ancre La Créole 1827 by archjofo - Scale 1/48 - French corvette

[archjofo]

Preparing the final rigging

I cleaned up my small basement shipyard as much as I could and took the little French girl out of her "exile" (dust cover). She was then positioned on my height-adjustable platform so that she could be accessed from two sides for rigging, as far as space allowed.

It has been a long time since I did the final rigging of a model ship (over three decades). So I tried to refresh my modest knowledge of rigging work for the running rigging of sailing ship models, to acquire new knowledge about it and to think about the further process.

I had already raised the question in various forums about which direction and order the model should preferably be rigged in? There was a mixed opinion about when to start rigging, whether at the front or the back. However, everyone agreed that rigging should be done from the bottom up. Contemporary works note that the usual rigging process began with the bowsprit.
In order to have fewer disruptions caused by ropes that have already been set, I follow the philosophy of starting from the beginning and then working yard by yard from bottom to top and from belaying point to belaying point.
For belaying pins and cleats, I use a belaying needle that I had used as a boy when building the "Adler von Lübeck". I made this according to Graupner's instructions from a steel knitting needle that is around 27 cm long and has a handle and is slightly bent at the other end over a length of around 10 mm. I forged out the front end of the bent part and shaped it accordingly with a file. Close to the filed front edge, I drilled a hole with a diameter of 0.5 mm, similar to the eye of a needle.
Many people will certainly know that Karl Heinz Marquardt was responsible for the plan processing for Graupner's "Adler von Lübeck" and was involved in the development of the kit. In this respect, I assume that the description for making this belaying needle also comes from him or was suggested by him. He was also an excellent model maker. What I often see is that many model makers mainly use hooks or tweezers for belaying. However, I have managed very well with my homemade belaying needle so far, as the rope can be guided safely and tightly even in hard-to-reach areas. Therefore, I will continue to use it, including for this model.

With the next picture, I want to illustrate how this belaying needle is basically used.

 

Following the recommendations of fellow model makers, I also got myself a pair of Castroviejo micro scissors in order to sensibly expand my rigging equipment.
In the following picture I show a compilation of my most important tools for rigging:

-Belaying needle
-Stand for thread rolls

-Superglue with cannula (ø 0.3 mm)
-Hollow spike, ø 1.2 mm and ø 0.8 mm for splicing
-Micro scissors according to Castroviejo
-Thread scissors, straight and curved
-Tweezers, straight, curved and offset
-Scalpel
-Shoemaker's wax for "sailor's thread"

 

This article heralds the last chapter of the model building of the French corvette "La Creole" on the long road to the goal. Once again I would like to thank my many companions, with the hope that they will get through the final stretch with me.

So, see you soon... 

[Keith Black]

 So we come to the final chapter of a wonderfully beautiful story. Thank you for showing us your rigging tools, Johann. 

[druxey]

I've not seen a belaying needle before. Very clever!

[Thukydides]

I really appreciate these tool posts. Gives me so many ideas about how to better do rigging.

 

Looking forward to watching you get through the final stretch.

[Dr PR]

Johann,

 

I have been following this build and am always impressed with the extraordinary detail you manage to put into the model, especially the rigging.

 

I'll have to think a bit about your belaying needle. I have been pretty lucky belaying lines to the pins in the pin rails on the bulwarks of my model, even though the gaff sails block cross hull access and I have to work blind from the outboard side of the pin rails (I do have a dental mirror, but I need a third hand to hold it). But rigging to the fife rails on the center line becomes difficult as more and more lines enclose it in a web of ropes.

 

I need a tool that is designed to give better control in these hard to reach places and your belaying needle, or a variation thereof, may be the answer.

 

Thanks for posting your build, and for the excellent photos that show what and how you have been making it.

[archjofo]

@Keith Black

@druxey

@Thukydides

@Dr PR

I am very grateful for your interest and the nice comments.
I would also like to thank everyone else for the LIKES.

 

Hello Phil,

I'm very pleased if my reports are of any use to you. I also benefit from other colleagues. My understanding of a forum of this kind is give and take, to help us all become better model builders.

Hopefully the belaying needle can be a solution to your rigging problems.

 

 

Addition: Securing the ropes of the running rigging with a belaying needle
It is obvious to me how the last loop is to be guided when securing the ropes of the running rigging with a belaying needle. However, this is not clear from my previous illustration on this subject.

A model maker colleague asked a question on this.
In this respect, I would also like to explain this step here with this additional explanation:

As can be seen in Fig. 1, the rope can be guided under the last loop with the belaying needle. In the second step, the rope is then unthreaded by pulling it back, if necessary with the help of tweezers in hard-to-reach places. Fig. 3 shows that the belaying needle can simply be pulled out of the loop by tightening the rope.

 

I hope I have explained it clearly enough. For me, these processes are easy to carry out, as I have already done them many times.

 

[jdbondy]

I am going to be referencing this build log for many years to come! Thanks Johann for all these clever rigging insights!

[Knocklouder]

I have this log book marked and most definitely going to learn some great stuff.    I am off to make a belaying needle, thanks for taking the time to post this log I know it will help make my models look way better. Thank you. 😊 

Knocklouder.