Chuck

Thats what I was shooting for. The image of my rope is not a good photo...to bright. My gray charcoal looking rope is actually pretty darn close. I just cant take a picture of it to show. I will try wwhen I get back from vacation next week. Chuck

This would be ideal and I am working hard to get there. Contemporary rigging color...It is not very brown or too black. Its not too gray and somewhere in between. Chuck

Thanks guys...Chuck, I could absolutely make some. You just need to tell me what size you need when you get to that point. Then there are the folks who just use the tan color for everything. That looks good too. And here is an image recently I believe of the Frigate constitution. Its more gray than brown. I have been looking for a model done with brown standing rigging that is very dark but I havent seen too many. Most are jet black and that is tough to see the lay of the rope like it is shown below. It all quite confusing and hard to to choose. I cant wait to test out both on a model and see which I prefer. Chuck

Looking good Len. Tedious to rig those guns but it looks very good. Boy that is nice deck planking too. Look forward to seeing more. Chuck

Hello folks. As some of you know, I am supplying scale rope in tan and in black. I am not the biggest fan of using a deep black rope but I know many of you prefer it. When I ordered my Linen line to make up the rope I also ordered some of their dark Gray/Brown color. My original though was to also supply it in this color for folks like me who prefer a lighter shade for the standing rigging. It is easier to see the lay of the rope. Because it takes so much time to make it...I wanted ask everyone if there is indeed a large enough group that prefers the standing rigging as a dark gray or even deep brown. I prefer the grayish tone as shown. I figured I would ask before I spend too much time on it. Anyway...here is a photo of my gray/brown standing rigging next to my black and tan examples. Is this something that would be desired?? If not, I will just keep it for my own personal use. It is my opinion that the actual standing rigging was a dark charcoal color after being exposed to the elements and wasnt a deep black. The brown linen color is OK too but I dont like it as much so it is not pictured. Its just not dark enough for my taste and looks too even. The color is slightly darker than it appears in the photo...but I had to pump up the brightness or the black rope would have looked like a black shadow. I would appreciate your thoughts on the historical nature of the color of tarred rope as well as your impression of the rope shown. Spending a week stocking up on it when no one will want it would be a waste. Thanks in advance

Looking good...wonderful job with the planking.

Alex... Wonderful progress. One of my possible future projects. Chuck

Because its a special project exclusively created for MSW. We developed the plans and offer them to folks at no charge. This forum was created to start a group that is working on them so ll logs and questions about its construction can be kept in one area. This will help all participating members to compare notes and find information. Chuck

That is sure coming along nicely. Well done!!

Very nice hooks. I know how small these actually are and how finicky it is to make the hooks and strop them. Here are some of my blocks with hooks. The bottom block is a 2mm. The two above that are 3/32". This is about as small as I can make a reasonably good looking hook. Chuck

The Great Ordnance Survey of 1698: A Facsimile Introduction by Richard Endsor and Frank Fox Florence, Oregon: SeaWatchBooks, 2013 8-1/2” x 12”, hardcover, 275 pages. $95.00 ISBN: 9780983753255 At first glance, this volume seems so esoteric as to appeal to a tiny minority of the maritime community. Closer examination, however, quickly dispels that notion; this facsimile potentially appeals to a very wide audience and, given that it is limited to 199 copies, potential readers probably should not postpone a decision to purchase for too long. What, then, makes a facsimile of an inventory so interesting and useful? First, there is the very useful and concise introduction, which explains the background to the survey, its scope and limitations, and the most effective manner in which researchers can exploit it. Although not explained elsewhere, this is where one finds the index, an essential tool for making good use of the survey itself. The survey itself is valuable on multiple fronts. Researchers may use it to validate the armament tables for Royal Navy ships of the period. Archaeologists will find it very useful in identifying specific tubes uncovered on underwater or terrestrial sites, and in determining a part of the history of such identified weapons. They also may find it useful to know such inventory numbers exists at all—more than one researcher has spent years puzzling over numbers engraved into gun barrels that do not seem to correlate to the usual meanings (either casting dates or indications of weight). Modelers, too, will find this facsimile very useful when constructing projects of the era. The establishment for the galley frigate Charles Galley, for example, indicates its armament as eight 12-pounders, twenty-two 6-pounders, and six 4-pounders. The survey tells us that, in 1698, it actually carried twenty-six 6-pounders and six 3-pounders. Furthermore, the survey also lists the lengths, diameters at the trunnions, and diameters of the trunnions for each gun, opening up the possibility of making very accurate models of each weapon (some of the ship’s 6-pounders were nine feet long, some eight, and some only six and a half!). All in all, this is a fascinating document. Any researcher, archaeologist, or modeler dealing with late seventeenth- or early eighteenth-century English ships will find it a valuable resource. Paul E. Fontenoy North Carolina Maritime Museum

The NRG has now started publishing book reviews online in addition to in the Nautical Research Journal. https://thenrg.org/resource/books If you have a moment, please check it out. It may be of interest to all of you. Chuck

Very nice planking...shaping up to be a great looking Syren model. Chuck

Cannon look really good nice work on those hooks. Well done.

Thats looking great Grant. I would try and make the holes farther apart as the would be closer to the ends of each block. Other than that they look perfect. Great work. Chuck

Yes I know the salt can be a problem...but believe it or not. You can drop an entire ball in a pot of Rit dye with salt. If you leave it in the pot of hot dye solution you get some pretty good penetration. The color comes out rich. I actually mixed rit brown with the black just so it wasnt so dark....but the results werent consistent so I just started using black. Chuck

For my black I used Rit dye. It works well and doesnt make the rope stiff like using water-based wood stain. You can basically buy any colors you want. Just mix a little with water and add salt in a bucket. Coil your finished rope and dip it in for a while. Then pull it out and rinse. To get a really rich and deep black you have to leave it in the dye for a while.

You are correct as far as I have seen but consider this. The becket of the block. Usually this isnt added. Or at least not so its as visible. You can see in this picture that the eye of the hook is very small in comparison to the becket and the hook. So by not making them perpendicular it simulates this in a way. You would have to make a very small eye in that hook so it doesnt look oversized. Its a small detail but one to be considered. The eye instead could visually take the place of the becket and looks a lot like the picture I posted. Especially on really small scale models.

The only way to combat this 100% is to create a rope with only one thread on each first...no issue there. Then take those ropes and make a larger one. You will never get a square rope that way. Although you will go left handed then to right-handed rope etc. It takes a long time to make rope that way. But, you may have more success trying this. I know I t has worked for me. Forget using two on each of the four whirls. Instead, use three on only three whirls. Then, if you were turning the initial strands 150 times....simply double it, or even triple it. The initial twisting must be really tight. This will cause the strands to condense significantly but will combat the squareness effectively. For example, I start with three on each whirl where they are 25' long. I twist them until the strands become 20.5' long. I twist them until they are just about to knot up upon themselves. Then when you twist all three together, make sure you keep the rope taught as it lays up. In this case, I dont over twist at all. Over twisting seems to amplify the square profile. Give it a try...see what happens. Remember to really make the initial strands on each whirl tightly wound together. Thats the key. if its not when you twist all three together to make the final rope...its the looseness that creates the square shape. The three strands have too much room between each of there loosely wound threads for the lay to form correctly. I hope that makes sense. This black line was made that way. I have taken three strands on each whirl and made them tight. You can see the rope is not square. While experimenting I initially had the strands much looser and it did result in the square shape you are talking about. So this corrected that issue nicely. Chuck

This usually only happens when you put two threads on each spindle or even three. If you are only using one thread this is something that doesnt happen. From my experience, there is only one sure way to combat this. But can you confirm that you are indeed having this issue when putting two or more threads on each spindle of your ropewalk in order to make thicker rope? There is another method too but it requires more space. Chuck

AHH!!!! very nice....that saved me the trouble. I make mine the exact same way. It just takes some practice. Chuck

Woops....good catch....30 gauge for those small ones. Chuck

Dave..its really hard to explain this in writing. But the general shape is presented below. I use a needle nose pliers and just start shaping. Each hook takes some time. To make the end of the hook...just cut the wire on an angle so you get a point. When I get rolling I can only make about 50 in a half hour. Its a lot of precise bends. The secret is to have a good set of pliers that has very small pointed ends. The kind that jewelers use or watch makers. This will enable you to get very small eyes and hooks. The wire I use is very soft. It wont allow for much pulling pressure. You should only apply enough pressure to make the lines taught. Dont over tighten or the hook will bend. I use 30 gauge black annealed wire for small hooks. Those for the 2mm and the 3/32" blocks. Then I go up to 28 gauge wire for 1/8" blocks and 5/32" blocks. I plan to start making them for sale as well but like I said it takes a lot of time to churn out many of them and keep the shape and size consistent. Chuck Here is a look at Gary's Alfred that shows the hooks on his rigged cannon. These are large ones for 5/32" blocks. I will try and make a few tonight in intervals and take some pictures. But I am sure it will be tough to follow how it was done and with what hand movements. Chuck

I almost forgot...Hard maple is a great alternative and it is much cheaper wood. I have tried it as an alternative and may possibly be offering them as a less expensive alternative to boxwood or pear at some point. Chuck

What a fantastic mod to the box jig. That look incredible. Getting a drill press makes the whole process easier. The holes line up very easy and come out clean. Your blocks look really good. The slot depth is basically something you have to eyeball. Too deep and you will get some chipping on the mill. Too shallow and it wont look right. For my strop slot, I just make it visible. I go very shallow on it. As you can see, if you go deep on that the sheave holes will break the surface and leave a hole in the strop groove. It just takes some time experimenting and finding tolerances. Chuck