Jump to content
New Publication - Ship Modeler's Handbook - They're back in stock! Thank you for your patience. ×

KenW

NRG Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,227

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Everything posted by KenW

  1. KenW
    Sometimes a 'like' is not enough; this is one of those times. I've been very impressed with your build. And, the first gun looks great. Your work is definitely a goal for my next set of guns and, for that matter, for my next entire build. Fantastic work. Cheers.
  2. KenW
    Great work on the boom rest. Luckily you hadn't already installed the mast. Keep up the good work. Cheers.
  3. KenW
    The next sails to be installed are the jib and the fore topmast staysail. I used Antscherl to determine the actual size of the sails and then trimmed them down keeping their triangle shape. However, I didn’t reduce the foot of either sail. Each foot is somewhat long, and I wanted that to show. I also decided to install the rigging for the main topmast staysail and the main topgallant staysail. I noticed that the lines are tied off to the gallows so there won't be a problem. The metal clips you see are for their downhauls and halyards since I won’t install the gallows until all the lines are attached to the lower mast cleats. Both main staysail's rigging was done as per the Syren documentation.
  4. KenW
    I just did some research - in Lees on page 123, he shows how staysails were furled. Either the brails served as the downhauler or the downhaul line served as the brail. The sail was pulled forward down to the mast and then gaskets were used. Most drawings I have seen do not show staysails, so I still believe they spent most of their time stowed below. Cheers,
  5. KenW
    Hey Peter: Your spanker looks great. I used Lees' page 113 and the description of spanker rigging on page 114. The brailing method I decided on was probably not used until after 1818, so my method is not historically correct. I added two single brailing blocks and one double on the gaff and one single block seized to a cringle on the sail. All four lines ended up on the same mast cleat. Cheers.
  6. KenW
    Shawn and Mike: It is my understanding that except for the forward staysails, which were more like jibs, the staysails were not furled, but taken down and stowed. Interesting to hear other opinions. Cheers.
  7. KenW
    Thanks for the reply. And congrats on your new found freedom. (Still have to answer to the Admiral, of course.) I like your shape for the spanker. Did you have any problems with the brailing? I had a hard time where the gaff meets the boom. Do you have a photo of your final result? Cheers.
  8. KenW
    Thanks for replying. Handkerchief material and women's summer blouses seem to be the favorites. But you need to feel the fabric. This weekend I found an old curtain that looks to be prefect. It was washed a lot and it "hung around" for many years. I guess you can't beat old age. As to the flag, I've seen old pictures of ships in harbor with the flag flown from a pole and from the end of the gaff. I suspect it was the captain's choice. Thanks again.
  9. KenW
    Do you have the number of the "thinnest weight cotton (muslin I think) that I could find at JoAnn's Fabrics"? I don't have a store nearby, and I can't see and feel the fabric before I buy on the JoAnn" website. Thanks.
  10. KenW
    Natural - the blue on the transom and stern is too much. Just my two cents.
  11. KenW
    Thanks David and Victor. Cheers.
  12. KenW
    Thanks Ed, Bob, Alistair and gerty. Also thanks for all the 'likes'. Following the Syren doc., my next move is for the Jib and Fore Topsail Stay. I won't be doing the other stay sails due to the lack of belaying points. Cheers.
  13. KenW
    The gaff, boom and spanker sail are finally done. This sail was the hardest for me to furl. The problem was with the ‘bend’ at the angle formed where the gaff meets the mast. Also, the weight of the sail cloth didn’t help. I finally managed to get something that looks O.K. I used brail lines and their block pairs. Have to thank the Lees, Antscherl and Peterseen books for their explanations and illustrations for guidance. All are now mounted on the ship. But I definitely need a better sail cloth if I’m going to add sails to my next build. I have ordered cloth from various sites and the Amati cloth is the best of them, but I need better.
  14. KenW
    Have you cut your reduced version of the spanker sail yet? I'm interested in its shape and any other tips you might have. Thanks.
  15. KenW
    Great discussion on painting cannon barrels. I will bookmark these pages to refer back to on my next model. When you say you degrease in alcohol, I assume you mean rubbing alcohol. And what do you do to the barrels between coats of paint? Sand? Use steel wool? Also, do you water down the MS paint? Thanks.
  16. KenW
    Wow - Let's see if I can answer all of that. I looked at several sources, including the Syren doc., and decided there were no stund'l booms on the upper most mast. So for the FA, it is only lower and topsail yards. I didn't use brass tubing - I used black paper for the irons and the SBs are actually held to the mast by the two wires (they are 28 gauge). The topsail SBs are from cocktail toothpicks and the lower ones are 1/8 bamboo skewers (made thinner a bit). They are placed, not above the yards, but at a 45 degree angle forward. When I attach the yards, I will follow the order in the Syren documentation. I still have to make the gaff. I plan on using pins; but not until all the blocks, lines and sails are attached. I want anything that can possibly be done off the model to be done first. I do have parrel beads for the yards (but not for the sprit sail yard or the boom). The parrel setup is as shown in the plans. Hope this helps. Keep in mind that some of my decisions are based on what I think is correct. Cheers.
  17. KenW
    Never heard of Gesso. Is it easy to use? How do you apply it? Thanks.
  18. KenW
    I have been following, and enjoying, this thread. I'm in the process of adding furled sails on my Fair American and your 'lectures' are invaluable. One comment, a guy in my modeling club, who has navel experience, said that the flag pole on the stern that would indeed interfere with the boom was only raised when the boat was in harbor. Once under way, the flag pole and flag was stowed. I believe the flag was hoisted up to the end of the gaff.
  19. KenW
    Hey Ed: Just encountered something that I wish I'd added earlier with the lower mast's standing rigging. I should have attached the sling bridle (Fig. 39 on page 34 in the FA instruction manual) before all the other masts and their rigging was done. Would have made things a lot better. In fact, the tightness has made me consider hanging the bridle from the cap as is shown in Peterseen's book on page 34. Seems like it will provide much more space to work in. Just a "heads up".
  20. KenW
    I agree with Bob, it looks good. Don't worry, I think we have all realized that there were some 'things' we should have attached earlier. We'll do better on our next build. Cheers.
  21. KenW
    Hey Ed: I will try to answer your questions; but keep in mind that I've never read the Lauck Street instructions, nor do I use Bob Hunt's practicum. My main source for rigging, in addition to the plans and the Syren documentation, is Peterseen's book. (And I use some guess work.) 1. I used the plans to determine the size of the wood strips. I ended up using 1/16 x 1/8 for both the trestle trees and cross trees. However, the cross tress ended up being 1/16 x 1/16 after whittling and sanding since they are angled aft, as per the plans. 2. The only bees I know about are those on the bowsprit used for the fore top stay and preventer stay. The very top of the top gallant masts have a thin slice of 1/8 dowel, cut as thin as I could by hand. It is pinned and glued to the mast. I didn't put holes in it since I don't plan on having a flag or banner on the masts. 3. As for the blocks up there: There are two 1/8 inch blocks attached to the end of the trestle trees for top gallant braces. There were seized with black line to eye bolts inserted into holes in the trestles. There are two 1/8 inch blocks seized to the middle cross trees for topsail bunt lines. And there are also two blocks seized between the first two shrouds for top sail yard lifts. I hope I'm being of some help to you. Good luck on your build.
  22. KenW
    I completed the fore topsail yard and the spritsail yard. I thought I would show them without the sails. You can get a better look at the blocks and lines this way. The fore topsail yard is, I believe, pretty standard. I followed Peterseen’s book. You can see the buntline, clue and sheet blocks as well as the sling/halliard and the parrels. The hanging line is for the Flemish horse, which will be completed when the braces and lifts are attached. The spritsail has only the block for the clue line. The sheet goes directly to its tying off point and the buntline goes through a thimble seized to the fore stay’s collar. The sling/halliard and one end of the truss are also attached. The FA plans don’t show tying off points for the sheet, buntlines and halliard, so I will have to use Peterseen and my best guess. I will probably attach the sheet to the same pin as the clue line, and the halliard to the starboard knightshead (a.la. rafine). I’m still thinking about the buntlines. Peterseen’s ship has more belaying pins and bits than the FA. Advice/comments are welcome.
  23. KenW
    I also just found this build and am totally impressed. I think this model, when ready, will be a good way to get into scratch builds. I also agree with Alistair that a scroll saw would be a good investment. Can you recommend a brand/model? Thanks.
  24. KenW
    Thanks Ed. The down side with furled sails is they cover up a lot of the work on the yards - blocks, etc. Also, the FA documentation is not entirely helpful. I'm relying on Peterseen's book a lot, but sometimes it feels like guess work as to where all the lines are attached. I'll have to wait and see what the final product looks like. Fair American is my second ship as well. So good luck and let me know how you're progressing. Cheers.
  25. KenW
    The main topsail yard is constructed and the sail furled. There are more lines to keep track of – buntlines in addition to sheets and clue lines. I also added stud sail booms which are not glued in place yet. I used paper for the iron bands and they are attached to the boom with 28 gauge wire. So the booms will be attached to the yard by the wire. I realized that I made a mistake with the top gallant yards in that the clue line must pull the sail clue up behind the sail, not in front; so I fixed both top gallants. Looking ahead, I am very confused about how to tie the main (spanker) sheet to a cleat attached to a block. I have looked at both Lees’ and Peterseen’s book, but neither shows how to do that. The FA documentation is no help either. If someone knows, I wish they would explain it to me. I have plenty of time to figure it out, however.

About us

Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research

SSL Secured

Your security is important for us so this Website is SSL-Secured

NRG Mailing Address

Nautical Research Guild
237 South Lincoln Street
Westmont IL, 60559-1917

Model Ship World ® and the MSW logo are Registered Trademarks, and belong to the Nautical Research Guild (United States Patent and Trademark Office: No. 6,929,264 & No. 6,929,274, registered Dec. 20, 2022)

Helpful Links

About the NRG

If you enjoy building ship models that are historically accurate as well as beautiful, then The Nautical Research Guild (NRG) is just right for you.

The Guild is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to “Advance Ship Modeling Through Research”. We provide support to our members in their efforts to raise the quality of their model ships.

The Nautical Research Guild has published our world-renowned quarterly magazine, The Nautical Research Journal, since 1955. The pages of the Journal are full of articles by accomplished ship modelers who show you how they create those exquisite details on their models, and by maritime historians who show you the correct details to build. The Journal is available in both print and digital editions. Go to the NRG web site (www.thenrg.org) to download a complimentary digital copy of the Journal. The NRG also publishes plan sets, books and compilations of back issues of the Journal and the former Ships in Scale and Model Ship Builder magazines.

Our Emblem ®

Modelshipworld - Advancing Ship Modeling through Research

Nautical Research Guild ® and the NRG logo are Registered Trademarks, and belong to the Nautical Research Guild (United States Patent and Trademark Office: No. 6,999,236 & No. 6,999,237, registered March 14, 2023)

×
×
  • Create New...