Using a server with dead eyes, standing rigging

[achuck49]

Greetings

 

I will try to be very clear with this question.

 

I have ordered a very simple server, it has not yet arrived, this is a question to keep me out of trouble later.

 

I understand fully what the server does.

 

My specific question concerns using it with standing rigging that end with dead eyes on both sides of the hull.  I know that I can measure the amount of thread required, attach the dead eye to each end, serve each end, weave the completed thread through the model and be ready to thread the top set of dead eyes to the bottom corresponding set located on the hull.  Here is the problem as I see it.  The top dead eye is used first with a small know being used to keep it secure.  The thread is then passed through the bottom dead eye, and so forth until a final pass through the bottom dead eye.  The remaining thread is then moved to the top of the upper dead eye and is wrapped around the area that has already been 'served'.

 

Is the last step done manually? 

 

Do I have the procedure incorrect?

 

In any case I am anxious to play with my new tool when it arrives.

 

Chuck (the very inexperienced Chuck)

[JerryTodd]

On the prototypes, shrouds are precut to length, wormed, parceled, and served fully or partially, and mounted on the boat.

 

Model's shrouds are typically cut long, the dead-eyes and lanyards are pre-set to length, and the shroud is pulled around the upper deadeye, seized, and made fast, and then cut to length, so all the deadeyes line up nice and neat.

 

You would need to serve the shroud to it's end and when you go to cut it to length, glue it at the cut so the serving doesn't unlay.  You might also use fabric glue on the ends of the shroud as you're serving it,  as it's flexible and shouldn't interfere with bending it around the dead-eye.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

It sounds like you are planning on serving the shrouds with one continuous thread from end to end? Don't worry about using a singe thread, even in actual practice the serving can go on in multiple pieces- when the serving gets too short you start a new piece of serving and serve over the last bit of the old piece and continue on down the shroud or stay. Also it sounds almost as if you are thinking of the serving as performing the duel function of being the lanyard that tightens the deadeyes? This is NEVER the case. The serving is made of the thinnest thread you can find and is entirely independent of the much thicker line used to lace the upper and lower deadeyes together. This heavier line is called the Lanyard and is only long enough to run through all the holes in the deadeyes with a little left over to make fast the end above the upper deadeye with a few hitches. And to answer your question you lace the lanyard through the deadeyes LAST of all the other operations with attaching the shrouds. In fact its best to NOT glue or in any other way decisively fix the lanyards until you are done rigging the rest of the model- as you rig more on the ship, the lower shrouds often need last minute tension adjustment and only when everything is JUST RIGHT should you put a drop of glue on the Lanyards.

[allanyed]

Chuck,

 

  You did not mention this, so my apologies for bringing this up if you already were aware.  For square rigged British ships, at least, only the forward most shroud of the foremast and mainmast shrouds are served their entire length which is to protect from chafing by the lower courses.  The other shrouds are only served where they pass around the mast and also whipped on the ends. 

 

Allan

[texxn5]

Hello Chuck. I show the procedure I used on my Morgan in detail using Alexy Domanoff's Server on my website Build Log Part III. One thing to remember if you don't already know is to begin your Lanyards knot in the most forward hole of the top deadeye. If looking at the starboard side the first knot will be to the right or toward the bow, and on the port side it will be the same thing on the left. I also served the entire length of the shrouds. Hope this helps.

John

 

http://www.charleswmorganmodel.com

[popeye2sea]

Hi Chuck,

 

Here is how to serve and set up your shrouds and deadeyes.

 

Strop and attach your lower deadeyes to the channel.  The channel is the platform that sticks out from the side of the ship.  Depending on which ship and when it was built will determine the shape and style of the chains (the extensions of the strops that secure the deadeyes to the hull).

 

Measure the distance from the masthead to where the upper deadeyes will be.  The distance, or drift between the deadeyes was usually about 2 times the diameter of the deadeye.  Now double your measurement.  The shrouds are going to be put on in pairs.  Do not cut to the final length yet.  You need to leave extra length for setting up the shrouds.

 

Now serve the middle 1/3 of each shroud, calculated from your doubled measurement above.  This will be the portion that forms the loop around the masthead.  If you have calculated the length of the service correctly it should end slightly below the point where the futtock shrouds meet at the futtock stave. The forwardmost shroud on each side of the mast was usually served its entire length to prevent chafe from the sails and their gear.  

 

Middle the shroud pair around the mast head and clap on a seizing to form the loop around the mast head.  The seizing should come just below the bolster on the trestle trees (the bolster is a quarter round molding placed next to the mast on top of the lattice of beams that supports the top platform.  It's purpose was to ease the angle for the shrouds passing over the trestle tree. For each succeeding pair the seizing should lie just below the previous one.  This would prevent the seizings from chafing against each other.

 

Next, turn the upper deadeyes into the ends of the shrouds.  Some find it helpful to make a jig that will position the deadeye at the proper spacing.  The shrouds go around the deadeyes in a specific way that is determined by the lay of the rope.  Looking from the outside of the ship, if you are using right hand laid rope the shroud will pass counter-clockwise around the deadeye, behind the standing part (that is to say more inboard) and then the end is seized to the standing part with three seizings.  For left-hand laid rope the shroud runs the opposite, clockwise around the deadeye.

 

 

The first seizing to be put on is called a throat seizing and it is put on where the two parts of the shroud cross above the deadeye.  The next, the middle seizing,  is a short distance up the shroud and the third, the end seizing, an equal distance above that.

 

 

The rope that runs between the upper and lower deadeye is called the laniard.  The laniard should be a bit less that half the diameter of the shrouds. It always starts on the upper deadeye in the hole furthest away from the end of the shroud.  The stopper knot will be on the inboard side of the deadeye.

 

Pass the laniard from outboard in through the corresponding hole in the lower deadeye then up and from inboard out through the middle hole in the upper.  Continue passing the laniard through the remainig holes.  You will end up with the laniard passing from outboard in through the last hole in the lower deadeye.  The end of the laniard is then hitched around the shrouds where they cross above the deadeye.

 

It is best to leave some extra length on the shrouds and laniards so that final adjustments can be made later in the rigging.

 

Set up the shroud pairs starting with the forward most and alternate sides until all of the shroud pairs are done.  If you have an odd number of shrouds on each side the final one will go on single.

 

I hope that helps,

.

Regards,

Edited May 14, 2016 by popeye2sea

[achuck49]

Sorry for taking so long to reply, 5 year–old granddaughter and plans to move to Topeka, Kansas take priority. Thanx for the information and so much of it.

[Justin P.]

On 5/13/2016 at 11:19 AM, popeye2sea said:

Hi Chuck,

 

Here is how to serve and set up your shrouds and deadeyes.

 

Strop and attach your lower deadeyes to the channel.  The channel is the platform that sticks out from the side of the ship.  Depending on which ship and when it was built will determine the shape and style of the chains (the extensions of the strops that secure the deadeyes to the hull).

 

Measure the distance from the masthead to where the upper deadeyes will be.  The distance, or drift between the deadeyes was usually about 2 times the diameter of the deadeye.  Now double your measurement.  The shrouds are going to be put on in pairs.  Do not cut to the final length yet.  You need to leave extra length for setting up the shrouds.

 

Now serve the middle 1/3 of each shroud, calculated from your doubled measurement above.  This will be the portion that forms the loop around the masthead.  If you have calculated the length of the service correctly it should end slightly below the point where the futtock shrouds meet at the futtock stave. The forwardmost shroud on each side of the mast was usually served its entire length to prevent chafe from the sails and their gear.  

 

Middle the shroud pair around the mast head and clap on a seizing to form the loop around the mast head.  The seizing should come just below the bolster on the trestle trees (the bolster is a quarter round molding placed next to the mast on top of the lattice of beams that supports the top platform.  It's purpose was to ease the angle for the shrouds passing over the trestle tree. For each succeeding pair the seizing should lie just below the previous one.  This would prevent the seizings from chafing against each other.

 

Next, turn the upper deadeyes into the ends of the shrouds.  Some find it helpful to make a jig that will position the deadeye at the proper spacing.  The shrouds go around the deadeyes in a specific way that is determined by the lay of the rope.  Looking from the outside of the ship, if you are using right hand laid rope the shroud will pass counter-clockwise around the deadeye, behind the standing part (that is to say more inboard) and then the end is seized to the standing part with three seizings.  For left-hand laid rope the shroud runs the opposite, clockwise around the deadeye.

 

 

The first seizing to be put on is called a throat seizing and it is put on where the two parts of the shroud cross above the deadeye.  The next, the middle seizing,  is a short distance up the shroud and the third, the end seizing, an equal distance above that.

 

 

The rope that runs between the upper and lower deadeye is called the laniard.  The laniard should be a bit less that half the diameter of the shrouds. It always starts on the upper deadeye in the hole furthest away from the end of the shroud.  The stopper knot will be on the inboard side of the deadeye.

 

Pass the laniard from outboard in through the corresponding hole in the lower deadeye then up and from inboard out through the middle hole in the upper.  Continue passing the laniard through the remainig holes.  You will end up with the laniard passing from outboard in through the last hole in the lower deadeye.  The end of the laniard is then hitched around the shrouds where they cross above the deadeye.

 

It is best to leave some extra length on the shrouds and laniards so that final adjustments can be made later in the rigging.

 

Set up the shroud pairs starting with the forward most and alternate sides until all of the shroud pairs are done.  If you have an odd number of shrouds on each side the final one will go on single.

 

I hope that helps,

.

Regards,

Great explanation here,  thank you (many years later).   If this were done inappropriately would one observe twisting in the alignment of both deadeyes?     I’m trying to isolate the cause of twisting in my own current  shrouds, it seems I may have a few details out of sync.