toms10

Hi John,

It’s coming along very decent!  I have found that I am by far my worst critic. So following that logic, if you think it is pretty good it must really be fantastic!  Keep up the good work. 
Tom

Hi John,

It's coming along bit by bit.  It is amazing how many little details need to be done.  Hopefully most of them don't go unnoticed by "normal folk" or should I say non-ship modellers.  I say that because I don't consider us (model ship builders) to be anything close to normal.  Anybody that does this type of work, to the detail level we see on this site definitely does not fall into the mainstream norm... whatever that is. 😀

Keep up the good work.

Tom

Hello all,

I finished some of the standing rigging on the back half of the ship.  Now I need to find out more about the bow sprit rigging and what attaches to the fore masts along with the connections between the main and fore masts.  I spent the better part of  the last month learning the rigging.  One step at a time.  I can't believe how many blocks I will need to fully rig this ship with staysails.  I am sure Chuck will be getting another order soon.

Tom

Jim,

It just keeps getting better and better.  I remember wiring the pico lights in my Leopard, especially the stern lanterns.  Those are some pretty tiny lights!💡💡💡

Tom

Hi Jim

The furniture is absolutely incredible. Next thing your going to tell me is that the draws have actual scaled clothing in them. 😜😁 I think a pair of shoes next to the dresser would be a nice touch. 😜😜😜😁

Truly an exceptional job on this cross section

Tom

“Feels like she has a long way to go. However, looking back there are a lot of accomplishments. Hours spent now stand at 344. Began this Journey back on January 21st 2020. Seems like so long ago...”

John, 7 1/2 months... are you kidding!? I’ve been plugging along on my Leopard for 3 1/2 years!  Your Morgan looks absolutely great. I hope mine comes out as good when I get to it. 
 

Tom

What a nice looking model. I think that style captures enough of the essence of the ship while saving a ton of floor space  Same idea as models I have seen that are only built as half models in a longitudinal direction and then mounted on a wall like a 3D picture. 
Tom

Thank you Bob, popeye2sea and spyglass. Once again I learn from MSW!  Now that I understand what “set flying” is that is the path I must follow.   Especially since the false stay is prior to the Leopard. I did not realize that when I originally came across “false stays”. 
 

Thanks again everyone,

Tom

Spyglass

The plans came from Winfield’s book on the 50 gunship. I read somewhere (I just can’t remember where... read so much lately) that false stays are stays that are only put up temporarily while the staysails are being used.  When not in use they are taken down.   I am thinking that Bob’s thought about “set flying” might be correct  I will need to look into that. Two of the jib sails are also shown the same way. 
 

Tom

I am still searching for more information but coming up empty.  Looks like it would make sense to serve and "tar" the working area and leave the section at the lower end that goes through the block and ties of to a cleat without serve and tar.  Anybody?

Tom

Hi MSW,

I have a couple of questions regarding the false stays used to attach the staysails to on my Leopard of 1790. I would like to put the main and mizzen staysails on the model. Not sure if I will furl some (probably) but anyway. I have attached a picture of a piece of my standing rigging plan to help illustrate. 

As the plan shows, the main top mast staysail rides on the fixed and permanent top mast stay preventer.   Being permanent standing rigging this would be a tarred rope. Since the hanks will be sliding up and down this rope should that working length be served?

I would imagine the same answer would apply to a false stay as shown in the picture with the top gallant staysail. Served and tarred even though they were sometimes taken down. 

Tom

I agree with darker blocks. I stain mine with walnut colored stain before using. 
Tom

Nice job Jim. The three beam side looks “more righter”😜.  There is a bit of grammar to push my wife the English major over the edge. 😁 But as you said, it is all going to be covered anyway. Great practice and a chance to learn though. You are a better man than me. I would have left it out all together if it is going to be planked over. 
Tom

16 hours ago, Bluto 1790 said:

HMmmm . . . . . 2,852 clove hitches?  ~  are you absolutely certain you counted them correctly?  😄😄😄

 

 

 

Hey Jim

you made me double check (I have some OCD issues 😜) just for fun and low and behold I did do a math error when multiplying. It is actually 2,918!  Ridiculous!😃

Really like your cross section model!

Tom

8 minutes ago, michaelpsutton2 said:

Last night a went through my files. I do not have a single original contemporary sail plan for a US naval ship showing topgallant ratlines. Zero. Can't say what that means, but they aren't in the plans. You can imagine some bosun's mate going"F these plans,I'm putting something to climb on!"

My thoughts exactly. 😁

Tom

Hi all

reached another milestone today. After 2,852 clove hitches,  all the main, top and futtock shroud ratlines are complete. 

Now I will start to work on the forestays and backstays for the top masts. Then on to the top gallant masts and rigging and finally the royal masts. Working my way through the standing rigging. At least that is the plan for now. Also still have a decent amount of work to do on the bow sprit. 
 

Really starting to enjoy the results with some of the rigging in place. Brings the model to life a bit. 👍😁

Tom

23 hours ago, michaelpsutton2 said:

The royal yard was often set flying that is without even braces. II do not believe I have ever seen a contemporary portrayal of ratlines, a rope ladder of knotted rope  for royals. But it may just be an omission ob the part of artisits and model makers. Somewhere in the "Naval Doc's relating to the quasi war with France I read about "the skysail yard" being brought to the deck with the sail furled on the yard. It is possible in earlier times the royal was treated the same way. If you look at paintings for the last two decades of the 18th century, very few show royal yards"lowered with sails furled. The only times a royal yard is shown is if the sail is set. I will see if I can find it but a saw one pic of an English frigate (Napoleanic period), royal yard with furled sail lashed vertically against the t'gallant mast down  in the topmast head. The idea must have been to reduce strain on the mast.

If I am interpreting all this correctly someone still had to get up there to furl the royal sail before before bringing the mast down or as popeye2sea mentioned everything would get fouled up. 
 

I am starting to think that you may be correct that many models just leave out the knitted rope or ladder.  I am thinking of just putting a knotted rope from the base of the royal mast down to the crosstree below. Very small detail but seems to fit. I still have plenty of time to look into this as this can be added at pretty much anytime. 
 

thank you Michael and Popeye for your help in helping me to understand. 
 

Tom

23 hours ago, michaelpsutton2 said:

It was common to lower the t'gallant yard before furling. This took some of the strain off of the upper top hamper immediately. When the yard was down on the cap, it could be reached while still standing on the trees. This was particularly true before royal became common.

Hi Michael

that makes sense.  My question was geared toward the royal yard on my Leopard build or any other ship of the time period for that matter. Knotted rope or rope ladder seems logical at this point. 
Tom

Justin, yes it is my current build the Leopard circa 1790.  I should have mentioned that in my question. 
 

Chris, thanks for clarifying and mentioning the book. Now of course I have to get a copy and read it in my spare time.  Maybe an audio book to listen to while I model. 😁
 

Popeye2sea, a rope ladder is something I did not think of.  It makes sense otherwise you would need to shimmy up the shroud line. Nothing I would prefer to do. 😜 Do you know of any pics showing one?  
 

Thank you all for the help. 
Tom

I have a question about the shrouds on the top gallant masts. I noticed there are 3 shroud lines but no ratlines. If one were to lower the royal yard how do you get to it if need be? I would have thought ratlines would solve the problem but there are none shown on the plans.  Understand I don’t want to tie more ratlines but it does not make sense to me. 🤔. Below is a pic of the standing rigging for the main top gallant mast. The same is shown for the fore and Mizzen masts. 

 

Any insight would be helpful. In the meantime I will look again in my limited library for any answers. 
 

Tom

Little more progress. Finished the fore top mast shrouds and ratlines. 

I have a question about the shrouds on the top gallant masts. I noticed there are 3 shroud lines but no ratlines. If one were to lower the royal yard how do you get to it if need be? I would have thought ratlines would solve the problem but there are none shown on the plans.  Understand I don’t want to tie more ratlines but it does not make sense to me. 🤔
 

Tom

Wefalck,

as a tooling design engineer I agree with you.   Simpler is always better. Less moving parts with fewer critical dimensions means less that can go wrong.   I often ask myself after I complete a design “Why did I make this so complicated?”  

Kris, with that being said, I am enjoying following this DIY sander. It is way better than the one I came up with. Oh wait I did come up with one. 😜. I like watching ideas come to life. Thanks for sharing. It is how we all learn. 
 

Tom

Jim

Those louvers came out really nice. You are making me want to do a cross section model!  I love all the details that are not normally seen in a model ship. Very interesting and educational. Keep up the fantastic work. 
Tom

Hi Bob

thanks for helping out with the canvas explanation. It sure does explain a lot.   Learning as I go. 
Tom

Hi John

i did some checking on the canvas roof for the hurricane house. As ragove mentioned in his post theModel Shipway plans say to cover on canvas. I am not sure off the top of my head but I believe the Shipway plans are from about 1939. Unfortunately when I was aboard her last summer I did not get a good pic of the hurricane house and I don’t remember what the roof was made of. 

I also checked in the book “The Charles W. Morgan” by Leavitt. I could not find any reference to the roof material however, I did see a couple of pictures that lead me to believe it was not canvas. Below is a picture taken in 1903 on top of the hurricane house. Look below the kid’s left foot and you will see there are wooden planks. 

In another undated photo presumably after 1903 as it comes slightly later in the book, a man is photographed standing on the roof. If it was canvas I doubt he would be up there even if he were just walking on the framing. 

Hmmm.  When did the canvas come into the picture if it did at all. It must have around 1939 or why would the put it on the plans as this does not seem to be the norm?

I am not sure what my plan is going to be yet. Build her as she sits in Mystic or as close to “as built” as I can get. If it is “as built” there was no hurricane house so the question goes away.  I will also need to get the correct plans from Mystic. I am heavily leaning towards as she sits today.   Looking forward to comparing your plans with the Shipways plans I have. 
 

part of the fun in this hobby is the research. 😁
 

Tom