bhermann

Nice work on the prototype, Dave.  I found the kit-supplied dories and materials to be too hard to get a good result with, so my deck is dory-free.  I like your approach and may re-try.  Who knows. maybe you'll be my inspiration to get moving on this guy again!
 
Bob

So, I started in on the dories...
 
The kit provides 1/64" thick laser cut pieces for each of the 8 dories as well as a little jig you can assemble to help make the boats.  I'm only planning on using 4 dories on my ship (two stacks of two instead of two stacks of four), so I figure I've got 4 extras to play with in case I mess up.
 
I built the jig and started trying assemble a dory.  I had a heck of a time.  Even with the jig, I couldn't get the pieces to line up and stay in place while I glued them.  It wasn't any fun and I quickly realized that making 4 of these was going to be an unpleasant experience for me.
 
So, I decided to ignore the kit's parts and scratch build a dory.  The plans indicate that the kit's dories are simplified - they use a single sheet for each side while the actual dories used three lapped planks.  It seems like I could make some frames, attach them to the bottom, then glue on the three planks.  Certainly more complicated than the kit's approach, but I think it could be more fun.
 
I started by scanning the plans for the dories into the computer.  I used some illustration software to lay out the five frames, the bottom, and the pieces for the bow and stern.  I simplified the frames a bit - the plans show the frames are made from two pieces that overlap in the middle.  i'm going with one solid piece for each frame.  That should be easier to work with and a little more sturdy.
 

I cut out one set of the templates and glued it to a sheet of 3/32" thick basswood.  This will make the frames a little thicker than they should be, but I'm worried that if I go thinner they will be too fragile.  I used my little Proxxon scroll saw to cut out each of the pieces.  Most were pretty easy, but 'frame C' took three tries.
 

Once all the pieces were cut, I scored the bottom piece to simulate individual planks and marked the location of each frame.  I glued all the frames on using PVA, and glued the bow and stern in place using CA glue.  Even without the planking on the sides, it was already starting to look like a little boat.
 

I used a sheet of 1/64" thick birch that I had laying around for the planking.  I cut three strips for each side and installed them from the bottom up.  Each plank overlapped the lower one by a little bit as shown on the plans.  With pieces this small, I ended up getting glue everywhere, but since the whole thing is getting painted, I'm not too worried about it.
 

Next I added the other details, like the battens at the bow and stern and the thwart support for the seats.  Everything was primered and painted, then I installed the seats and a cap rail.  The plans call for the dories to be a cream or buff color, but I've seen a few other Bluenose builds that used a greenish-gray, and I liked the way that looked.  So I painted the outside with a greenish-gray color.  I went with tan for the inside, and painted the seats and cap rail white so they had some contrast.
 
I didn't do a very good job cutting and fitting the cap rail, so that is something I'll definitely have to rethink on the next one, and I'll probably go with thinner material for the next rail.   I also used material that was too thick for the seat support rails and seats.  I'll need to switch to a much thinner strip next time, and probably mount the seats a little lower (they ended up too close to the cap rail).  I also realized at the very end that I had forgotten the cleats.
 
I didn't bother adding the spray rail, thole pins, or oars as this was just a prototype.  By the time I got that far, I had proven this approach would work while also making enough little mistakes that I won't end up using this first dory.  So no point in 'finishing' it.
 


I dropped my prototype dory on the deck to see if the color choices work, and I'm pretty happy with how they work.  The dory stands out, but doesn't look out of place on the deck.  I also set the dory on the original plans and verified that the size turned out correct (always a concern when you're scanning in and manipulating plans - one small scaling problem and the size can end up off).

After the templates were designed and printed, building this dory took about 3 hours.  Since I need four of them (and this one was just a prototype that won't actually get used), that means I've got about 12 hours of dory-building ahead of me.  But I found this to be much more fun than building the ones provided by the kit, and I think they will look a better than the kit's dories once I sort out a few issues.
 
And now I've got a three day holiday weekend and my wife will be out of town, so I hope to get all four built in the next few days!
 

Good method and I have used it myself.
 
However, for the period of the ARROW there wouldn't have been metal grommets, but rather ones fabricated by the sailmakers by stiching around the hole. So, you may want to use instead of the CA some white glue on a toothpick that has been tinted a tad darker than the sail. You could also use a light dab of CA and then use some thick acrylic paint of a suitable colour to imitate the grommet. The dab of CA prevents the paint from bleeding into the fabric (which, I assume, is what you use).

My four year build log has alas fallen victim to the latest system upgrade, and like the ship she represents is now presumed lost, as Pegasus was in 1777.
To re-instate all the information contained within the orginal log which ran for over 100 pages is a bit of an ask but where I can pick up the information quickly I will include it in this replacement log with priority being given to specific aspects where I have modified the basic kit, to produce the model which is now allbut finished.
My log which was first posted in 2013 lacked much of the earlier stages of the build which had been going since 2010, and this revision will include aspects of the earlier build stages which may assist those embarking on a new Swan build adventure.
I would like to thank all those members who have shown interest in my build over the past four years, and for the many appreciative comments and 'likes' I received. I still can't believe that over 257,000 visits were made to the log, but it is nice to think that it was of use to the membership.
Also thank you to those who have messaged me with kind words about the loss of the original log, and with offers of help.
Hopefully this revised version, risen from the ashes, will continue to provide useful information to the membership, particularly those involved with Swan Class Sloops.
 
B.E.
5th March 2017

Next up "logically" would be the nameboards.  I printed up some decals by scanning the detail from the plan, changing the color from black to yellow in MS Paint, then printing them on clear inkjet  decal paper.

The only problem is that when the decal gets applied to the black background, the yellow disappeared completely.

Try #2 - thanks to advice from Floyd - was to reprint the decal with a black background and apply that onto a piece of wood that is painted white.

Here is the final result glued in place.

 
Bob
 

I am going to go out of order for the next two entries.  If I approached this build in a logical manner, this would have been next.  However I spent time over the next couple of years fretting over these details before I was ready to move on.
 
Here is the process for adding the scrollwork at the bow - an abbreviated version as I don't seem to have a lot of photos.  I scanned the section of the plan that showed the detail.

I taped a piece of white trasfer paper to the back the design and then attached both pieces to the hull in the correct place.  I then traced over the drawing to transfer the white marking to the hull.  Then the tracing was removed and I used a yellow artists marker to draw the design by hand on the hull.


 
Bob

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 209 Forestay
 
The forestay was a fairly simple job to install, but before getting into it, I should say a few words about my sequence.  I am sure there are many approaches to this, but my general plan is to work fore to aft, bottom up, so I will do the standing rigging on the lower masts, working aft, then either go on to the lower yards or topmasts – not decided yet.  Details on the lower shrouds like fairleads, staves and ratlines will be added later when convenient.
 
The first picture shows the installed forestay.
 

 
It is 10½" rope (like the lower shrouds), doubled around the masthead with a seized collar, secured with four seizings on each leg to bullseyes with iron straps shackled to eyebolts in the knightheads.  These were installed earlier.  The lower legs are seized together above the lower seizings.  The rope is served around the collar and at the lower ends and the upper part around the masthead is leathered.
 
The next picture shows the leathered collar bedded on the shrouds.
 

 
The next picture shows the extent of the upper serving and leathering and the upper seizing.
 

 
In the next picture the lower ends of the stay have been hauled up and clipped so the seizings can be put on.
 
 
 
The starboard seizing has been started in the picture.  The next picture shows the lower legs completed and the lower seizing installed to pull them together.
 

 
Finally, the completed stay from above.
 

 
There is quite a bit of work to do on the bowsprit, but because the forestay is secured at the knightheads, I can defer this until the fore topmast is being fitted.
 
Next, the main and mizzen lower mast rigging, but first I want to replace all those topmast backstay chains and channel deadeyes discussed in an earlier post.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 208 – Sheer Poles
 
Ok, lets get off the tar-baby.
 
Sheer poles were 1" diameter rods that were lashed across the shrouds just above the deadeyes and just below the futtock shrouds.  The purpose was to spread the shrouds evenly, to help keep them in a flat plane and to prevent twisting.  They apparently came into use around the end of the 18th century.  They were assisted by wood staves lashed at intervals between the sheer poles and groups of ratlines.  The staves will be installed much later, with the ratlines, but the sheer poles are needed now.
 
The first picture shows a small diameter brass rod being served for use as a sheer pole.
 

 
The next picture shows this served rod spread across and lashed to the fore lower starboard shrouds just above the deadeyes. 
 

 
The rod will later be cut to length after touching the ends with a drop of CA to seal the serving to the rod.  Except for the first shroud, the lanyards are kept down, out of the way.  After final tension adjustment, the lanyards were brought up through the space above the deadeye and wrapped four turns around the shrouds, as seen in the next picture.
 

 
The four turns is arbitrary.  The lanyards were normally wrapped around until used up and were generally much less tidy than I tried to make these.  In the next picture the lanyards are finished off.
 

 
One additional turn was taken and a clove hitch on knotted the back sides.  A length of remaining lanyard was then secured to the inside of the shrouds with a small rope lashing.
 
The small sheer pole under the futtock shrouds is shown in the last picture.
 

 
Only three of the six lashings have been tied in the picture.  Note that there is no connection between the shrouds and futtock shrouds that pass between them.  This is different from earlier man-of-war practice.  The forestay may be seen in the top upper right corner of the photo.  It is the next item to be installed once the sheer poles are finished on each side.
 
Ed
 

Hi all,
 
I've been gone getting my ticker re-plumbed. Had a bad ekg, then a heart catheterization for a stent, found out a stent wouldn't work. I had a triple bypass at the Gainesville/Shands V.A. Hospital within 4 days. Had a bleed, they stopped that. I went home for  3 weeks and passed out. Ambulance to Tallahassee this time as they could only get me back to the V.A. hospital by chopper for $40.000. I spent 5 more days with them trying to figure out where my blood went. Anyways, the V.A. was terrific [Tallahassee too] and I'm all patched up and am shortly to finish Lightning. Below are some pictures of me adding rigging that I forgot to put on earlier. It is a terrible job getting in behind what was there. Also Lightning has that recessed deck with the flying bridges making it very hard to get to the belaying pins.

Ok...a very productive weekend!  I feel like I'm back in business and making good progress.
 
I rebuilt the chain plates that were lost a couple months ago, and got them installed, then moved on to the anchors.  I made some notes back when I built the catheads about how the anchors were going to be hung from the side of the ship.  I found a great drawing on page 399 of Chapelle's The American Fishing Schooners 1825-1935.  Those notes ended up driving how I set everything up.  I might have made some choices that are not actually correct, but the layout I ended up with made sense to me, so I ran with it.  (Of course, I know nothing about how ships actually worked...never learned anything about ships until I started building models.)
 
As many do, I left the starboard anchor disassembled and on the deck.  I cleaned up the cast metal anchor pieces and painted them black.  I made the tapered wood 'bars' from some 3/32" square stock and stained them to match the other wood on my ship.  I saw in the plans that sometimes the anchors were attached to chain, other times attached to rope, so I went with rope.  I'm using some of the rope from Syren Ship Model Company that I ordered a while back (I ordered a full set of replacement line for all the stuff provided in the kit).  Even though this anchor will be left disassembled on the deck, I added a little black rope to the 'bar' so it wouldn't look quite so bland.  A little bit of extra rope was left coiled up.
 

The port side will have the anchor hung from the rail.  I started by using some chain to secure the end of the anchor to the anchor pad.
 

Next, I made a chain/rope combination like I saw in the drawing I found.  This has a hook one end of the chain, with the other end of the chain secured to some rope.  The hook will go into the cathead.  The chain will loop through the ring on the anchor, then swing back up so the rope can go through the sheave on the cathead.  The rope will then be tied off on the belaying pin next to the cathead.
 

This was hooked in place, the used to secure the anchor to the cathead.  
 


I'll add a rope coil to that belaying pin later when I'm adding final details.  Obviously these little catheads don't have actual sheaves, so I just ran the rope over the end of the cathead.  
 
I ran the anchor's rope through the hawse pipe, wrapped it around the winch, and left a little extra rope coiled on the deck.
 

While I was at it, I went ahead and installed the chain box, and filled with some left over chain.
 

So, I'm now done with chain plates and anchors.  All I have left before masts are the dories, which should be fun - kind of like little mini-builds in themselves.  I'm excited to back at it, and looking forward to getting those dories going during the upcoming three-day weekend!
 

 
 
 

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!  
 
I got the remaining 10 chain plates re-made today, and hope to get them installed over the next few days.  I think I can finish this build before the end of the year, then on to whatever is next.  I was chatting with my wife the other day, and explained that I'd love to build the 18th Century Longboat next (kit already in the closet), followed by the Syren (which would be my first ship with guns), then maybe the Constitution (which she loved - an excuse for a trip to the east coast), then maybe the Victory (also something she loved, an excuse for a trip to the UK).  After that...probably scratch builds?
 
Is it bad that I'm only 2/3 done with my 2nd build and I've got the next 5-10 years of ship builds planned out?

A very interesting question, Scott.  In preparing to rig the model, I have vacillated back and forth on this and I will confess that I do not know the correct answer on how this was done - if there is one.  As with many things, practices may have been local.  After much consideration I decided, perhaps incorrectly, to cross the short end to the left, over the standing end of the shroud - when viewed from outside channel.  I am quite convinced that crossing the short end to the left is correct for right-hand laid shrouds that seem to have been universally used on american ships. But under or over?  That is the question.  So, what were my sources telling me?
 
First, Darcy Lever, Young Officer's Sheet Anchor, 1819 - a primary source on seamanship/practice: specifically states that the end is taken over the standing part.  The two diagrams show the standing part to the right and right/handed rope.  Because so many sources parrot Lever, or other Lever derivatives, I give this description high regard.
 
I am aware of the Thomas Hornsby detail on the Crothers drawing that you refer to that shows the short leg behind the standing part.
 
Kipping, 1864 London says, "the end of the shroud is taken underneath round the deadeye, inside standing, or masthead part."  No mention of right or left, but from other parts of the text I surmise the use of shroud-laid, ie left-handed rope.
 
S.B. Luce, Seamanship, 1868, New York, in his throat seizing diagram, shows the short leg taken over the standing leg to the left with right-handed rope - exactly like Lever.  However, in his description of turning in deadeyes he repeats Kipping word for word, indicating the opposite.  However, he says, "The principal caution is to keep the lay in the rope, as it prevents wet getting in."  He then goes on to quote Boyd's Naval Cadet Manual, which discusses the specific point (under/over) as this relates to the lay of the rope, describing the  tendency of the rope to naturally loop over the standing end if it is twisted to tighten the lay.  He then admits this is reasonable, but goes on to say " it is diametrically opposite to the method practiced by our seamen." That is to say, taken under the standing leg without any twisting.  He calls this "with the sun" but it seems to me both are with the sun, but one is over and the other under.  Am I confused or is Luce confused?  His two diagrams on deadeyes are ambiguous on the point.
 
Remember, Scott, you asked this question.
 
So, based on all the above, I took a short length of right-handed rope and twisted the left hand end.  If the lay is tightened, the left hand, short part, naturally loops over the standing end.  If the lays is loosened by the twist in the opposite direction the short end goes behind the standing leg.  Try it.  The opposite would of course be true for left-handed, shroud laid rope.  Based on all this, I decided to loop the short legs over to keep the lay of the rope tight, but I could easily be convinced that the opposite was done.
 
So, I would say:  Toss up.
 
Great question.  Thanks,
 
Ed
 
Later edit: substitute cable-laid for shroud laid in above text.

Well, it has been a long time.  I wish I could say I've made tons of progress, but it has been a crazy few months.
 
Back in January, I was on a roll.  After finishing the winch assembly, I jumped right into chain plates.  The Bluenose has 20 chain plates, so I decided to prepare them all at once.  I cut strips of brass and made a jig to help my get the holes drilled on my little Proxxon drill press.  
 

This worked really well, and very quickly I had 20 brass strips with decent looking holes and filed tips.
 

 
These were then painted black, and I started the process of installing them.  This required drilling some holes in the main rail and creating a 'slot', being careful to make sure I stayed on the outside of the bulwarks.  I attached the deadeyes (after staining them) using wire.  I got through all 10 on the quarter deck.
 

This all happened within a few days of my last post.  Before starting in on the chain plates for the fore deck, I decided to take a week off.  Then disaster struck.
 
We have a service that comes and cleans every other week.  For years, they have cleaned around my work bench.  This time, they decided to actually clean my work bench.  The remaining 10 chain plates were lost.  I'm guessing they got 'wiped' onto the floor and vacuumed up.  This was incredibly demotivating, and I decided to take another week or two off.
 
Fast forward a few weeks, and we were starting a remodel of our house.  This included all new floors (I've wanted to replace the carpet in my office/ship-building-room for a while so I stop losing tiny pieces in the carpet).  Since they needed to replace all the floors, I had to pack up my entire workbench for over a month.  The ship was carefully wrapped up to protect it from dust (our entire house was covered in dust for weeks), and stored in one of the 2 rooms that wasn't being touched - a bathroom.  It was a little unnerving to have my ship sitting in a bathtub for weeks, but it survived.  I decided to hold off on starting the build back up until ALL the remodeling was done in order to avoid issues with dust.  The whole process took about 2 months.
 
So finally, today, I have everything set back up.  The workbench is unpacked.  Power tools (mill, drill press, scroll saw) are back in my make-shift shop (a walk in closet in my office).  I'm ready to dive back in and re-make those 10 chain plates.
 
During this break, I crossed the 1 year mark on my build.  I thought I'd be further along by now, but I've kept detailed notes on my progress and I see where the time went.  Since future builders of the Bluenose may stumble across this build log, here's how the last year went:
 
Build started April 1, 2016. Framing (keel, rabbet, bulkheads, fairing, stern blocks) - 16 days. Planking the lower hull (up to the deck) - 28 days. Planking the bulwarks, scrapers, transom - 11 days. Planking the deck - 24 days. Cleaning up the hull (hawse pipes, mooring chocks, etc) - 6 days. Painting the hull - 68 days. Rails (main rail, buffalo rail, monkey board) - 34 days. Hull details (rudder, name plates, scroll work) - 41 days. Deck structures (cabins, hatches, companionways, etc) - 28 days. Aft deck details - 4 days Fore deck details - 4 days Machinery (engine box, countershaft, windlass, hoisting, etc) - 31 days  
The first big stall came with painting, which took over 2 months, mostly driven by waiting a week or so between coats.  The second big stall has been my chain plate disaster/remodel.  
 
So, here I am, 1 year into this build, ready to dive back in.  I have just a few things to knock out (chain plates, anchors, dories) before I start building the masts, which obviously leads to rigging.  My best guess right now is that I have 8-12 months left.
 
I'm excited to finally be able to work on the ship again, and I look forward to being able to post an actual update with progress!
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 206 – Lower Shrouds
 
The two gangs of lower fore shrouds were made in the last part and were ready for the deadeyes to be turned in.  I used the fixture shown in the first picture to position the shrouds at a uniform height and to hold things in place for putting on the seizings.
 

 
The fixture is made from a thin (1/32") sheet of hardwood.  It is drilled to allow the two lower lanyard holes in each deadeye to be threaded with wire to hold the parts in place.  Wire at the bottom of the fixture is used to anchor the fixture to the channel deadeye straps as shown below.
 

 
In the picture the first shroud pair on the port side has been seated over the first starboard pair, not shown, at the mast head.  Those two opposite shrouds were secured first.  The next picture shows the first port shroud wrapped around its deadeye and the throat seizing being put on.
 
 
 
The short end of this shroud will be forward on this (port) side – aft on the other side.  Some will no doubt observe that this is opposite the orientation on ships with cable-laid, i.e. left-handed, shrouds of the type used in, for example, the Royal Navy.  I might also note that looping the short end forward and in front of the standing shroud is the way the rope would naturally loop if twisted "with the lay" – another opposite with right-handed rope.  Twisting in this direction helped keep water out.  Stay tuned.  There is more of this minutiae later.
 
This first served shroud is the most difficult to fit due to its stiffness.  The next picture shows frapping turns being placed on the second seizing using a needle.
 

 
Alligator clips are most useful in holding rigging.  They are light, small, and grip tightly.  Note that some of my serving is unravelling in the picture because I cut it prematurely – before applying some glue.  The next picture shows the gang of six lower shrouds on the starboard side. 
 

 
The excess seizing threads have been clipped off and the rope ends, as well as the seizings, have been wetted with darkened glue.  The port side work is still in progress.  In the next picture, both fixtures have been detached from the channels and the lanyard has been reeved on the #1 shroud on the starboard side.
 
 
 
The lanyard is 5¼" rope, laid up from three strands of No. 60 linen thread and dyed with walnut extract stain.  The excess lanyard will be wound over the shroud and seized after all twelve shrouds are finally tensioned and the sheer poles lashed on.
 
Next time.
 
Ed
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 205 – Making Lower Shrouds
 
Before getting into making shrouds, I completed one more chore that has been on my mind for a while.  The brass poop rail was becoming more tarnished by the day, so considering that it was losing its shiny appeal and that the original was probably iron, I decided to paint the rail white.  See the first picture.
 

 
I decided on white based on the photo taken at San Francisco.  After degreasing with acetone, the rail was painted with gloss white enamel – two coats, slightly thinned.
 
The lower fore shrouds shown in the following pictures are 10½" rope, laid up from three strands of Barbour Irish linen thread.  An adequate discussion of rope making, cotton vs. linen, and size matching is beyond the scope of this log, but I have been working on a description for Volume III.  My rope making "machinery" and process has undergone major development since my first efforts 20+ years ago – but is, of course, still not perfect.  For dimensional reasons and the difficulty in making good four-strand rope without a central core, the shrouds are three-strand, even though four-strand was typically used for these.  They are also right-handed, in keeping with American practice at the time.
 
Shrouds were made in pairs that were looped over the mast head, starting with the forward starboard pair, followed by that pair on the port side and continuing in that way.  In the first picture, the third starboard pair has been cut to length, looped over the mast and is being marked at the ends of its served length – at the futtocks - with a white pencil.
 

 
The shroud was then removed and transferred to the serving machine as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Before putting tension on the rope, needles were inserted through the rope at the white marks so serving thread could be pulled through to help secure each end.  Starting at the right, after pulling the thread through, the rope was then served, initially over the thread end, then up to the second needle which was threaded and pulled through to complete the joint at the second end.  In the next picture, an earlier served shroud has been looped over the mast and is being marked at what will be the top of the seizing to show the extent of the outer parceling that was used as an added protection against damp in the closely packed bights.
 

 
With the shroud stretched between two vises, white PVA glue was applied and the shroud wrapped with strips of tissue, working from each end toward the center as shown below.
 

 
The white PVA dries softer than Titebond making it easier to loop the shrouds later.  After wrapping, the shroud was looped over the mast until the glue dried.  The parceling was then painted with artist's acrylic paint.  After the first coat dried, the seizing was put on as shown below.
 

 
The last picture shows both gangs of shrouds looped over the fore mast head. 
 
 
 
An alligator clip is holding the final pair while the parceling glue dries.  After seizing and painting this pair, the shrouds will be ready for the deadeyes at the lower ends to be turned in.
 
Ed

Thank you, Jack.  The photo store comment was a bit of gallows humor lamenting the loss of actual stores like that.  We are as guilty as any, with UPS and Fedex drivers wearing a path to our front door almost daily.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 204 – Tops and Futtock Shroud Wrap-up
 
I am happy to be finished with the dust case and to resume the model work.  The completion of the three mast assemblies with their pre-erection detailing, including their futtock shrouds, required just a bit more work and is now complete.  The first two pictures show the mizzen top with its futtock shrouds installed.
 

 
As mentioned earlier, these shrouds are served, fitted with brass thimbles at both ends, hooked to the deadeye straps at the top and secured to eyes on the mast band with lashings.  The futtocks are 4 1/2" rope (5 ¼" on the main and fore), spun from three strands of linen thread, right-handed.  The rope was dyed black with diluted India ink.  Making these was described earlier in Part 196.
 

 
The last task on the lower mizzen mast was fitting of the mast coat at the base.  This is shown in the next picture.
 

 
The next picture shows the model with the three completed lower masts fitted – still temporarily.
 

 
The next step will be to make the lower shrouds.  The next picture shows numbers 1 and 2 on the fore mast, port side, looped temporarily over the mast head.
 

 
These two will actually go over the corresponding starboard pair.  In each case the #1 shroud is served over its full length.  The serving on #2 extends down to the futtocks as it will do on all the other shrouds.  Parcelling has been wrapped over the serving around the mast head down to the top of the seizing, but has not yet been "tarred."  More on all this in the next post.
 
 
Ed

There is more to pins than simply belaying though, pins are also used to ease lines under strain. Let's say you have a eight hundred pound load on a line belayed on a pin. You want to lower the load six feet then belay it again at a height above the deck with the line still holding the weight.  One person can do this singlehanded even though it may have taken six or more sailors to initialy raise the load. The sailor takes the First of the three turns off the top and bottom of the pin and holds the line tight then pauses to observe. Did the line start to creep around the pin? If he or she takes the second of three turns off, the line may start to creep on its own around the pin, the weight it's holding being so great, and this is what the sailor wants, but he or she wants to CONTROL the speed at which the line creeps or renders around the pin. The line starts to render slowly so the sailor has time in which to act. Maybe the two remaining turns are still providing enough friction to hold the line in place? But the sailor WANTS to lower the eight hundred pound load so he NEEDS the line to render so they have to remove more friction. He or she then takes a turn off the top or bottom of the pin, again keeping the line in their hands tight between them and the pin.now the friction the belay had provided has been reduced by more than half and the line does start to render around the pin, the sailor feels it moving in his or her hands and can see and hear it too. The weight above begins to lower toward the deck. But the sailor can control the speed at which the line eases off the pin by taking off or putting back on the turns AND by adjusting the angle the line takes from their hands to the pin. The sailors muscle power is the determining factor in how fast the line eases at this point, but the sailor has first managed the friction the pin provides so that the forces involved are comfortably within their muscles ability to control the line. It's all a matter of observation and judgment on the part of the sailor. It NEVER takes two or more people to ease on a pin, regardless of the weight of the load.
Often the order is to simply cast off the line and "let it run". In this case the sailor makes sure the coil is free to run and quickly takes all three turns off the pin in quick succession and the coil runs out on its own. Note that in All these descriptions the pin itself never moves. It doesn't even rotate in its hole as the crossing turns always oppose the rotating tendancy even when the line is under tremendous strain. Nobody ever pulls a pin out as a way of freeing up a line or letting it run. Note also that in nearly everything I've said above, the two horns of a cleat could be substituted, the operation for handling a line on a pin is exactly the same for the use of line on a cleat, from line as thin as a signal halyard up to the size of a dock line.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.  Fabric seems a logical choice.  I did not consider this because I did not want the weave as a photo backdrop.  I take so many pictures for the blog and the books that I do not want to tinker with getting the backdrop out of focus on each shot.  I take almost all at maximum depth of field.   Also, fabric collects dust and is not impervious to fine sanding dust that is ever present in my combination shipyard/woodworking shop.  The corners need to be inconspicuous , but the side panels must be easily removable to work on the model, so wrapping clothing over the inside corners won't work.   The idea I had for paper corners did not work as well as I had hoped.  Fabric must also be stretched to avoid wrinkles, so the frames would need to be heavier to keep straight and seal at the sides.  I used foam board for the Victory case, which, unfortunately is too small for this model.  It is durable, can easily be wiped down, can be fit tightly at the corners, and, I hope, the center seams on the large (60" x 38") side panels can be masked in some way.  So, I always had a solution, but thought I could go cheap with that large roll of paper on hand.  Never works.  I also confess to perhaps overthinking the problem - something I'm good at.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 202 – More of the same - Tops
 
Seeing pictures of Young America's tops may be getting tedious, but repetition is the soul of ship modeling, so I will show some more.  There is not much else to do at this stage.  First are the six mizzen top deadeyes, almost ready to be installed.
 
 
 
These are 8" (~.11" in diameter) – not the smallest.  There are some 6".  These were dyed, finished with Tung oil, and then drilled.  This keeps the heavy soak in oil from clogging holes.  In the picture they have just dried after dipping in LOS with their straps attached.  They will get a light buffing with Tung before being fitted.  I've tried different sequences.  This seems to be the best.
 
The next picture shows these - after some more finishing - installed in the rim of the top.
 

 
The top and mast head have been trimmed out with bands, eyebolts, topmast fid plates, and chafing battens.  The next picture is a view from astern.
 
 
 
And finally, the full lower mast from above.
 
 
 
The next picture shows the foretop with the roughed-out mast cap fitted. 
 
 
 
These are coming up on the agenda.  They have some interesting ironwork for the lower topsail yard fittings and for the lower yard topping lift block fastenings.
 
All is at a bit of a standstill however, as the shipyard has become a woodworking shop for a few days as may be seen below.
 

 
These are the frames for the dust case mentioned in an earlier post.  It will also serve as an ever-present photo background for the rigging work.  Its turning into one of those projects that lasts, because of trying to do it on the cheap.  The wood is scrap from my collection – not a problem – but the plan was to use less expensive photo background paper over it, instead of the foam board I used on Victory – until one newly papered frame got punctured leaning against a not-too-sharp corner and a floor broom tipped over and fell through one.  Foam board is on order ($50).  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

As I have used this technique on virtually all my models made over the last couple of decades, I may be allowed a couple of comments :
 
Not sure what scale you are working in, but 'bond' paper seems to be rather heavy even though it would be a good quality of paper. I would rather go for something as thin as possible.
 
If I wanted to stich-on the bolt-rope (I never worked in scale, where this would be possible physically), I would use the thinnest fly-tying yarn I could get holds of (something like 18/0 and perhaps even split it).
 
The reef-points are actually held in place by stiched-on crown-splices on both sides of the sail. These can be simulated by two figure-of-eight- or over-hand-knots that are pulled very close to the sail.
 
Not sure, whether 'dafi' presented his technique (already) in this Forum, but for his 1:96 scale HMS VICTORY he developed a three-layer technique using self-adhesive tapes as used by book-restorers to (almost) invisibly patch up ripped pages. Strips of that paper-tape are pasted from both sides onto a backing of very fine silk weave ('silk-span') to create the effect of the sail-panels. This composite can be crumbled and creased to give a realistic cloth effect and when stitching-on the bolt-rope the silk-weave prevents the edges from ripping out. Interesting technique, but I have not yet used it myself.

Thanks for the demonstration, Eric.  Now there is yet another possibility to consider. I like the construction method that follows actual practice this closely.
 
Bob

Thanks for the demonstration, Eric.  Now there is yet another possibility to consider. I like the construction method that follows actual practice this closely.
 
Bob

Thanks for the demonstration, Eric.  Now there is yet another possibility to consider. I like the construction method that follows actual practice this closely.
 
Bob

Part III: Adding reef points
 
Reef points add a lot of visual interest to sails, and they're easy to add in the paper-sail method.
 

The reef bands were glued on in Part I. Where to place the reef points is something of an uncertain topic; I found references for a variety of options, including one point on each seam, one point within each panel, and two points within each panel. I chose to use the first approach. Because the paper layers were extra thick here, due to the seam and reef bands, I used a small drill bit to open up a hole rather than trying to drive a needle through.
 
For the reef points, I cut a series of rigging rope a bit longer than I needed. I wanted my reef points 2 scale feet long, so I cut the rope 5' long to allow for trimming, then used a deadeye/block threader to run each line through the sail. The threader creates a strong crimp in the line, so I tried to center each line in the threader before pulling it back through; the crimp then becomes a natural reference point holding the line in place where it passes through the sail.
 

When all the lines for a given band were threaded, I clamped a piece of wood across the sail 2 scale feet below the reef band as a reference marker. You can get the length right here in two ways: either trim each line to the right length relative to the crimp, or don't worry about the crimp and pull each one back through the sail until only 2' are left on the side you're working on. I then used a fine brush to gently apply a bit of glue to a line, then pressed it into place on the sail with its tip against the wood. You only have to hold the line in place for maybe 10-15 seconds for the glue to take hold, before moving on to the next one. I like to get glue from the tip to about 2/3 to the sail, not all the way to the sail. This means the line naturally bows out a bit where it comes out of the sail, giving it some 3D texture. Don't overdo the glue or you'll get weird stains on the paper. Also, don't worry about trying to get each line perfectly straight; they're going to want to curve this way and that, and buckle a bit, and that's exactly what you want because that really makes them look like loose lines dangling down. You want just enough glue to hold them relatively flat so they look like gravity is working. If you glue them too flat or perfect, they'll look glued on and artificial.
 

Once one side is done, it looks something like the image above. Then you just turn the sail over, clamp the wood at 2' again, trim the remaining lines to length, and glue them in the same way.
 

If there is more than one reef band, do the upper one first, since you're overall working on the lower side. Above, you see the same process being repeated for a lower line of reef points.
 

And here are the two completed lines of reef points. They have a nice randomness that looks like loosely dangling lines. Note that, once again, I slightly messed up this demonstration by not cutting the upper line of reef points quite evenly (they're too short on the left). It figures that my demonstration sail would be the sloppiest of any I've made so far, but I hope the idea comes across. And, as above, this sort of things fades away when the sail is placed in the full context of a rigged model.
 
I'm quite happy with this method. I've now made all six of the sails for my topsail schooner this way and feel that they have a strong visual interest and a realistic (if not perfectly accurate) appearance. Moreover, the method uses cheap material that's easy to work with, and requires no special skills other than some patience and care when handling glued paper. It's easy to test on random scraps first before trying a full sail, and it's easy to customize. For example, you could skip the panels and just use a full sheet of paper, or skip the boltropes, and still use the rest of the approach to have a nice sail that holds it shape and can even be shaped to hold a curve. I hope others find some or all of this interesting and useful as a different way to produce interesting sails for nautical models. Thanks for reading.