Geoff Matson

Hey Robin Go to any good gun shop and ask for( Birchwood Casey Brass Black Metal Finish). Works great and easy to use.

Ulises
 
Just came across your build and was greatly impressed with you rigging of the Vasa. Great Job!. I also have a Byrnes ropewalk and I am going to make all my rigging for the Constitution. I have been experimenting will all sorts of line. DMC, Guttermann, nylon, cotton, etc. I need to make some choices. I was wondering what material you used to make your line with? And also did you dye any of it and if so what stain did you use. Thanks.

+Thanks for the tip on the neeting. Looks like a real labor of love but the results were really woth the effort.

Harvey, if you have any questions I will be glad to help were I can. In Harold Hahns book (Ships of the American Revolution and their models) he gives some great information about making scale rope. Well worth the read.
 
In going over the Riggins sizes off the plans. The line goes form .005 all the way up to .049. About 21 different sizes. Most of them only .001 to .005 difference in sizes.
 
 
In the kit you have six sizes of black thread and three sizes of tan thread.
 
 
 
Here is what the kit says to do in reguards to Rigging line:
Kit Rigging Line
 
Because more line diameters are shown on the plan provided in the kit, use the following guide:
 
          Lines on Plan                                                              Lines in Kit
            Less than 0.009"                                                          0.005" thread
            0.009" to 0.015"                                                          0.008"
            0.016" to 0.026"                                                          0.021"
            0.027" to 0.036"                                                          0.028"
            0.037" to 0.046 "                                                         0.040"
            0.047" to 0.055"                                                          0.051"
 
To enhance the model's scale like appearance, use every available diameter or purchase more separately.
 
I plan on using the same guide lines but will make my own line. Basically .005,.008,.021,.028,.040,.051 out of DMC or Coats and Clark or some other material. I know you can go nuts over this so I am going to try to keep it as close as possible. I will be making some rigging cards showing what I came up with for my sizes. Will let you know what I came up with.

This is the way I did it.
 
microchisels
 
Bob

Good looking rigging Jim. As soon as I finish my yardarms I will ship my Conny over to you so you can rig her for me

The foot rests are a nice touch.

I finished the topgallent and royal yardarms
 

 
Here are all the yardarms.
 

 
 
Now on to the spritsail yard, spanker boom and spanker gaff.
 
 

Good move on your part. If it bothers you now it will bother you forever. The one thing I learned from this list is that there is no shame in doing things over. When you check out the scratch build logs you see a lot of great work on do overs. I am sure you Al San Francisco will turn out great

I finished with the top sail yards.
 

 

 

 
I did use smaller eyebolds and rods for the jackstays. I will folllow the same procedure the remaining yards. THe higher I go the smaller the eyebolds adn rods for the jack stays.
 
Now on to the top gallant and royals. The smalller the yards become it is more time consuming to shape the yards.
 

Rigging is looking great. Thanks for adding the other pictures.

Thanks for posting your build log. I am sure it will of great value to future Conny builders.

Thanks for posting your build log. I am sure it will of great value to future Conny builders.

Welcome Jim
 
Posting a build log is pretty easy. You will figure it out in no time. When I joined MSW, I started mine with the masting and rigging part. I know you are getting close to finishing her up start your post where ever you want. Glad to have you with us.

Looking good Harvey. Your Conny is going to be a impressive model when finished.

Jay
 
I figured you would use your grandchildrens Kinex and make a motorized one

I know modelers who have used black pin striping tape to simulate the rings on barrels. You could alwaysa use a little CA to back up the adheasive.

Jay
 
It sure is nice to have you blazing the trail on the masting and rigging. All your gotchas, and tips will make it easier for me to follow

This installment will also cover a wide area of work. The first is the quarter deck, which included a limited amount of planking; the hatches and gratings; the companionway ladder and railing; the skylight; the upper capstan; the breastwork; and various eyebolts.
 
Next was the stern, which included the transom; mounting of the rudder with it's hardware and chains; the rudder head housing, tiller, wheel and rigging; and the quarter badges. The kit transom didn't come close to that shown in TFFM, so I chose to scratch build something at  least similar to the book. The same was true for the quarter badges. With some work, I was able to use the kit's lantern parts and I also used the kit's castings, with some modification, for the transom carvings.
 
I then moved on to adding the main and mizzen channels, gun port lids, moldings, timberheads and blocks, swivel gun mounts and the quarter deck rail.
 
After that, I moved forward to do the forecastle. This included the catheads, some planking, the hatches and gratings, the belfry and breastwork, the galley cowl, the fore jeer and topsail sheet bitts and various eyebolts.
 
Lastly, I made and installed the fore timberheads and blocks, the fore channels, the fore swivel gun mounts and more moldings.
 
Bob

Wow  Now I actually know a moderator nice going

Everything is looking great. Nice progress.
 
Without a lathe or shopsmith here is all I need to make my yards
 

 
And yes maybe someday a lathe.

Everything is looking great. Nice progress.
 
Without a lathe or shopsmith here is all I need to make my yards
 

 
And yes maybe someday a lathe.

Chuck
 
Simply outstand work and craftsmanship on the blocks. I will be waiting for them to become available.

Thanks guys.
 
It sure is nice to have a group and future group of guys working on the Conny. That way you know help is just an email away

Thanks guys.
 
It sure is nice to have a group and future group of guys working on the Conny. That way you know help is just an email away