Bill97
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I am looking at the molded holes Heller put below the mizzen mast channel to accept the toe of the chains. The holes do not appear to be in the correct place. On the fore and main mast the holes line up under an invisible line running from the mast top down through the deadeye. Using these holes for the toe link and preventer plate creates the desired straight line from the mast top all the way to the bottom nail in the preventer plate. However at the mizzenmast, if I use the molded holes the chains will go off at an angle from the line of the shroud. Unless it is supposed to be that way, why I can’t imagine, I am going to make new holes. A reference picture I found shows the straight line.
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Yep Ian sprit-topmast and gammoning is already in place. As I said the new Heller instructions do not show making nor reference making this collar for the mainstay until step 117 which is the step partially shown in the photo above. As you can see in step 116 (the step right before 116) there is no indication of the mainstay collar. Looking further back in the instructions step 95 through 100 show how to assemble various rigging pieces for later use, with step 99 showing how to assemble the mainstay. I guess I will just do it the best way I can.
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Chains for the fore and mast port side complete. The method I used seemed to work fine for me. Will probably become my personal method on future builds. Added just a touch of rust on the links even though I doubt King Louie allowed very much rust anywhere on his ship! 😊 Now to work on the starboard side
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This is interesting. I am looking at the 1977 instructions. First of all let me say I am finding them very helpful! It shows a rigging step that was not in the current instructions, or at least I was not instructed to do it yet. In the old instructions it shows the loop made in step 23a was to be made and placed around the bowsprit before I continued with construction. I have not done this. I assume it is a block that will later be used for rigging the main stay as shown in the current instructions. I need to look ahead to see when and where. I guess I will attempt to make this loop now
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Marc do you think the way I filled the area between the wales looks ok?
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So here is the route I took for my chain plates. Marc I really liked the idea of filling the space between the wales where the preventer plates go. I used pieces of Evergreen to fill the sections and brought the front pieces up to match up with the flow of the anchor protector thingy (nautical term 😊). Then I painted them to march the wales. I previously made the strops for the fore and main mast lower deadeyes. I had also made the preventer plates and the toe links. Using a string tied at the location where the shrouds will attach I lined up the deadeyes so the 3 holes were properly aligned with the string at each place. Next, using the same string I installed the toe links and the preventer plates. An invisible line runs directly from the mast (where shrouds will connect) down through the deadeye, the toe link, and the preventer plate. I glued and positioned the strop and pins with CA. I will now go back and custom make the center link for each chain out of blackened wire and use CA instead of solder on this link.
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An interesting particularity of French practice: on the Frolich model, you can see that the preventer plate spans two wales. The French fill the space between wales, flush to the surface of the wales, and for the length of the channel above. Marc I really like this idea. I am going to do just that for the fore and main mast. Since a preventer plate is not used for the backstay deadeyes do you think the area between the wales is only filled in the section below the shroud deadeyes not the full length of the channel above?
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Ok gentlemen, thoughts and opinions. I am fiddling with my chains for the main and foremast. Here is my curiosity. Do you make the complete chain except for the bottom piece that will shape over the wale off the ship. Then drill a hole in the channel large enough to get the section of the chain where two links come together through, or do you put the strop of the deadeye in the hole and then complete the chain under the channel. On one hand my concern is making the hole in the channel too large. On the other hand I am concerned with soldering the link of the chain while on the ship. I use a soldering iron and it would be most difficult to solder a link here. Henry I think I remember you cut your channel in half along the holes, put your chains in and then glued the halves back together. I can no longer do that. Here is my current concept of how to do it. I have all the deadeyes for the fore and main mast stropped and soldered. I now am going to make and solder the bottom link and the extra link (whatever it is called). I can put the deadeye in the hole and use a string from the mast top to determine where and the rake of the bottom link and the extra link. Once those pieces are in I can custom fit the connecting link. Instead of solder I will use CA glue to hold it together instead of risking soldering iron heat. If I use CA glue to hold the strop there should not be much, if any, strain on the chain and the glued link.
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Spritsail Topsail in with shrouds. Will add ratlines later. Those tiny 2.5mm deadeyes are challenging to work with. Now as I look head it looks like a long stretch of making chainplates and lower mast shrouds. Wish me luck this is going to be a fun.
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Any of you who zoom in will notice the tiny deadeyes are upside down. That will surly be corrected before the shrouds are added.
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Spritsail topmast installed. Happy that it lines up perfectly behind masts. Lower deadeyes for shrouds installed using 30 gauge blackened copper wire to make strops and hooks. Decided to go with the 3 eyebolts on each side of the bowsprit to tie off the futtock shrouds. Used standard black sewing thread for the futtock shrouds. In the picture it is difficult to see what is thread, hook, and eyebolt. I must say 30 gauge wire is very flexible and difficult to withstand much pressure and manipulation. Gets to the point where you say to yourself “just leave it alone, it’s fine, you are going to break a very tiny wire if you don’t stop manipulating it”. Most of the time I listen to myself 😊.
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Henry your explanation above about how you make your strops and futtock is really good. I have read through blog, especially when you get into rigging, several times. I have it bookmarked for quick reference. I find your process explanations fascinating and want to copy your practices where I think I am able. A question I have for you is if there is a minimum size thread you use that you will attempt to serve? I have not been successful serving over a thread smaller than about a .4mm thread.
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This is just my first prototype. The actual ones I use will have the strop shaped a bit better and blackened. This prototype used 2.5mm deadeye and 30 gauge copper wire. I think the 2.5mm blocks look fine and the 30 gauge wire is a good size for the strop and the little hook. I must say soldering that tiny little strop was fun.
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This is the method on the HMS Victory for the futtock shrouds I think this idea could work with a hook on one end of a thread to connect to the strop of the deadeye and the other end to an eyebolt on the bowsprit or passing through a hole as Henry suggested.
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Wow Marc under 2mm would be tiny. I am looking at my 2.5mm and wondering if my old fingers can handle working with them. Can’t imagine trying to work with anything smaller. I believe I will live with 2.5mm and hope no one judges me to harshly 😊. Still trying to make out what the futtock is in the photos.
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Marc I like that as well. Is that a rope (thread) futtock? I can zoom in and see the hook at the top end that connects to the strop of the deadeye. Then it looks like just a simple thread loop that goes through an eyebolt in the bowsprit. Is that correct what I think I am seeing? I am looking at 2.5mm deadeyes. What are your thoughts on that size? Will require small gauge wire to make the strop.
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Henry I am following your meaning. To further my understanding of your “seat of the pants” will you use the same hole in the bowsprit for the futtock plate on the other side? Have two doubled threads pass through the same hole (total of 3 holes in bowsprit) in opposite direction so you have a loop on each side? Or will you have 6 staggered holes with the loops alternating sides? What are you going to use for the futtock plate or chain? I may make a couple chain links. And in your scenario will you make them just a tiny bit short so your thread loop plan has a bit of room to tighten? Wish you were way ahead of me on this step so I could see how it works out 😊. I am also working a bit on the chains and lower shrouds on the three masts, a task I know how to do, so figuring out this engineering will not be a hold up in my progress. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Bill
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Ian I think I follow you most of the way, but not quite all the way. On the Victory we stropped the top mast deadeyes and then a futtock shroud was attached using a tiny hook. The bottom end of the futtock shroud then tied to the topmast shroud. I will this compare to how I do the spritsail topsail shrouds? I found this close up picture, zoomed in is a bit blurry of the bottom of the SR spritsail topsail. It shows futtock bolted to the side of the bowsprit, three on each side. This looks like a good design. I just can’t figure out what the futtocks are. I assume the deadeye strop drops down through the top then something is connected to it and is bolted to the bowsprit.
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Ok my extremely helpful friends I am studying R.C.Anderson’s book (pg 126), the Heller instructions with my kit, and the Heller 1977 instructions Baker linked me to. I am trying to determine where I anchor the lower deadeyes of the Spritsail Topsail? There are 6, 3 each side. According to Anderson I think I understand they are attached with rope around the lower deadeye instead of being stropped with steel like all the other deadeyes at the channels. The rope then goes through a hole in the top and then down to……? Anderson references an iron cross tree before 1650 and to bolts under the bowsprit after that. Neither set of Heller instructions show what to do. Your help on this issue would be great.
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Yes. Very helpful. On the same level as Longridge’s book when building the HMS Victory.
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Of course Henry. I know that is not a bowsprit 😊. I really need to proof read my comments and verify my nautical terms. Thanks for the correction. So what I actually did was remake my Spritsail Topmast. That of course is the name of the book I am consuming. Bill
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Remade the bowsprit using metal rods. I reused the building parts of the kit bowsprit just using rods for the vertical lifts.
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Molding added around the mast coat. A little touch up sanding and painting and will be pleased with how it came out.
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Following Henry’s design I made a mast coat for each mast. I decided to paint them red to match the other deck features. The masts and the coats are still dry fitted at this point while I decide for sure if I like them. At this point I think I do. If I keep them, once I glue the mast and coats in permanently I have a tiny piece of trim to go around the mast atop the coat to close any visible gap. Thoughts/opinions?
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