, let alone identify the clear path through it. I tried approaching it from the front and from the rear, but the same problem arose either way. In the end I cut the clew line, freeing the blocks and then I could manipulate them sufficiently to get both the brace line through as well as the new clew line. All I needed to have done was either not belay the clew line until after I had the brace line in place or possibly have added the brace line much earlier in the process and just let it rest there until I was ready to fully install it later. Just a minor frustration that I will take note of for the future. Other than that, the running rigging is progressing very easily (largely due to the excellent drawings) and when the braces are complete, it will be done. Then all that remains is to add rope coils, the anchors and the boat and to transport it safely to my son-in-law's office! Thanks again for comments, likes etc. David

The work that's been already done on the model looks pretty good to me. It doesn't appear that you will have to undo anything, which is really nice. With respect to your questions - I'm not familiar with Billing plans, but I'm pretty sure the circled numbers are belaying points, that is, the points where rigging lines end and are tied off. In the last picture, there are some blocks also identified with circled numbers. You will probably find that the circled numbers on the blocks will correspond with circled numbers on the deck area. Someone else more familiar with Billing plans may have a better answer, but I think this is likely the case. With respect to the rudder, it's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like there might be some tapering from about the mid point forward. I think the key is to ensure that after parts 36 and 37 are glued together that parts F856 will fit over the assembly properly. If some tapering is necessary to make F856 fit properly then that will be your answer. If they fit properly without tapering, then if it were me, I wouldn't worry about it. In the photo the aft end of the rudder doesn't appear to be tapered. I hope that's of some use to you. David

Tom, your CWM is looking wonderful. That white edge is a nightmare to paint. My wife almost had me committed before I was finished. Yours isn't looking too bad, but I just could not get a decent job. In the end I painted some paper white, cut it into strips and glued it on. That worked really well and it was completely undetectable what I had done. I agree with John - I think you've nailed the bulwarks colour. It's a hard colour to get just right. David

That's quite interesting Allan. The shininess isn't actually an issue. It might look a bit shiny on the skein, but it doesn't look shiny on the model. I'm not advocating for its use, just raising the question as a point of interest. I tried it and thought it was fine, (by that I mean comparable to kit provided thread,) but I'm not likely to rush to use it again. I was just curious about anyone else's experience. David

Hi guys, thanks for all the interest. I'm not talking about using it to make rope; I am talking about using it right off the spool. It's available in a wide range of sizes from size 100 which is very fine to about size 3 which is quite heavy. Here are a couple of pictures of some size 10 which is just a tiny bit larger than my regular .5mm line, which I believe is from Amati. To my eye, it looks quite a bit like rope, there's a distinct twist to it and it's only a little bit fuzzy. So, I'm not trying to advocate for it, just trying to determine if people feel it's a suitable rigging material or not. OK, I'll fess up - as an experiment, I used it for all the rigging on my Niagara, using a few different sizes. I can't just remember them all off hand, but size 10 is about .5 mm and either size 20 or 30 is about .25mm etc. I thought it was easy to work with and I'm reasonably pleased with the result. I think it looks as good as the Amati line that I've used on most of my other models. On the other hand, I didn't feel it was particularly superior either. And I'm not trying to compare it to handmade rope, which is in a category all by itself. I don't believe I'll rush back to it, but I was just curious if anyone else has experimented with it in this way. Now that I've added serving to my modest repertroire of skills, I am slowly working up the nerve to try my hand at making my own rope. David

Here's a question I haven't seen raised. (Maybe I've just missed it, I'm not sure.) Is there any reason not to use plain old crochet cotton as rigging line? It comes in a wide variety of sizes, enough to match any rigging size needed and it comes in a wide variety of colours - many different naturals and dark brown and black. It seems to have a nice finish and it's quite inexpensive. Does anyone use it? Are there reasons why it shouldn't be used? I'm just curious. Thanks, David

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I don't feel so bad now. I now feel empowered to continue to use CA without beating myself up over it as if its use was some sort of character flaw. I'll strive to apply the glue as carefully and sparingly as I can. James - I've already started to touch up the seizings with flat black, not because of the glue, but because I've started using light coloured thread for the seizings on black line. The contrast makes it easier to get a nice even wrap. Allan - thank for the video link; that's a great explanation. Thanks again David

The discussion of the best glue for ratlines in another thread has me thinking about my seizings. The consensus seems to be that anything other than CA glue is the way to go, but for some reason I cannot seem to get anything other than CA to actually secure my seizings. I've tried PVA, watered down PVA, podge, shellac and varnish. In every case, the seizing will always fail. After I've let the glue dry, I snip the ends of the seizing line and everything will be fine, but as soon as I snip the ends of the actual line being seized close to the seizing, it will always slip through. This is especially true if, for example, I am seizing a block to an eyebolt or hook. Just a little bit of pressure and the line around the block will slip out of the seizing and release the block. It seems that the glue is holding the seizing, but not the actual line and the seizing itself is not enough to hold the line in place. As a result, I always end up resorting to CA, trying to use as little as possible. It holds well, but goes hard and looks a bit rough. I would love to avoid CA, but I have never had success with other glues. Does anyone have any ideas of what the trick is or what I might be doing wrong?

Good Morning, Just a brief update this morning. I've attached all the yards - Lower yards - jeers and trusses For the trusses, I used these small cast bullseyes from Bluejacket. I'm a big fan of them and I like to keep a supply of them on hand. They come in several different sizes, but I really like the smallest ones - 1/16" inch - because they're easy to use and never look over scale. They blacken easily and just need a small amount of cleanup. (Of course when all is said and done, you can't even see them on the trusses, but at least I know they're there.) Parrels and ties on the topsail yards - Ties on the topgallant yards - There isn't really too much to explain about my methods. I just added each according to the plans. It was all pretty straightforward and free of problems. I've started working on the boom and gaff. The completion of this build is actually within sight; then I will turn my attention to Agamemnon in earnest. Thanks again for likes, comments etc. Very much appreciated. David

Hi guys, thanks for all your comments. Just getting to them now, as I have been away for the week at the Habitat for Humanity Canada national conference. (I'm the local affiliate chairperson.) It felt both good and unsettling at the same time to be meeting again in a large group. Tom - I have noticed the boat you're referring too. Maybe next time. Derek - I am definitely using black ratlines next time too. Thanks again, David

Dave, you can do this! You definitely need to use tweezers. I always belay the lines on the side of the ship that is away from me, reaching across the deck. I like to reach in with tweezers and wrap the line around the pin once, and only once, and secure it with as small a dab of glue as I can get away with. I always leave the line long and don't cut it off too soon because as carefully as I think I've gauged the tension, it's highly likely that at some point along the way, I'll have to pry that line loose and readjust it slightly as I work on subsequent lines. Only later do I go back and cut the lines off at the pins. I normally use cuticle nippers for most rigging tasks, but here they won't work. You need scissors that are long enough to reach in. And it takes care! It is surprisingly easy to cut the wrong line, or cut the line on the wrong side of the pin, etc. etc. I think most would agree that the best way to make the coils is separately and off the model. There is one basic way to do this, but there are many variations on it. There are examples on the forum as well as youtube. It's a matter of experimenting until you find the one that seems to work for you. (However, I must warn you, they are all frustrating.) Then add the coils to the belaying pins. I don't think I care very much for those fat belaying pins either, and like you, would be inclined to replace them with finer brass ones. It appears this would require new pin racks with smaller holes. They aren't too hard to make from scrap material. I agree with Allan, that it looks like it's still possible to do that, if you think it's worth it, or maybe you'd be just as happy working with the existing pins - they'll certainly work. You might just be suffering from something that affects me on every build - as I'm nearing the end of the building part, I can't wait to get started on the rigging, and then very soon into the rigging, I wish I was back working with the wood again. And that's when I start dreaming about the next model. Don't give up now. Your model is very good and I'm sure you'll finish the rigging as skilfully as you've done everything else. David

Thanks Dave and Bob; you're too kind!

OK, the thing I like the least about any build is the (bleeped) little boats. I never have good luck with them. The Charles W. Morgan had seven of them and it was almost the end of me. Thank goodness there's only one for the Speedy, and at long last I have it finished. Initially, I messed it up so badly, that I had to order a new one. And by the way, for those of you in Canada, I discovered that Vanguard has a distributor here -The Crafty Sailor, which provides very good service. So I bought my replacement one there. Here are a few representative pictures: I've had the interior together, taken apart and back together again so many times, I've lost count and I've stripped and repainted the white paint at least three times. In any event, I think the result is now acceptable, and it will have to be, because that's as good as it's going to get. I enjoy every other aspect of a build, but for some reason these boats always have me strung out. I'm not sure why. I have four of these coming up for Agamemnon, so I think I might get them out of the way sooner rather than later, then I can relax for the rest of the build. I've also been making progress of the Speedy rigging, which will be in my next update. Again, thanks for checking in! David

Hi Glenn, I think I'm with you on the ratline thing. That India ink wanted to go everywhere as I applied it. I will return to black line next time. Thanks for the comments and likes everyone. David

Your LN is looking great Dave. You mentioned getting blocks attached to eyebolts on the deck. Have you glued the eyebolts in yet? If not, it's easy to attach a block and eyebolt together and then glue the eyebolt and block assembly in place. If you have already glued the eyebolt in place, it's harder, but only by a little bit and will probably involve a bit longer piece of thread. Do you know about a "figure of eight" seizing? Thread the line through the eyebolt, then make a "figure of eight" and add a seizing. Place the block in the loop and slide the seizing up tight against the block. Then you can pull both ends of the line and the block will snug up against the eyebolt. If you use a fairly long piece of line, you can add the seizing well away from the deck, where it's easy to hold the line in your "helping hands" clip. This is also how I would attach a block to a yard, as you asked in an earlier post. I hope I'm understanding your question correctly and I'm sorry if this is redundant. David

Good Morning, Time for an update. I have pretty much finished the standing rigging. I don't really have too much comment to make as it all went very routinely. Topmast shrouds in place - Ratlines - I have always used black thread in the past for the ratlines, but the instructions here called for natural thread to be stained afterwards. Does anyone know why that would be? Is natural thread inherently better for ratlines than black thread? In any case, I decided to give it a go. I used India ink to colour them. I decided to try to make my own mouses (mice?) for the forestays. I started with a 1/8" dowel and drilled about a 1mm hole into the end of it. Then I started paring the wood away with an xacto knife, sanded it smooth and then cut it off. Once I was happy enough with the tension, I glued and trimmed all the lines - So next up is the lower yards. David

Dave, that mast is looking pretty good. I've never tried using a drill, perhaps I'll give it a go next time. I have always scraped my spars to shape them. I use a #22 xacto blade and draw it towards myself, turning the dowel as I go. I've also done this with square stock, but I usually use the kit supplied dowels. I've never really had a problem with them. You can remove a lot of material surprisingly fast. There is still a fair bit of sanding to do, but the scraping gets the bulk of the work done. The result is never 100% perfectly round as it would be using a lathe, but it's not hard to get very close to perfect and certainly close enough for my eye. David

Hi Fred, I've built quite a few models over the past few years and have enjoyed all of them, but the Morgan was my favourite. It's a really great kit and there are many photos of details available on line, which is a great resource. I hope you have as great a time with it as I did! David

Thanks for likes etc. everyone. Dave - I didn't open the chainplates exactly the way Derek did. I just grabbed each one with two pairs of pliers at the base of the circle and gently pulled in opposite directions to open it a little wider; it doesn't take very much. Once the deadeye was in place, I just gently squeezed it back together just below the deadeye. It seemed to work ok. Theodosius - There's no serving line in the kit, so I just used common garden variety "sewing thread" that I buy at a local sewing store. I usually always get Gutermann, as that's the main brand they carry, but last time I was in I found some other brand (I don't recall the name), because it was available in a larger spool and I anticipated using much more of it than usual if I was serving. I don't know what weight the thread is, but it's just the usual standard sewing thread. Hope that's of some help. Thanks again, David

Thanks Derek, That Morgan build log by Gerald Spargo is one of the best ones on the forum; it's just too bad it isn't finished. However, I can never seem to remember his sequence for attaching the futtock staves from model to model and have to look it up each time. I also followed his method for building the tryworks on my Morgan. It results in the most realistic brickwork I've seen. His instructions for it are available under resources on the NRG site. Thanks again, David

Good Morning, I have just finished the lower shrouds. This is the first time I've served the shrouds and it was quite easy to do. The only tricky part for me was when it came time to seize them. I'm in the habit of attaching the seizing in a convenient spot and then sliding it into position. It's not really possible to slide the seizing on a served line, so it was necessary to seize it in its final location. Not an insurmountable problem, obviously, but it was a minor departure for me. It's a matter of wrapping the line around the mast, then grabbing it with a pair of tweezers, sliding it off and attaching the seizing as close as possible to that point. The futtock stave, catharpins and futtock shrouds came next. I always found it difficult to attach the futtock stave until I read a technique in a build log for the Morgan by Gerald Spargo. It's the method he used to attach the ratboards (instead of ratlines) on that model and it's really good. I highly recommend checking it out. For the futtock shrouds, I can never seem to attach seizing when the line is in the vertical position, so for these I set the model on its side. The stand actually held it in place quite securely and this made the job quite easy. I just backed it up against the heavy base of my helping hands. I left the tails on the futtock shrouds quite long, which I thought would make it easier as I could attach the seizings further down on the shroud and then slide them up into position. This worked quite well (except for the served shroud, of course), but it did cause me one problem. It wouldn't be a David build if I didn't have at least one major redo. When trimming the ends of the futtock shrouds, I accidentally cut one of the shrouds instead, which was a real pain to redo. I try to limit it to one per build, so hopefully that's it for this one. I used white line for the seizings; it really makes it easier to do with the colour contrast and then I later coloured the seizings black with some India ink. I didn't blacken or paint the brass futtock stave ahead of time. I just dabbed a little "ironworks black" on the exposed bits after and that worked quite well. So that's it for now. Thanks again for looking in, likes etc. David

It works perfectly! I'm currently using mine for the first time. A tiny bit of practice is all that's needed.

Benjamin - The plans indicate that the plates should be 7/32" x 3/4" so I used 1/4" copper tape. I can't remember if I cut them at 25/32" which would have given the same small overlap as the 1/4" width gives, or if I just kept it simple and cut them right at 3/4", still overlapped them slightly and didn't worry about it. I kinda think it was the latter. In any case a length somewhere around 3/4" should be ok. David

Good Morning, Time for a Speedy update. I have launched myself into the rigging. There really isn't too much to explain or talk about here; it's all pretty straightforward. First, I attached everything that I could to the masts and yards - Then, the bowsprit - (Just have to re-attach the port cathead and the block on the starboard boomkin.) The I fired up my serv-o-matic. It's not very difficult to do, but I found I needed a little bit of practice (which always frustrates me, because I figure if I can read, I can do it.) What worked really well for me was to practice using white line with black serving thread. This made it very easy to see just how to lay down each loop without big gaps and without overlapping. After a few trial runs, It became quite easy and goes surprisingly fast. The plans indicate 1 mm line for the lower shrouds. I tried using both 1 mm line and .75 mm line, thinking the serving would bulk up the 1 mm too much. In the end I settled on the 1 mm. I didn't notice an appreciable increase in the diameter, as the serving tends to compress the line a little. As Derek suggested in his Speedy log, I used a fine needle and "stitched" the serving thread to the line at each end of the run and it made a surprisingly tidy end. So, I'm happy to be adding this detail to my Speedy. Thanks for checking in (and happy St. Patrick's day - the Lesters are from County Cavan, but they were all tea teetotallers, so it falls to me to celebrate!) David