rafine

Well, the holiday family horde headed back north and it was time to get back to work.

First up was the the mizzen topmast and topgallant and their standing rigging. This involved making the masts, mounting them and doing the topmast shrouds, topmast backstay, topmast stay, topgallant backstay and blocks for the crojack, topsail and topgallant lifts, and the main topgallant braces.

Mast construction was straightforward, starting with dowels, shaped and tapered as necessary, and using the kit parts for trestletrees, crosstrees and caps. As before, the rigging was done using Syren line and blocks and kit deadeyes. I did face one dilemma. There is disagreement among the kit plans, AOTS and Lees as to whether the mizzen topgallant mast had shrouds and/or a forestay. As I read Lees, at this period (1742), there would be neither. I decided to go with that, although the kit plans show shrouds, but no stay, and AOTS shows both.

Bob

Thanks so much Steve and the "likes".

Bob

Thanks so much Albert and the "likes".

Bob

The lower standing rigging is now complete (with the exception of the ratlines). This involved doing the deadeyes on the the lower tops, the futtock shrouds, the catharpins and the upper jeer blocks on the main.

The dead eyes are from the kit. I stropped them using wire, rather than the kit PE parts, The futtock staves are 1/32" square boxwood strip. The futtock shrouds are  seized to Syren plastic hooks. The catharpins are simplified, by simply tying them to the futtock staves.

The jeer blocks and their lashings are not entirely accurate either, but give a reasonable impression of their appearance at this scale. They are fitted only on the main, since the crojack on the mizzen has only a sling and no jeers.

In my usual spirit of procrastination, I will complete and mount the topmasts, and at least begin their rigging, before tackling the ratlines.

Bob

Thanks so much Martin. I don't have a drill press either. I just keep doing it until I get lucky and do it pretty good. 

Bob

A simply fantastic piece of work Nils. Every addition just makes it look even better.

Bob

Thanks so much B.E. Lees does,in fact, show 1 1/2" for all crowsfeet.

Bob

Nicely done Elijah.

Bob

Thanks so much Denis, Ken, Al and Grant. You guys are way too kind.

Bob

Thanks so much Don, Tom and Russ for the generous comments, and thanks also to the "likes".

'Bob

First, let me take this opportunity to wish all of you the happiest of holiday seasons and a New Year filled with good health and modelling.

Crowsfeet have always been one of my least favorite tasks. When faced with doing them, I look to find other things to do. In that spirit, I started work on the topmasts. About midway through, I kicked myself and decided that now was the time to do the crowsfeet. Thus, this update is about crowsfeet and not topmasts.

The euphroe blocks are made from pear strip (I just happened to have a piece that seemed exactly the right size). The tackle blocks are Syren 3mm and all of the line is Syren .008", which is correct for size according to AOTS. The problem is always the same: how to achieve tension on the crowsfeet without distorting the stay to which they are attached. If you're expecting that I've come up with some magical solution, you're in for a disappointment. Trial and error, pull here, tighten there, have once again been my solution. The result has not been entirely satisfactory, but seems to be the best that I'm likely to achieve. You can judge for yourself from the photos.

Bob

Thanks so much Denis, Elijah and the "likes".

Denis, I just think it is much easier to work on all of the lower rigging without the upper masts in place. For example, I didn't do the blocks at the mastheads until the shrouds were done. Seems much easier to me without the topmasts in place. Probably just a matter of personal preference. 

Elijah, take a look at post #375 on the previous page.

Bob

Thanks so much Ken.

Bob

Great fix Thomas.

Bob

Quite a change from Syborn Denis. Can't wait to see more.

Bob

Thanks so much Albert, Thomas , Sjors and the "likes'. 

Much too soon to be thinking about "what's next" Sjors. Still a long way to go.

Bob

Thanks so much Russ, Steve, B.E. and John for the nice comments and thanks also to the "likes".

Unfortunately, B.E., no matter how much foresight we try to use, there's always something we forget.   

Bob

Thanks so much Dirk, Red and the "likes".

Nothing very complicated with the blocks Red. In the case of the pendants, the blocks are seized in a loop at the end of the pendant. In the case of the blocks at the mast head, they are seized in a loop and the two ends are merely wrapped around the masthead and glued in place. At this scale, at and at this point in my life , I am unwilling or unable, or both, to do seizings at the masthead. 

Bob

I've now done a good part of the standing rigging on the lower main mast. This included the burton pendants, the shrouds, the main stay, the main preventer stay, the lead blocks for the main wingsail gaff peak and throat halyards and the deadeye for the mizzen topmast stay. Also added were sheer poles for the shrouds and cleats for the jeer tackles. A number of items remain to be done including ratlines, the jeer tackle blocks and catharpins.

Once again, the deadeyes and hearts are from the kit, the blocks and line are from Syren.

Bob

A beautiful model Russ. Congratulations.

Bob

Absolutely go for it, Rob. Being 77 myself, I well understand the challenges of age, but that only makes each new project even more enjoyable.

Bob

Thanks so much Nils and the "likes".

Bob

Standing rigging on the lower mizzen mast is now mostly complete. This involved doing the shrouds (but not the ratlines at this time), the mizzen stay and blocks for the boom topping lift, gaff topping lift, gaff throat halyard and main topsail braces. All of this was straightforward and proceeded quickly. The only "unusual" feature was the pin rail fitted to the shrouds. As with the other rigging, the deadeyes are from the kit, the blocks and line are from Syren and sizes are taken from AOTS.

I'm now working on the main lower standing rigging.

Bob 

I use a product called Micro Kristal Klear. It can be used to actually glaze the windows by applying it with a toothpick, or it can be used as an adhesive. It dries clear, does not fog and is extremely durable.

Bob

Thanks so much B.E., Albert and the "likes".

B.E., I thought Jason's question was about the belaying pins in racks on the base of the mizzen mast and answered it accordingly. I wasn't even thinking of the yard mounting pins, which I have used for a long time for the same kind of reasons that you mention. 

Bob