fnick

Hi Mates,
This current bit has caused me some stress. Did not quite know how to approach the idea of also adding the needed openings for boarding the ship (not a detail as part of the kit). But here is a work in progress update. Took several failed attempts to figure out how to proceed - do think that it will work out now 
PS: having second thoughts about the thickness of the inner bulwark planks - could be too thick hmmm? 
 
Cheers,
 

 

Update April 30 2019.
 
Can't be any happier. All sails have been fixed to yards and furled in position.
Now the actual rigging can start with shrouds and stays, etc.
 
Of course the yards look misaligned  Nothing is fixed yet!!!



 

 

 
A clean-up of this mess is in order to start the rigging process!!!

 
Thanks for watching. As always all comments are welcome.
 
 
 

Hi Ulises
 
Those furled sails are superb! Great job!
 
Nick

Hi Ulises
 
Those furled sails are superb! Great job!
 
Nick

Hi Ulises
 
Those furled sails are superb! Great job!
 
Nick

Hi Ulises
 
Those furled sails are superb! Great job!
 
Nick

Hi Ulises
 
Those furled sails are superb! Great job!
 
Nick

6  fresh photos

Small update, but more of a question.
 
Ok so Bowsprit, fore and main masts have been dressed with their respective sails... (so much for the update  )
 

Now the question:
 
I am ready to start work on the mizzen mast:
It is my understanding that ships with that large and inclined sail in the mizzen mast, did not carry a sail in the lower yardarm, because it would interfere with the operation of that slanted sail. Am I correct?
Would appreciate an educated answer. Thanks in advance!!!
 
 
 

Progress is very slow.  At least the lower and upper cheeks are finished.  This is how they have turned out.
 
I used pieces of 4x4mm strip to space the two cheeks.
 

 


 

 This is one of the hawse hole bolsters in position.  The kit supplied parts were of poor quality ply and consequently I made replacements.
 

The head rails are proving to be a nightmare.  I have decided to use a method similar to Joe V's and have spent two or three days making not much progress.

April 10 2019 update
 
Hello dear shipmates:
 
A small update regarding sail fixing and dressing:
 
Making of a parrel

 
Bowsprit and lower fore yard sails:

 
Fore mast and bowsprit completed

 

 
Some details worth showing

 

 

 
Largest sail and yardarm ready to start work

 
Please don't mind loose ropes, misaligned yards, etc... 
Remember nothing is definitely fixed at this moments, except maybe the sails to the yardarms.
 
Thanks for visiting, friends!!!
 
 
 
 

**A new home**
 
To all my friends, thank you for all the positive replies and feedback. I'm truly honoured and touched by your warm and loveing words. 
 
This weekend the ship was send to her latest location and placed in the living room at my parents place. They love it!!!
I made two people very happy. 
 

 

 

 
Peter

Hi.
 
Thanks Keith. Yes this is going together very quickly as there has been a lot of planning on how things will be constructed. Also lots of the timber has been pre milled ready for use.
 
Another update.
Lots of little bits made since the last post.
And main deck is complete. Was done in the two weeks as most of the timber was already prepared and milled.

 
The whipstaff steering was a new thing I have not encountered before.

 
Two pumps of this ship. The other one is on the other side of the ship and will not be visible.

 
Only 4 of these on each side of the ship.

 
The rigging for the guns ready made up.

 
 
Rudder and tiller arm. Copper will be blackened after making the opposite set of hinges (The ones that fit onto the ship).

 
Whipstaff area. This will also be blackened when finished.

 
I have lost count on the number of different timber types I have used so far. I like to mix the woods types to give a better contrast.

The next step will be to plank the exterior of the ship.  This will mean removing the ship from its jig and laying it onto a flat surface and clamping it as not to let it warp while doing the external planking.
I will use 3 different types of timber on the exterior planking.. Walnut, Ash, and Cherry.
 
Thanks for looking in.
Regards Antony.

Quick update.
Just for the sake of comparison:
Original color:

 
Stained color: (For some reason, they look much better in person. The actual color is a bit darker.)

 
Here you can see the first sail already sewed to the yardarm and furled.

 
 

Hello friends!
Update as of March 20 2019
Working on the chainwales. This has to be the most frustrating experience in my shipbuilding career!
 
Assembling the chains

 
Remember a few posts above I mentioned some errors in design like the placement of deadeyes directly in front of cannons?

 
I managed to fix that, but... design flaws made me do things I am not happy about.
I just could not:
1- Align the lower shrouds deadeyes to not interfere with the upper cannons line of sight, AND
2- Align the chains that attach the strops to the hull in a way that they do not interfere with the lower cannons line of sight, AND
3- Keep the same number of deadeyes/shrouds for each mast.
 

 

 

 
Anyway I just finished mounting the chaiwales. Good or wrong I am going to have to live with that!
 
Now working on the sails...
 
Original color:

 
Drying them after staining with a water based stain from a Guitar Products shop in UK.

 

 
Thank you all for watching.
 
 
This is a general view of how my ship looks at the moment.
 

The traversing tackle is now complete on one side and the other will be finished tomorrow. The result is adequate. I hope the shortcomings will be overshadowed by the various bits of deck furniture (most or all of which is finished).

 


 
 

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 319 – Running Rigging Continued
 
I keep looking at the model and thinking that it doesn't look a lot different than it did last month - considering the amount of time being spent on it.  All these pictures were taken today after a fairly major cleanup of the work area.  The first picture shows most of the model.
 
 
 
In the picture the rigging of the foremast is essentially finished except for the lower braces which are deferred for access reasons.  On the main mast all the lines are run and belayed at least initially, again except for braces.  The mizzen still lacks its four upper yards but these have been made and are ready for rigging.
 
The next picture shows the fore course sheets that were installed this week.
 
 
 
Again, these were deferred until now to permit access.  These large, 5" lines run from a shackled eyebolt on the outside of the sheer rail, then forward and up through the large block ganged with the clue garnet block, the tack and the lazy tack.  Finally they pass back through a bulwark sheave and are belayed to cleats on the deck.  The next picture may be clearer.
 

 
Without sails, the lines drape across the lower shrouds.  The tacks are the lines running forward to cleats on the catheads.  The lazy tacks angle aft and belay on the first pin on the main rack rails.  These were used to control the tack of the sail when the yard was being braced around – between the casting off of the sheet and the belaying of the tack – or vice versa.  The starboard tack may be seen belayed to its cleat on the cathead in the next picture.
 

 
This picture also shows the new lashing between the bullseyes on the martingale stay where it is shackled to the cathead.  This outer bowsprit standing rigging suffered damage during nearby work.  It should have been deferred.  The jibboom guys are still scheduled for replacement.
 
Further aloft, work on the fore upper yard braces has progressed.  The next picture shows the topgallant brace tackles between yard and stay pendants.
 
 
 
Tension on these will be relieved to normalize the stay.  Below this, the fore upper topsail braces have been run except for the falls, which are delayed to permit access to belaying points below.
 
The main spencer gaff has finally been mounted and rigged and is shown in the next picture.
 
 
 
 
The rigging on these consist of one standing lift and two vang pendants with tackles.  The tackles and belaying points on the side rails are out of this picture.
 
Rigging of the fore braces gets complex at the heads of the stays as seen in the next picture.
 
 
 
The tackle falls run through blocks seized to the stay then through blocks on the shrouds to direct them downwards without fouling.  Two sets of braces attach to this stay.  One level up it gets even more congested with the two upper sets of braces as well as the staysail halyard block.
 

 
Finally another view of the full model.
 

 
The two broken jibboom guy chains may be seen dangling from the boom waiting for replacement in this picture.
 
Approaching endgame.
 
Ed

Short update, but a big advancement...
 
I finally finished work on all the yardarms.
 
Here they are displayed over the drawings in their respective places, with all the blocks, rings and ropes called for in the plans/drawings.
 

 

 
I always try to avoid making knots, but if I must, I try at least to make them as aesthetically looking as possible.
 

 
I will start working on the chainwales, now that my replacement pieces have arrived!!!
 
Thanks for visiting, mates.
 

Hey Mark, sorry to hear about things.  Hope 2019 is treating you a little better.
 
Everyone is different, but for me, having multiple projects going on of various lengths works.  I find I get excited by a project, then eventually that enthusiasm dwindles, or I get stuck or feel overwhelmed.  Then things stop being fun and the project turns into a chore.  Having something else to turn to, even if it is a different pursuit, keeps my spirits elevated and i’m in a much better state of mind approaching whatever it is I’m working on.  
 
These long projects that run years do require a particular personality and mindset to get through I think.  That’s why having some short projects in the mix where the finish line is measured in days or weeks really helps.  I just started playing around with turning pens and am having a blast.  Turned a few pencils for my girls and I’m a hero to them.  I’ve also started looking at other things, including ships in bottles which take significantly less time to complete and you don’t have to worry about absolute perfection at such a small scale (especially when the glass provides some distortion).
 
I also think that coming to MSW and seeing the incredible artistry is mostly a blessing, but sometimes is a bit of a curse.  I get inspired for sure, but there are times when I feel like it becomes a lot of self imposed pressure to build the model at a high level.  For me it’s not that I would feel embarrassed to post my work, just that you come here and see what can be done and want to do the same.  In some ways it would be nice to just open a kit and build it from the box without really mentally torturing myself to get things perfect, historically accurate, etc.
 
Anyway, sorry for getting philosophical on this.  Take care of yourself my friend.  Looking forward to seeing whatever you end up doing.

Half of the torpedo net booms done. I added some light grey to the stays so you actually make them out. 

Nice work. Welcome back!
Nick

Hi - after a little break,all the ratlines are now done.  I have decided not to rat the topgallant shrouds.
 

 

 

 
Mark

Nice work. Welcome back!
Nick

Nice work. Welcome back!
Nick