Glenn-UK

Foremast Work Slow Progress Due to more grandparent duties work on completing the foreyard has been very slow this week. After making the basic foreyard from the 8mm dowel, as detailed in my last post, I looked in Longridge's book. I noted that it is common to add an outer set of batten's to the octagonal central section. This is something I feel is worth adding. I had noted an additional batten is fitted along one edge, as shown in Longridge's book and this is also shown on Chris's plan sheet. I did have some suitable 3mm wide x 0.5mm thick planks which I was able to use to add the required battens to the central octagonal section (yellow arrow). It is not clear in the following photo but I did taper the octagonal batten ends, as shown in the Longridge picture. I used some 2mmW tape to simulate the iron banding, which will look OK when painted black. The two central cleats and 2mm batten (blue arrow) were then added. The foreyard is now ready to be painted black. I did make a school boy error by adding the 4 off end cleats. With these cleats in place it will be impossible to fit the inner stunsail boom irons. I will have to remove them carefully and refit them at a later stage.

The lathe is a great addition to have for making the yards.

Thoughts and Start of Making The Lower Foreyard Today I started work on making the lower foreyard. The foreyard is 380mm long and is manufactured from a length of 8mm diameter dowel. The central section is octagonal (7mmW) and either side is circular tapering from diameter 7mm down to 4.5mm. There are a few PE parts, cleats and blocks to add to the foreyard, once the foreyard has been made. After looking over the plan sheet I made a few notes for easy reference. I have been considering different options with regards to making the central octagonal section. My first thought was to use a length of square material which will assist greatly with making a nice looking octagonal section. I could then round off and taper either end in my proxxon lathe. I decided to put this method on the back burner for the time being. I also tested a method of making the required shape using my table circular saw. As can be seen in the next two photo's it did work to a degree. However when I tried the same method on a longer piece of dowel I realised this method was not going to be that successful. I decided it might be easier if I could make a simple jig. I added two 4mm high parts to a base plate. These were parts were positioned so the dowel was a snug fit and clamps can be used to stop any unwanted movement. I then used a needle file and a sanding block to add the flat edges. With the brackets being 4mmH meant I could draw lines along the midpoint of the dowel. I start the shaping process by making a 7mm x 7mm square shape. The drawn lines ensures it is easy to accurately rotate the dowel through 90 degrees. It is also easy to add a line so the holes can be drilled for the yard footrope stirrup. I find it easier and more accurate to add these holes prior to tapering the dowel. Once the octangle shaping was complete I added the first taper, using my proxoon lathe. I started by reducing the overall diameter from 8mm down to 7mm along the whole length. I then created the required taper checking the diameters for both the inner lower stunsail boom iron and lower stunsail boom end cap. As can be be seen in the final three photo's everything seems to be a good fit, noting they are only dry fitted. Inner Lower Stunsail Boom Iron and a Yard Footrope Stirrup Outer Lower Stunsail Boom Iron and Lower Stunsail Boom Iron Cap

Thanks, I think I need to remove and reshape it a bit to match the picture provided in Longridge's book

Looking good, great work

Thoughts On Adding Foreyard to Foremast As mentioned in a previous post I think it might be easier to secure the foreyard to the foremast before the stays and shrouds are rigged. The reasoning behind this is for ease of access and I know @ECK has done this with his Indy build. I plan to add the threads for the burton pendant, shrouds and stays to the mast before I add the mast cap but I will not rig the other ends so they can be kept out of the way whilst I rig the yard jeers, sling, truss pendants and nave lines. To help me fully understand the yard rigging process I have made the following notes. It has very interesting to work out the function of the various aspects of hoisting and securing a yard to the mast. Jeers The yards are hoisted up into position using the jeer block and tackles. Two double blocks are located on the yards, each situated either side of the mast. Two more triple blocks are seized to the figure of 8 wrapping around the mast (above the platform) and they hang down, so they are positioned below the platform but above the yards position. The rigging between these blocks then allows the yard to be lifted up in position. Once in position the free end(s) are belayed. Slings Once the yards have been raised to the required height, using the jeers, they are then supported by a sling arrangement. A loop is wrapped around the central point of the yard with a thimble. A second longer loop is wrapped around the mast cap with a thimble on the end. The two loops are then linked together with thread, via their respective thimbles. Truss Pendants Once the yard has been hoisted, using the jeer block and tackles, and held in place with the sling, truss pendant are used to keep the yard in place with the mast. The truss pendant comprises two parts, with each part located either side of the mast. Each pendant is a loop tied around the yard with a thimble on one end. With the yard in position the other end of each pendant is placed behind the mast and is then feed through the other pendants thimble before they are belayed to the deck via a block and tackle arrangement. Nave Line The nave line is used to hold the truss pendants in place. The nave block is located on the underside of the platform, centrally on the rear crosstree. The thread that passes through the nave block has a thimble on one end and the other end is belayed to the deck. A length of thread is passed through the thimble and each end is then secured to the truss pendants. More Thoughts And Progress on Rigging I have been doing a little bit more on some rigging and testing bits and pieces on the foremast and I thought I would this section of this post with some information regarding the seizing threads I like to use. Seizing Blocks When seizing blocks I use different threads, depending on the block and / or rigging thread size. For most 3mm and 4mm blocks I normally use Semperfli 18/0 spyder thread (black, white or beige). For larger rigging thread and / or blocks I normally use Gutterman thread CA02776 (COL722 and COL000), which is akin to 0.1mm thread. Foremast Top Section When looking at the following photo in Longridge’s book I noted there is a curved section added to the top of the mast cap. I decided to add this feature to my Indy build. I also noted the figure of 8 wrapping required which the jeer blocks are seized to. I simply cut a slice from a dowel and then added the groves for the lifts and sling rigging. The curved block top does need to be painted black. I then made the slings and lifts rigging which were then very loosely test fitted in the slots. Sorry the photo is out of focus. The lift blocks will be secured to the cap using the lashing method as shown in Fig 174 (Longridge). I tested this method in the following photo (blue arrow). The yellow arrow in the photo shows the sling test test fitted. The free end of the sling thread has been fed through the eyelet on the other end of the thread but I will seized once the yard has been fitted so the sling's thimble can be set to the required height above the yard. I have also added the figure of 8 wrapping around the top of the foremast (orange arrow). I then threaded the two triple jeer block threads in place. I have not seized the jeer blocks threads to the wrapping as this will be done once the foreyard has been added so I can ensure they set to the right height above the yard. I am about to start the manufacturing process of the lower foreyard which should keep me busy for a few days, noting my wife and I will looking after our 2 year grandson this weekend so I'm not expecting to spend any time in the shipyard.

I agree it is better to do that than sand away.

Foremast Channel Chainplates I have now added the various deadeyes, strops and chain plates to both foremast channels. I am reasonably happy with how these have turned out. I did use a diluted mixture comprising 50% wood filler / 50% titebond to fill some of the small gaps between the channel and hull.

Nicely done

That is a great tip

The rigging looks great

Foremast Work and Yard Lifts I have spent a bit more time working on the foremast. It was pointed out to me by @davyboy that the top of the lower foremast which located in the mast cap should be square and not round to be historically accurate. This is also shown in Figure 96 (page 166) of C Nepean Longridge's excellent book The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships. But as @chris watton pointed out most kits, for ease of building, show them as round, as once they're secured in the mast cap and painted black, it really doesn't matter as they're not seen at all. I concur with Chris's point of view. I have now added the platform rail assembly to the lower platform. The unpainted cleat in the photo below has now been painted black. Next I added the foremast channel to the hull. After the channel was pinned and glued in place I added the 5 supporting knees. After chemically blackening the strops and chainplate parts I inserted the various deadeye in to their respective strops which have been pushed in place on the channel. I normally add the eyebolts to the channel during the rigging process, as I find it is sometimes easier to add the rigging to these eyebolts before they are installed. How I Made the Yard Lifts This next part of this post is the method I used to make to yard lifts which will be added to the mast cap. The yard lifts consists of 2 x 5mm single blocks secured to a single length of 0.25mm black thread. Each 5mm block also requires an eyelet (thimble). I started with a length of 0.25mm black thread which I wrapped around a metal pin, as shown in the photo below. I am using my quad hands to hold the thread and pin in place. Using some 0.1mm black thread I added the seizing to create the loop. The seizing consisted of a series of half hitch knots, three lower and three upper. A touch of ca glue was used to stiffen the thimble before it was removed from the metal pin. I am not that worried about the fluffy thread as it will not be visible once added to the foremast. A 5mm single block was then held in the quad hand and the thread was wrapped around the block, ready for the seizing process. Using 10 lower and 10 upper half hitch knots the block was seized with 0.1mm black thread. From a previous test I required a distance of 110mm between the blocks, therefore it was a case of setting the distance and wrapping the thread around the metal pin again to form the second thimble. Once again I used 3 lower and 3 upper half hitch knots to create the thimble. The seizing was done using 0.1mm black thread and the thimble loop was stiffened with ca glue before it was released from the metal pin. The second 5mm single block was then placed in the quad hands, so it could be seized with 0.1mm black thread. The seizing, once again, consisted of 10 lower and 10 upper half hitch knots. The end result was a length of black thread with two 5mm single blocks seized at each end, each complete with a thimble.

Good to see you're still making progress.

Looks great. I am finding making the masts and yards is very time consuming.

Lower Foremast Progress and Thoughts One area of the lower foremast assembly I have been contemplating is how best to secure the two yard lift blocks. These are 5mm single blocks, each with a thimble, and are wrapped around the foremast cap, as shown below (blue arrows). This arrangement is also shown in C Nepean Longridge's excellent book The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships. There are two things to note when looking at the following photo. The first is the curved section fitted to the top of the mast cap, complete with grooves for the rigging as indicated by a blue arrow. This is a simple modification to the end cap and something I might consider adding. The second thing is how the the blocks are seized at the lower point of the block, as indicated by the the second blue arrow. They look like they are held in place by the main topsail bowlines and are also seized to the sling rigging. After a little bit of experimentation I determined the distance required between two block should be 110mm, without a curve top section added. I did add some seizing to hold the blocks in place once they had been wrapped around the end cap. However this should not be necessary when they are finally fitted as they will be held in place by the topsail bowline rigging which is wrapped around the mast. The yard slings, when fitted, will also help to keep these two blocks in place. In my haste to test this method I forgot to add the thimbles to the ends of the 5mm blocks, so I will need to remake them. I also need to experiment with making and adding the 2 x topsail bowline 3mm blocks which wrap around the top of the foremast and will be positioned just below the mast cap as they will also hold the two yard blocks in place when fitted. Using a piece of 6mm x 6mm dowel with a round end I was able to simulate the lower part of the next section of the foremast assembly. This was then used to ensure the lower foremast platform was correctly set when it was glued in place. I was really pleased with the alignment. In the next photo I have also added the iron bands (using black tape) and head battens (x8) to the square section of the lower foremast. he In the final photo I have also added the two cleats which are positioned between the head battens. There is still a bit more work required to complete the lower foremast section, such as adding the main mast top stay block, the two main topsail bowline blocks, the two yard lift blocks, complete with thimbles, and the top rail assembly. The deadeye strops are also ready to be fitted. I need to make sure when these are added that I will leave enough room below the strop and above the platform for the belaying of the topmast shroud lines.

Foremast Wolding I thought I would share my method for adding the wolding to the foremast. With reference to the plan sheet I did add some tape to indicate the lower edge of each wolding. The upper tapes are in the correct position, but they look wrong in the following photo due to the angle used to take the photo. I cut a 500mm length of 0.5mm black thread and made a small loop in end which I then taped to the mast. It was then a simple case to add the wolding, by wrapping the thread around the mast 10 times. The tape securing the loop end was then removed so the thread could be passed through. The bottom end of the thread was then gently pulled down to trap the other end in the loop. The wolding was then adjusted as necessary and the excess material trimmed. It did not take too much time or effort to complete the task. There is a 5mm single block to be secured to the mast below the upper most wolding. Once the block had be seized with some 0.25mm black thread it was secured to the mast using a simple clove hitch knot. I also made sure that a sample length of 1mm black thread could be fed through the block hole, as can be seen in the photo below. Foremast Platform When working on the foremast platform I did wonder about the 8 square holes which did not seem to serve any purpose. Chris did kindly inform me that they are placements for temporary swivel gun posts, although rarely used in actual combat.

Foremast Lower Platform Blocks The lower foremast platform has a number of blocks fixed to it, via eyebolts. There are 11 x 3mm single blocks and 4 x 4mm double blocks. It was quite a time consuming task to seize the block and then to add the eyebolt, using the method detailed in my last post. The key aspect with this task was to ensure the blocks were on the required alignment for the rigging, once the eyebolts are added to the platform. It was also important to check that the required rigging thread could be fed through the block holes. Once all the blocks were completed and added to the platform I did make some test threads. One end of each test thread was stiffened with ca. to aid the threading process. As can be seen in the attached photos I was able to fit the test threads. I have noted that the top right hand eyebolt is not fully seated, which has been fixed since taking the photos. Thoughts On Moving Forward with Mast and Yard Rigging Moving forward I am now going complete the work on the lower foremast, such as adding the wolding, adding the iron banding to the square mast section above the platform, adding the various mast blocks, adding the cleats, etc. After that I will prepare the foremast shrouds so I can add the foremast channels to the hull so the chainplates are aligned to follow the flow of the shrouds. The normal process for rigging a model boat is to add the standing rigging, such as shrouds, ratlines, futtock staves, stays, etc. before adding the yards. I have always found it awkward to rig things like the yard lifts and truss pendants after the standing rigging has been added. I have often thought it might be easier to add the yards to the mast first but not sure if there will be other issues with adding the standing rigging with the yards in place. I noted that @ECK has adopted this approach on his Indy build. I am going to give this method a try on the foremast to see how practical it is. Fun time ahead.

It is interesting to see you are rigging the yards to the masts before adding the shrouds and stays. It is something I have thought about doing as the access will be much easier.

So do I. But I still like to make sure I can pass the required rigging thread through the blocks before they are added.

Does the hairdryer warm air help the wax to flow thus smoothing out the thread more and perhaps also making the line less flexible?

Lower Foremast Work I have continued working on the lower foremast. The next task was to paint the mast, front fish, cheeks, platform and cap. The next two photo's shows the painted mast assembly in place, noting that I have not glued any of the pieces together at this stage. This is because the simulated iron bands need be added before the front fish and cheeks are added. Please note that the cap does fully locate but has not been fully pressed home in the photo below. I opted to use black tape to simulate the iron bands as I found a suitable cheap option on Amazon. With the simulated iron bands in place the front fish was then glued to the foremast. Once the glue had been given time to cure the two cheeks were glued in place. The platform has not been glued in place at this stage as there is some more assembly work to undertaken on the platform, There are a number of different blocks required for the foremast / platform. I like to make notes of the block requirements. These notes will include the block type, the rigging thread requirements, rigging plan sheet reference, etc. I find this pre planning step really useful, especially with regards to the rigging thread requirements. I like to ensure that the required thread can be fed through the block holes before the blocks have been added. I find it is easier to slightly enlarge the block hole (if required) at this stage. Starting with the two 3mm single blocks required for the fore topgallant yard braces I have noted that these blocks will require an eyebolt and that the rigging thread will be 0.1mm natural. I have covered my method of rigging blocks in some of my other build logs but I have added a brief description herein. Using the quad hands the block is held in place and a length of black thread is wrapped around the block. I use fly tying thread for the seizing with a sequence of 10 lower and 10 upper half hitch knots. I then cut off one the free thread ends and passed the other free end through the eyebolt and then clamped it to the side of the block whilst I add another set of lower and upper half hitch knots. The excess thread is then trimmed. The end result is a nicely sized block complete with eyebolt. Next I check that the required thread will pass through the block hole. I did find it necessary to run a micro drill bit through the hole before the 0.1mm natural thread would pass through. The two block are then test fitted to the platform, making sure the eyebolt and block alignments match the plan / rigging sheet requirements. Next I will be the adding the various 3mmS and 4mmD blocks required for the leech, bunt and nave rigging. They all require seizing to eyebolts which takes time. I also need to investigate to see how the two 5mmS yard lift blocks are secured to the top of the foremast around the cap area. I am tempted to seize the two 3mmS topsail bowline blocks to either end of one length of thread which can then be secured to the foremast with a clove hitch knot. Progress is going to be slow and steady over the next few days.

I can't offer much advice. When I rig those blocks I try to ensure the blocks at each end of the thread are in the same alignment. I then add the thread to the yard, using a clove hitch knot. As I tighten the knot I check both blocks are aligned correctly. As Chris advised diluted pva also on the lines.

Thanks.

No idea, there is no where obvious. I might have to gift it to someone.

Foremast Construction WIP I have started work on the lower foremast. The first task was to construct the platform. It was a simple task to assembly. The lower foremast is made from a length of 10mm dowel. The upper section is 60mm long and comprises 55mm as a 7mm x 7mm square section and the top 5mm is set as diameter 7mm. My Proxoon circular saw was my tool of choice for this task. I did have some 8mm x 8mm square material so I decided to use that to make the top section using the saw to trim 1mm from two sides. This can then be pinned in place on the 10mm dowel. Using the Proxxon saw set for a 1 mm cut I added the flats to the dowel for the two checks. I also added a flat for the front fish. Before gluing the various parts in place I used some clamps to see how the lower foremast assembly would look in situ. The square section is a good fit with the platform and with the cap The front fish look good. Bibbs also clamped in place The top cap is a good fit also. The black card iron bands needs to be added before the cheeks, bibbs and front fish are glued in place as the banding sits under these parts. My current thinking is to paint the mast yellow, then to add the black card iron bandings before adding the cheeks, bibbs and front fish. However when looking at both @ECK and @Kevin build logs it would seem they fitted the simulated bandings after the foremast assembly and painting. I am assuming, if this is the case, that they only fitted the black card iron banding between the checks and front fish.