bhermann

Thanks Steve for the kind words.  I am always happy to hear that the log is useful to people - that's one of the reasons I do it. I'll send you info about my unnumbered Swiss account for the royalty deposits
 
I have to agree there is something special about the schooners - they have a certain feel that is hard to put into words, but it takes my breath away to see them out on the water, or when I get the rare chance to actually sail on one.
 
Interesting, I grew up in Glastonbury too, back when it was a rural farming community/Hartford suburb mix.  Small world!
 
Bob

Jan-Willem
 
Here is a list of what I ordered from Chuck.  I was unable to dig up where I figured out my quantities - it may just have been a SWAG on my part.  I haven't started any rigging yet, so cannot claim any accuracy to what I ordered - we'll see what I run out of when I get around to the rigging.  I went with tan for the running rigging and black for the standing rigging, mostly because that is what I have put on models forever.
 
I hope the information is helpful to you.
 
Bob
 
 
 
008 (.20mm) Black Rigging Line - 20' per package - Linen/Cotton Blend
Quantity: 1

.012 (.30mm) Black Rigging Line - 20' per package - Linen/Cotton Blend
Quantity: 2

.018 (.45mm) Black Rigging Line - 20' per package - Linen/Cotton blend
Quantity: 2

.008 (.20mm) Tan Rigging Line - 20' per package - Cotton/Linen Blend
Quantity: 2

.012 (.30mm) Tan Rigging Line - 20' per package - Cotton/Linen Blend
Quantity: 2

.018 (.45mm) Tan Rigging Line - 20' per package - Cotton/Linen Blend
Quantity: 2

.025 (.63mm) Tan Rigging Line - 20' per package - Linen/Cotton Blend
Quantity: 1

 

Jan-Willem
 
Sorry but I have been away from the board for a few days and will be at less than full capacity for the next week or so. I recently placed an order with Chuck to replace the kit rope supplied by MS. I figured out what to order by going through the plans line by line and measuring length. I think I allowed for twice the measured length for each thickness and kept the information in a spreadsheet. When I am in a position to get my hands on the order data, I will send it along in a PM (I don't think spreadsheets are allowed as attachments to logs). I don't think I went as small as the .008, but there may have been another diameter in there as well.
 
The information I captured was for both standing and running rigging. You will have to decide color you want for the standing - I went with black assuming the standing rigging was mostly wire.
 
Bob

Jan-Willem
 
Actually, I did both to the chainplates.  I have tried blackening without much success at various point during the build.  The best I've done is a brownish coloring that doesn't completely rub off.  I find that doing the blackening first seems to make the paint adhere better when I apply it over the blackened brass.  I suspect that is because the blackening agent etches the surface of the object, sort of like what an etch primer would do.
 
Looking at the photo in the link, and at the others in that Marine Survey section of the archive, I think the top masts may have been unshipped when the photos were taken.  I was unable to clearly see a topmast shroud (which is what that smaller deadeye is for) in any of them.  I would have expected to see it somewhere in the photo you linked if the fore topmast was indeed up there.
 
Adding a little triangular extension to a deadeye sounds like a reasonable approach - and it would save you the pain of having to drill three small holes at just the right orientation in a small piece of wood!  I'll be curious to see what you come up with.
 
Bob

Jan-Willem
 
First, thanks for calling me out on the direction of the upper deadeyes, they do indeed point up.  About deadeye size, take a look at this photo:
 
http://novascotia.ca/archives/virtual/bluenose/archives.asp?ID=88&Language=
 
If you zoom all the way in and look at the left side, starting from aft there are three large-size deadeyes, then a smaller one partial hidden by a rope coil, then a fourth large deadeye at the edge of the photo.  The numbers are consistent with the MS kit, although the kit shows two large, the small, then two more large.  That's the way I did it, and I don't think it is going to change now   The setup of deadeyes is the same at the fore and main masts.  4 large for the mast shrouds and one small for the topmast shroud.  I took a caliper to the deadeyes and the sizes you calculated are accurate - so much for trusting the parts list!
 
About the blocks, I think they are a generic item MS supplies for all periods of ships, and the grooves are there for the rope stropping that was done in days of yore.  Bluenose strops are metal and I believe they are laid flush into the blocks.  I installed the first few on deck without thinking about it too much, other than that the stropping was invisible in photos so I just drilled a small hole and glued my hand-made hooks into it.  On later blocks I have spent some time filing the shoulders down a bit so the don't look so "blocky".  I haven't done anything with the groove on what is already installed and probably won't on the rest, either.
 
Thanks,
Bob

Jan-Willem
 
I am using kit-supplied blocks and deadeyes on this build.  The lower deadeyes on the channel are round and there are 20 1/8" and 6 3/32" round deadeyes supplied.  This includes 4 extra of the large size and 2 extra of the small.  The upper deadeyes for each of these pairs isn't round at all, but more triangular in shape, with the point facing down.  They come on the laser cut part sheets.  The rigging plans don't have any deadeyes at the topmast at all.  There is a lanyard that runs between an eyebolt on the cross-tree and an eye spliced in the end of the topmast shroud.
 
I wish I had installed the chainplates before painting.  I also noticed a bit too late that the chainplates are actually let into the hull planking to the point where they are almost flush.  There may be some photos in the log of the L A Dunton that I took at Mystic Seaport a couple of years back that show very similar details on that ship.  (Or they may have been in my more extensive log on MSW1.)  If you want to attempt that detail, I wish you well.  I was afraid I would cut all the way through the planking if I tried it on my build.
 
The kit supplied blocks are:
5 3/32" single 
35 1/8" single
15 5/32" single
12 3/16" single
20 1/4" single
35 1/8" double
15 5/32" double
6 3/16" double
6 1/4" double
6 9/32" triple
 
The MS kit is 1:64 scale so the smallest single block scales to 6" and the largest to 18".  The larger sizes are used to control the booms and gaffs, so are used in rigging the main sheets and the throat and peak halliards.  The smaller sizes are used to rig the various jibs, topsails, and fisherman sails.  If you are not going to set up sails on your model you will not need as many of these.
 
BTW, I'll leave it to you to do the imperial to metric conversion for the various blocks and deadeyes .  If I had it to do over again, I would probably replace the kit blocks with Chucks product.  I have bought some of his rigging rope and like the look and feel of it.  I can't say how well it works just yet, as I haven't had the chance to take it out for a trial yet.  The bowsprit rigging was done a long time ago using the kit-supplied line.
 
If you have specific questions please let me know.  I am no expert on rigging, but I've been looking at these drawings for a few years so havesome familiarity with it.
 
Thanks,
Bob

Hi Per, good to see you starting on this grand lady.  I will be following along with interest.  You have already done some things I wish I had thought of way back when.  The support for the waterway between the stanchions, for instance.  I recall fearing those guys wold just drop into the hull when I was installing them.   I also recall rejecting the Hunt practicum for the installation of the great beam.
 
Waiting patiently for your next step.  She is coming along nicely so far!
 
Bob

Maybe so - I did my painting a few years ago and haven't gone looking for any since then.  Who knows what happened to Model Masters since then.  I'll keep my bottles sealed as tight as I can - I'd hate to have to match colors at this stage of the build!
 
Bob

Model Masters makes a primer in white... that's what I used.
 
Bob

Very nice detail Dave.  I handled the mast sheaves in a similar way with pretty much the same result.  While studying the plan, I decided they were used to lift the topmasts into place.  Whether that is true or not, I can't say.  As you say, they are not used anywhere in the plans.
 
A question on the fids - I installed them above the trestle tree and I think the plan shows that as well.  I assumed their purpose was to keep the topmast from dropping through the hole, not to keep them locked in, as yours appear to function.  Again my assumption was that the standing rigging would keep the topmast from lifting out of the hole.
 
Bob

Hi Per, good to see you starting on this grand lady.  I will be following along with interest.  You have already done some things I wish I had thought of way back when.  The support for the waterway between the stanchions, for instance.  I recall fearing those guys wold just drop into the hull when I was installing them.   I also recall rejecting the Hunt practicum for the installation of the great beam.
 
Waiting patiently for your next step.  She is coming along nicely so far!
 
Bob

Hi Per, good to see you starting on this grand lady.  I will be following along with interest.  You have already done some things I wish I had thought of way back when.  The support for the waterway between the stanchions, for instance.  I recall fearing those guys wold just drop into the hull when I was installing them.   I also recall rejecting the Hunt practicum for the installation of the great beam.
 
Waiting patiently for your next step.  She is coming along nicely so far!
 
Bob

Here waterway inserted between the bulkheads on the supports.
 

Okay, call me crazy if you like as this will be  number three of models that I will be working on.
But as I haven't encountered any problems with this one, I will proceed with the build of the famous Bluenose.
This while I wait for parts for the Syren and Solo.
I guess this kit doesn't need any introduction or picture of contents.
So I will leave that out, however I do have extra material that I will be using later while building her.
This extra comes from Syren Model Company, with other word our dear Chuck Passaro.
 
This kit was bought many years ago and the keel and bulkhead plywood is still straight.
When I was putting the false keel pieces together it turned out so straight I was amazed.
The plywood is very nice and very little sanding is needed to get the bulkheads into each slot.
 
Creating the rabbet was not as hard as I thought. Just being careful at the bow where the rabbet is extreme.
I pre-beveled the bulkheads so there will be less sanding once they are glued in place.
 
 

Bob - I think you're totally right.  I hadn't really looked at exactly how the fid interacted with the trestle trees.  I just noted the location and assumed it went below the trestle trees.  This seems like an easy fix.  I'll drill new holes for the fids in the correct place and fill the old holes in with some wood filler.
 
Thanks for catching that!

Capt. Jack - I used Testors Model Master acrylics in painting Bluenose.  Four colors - Insignia Red, Blue Angels Yellow, Flat Black, and Flat White.  I did prime and sand the surfaces before applying final coats.
 
I recommend flat paints as they tend to scale better.  Gloss paints will pop, but to my eye they look a bit unrealistic.
 
Bob

Very nice detail Dave.  I handled the mast sheaves in a similar way with pretty much the same result.  While studying the plan, I decided they were used to lift the topmasts into place.  Whether that is true or not, I can't say.  As you say, they are not used anywhere in the plans.
 
A question on the fids - I installed them above the trestle tree and I think the plan shows that as well.  I assumed their purpose was to keep the topmast from dropping through the hole, not to keep them locked in, as yours appear to function.  Again my assumption was that the standing rigging would keep the topmast from lifting out of the hole.
 
Bob

Very nice detail Dave.  I handled the mast sheaves in a similar way with pretty much the same result.  While studying the plan, I decided they were used to lift the topmasts into place.  Whether that is true or not, I can't say.  As you say, they are not used anywhere in the plans.
 
A question on the fids - I installed them above the trestle tree and I think the plan shows that as well.  I assumed their purpose was to keep the topmast from dropping through the hole, not to keep them locked in, as yours appear to function.  Again my assumption was that the standing rigging would keep the topmast from lifting out of the hole.
 
Bob

Maybe so - I did my painting a few years ago and haven't gone looking for any since then.  Who knows what happened to Model Masters since then.  I'll keep my bottles sealed as tight as I can - I'd hate to have to match colors at this stage of the build!
 
Bob

It has been a relatively slow week of ship building, but I did manage to get the rest of the main and fore masts finished.
 
Mast Caps
 
The mast caps were made from brass strip.  I shaped the inner bands around the appropriate masts, then soldered them into a larger outside band.  I made the bails and long links from brass strip as well.  (They really should have been brass wire, but I went with strips so I could better control the 'hole' that would hold them in place.  The process for the fore and main mast caps was the same, but with slightly different pieces.  The fore mast cap gets the two long links, while the main mast cap skips those but adds an eyebolt.
 
The parts for the fore mast cap...

And the fore mast cap installed, using more of the small brass bolts I acquired for my shackles.

The main mast cap...

Top Masts
 
With those complete, I moved on to finishing up the top masts.  I had previously shaped the top masts back when I first started on the masts, so now I just need to add the details.
 
I started by replicating the mast tackle sheaves.  From the plans, it doesn't look like I actually need to use these for anything, but the plans call for them, so I added them.  I made them by drilling two holes, then using my mill to shape the curved inner part.  Since I'm staining my masts a light natural color, I stained the inner part of the sheaves a little darker so they look like they are made from something else.
 

The shoulder bands at the top were straight forward - just a couple brass bands with eyebolts glued into the masts through some holes.  Those really should have been pieces of looped brass wire soldered on, but I wanted them to be a little sturdier.  Plus, gluing them into the mast through holes in the bands helps keep the bands in place.
 
The gilt ball and truck gave me a lot of trouble.  I probably tried making these 4-5 different ways.  The ball is pretty simple, but the truck is problematic because it needs holes to act as the sheave for the flag halliards.  I've seen some builds omit these, and I was very, very tempted to skip them after several hours of failures.  What ended up working for me was to trace the round shape of the truck onto some 1/32" birch plywood sheet (basswood just fell apart when tried).  I then drilled a hole in the center to match the size of the top mast's tip.  Then I drilled two small holes on either side to form the sheave.  The holes are just big enough to get some thread through for the flag halliards.  I carefully cut it out and sanded it down.
 
Here's the truck installed without the gilt ball...

The gilt ball itself was carved from a dowel rod.  I drilled a shallow hole in the bottom that covered the little bit of top mast that poked through the truck, and glued it all together.
 

It is a little bigger than it should be, but I think once all the lines are rigged up it will look fine.  For the record, attempts that failed: carving the whole thing as part of the mast (destroyed two top masts that way), carving it all on a separate dowel to be glued on, making the truck from a slice of dowel, making the truck from brass, and making the truck from a basswood sheet.
 
The last piece to the top masts were the iron fid bars to hold them in place.  For these I just drilled a hole in the bottom of each top mast and used a piece of brass rod as the fid.
 

For now the fids are not glued in.  I'm going to wait to permanently install the top masts until I get the rigging lines installed.
 

Then I made a bunch of even smaller mast hoops, which was easy but annoying.  Those got installed on the top masts.
 
Mast Coats
 
Finally, I made the mast coats.  The kit provides some laser cut pieces for these, but I decided to go a different route.  When working on the lower masts, I used some larger dowel rods to make the pin saddle.  I had drilled a hole through that dowel rod that fits the lower mast exactly.  Naturally, it took several tries to get that hole centered, and I kept a few of the rejects.  I made my mast coats from one of those rejects.
 
I started with a dowel that had a hole drilled through it for the mast.  The hole is off center, but that's OK.  I think the mast coat was canvas or leather, so it probably wouldn't have been uniform all the way around.
 
I used my mill to thin out a bit around the top, then rounded things off below that.

The piece was then cut free.
 

The unpainted mast coat temporarily fitted to the main mast...

Once painted and temporarily installed (again, not permanently installing anything yet), I'm happy with how it turned out.
 
The final, painted mast coat on the fore mast...
 

And now I'm done with the fore mast and main mast!  I'm going to start in on the main boom next, followed by the other booms and gaffs.  Once all those are done, I'll prep as much of the rigging as I can before anything gets installed.
 
After 432 days of building, seeing the masts up on the ship is a great motivation.  Even though I've probably got 2-4 months left, I feel like the end is in sight!
 

 
 

Ed..it will be nice to see you back in the shipyard.  I want to share this painting by Carl G. Evers.  It is of Glory of the Seas being gained upon by Young America.
 
The full bodied Glory of the Seas being chased by the sleek extreme clipper Young America.  Called *Conquerors of Cape Horn*.....it depicts nicely the two clippers we love...in a race in open water.  What a thrill.
 
See ya in the yard soon.
 
Rob

Capt. Jack - I used Testors Model Master acrylics in painting Bluenose.  Four colors - Insignia Red, Blue Angels Yellow, Flat Black, and Flat White.  I did prime and sand the surfaces before applying final coats.
 
I recommend flat paints as they tend to scale better.  Gloss paints will pop, but to my eye they look a bit unrealistic.
 
Bob

Lower Masts
 
Moving on to the upper portion of the lower masts....
 
I added the band for the futtock shrouds on the main mast.  I simplified it a bit because my 4 attempts to do it "correctly" failed miserably.  After several hours, I decided to simplify it to just a band with some wire.
 

Trestle Trees and Spreaders
 
Next I moved on to the mastheads/trestle trees/etc.  I've spent a good amount of time over the last few weeks drawing these in 3D (first in SketchUp, then as a way to learn TurboCad), so I had a pretty good understanding of their construction.  Despite that, I managed to build them without the cross blocks.   Oh well...
 


I built out the trestle trees and spreaders for both masts, then painted them white.

With the basic assembly complete, I moved on to all the metal work.  I started with the iron gates that hold the heel of the top masts in place.  I made these from brass strips, but soldered on some brass rod to simulate the connection points (which I imagine to be very similar to how the two parts of a door hinge are pinned together).
 

Next up were the clips at the ends of the long spreaders.  These were also made from brass strip, with a couple holes drilled in each side to simulate bolts.  As I've done in other places, brass rod will be glued into the holes to form the actual bolts.
 

The spreader bars were made from brass wire.  I didn't bother trying to simulate the bolts on these...I just crunched the wire in a pair of pliers to flatten out the ends and glued them on.
 

Moving on...the main mast has a couple 'shackles' that attach to the trestle trees, where the quarter lifts connect. I made these from brass strip, bent into a 'U' shape.  I drilled holes for simulating bolts, and used my mill to make the strips a little more narrow where the quarter lifts will attach.
 


Various eye bolts were installed per the plans.  I ended up using eyebolts in place of the fairleads dictated by the plans.  I wasn't confident that I could model anything remotely resembling a fairlead at this scale (at least nothing that would look better than an eyebolt).
 
That pretty much completed the trestle trees, so I moved on to the bands.
 
Mast Bands
 
I made all the bands in one sitting, each one sized to exactly where it needed to go.
 

Holes were drilled in each band using my little drill press (I'm getting really good at drilling precise holes in brass).  The bands were then installed on the masts.  No glue was necessary since the bands fit nice and snug.  
 

I drilled through the holes into the masts, and glued in the assorted eyebolts.  Gluing those eyebolts in place should give me the little extra bit of stability.  
 
Spring Stay Bail
 
The spring stay bail was added, made from some brass strip and eye bolts.
 

 
All that's left on the masts is the mast caps.  But I'll take a short break (this post is getting long), then I'll post again with the mast caps!
 

Hello Everyone,
I've been feeling a bit embarrassed about my build log for some time now which I've allowed to become virtually non-existant. I became very lazy about taking photographs and making updates, and then the more time that passed the less inclined I become to update. Nevertheless, I finished my Constitution in April, so if I upload photos of it now, I hope you'll forgive me for the huge gap in the middle. I pretty much had the hull and its details finished when I last checked in, so it's primarily the masts and rigging that I haven't reported on.
The rigging end of things went quite well generally. Making the masts and yards was very enjoyable and not particularly difficult. I didn't find the rigging too difficult either, but at times the shear volume of it and its finicky nature were a bit daunting. It was very frustrating to stop for lunch (and a quick fix of CNN) only to return to my shop and discover that I had tied a whole set of lines on the wrong side of something. I'm sorry to report that this happened to me more than a few times. However, every time it did happen, I tore it out and redid it. I am certain that there are many errors in my rigging, but at least I can say that none that were apparent to me went unaddressed. 
This was my second build and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. It was the model I wanted to do from the outset, but I chose to build the AVS first as a practice piece and I'm glad I did. I didn't find the Constitution to be especially difficult (although it had plenty of challenges), it's really more a matter of the volume of the work it requires that might be overwhelming as a first kit.
I used Bob Hunt's practicums for both the AVS and the Constitution. The one for the AVS is excellent and as a complete novice, I don't believe I could have worked my way through the model without it. For the Constitution, the first half of the practicum is also excellent and I found it an invaluable resource. However, when it came to the rigging, it was quite a different matter. This part of the course is so full of errors and omissions and with a confusing approach that in many ways it hindered rather than helped. I did buy the Lennarth Petersen Rigging Period Ship Models and it was a very helpful resource.
 
I know for a fact that my family is glad this project is done. They seem to take great delight in teasing me about how much I tend to talk about it and at what great length. At Christmas, my sister-in-law innocently asked "how's the model coming along?" at which point my son jumped in with "Oh my god, whatever you do, don't ask - do not engage - do not make eye contact - do not show fear!" But their respite is to be short lived as I have now started on the Rattlesnake.
 
Here are some pictures of my completed Constitution.
 
 

I remember those mast hoops being fidgety things.  In order to allow for sails and anticipating some breakage, I put a few extra on each mast before installing the cheeks and trestle trees, to hopefully ensure I could survive losing a few while lacing the sails on.  Nice job on the boom rest and pin saddle, they are very crisp assemblies.
 
Bob