wefalck

Just wondering, whether it wouldn't be easier to put the stanchions on first and then push them down into their holes one by one. Some stiff steel or molybdenum wire might help as well.

When I started my photography life in the early 1970s, I was lucky that my school organised a practical course with a local photography club, where we learned the basics of b/w processing and the basics of photography in general. I also read a couple of technical books back then, my father had. The school had a darkroom for the pupils' use and I got the equipment to process films at home. Never got into colour processing and printing, using only slide-film - for the last 25 years of analogue photography I used Fuji Sensia 100. Eventually got a slide scanner and Photoshop, but when camera sensors became big enough to allow A4-sized prints, I went fully digital in 2006. Digital image processing allowed me to do all the things I always wanted to do to my slides. Just looked over this Ken Rockwell's Web-site. The guy seems to have his nose pretty much up in the air and he prides himself being an 'artist', I feel. His pictures are colourful, but not that much more. I am currently using a Nikon D5100 DSLR, but find that it handles stark contrasts less well than my iPhone SE, in spite of all the buttons you can turn. That's one of the reasons, why I am using the iPhone for workshop pictures, where I don't have much options to control the illumination. Rockwell seems to use a lot long exposure shots, up to 1 min of exposure time or so. His films must be pretty good not to suffer from the Schwartzschild-effect. Nowadays you can ramp up the sensitivity, but then you end up with 'white noise'. Still, for workshop-shots I often go up to ISO 3600 - you can eliminate it in Photoshop sufficiently for posting work-in-progress pictures in fora.

There is a sort of feeling among many people, artists, museum conservators, modellers, that old methods are better and time proven, but time has proven that some of the practices used in the past are not as good as one might think. Today, our scientific understanding of materials and their interactions is much better than it was 50, 100 or even more years ago. We can have a more rational approach to materials use and don't need to do something simply because that it is how it was done always. Doing things the way they were always done never was a good reason for me. A reflection on why something is done and for what purpose is always helpful and helps also to better judge 'advice' from books or fora.

Synthetic rigging material suffers little, if at all from varying degrees of ambient humidity and, therefore, changes in length of the fibres ...

Shoemakers do it regularly, but they don't use real beeswax, but rather some sort of pitch with wax mixture. It comes in little blocks and thread is drawn between the finger and the block, the friction heat helping to impregnate the thread. However, when sewing shoes, some waterproofing makes sense. If I felt compelled to use wax for historic or other mystic reasons, I would use a hairdryer or a hot-air gun to melt the wax into the thread at least, before using it. It always amazes me, how certain age-old practices are perpetrated simply because they are age-old practices and therefore must be good ...

... and to keep the paper from slipping, when you put some small items for photographing there (how do I know this ).

The jury is still out on longevity, but even museums nowadays seem to prefer polyester threads, such as Gütermann's Mara (which is what Chuck Passaro seems to use for his ropes). There is little or no fuss on such ropes and no need anymore to mess around with dust-catching tacky bees wax.

My father had two lightweight microphone tripods for this kind of tasks, they had the camera thread at the head, so one could screw the lamps onto them. This gives you more freedom to move them around.

How do you want to tie the stiff, pre-soaked threads then ? Also, you may not be able to tighten the knots sufficiently with the stiff material. I would advice against pre-soaking.

A solid green or blue background, e.g. photoboard, is also useful, if you want to remove the background in Photoshop in order to place the image in front of something else (like the blue-screen technique used on TV). Most (historic) models do not have one or the other of these colours so it is easy to select and remove them. Below an early attempt using a blue background and then placing the image in front of a scanned photochrome postcard:

The problem of trying to take more sophisticate photographs with a smartphone is that it is difficult to judge the focus on the screen and due to the autofocus it can be difficult to impossible to coerce it to focus on a particular detail or focal plane. Therefore, taking the controlled focal plane images for focus stacking is difficult (at least on my iPhone). In my experience, a white background is problematic because most cameras have difficulties with the then high contrast ratios. A neutral grey or contrasting coloured background reduces the contrast between the object and the background. Of course, a strong (diffuse) light source from the direction of the camera also helps to reduce contrasts.

Thanks ... but 3D printing would have been probably better for this. As with all tools and methods, they have their specific areas of application and 'one size does not fit all'. 'Light' laser-cutting is probably best suited for flat and intricate parts that would be difficult to hold and manipulate. In this sense it can replace photo-etching to some degree

I don't have currently the space for it, but I would build myself a 'light-box' from LED-panel lights that are now available at a reasonable price, attaching the panels to a framework of aluminium profiles. Dimmable units might be a good choice, but tend to be more expensive. I also have a ring-light to attach to the camera lens, but don't use it very often due to the more involved manipulations. In fact, for quick work-bench pictures, I am now frequently using my iPhone, rather than getting out the DSLR camera. Of course there is less control on the plane of focus and the depth of field etc., but the iPhone gets into places you can't get into with the DSLR camera.

Watchmakers use resistance soldering units to solder 'feet' to the dials, so there is some advice out there in that community too.

It depends really on what you would like to do with it. Serious cutting of wood, above very thin veneer, requires already quite serious equipment with a 20W+ laser probably. As others noted before, it also requires quite a bit of infrastructure, such as for cooling and ventilation. About 15 months ago I got myself a cheapo little 3W cutter/engraver at around 100€. As I am working on miniatures, the working surface of 50 mm x 50 mm is largely sufficient. However, you are basically limited to cutting thin, dark cardstock. Have a look at my S.M.S. WESPE building log, where I wrote about my trials, troubles and tribulations with it. I did make quite a few delicate bits and pieces with it. The software is bit-image based, not vectorised, which makes it simple, but there are limitations. And it does not run on a Mac. I tried with a MS Windows emulator ('Parallels'), but somehow it did not work. I run it off an old little laptop with MS Windows XP on it instead. The amount of burned-away material is small, so one doesn't need to worry too much about ventilation (until the Admiral complains) unless you try to cut some nasty materials.

A ship's rigging is not like a WW1 aircraft rigging or stringing a musical instrument. Ropes would sag under their weight in a natural 'catena' curve. OK, to many beholders that might look like shoddy work, but gives you an indication of what to aim for. So the only tension you need is to make the rope run smoothly without bends. Don't glue, bad strategy. Use dilute shellac solution or dilute nitrocellulose varnish. With a drop of solvent, you can soften any belaying point should it need adjusting. Once done, put on another drop of varnish.

Personally, I prefer 'zapon varnish', rather than shellac, because it is less brittle. Zapon varnish is cellulose nitrate dissolved in a mixture of amylacetate, ethanol, and ethylacetate. It is the varnish that is commonly used to prevent the tarnishing of silver or brass objects. It is almost invisible, but can also easily dissolved with acetone. I would be cautious to varnish rigging wholesale. Varnishing with shellac could make it rather brittle. I gather some people did it to keep humidity out of rigging. At least in central and northern Europe we tend to have now proper central heating so this is not an issue anymore. In the UK and southern Europe it is probably still different Some very dilute shellac or zapon varnish can be used to coerce certain rigging elements into the 'natural' catena curves you would see on the prototype, but for which on a model the ropes are too stiff and lightweight.

Pat, you have all my sympathies. I can appreciate your struggle. Since Christmas I have tried to make blocks that fulfill my own expectations. Sometimes following more closely the prototype can actually be simpler. I could image that milling full slots into the bits might be simpler and then to insert turned or etched sheaves. People tend to be in awe of 'real' sheaves in blocks, but from a manufacturing point of view this can be a simpler option. Keep it coming !

OK, I am tool-junkie and have lots of tools, many of them have to be handy, but not all of them, of course (but then I forget that I had them). I am currently at the 5th incarnation of my workbench after so many moves around Europe, but I created a sort of desk-like structure that has on one side a chest of drawers and the work-surface made from a piece of beechwood kitchen-top rests on the other side on a shelve inside an IKEA Billy-bookcase. The other two sides are surrounded by frames that support panes of hardboard with holes for hooks etc. On these the most frequently tools are arranged in easy reach. There are also a couple of narrow shelves on which little tools, such as dental burrs, drills etc. etc. are stored on plinths. The chest of drawers also has a box built in that is subdivided into various shallow (1 cm or 3/8" deep) drawers in which scalpels, pin-vices, files, and other delicate tools are stored within easy reach.

Years ago, when I was contempleting to use printed plank layouts on a small-scale model, I did some research on archival ink-jet and laser print-outs. There was one Web-site, where they had investigated the various models of printers and inks available for them in controlled, accelerated ageing tests. I don't have the site on my finger tips and the results, being some 15 years old are certainly outdated, but an Internet search will probably turn up some more recent information. One strategy I have been contemplating, but not actually used yet, was to print the outlines of the artwork onto a decal film (if you have a colour laser-printer you can also put colour on, of course), complete the artwork in brush and acrylics, and then transfer the decal onto the model. If you don't like it, only the decal film and your time is wasted and you don't have to scrape off the paint from the model. If you want to paint directly on the model, make yourself an arm- or wrist-rest, along the lines of those porcelain-painters use and arrange for the area of the model to be painted on to be at a comfortable angle. When painting wales etc. I would do this only, once the wood of the wale itself and the surrounding strakes has been sealed in a way compatible with the paint you are going to use. In this way no ink/paint can infiltrate into unwanted areas. My choice would be a nitrocellulose-based sanding sealer and acrylics. I would use acrylics readily diluted for airbrushing, as they can be worked like inks, but contain pigments of course. If the wales run reasonably clean, one could also mask the off and spray-paint them. I still would give them a final wash with the brush, as this somehow gives an ever so slight surface texture that looks more appropriate than a spray-painted one.

Wouldn't it have been possible to cautiously lift off the assembly just a little bit after each strake ? In this way you deal with the problem strake by strake, rather than having multiple 'sticking points'.

Yes, this is one of the various books on particular ships in which rigging details have been compiled, but it is not necessarily a book on rigging.

That's a difficult question for someone, who doesn't really know much about the 18th century practices. A general observation, however, is that several 'standard' works have been reprinted many times, sometimes over a period of 100 years or so, without substantial changes to the plates. Often plates from older works quite evidently have been copied in newer works. Having said that, Lees would be certainly on the list, because he also provides a critical historical perspective. Otherwise, the good old Steel and Lever are rather comprehensive sources. I did not search specifically for French 18th century literature, but starting from the entry on 'Marine' in Diderot's and D'Alembert's encyclopedia (which I should have included in my list, though not specifically on rigging) there are other works - the French were quite encyclopedia-minded. For more practical questions also the various handbooks on seamanship that have been published over the past 200 years or so are useful. And then of course Harland's synopsis, which is is a must-have and tells you a lot about how things were actually worked, so that one understands their function. I started the list in the late 1970s on paper, going through the bibliographic references of books, searching library catalogues wherever I could. The Internet now made the literature so much more accessible (although partly devaluating my collection of old books, because the information in them is now cheaply accessible on-line).

One should always remember, that the masts, spars and the rigging are kind of a living thing. They can be and are continuously modified to improve the performance and serviceability of a ship. Even on naval ships a lot was left to the discretion of the captain and the officers, as long as the materials provided were used. Extra materials the captain had to pay for himself. So any reconstructed rigging plan can only reflect common practices and materials of the time, nothing more, in the absence of precise sources. I would take any modern book on rigging with some caution, particularly, when it claims to cover long periods of time and diverse regions. It is unlikely that the authors are experts with such a wide coverage. It is always a good idea to check their references section in order to see what written sources they claim to have used. Having said that, I think Lee's book is quite reliable, as he substantiates his claims also with a critical assessment of the rigging of the models in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Talking about written sources: by coincidence, I made a few days ago an excerpt on masting and rigging from my 130+ page literature list. It focuses on the 19th century though (my own area of interest) and does not list many older works. In the first column you will find a letter that indicates the presence of the work in own library. A B means I own a hardcopy and an E denotes an ebook. Many books on which the copyright has expired are now available as scans. A Google-search lists many of them, but Google has taken to the bad habit of listing often now modern reprints, rather than the electronic version. A certain persistence in searching is required. Another bad habit of Google is in their scanning programme to not unfold plates, which renders many scans quite useless. Search also archive.org and www.gallica.bnf.fr for French works. Many other national libraries have digitised works in their respective languages in often very good scans. I would appreciate any suggestions to complete my list below (preferably with complete bibliographic referencing): Anderson, R.C. (1952): Seventeenth century rigging.- p., (). Anderson, R.C. (1984): The Rigging of Ships - In the Days of the Spritsail Topmast 1600-1720.- 278 p., London (Conway Maritime Press). BE BIDDLECOMBE, G. (1848): The Art of Rigging.- 155 p., Salem, Ma. (Reprint 1990 by Dover Publication, New York). B BOBRIK, E. (1848): Handbuch der praktischen Seefahrtskunde, Bd. I.- 816 p., Leipzig (Verlagsbureau). B BOBRIK, E. (1848): Handbuch der praktischen Seefahrtskunde, Bd. II, I. Abtheilung.- 992 p., Leipzig (Verlagsbureau). B BOBRIK, E. (1848): Handbuch der praktischen Seefahrtskunde, Schiffgebäudekunde, Zurüstungskunde, Manövrierkunde, Ankerkunde, Tafeln zur Schifferkunde.- 604 p. + Tafelband, Leipzig (Nachdruck 1978 bei Horst Hamecher, Kassel). B BOBRIK, E. (1848): Vom Tauwerk und seiner Zubereitung zur Taakelasche (aus Handbuch der praktischen Seefahrtskunde.- 24 p., Leipzig (Nachdruck 1975 bei Verlag Egon Heinemann, Norderstedt). BOUDRIOT, J. (1975): Seventy Four Gun Ship. Volume III: Masts - Sails - Rigging.- 280 p., 13 pl., (Collection Archeologie Navale Française). E BRADY, W.W. (1852, 6th ed.): The Kedge Anchor; or Young Sailor’s Assistant. Appertaining to the Practical Evolutions of Modern Seamanship, Rigging, Knotting, Splicing, Blocks, Purchases, Running-Rigging, and Other Miscellaneus Matters Applicable to Ships of War and Others.- 400 p., New York (Published by the Author). K BRADY, W.W. (1863): Brady’s Kattanker. Handbuch für Seeleute (aus dem Englischen von J.L. Stipperger).- 247 p., 37 Tab., Hamburg (P. Salomon & Co.). E BREART, E. (18..): Manuel du Gréement et de la Manœuvre des bâtiments à voile et à vapeur. Comprenant les matières exigées pour l’obtention du Brevet de Capitaine au long cours et de Maître au cabotage.- 459+13 p., 7 pl., Paris (Librairie Scientifique, industrielle et agricole, Eugène Lacroix). B BRÉART, E. (1861): Manuel du gréement et de la mannœuvre des bâtiments à voiles et à vapeur. Premiere Partie.- 338 p., Paris (Eugène Lacroix, Editeur). B BRÉART, E. (1863): Manuel du gréement et de la mannœuvre des bâtiments à voiles et à vapeur. Deuxieme Partie. Manœuvres particulières au batiment à vapeur.- 110 p., Paris (Eugène Lacroix, Editeur). B BRÉART, E. (1864): Manuel du gréement et de la mannœuvre des bâtiments à voiles et à vapeur. Atlas.- 16 pl., Paris (Eugène Lacroix, Editeur). E BROWN, S. (1809): An Essay on Iron Rigging and Cables.- 93 p., London (printed for the author). E BUSHELL, C. (1856, 2nd ed.): The Rigger's Guide and Seaman’s Assistant Containing Practical Instructions for Completely Rigging Ships of War – Second Edition, with sixteen addtional pages on wire rigging.- 214 p., London (H. Lewis). BUSHELL, C. (1857, 3rd ed.): The Rigger's Guide and Seaman’s Assistant - Third edition. with considerable additions relative to wire rigging, formation of knots, etc.- 226 p., London (). BUSHELL, C. (1877, 6th ed.): The Rigger's Guide and Seaman’s Assistant.- xx p., London (). E BUSHELL, C. (1893, 7th ed.): The Rigger's Guide and Seaman’s Assistant; Containing Practical Instructions for Rigging Ships, with Considerable Additions Relative to Wire Rigging, Formation of Knots, etc.- 254 p., Portsmouth (Griffin & Co.). CHAPMAN, H.C., JONES, A.F. (c. 1840): Rules for the Uniform Masting and Sparring of Merchant Ships... with... Suggestions on Ships and Ship-Building.- 32 p., 1 pl., Liverpool (). E DUBREUL, P.-J. (1835): Manuel de matelotage et de manœuvre, à la usage des éléves de l´École Navale et des candidates aux places de capitane au long cours et de capitane au cabotage.- 279 p., ? pl., Paris (L’Impremerie Royale). E DUBREUL, P.-J. (1839): Manuel de matelotage et de manœuvre, à la usage des éléves de l´École Navale et des candidates aux places de capitane au long cours et de capitane au cabotage.- 285 p., IV pl., Paris (Bachelier Imprimeur-Libraire). B DUBREUL, P.-J. (1851): Manuel de matelotage et de manœuvre, à la usage des éléves de l´École Navale et des candidates aux places de capitane au long cours et de capitane au cabotage.- 342 p., 4 pl., Brest (J.-B. et A. Lefournier Libraires-Editeurs). E Cock, J. (1840): A Treatise on Mast-Making for Every Class or Description of Merchant Ships or Vessels.- 52 p., 1 pl. (missing), Pembroke (J.G. Barclay). K FINCHAM, J. (1854, 3rd ed.): A Treatise on Masting Ships & Mast Making.- 384 p., London (Nachdruck 1982, Conway Maritime Press). E GEANETTE, M.A. (1983): Mast Step and Keelson. The Early Development of a Shipbuilding Technology.- MA Thesis: 148 p., College Station (Texas A&M University). E Grange, J. (1867): Hints to Young Shipmasters in Drafting and Cutting Ships’ Rigging and Sails, Placing and Fitting Masts, etc. etc.; With a Form of Shipmasters’ Books and Accounts, and Several Useful Remarks.- 110 p., 2 Tab., Glasgow (MacGregor & Co.). E Henriquez, A. Ritter von (1873): Takelung und Manöver.- 87 p., (Schmidt). HILDEBRANDT, O. (1872): Praktisches Lehrbuch für junge Seeleute der Kriegs- und Kauffahrtei-Marine.- 354 p., 10 pl., Danzig (A.W. Kafemann). (DTM 2/91/997) B HILDEBRANDT, O. (1893): Praktisches Lehrbuch für junge Seeleute.- 430 p., 10 pl., Danzig (Ernst Gruihns Verlag). KIPPING, R. (1851): Masting and Rigging.- London. E KIPPING, R. (1853): Rudimentary Treatise on Masting, Mast-Making, and Rigging of Ships.- 150 p., London (John Weale). E KIPPING, R. (1854): Rudimentary Treatise on Masting, Mast-Making, and Rigging of Ships.- 150 p., London (John Weale). E KIPPING, R. (1864): Rudimentary Treatise on Masting, Mast-Making, and Rigging of Ships.- 169 p., London (Virtue Brothers). B KIPPING, R. (1903): Masting, Mast-Making and Rigging of Ships.- 211 p., London (Crosby, Lockwood, and Son). B LEES, J. (1979): The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War 1625-1860.- 196 p., London (Conway Maritime Press). LEHNHART VON LENNINGSFELD, P. (1895): Takelung und Ankerkunde für die k.u.k Kriegs-marine. Unter Anleitung des Militär-Hafencommandanten von Pola Contreadmiral Freiherr von Sterneck verfaßt von mehreren k.u.k. Seeoffizieren. Neu bearbeitet von p. L.v.L., k.u.k. Fregatten-Capitän.- 2 Bde., 436 p. + LXXXVII Taf., Wien (k.-k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei). (ÖNB 260.662-B.Fid. = 108-049) B LEHNHART VON LENNINGSFELD, P. (1895): Takelung und Ankerkunde für die k.u.k Kriegs-marine. Figurentafeln. Unter Anleitung des Militär-Hafencommandanten von Pola Contreadmiral Freiherr von Sterneck verfaßt von mehreren k.u.k. Seeoffizieren. Neu bearbeitet von P. L.v.L., k.u.k. Fregatten-Capitän.- LXXXVII Taf., Wien (k.-k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei). B LEHMANN, T. (1920): Het tuigen van schoenerschepen. Met de daarbij behoorende werkzaamheden. Eenvoudige handleiding voor den varensman.- 142 p. Amsterdam (Wereldbibliotheek, reprint 2004). B LEVER, D. (1819, 2nd ed.😞 The Young Sea Officer’s Sheet Anchor.- 124 p., London (Nachdruck 1963 bei E.W. Sweetman & Co., New York). MARQUARDT, K.H. (1986): Bemastung und Takelung von Schiffen des 18. Jahrhunderts.- 484 p., Rostock/Bielefeld (VEB Hinstorff Verlag/Verlag Delius Klasing). MARQUARDT, K.H. (1992): Eighteenth-Century Rigs & Rigging. English edition revised and expanded.- 330 p., London/Annapolis MD (Conway Maritime Press/United States Naval Institute Press, Annapolis). B MIDDENDORF, F.L. (1903): Bemastung und Takelung der Schiffe.- 401 p., Kassel (reprint 1977 by Horst Hamecher). Norie, J.W. [Ed.] (18xx): The Art of making Masts, Yards, Gaffs, Booms, Blocks, and Oars, as practised in the Royal Navy, and according to the most approved Methods in the Merchant- Service, including a Description of an improved Rule for Mast-makers; also a new Method by which large Yards may be made from small Trees, and repaired when sprung in the Slings, &c. - p., pl., London (printed for J.W. Norie and Co.). E Petersson, L. (2000): Rigging Period Ship Models. A Step-By-Step Guide to the Intricacies of the Square-Rig.- 128 p., Washington (US Naval Institute Press). B Pilaar, J.C., Mossel, G.P.J. (1858): Handleiding tot de Kennis van Tuig, Masten, Zeilen, enz. Van het Schip.- 535 p., X pl., Amsterdam (de Wed. G. Hulst van Keulen, reprint Fontes Pers, Amsterdam). SCHOMBERG, A. (1832): Practical Remarks and Observations on Building, Rigging, Arming and Equipping His Majesty’s Ships of War &c..- London (Longman) (?R 2788/10) B SCHRAGE, K. (1989): Rundhölzer, Tauwerk und Segel.- 187 p., Herford (Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH). Steel, D. [Ed.] (1794): Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship.- London. B Steel, D. [Ed.] (1818): The Art of Rigging (Nachdr. 1974 Fisher Nautical Press).- 136 p., London (Steel, Goddard & Co.). B STEINHAUS, C.F. (1869): Die Construction und Bemastung der Segelschiffe.- 137 p., Hamburg (L. Friedrichsen & Co., reprint 1977 Horst Hamecher, Kassel). B UNDERHILL, H.A. (1946): Masting & Rigging the Clipper Ship & Ocean Carrier.- 304 p., Glasgow (Brown, Son & Ferguson). K UNDERHILL, H.A. (1955): Sailing Ships Rigs and Rigging.- 127 p., Glasgow (Brown, Son & Ferguson). E VERDIER, M. (1837): Nouveau manuel complet de la marine. Premiere Partie. Gréement.- 290 p., Paris (Librairie Enciclopédique de Roret).

Apart from the reasons mentioned by others, applying any kind of lacquer to the whole sheet might also make more difficult to remove the laser-cut parts, as the lacquer will run into the cut slots and act as glue.