toms10

Hi JIm, As far as sails they do change the way everything looks. I think they are necessary if you are doing a diorama. Not so much if just displaying a model. They added a few months to the build and added to the complexity of the rigging lines. I may just do furled sails on the Morgan I will be doing just for something different. We will see when the time comes. 😄 Thanks for the support and kind words over the course of my build. Tom

Hi Jack & Tom, Looking forward to seeing you on a few weeks at the New London conference. I will be bringing her there to show. I hope she looks as good in person. Tom

Well the light at the end of the tunnel is shining brightly. After putting a lot of hours in the past couple of weeks I am ready to call my Leopard complete. 🍾. The journey was a bit long but was worth it in the end. Being my 2nd model and first scratch I expected it to be long but 4 1/2 years? I would say a third of that was spent thumbing through reference books and a few breaks for weeks at a time. Thanks again to all my MSW friends and my fellow club members at Connecticut Marine Modelers Society for all the help and advice. Here are a few pics of her all completed. Now I just have to build a base and case for her. After that I plan on taking some time to complete the 9000 piece puzzle I started but stored away a year ago. My next modeling adventure will be the Charles W Morgan whaler which is docked only about an hour away from me at Mystic. I hope to start that when the cold weather sets in. Thanks again to all, Tom

Thanks for checking on it Allan. I will probably end up taking a bit of everybody's info. I am thinking that since the Leopard is a 50 gun and a bit larger than the one Petersson's book uses, it might make sense to follow that as a guide and belay the lines where it makes sense. Thanks again, Tom

I didn’t see that in my Lee book. That tells me though that they do go on both sides and down to 2 pins. Thanks Jim, that is the direction I was going. Tom

Hi all I am second guessing myself and someone to set me straight. I am getting ready to set the spanker sail on my 1790 Leopard and am questioning whether: 1) the brail lines go on both sides of the sail unlike a bunt line which is only on the front of the sail. 2) if they do go on both sides, are they 2 separate lines tied to the cringle and then to blocks tied to the gaff on both sides? Or one line that is tied to the gaff then passed through the cringle to a block that is tied to the gaff on the other side of the sail and then makes its way to a belaying pin. I have read through Harland’s book “Seamanship in the Age of Sail” and the sketches don’t really show what is going on but on page 131 it mentions under general remarks that when taking in the slack of the weather side was taken and the leeward side was tightened. That leads me to believe there are two separate lines, one on each side. This would require 2 belaying pins. Also the picture shown in Peterson’s “Rigging o”Period Ship Models” pg 81, it shows lines on both sides of the sail but I can’t tell if it is one or two lines. I would assume the answer would be the same for any fore/aft sail with a brail such as the main top mast staysail. Any clarification would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tom

Hi Tom, I will be bringing it regardless since it is getting really close to finished... which is the reason I need to finish it. Kind of puts me in a catch 22 situation as I would much rather show something completed to someone than explain what is missing. It is just a whole lot easier. Tom

Starting to put the rope coils on the belaying pins. Seems like this phase will take a while between making about 150+ coils and then placing them. These are on the port bulwark on the forecastle. This pic is just aft the main mast Really trying to put some time towards finishing in time for the show. The last big hurdle is mounting the mizzen sail, gaff and boom. Also still need to figure out the belaying of those lines. Tick tock goes the clock 😜. Shouldn’t be a problem but I need to stress about something. 🤣😜 Tom

Thanks Eurus. I am not to sure about museum worthy but being my second model and first scratch build I am pleased. It has taken quite a long time but half of it was spent learning and reading. The MSW family has been invaluable in my education. Tom

Made a little more progress this weekend with the mizzenmast staysails, top gallant and top sails. I need to mount the crossjack then finally the mizzen sail. Currently debating whether I will put up the mizzen staysail or not. I left off the lowest staysails at the main and foremast so as not to cover up the deck detail. The gap from the deck to the bottom mizzen top mast staysail is higher than the other masts so it kind of seems out of balance. Maybe it will even out when the crossjack is put up. Problem is it will be very difficult to get in there to install all the necessary blocks for the rigging now. Finally I need to go back and tie up the braces and make what seems like a thousand rope coils for the belaying pins and various odds and ends… all by mid September so it is ready for the Northeast conference Tom

Lining Off your hull for planking is this what you are looking for? I copied this link from a pinned post in the planking section in the forums screen. Tom

Hi Ed i also went the Starrett route after playing around with the lesser “hobby” grades for a couple years. You pretty much get what you pay for when it comes to tools. I shopped around eBay and found a Starrett set of four for $50. Tom

Hi all, It has been a while since I posted but I am still picking away it when I can. Still have lines hanging all over the place but making progress. All the main staysails and mast sails are up with most of the lines rigged. Getting ready to move on to the mizzenmast area next. i need to pick up the pace if I am to get it finished for the Northeast conference at the beginning of October! Funny thing though, the more things I knock off my “chores around the house” list the longer it gets!😜 That “work for a living” thing seems to be getting in the way a lot too!🤣😜 Tom

How did I get by up till now without the machine that limbs and cuts to length? I am sure Jim Byrnes has one the drawing board. 😜😁😂 Tom