rtropp

Hi Guys
 
I have wanted to do this project for years.. so here goes!
 
This is my first plank on frame build model...
 
I am using swiss pear. I will keep you updated.
 
Thanks
 
Tim

Hi Jesse,
I follow your build log and saw the post about using the hand drill.  Before I had the Proxxon lathe I also used the hand drill. I had a rest similar to yours but added a tool rest which is necessary for lathe cutting.  Also I made sure that the block holding the end of the piece is fairly tight around the wood to prevent vibration.  It is near impossible to use gouges if the piece is vibrating too much.
 
The cutting tools need to be very sharp.  That's key. I have an inexpensive sharpening block that is made by Flexcut.  It has a number of shapes that  fit the various gouges and angles.
 
Before trying to lathe I did a lot of reading and U Tubing (U Tubing??? not really a verb but...oh well). It is important to use the gouges as you would in a full size lathe. That means a support / tool rest to hold the tool while working it.  The angle of the tool and position in relation the work piece is also important. U-Tube is a great source for learning how to use the lathe.  Any of them, full size or small, will have the same basic operating principles.
 
That said, I make extensive use of Files for the final shaping and smoothing.  I also take a final pass with very fine sanding twigs.
My process  to use the gouge to bring the piece to its maximum diameter.  Then I move to the smaller gouge to get things to final shape.  Finally, I go to work with files. I have sets in a number of grades and sizes, all small for modeling.  The sanding twigs do a great job of smoothing when the area is really narrow, like in the belaying pins.
 
It became a lot faster to use the micro gouges as lathe tool rather than rely on files alone.  
 
Richard

Hi Jesse,
I follow your build log and saw the post about using the hand drill.  Before I had the Proxxon lathe I also used the hand drill. I had a rest similar to yours but added a tool rest which is necessary for lathe cutting.  Also I made sure that the block holding the end of the piece is fairly tight around the wood to prevent vibration.  It is near impossible to use gouges if the piece is vibrating too much.
 
The cutting tools need to be very sharp.  That's key. I have an inexpensive sharpening block that is made by Flexcut.  It has a number of shapes that  fit the various gouges and angles.
 
Before trying to lathe I did a lot of reading and U Tubing (U Tubing??? not really a verb but...oh well). It is important to use the gouges as you would in a full size lathe. That means a support / tool rest to hold the tool while working it.  The angle of the tool and position in relation the work piece is also important. U-Tube is a great source for learning how to use the lathe.  Any of them, full size or small, will have the same basic operating principles.
 
That said, I make extensive use of Files for the final shaping and smoothing.  I also take a final pass with very fine sanding twigs.
My process  to use the gouge to bring the piece to its maximum diameter.  Then I move to the smaller gouge to get things to final shape.  Finally, I go to work with files. I have sets in a number of grades and sizes, all small for modeling.  The sanding twigs do a great job of smoothing when the area is really narrow, like in the belaying pins.
 
It became a lot faster to use the micro gouges as lathe tool rather than rely on files alone.  
 
Richard

As an additional thought, I am going through some of the other builds to see what they seem to use most.
 
Richard

Thomas,
I understand.  I think I am getting closer to investing in a Sherline.  I will probably go with the DRO (digital readout). I am trying to decide which accessory package to get with it.  At this point, I dont want to overbuy, but might as well get what will be needed for the build.
 
Richard

I felt the same way about the red.  I ended up mixing two badger marine colors to get a red that was a bit darker.
Richard

Weekend progress: interior planking is under way.
 
 

Hi all,
its been awhile but I am back to my Syren build.
I decided to try my hand at carving the figure head.  It ended up taking a lot longer than I expected and I am going to have to give it a second try.
 
This picture was part way through the process

 
This one has been worked to better fit its place on the build but I had to take too much off to get it to fit.  

 
I think I am getting a feel for the carving but  I need to to get the proportions a little closer and modify my sequence to get a better fit to the build.
 
Richard

Thanks, everyone.
 
Carl,I'm trying to get adjusted to "repetitive".  There is a lot of that kind of work ahead.
 
Druxey, the stop snaps over the cross feed bed rod.  It is made from a piece of brass tube slit longitudinally slightly off center.  A picture is attached below.  This can be used in any setup by making the first of a number of repetitive cuts, loosening the tool in the holder, bringing the cross feed up against the stop, then resetting the tool in the holder. 
 

 
 

Thomas,
Thanks for the tip.
Do you know of any references, pictures or links that would show how to use analog measurement devices with a wood lathe? I am having some difficulty visualizing this.
 
Richard

I have some more detail on fabricating the belaying pins.  Also a couple of changes.
 
The first change was to drill a hole in the center of a wood dowel to use in the tail stock instead of the foam piece.  It holds the work piece better.  I was concerned that the wood against wood rotation might cause some burning but had no problem. I could have worked without the tail stock support, but then I would only have been able to do one pin at a time.  With the support from the tail stock I could do three at a time.  Four was too much and the piece would bend interfering with the turning.
 

 
I used the foam to prevent the work piece from whipping around in the feed shaft.

 
I used the following diagram to work out the proportions.  I do not remember where I found it.  The fractions were part of the diagram showing the relationship between the various measures.  The  millimeters are my entries showing the actual measures for the Syren's belaying pins.  Since I was sure of the 1mm diameter of the lower pin (it came from the practicum and was indicated for the pin rail), I used it as the base measure and worked back to figure the remaining measurements. (taking measurements from the tiny brass pin was difficult.

 
As the diagram shows, the length can be divided into three equal parts.  I used a compass set at the one third to mark the segments on the work piece.  The first segment was the handle of the pin, the next two thirds were the lower section. I was able to work nine segments (3 pins) while keeping a stable work piece. I kept two small dividers at the required diameters to be able to constantly measure as I worked.  These three inch tools were a real help.  If anyone knows a source for more, especially if there are any that are smaller, please let me know.

 
I was having difficulty finding lathe chisels small enough to work the pins so I tried some of Flexcraft's smaller chisels. These worked very well.
 
I first rounded out the wood and brought it down to size using a gouge.
 


 
to shape the pin, I used their smallest gouge.

 
To bring the belaying pin to final shape and size I then used various files and sandpaper. Here is my tool layout.

 
The entire work area did not take up a lot of space.  I used a large piece of basswood as a base for the lathe to bring it closer to eye level. My back really started to ache after doing one or two :-)

 
One problem with this process and using the Proxxon wood lathe is the difficulty in maintaining consistency between pins.  Your pretty much free handing the cuts (even with the tool rest) and at that size it quite a task. I focused on the top part since it would be the most visible, and will try bring the length of the lower pin to size as I install them.
 
They are not as good as the supplied pins, but I have a sense of accomplishment having been able to make them. So, like the figure head, I will use them.
 
This experience has me getting closer to a purchase decision on the Sherline lathe which seems to be the lathe of choice by most of the folks at MSW. I would be curious to hear if, for this type of work, digital readouts would be worthwhile to get uniformity between pieces. 
 
thanks for all your comments and likes
Richard
 

Hi all,
I could use some help.  I am not sure I really understand when to use an eyebolt and when to use an eyebolt with a ring. I am using the inboard plan.  I thought it was when the icon was horizontal it signified and eyebolt and when vertical it called for an eyebolt with ring. 
Is that correct or is there another way of figuring it out?
 
Thanks
Richard 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 157 –Deadeye Chain Backing Plates
 
Each of the larger channel chains is bolted to the hull through a backing plate (or preventer plate) for additional support.  These larger chains anchor the chain deadeyes for the lower shrouds and topmast backstays.  Chains supporting lighter rigging have a single bolt and no backing.  These plates are about 3’ long and about 1” thick with bolt holes at each end.  They are bent in an offset to fit over the chains.  The chain fabrication will be covered later.
 
The first step in making the numerous required plates was to solder brass tubes to the edges of a brass plate.  This fabricated piece is shown in the first picture after pickling and buffing to remove oxide.
 

 
I used wire silver solder and black paste flux for this.  The tubes were held for soldering with pins.  I used a small oxy-propane torch on the first side, then running out of O2 used a larger propane torch on the other side.  I normally use a small propane torch but in this case the large joints benefited from the extra heat.
 
The individual backing plates were then sliced off this strip in the circular saw using a screw slotting blade.  They were sliced off slightly over thickness.  In the next step the plates were filed smooth on one side, then flipped and filed to final thickness on the other.  The next picture shows this being done with the aid of a holding fixture.
 

 
The fixture has two milled slots, one slightly deeper for the first filing, the second milled to the final thickness for final sizing.  Both sides were polished with abrasive sticks.  The next picture shows plates before and after filing.
 

 
Each plate was then bent as shown in the next picture to form the offset.
 

 
Finally, the plates were pickled in acetic acid (white vinegar), given a degreasing bath (TIVA®) and submerged in a very dilute solution of Birchwood Casey® blacking.  They are shown after drying below.
 

 
Around 50 of these are required, but quite a few extras were made to account for expected attrition at each step and shape issues.. 
 
Chain fabrication and the 16” deadeye itting will be covered in the next part.
 
Ed
 

Thanks for your comment, rob, and for the likes.
 
Gaetan,
 
The dye completely penetrates and there is no build up.  I dilute the Tung Oil (` 50% mineral spirits or turpentine) to increase penetration and use only pure unmodifiedTung oil.  (Some Tung Oil finishes have additives to shorten drying time or are partly polymerized to insrease build up and gloss.) The first two, sometimes three, coats are completely absorbed into the wood.  The deadeyes are end grain.  I only want to use enough to put a slight sheen on the wood and do not want any build up.  The excess oil is wiped off after each application.  So any oil build up is undetectable.
 
Oil and finish should only be mixed if they have a common solvent.  The dye crystals I am using are soluble in water, but I do not know if they are soluble in oil - probably not.  They may be soluble in alcohol or turpentine.  I don't know.  Actually, it is better if they are not soluble in the finish, because then the finish will not leach out the color.  The water-soluble walnut dye, once it has dried, is not affected by the oil.
 
If you stain a piece of wood with a stain that is soluble in oil, mineral spirits or turpentine,  apply the oil stain (for example Minwax) and let it dry. Then apply oil and wipe it off with a clean rag as directed.  You will notice that the rag will be darkened with stain, meaning some of the stain has been removed.  Dyes - water or alcohol soluble - will not be affected when oil  or for example Wipe-On Poly is applied.
 
I believe the water soluble walnut stain could be mixed with a diluted acrylic medium (water based emulsion), but this would limit its penetration in wood.  I might try that on a rigging stain to see how it works.  It may eliminate a step.  I have not tried this.
 
We can never learn enough about finishes.
 
Ed

Thanks Pat.
 
The Mainmast Partners on Vulture are rather unusual, being a wedge shape. There are four pieces to them :
 

 

 
The Pump tubes fitted :
 

 
  Danny

I've also made all the Gratings. Unlike the "store bought" gratings these are to the right scale. The athwartships pieces are a mere 3/4" thick (real size) which translates down to 0.38mm in 1:48 scale. All the pieces were cut and mortised using the Byrnes Table Saw and Micrometer Gauge :
 

 

 

 
I made a Jig to aid in assembly :
 

 

 

 
  Danny

There are only two port covers.  The aft one is for the last cannon.  The covers are made of two layers of wood;  the interior is vertical and the exterior matches the run of planking.  The frieze was painted before the hinge straps were added.
 

 
The hinges were made of the pieces seen in the photograph and then silver soldered.  
 

 

 

 
There are eyebolts on the inner and outer faces of the gun port and three additional bolts.   The rigging will be added after the exterior hull is a little more complete to prevent damage.
 

 
The fore port cover is smaller and allows airflow to the fore part of the ship.  It is hinged on its fore side to prevent it from being blown open.  There is an eyebolt on the inside face.  It appears to be hanging lopsided.  This is an optical illusion caused by the curved shape of the hull.
 

 

 

I have some more detail on fabricating the belaying pins.  Also a couple of changes.
 
The first change was to drill a hole in the center of a wood dowel to use in the tail stock instead of the foam piece.  It holds the work piece better.  I was concerned that the wood against wood rotation might cause some burning but had no problem. I could have worked without the tail stock support, but then I would only have been able to do one pin at a time.  With the support from the tail stock I could do three at a time.  Four was too much and the piece would bend interfering with the turning.
 

 
I used the foam to prevent the work piece from whipping around in the feed shaft.

 
I used the following diagram to work out the proportions.  I do not remember where I found it.  The fractions were part of the diagram showing the relationship between the various measures.  The  millimeters are my entries showing the actual measures for the Syren's belaying pins.  Since I was sure of the 1mm diameter of the lower pin (it came from the practicum and was indicated for the pin rail), I used it as the base measure and worked back to figure the remaining measurements. (taking measurements from the tiny brass pin was difficult.

 
As the diagram shows, the length can be divided into three equal parts.  I used a compass set at the one third to mark the segments on the work piece.  The first segment was the handle of the pin, the next two thirds were the lower section. I was able to work nine segments (3 pins) while keeping a stable work piece. I kept two small dividers at the required diameters to be able to constantly measure as I worked.  These three inch tools were a real help.  If anyone knows a source for more, especially if there are any that are smaller, please let me know.

 
I was having difficulty finding lathe chisels small enough to work the pins so I tried some of Flexcraft's smaller chisels. These worked very well.
 
I first rounded out the wood and brought it down to size using a gouge.
 


 
to shape the pin, I used their smallest gouge.

 
To bring the belaying pin to final shape and size I then used various files and sandpaper. Here is my tool layout.

 
The entire work area did not take up a lot of space.  I used a large piece of basswood as a base for the lathe to bring it closer to eye level. My back really started to ache after doing one or two :-)

 
One problem with this process and using the Proxxon wood lathe is the difficulty in maintaining consistency between pins.  Your pretty much free handing the cuts (even with the tool rest) and at that size it quite a task. I focused on the top part since it would be the most visible, and will try bring the length of the lower pin to size as I install them.
 
They are not as good as the supplied pins, but I have a sense of accomplishment having been able to make them. So, like the figure head, I will use them.
 
This experience has me getting closer to a purchase decision on the Sherline lathe which seems to be the lathe of choice by most of the folks at MSW. I would be curious to hear if, for this type of work, digital readouts would be worthwhile to get uniformity between pieces. 
 
thanks for all your comments and likes
Richard
 

Hi all,
I am working steadily on the build but the updates to the log are a little behind so I will try to catch up here. Also, have family visiting from California, with small children, so will probably not have much time.
 
The following is my build for the lower deck. I glued a few pieces together to test finishes. I used MinWax Golden Oak. I was having difficulty gluing the small planks side to side, so I used a piece of freezer paper as a base and glued some planking to it, then, after both gluing and staining, peeled the paper away. Pretty easy.
 

 
Next I made the lower deck full size. I found it easier to use the freezer paper as a glue and peel base rather than gluing each plank individually. I used a soft pencil for the caulking. Anything else I tried, watercolor markers, stain markers, etc., all allowed the color to spread through the wood so pencil worked best for me.
 

 
Next it was time for gun and sweep sills/lintels etc.
 
I found it really hard to cut and sand right angles. I was cutting a little large to enable fitting, but then my sanding ruined the angle. I tried two similar jigs.
For cutting:

 
and for sanding:

 
The piece to be cut was placed along the corner where the two jig pieces meet, then cut or sanded against the edge. These worked ok, but since I used the same wood as the kit, the jigs eventually were distorted. (I should not have been surprised at that outcome!!) And since I still was lousy at cutting right angles could not just cut away to reshape edge. (Catch 22??)
 
About this time my plastic hobby miter box arrived and that took care of the right angle cutting. Sanding was still a problem. Even with the right angle jig, the hand held sanding block was still not giving me a good right angle. So I took out the my new Dremel tool stand to see what I could cobble together.
 


You can see the that the Dremel holder is set up side ways. This allows me to use the handle to move the sanding head forward (laterally). I am using the dremel quick release sanding head because it is smooth all the way across with no screw head protruding. I also tried the Proxxon sanding head, which I like better, but it is smaller so more difficult to use. A ruined plastic Miter box is used to hold the wood piece. After squaring everything up, all I do is put the piece against the side of the miter, move the piece a small bit so it clears the end of the plastic miter box and then use the handle on the dremel stand to move the sanding head in towards it. It is producing a nicely squared sanding that I can keep going back to until the part fits. What's nice is that this sands to a square head even if the part is not cut squarely. (I'm so proud of me!!)
Also, you will notice the hose end from my shop vacuum clamped near the sander. It really works, and since I work in our sunroom, keeps everyone happy.
 
Below is the completion of the sills.
 

 
The bad news is that I am not really happy with the result. It is not as "faired" as I would want it to be. Part the problem is skill. Part was the need repair/replace many of the bulwarks (thin pieces at top of frames) because they were burned badly enough that the centery ply would crumble. My repair job was not... well, not great. So, the gun and sweep ports are difficult to fair. Also, the top of the lintel is not as straight horizontally across the ship as it should be, not sure how this will impact that top rail. I have tried to smooth and even out as much as I can without thinning the wood too much.
After much thought, I decided not to redo the work because that would mean reworking from the beginning with the bulkhead former. Instead, I will push ahead with the planking and see how it turns out before making that decision. I also checked the other laser cut parts and, now that I know what to look for, ordered replacements for those that look bad.
 
Next I painted the gun and sweep ports. I obtained an airbrush for another project and decided to use it when painting the kit. Lots of new experiences here.
 

 
 
And that brings it up to date for now.
 
I would appreciate getting your input, not just to the build itself, but whether this log is ok or if I am being too wordy!
 
Richard

I have some more detail on fabricating the belaying pins.  Also a couple of changes.
 
The first change was to drill a hole in the center of a wood dowel to use in the tail stock instead of the foam piece.  It holds the work piece better.  I was concerned that the wood against wood rotation might cause some burning but had no problem. I could have worked without the tail stock support, but then I would only have been able to do one pin at a time.  With the support from the tail stock I could do three at a time.  Four was too much and the piece would bend interfering with the turning.
 

 
I used the foam to prevent the work piece from whipping around in the feed shaft.

 
I used the following diagram to work out the proportions.  I do not remember where I found it.  The fractions were part of the diagram showing the relationship between the various measures.  The  millimeters are my entries showing the actual measures for the Syren's belaying pins.  Since I was sure of the 1mm diameter of the lower pin (it came from the practicum and was indicated for the pin rail), I used it as the base measure and worked back to figure the remaining measurements. (taking measurements from the tiny brass pin was difficult.

 
As the diagram shows, the length can be divided into three equal parts.  I used a compass set at the one third to mark the segments on the work piece.  The first segment was the handle of the pin, the next two thirds were the lower section. I was able to work nine segments (3 pins) while keeping a stable work piece. I kept two small dividers at the required diameters to be able to constantly measure as I worked.  These three inch tools were a real help.  If anyone knows a source for more, especially if there are any that are smaller, please let me know.

 
I was having difficulty finding lathe chisels small enough to work the pins so I tried some of Flexcraft's smaller chisels. These worked very well.
 
I first rounded out the wood and brought it down to size using a gouge.
 


 
to shape the pin, I used their smallest gouge.

 
To bring the belaying pin to final shape and size I then used various files and sandpaper. Here is my tool layout.

 
The entire work area did not take up a lot of space.  I used a large piece of basswood as a base for the lathe to bring it closer to eye level. My back really started to ache after doing one or two :-)

 
One problem with this process and using the Proxxon wood lathe is the difficulty in maintaining consistency between pins.  Your pretty much free handing the cuts (even with the tool rest) and at that size it quite a task. I focused on the top part since it would be the most visible, and will try bring the length of the lower pin to size as I install them.
 
They are not as good as the supplied pins, but I have a sense of accomplishment having been able to make them. So, like the figure head, I will use them.
 
This experience has me getting closer to a purchase decision on the Sherline lathe which seems to be the lathe of choice by most of the folks at MSW. I would be curious to hear if, for this type of work, digital readouts would be worthwhile to get uniformity between pieces. 
 
thanks for all your comments and likes
Richard
 

I have some more detail on fabricating the belaying pins.  Also a couple of changes.
 
The first change was to drill a hole in the center of a wood dowel to use in the tail stock instead of the foam piece.  It holds the work piece better.  I was concerned that the wood against wood rotation might cause some burning but had no problem. I could have worked without the tail stock support, but then I would only have been able to do one pin at a time.  With the support from the tail stock I could do three at a time.  Four was too much and the piece would bend interfering with the turning.
 

 
I used the foam to prevent the work piece from whipping around in the feed shaft.

 
I used the following diagram to work out the proportions.  I do not remember where I found it.  The fractions were part of the diagram showing the relationship between the various measures.  The  millimeters are my entries showing the actual measures for the Syren's belaying pins.  Since I was sure of the 1mm diameter of the lower pin (it came from the practicum and was indicated for the pin rail), I used it as the base measure and worked back to figure the remaining measurements. (taking measurements from the tiny brass pin was difficult.

 
As the diagram shows, the length can be divided into three equal parts.  I used a compass set at the one third to mark the segments on the work piece.  The first segment was the handle of the pin, the next two thirds were the lower section. I was able to work nine segments (3 pins) while keeping a stable work piece. I kept two small dividers at the required diameters to be able to constantly measure as I worked.  These three inch tools were a real help.  If anyone knows a source for more, especially if there are any that are smaller, please let me know.

 
I was having difficulty finding lathe chisels small enough to work the pins so I tried some of Flexcraft's smaller chisels. These worked very well.
 
I first rounded out the wood and brought it down to size using a gouge.
 


 
to shape the pin, I used their smallest gouge.

 
To bring the belaying pin to final shape and size I then used various files and sandpaper. Here is my tool layout.

 
The entire work area did not take up a lot of space.  I used a large piece of basswood as a base for the lathe to bring it closer to eye level. My back really started to ache after doing one or two :-)

 
One problem with this process and using the Proxxon wood lathe is the difficulty in maintaining consistency between pins.  Your pretty much free handing the cuts (even with the tool rest) and at that size it quite a task. I focused on the top part since it would be the most visible, and will try bring the length of the lower pin to size as I install them.
 
They are not as good as the supplied pins, but I have a sense of accomplishment having been able to make them. So, like the figure head, I will use them.
 
This experience has me getting closer to a purchase decision on the Sherline lathe which seems to be the lathe of choice by most of the folks at MSW. I would be curious to hear if, for this type of work, digital readouts would be worthwhile to get uniformity between pieces. 
 
thanks for all your comments and likes
Richard
 

And here a quick update. Having fun with my latest and favorite toy, the milling machine.

Great start! This will be fun to follow!

I have some more detail on fabricating the belaying pins.  Also a couple of changes.
 
The first change was to drill a hole in the center of a wood dowel to use in the tail stock instead of the foam piece.  It holds the work piece better.  I was concerned that the wood against wood rotation might cause some burning but had no problem. I could have worked without the tail stock support, but then I would only have been able to do one pin at a time.  With the support from the tail stock I could do three at a time.  Four was too much and the piece would bend interfering with the turning.
 

 
I used the foam to prevent the work piece from whipping around in the feed shaft.

 
I used the following diagram to work out the proportions.  I do not remember where I found it.  The fractions were part of the diagram showing the relationship between the various measures.  The  millimeters are my entries showing the actual measures for the Syren's belaying pins.  Since I was sure of the 1mm diameter of the lower pin (it came from the practicum and was indicated for the pin rail), I used it as the base measure and worked back to figure the remaining measurements. (taking measurements from the tiny brass pin was difficult.

 
As the diagram shows, the length can be divided into three equal parts.  I used a compass set at the one third to mark the segments on the work piece.  The first segment was the handle of the pin, the next two thirds were the lower section. I was able to work nine segments (3 pins) while keeping a stable work piece. I kept two small dividers at the required diameters to be able to constantly measure as I worked.  These three inch tools were a real help.  If anyone knows a source for more, especially if there are any that are smaller, please let me know.

 
I was having difficulty finding lathe chisels small enough to work the pins so I tried some of Flexcraft's smaller chisels. These worked very well.
 
I first rounded out the wood and brought it down to size using a gouge.
 


 
to shape the pin, I used their smallest gouge.

 
To bring the belaying pin to final shape and size I then used various files and sandpaper. Here is my tool layout.

 
The entire work area did not take up a lot of space.  I used a large piece of basswood as a base for the lathe to bring it closer to eye level. My back really started to ache after doing one or two :-)

 
One problem with this process and using the Proxxon wood lathe is the difficulty in maintaining consistency between pins.  Your pretty much free handing the cuts (even with the tool rest) and at that size it quite a task. I focused on the top part since it would be the most visible, and will try bring the length of the lower pin to size as I install them.
 
They are not as good as the supplied pins, but I have a sense of accomplishment having been able to make them. So, like the figure head, I will use them.
 
This experience has me getting closer to a purchase decision on the Sherline lathe which seems to be the lathe of choice by most of the folks at MSW. I would be curious to hear if, for this type of work, digital readouts would be worthwhile to get uniformity between pieces. 
 
thanks for all your comments and likes
Richard
 

Just  small update.  Finished all the yard arms and hopefully attached all the required blocks and pendants.  And then....
 

 
 
raised my first yard!! 
 

 
 
I pinned the yard to the mast as described in the manual but only glued the pin to the mast so the yard is free to move, just not vertically.  Tying the truss around the mast was, lets say, an exercise in patience.  Should've of done this twenty years ago when the fingers could move a bit more without cramping up.
 
One lesson learned was that I made the sling on the mast a little too long so there's not much of a lanyard between it and the thimble on the yard.