Paragon by Mahuna - FINISHED - a modified Mayflower

[Mahuna]

Thanks Brian, Patrick, and Bob.  It's good to be back at the bench.

[Siegfried]

Hello Frank,

 

Thank you for sharing with us your inspirations in the design of jigs. I really like the way you working with it. The result on your ship is looking fantastic.

 

Daniel

[Mahuna]

Thanks Daniel.  Creating jigs and tools is one of the aspects of scratch modeling that I really enjoy.

[Mahuna]

Part 20 – Ratlines

 

Well, roughly 1,000 knots later and the ratlines are done.

 

As with most other aspects of this build, it was quite a learning experience.  I had never tied ratlines before (my previous rigging experience was the simple rig on the Phantom), and it took a while for me to figure out what would work best for me.  Here are some of the lessons learned:

 

1.    Anchoring the line.  I decided to use the knot sequence shown in one of Dan Vadas’s posts, where the end knots face inwards.  Starting the first knot required that the loose end be ‘anchored’ so that I could work the other end around it for the first knot.  I tried tape and small clips to hold the line steady, but was unhappy with how much risk this seemed to hold for the rigging.  Then I tried simply tucking in the loose end of the line between two shrouds at the far end – duh! – felt pretty dumb wasting all that effort with clips and things.

 

 

2.    Organizing the work.  I had made up a card with lines 3/16” apart (about 15 actual inches) and color-coded the lines (shown in the prior photo).  The idea was to tie the ratlines at the red lines, then at the green lines between the reds, and finally at the blue lines.  I found that working up the shrouds like this caused a lot of alignment issues.  I finally decided to break the work down into sections, completing all of the ratlines below a red line before moving up.  I still used the red, then green, then blue sequence, but only for 4 ratlines at a time.

 

 

3.    Fixing the knots.  When I first started I was leaving a strand of string on each of the end knots, thinking that I would adjust them all when all of the ratlines were tied.  Consequently the knots were moving all over the place whenever I inadvertently touched a finished ratline as I was working on an adjacent one.  I finally decided that I needed to finalize each ratline before moving on to the next.  I kept a small jar of Weldbond diluted 1:1 with water next to the ship, and painted a little on each knot once I had finished tying and adjusting the ratline.  When the glue set for a couple of minutes I snipped off the ends of the ratlines.

 

 

4.    Frequent Breaks.  My first couple of days I spent as much time in the chair as I could stand, tying as many ratlines as possible.  Talk about tiring!  I found that after too long I started to force things and made lots of mistakes.  After too much of this I decided to take a short break after every 4-line segment.  I got out of the chair, moved around a little, stretched briefly, then got back to it.  So each 4-line segment was a mini project, and I felt good when each was completed.  The breaks cost a lot less lost time than the do-overs, and were like little rewards for work completed.

 

5.    Be generous with the line.  After a few ratlines it became apparent that I may not have enough line to finish.  I started using lengths of line that were as small as I could manage in order to conserve what line I had.  This caused a lot of problems, and actually wasted a lot of line.  I finally took a break and dyed more of the line.  The work went much more smoothly when I gave myself a generous amount of line for each ratline.

 

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the results, and I think I’ll be much better prepared to take on ratlines again – if I ever do another ship with them.

 

 

             

 

 

 

             

 

 

 

The next part will be making and installing the figurehead.  I’m not sure how long this will take, but it will likely be several days before I post the next section.

 

 

[GuntherMT]

Ratlines came out great Frank.  Glad I didn't have to tie that many!

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank

 

That's a really interesting and instructive tutorial for tying the ratlines. Hard work, though.  I kinda feel for you, though, especially after your surgery and reckon the 4 line break would be the minimum to rest and recover!  I don't envy ya!

 

Cheers and all the best for the weekend.

 

Patrick

[captainbob]

Very nice ratlines, well done.

 

Bob

[Mahuna]

Paragon – a Modified Mayflower

Part 21 – The Figurehead

 

When I was about a year into the build I tried carving a figurehead from castello – it was a little frustrating because I had never carved the human figure before and I wasn’t thrilled with the results.  So I switched to Sculpey – a clay that will harden when baked.  With wood, if we cut off too much there’s very little that can be done about it.  With clay, we can always put back what we take off by mistake.

 

I’ve worked with Sculpey before, and I like the version called SuperSculpey for holding small details.  It comes in a beige color, but unfortunately it gets transparent in those small details so it’s hard to see them.  I learned to mix about 20% black Sculpey with the SuperSculpey – this turns it a dark grey but the details can be seen fairly well.  The two clays can be blended by running them through a pasta maker – this is also how I soften the clay if it has been sitting around too long.

 

          

 

I decided to build the figurehead in two pieces – the head and the body.  I used a brass rod through the body to give it some rigidity, and I build the head around a small brass tube that fit over the rod.

 

I started the head by baking a small ball of clay onto the brass tube – essentially forming an armature. 

 

                     

 

After this ball was hardened I built a skull around it and then baked that.  I also baked some very small balls that would work for eyes.  This would give me a solid base for forming eyelids around later.

 

                      

 

I tried giving the figurehead a wind-blown look.  This didn’t work very well and was changed later.

 

          

 

Optivisors were a real requirement – here’s a comparison of the head with my thumb (and my hands are pretty small).

 

          

 

I got to work on the body, and my first version was pretty skinny. 

 

          

 

Here’s the latest version – a little more beef on the bones.  In the book this is taken from, Paragon the figurehead was strong and pretty aggressive, so my figurehead needed to look the part.  (Note the new hairdo)

 

                          

 

                                                           

 

While making the figurehead I was trying different ways to mount it on the ship.

 

          

 

The first few attempts looked too much like a statue on a ship.  In the book the figurehead was an integral part of the ship, so I needed a way to make it look like it was.  The cover of one version of the book gave me the key to doing that.

 

          

 

So, after a bit of painting the figurehead is done and I’m pretty happy with it.  The closeup photos show a lot of blemishes, but the real-life view is pretty good.

 

             

 

                                                            

 

 

Now I can get back to finishing the running rigging.  I’ll be heading to the east coast for the NRG Conference and other enjoyable things on Wednesday, but I hope to put in a few hours of rigging before then.  If I make any progress I post an update before leaving.

 

 

[Omega1234]

Outstanding Frank!!! That's seriously nice - realistic and life like.

 

Great job!

[captainbob]

Yes, your figurehead is master of the ship.  Well done.

 

Bob

[Mahuna]

Paragon – a Modified Mayflower

Part 22 – Running Rigging

 

I didn’t get any rigging done before I left for my trip to the NRG meeting, so it has been a while since my last post.

 

As an aside, the trip was great.  The conference was very enjoyable, and I spent an extra day in Mystic to see the Seaport in detail.  I also got to see several interesting museums during the trip: The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD; the Mariners Museum in New Port News, VA; the Smithsonian ‘On the Water’ collection, and the Naval Academy Museum at Annapolis.  I also visited the ships that had participated in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race when they were docked in Portsmouth VA, and got to board and wander around on the Skipjack Kathryn at its berth in Deal Island MD (this will be one of my next projects).  Also got to spend some time with family and a couple of good friends, and to top it off my son took me to the NY Giants vs Dallas Cowboys NFL football game, and our favorite team won.  All told a great trip, but a little tiring – drove 2,000 miles in 11 days.

 

OK – back to the Paragon build. 

 

As one of the conference’s roundtable sessions David Antscherl (Druxey) showed a few rigging tips and tricks, and a couple of them really helped.

 

He uses Acrylic Matte Medium to seal the knots on his rigging.  He uses this instead of diluted white glue because when dry there is no residue showing, as can happen with the glue.  I already had some on hand and tried it, and I’m sold.

 

              

 

We also noted that he uses a long and slender handle for his scalpel blades, and this looked interesting.  I’ve tried scalpels before, and while they are very sharp I’ve always found the regular handles to be uncomfortable so I haven’t used them.  I decided to look for the longer handle (a #7) on eBay, and found a very nice alternative – round and very comfortable.  Here’s a photo of the new handle next to a more commonly seen handle.

 

              

 

When I rigged my first model (MS Phantom) I made a workstation with a turntable that would allow me to rotate the model as needed, and to lock it into any position.  It has a pull-out tray for holding tools and for catching tiny bits when they fall.

 

               

 

               

 

The workstation is held in position by pushing a wedge between the table and the body of the workstation – simple, but it works.

 

               

 

I also found that I needed to make some miniature rigging tools.  I used a couple of clay modeling tools and customized them to suit my needs:

 

               

 

The upper tool in the photo was simply bent to the shape I needed, then cut and filed to the proper size.

 

              

 

The lower tool started with a small disk-shaped end.

 

               

 

I shaped this end using a diamond bit in a rotary tool, then finished it off using files.

 

               

 

This tool in particular quickly became a favorite for tying the lines around the tiny belaying pins in the model.

 

Not much more to say about the rigging – just lots of trial and error.  Here are the final results:

 

              

 

              

 

              

 

              

 

             

 

              

 

              

 

              

 

Now that the rigging is completed I’m on the home stretch.  I need to make and hang rope coils, make and install anchors, make some decorative pieces to enhance the model’s appearance, and do a little more work on the figurehead before installing it.

Edited November 4, 2015 by Mahuna

[GuntherMT]

Great to see you are back and had a great trip Frank.  Your rigging looks great, it's amazing how different your rigging is than mine because of the different sail plans and of course the time span between them.

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank

 

From keel to the top of the mast, and everything in between, absolutely crisp, clean and precise.

 

Very nicely done!

 

I guess you're on the finishing straight now. What's planned for your next build?

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Mahuna]

Thanks Brian and Patrick.  It feels great to have reached this point. 

 

Next up are several things I'll work on at the same time:

 

Skipjack Kathryn - need to start drawing the plans.  

 

Two models of Oyster Dredge Winders - a hand-powered winder and a motorized Hettinger winder.  I want to model these in a larger scale as stand alone models, and will use the Hettinger version as a prototype for a smaller scale winder on the Kathryn.  It's also an opportunity to play with a new toy - my resistance soldering unit.

 

Sectional model of Dunbrody - need to start lofting the frames.

 

I'll probably start up a build log for each when I've made a little progress.

[donrobinson]

Great rigging Frank, you are really getting close to the end. Is that liquitex available in hobby stores? Or where does one find it.

  I like your idea of a turntable for the rigging, I was thinking of this also but also thought it would be good to have it mounted on a table or pedestal that could be raised or lowered, if you could design something like that I would really appreciate it.    

[Mahuna]

Hi Don:

 

Thanks for the compliments - always appreciated.

 

The acrylic matte medium can be found in any store that sells art supplies.  Liquitex is the brand I had on hand, but I suppose any brand would suffice.

 

When I needed the ship to be at a lower position for the top rigging I simply put the workstation on a smaller table, in this case a small folding table.  You could also use a pulled out drawer with a board placed on top.  I've seen a couple of posts on MSW where a modeler made a table that could be raised or lowered - very interesting, but not something I'd spend time on.

[Landrotten Highlander]

Great rigging Frank, you are really getting close to the end. Is that liquitex available in hobby stores? Or where does one find it.

  I like your idea of a turntable for the rigging, I was thinking of this also but also thought it would be good to have it mounted on a table or pedestal that could be raised or lowered, if you could design something like that I would really appreciate it.    

 

In my other hobby - Bonsai - we used some old haidresser's chairs.  Just replace the seat with a thick board, and what you are left with is the pumping mechanism (for up-down) and the turning ability.  Used to work a treat on really big Bonsai (3-4foot high).

[captainbob]

It's fine work you've done.  Will you be adding sails?

 

Bob

[Mahuna]

Hi Bob

 

Thanks.

 

No, I don't plan on making sails.  The rigging plans don't show the lines required for managing the sails, only the yards, and I don't have any experience for those lines without doing a lot of research.  Even then I would only put furled sails on a model, especially a square-rigged one, since I think they hide too much of the work.  Besides all that, I'm really looking forward to saying "I'm done!" and getting on to the next on the list.

[Omega1234]

Thanks Brian and Patrick.  It feels great to have reached this point. 

 

Next up are several things I'll work on at the same time:

 

Skipjack Kathryn - need to start drawing the plans.  

 

Two models of Oyster Dredge Winders - a hand-powered winder and a motorized Hettinger winder.  I want to model these in a larger scale as stand alone models, and will use the Hettinger version as a prototype for a smaller scale winder on the Kathryn.  It's also an opportunity to play with a new toy - my resistance soldering unit.

 

Sectional model of Dunbrody - need to start lofting the frames.

 

I'll probably start up a build log for each when I've made a little progress.

Hi Frank

 

It looks like you're gonna be pretty busy for a while! I think I may need to reserve my front row seat early...

 

All the best!

 

Patrick

[Mahuna]

Maybe I'll send you a special invitation to each so you don't miss it.      Probably won't be for a little while yet.

[captainbob]

 I'm really looking forward to saying "I'm done!" and getting on to the next on the list.

 

I sure know that feeling and you're almost there.

 

Bob

[HIPEXEC]

Looking great! Now all you need is Plymouth Rock.

[Mahuna]

Thanks Rich.  I'm bummed that you won't make our meeting this Sunday.

[HIPEXEC]

Well, the party is way up north in Cave Creek at noon and Brian lives way out west. I can't see how I can visit our great group for more than 15 - 20  minutes when I'd have to drive back to get my wife and then drive north. Like they say, stuff happens! What time do you plan to be at the Model Show in Mesa Saturday?

 

BTW I love that Jack Aubrey book you found in Mystic. It's a very good educational book on that period.

 

Rich

[Omega1234]

Hi Frank 

 

Just saw Paragon in the other Forum and she looks beautiful!  

 

Congratulations!!!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick

[Mahuna]

Thanks Patrick - I'll be updating this log with the final work soon.

[Mahuna]

Paragon – a Modified Mayflower

Part 23 – Finishing Touches

 

It has taken me longer to finish Paragon than I thought at the last post.  Family matters played a part, but I also started working on one of my next projects.

 

The first of the remaining items was to create some decorative pieces to add a finished look to the exposed edges of the bulwarks.  At first I planned to make these fairly ornate and whimsical, as in the following photo.

 

          

 

After making (and breaking) a few of these over a few days, I decided I didn’t really like the effect when they were on the ship, so I decided to make the pieces less whimsical and more in line with the ‘scroll’ work already on the Beakhead.

 

          

 

There were four areas on the ship I wanted to use these on, and each area needed one on each side.  Each one of these 8 pieces needed to be fit to the location, and I needed to keep track of which went where, so I used carpet tape on a block marked with the position of each piece to hold them for finishing.

 

          

 

Next up was making some rope coils for the belaying pins and cleats.  Since these coils were to be soaked in diluted white glue, I tried several approaches to keep the wet lines from adhering to the jig.  I settled on making the jigs out of brass.  The pins are epoxied into a wood block, and the holes in the brass strip align with the pins.  When the coils are dry the brass strip is slid off the pins and the coils are easily removed.  I also decided to use diluted matte medium rather than glue on the lines.

 

The jig for the coils around the cleats was pretty straightforward.

 

          

 

          

 

I tried different jigs for making coils for the belaying pins, and wasn’t happy with all of the coils being wrapped around the belaying pin.  I finally developed a jig which allowed the coils to be formed into loops with the only last couple of loops going around the pin.  To me this looked more realistic.

 

          

 

In the photo, the longer pin is used to form the basic coils, and is then removed so that the final loops can be brought under the coil and over the top vertical pin, which is soldered into the brass strip.

 

The following photo shows two of the new coils on the left and an older coil (with all loops around the pin) on the right.

 

          

 

The touch-up on the figurehead simply consisted of giving him eyes (I used a blue .005 drafting pen), and a few shadows to make the musculature and fabric rolls a little more realistic.

 

          

 

Once the figurehead was in place I was very pleased with the effects of the shadowing.

 

          

 

Finally, the anchors needed to be made.  I tried several approaches using brass or copper, and wasn’t happy with the results.  I settled on making the anchors from wood.  I used Pau Marfim – also known as Guatambu – in place of metal.  This is a hard wood very similar to boxwood.  The main pieces were from 7/64 sheet, and the flukes were made from 1/32.   The wood stocks were from African Pear.

 

          

 

After the pieces were shaped, I primed the ‘metal’ pieces.

 

         

 

I polyed the wood stocks, then used 1/16 black crepe artist’s tape to make the metal bands for the stocks.

 

          

 

I used masking tape to position the spacing for the bands.

 

          

 

          

 

          

 

The rings were made using a jeweler’s ring-making pliers.

 

          

 

After experimenting with different size rings, I used a piece of masking tape to help me keep the rings in the correct position on the pliers.

 

          

 

I used coated 24 gauge wire.  The pliers made small dents in the coating of the rings, but I was able to fill in the dents with paint.

 

          

 

Pretty happy with the anchors.

 

          

 

          

 

And Very Happy that we’re FINISHED.

 

          

 

I’ll try to get some better shots of the finished ship, and will post them sometime soon

[GLakie]

Beautiful work Frank.  Congrats! 

[GuntherMT]

Congratulations Frank,well done!