hamilton Posted June 1, 2017 #1 Posted June 1, 2017 Hi there: I've been doing a bit of planning for a future build (Corel's HMS Bellona) and have been consulting James Lees' Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War to flesh out the vaguer aspects provided by Brian Lavery's Anatomy of the Ship HMS Bellona and correct or improve upon Corel's design. One thing that has struck me as strange is the proportion that Lees gives for lower stays - "1/2 the diameter of the appropriate lower mast" (p. 185). This would mean a main stay that would be almost 5mm and the forestay 4mm (based on information obtained from Lavery)!! On a 1:100 model that seems way too thick....is Lees off base here or am I missing something? Any wisdom any of you can provide would be most welcome. Thanks a lot in advance! hamilton mtaylor 1 current builds: Corel HMS Bellona (1780); Admiralty models Echo cross-section (semi-scratch) previous builds: MS Phantom (scuttled, 2017); MS Sultana (1767); Corel Brittany Sloop (scuttled, 2022); MS Kate Cory; MS Armed Virginia Sloop (in need of a refit); Corel Flattie; Mamoli Gretel; Amati Bluenose (1921) (scuttled, 2023); AL San Francisco (destroyed by land krakens [i.e., cats]); Corel Toulonnaise (1823); MS Glad Tidings (1937) (refit, 2024); HMS Blandford (1719) from Corel HMS Greyhound; Fair Rosamund (1832) from OcCre Dos Amigos (missing in action); Amati Hannah (ship in a bottle); Mamoli America (1851); Bluenose fishing schooner (1921) (scratch); Off-Centre Sailing Skiff (scratch) under the bench: MS Emma C Barry; MS USS Constitution; MS Flying Fish; Corel Berlin; a wood supplier Colonial Schooner Hannah; Victory Models H.M.S. Fly; CAF Models HMS Granado; MS USS Confederacy
russ Posted June 1, 2017 #2 Posted June 1, 2017 Hamilton: Lees is giving you rigging circumference. You need to calculate diameter from that and then divide by your scale denominator. For instance, if the mast diameter is 30 inches, then half that would be a 15 inch circumference stay. The diameter of the stay would be about 4.77 inches. At 1/100 scale that would be .047" diameter. A diameter of 3/64" would do nicely. Russ hamilton, mtaylor, rafine and 3 others 6 T'aint a hobby if you hurry Completed projects Cross section model by Russ 1/48 scale Biloxi schooner model restoration 1/24 scale Biloxi oyster skiff 1/24 scale Biloxi schooner 1/48 scale POB Current project Biloxi lugger Captain Roy 1/48 scale POB
hamilton Posted June 1, 2017 Author #3 Posted June 1, 2017 Thank you Russ! That makes sense. The heading in Lees says "proportionate rigging sizes" and doesn't clarify that it's circumference - but I should probably have guessed! Thanks once again hamilton mtaylor 1 current builds: Corel HMS Bellona (1780); Admiralty models Echo cross-section (semi-scratch) previous builds: MS Phantom (scuttled, 2017); MS Sultana (1767); Corel Brittany Sloop (scuttled, 2022); MS Kate Cory; MS Armed Virginia Sloop (in need of a refit); Corel Flattie; Mamoli Gretel; Amati Bluenose (1921) (scuttled, 2023); AL San Francisco (destroyed by land krakens [i.e., cats]); Corel Toulonnaise (1823); MS Glad Tidings (1937) (refit, 2024); HMS Blandford (1719) from Corel HMS Greyhound; Fair Rosamund (1832) from OcCre Dos Amigos (missing in action); Amati Hannah (ship in a bottle); Mamoli America (1851); Bluenose fishing schooner (1921) (scratch); Off-Centre Sailing Skiff (scratch) under the bench: MS Emma C Barry; MS USS Constitution; MS Flying Fish; Corel Berlin; a wood supplier Colonial Schooner Hannah; Victory Models H.M.S. Fly; CAF Models HMS Granado; MS USS Confederacy
allanyed Posted June 4, 2017 #4 Posted June 4, 2017 Hamilton At least for the British ships, back in the day, circumference was the predominant measurement. At some point, rope of 1" diameter or less was measured in diameter not circumference. Today, breaking strength is a commonly used specification as there are so many more materials available to make rope. Practically, it is easier to measure the circumference than the diameter, so that may be the reason circumference was the commonly used dimension. For our model rigging, it is easier to measure the diameter with a micrometer than some how accurately measure the circumference. Allan mtaylor 1 PLEASE take 30 SECONDS and sign up for the epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series. Click on http://trafalgar.tv There is no cost other than the 30 seconds of your time. THANK YOU
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