hollowneck

Post One Hundred and three.
 
Fettlin’ the Foc’sle Beams.

6271
With a fresh set of sanding sticks prepared I am ready to get stuck into the char removal from the deck beams. Fortunately the last major exercise of this type.

6273
The beams are quite delicate and it’s worth repeating that it’s best to support them in a vice for sanding to eliminate the risk of snapping at the mortises.
 
In trying to more authentically represent the deck beams of the Foc’sle I am faced with a trickier situation than with the Quarterdeck.

6274
The two carling parts (459) are not an authentic fitting.
Together with the foremost and aftermost deck beams ’S’ and ‘Z’ they form a box structure to support the deck beams, with the consequence that the fitting of deck ledges is inhibited.
This is not a criticism  of the kit which was not designed  for this level of detailing, but it means that the deck planking will need to extend beyond this point.
 
I have decided to fit the Galley doors; the decision had to be made before the aft deck beam was fitted.
 
Having painted the remaining beams they are trialled for fit to make sure that no nasty surprises are lurking.

6280

6284

6285

6286
It all slots together very cleanly.
 
I have a lot of things to think about in relation to the Foc’sle.
Fitting of hanging knees in conjunction with the beams, there are sufficient kit provided parts to do this.
I like the look of the exposed beams and fancy leaving it more open than the Qtr deck. It will need planking along the bulwarks inboard to the outer carlings and on the solid bulkhead section at the bow.
Other than that I am inclined to leave it completely un-planked but I will fit the coamings and gratings above the galley stove.
There is the tricky question of the Cat beam running beneath the deck beams and the connection to the Cathead, it is not clear in my mind how to approach this yet.
 
Still for the next week I will be enjoying the magnificent  scenery of the Menai Straits.

5032
There has barely been a day over the past few months that I haven’t worked on Sphinx and I’m not sure I won’t get withdrawal symptoms, but  Anglesey has its compensations, not least the wonderful photo opportunities.
 
Cheers,
 
B.E.
25/03/22

 

Post One Hundred and Two
 
 Bitts and pieces.

6261
This is a convenient point to fit the Main Ladderway, but the stanchions I will leave until later.

6263
I’m glad I took the trouble to shape and paint the support columns on the lower deck.
 
A significant feature of the fore part of the Upper deck are the Riding Bitts.

6245
There are two sets of these; the aft Bitts which have a substantial cross piece, and the fore Bitts which sit beneath the Foc’sle deck either side of the Fore Mast.

6244
 
Shoe-horned between the aft Riding Bitts and the stove is the Galley door frame and doors. There is no doubt that these were a feature of ships of this period, but the position seems awkward and on a practical level one wonders why they are there.
I suppose that when closed they do provide an element of weather protection, but little else to my 21st century eye.
 
From a modelling display aspect the more immediate question is how much fitting this feature will further hide the pretty little stove a good few hours spent in the making of.
The only way is to trial fit it.

6255(2)
The view of the Stove end is not unduly obstructed.

6256

6258
…  but the doors do impinge on the Riding Bitts.
I’m not sure at this point if I will keep the doors but If I do I will varnish them rather than paint them red.
The Marshall painting does show them fitted and painted red, but I think there is already an excess of red paint in that area.
 
The Bowsprit step is also now glued into place. The step and the support legs of the Topsail sheet bitts are one unit in my build as the manger boards  butt against the unit at the Upper deck level.

6265
I made the Manger boards back in posts 79/80, they now have to be put into position before the Foc’sle deck beams are fitted.

6268
6270
I can now move onto prepping the Foc’sle deck beams.
 
B.E.
23/03/22
 
 
 
 
 

Thank you Christian and Thomas, and for all the 'likes'.
 
Post One hundred and One
 
A few more thoughts on the Galley stove.
Sphinx would certainly have had an iron stove, but one that pre-dated the introduction of the Brodie Stove.
Up to the time of standardisation following the introduction of the Brodie stove I understand there were  several manufacturers of iron stoves, all broadly similar.
What we have in the kit is a sort of Hybrid, having some features common to the Brodie, the chain drive being the most noticeable.
 I was puzzled by the two holes in the back panel of the Sphinx stove, so I scoured thro’ all my reference books on the subject.
The closest I could find is the stove used on the Dorsetshire of 1757.

The Arming & fitting of English Ships of War - Brian Lavery.
The position of the ‘Crocks’ (I think it should read Cocks) is close to the position indicated on the Sphinx stove.
 
I decided to add the  cocks to give a little more interest to the aft end rather than just two holes.

6238

6239

6240
I think that’s enough for a stove of this scale given the views that will be available even for the more open aspect of my build.
Time to move on.
 
B.E.
21/03/22

 
 

Will do
 
Please let me know when you have Vol 1 of HMS EURYALUS in stock....

Just ordered two books I’ve been drooling over, nice to see these books available once more.
 
Gary

Finally picked up both of the Rogers Collection volumes! Was long overdue ...

Chris,
I discussed the need for Volume I with Mike the other day and getting with the printer is on his to-do list.
Allan

Shipping does need to get sorted out. I was going to order another set of books (Naiad), but $77.72 shipping for two books is too much. To put that in perspective, a 7.5kg large box Sphinx kit costs around £40/45 to send to the US from the UK, using UPS.

Excellent, just ordered a couple of things...

Hi All -
 
SeaWatchBooks.com is now live! Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy the new store.
 
Mike

A sweet build James, very nicely done, love the finish you've achieved on the Windlass.
 
B.E.

Maybe one day. If I do, there is one with the words, 'While I live, I crow' engraved on her stern, and the name being Cock o' the Walk!
 
But, after Ranger,  a South Eastern fish carrier (UK), that will be the last in this line up for a good while, I think I have done enough for now...

A very nice model indeed. Maybe Chris would like  to tackle a Thames barge sometime.

Saucy Jack is now complete, and it's a short break from the cave before I head back in to work on Ranger.
 
Here are the finals. Hope you like them.
 
Chris is now compiling the manual and box art, so it won't be too long now before this will be on sale. 
 













 

An update...fell out of the saddle for a few days gentlemen, jumped back up. Here's some progress on Camilla's standing rigging, some details on the rope I've chosen to use on this build and a variety of blocks I'm using (some kit, some other sources).
 

 
Bobstays. These stays counterbalanced the immense upward pull on the bowsprit exerted by the fore & main mast stays. Four heavy lines run from the bowsprit to the stem and hull. This shroud rigging has blocks that permit tightening of the lines as they loosen over time.
 

 
The foremast shrouds, futtocks and catharpin lines. The mast wooldings can also be seen in this photo. The catharpins are tied-off to a span of .7mm brass wire tied to the upper shrouds where the futtock shroud lines continue up to the top. No ratlines yet.
 

 
The fiddle blocks for the fore topmast stays are boxwood; I considered dyeing them to match the other pear blocks I'm using throughout but I did't mind using these here for contrast with the many lines in the bowsprit area which will triple in number by the time all are run-in - including the sail management lines. I will also be using these boxwood fiddle blocks for all the yard lifts. I wish these were available in pear, but I'm really not complaining.
 

 
A close-up of a lashed and mounted fiddle block at the stem. These tackle blocks have two sheaves of different diameters adjacent to one another contained in a solid wooden shell and not side-by-side as in a double block.
 

 
Here are the "fiddlestacks" - the three piece layered boxwood patterns to make-up the fiddle blocks. This clever approach to fabricating these essential blocks works really well but does require a lot of handwork to assemble and prep before they can be employed. After being (carefully) glued, all the sheave holes need to be drilled through for the rigging rope. The multiple rope line "channels" need to be delicately filed to accommodate the various sizes of rigging. These mini-kits are from SyrenShipModels and I recall two available sizes. The 9/32" size comes close to the 5 & 3 mm sizes specified in the kit's rigging plans for making the yard lift double blocks as well as the stay lines. The kit provides simulated fiddle blocks as "singles" (lash a 3 & 5mm together) but assembling them is a real pain in the...
 

 
Little fiddlers with nice detail. One needs to drill them out after hand sanding all the edges and rope channels. I would also call this very "fiddly" work...but worth it. The  built-up block's mid-section also needs to be sanded so a lashing rope can tie it to the main running line.
 

 
Deadeye rigging on the seven (7) foremast shrouds. The shroud spreader (1.5mm X 1 mm pear strip) is lashed to the shrouds after the deadeyes are tied-off. Tricky to achieve, one needs to shoot for an even spacing across all these blocks. I have a simple bent brass wire jig that holds the deadeyes in place temporarily while the shroud is being tied in place.
 
 

 
Catharpins. Fun word to say! These lines below the tops pull all the shrouds taut, port and starboard, and align them along the plane of the keel when properly aligned. The shrouds are quite taut when this is done properly which makes tying the myriad of ratlines much easier. No, I haven't forgotten the Burton pendants! I run all these after the stays and shrouds are completed.
 
 

 
A clear view of the foremast shrouds with a spreader lashed to them. I use a lighter brown, .01mm polyester upholstery thread for nearly all lashings of lines. 
 

 
The blocks shown here for the mainmast stay lines (Main & Preventer) - open and closed hearts - are provided in the kit and similar to my fiddle block assemblies ( the lighter colored boxwood block in the foreground) in that you fabricate them with a three layered pattern, identical to the previous explanation for the fiddle blocks. They also require some careful sanding to break the edges and deepen the rope grooves for the heavier stays.
 

 
The main mast shroud and stay rigging started. The stays are held in place by a "mouse," the round items just under the tops; in actual use these were complex, tapered rope assemblies that acted as stoppers for the looped end of the stay line. The ones in the kit are shiny plastic jewelry beads. They work o.k., but you'll need to paint them with a flat black paint to avoid the plasticky look. For previous models I've made these with a small length of thin dowel that I drilled through and then sanded with a conical taper. After the crow's feet and other running rigging lines are mounted, these stoppers are barely visible. Upper shrouds come next.
 

 
The Big(ger) Picture: coming together and starting to look like a sailing ship!
 

 
Main Stay rigging. The Main Preventer lashes to the foremast and is seen in the upper right corner of the photo.
 

 
Oops. I hate it when this happens... I accidentally smeared some glue on an upper shroud line and to remove it I tried using a handheld flame (barbeque lighter) and ZAP!!  - it removed the glue for sure, but it also burned through the line. This will be repaired of course, but not without a lot of slaps to my forehead...DOH! I'll never do that again. This was a glue removal "trick" I witnessed by another modeler who made it work without torching his rope.
 

 
I'm rigging with a new rope source: very nicely made, triple strand cotton rope. Minimal unraveling. These are just two of the main sizes for my shroud rigging. I have several other sizes for other rigging areas, in both the 'tarred" (Dark Brown) lines and the running hemp (Beige) lines.
 
Although polyester rope looks less "fuzzy," I still prefer real cotton rope for principal rigging. Polyester rope from other sources is somewhat "shiny" and is also harder to work with since it's also "slippery." However, this said, I've used a very nice looking beige polyester rope on this build's safety lines on stanchions and hammock cranes. These lines are easy to afix so working with the polyester isn't an issue.
 
Also, the slightly hairy look on some rope lines is a non-issue - unless, of course, the cotton rope is so worn it becomes an apparent distraction - something that isn't typical with our sailing ship models. If you've ever been on a real sailing ship with real hemp rope lines (not synthetic), you'll see that the rope is actually a little "fuzzy."
 

 
A mounted shroud cleat, one of seven for the fore mast shrouds. Note the top and bottom lashing points. I glue the cleat first with a miniscule drop of CA to hold it in place (with a tweezers), then tie-off with brown upholstery thread.
 

 
The red arrow points to the required blocks for all the yard lifts (sixteen required). The plans show making these from two separate blocks. A single fiddle block solution is better, more accurate.
 
 

An update...fell out of the saddle for a few days gentlemen, jumped back up. Here's some progress on Camilla's standing rigging, some details on the rope I've chosen to use on this build and a variety of blocks I'm using (some kit, some other sources).
 

 
Bobstays. These stays counterbalanced the immense upward pull on the bowsprit exerted by the fore & main mast stays. Four heavy lines run from the bowsprit to the stem and hull. This shroud rigging has blocks that permit tightening of the lines as they loosen over time.
 

 
The foremast shrouds, futtocks and catharpin lines. The mast wooldings can also be seen in this photo. The catharpins are tied-off to a span of .7mm brass wire tied to the upper shrouds where the futtock shroud lines continue up to the top. No ratlines yet.
 

 
The fiddle blocks for the fore topmast stays are boxwood; I considered dyeing them to match the other pear blocks I'm using throughout but I did't mind using these here for contrast with the many lines in the bowsprit area which will triple in number by the time all are run-in - including the sail management lines. I will also be using these boxwood fiddle blocks for all the yard lifts. I wish these were available in pear, but I'm really not complaining.
 

 
A close-up of a lashed and mounted fiddle block at the stem. These tackle blocks have two sheaves of different diameters adjacent to one another contained in a solid wooden shell and not side-by-side as in a double block.
 

 
Here are the "fiddlestacks" - the three piece layered boxwood patterns to make-up the fiddle blocks. This clever approach to fabricating these essential blocks works really well but does require a lot of handwork to assemble and prep before they can be employed. After being (carefully) glued, all the sheave holes need to be drilled through for the rigging rope. The multiple rope line "channels" need to be delicately filed to accommodate the various sizes of rigging. These mini-kits are from SyrenShipModels and I recall two available sizes. The 9/32" size comes close to the 5 & 3 mm sizes specified in the kit's rigging plans for making the yard lift double blocks as well as the stay lines. The kit provides simulated fiddle blocks as "singles" (lash a 3 & 5mm together) but assembling them is a real pain in the...
 

 
Little fiddlers with nice detail. One needs to drill them out after hand sanding all the edges and rope channels. I would also call this very "fiddly" work...but worth it. The  built-up block's mid-section also needs to be sanded so a lashing rope can tie it to the main running line.
 

 
Deadeye rigging on the seven (7) foremast shrouds. The shroud spreader (1.5mm X 1 mm pear strip) is lashed to the shrouds after the deadeyes are tied-off. Tricky to achieve, one needs to shoot for an even spacing across all these blocks. I have a simple bent brass wire jig that holds the deadeyes in place temporarily while the shroud is being tied in place.
 
 

 
Catharpins. Fun word to say! These lines below the tops pull all the shrouds taut, port and starboard, and align them along the plane of the keel when properly aligned. The shrouds are quite taut when this is done properly which makes tying the myriad of ratlines much easier. No, I haven't forgotten the Burton pendants! I run all these after the stays and shrouds are completed.
 
 

 
A clear view of the foremast shrouds with a spreader lashed to them. I use a lighter brown, .01mm polyester upholstery thread for nearly all lashings of lines. 
 

 
The blocks shown here for the mainmast stay lines (Main & Preventer) - open and closed hearts - are provided in the kit and similar to my fiddle block assemblies ( the lighter colored boxwood block in the foreground) in that you fabricate them with a three layered pattern, identical to the previous explanation for the fiddle blocks. They also require some careful sanding to break the edges and deepen the rope grooves for the heavier stays.
 

 
The main mast shroud and stay rigging started. The stays are held in place by a "mouse," the round items just under the tops; in actual use these were complex, tapered rope assemblies that acted as stoppers for the looped end of the stay line. The ones in the kit are shiny plastic jewelry beads. They work o.k., but you'll need to paint them with a flat black paint to avoid the plasticky look. For previous models I've made these with a small length of thin dowel that I drilled through and then sanded with a conical taper. After the crow's feet and other running rigging lines are mounted, these stoppers are barely visible. Upper shrouds come next.
 

 
The Big(ger) Picture: coming together and starting to look like a sailing ship!
 

 
Main Stay rigging. The Main Preventer lashes to the foremast and is seen in the upper right corner of the photo.
 

 
Oops. I hate it when this happens... I accidentally smeared some glue on an upper shroud line and to remove it I tried using a handheld flame (barbeque lighter) and ZAP!!  - it removed the glue for sure, but it also burned through the line. This will be repaired of course, but not without a lot of slaps to my forehead...DOH! I'll never do that again. This was a glue removal "trick" I witnessed by another modeler who made it work without torching his rope.
 

 
I'm rigging with a new rope source: very nicely made, triple strand cotton rope. Minimal unraveling. These are just two of the main sizes for my shroud rigging. I have several other sizes for other rigging areas, in both the 'tarred" (Dark Brown) lines and the running hemp (Beige) lines.
 
Although polyester rope looks less "fuzzy," I still prefer real cotton rope for principal rigging. Polyester rope from other sources is somewhat "shiny" and is also harder to work with since it's also "slippery." However, this said, I've used a very nice looking beige polyester rope on this build's safety lines on stanchions and hammock cranes. These lines are easy to afix so working with the polyester isn't an issue.
 
Also, the slightly hairy look on some rope lines is a non-issue - unless, of course, the cotton rope is so worn it becomes an apparent distraction - something that isn't typical with our sailing ship models. If you've ever been on a real sailing ship with real hemp rope lines (not synthetic), you'll see that the rope is actually a little "fuzzy."
 

 
A mounted shroud cleat, one of seven for the fore mast shrouds. Note the top and bottom lashing points. I glue the cleat first with a miniscule drop of CA to hold it in place (with a tweezers), then tie-off with brown upholstery thread.
 

 
The red arrow points to the required blocks for all the yard lifts (sixteen required). The plans show making these from two separate blocks. A single fiddle block solution is better, more accurate.
 
 

Your workmanship is superb and your photos give me renewed faith that a quality kit can be produced thanks to Chuck Passaro's efforts.   I hope some of the other kit producers learn something by taking note of the materials used and attention to detail that comes with Syren's offerings.
Allan

Hello Everyone, thank you for stopping by, commenting and Liking. As usual I've been jumping around all over the place with Cheerful.
 
Started the week by finishing the top mast. Used a spare truck from one of the carronade carriages for the mast cap. Painted the appropriate places black. Using Tamiya Dark Iron (X-84). Goes on very smoothly and covers well. Was using Liquitex Basics Ivory Black when painting the wales but it needed/ needs so many coats that I made the switch. Also made the tiller out of 1/8 inch cedar sheet. Not much to see there. Just lots of filing and sanding.
 
 
  
 

 
 
The Elm tree pumps were remade because the iron band I tried to paint on them didn't turn out very well at all. This time I used art tape that was picked up at Staples. One of the motivations for making new pumps was the fact that there was an octagonal offcut just sitting there after shaping the topsail yard.
 

 
 
The yards were shaped because I was on a roll after making the boom and the gaff.
 
 

 
 
The jaws for the boom were cut from 1/8 inch cedar sheet. 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
Used a piece of what I believe is #14 copper wire for the ..........horse (?). 
 
 

 
 
Mounted the pumps and ladders on deck
 
 

 
 

 
 
Next comes the chainplates and the back stay plates. See you next week.
 
Paul
 
 
 

An update...fell out of the saddle for a few days gentlemen, jumped back up. Here's some progress on Camilla's standing rigging, some details on the rope I've chosen to use on this build and a variety of blocks I'm using (some kit, some other sources).
 

 
Bobstays. These stays counterbalanced the immense upward pull on the bowsprit exerted by the fore & main mast stays. Four heavy lines run from the bowsprit to the stem and hull. This shroud rigging has blocks that permit tightening of the lines as they loosen over time.
 

 
The foremast shrouds, futtocks and catharpin lines. The mast wooldings can also be seen in this photo. The catharpins are tied-off to a span of .7mm brass wire tied to the upper shrouds where the futtock shroud lines continue up to the top. No ratlines yet.
 

 
The fiddle blocks for the fore topmast stays are boxwood; I considered dyeing them to match the other pear blocks I'm using throughout but I did't mind using these here for contrast with the many lines in the bowsprit area which will triple in number by the time all are run-in - including the sail management lines. I will also be using these boxwood fiddle blocks for all the yard lifts. I wish these were available in pear, but I'm really not complaining.
 

 
A close-up of a lashed and mounted fiddle block at the stem. These tackle blocks have two sheaves of different diameters adjacent to one another contained in a solid wooden shell and not side-by-side as in a double block.
 

 
Here are the "fiddlestacks" - the three piece layered boxwood patterns to make-up the fiddle blocks. This clever approach to fabricating these essential blocks works really well but does require a lot of handwork to assemble and prep before they can be employed. After being (carefully) glued, all the sheave holes need to be drilled through for the rigging rope. The multiple rope line "channels" need to be delicately filed to accommodate the various sizes of rigging. These mini-kits are from SyrenShipModels and I recall two available sizes. The 9/32" size comes close to the 5 & 3 mm sizes specified in the kit's rigging plans for making the yard lift double blocks as well as the stay lines. The kit provides simulated fiddle blocks as "singles" (lash a 3 & 5mm together) but assembling them is a real pain in the...
 

 
Little fiddlers with nice detail. One needs to drill them out after hand sanding all the edges and rope channels. I would also call this very "fiddly" work...but worth it. The  built-up block's mid-section also needs to be sanded so a lashing rope can tie it to the main running line.
 

 
Deadeye rigging on the seven (7) foremast shrouds. The shroud spreader (1.5mm X 1 mm pear strip) is lashed to the shrouds after the deadeyes are tied-off. Tricky to achieve, one needs to shoot for an even spacing across all these blocks. I have a simple bent brass wire jig that holds the deadeyes in place temporarily while the shroud is being tied in place.
 
 

 
Catharpins. Fun word to say! These lines below the tops pull all the shrouds taut, port and starboard, and align them along the plane of the keel when properly aligned. The shrouds are quite taut when this is done properly which makes tying the myriad of ratlines much easier. No, I haven't forgotten the Burton pendants! I run all these after the stays and shrouds are completed.
 
 

 
A clear view of the foremast shrouds with a spreader lashed to them. I use a lighter brown, .01mm polyester upholstery thread for nearly all lashings of lines. 
 

 
The blocks shown here for the mainmast stay lines (Main & Preventer) - open and closed hearts - are provided in the kit and similar to my fiddle block assemblies ( the lighter colored boxwood block in the foreground) in that you fabricate them with a three layered pattern, identical to the previous explanation for the fiddle blocks. They also require some careful sanding to break the edges and deepen the rope grooves for the heavier stays.
 

 
The main mast shroud and stay rigging started. The stays are held in place by a "mouse," the round items just under the tops; in actual use these were complex, tapered rope assemblies that acted as stoppers for the looped end of the stay line. The ones in the kit are shiny plastic jewelry beads. They work o.k., but you'll need to paint them with a flat black paint to avoid the plasticky look. For previous models I've made these with a small length of thin dowel that I drilled through and then sanded with a conical taper. After the crow's feet and other running rigging lines are mounted, these stoppers are barely visible. Upper shrouds come next.
 

 
The Big(ger) Picture: coming together and starting to look like a sailing ship!
 

 
Main Stay rigging. The Main Preventer lashes to the foremast and is seen in the upper right corner of the photo.
 

 
Oops. I hate it when this happens... I accidentally smeared some glue on an upper shroud line and to remove it I tried using a handheld flame (barbeque lighter) and ZAP!!  - it removed the glue for sure, but it also burned through the line. This will be repaired of course, but not without a lot of slaps to my forehead...DOH! I'll never do that again. This was a glue removal "trick" I witnessed by another modeler who made it work without torching his rope.
 

 
I'm rigging with a new rope source: very nicely made, triple strand cotton rope. Minimal unraveling. These are just two of the main sizes for my shroud rigging. I have several other sizes for other rigging areas, in both the 'tarred" (Dark Brown) lines and the running hemp (Beige) lines.
 
Although polyester rope looks less "fuzzy," I still prefer real cotton rope for principal rigging. Polyester rope from other sources is somewhat "shiny" and is also harder to work with since it's also "slippery." However, this said, I've used a very nice looking beige polyester rope on this build's safety lines on stanchions and hammock cranes. These lines are easy to afix so working with the polyester isn't an issue.
 
Also, the slightly hairy look on some rope lines is a non-issue - unless, of course, the cotton rope is so worn it becomes an apparent distraction - something that isn't typical with our sailing ship models. If you've ever been on a real sailing ship with real hemp rope lines (not synthetic), you'll see that the rope is actually a little "fuzzy."
 

 
A mounted shroud cleat, one of seven for the fore mast shrouds. Note the top and bottom lashing points. I glue the cleat first with a miniscule drop of CA to hold it in place (with a tweezers), then tie-off with brown upholstery thread.
 

 
The red arrow points to the required blocks for all the yard lifts (sixteen required). The plans show making these from two separate blocks. A single fiddle block solution is better, more accurate.
 
 

An update...fell out of the saddle for a few days gentlemen, jumped back up. Here's some progress on Camilla's standing rigging, some details on the rope I've chosen to use on this build and a variety of blocks I'm using (some kit, some other sources).
 

 
Bobstays. These stays counterbalanced the immense upward pull on the bowsprit exerted by the fore & main mast stays. Four heavy lines run from the bowsprit to the stem and hull. This shroud rigging has blocks that permit tightening of the lines as they loosen over time.
 

 
The foremast shrouds, futtocks and catharpin lines. The mast wooldings can also be seen in this photo. The catharpins are tied-off to a span of .7mm brass wire tied to the upper shrouds where the futtock shroud lines continue up to the top. No ratlines yet.
 

 
The fiddle blocks for the fore topmast stays are boxwood; I considered dyeing them to match the other pear blocks I'm using throughout but I did't mind using these here for contrast with the many lines in the bowsprit area which will triple in number by the time all are run-in - including the sail management lines. I will also be using these boxwood fiddle blocks for all the yard lifts. I wish these were available in pear, but I'm really not complaining.
 

 
A close-up of a lashed and mounted fiddle block at the stem. These tackle blocks have two sheaves of different diameters adjacent to one another contained in a solid wooden shell and not side-by-side as in a double block.
 

 
Here are the "fiddlestacks" - the three piece layered boxwood patterns to make-up the fiddle blocks. This clever approach to fabricating these essential blocks works really well but does require a lot of handwork to assemble and prep before they can be employed. After being (carefully) glued, all the sheave holes need to be drilled through for the rigging rope. The multiple rope line "channels" need to be delicately filed to accommodate the various sizes of rigging. These mini-kits are from SyrenShipModels and I recall two available sizes. The 9/32" size comes close to the 5 & 3 mm sizes specified in the kit's rigging plans for making the yard lift double blocks as well as the stay lines. The kit provides simulated fiddle blocks as "singles" (lash a 3 & 5mm together) but assembling them is a real pain in the...
 

 
Little fiddlers with nice detail. One needs to drill them out after hand sanding all the edges and rope channels. I would also call this very "fiddly" work...but worth it. The  built-up block's mid-section also needs to be sanded so a lashing rope can tie it to the main running line.
 

 
Deadeye rigging on the seven (7) foremast shrouds. The shroud spreader (1.5mm X 1 mm pear strip) is lashed to the shrouds after the deadeyes are tied-off. Tricky to achieve, one needs to shoot for an even spacing across all these blocks. I have a simple bent brass wire jig that holds the deadeyes in place temporarily while the shroud is being tied in place.
 
 

 
Catharpins. Fun word to say! These lines below the tops pull all the shrouds taut, port and starboard, and align them along the plane of the keel when properly aligned. The shrouds are quite taut when this is done properly which makes tying the myriad of ratlines much easier. No, I haven't forgotten the Burton pendants! I run all these after the stays and shrouds are completed.
 
 

 
A clear view of the foremast shrouds with a spreader lashed to them. I use a lighter brown, .01mm polyester upholstery thread for nearly all lashings of lines. 
 

 
The blocks shown here for the mainmast stay lines (Main & Preventer) - open and closed hearts - are provided in the kit and similar to my fiddle block assemblies ( the lighter colored boxwood block in the foreground) in that you fabricate them with a three layered pattern, identical to the previous explanation for the fiddle blocks. They also require some careful sanding to break the edges and deepen the rope grooves for the heavier stays.
 

 
The main mast shroud and stay rigging started. The stays are held in place by a "mouse," the round items just under the tops; in actual use these were complex, tapered rope assemblies that acted as stoppers for the looped end of the stay line. The ones in the kit are shiny plastic jewelry beads. They work o.k., but you'll need to paint them with a flat black paint to avoid the plasticky look. For previous models I've made these with a small length of thin dowel that I drilled through and then sanded with a conical taper. After the crow's feet and other running rigging lines are mounted, these stoppers are barely visible. Upper shrouds come next.
 

 
The Big(ger) Picture: coming together and starting to look like a sailing ship!
 

 
Main Stay rigging. The Main Preventer lashes to the foremast and is seen in the upper right corner of the photo.
 

 
Oops. I hate it when this happens... I accidentally smeared some glue on an upper shroud line and to remove it I tried using a handheld flame (barbeque lighter) and ZAP!!  - it removed the glue for sure, but it also burned through the line. This will be repaired of course, but not without a lot of slaps to my forehead...DOH! I'll never do that again. This was a glue removal "trick" I witnessed by another modeler who made it work without torching his rope.
 

 
I'm rigging with a new rope source: very nicely made, triple strand cotton rope. Minimal unraveling. These are just two of the main sizes for my shroud rigging. I have several other sizes for other rigging areas, in both the 'tarred" (Dark Brown) lines and the running hemp (Beige) lines.
 
Although polyester rope looks less "fuzzy," I still prefer real cotton rope for principal rigging. Polyester rope from other sources is somewhat "shiny" and is also harder to work with since it's also "slippery." However, this said, I've used a very nice looking beige polyester rope on this build's safety lines on stanchions and hammock cranes. These lines are easy to afix so working with the polyester isn't an issue.
 
Also, the slightly hairy look on some rope lines is a non-issue - unless, of course, the cotton rope is so worn it becomes an apparent distraction - something that isn't typical with our sailing ship models. If you've ever been on a real sailing ship with real hemp rope lines (not synthetic), you'll see that the rope is actually a little "fuzzy."
 

 
A mounted shroud cleat, one of seven for the fore mast shrouds. Note the top and bottom lashing points. I glue the cleat first with a miniscule drop of CA to hold it in place (with a tweezers), then tie-off with brown upholstery thread.
 

 
The red arrow points to the required blocks for all the yard lifts (sixteen required). The plans show making these from two separate blocks. A single fiddle block solution is better, more accurate.
 
 

An update...fell out of the saddle for a few days gentlemen, jumped back up. Here's some progress on Camilla's standing rigging, some details on the rope I've chosen to use on this build and a variety of blocks I'm using (some kit, some other sources).
 

 
Bobstays. These stays counterbalanced the immense upward pull on the bowsprit exerted by the fore & main mast stays. Four heavy lines run from the bowsprit to the stem and hull. This shroud rigging has blocks that permit tightening of the lines as they loosen over time.
 

 
The foremast shrouds, futtocks and catharpin lines. The mast wooldings can also be seen in this photo. The catharpins are tied-off to a span of .7mm brass wire tied to the upper shrouds where the futtock shroud lines continue up to the top. No ratlines yet.
 

 
The fiddle blocks for the fore topmast stays are boxwood; I considered dyeing them to match the other pear blocks I'm using throughout but I did't mind using these here for contrast with the many lines in the bowsprit area which will triple in number by the time all are run-in - including the sail management lines. I will also be using these boxwood fiddle blocks for all the yard lifts. I wish these were available in pear, but I'm really not complaining.
 

 
A close-up of a lashed and mounted fiddle block at the stem. These tackle blocks have two sheaves of different diameters adjacent to one another contained in a solid wooden shell and not side-by-side as in a double block.
 

 
Here are the "fiddlestacks" - the three piece layered boxwood patterns to make-up the fiddle blocks. This clever approach to fabricating these essential blocks works really well but does require a lot of handwork to assemble and prep before they can be employed. After being (carefully) glued, all the sheave holes need to be drilled through for the rigging rope. The multiple rope line "channels" need to be delicately filed to accommodate the various sizes of rigging. These mini-kits are from SyrenShipModels and I recall two available sizes. The 9/32" size comes close to the 5 & 3 mm sizes specified in the kit's rigging plans for making the yard lift double blocks as well as the stay lines. The kit provides simulated fiddle blocks as "singles" (lash a 3 & 5mm together) but assembling them is a real pain in the...
 

 
Little fiddlers with nice detail. One needs to drill them out after hand sanding all the edges and rope channels. I would also call this very "fiddly" work...but worth it. The  built-up block's mid-section also needs to be sanded so a lashing rope can tie it to the main running line.
 

 
Deadeye rigging on the seven (7) foremast shrouds. The shroud spreader (1.5mm X 1 mm pear strip) is lashed to the shrouds after the deadeyes are tied-off. Tricky to achieve, one needs to shoot for an even spacing across all these blocks. I have a simple bent brass wire jig that holds the deadeyes in place temporarily while the shroud is being tied in place.
 
 

 
Catharpins. Fun word to say! These lines below the tops pull all the shrouds taut, port and starboard, and align them along the plane of the keel when properly aligned. The shrouds are quite taut when this is done properly which makes tying the myriad of ratlines much easier. No, I haven't forgotten the Burton pendants! I run all these after the stays and shrouds are completed.
 
 

 
A clear view of the foremast shrouds with a spreader lashed to them. I use a lighter brown, .01mm polyester upholstery thread for nearly all lashings of lines. 
 

 
The blocks shown here for the mainmast stay lines (Main & Preventer) - open and closed hearts - are provided in the kit and similar to my fiddle block assemblies ( the lighter colored boxwood block in the foreground) in that you fabricate them with a three layered pattern, identical to the previous explanation for the fiddle blocks. They also require some careful sanding to break the edges and deepen the rope grooves for the heavier stays.
 

 
The main mast shroud and stay rigging started. The stays are held in place by a "mouse," the round items just under the tops; in actual use these were complex, tapered rope assemblies that acted as stoppers for the looped end of the stay line. The ones in the kit are shiny plastic jewelry beads. They work o.k., but you'll need to paint them with a flat black paint to avoid the plasticky look. For previous models I've made these with a small length of thin dowel that I drilled through and then sanded with a conical taper. After the crow's feet and other running rigging lines are mounted, these stoppers are barely visible. Upper shrouds come next.
 

 
The Big(ger) Picture: coming together and starting to look like a sailing ship!
 

 
Main Stay rigging. The Main Preventer lashes to the foremast and is seen in the upper right corner of the photo.
 

 
Oops. I hate it when this happens... I accidentally smeared some glue on an upper shroud line and to remove it I tried using a handheld flame (barbeque lighter) and ZAP!!  - it removed the glue for sure, but it also burned through the line. This will be repaired of course, but not without a lot of slaps to my forehead...DOH! I'll never do that again. This was a glue removal "trick" I witnessed by another modeler who made it work without torching his rope.
 

 
I'm rigging with a new rope source: very nicely made, triple strand cotton rope. Minimal unraveling. These are just two of the main sizes for my shroud rigging. I have several other sizes for other rigging areas, in both the 'tarred" (Dark Brown) lines and the running hemp (Beige) lines.
 
Although polyester rope looks less "fuzzy," I still prefer real cotton rope for principal rigging. Polyester rope from other sources is somewhat "shiny" and is also harder to work with since it's also "slippery." However, this said, I've used a very nice looking beige polyester rope on this build's safety lines on stanchions and hammock cranes. These lines are easy to afix so working with the polyester isn't an issue.
 
Also, the slightly hairy look on some rope lines is a non-issue - unless, of course, the cotton rope is so worn it becomes an apparent distraction - something that isn't typical with our sailing ship models. If you've ever been on a real sailing ship with real hemp rope lines (not synthetic), you'll see that the rope is actually a little "fuzzy."
 

 
A mounted shroud cleat, one of seven for the fore mast shrouds. Note the top and bottom lashing points. I glue the cleat first with a miniscule drop of CA to hold it in place (with a tweezers), then tie-off with brown upholstery thread.
 

 
The red arrow points to the required blocks for all the yard lifts (sixteen required). The plans show making these from two separate blocks. A single fiddle block solution is better, more accurate.
 
 

Some.
As we all know, life can intervene with our best modeling plans. I have been making steady progress on rigging and I'm going to post some photo updates this weekend (Mar 26/27 - my plan in any event). I hope some of these will be helpful for those who are heading into this later stage of their Sphinx rigged-builds.
 
Thanks for the check-in, Glenn.
I'm doing O.K., but I've been attending to other important parts of personal life these past few weeks, not to mention dealing with the intense distraction of the first major crisis of the 21st Century, and I'm not talking about Covid, or climate change. I can compartmentalize pretty well, but what's going on in the world right now is difficult to process. Here on this International forum, I'm certain I'm not alone in this regard.
 
Because there is a tightly-moderated platform for MSW concerning "political speech," I'll refrain from writing anything more.
 
Thanks to those who've followed my Log and commented or mentioned that it's been helpful to them.
 
Stay tuned, fellow MSWer's who've been watching. HMS Camilla is slowly getting her "wings!"

Some.
As we all know, life can intervene with our best modeling plans. I have been making steady progress on rigging and I'm going to post some photo updates this weekend (Mar 26/27 - my plan in any event). I hope some of these will be helpful for those who are heading into this later stage of their Sphinx rigged-builds.
 
Thanks for the check-in, Glenn.
I'm doing O.K., but I've been attending to other important parts of personal life these past few weeks, not to mention dealing with the intense distraction of the first major crisis of the 21st Century, and I'm not talking about Covid, or climate change. I can compartmentalize pretty well, but what's going on in the world right now is difficult to process. Here on this International forum, I'm certain I'm not alone in this regard.
 
Because there is a tightly-moderated platform for MSW concerning "political speech," I'll refrain from writing anything more.
 
Thanks to those who've followed my Log and commented or mentioned that it's been helpful to them.
 
Stay tuned, fellow MSWer's who've been watching. HMS Camilla is slowly getting her "wings!"

Thanks Andre. Your Swift is coming along nicely, good job.
 
Reading my HMS Camilla build log (only a partial one and far less thorough than others of the same kit re: HMS Sphinx) - or any of the many other logs for warships of this era - will give you a solid look into what you'll encounter with your Constitution kit, especially since you'll want to fully rig it.
 
As I have frequently commented here, when one's completed a full hull with all its various bits n' pieces, you're only halfway to completion of a fully-rigged, three-masted, square-sailing, 18th-century warship model. Keep this in-mind and know that a project of this scale will demand a substantial amount of your time. My saying this is not meant to discourage you, but there's nothing like an icy-cold bath to kool off one's ardor! In addition to "patience", a period ship modeler also needs a good reservoir of perseverance.
 
Your Constitution kit will result in a large, impressive model, but be prepared for the many months necessary to accomplish this with any degree of building fidelity.
 
The English have a wonderful, simple expression for the reality I'm describing: "Keep Calm and Carry On."
Cheers!
 
 

Some.
As we all know, life can intervene with our best modeling plans. I have been making steady progress on rigging and I'm going to post some photo updates this weekend (Mar 26/27 - my plan in any event). I hope some of these will be helpful for those who are heading into this later stage of their Sphinx rigged-builds.
 
Thanks for the check-in, Glenn.
I'm doing O.K., but I've been attending to other important parts of personal life these past few weeks, not to mention dealing with the intense distraction of the first major crisis of the 21st Century, and I'm not talking about Covid, or climate change. I can compartmentalize pretty well, but what's going on in the world right now is difficult to process. Here on this International forum, I'm certain I'm not alone in this regard.
 
Because there is a tightly-moderated platform for MSW concerning "political speech," I'll refrain from writing anything more.
 
Thanks to those who've followed my Log and commented or mentioned that it's been helpful to them.
 
Stay tuned, fellow MSWer's who've been watching. HMS Camilla is slowly getting her "wings!"