Granado by rafine - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64

[rafine]

Thanks so much Don. Your eyes are fine. I just checked the last photos and you're right. All of the black has a bluish tinge. I guess that I need to be more careful with the photo software.

 

Bob

[gjdale]

Nice work on the ratlines Bob. It may be tedious, but your experience shows!

[rafine]

Thanks so much Grant.

 

Bob

[rafine]

Work on the mainmast standing rigging has been progressing over the past week. This has involved doing the ratlines on the port side, finishing the topmast running and breast backstays on both sides, adding the topmast stay and staysail stay, adding the lead blocks at the topmast head for the topsail jeers and the lifts/sheets, and doing the jib stay.

 

The ratlines were done like the starboard side previously done.

 

The running and breast backstays had been previously mounted at the masthead, and were now set up to their deadeyes at the channels.

 

The topmast stay was fitted with a staysail stay seized to it as shown in AOTS and described in Lees (no staysail stay is shown on the kit plans). Both of these were led through the bees and set up with tackles at the bow.

 

The jib stay is not shown on the kit plans and, again, was done with reference to AOTS and Lees.The head of the stay is led through a block at the topmast cap, which Lees describes as appropriate for the period of Granado's construction. Subsequently, a cheek block at the masthead would have been used. The forward end is attached to a traveler on the jibboom. The traveler was made in accordance with Lees, and consists of a wire ring, a small wooden thimble, a brass shackle and a brass hook. The stay is seized to the thimble, the outhauler is seized to the shackle and then led through the sheave in the jibboom and back to the bow with a tackle. Later, the halyard/ downhauler will be attached to the hook. The running end of the stay is led down to the channels and tied off to a deadeye.

 

Now, it's on to the main topgallant mast and rigging and doing the mizzen ratlines.

 

Bob

[donrobinson]

Looks top notch Bob. Did you make that shackle? If you did I give you an extra wow, if you didn't keep the wow as you still deserve it

[rafine]

Thanks so much Don and the "likes".

 

Don, I'm afraid that I didn't earn that extra wow. The shackle is a brass piece that I found in my stash.

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

then the extra Wow was for resourcefulness     I never throw stuff away either......you never know when it might be useful.   look'in good Bob  

[rafine]

Thanks so much Denis and the "likes". 

 

Denis, I think all modelers are pack rats. My Admiral certainly believes that.

 

Bob

[HIPEXEC]

If I could only be half as neat! Beautiful!

[rafine]

Thanks so much Rich. Greatly appreciated.

 

Bob

[rafine]

Thanks so much John for the overly generous comments. Greatly appreciated. BTW, you must have gotten a cramp from hitting all those "likes"  

 

Bob

[rafine]

I had intended to complete the standing rigging by doing the mizzen ratlines and then doing the main topgallant mast rigging. Unfortunately, after doing the ratlines, I discovered that I had stupidly run out of rigging line to do the main topgallant and had to order more before continuing. While waiting for delivery, I chose to make up the spritsail yard.

 

The mizzen ratlines went smoothly. At some point, you just seem to be able to do the clove hitches without even thinking about them, although they remain mind numbingly tedious. I'm glad to see them done.

 

The spritsail yard is a simple spar, round throughout, and merely needed to be tapered. I added the sling cleats and yardarm cleats and painted it all black. I then did the foot ropes, before adding as many of the rigging attachments as I could. These included the sling, the halyard, the clew blocks, the fixed lift deadeyes, the lift blocks, and the brace pendants and blocks. It looks like quite a jumble lying there, but is infinitely easier than trying to do them in place.

 

Bob

[Mirabell61]

Pretty good rigging Bob,

she surely is coming along realistic looking, a beautiful model.....

 

Nils

[rafine]

Thanks so much Nils and the "likes".

 

Bob

[Gahm]

Beautiful rigging! . . . And sailing full speed towards the finishing line!

 

Thomas

[rafine]

Thanks so much Thomas and the "likes". Thomas, I have to admit that at this point in a build, I have to slow myself down. I get impatient to see it completed.

 

Bob

[rafine]

A spell of chilly weather (for South Florida  ), has led to increased modeling activity and progress. I've not only finished the standing rigging, but begun work on the spars and running rigging.

 

To begin with, I finished the main topgallant mast rigging, doing the shrouds, backstay and stay. I then did the bowsprit manropes (horses). This completed the standing rigging.

 

Before describing the further work done, a few words on my general plan for the running rigging. It is my intention to do all of the yard control rigging ( slings, jeers, parrels, halyards, lifts and braces) and much, but not all, of the sail rigging. I will do clews, sheets and tacks, but not buntlines, reeflines or bowlines. I am also doing somewhat simplified headsail rigging. This reflects my practice for some time and is purely a matter of personal preference on my part.

 

I began by mounting the spritsail yard, which had previously been made, and mostly completing it's rigging. This involved the sling, the halyard, the standing and running lifts and the clews (I chose not to do the sheets for this sail). I will do the braces after doing the main yard.

 

The next work was to do the headsail rigging, consisting basically of halyards and downhauls. I tied off most of the lines leading to timber heads in the bow and added rope coils on those lines. The halyards and the spritsail clews were not tied off at this time.

 

Next up will be the main yard.

 

Bob

[Mirabell61]

very nice work Bob,

 

I like those lines and loops belayed to the bow timbers....

 

Nils

[rafine]

Thanks so much Nils and the "likes".

 

Bob

[albert]

Very beautiful work Bob.

[jwvolz]

Looking good Bob. 

[Blue Ensign]

Fine work Bob, your rigging is a great example to us all.  

 

B.E.

[Gahm]

Your rigging is really outstanding!

 

Thomas

[rafine]

Thanks so much Albert, Joe, B.E. and Thomas for the generous comments and thanks also to the "likes". I still find rigging to be one of the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of any build.

 

Bob

[Sjors]

Wow!

 

Sjors

[kees de mol]

Beautifull work. All the ropes, lines, blocks.... It's dazzling me

[rafine]

Thanks so much Sjors, Kees and the "likes". Greatly appreciated.

 

Bob

[Martin W]

Nice work, as always, Bob.  We admirers are the beneficiaries of the "cold" snap in Florida. 

 

I had to notice that you have one of the fine hand chisels from Lee Valley -- Congratulations!  Nice tools are as much a pleasure as nice rigging line and wood.  Ahh, so many pleasures!

 

cheers,

 

Martin (hedonist)

[rafine]

Thanks so much Martin. You are so right about the chisels. The one you spotted is one of a number of small chisels I have that are indispensable.

 

Bob

[rafine]

The past week has been spent making up, mounting and rigging the main yard. 

 

The first work was to make the yard. As usual, for me, I started with a dowel, filed the center portion to a square, added strip to the square section to build it up, then filed the built up square section to eight sided. The yard was then tapered by sanding. I then added the sling cleats, yard arm cleats and the PE boom iron yokes the yard arms. Lastly, I made up the inner and outer boom irons from wire and slices of styrene tube. I didn't add the boom irons until after I had added the blocks and rigging lines to the yard. The yard assembly was painted black. The stunsail booms were also made at this time . They are tapered dowel, stained golden oak and finished with wipe-on poly.

 

I then added the foot ropes and stirrups, the jeer blocks, the topsail sheet blocks, the clew blocks, the yardarm sheet and lift blocks, and the brace pendants and blocks. Next, the line for the jeers, clews and lifts were added. Finally, the parrel was made up and attached at one end. The parrel was made from line, beads for the trucks and ribs made from boxwood strip. Lacking a table saw, I made the ribs by gluing strips together, shaping the whole stack at once, then using isopropyl to separate the pieces. The boom irons and booms were then added.

 

The yard was then mounted on it's pin on the mast, the parrel was tied off and the rigging of the jeers, lifts and clews was done, but the clews were not tied off. The spritsail braces were also done at this time, but not tied off.

 

Next will be the wingsail gaff and the main topsail yard.

 

Bob