Jeronimo

Young America - extreme clipper 1853
Part 283 – More on Ratlines
 
There have been some questions on splicing and lashing ratlines at this scale, so the process I use is outlined below in more detail than I usually put in these posts.
 
There are perhaps about 500 individual ratlines on the model.  For the past ten days or so, I have been working diligently to get caught up with these.  It is fairly easy, dull work but it can be a nightmare in the presence of other rigging - as I have learned while installing some on the fore mast after much of the surrounding rigging was in place.  Not a good idea.  At this stage I have settled on a process for this work that is described below.
 
The ratlines are 1½" rope, about .007" diameter at 1:72 scale.  I used No. 80 crocheting cotton for these, dyed with dilute India ink and de-fuzzed by passing twice through the flame of an alcohol burner.  The ends of each ratline have eye splices that are lashed to the outer shrouds, with clove hitches on the intermediate shrouds.  I used No. 100 mercerized cotton polyester thread for the lashings. 
 
One of the eye splices is put on each ratline at the workbench in batches of about 15 lines.  The first step is shown below.
 

 
A needle is passed through the ratline, then threaded and pulled through to form a loop.  This is then placed over a pin on the splicing fixture, pulled taut and touched with slightly dilute, darkened wood glue as shown in the next picture.
 

 
Both ends are held taut by pressing on two-faced carpet tape on the fixture.  When the glue has completely dried, the short end is cut off as shown below.
 

 
Small, sharp scissors seem to be best for this, cutting off the loose end and part of the hardened glue to simulate the shape of a splice.   Finished splices are shown in the next picture from an earlier post.
 

 
The spliced end is lashed to the outer shroud as shown in the next pictures.
 

 
The lashing is passed through the eye and around the shroud twice, then secured with an overhand knot.  When pulled tight the height may be adjusted by eye to set the correct uniform spacing.  Clove hitches are then used on the intermediate shrouds.
 
The next picture shows ratlines on the port lower mizzen shrouds.  The left lashing has been secured and the center clove hitch tied.  The remaining pictures show the method for forming and lashing the second eye splice.
 

 
In this picture the first of two passes of lashing thread is being looped over the ratline and around the right hand shroud.  An overhand knot is then tied, positioned and the ratline pulled through as shown in the next picture.
 

 
The ratline is then threaded on a needle that is passed through the ratline just inside the shroud as shown next.
 

 
The last picture shows the formed eye and the lashing being pulled tight.
 

 
The knots are wetted with dilute glue to keep them from loosening. The ends are clipped off short to avoid entanglements with following work.  When the glue has dried these ends are clipped off as close to the knot as possible.
 
Ed

Great recovery! Well done, Karl.

Really nice work Karl,  I especially like, and am impressed, that you were able to maintain a symmetrical and evenly spaced opening despite the tapering shape.
 
cheers
 
Pat

It seems you have solved it. Your effort was worth it. Congratulations!

Hello,
 
after I had to do some other things then shipbuilding, here now an update. I painted the under water ship.
 
Before I go on and build the upper part of the outside ship ready, I must build in the gun deck and made the inner walls smooth. But then the slots for the over head stand will get lost. So I painted it now.
 
In the first picture I made the water line horizontal.
 

 

 

 

Siggi,
the planking of your model ist just perfect ! (spitzenmässig )
I took this opportunity in looking back to the early stages of your hull-building and am mighty impressed of your build and your skills.....
 
Nils
 

Perfect Siggi.

Hello,
 
today I finished the lower counter. 
 

 

 
The only thing left here, is to cut the mortise for the gun port lid into the rail. 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hello Aviaamator,
 
at the rudder the pins where soldered just into the 90° bent of the arms 
 

 
and for the brace I bent a short piece of brass to an U and soldered it to the arms. Then I bored a hole, slightly larger then the pin, in it and ready. I hope that this was a help for you, even with my not so good english 
 

 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Hello,
Henry (matelot) is right with his statement.
The drawing of the plan by J.Boudriot is wrong.
I have to renew my grid-platform.
Karl
 

Hello Henry,
thank you for your information.
After some research in the Internet I also believe that the plan drawing
of the platform is not correct.
Yours sincerely
Karl
 
 

Hello everyone and thanks for the kind comments.
Karl
 
 
Part 20
 

Hello friends,
new pictures.
Karl
 
Part 19
 
 

 
 
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Hello Henry,
thank you for your information.
After some research in the Internet I also believe that the plan drawing
of the platform is not correct.
Yours sincerely
Karl
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Hello everyone and thanks for the kind comments.
Karl
 
 
Part 20
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21
 
 
 

Lattice platform newly built after the shape of the ship.
Plan drawing is wrong.
Karl
 
Teil 21