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

[archjofo]

@Dziadeczek

@noel_colledge

Hello,
thank you for the lovely comments.

 

Continued: Equipment of the lower yards - more blocks - poulies
As already described, I preferred to produce more blocks for the lower yards. These are blocks for the braces, clew lines and lifts of the main and fore yard and for the sheets of the mizzen yard. A total of 12 pieces with a length of 5.6 mm had to be made. The brass sheaves of the single blocks have a diameter of around 3.2 mm and are 0.6 mm thick.

 
For the clew line blocks (Poulies de cargue de point - the main yard) I have already made the strops as you can see in the next picture.

 
Here's a look at the workspace:

 
Finally a picture from the middle of the main yard with a clew line block that has been lashed down in the meantime. Here, too, a rose lashing was used, which was not easy to accomplish with the necessarily somewhat thinner rigging yarn.

 
The brass tubes have now been delivered. So I can continue with the thimbles for the foot ropes. I hope that the size will be appropriate.
Up soon …

Edited April 18, 2023 by archjofo

[Keith Black]

 I've run out of words, all I can do is hit the wow emoji. 

[archjofo]

@Keith Black

Hello,
thank you for the praise.
I would also like to thank the others for the many LIKES.
With new motivation we continue with "little things":

 

Continued: Equipment of the lower yards - Clew garnet blocks of the main yard - Poulies de cargue de point
In the meantime I also lashed the second clew garnet block to the main yard until I can continue with the footropes.
Adapted to the slings of the clew garnet blocks, the lashing lines had to be made much thinner than those of the quarter blocks. But even with this, the rose lashings managed tolerably well.

Sequel follows ….

    
PS: What is the correct name for these blocks? Clew line block or clew garnet block? 
 

[archjofo]

Thanks for the LIKES, I'm very glad you like it.

Continuation: Equipment of the lower yards - footropes and stirrups - Marchepieds et étriers
In the meantime the ordered brass tubes with various diameters arrived. In this respect, I found out that matching thimbles with ø1.8 mm for the jumpers can be made from brass tubes with ø1.1 mm.

The stopper knots presented another challenge. To prevent the footropes from being pulled through the thimbles, for example, so-called "Turk's head knots" were woven in.
How are these knots to be depicted reasonably realistically in 1:48 scale?
Simple overhand knots do not look very good. After a number of attempts, I found a solution that looks reasonably acceptable in my eyes, as shown in the following picture.

On the next picture the footropes and stirrups are ready for the next step.

The stopper knots were now placed in the appropriate places as described before, and the stirrups were pulled in between. The original footrope was actually covered with leather between the stopper knots to prevent shame.
Four stirrups were sufficient for the lower beam lengths of a corvette.

Before I attach the footropes to the yard, I consider how to achieve the most realistic hang. From the top of the yard to the footrope a distance of about 1.05 - 1.10 m should be chosen. This way, the sailors could support themselves well with their feet and work hanging belly-down over the yard.

To be continued ...

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by archjofo

[Mic_Nao]

Nothing more pleasant than to see such work !

[druxey]

Wonderful attention to detail!

[archjofo]

@Mic_Nao

@druxey

 

Thank you very much for the nice comments.
Thanks also to everyone else for the LIKES.

 

Continued: Equipment of the lower yards - footropes and stirrups - Marchepieds et étriers
The arrangement of the footropes on the yards should be given as realistic an appearance as possible. In this respect, it is desirable to bring the stirrups vertically downwards and to let the drawn-through ropes of the footropes sag in their natural form.
In order to achieve this on a model scale, of course, a little help has to be given.
When making the yards, I initially made the main yard with incorrect yardarms. With this leftover yard I have already carried out tests on the arrangement for the jackstay. Now it serves me once more for experiments regarding the footropes. In this respect, I made provisional footropes and stirrups and installed them at the test yard.
After the ropes, which have been coated with diluted white glue, have dried and draped accordingly, the footropes look like the following picture:


In the right area of the yard it does not seem to be quite optimal and overall the sag is too big in my opinion, but I think that with this method I can achieve a good result for the model.
Soon...

 

 

Edited April 27, 2023 by archjofo

[Nunnehi (Don)]

Johann, your work is simply stunning, thanks for sharing. Don

[archjofo]

 

@Nunnehi (Don)

Hello,

Thank you for your positive comment.
I would like to thank the others for the LIKES.

 

Continued: Main yard equipment and others - Footropes and stirrups - Marchepieds et étriers - etc.
The blocks for the La Créole's braces were attached directly to the yard arms by strop. The connection of the blocks for the braces with the thimble sling was called "Dog and Bitch".

In addition to the strops for the braces, strops for the yard tackles also had to be considered, as can be seen in the following picture.

The yard tackles were then only attached when needed. In connection with the stay tackles, e.g. B. the boats are loaded and unloaded. The next picture shows the main yard with the newly installed rigging elements. For the lower yards, this corvette had simple yard lifts with a diameter of 30 mm, which went over blocks hooked into the tops for belaying on deck. The yard arms are now fully occupied. The footropes and stirrups that have already been attached still have to be properly lashed down in the middle of the frame.

I still have to clarify in detail to what extent these lanyards can still be lashed over the sling of the lower yard, as shown in the following drawing by Nares. Unfortunately I don't have a meaningful picture of the original model.

Source: Traité de manoeuvre et de matelotage, George S. Nares, 1868

 

The attachment of a stirrup to the jackstay can be seen in the next detailed pictures.

Finally a picture of the middle of the yard.

Except for the blocks for the clewlines and buntlines and the professional attachment of the stunsail booms, the main yard should then be fully equipped.
I would not have thought that so many rigging elements would have to be attached to a yard. I learned a lot from the research I did on the internet and relevant specialist literature. In the lower yards that follow, the production of the equipment should be all the faster. For the topsail, topgallant and royal yards, on the other hand, some detailed information is required that still needs to be obtained.
Sequel follows …

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by archjofo

[BobG]

The level of detail and perfection in your work is as good as it gets. It's quite simply masterful.

[archjofo]

@BobG
Hi Bob,

Thanks for the positive affirmation.

I would also like to thank you for the many LIKES.

 

Continued: Equipment of the big yard - Blocks for buntlines and clewlines - Poulies de cargue fond et poulies de bouline
According to the relevant table in the monograph, the blocks for the buntlines and clewlines are only 3.4 mm long and 1.3 mm thick at a scale of 1:48. With this block size, the sheaves with a thickness of d= 0.5 mm are not used separately, but worked out. In total I need 12 blocks for the main yard and fore yard.
Before I start "series production", I made a "prototype" in the usual way and equipped it with a served strop. The eye is used to attach to the jackstay.

 

In the following image I have shown different block types and sizes compared to a block for a buntlines.

The next picture shows how these blocks are attached to the jackstay by means of tying.

Sequel follows …

[Gahm]

This is excellent research resulting in amazing details implemented with superb craftsmanship! I am always in awe when I look at your build log!

 

Thomas

[jdbondy]

While you might not have meaningful pictures of the original model, the rest of us now have meaningful pictures of the definitive model!

[archjofo]

@Gahm

@jdbondy

Thank you for your interest and the kind words.
Also many thanks to all the others for the LIKES.

 

Continued: Equipment of the main yard - Blocks for buntlines and clewlines - Poulies de cargue fond et poulies de bouline

In the meantime I have made 12 blocks l = 3.4 mm for the blocks for buntlines and clewlines of the lower yards. I tried to make the seizing as small as possible, which wasn't easy with this size.

These blocks were moored to jackstay as shown in the following images.

I will make my model of the La Créole without the sails, as I have already mentioned several times, analogous to the Paris model. Nevertheless, I would like to attach the arrangement for the clews of the lower sails. These rigging elements are not shown on the original model, so the sheets, tacks and clewlines with the necessary blocks are missing.

At the moment I'm still researching whether single or double tacks were used at La Créole. It still needs to be clarified how the fore tacks were led to the mooring cleats, as there is no information on this in the monograph. There is also another question, whether the French also use cable-laid ropes for the tack ropes?

Up soon …

Edited June 16, 2023 by archjofo

[giampieroricci]

Johann, your work is something truly exceptional! Maniacal attention to the smallest detail!!! Yours is one of the most finely equipped models I have ever seen! Fantastic!

[bdgiantman2]

Looking at the first picture in Post 2144 of that rope ring, is it just me being ignorant or are you gluing and soldering your ropes?  If I am wrong, can you do another demo of how you connect your ropes?? Thank you so much and your blog has been a library and treasure trove.

 

Brian D

[archjofo]

@giampieroricci

Hello,

getting such great praise from such an excellent model builder is also something very special.
Thank you very much for that.

 

I would also like to thank all the others for the many LIKES.

 

 

[archjofo]

@bdgiantman2

Hello Brian,
the ropes are made of silk. The two ends were glued with superglue at the point marked in yellow. In order to create the largest possible contact surface for the glue, I cut off the two ends at an angle with a scalpel.
Thank you for the interest.

[jfhealey]

I wonder if it is humanly possible to build a finer model than yours. I rather doubt it. Put another way around I guess this is a close to perfection as can be done. Simply breathtaking.

Fred

[archjofo]

@jfhealey

Thanks for the nice comment.

 

Continuation: Equipment of the main yard - arrangement of the blocks for the clewlines, sheets and tacks - Bouquet de manouvres de grand voile
Since I intend to equip the yards with all the necessary rigging elements, I will also prepare the arrangements for the blocks of clewlines, sheets and tacks and pull in the necessary ropes. These elements are not present on the original model in Paris.
In the meantime I have made the corresponding single blocks for the main yard including the toggles (no stopper knots).

In doing so, I start from double tacks, as they are also provided for in the monograph and became more or less common at the beginning of the 19th century. In this respect, the question of the rejuvenated tacks should have been settled, right?
The question remains as to what type of ropes were used.

To attach the Clewlines ø 17 mm (ø 0.35 mm on a scale of 1:48) to the yards, so-called timber hitch were most likely used, as shown below.

 

Source: Manuel Du Gabier, 1875

Source: Handbook of Seamanship, Franz Ulffers, 1872

 

Of course, when rigging a model, everyone inevitably comes to the point where the question arises as to how the block strops of the running rigging should be executed in terms of colour. Either hemp-colored, or brown to black as tarred cordage. I read somewhere that anything that moves doesn't get tarred, and anything that doesn't move gets tarred. This can also be seen on the rigging of the L'Hermione replica, so I use it as a guide for my model.

This is how the finished arrangement for the blocks for the clewlines, sheets and tacks looks like:

In a hurry, I accidentally made the attachment inside. Of course, this has to be done on the outside towards the yardarm and is still being changed.

Sequel follows …

Edited May 26, 2023 by archjofo

[G. Delacroix]

Hello,

 

I just want to specify that all the ropes are tarred, I mean all of them.

Running rigging becomes slightly lighter as it is maneuvered, wears down, and especially as it passes through the pulleys. The standing rigging remains dark especially as it is re-tarred from time to time without any wear.

 

GD

[wefalck]

Are you sure? Yes, yarns where lightly tarred before going onto the rope-walk, but when in use, running rigging was not tarred further.

 

The question Johann raised was, whether block-strops were tarred all over once the strop was completed. The answer is probaly 'yes', but the amount of tarring was probably less than on most elements of standing rigging.

 

In the age of 'Stockholm'-type tar, the tarring was less obvious than in later days, when coal-tar and -pitch became available.

 

[G. Delacroix]

I'm even certain of it, the basic thread of the ropes, that is to say the rope yarn, is soaked in hot vegetable tar before being worked into larger diameters. This is the basis of tarred ropes.
I only indicated that the standing rigging was tarred occasionally, never the running rigging. This is the reason for its lighter shade in addition to wear.
The color is a rather dark reddish-brown without being black. In the 1850s, lampblack was added to make vegetable tar darker. It is in these years that we will begin to use mineral tar, coal tar and later petroleum tar.
The strops are part of the standing rigging, they had to be tarred from time to time.

Edited May 26, 2023 by G. Delacroix

[wefalck]

So we agree

 

I think coal-tar became available in large quantities from around the 1840s on, when gasworks were set up in many European countries to produce gas for street- and then domestic lighting purposes. Coal-tar is a waste product from the gasification of coal, but the amount depends on the type of coal.

[archjofo]

@G. Delacroix

@wefalck

 

I am grateful for the interesting clarification on the tarring of cordage and I was happy.
So I didn't do much wrong in that regard.
Can you say something about the type of cordage for the tacks and sheets for the main and foresail?

[G. Delacroix]

In the rigging specifications for a 27-foot-wide corvette from 1810 (L'Echo), it is indicated that the sheets and tacks are made of cable, ("grelin" in French, i.e. 3 x 3).

[archjofo]

@G. Delacroix

Hello,

many thanks for the quick response.
For better understanding, does cable mean cable-laid?

[G. Delacroix]

I don't know the exact term in English because I find several translations but I think it's cable-laid or cablete or wharp. In reality, it's three hawsers layed together.

 

 

[archjofo]

Hello,

cable-laid should be correct.
In the meantime I have found a description of the French terms for this type of rope on the Internet:

[jdbondy]

I am appreciating the tutorials in nautical French!