HMS Victory by gjdale - FINISHED - Mamoli - Scale 1:90

[keelhauled]

Grant, you are a block building machine!!!  Very nice detail.  When do we get the stropping tutorial?

 

Marc

[Old Collingwood]

Absolutly Stunning what you are and have achieved with your beautiful victory, i think the victory trust would be proud to have a model like yours representing thier fine ship.

 

Fantastic

 

 

C.

[gjdale]

Thank you very much Kevin, Marc and Old Collingwood for your kind words.

 

Marc - you asked for it, so here it is.

 

I finally got some time today to start the long process of attaching all these blocks to the yards.  I started with the Fore Lower Yard.  My main guide for this has been Longridge and this diagram has been most helpful:

 

 

In that diagram you can see the 26" Quarter Blocks with 9" Slabline blocks attached.  You can also see that the Quarter Blocks are attached to the yard by the means of a collar with two eyes that are lashed together.  For these large blocks, and indeed for the 26" Jeer Blocks, I decided to try to match the process.

 

Here is a picture of the Quarter Block / Slabline Block assembly, complete with collar and eyes.  The Quarter Blocks are represented by 9/32' (7mm) scale blocks and the Slabline by 3/32" (2.5mm) scale blocks.

 

 

Here are a couple of pictures of it attached to the yard.  I actually decided to put the lashing on the aft side of the yard instead of the fore side.  Not absolutely correct, but I thought it might look neater, so "Captain's Choice" called on this one!

 

 

 

The Clew Garnet Blocks are actually a "shouldered" block, so I improvised by adding a small piece of 1/64" thick boxwood to the outside and shaping it to match the block (a 5/32" (4mm) scale block).  The photo is atrocious - I swear it actually looks pretty good

 

 

I decided not to try to do the collars, eyes and lashings on the smaller blocks, so took a bit of a "cheat" with these.  Having seized the blocks into their stropping (using my usual series of overhand knots), I simply tied these around the yard and did the best I could to hide the knots.  Here's a few overall shots and some close-ups of the almost completed yard:

 

 

 

 

 

This last one shows the yard mounted on my home-made "yard gantry" that I made quite some time ago in anticipation of this stage of the build.  It works quite well.  Oh, and there's a ship in the background too - that would be the final destination for this yard!

 

 

I still need to add Stirrups and Horses (for which I need to order some more rigging line from Chuck) and then Truss Pendants, Nave Line and Studding Sail Booms.  Then it will be ready to attach.  Not sure yet if I will attach them one at a time as I go, or fit all the yards out first and then attach them.  Plenty of time to consider that one.

 

In the meantime, the above lot of pictures should keep even you-know-who happy for at least a week!

 

 

 

 

[Micklen32]

Absolutely superb Grant

They look so realistic in use

It does make us look at our efforts with the blocks that come with the kits, and see they are a little lacking   

The time spent has been well worth it   

Edited November 17, 2013 by Micklen32

[augie]

Well, I have to say that I KNEW  this was coming the moment I saw you cranking out microscopic parts on heavy duty machinery.  Yes, your blocks are spectacular....but they had to GO somewhere.

 

Now we see the result.  You have my respect, sir.  Beautifully done.  So much so that it's enough to make a grown man cry looking at his own efforts. 

 

And thanks for including the gantry.   

[texxn5]

Hi Grant, wonderful work, it's going to look great on the ship.  Thanks for the photo of your yard gantry jig.  Would you be able to post a couple of pictures of it so us underlings can make one.  It looks like a great way to handle and pre rig the yards.  You seem to come up with some wonderful jig ideas and thank you for sharing.  

[Kevin]

lovely seeing all your hard work on the blocks now being found a home

[realworkingsailor]

Nice going. All that work making all those tiny blocks is paying off.

 

 

Andy

[j21896]

Wow Grant, that looks beautiful.  So crisp, clean and precise!

 

Cheers,

Robert

[dafi]

Great work!
 

Daniel

[Jim Lad]

Very nicely done indeed, Grant.  That yard looks excellent!

 

John

[rafine]

I join the chorus Grant -- Beautiful work all around. 

 

Bob

[gjdale]

Thank you everyone for the kind comments and for the likes.

 

John - the yard gantry is on pg 9, post #129.

[Trussben]

Yep, nice to see the blocks finally going to their intended destination, great work.

 

Ben

[texxn5]

Thanks Grant, I appreciate the pictures....I had forgotten this was in your log.  I should remember to just reference your log for jigs, you have the best collection I have seen.  I wish I had my woodworking tools (lost in a divorce, also my Sherline Lathe and CNC Mill among other goodies)  to be able to build such nice ones....appreciate it Bro'.

[Sjors]

That looks fabulous Grant !

I know how the blocks are looking in real live       

THANKS !!!!

PM is on the way !

 

 

[Patrick Haw]

Just catching up with everyone after a few days away and, wow!  That yard looks fantastic and all your time and effort in making those blocks is paying off in spades.  The blocks look just fantastic and enhance the yard so much.  Well done!

 

Patrick

[gjdale]

Thanks again everyone for the kind comments and the likes.

 

Progress is once again at a glacial pace as life seems to have a habit of getting in the way at the moment. Nevertheless, I did manage to progress a bit further with the yard preparation today.

 

I made an interesting discovery in my wife's favourite sewing shop today - "self-threading" needles.  And they work!

 

 

I received some more of Chuck's excellent rigging thread in the post this week, so was able to start on the stirrups.  I must admit to once again being inspired by the work of Blue Ensign on his outstanding Pegasus build. He is just far enough ahead of me in progress terms to be an excellent source of guidance and inspiration.  So my method for the stirrups follows pretty closely to his.  

 

It starts with forming a "false splice" in one end of the thread.  I'm using 0.30 mm black thread for my stirrups, which is pretty close to scale for the 4-inch circ. rope used at full scale.  I've chosen to do my stirrups and horses in black, which may or may not be correct, but is consistent with my choices for hammock netting and ratline colours.  The method of forming the "false splice" is borrowed from Gil Middleton, repeated by Blue Ensign, and now by me.

 

A needle is used to thread the line back through itself:

 

 

And then back through a second time:

 

 

The completed "splice" looks like this:

 

 

The splice is then placed over a 1mm diameter brass rod held in a Fly-tying vice (thanks Mobbsie for that idea ) :

 

 

A dab of CA is applied to the splice and around the eye, which is then carefully removed from the brass rod:

 

 

The stirrups are then attached to the yard, being wrapped three times around the yard, with the "fall" of the stirrup lying on the aft side of the yard, and outboard of the turns. A dab of CA is applied and once set, a small weight is applied to the fall of the stirrup and the entire stirrup painted with diluted PVA and left to dry overnight.  Tomorrow I will add the horses.

 

 

You can also see in the picture above and the next below, the Truss Pendants, which have been fitted with a brass thimble and seized to the yard.  Note that the thimble lies down on the starboard side and up on the port side (as per Longridge pg 240).

 

 

If I can finish the horses tomorrow, that will be the Fore Lower Yard complete.  Only eight more yards to go!  (then I will be able to say I've gone "the whole nine yards" )

 

 

 

[trippwj]

Nice job - looking good from here, Grant!

[mobbsie]

I like the splice idea,( make mental note to use in the future ). That yard looks extremely busy mate, hope you know where everything goes.  

 

Really good work mate.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[augie]

Some good stuff in that post, Grant

[Micklen32]

Nice job Grant

That splice is very similar to how you do the braid loop on the end of a fly fishing line

It will will work with most multi strand thread with maybe a drop of CA to help it stay in place   

[gjdale]

Thanks again Wayne, Mobbise, Augie, Lawrence and Mick, and all the "likes".

 

Today I added the horses (foot ropes) and the stunsl booms.  The horses are spliced over the end of the yard, and then threaded through the stirrups before being spliced again just outside the sling cleats. In reality, the inner end has a thimble that is lashed around the yard.  Inspired by Blue Ensign, I also "cheated" by using the splice on the inboard side.  The last item to attach were the stunsl booms, which had been pre-made and simply required lashing at the inboard end.  With that, I declare the Fore Lower Yard complete and ready to be attached to the ship.

 

 

 

 

You may have noticed that I also had a birthday during the week.  Well, all I can say is that I must have been a very, very good boy this year! :D  I hope the mods will indulge me a slight diversion here.

 

My darling wife obviously thinks I need to spend more time in the shipyard, and bought me this:

 

 

I was also allowed to buy this for myself:

 

 

And during our recent holiday, we saw a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition in Venice.  Knowing my love of his drawings of machines, my son gave me this:

 

 

Plenty to keep me busy once I eventually finish this project!

 

 

Edited April 4, 2014 by gjdale

[WackoWolf]

Jim makes a very nice thickness sander, will last you a life time. I have the second one that you bought but mine isn't a jet, also a very good company and will last a life time. The question I have is that a model for the Da Vinci machine or a book?

[mobbsie]

Nice work on the yards mate, superb. 

 

How on earth can I compete with that, if I had half your skill I'd be a happy man.   :)        

 

Looks like your going to have plenty of fun with those new toys my friend, there'll be no stopping you now.   B)  

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[gjdale]

Joe,

 

It's a model kit. Shouldn't take too long to make - the box says for ages 8+. Perhaps I should ask John (JimLad) to put me in touch with the nine-year-old who was so full of advice about his Stag model

[dafi]

Wonderful work as always :-)

 

XXXDAn

[ZyXuz]

congratulation on your new toys

and the yard rigging is just awesome!

[texxn5]

You must have been real good Mate, those are some fine looking tools.....just keep the fingers out.  I like the way you did your yards, and showing the needlework and splice.  I will have to remember to go through your log again when I get to that stage of the build.  All of your little jigs will really be helpful.  

[mikec]

hey Grant, excuse my ignorance - what is that machine?