Glenn-UK

It has been a few days since my last post. I had completed adding all the shrouds and lanyards to the main mast. However I was not totally happy with how the deadeyes were sitting in the shrouds. The jig I had made, similar to the one I used on the mizzen mast, allowed the deadeye to fit, but they very loose. I carried on thinking it would be OK but common sense prevailed so I took the decision to remove the lanyards and shrouds and to start again. I started by modifying the jig, so the shrouds when wrapped around the jig and seized would form a smaller hole for the deadeye. I did a test after I had modified the jig and it produced a much better result with a nice tight fitting deadeye. I then cut 4 x 50cm lengths of 1mm black thread for each shroud pair (2 pairs per side) and 2 x 30cm lengths for the single shrouds (1 per side). The first shroud line was then positioned around the mast. I used the the quad hands to hold the shroud line in place, as shown below. I also used a croc clip to bring the lines together near the point of seizing I used 0.25mm black thread to seize the shroud line around the mast. I will now continue to add all the shroud lines this morning which should not take too long to complete. My next post will (hopefully) so the progress of adding the deadeyes and lanyards to the shrouds which will take me a few days to complete.

As I progressed with the mizzen mast ratlines I noticed the central shroud line was not properly centred. As I had only done half the ratlines and it was taking me around 10 minutes to add each ratline I decided to remove them and start again. I modified by ratline template and added the vertical lines, thanks to DelF for this excellent tip. Picture of the template This time I decided to add the bottom rat line, then the middle ratline and then the top ratline to ensure the shrouds were true and straight. This worked much better. I started each ratline with a half hitch which I positioned at the back of the shroud and added a touch of diluted pva, (50/50 mix, another DelF tip) when I was happy with its position. I then used clove hitch knots for the next two shroud lines and added a touch of diluted pva when I was happy with each position. Finally I stained the ratlines black. This is by far the best set of ratlines I have added to a model. Still room for some improvement

Thanks for the update Chris, I'm one very excited model builder waiting to be able to build this great looking model.

Hi Matt Thanks for the complement. I am mainly using tweezers which I have became quite adept at using but I do use my fingers as well, usually in combination with the tweezers.

I am finding adding the ratlines to the mizzen mast to be very therapeutic and it is a task I am very much enjoying at the moment. I started using the black ratline thread supplied with the kit but I found it difficult to see and adjust the clove hitch knots to get the desired tension in the ratlines. Therefore I have opted to use 0.1mm natural thread which has made the task much easier. I have the option to dye the ratlines black when the task is completed, e.g. by using Indian ink. As can been seen in the photo below I printed out a paper template for the ratline spacing. I also have a small wooden strip of the same width as a double check. I will adjust the position of the ratlines as necessary and then tighten up all the knots once I have added all the ratline lines. I will then apply a diluted pva solution to shrouds and ratlines before trimming away the excess thread and applying the dye.

Thank you. The Duchess is a very nice model to build

Another tricky rigging task completed with the addition of the catharpins and futtock staves and shrouds to the mizzen mast. As can be seen in the photo it is not the work of a master but, once again, compared with my last build it is a marked improvement. I found it better to add the catharpins either side of the mizzen mast. I found fitting the futtock stave the most complicated aspect of this task but it was not as bad as I first feared. When adding the catharpins I did experiment with using 0.5mm copper wire (as per DelF on Speedy) but I ended up using 0.5mm black thread. The futtock shrouds look OK but there is definitely room for improvement.

Thanks Derek. I'm slowly getting better trying to use the methods shown on MSW by better builders such as you. That is great tip on trimming, thanks for sharing. Wrapping the excess lanyard around the shroud was a challenge at times. I used a needle to help thread the lanyard end back over the top of the deadeye.

After many trials and tribulations over the last 7 days I have now finally completed the mizzen mast shrouds. As the two photos below will show I am no master craftsman with regards to this aspect of model ship building. This did really test my patience at times and I lost count of the number of times I had to redo various bits, adding new shroud lines, redo the lanyards, etc. I did find it very fiddling working with 3mm deadeyes but the jig I made proved to be a very useful tool in forming a nice loop, seizing and then placing the deadeye in the shroud line. The tying off of the lanyards is not still not great but, unlike previous builds, I did manage to get the final knot behind the deadeye. In summary my shroud technique is slowly improving with each new build but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Next I will look at adding the futtock stave and catharpins. I am also debating weather to add the mizzen mast ratlines before moving on to main mast shrouds and lanyards. I will redo the middle lower shroud seizing as it looks pretty awful in the picture below

Ditto with mast assembly.

Having spent most of this week working on the mizzen mast shrouds and lanyards I was feeling pretty pleased with myself this morning with the end result. I started to look at the ratline spacing so I could position the futtock staves. I was a bit concerned with the spacing between the shroud lines at the top. I had a look at the plan sheets to see to see if my concern was just a flight of fantasy. Looking at the plans I noted my shroud lines did not match up, it was then that I realised I had made a major mistake. I had seized the shroud lines around the bottom of the mizzen topmast instead of around the squared top of the mizzen mast. I have no idea why I had done that or why I had not noticed it sooner. With a tear in my eye and my scissors in hand I removed all the mizzen shrouds and lanyards. The mizzen mast is now devoid of all shrouds and lanyards and is ready and waiting for me to get my act together and do to the job correctly. The only positive I can take from this is that I was able to refine by technique with the first attempt.

Looks good.

Thanks Derek. You can always reduce the diameter of the dowel to get a tighter fit for the deadeye in its groove. I would never have thought of it if I had not seen your use of the drill bit.

The title of this post is called the good, the bad and the ugly. The Good - Part 1 - Mizzen Shrouds Using 0.75mm black thread I added the two shroud pairs and the two single shroud lines in turn. I used black flying tying thread to seize the shroud lines around the mizzen mast, using alternate top and bottom half hitch knots The Bad - Spacers for the Deadeyes After looking at the plans and build pictures I decided where the deadeyes needed to be positioned at the end of the shroud lines. I bent two lengths of wire to the required distance. They look pretty bad and were a complete nightmare to use. The top deadeye is shown upside in the photo, the single hole should be a top The Ugly - Deadeyes I used some flying tying thread to seize the deadeyes to the shroud lines. I made a right mess of it and was very embarrassed with the end result. In setting the distance between the deadeyes with the copper wire jigs I made a basic schoolboy error. I forgot to account for the tensioning of the lanyards. When I added the lanyards and started to adjust then I noted that the shroud deadeyes were too close to the channel deadeyes. The seizing is also uneven and very messy. I was left with no choice but to remove the shroud deadeyes and start again. It was a easy task to replace the shroud pair line and keeping it in the right position (at the bottom) around the mizzen mast. The Good Part 2 - A new start I then spent a couple of days trying to figure the best way to tackle adding the 3mm deadeyes to the shroud. I consulted with DelF (Derek) and I looked very closely at his method which he described in his Speedy build log (post #492) . I did try his method on a deadeye and length of thread and I was very pleased with the end result. I ran into problems when I tried to replicate this on an actual shroud line. After I had seized the block in what I thought was the right position it had somehow magically moved. I also looked Donnie Driskell's YouTube video. His method relies on using plenty of beeswax to stiffen the shroud line so it retains it shape. I have tried this before and I did not like the look (or feel) of a heavily beeswaxed line so I discounted this as a viable solution to my problem. After much experimentation I came up with a modified version of the method used by Derek. I liked the jig he used but I had issues keeping the shroud deadeye in place when I tried to position the shroud line around the deadeye. I then had a brainwave and devised a slightly modified jig. It has two pins at the bottom which are used to locate in the channel deadeyes and a 3mm dowel at the top to represent the position of the shroud deadeye. I found I could wrap the shroud line around the dowel and I could use a croc clip to keep some tension in the free end of the line. I was then able to add the sizing in situ, as can be seen in the next photo. As can be seen the seizing is done to one side, but I did account for this when setting the distance between the two pins and dowel on the jig. The 3mm deadeye was a nice snug fit in the seized loop. I then added the lanyards to check the approx. distance between the two deadeyes. I was very happy with the distance. All that is now left to do is add the two shroud seizing above the deadeyes which should be straightforward. I will remove the lanyards before I do this. Now that I found a method that seems to work for me I can now spend the next few days finishing the mizzen mast shrouds and lanyards.

Great work and description. Thanks for sharing.

Looks really nice, great work and a very informative method description.

Thanks Derek.

I have contemplated redoing them however they look reasonably OK to the naked eye. I might be tempted to redo the two side ones at some stage.

I have now fitted the four bowsprit stays and the work on rigging the bowsprit is now complete for the time being. Tomorrow I will start work adding the shrouds, starting with ,the mizzen mast shrouds. The rigging of the 4 x bowsprit stays was a tad fiddley and, at times, tested my patience. I was not happy with the amount of tension I set in the deadeye lanyards but they do not look too bad to the naked eye. Once completed I coated the rigging with a heavily diluted solution of pva. The first bowsprit stay Birds eye view of the two two side bowsprit stays. A picture showing all 4 bowsprit stays Another picture of all 4 bowsprit stays

Thats true, adding the first bowsprit stay was a bit of a challenge but not as bad as I first feared. The final 3 bowsprit stays will be easier. Then I'll start adding the shrouds.

Gammoning and Spritsail Tye I have started the rigging. I decided to start by fixing the spritsail, which I thought would be easier to do before the bowsprit was positioned on board. I then thought it would be a good idea to rig the spritsail tye blocks. The bowsprit assembly was positioned on the hull. I did not use any glue thinking if I rig it properly it should be held firm. I also noted that the jibboom was at a slightly jaunty angle. I did contemplate trying to remove the jibboom but thought I could do more damage trying to do so I decided to live with it. I cut a length of 0.5mm black thread and seized a small loop at one end and then started with the gammoning process. As can be seen in the photo below I had a senior moment and tried to add the gammon over the bow rails. It was a bit fiddly threading the gammoning beneath the bow rails, but it did not take long to complete adding the 7 loops. I realised my thread was not going to be long enough to complete the gammoning so I had to remove it all and start again with a longer length of thread. This time I was able to complete and tie off the gammoning. Although I thought I had counted 7 loops when rigging it would appear, from the photo, that I only added 6 loops. I will live with that. After completing the gammoning I belayed the spritsail tye loose end to the bowsprit bit. Spritsail Lifts This was a relatively straightforward rigging task. I started with the starboard block attached to the outer edge of the spritsail and its associated block on the side of the bowsprit end cap. After I had passed the thread (0.25mm natural) through the block pairs I seized one end to the eyebolt also located on the side of the bowsprit cap. Once secured I tensioned the rigging and belayed it to the timberhead. I repeated the process for the port side. Next I moved on to the two flying blocks attached to the end of the jibboom. I started on the starboard side and attached a length of 0.25mm natural thread to the end of the spritsail. This was then passed through the flying jibboom 3mm block and then through the eyebolt on the spritsail before it was belayed on the timberhead. I then repeated the process for the post side. The slight misalignment of the jibboom can be seen in the photo below To finish off I applied a very diluted coat of pva over the rigging thread. My next task will be to rig the bowsprit stays. I think this will be a little bit more tricky than the lifts.

I have made better progress than I was expecting. I finished adding all the blocks to the fore and main mast assemblies this morning so I decided to move straight on and fitted the ship’s bell strap complete with a small length of 0.25mm natural thread from it. Next I installed the Anchor Hawse Thread which turned out to be an easy task and only took 15 mins to complete. I started by treating each end of the anchor hawse thread with a very thin coat of ca gel and then with my craft knife I made a slight chamfer. I checked that I could feed both ends of the anchor hawse thread through the holes provided in the hull. The centre of the thread was then positioned in the hatch, as can be seen below. With the thread in place the hatch was glued in place and both ends of the thread wrapped around the windlass winch drum then fed under the bowsprit bit and finally pushed through the holes in the hull. I have now reach the stage where the Duchess Deck work is complete and I can now start with the rigging.

Work continues on the slow and painstaking task of adding the various blocks to the mast assemblies. I have completed adding everything to the mizzen mast today and this is now ready for the rigging phase. The main and fore masts are almost complete, each require just 6 more blocks adding to complete (topsail ties x 2, topsail yard lifts x 2 & topgallant yard lifts x 2). It is a time consuming task to add each block. I have opted to make each pair on one length of thread which I have found to be better when positioning and securing to the mast. I should have these made and added to the masts by the end of week.(Sunday). If everything goes to plan I intend to start the rigging phase on Monday morning, starting with the Anchor Hawse Thread and followed by adding the bowsprit gammoning and bowsprit stays.

As indicated in my previous post I was thinking of trying a 2nd method for the fore and main yard double block yard lifts. When in doubt I should have gone to my book of reference, which is Rigging Period Ships by Lennarth Petersson. I have found this to be a very useful book. Under the section about the yard lifts it shows the following picture Armed with this I decided to ditch my previous yard lift double blocks and started a fresh. I held a 3mm block using my quad hands and secured the thread using a standard reef knot. Next I positioned the 5mm block next to the 3mm block. The quad hands proved to be really useful for this task. With the 5mm block in place I secured it in position using a reef knot. I did adjust the thread shown in the picture below so it sat in the grove. I then applied the seizing to the thread between the two blocks, as shown in the illustration provided in the book, using thin black fly tying thread. The end result was a much better looking double block arrangement for both the fore and main yard lifts. I did trim the seizing thread ends a bit more after I took the following photo.

Thanks. I understand your method. I think my 2nd method will yield similar results.