La Couronne by EJ_L - FINISHED - Corel - 1:100 - 1637 Version

[Robin Lous]

Nice new workspace EJ!

 

Robin

[ca.shipwright]

Good for you EJ. Always good to have projects at different stages to keep the skills fresh.

[JPAM]

man you are killing it, it's looking awesome. tell me what is the LOA of the model? 

[EJ_L]

JPAM,

Thanks for the kind words.

The hull itself is about 20 inches from stem to stern. The overall length from the tip of the bowsprit to the aft most point is about 32 inches. 

 

Zoltan,

More space is always a plus even without the windows. My old yard lacked both but if I had to choose I think I would rather the space as lights can always be added. Looking forward to seeing you back at your builds also! 

[EJ_L]

Had a nice full day in the new shipyard today. It was great to be back. After working on the framing for Soleil Royal I resumed rigging La Couronne. Not a lot done but I did get the foremast fore stay rigged. The mouse was a tricky piece of rigging. I made it by parting the strands of the rope and inserting a small bead and then wrapping the bead and rope with a small diameter thread. I think it turned out good and seems to be working like it is supposed to.

 

Main mast work will be starting tomorrow so a lot of what I have just done on the foremast will get to be repeated though hopefully it will be a little easier and faster as I have a better idea of how I'm going to do it. 

 

Here are a few pictures of today's progress. Should be getting more regular updates again.

[cobra1951]

Very nice

[donrobinson]

Looks good E.J. Your mouse turned out real good, I have always wondered with a mouse is there a rule as to where it should be positioned on the stay in relation to the mast. I never know where I should position these things.

[EJ_L]

From what I have read, the mouse should be about even or a little behind the leading edge of the top. I test fitted the stay and used a hemostat clamp to mark the line just in front of where I wanted the mouse to go. This gave me not only the location but a good way to hold the line as I put the clamp in a vise to hold it upright as I made the mouse.

[popeye2sea]

Excerpt from 'Elements and Practices of Rigging and Seamanship'  :

 

The mouse, made with spun-yarn, in the shape of a pear, is then raised on the stay, at one-third of its length. By some, but, by others, two sides of the mast-head, added to twice the length of the trestle-trees, gives the length from the eye to the mouse.

 

The mouse should be in length one third the circumference of the stay and in circumference at the shoulder three times that of the stay.

 

In practice it should end up under the fore edge of or a bit before the top.

 

Regards,

[ca.shipwright]

E J

I don't know if you have seen this but check it out:

 

http://www.themodelshipwright.com/high-resolution-ship-plans/sailing-vessels/french-17th-century-warship-la-couronne/

 

Regards

[Hubac's Historian]

Great looking build, EJ! The planking looks incredible - very nicely done!

[yancovitch]

couldn't connect on that link....connection timed out......

[EJ_L]

Michael, thanks for that! I have seen that site before but lost it when my laptop bit the dust. Always good to post or re-post those links for others as well. Something I should do more... I don't know why it does not seem to be linking right now though.

 

Marc, thanks for dropping by! I saw your post on your log so I hope you enjoy the rest of the build when you get a chance. lol

[ca.shipwright]

Just tried the link in the post- came up instantly.

[EJ_L]

Yep, working for me again too. website must of been down earlier.

[EJ_L]

So on to another update. I have been building the main mast and top this week. Wood construction is now done and I am ready to start adding the blocks, dead eyes and other bits of the rigging before stepping the mast in permanently. I also cut the mizzen mast to length and set it in place without glue just to see how she would look with all three of her masts in place.

[donrobinson]

Masts are looking good E.J.. what do you use to simulate nails, monofilament?

[EJ_L]

Thanks! The nails are made mostly with partially drilled holes with pencil lead then wipe on poly over it all. There are a few that I will insert monofilament line, wire or even wood if I am looking for extra strength or bonding but most are completely fake.

[yancovitch]

hmmm.......the bowsprit seems a tiny bit long....or is it a wide angle lens effect?....i'm probably wrong....was working on mine when i checked yours.......

[EJ_L]

That I cannot say for certain. I have measure it off of the plans and it matches that. I think what may be making it look longer is the lack of the rest of the rigging. Once it is cluttered with all the rigging for bowsprit top mast and the rest of the forestays on the foremast it will probably look more appropriate. Right now with just the one forestay it does look rather long.

[EJ_L]

Main mast is built and stepped in place. Built the two pin rails for the main mast rigging and started running shrouds. This set is going a bit better and slightly faster than the foremast set. Now instead of a full hour for a pair of shrouds it's maybe 50 minutes! I guess that means I have learned something...

 

My plan is to finish up with the shrouds and the main fore stay and then I will switch builds back to SR for a little while. I like having two ships going at the same time. It allows me to set smaller checkpoints to reach and then switch to the other build instead of having to finish the entire ship before switching. It is definitely keeping me seated in the ship yard longer although, when you consider that La Couronne just hit 670 hours in a little over 10 months, I think I have been plenty busy...

 

Ok, enough talking enjoy the pictures!

[EJ_L]

I have been far from idle this week as the main mast shrouds are complete and ratting has begun. I will try to get some update pictures posted tomorrow night or Friday.

 

The shipyard may be closing down for a modification soon. I've got an idea to build a rotating platform into the table top that will allow me to spin my builds back and forth much easier and safer than what I am doing now. The current method requires me lifting the ship each time and with the shrouds I am doing that a lot as I go back and forth securing each side. If my plan works the way I think it should I will be able to lock it in place when needed also. I have been wanting to do this for some time and I got a call from my dad who thinks he has found some bearings with a hub and bracket in his "extras" pile at his auto shop that might work. We are getting ready for some even colder, wet and miserable winter weather to move in this weekend so it would be a good time to stay inside and build it. Pictures will go up if/when it happens!!   

[yancovitch]

ha ha....24 below celcius where i am..........

[EJ_L]

It's about -8 celcius (18F) right now but this weekend's forecast is supposed to be around -18 celsius (0F). Plus they are calling for snow and freezing rain and as this is Kansas, there will be lots of wind. Always lots of wind...

[ca.shipwright]

EJ,

You can buy one of those cheap plastic lazy susans. Or, you may find the bearing ring at the Home Depot or Lowes. Take off the bearing ring- it should be about 6-8 in diameter and mount this between 2 plywood discs. Drill a series of indexing holes in the top plate and one hole in the bottom and use a piece of dowel as the pin.

 

This works very well as a turn table.

 

Regards

[yancovitch]

that cold in kansas??!!!......wow!....doesn't make sense.............................kansas???..........sheesh!

[WackoWolf]

In the north east tonight they are saying -10 to -13 wind chill, with some snow in the morning. Just got home from the hospital today and as long as the power doesn't go out I am all set, have a full tank of oil, stock up on food and other stuff, got plenty of meds and yes even my special meds LOL since I hurt like H*LL so I guess I will just wait it out.

[yancovitch]

meds?...for what...did i miss something?............it's the crazy glue...that's all....the crazy glue

[EJ_L]

It's not unusual for our wind chills to push temperatures into the negative teens or twenties and I've seen thirties, especially in the North-West part of the state. On the flip side of that, summer is not unusual to see temps 110-120. It's really one of those states that loves to give some of every weather pattern imaginable and has even decided to add earthquakes to the menu over the past decade!

[EJ_L]

As promised, a picture! Worked until my eyes could not take anymore but I finished ratting one side of the main mast. I'll spin her around to start the other tomorrow night. Now to bed!