EdT

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 317 – Upper Yards - Main
 
On the fore upper yards, I attached most of the rigging, including the long lines of running rigging, to the yards before erecting the assembly of the pole mast with the royal and skysail yards mounted.  This was a bit of a mess, due to of the number of lines and also because many needed to be coiled to avoid tangle.  This left some kinked and fuzzy.  For the main upper yards pictured below, only the standing rigging, and not all of that, was attached at the bench.
 

 
In the picture, the royal stay and royal backstays go down at the bottom of the picture.  Standing lifts were installed over a grid to help level them.  I noticed later the missing footropes on the skysail.  These will have to be fitted later on the model.  Can't wait.  The next picture shows the above assembly erected on the mast.
 
 
Despite best efforts at the bench, the port, royal standing lift had to be removed and installed in place to level the yard.  Some loose ends need to be clipped off and the wire sheet chains are still on the loose.  The next picture is closer.
 
 
The next step was to run the falls from the two skysail sheet chains dangling below the center of the royal yard.  That has been completed in the next picture.
 
 
The upper arrow points to one of the skysail sheets.  These run all the way down to the main deck, passing through fairleads in the main top.  After belaying, these lines get a lot of tension adjustment to pull down evenly on the yard and make the standing lifts – lower arrow – taut.  To do this, I pull down on the fall with tweezers above the pin, then haul on the loose end.  No glue on the belaying point until all the lines are run and adjusted.  The next picture shows the fore and main upper masts.
 
 
The height of these masts is impressive – the main extends 180 feet above the deck.  The fore royal stay has been run in this picture.  The tension between that and the two backstays sets the straightness of the mast.  The last picture shows the lower end of the main royal stay.
 
 
The 4 1/2" stay descends from the upper left corner of the photo through a bullseye strapped to the main topmast head.  The loose ends of the splice between the masts have not yet been clipped off.  The free end of the stay is clamped taut above the picture so the seizings may be tied at the lower end where it is fastened to an eyebolt under the leathered stays.  The gang of stays and shrouds made this a difficult connection.  I had to resort to a hook to the barely reachable eyebolt.  A shackle on this would have made life easier, but too late for that.  Drawing/Rigging List revision is pending for those that follow.  An alternative sometimes used was to strap an eye to the top forward stay collar, but this would have had to be done before setting the collar.
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 315 – More Yard ironwork
 
So, except for a few parral straps and the unfortunate mizzen skysail yard, all the remaining yards are now made and fitted with their ironwork.  This post describes the final steps in completing those yards.
 
On the largest yards, the yardarm bands were fit over the arms then drilled for their eyebolts – usually two or three on each.  With the smaller yards, this drilling into the wood weakens the yard arm, so prefabricated bands with soldered-in eyebolts were made for these.  I believe I described some of the fabrication steps in earlier posts, but the first picture shows one of these being drilled.
 

The first two holes were drilled through, and fitted with a pin to help set the piece in the vise with the side holes horizontal - for drilling the third hole.  The copper tube used here was a very tight fit over the arm and was also filed around the outside to reduce its thickness.  The next picture shows two eyebolts set into a tube with solder paste applied.
 

After soldering, the bolt excess on the inside was removed out with an abrasive bit and a round file.  The tube was then set in the vise to saw off the band.
 

The band is held with pliers to prevent its flying or dropping to the floor when it is parted.  Searching for these small, dropped parts is a major annoyance.  A better method for this is to insert a length of wire into the tube above the saw blade when it is almost cut through to retain the loose piece.  The next, rather poor photo, shows one of the smallest of these bands fit to its yard.
 

This is a tight fit.  The sheave in this yard remains to be carved out.
 
The lower, upper topsail, and topgallant yards on the fore and main masts carry studdingsail booms for the top, topgallant and royal studdingsails, respectively.  In this final set of yards only the main topgallant required these.  The fabrication of the gear was described in an earlier post, but a few pictures of the work on the last of these is shown below.  In the first picture the strap that reinforces the yardarm is being filed out of a copper strip.
 

This is then bent to fit around the arm and the legs clipped to size.
 

The bands are then held entirely by tight-fitting rings pushed over the end of the yard.  The rings shown were cut from tube, then stretched with the small steel mandrel for a tight fit.  The next picture of an earlier yard shows the band assembly and the other boom gear.
 

The main topgallant yard with all it major ironwork is shown in the next picture.
 

At this stage the jackstay stanchions – 28 gauge twisted copper wire eyes – were pushed into the holes previously drilled in the yards.  The tightness of the fit in the .024" holes has proved sufficient, except on the small diameter yards where some additional holding power is needed.  To avoid interfering with blackening, no glue has been used on the yards.  The next picture shows the stanchions on a small yard pushed through, clipped off, and then peened on the underside.
 

In this step the pliers hold the eye of the stanchion and act as an anvil for the light tapping of the hammer. No, this is not how the mizzen skysail yard was broken.  With these installed, the ironwork on the yards was blackened and the remaining minor fittings added.  The final set of yards is shown in the next picture.
 

The ironwork was blackened with liver of sulfur solution brushed liberally over the yard, followed by progressive rinsing under a cold water tap.  When thoroughly dry, the blackened brass jackstays were pushed through the stanchions. Other inserted eyes and the sheet blocks were then glued in with CA and a light final finish of wipe-on polyurethane applied over wood and metal.   In the picture the lower three yards are the main topgallant, royal and skysail yards.  Those above are the mizzen yards from the upper topsail to the royal.  These yards are now ready to be rigged and mounted.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 315 – More Yard ironwork
 
So, except for a few parral straps and the unfortunate mizzen skysail yard, all the remaining yards are now made and fitted with their ironwork.  This post describes the final steps in completing those yards.
 
On the largest yards, the yardarm bands were fit over the arms then drilled for their eyebolts – usually two or three on each.  With the smaller yards, this drilling into the wood weakens the yard arm, so prefabricated bands with soldered-in eyebolts were made for these.  I believe I described some of the fabrication steps in earlier posts, but the first picture shows one of these being drilled.
 

The first two holes were drilled through, and fitted with a pin to help set the piece in the vise with the side holes horizontal - for drilling the third hole.  The copper tube used here was a very tight fit over the arm and was also filed around the outside to reduce its thickness.  The next picture shows two eyebolts set into a tube with solder paste applied.
 

After soldering, the bolt excess on the inside was removed out with an abrasive bit and a round file.  The tube was then set in the vise to saw off the band.
 

The band is held with pliers to prevent its flying or dropping to the floor when it is parted.  Searching for these small, dropped parts is a major annoyance.  A better method for this is to insert a length of wire into the tube above the saw blade when it is almost cut through to retain the loose piece.  The next, rather poor photo, shows one of the smallest of these bands fit to its yard.
 

This is a tight fit.  The sheave in this yard remains to be carved out.
 
The lower, upper topsail, and topgallant yards on the fore and main masts carry studdingsail booms for the top, topgallant and royal studdingsails, respectively.  In this final set of yards only the main topgallant required these.  The fabrication of the gear was described in an earlier post, but a few pictures of the work on the last of these is shown below.  In the first picture the strap that reinforces the yardarm is being filed out of a copper strip.
 

This is then bent to fit around the arm and the legs clipped to size.
 

The bands are then held entirely by tight-fitting rings pushed over the end of the yard.  The rings shown were cut from tube, then stretched with the small steel mandrel for a tight fit.  The next picture of an earlier yard shows the band assembly and the other boom gear.
 

The main topgallant yard with all it major ironwork is shown in the next picture.
 

At this stage the jackstay stanchions – 28 gauge twisted copper wire eyes – were pushed into the holes previously drilled in the yards.  The tightness of the fit in the .024" holes has proved sufficient, except on the small diameter yards where some additional holding power is needed.  To avoid interfering with blackening, no glue has been used on the yards.  The next picture shows the stanchions on a small yard pushed through, clipped off, and then peened on the underside.
 

In this step the pliers hold the eye of the stanchion and act as an anvil for the light tapping of the hammer. No, this is not how the mizzen skysail yard was broken.  With these installed, the ironwork on the yards was blackened and the remaining minor fittings added.  The final set of yards is shown in the next picture.
 

The ironwork was blackened with liver of sulfur solution brushed liberally over the yard, followed by progressive rinsing under a cold water tap.  When thoroughly dry, the blackened brass jackstays were pushed through the stanchions. Other inserted eyes and the sheet blocks were then glued in with CA and a light final finish of wipe-on polyurethane applied over wood and metal.   In the picture the lower three yards are the main topgallant, royal and skysail yards.  Those above are the mizzen yards from the upper topsail to the royal.  These yards are now ready to be rigged and mounted.
 
 
Ed

I never use emoticons, Druxey, but I attempted it to show my comment on the likes was in jest - a wink and a smile.  All sympathy is appreciated - humor helps as well.
 
Tom, I dug up a photo showing the octagonal mandrel.  When using this to stretch an octagonal ring, the octagon should be formed on the mandrel before stretching.  Except for the piece on the left, these are all hard maple.  If I anticipated many more years of modeling, I would make these in brass, or perhaps just a harder wood, like box.  Also, the tapers need to be very gradual.  The diameter of the 12" long octagonal mandrel goes from about 3/32" to 3/8" at the large end.  The large one on the right was used for mast rings.
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 315 – More Yard ironwork
 
So, except for a few parral straps and the unfortunate mizzen skysail yard, all the remaining yards are now made and fitted with their ironwork.  This post describes the final steps in completing those yards.
 
On the largest yards, the yardarm bands were fit over the arms then drilled for their eyebolts – usually two or three on each.  With the smaller yards, this drilling into the wood weakens the yard arm, so prefabricated bands with soldered-in eyebolts were made for these.  I believe I described some of the fabrication steps in earlier posts, but the first picture shows one of these being drilled.
 

The first two holes were drilled through, and fitted with a pin to help set the piece in the vise with the side holes horizontal - for drilling the third hole.  The copper tube used here was a very tight fit over the arm and was also filed around the outside to reduce its thickness.  The next picture shows two eyebolts set into a tube with solder paste applied.
 

After soldering, the bolt excess on the inside was removed out with an abrasive bit and a round file.  The tube was then set in the vise to saw off the band.
 

The band is held with pliers to prevent its flying or dropping to the floor when it is parted.  Searching for these small, dropped parts is a major annoyance.  A better method for this is to insert a length of wire into the tube above the saw blade when it is almost cut through to retain the loose piece.  The next, rather poor photo, shows one of the smallest of these bands fit to its yard.
 

This is a tight fit.  The sheave in this yard remains to be carved out.
 
The lower, upper topsail, and topgallant yards on the fore and main masts carry studdingsail booms for the top, topgallant and royal studdingsails, respectively.  In this final set of yards only the main topgallant required these.  The fabrication of the gear was described in an earlier post, but a few pictures of the work on the last of these is shown below.  In the first picture the strap that reinforces the yardarm is being filed out of a copper strip.
 

This is then bent to fit around the arm and the legs clipped to size.
 

The bands are then held entirely by tight-fitting rings pushed over the end of the yard.  The rings shown were cut from tube, then stretched with the small steel mandrel for a tight fit.  The next picture of an earlier yard shows the band assembly and the other boom gear.
 

The main topgallant yard with all it major ironwork is shown in the next picture.
 

At this stage the jackstay stanchions – 28 gauge twisted copper wire eyes – were pushed into the holes previously drilled in the yards.  The tightness of the fit in the .024" holes has proved sufficient, except on the small diameter yards where some additional holding power is needed.  To avoid interfering with blackening, no glue has been used on the yards.  The next picture shows the stanchions on a small yard pushed through, clipped off, and then peened on the underside.
 

In this step the pliers hold the eye of the stanchion and act as an anvil for the light tapping of the hammer. No, this is not how the mizzen skysail yard was broken.  With these installed, the ironwork on the yards was blackened and the remaining minor fittings added.  The final set of yards is shown in the next picture.
 

The ironwork was blackened with liver of sulfur solution brushed liberally over the yard, followed by progressive rinsing under a cold water tap.  When thoroughly dry, the blackened brass jackstays were pushed through the stanchions. Other inserted eyes and the sheet blocks were then glued in with CA and a light final finish of wipe-on polyurethane applied over wood and metal.   In the picture the lower three yards are the main topgallant, royal and skysail yards.  Those above are the mizzen yards from the upper topsail to the royal.  These yards are now ready to be rigged and mounted.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 315 – More Yard ironwork
 
So, except for a few parral straps and the unfortunate mizzen skysail yard, all the remaining yards are now made and fitted with their ironwork.  This post describes the final steps in completing those yards.
 
On the largest yards, the yardarm bands were fit over the arms then drilled for their eyebolts – usually two or three on each.  With the smaller yards, this drilling into the wood weakens the yard arm, so prefabricated bands with soldered-in eyebolts were made for these.  I believe I described some of the fabrication steps in earlier posts, but the first picture shows one of these being drilled.
 

The first two holes were drilled through, and fitted with a pin to help set the piece in the vise with the side holes horizontal - for drilling the third hole.  The copper tube used here was a very tight fit over the arm and was also filed around the outside to reduce its thickness.  The next picture shows two eyebolts set into a tube with solder paste applied.
 

After soldering, the bolt excess on the inside was removed out with an abrasive bit and a round file.  The tube was then set in the vise to saw off the band.
 

The band is held with pliers to prevent its flying or dropping to the floor when it is parted.  Searching for these small, dropped parts is a major annoyance.  A better method for this is to insert a length of wire into the tube above the saw blade when it is almost cut through to retain the loose piece.  The next, rather poor photo, shows one of the smallest of these bands fit to its yard.
 

This is a tight fit.  The sheave in this yard remains to be carved out.
 
The lower, upper topsail, and topgallant yards on the fore and main masts carry studdingsail booms for the top, topgallant and royal studdingsails, respectively.  In this final set of yards only the main topgallant required these.  The fabrication of the gear was described in an earlier post, but a few pictures of the work on the last of these is shown below.  In the first picture the strap that reinforces the yardarm is being filed out of a copper strip.
 

This is then bent to fit around the arm and the legs clipped to size.
 

The bands are then held entirely by tight-fitting rings pushed over the end of the yard.  The rings shown were cut from tube, then stretched with the small steel mandrel for a tight fit.  The next picture of an earlier yard shows the band assembly and the other boom gear.
 

The main topgallant yard with all it major ironwork is shown in the next picture.
 

At this stage the jackstay stanchions – 28 gauge twisted copper wire eyes – were pushed into the holes previously drilled in the yards.  The tightness of the fit in the .024" holes has proved sufficient, except on the small diameter yards where some additional holding power is needed.  To avoid interfering with blackening, no glue has been used on the yards.  The next picture shows the stanchions on a small yard pushed through, clipped off, and then peened on the underside.
 

In this step the pliers hold the eye of the stanchion and act as an anvil for the light tapping of the hammer. No, this is not how the mizzen skysail yard was broken.  With these installed, the ironwork on the yards was blackened and the remaining minor fittings added.  The final set of yards is shown in the next picture.
 

The ironwork was blackened with liver of sulfur solution brushed liberally over the yard, followed by progressive rinsing under a cold water tap.  When thoroughly dry, the blackened brass jackstays were pushed through the stanchions. Other inserted eyes and the sheet blocks were then glued in with CA and a light final finish of wipe-on polyurethane applied over wood and metal.   In the picture the lower three yards are the main topgallant, royal and skysail yards.  Those above are the mizzen yards from the upper topsail to the royal.  These yards are now ready to be rigged and mounted.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

More of your excellent work Ed; that rigging looks really good - love the colour of your running rigging.  
 
cheers
 
Pat

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 316 – Rigging Continued
 
It has been more than a month since the last post, but work has been progressing.  Most of it is not too photo-worthy, however.  How many pictures of ratlines would be of interest?  The last picture in the last post showed the upper yards for the main and mizzen masts with their ironwork completed.  In the first picture below, some of these are shown with footropes added. 
 

 
The two on the left are the main royal and skysail yards.  The three on the right are the mizzen lower topsail, topgallant and royal.  The mizzen upper topsail seems to be AWOL someplace.  I have still not made the broken mizzen sky yard.   In the next picture the mizzen lower topsail is having a test fit on the mast.
 
 
In this picture the pivot arm of the mizzen lower yard truss has just been replaced – note the bright copper retaining ring - after the pin through the yoke broke while I was rattling the topmast shrouds.  The broken copper wire pin was replaced with stronger brass.  This was some tricky work to do in place. 
 
Not shown above is the main topgallant yard, which has now been erected and shown in the next picture.
 
 
The royal sheets that pass through the iron sheet block under the center of this have been run and belayed below.  The topgallant clew lines have been coupled to the sheet chains and also belayed.  These four lines serve to pull the yard downward.  However, I notice in this picture that those lines have relaxed tension on the port upper topsail standing lift, so some adjustment will be needed to straighten that out.  This is a normal part of the rigging process and is time consuming.
 
The last two pictures illustrate the problem of humidity changes discussed in some earlier posts.  The first picture shows the port main sail bowline as it has gone slack since the weather has turned cold – causing a drop in humidity.
 
 
These were installed in the early, warmer, more humid fall.  The next picture, without moving the camera, was taken less than one minute after wetting the line with clear water. 
 
 
The slack is completely gone.  The 3" line is long staple, crochet cotton, size 40.  It will sag again when dry.  This occurs mainly on long lines, cotton and linen.  I am testing treating the lines with some dilute polymer emulsion, either PVA or acrylic, to provide some moisture resistance and minimize this effect.  Stay tuned.
 
 
Ed