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

[gjdale]

Just when you think you're making progress, nature has a way of sneaking up and biting you in the backside!

 

Having had such a useful discussion on Yard Tackle Pendants and Brace Pendants, I decided I would remove the previously installed Foremast Yards and re-do these items - no big deal............I thought............

 

As I was turning the model around to gain access to undo some of the yard rigging, I very cleverly managed to catch the fore royal stay on the end of my lamp, which resulted in snapping off the upper part of the fore top gallant mast.    

 

Many rude words were said out loud - enough to bring the Admiral at the rush, thinking I'd managed to inflict serious bodily injury!     

 

Here's what it looked like:

 

 

 

After carefully completing the removal of the yards, I was able to examine the break.  Of course it happened at the weakest point, where a hole had been drilled through the mast to reeve one of the stays.  My first thought was to insert a short brass pin into either end of the break, but the presence of the stay running right through the break prevented that avenue of repair.  As all the rigging remained intact, and the pieces would sit back together quite well under the tension of the rigging, I decided to attempt the repair by flooding the joint with two-part epoxy.  I've never really trusted CA, but the epoxy will form a strong piece by itself (probably stronger than the original timber).  Once the joints were together, I then dabbed some extra epoxy around the outside of the joint.  So far it seems to be holding up okay.  I'll conduct a further inspection in the morning, once the epoxy has fully cured, before deeming the repair a success.

 

In the meantime, I've completed the re-rigging of the Foremast Yards, and have also prepared the Mainmast Yards in the same way, so subject to successful mast repairs, I should be able to commence shipping the yards tomorrow.  I had intended to try using Gil's method of "pinning" the yards to the masts, but am now a little nervous about that......  I'll think some more on this overnight before finally deciding.

 

[mobbsie]

Hi Grant,

 

Hey that's bad luck mate, unfortunately it happens to the best of us, I have two desk lamps and I have to have them close to provide the light in the right place and I'm always catching them, luckily I'm not that far into the build. :(

 

I have however snapped the Mizzen Topgallent in the same spot as you, right on the drilled hole, I did pin and glue and I had to drill a new hole just below the repair. That's before I even fit it, what a klutze. :(

 

Good luck with the repair mate, I'm sure you have got it right.

 

Congrats to the Ausies on you know what, 5-0 unbelievable. :angry: :angry:

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie  

[augie]

Really sorry to hear about the mishap, mate.  Your plan for the re-do sounds good.  Keep us posted !

[Micklen32]

That is a real shame Grant, but as we all know, so easily done

It'll get right again though, it's just a question of putting it behind you

Good luck with it

[Blue Ensign]

That's bad news Grant, hope the fix holds. It's an ever present risk once the jib and tophamper are rigged. Trouble is you will always be nervous of that join throughout the rest of the build. Been there myself in the past but couldn't live with the tension and had to get the riggers in to re-do the t'gallant in the end.

 

M.

[texxn5]

Ouch.....sorry 'bout that Mate.....at least it's fixable....bummer though.....could have been worse though....you can do it ......

[j21896]

Ouch!!  Very sorry to hear about that mishap Grant.  I hope you can get her fixed up with minimal redo's!

 

Robert

[realworkingsailor]

So that's what that loud noise was....

 

Ouch...That stinks...

 

Hope you manage an effective fix... Otherwise I'd go with what BE said and rebuild the thing.

 

Andy

[dafi]

Just am rereading "Nelson´s ships" which has plenty of excerpts from the original logs.

 

Do you have an idea, how often those top gallant mast broke in real life? That is not a mishap, this is only real reenactment, what you are doing.

 

Please enter the log with the appropriate date and appropriate message: "top gallant mast sprung/lost// in a squall/storm/lamp// fished the mast where it was wounded/sent up a fresh one// employed people to repair the rigging"

 

XXXDAn

Edited January 5, 2014 by dafi

[mtaylor]

Oh... bummmmmer.   Good to hear that repairs are being effected.  Can't let a simple thing like that keep her from her destiny and all that... If repairs fail, follow Dafi's advice.  Seems reasonable to me.   

[rafine]

Who among us can say that it's never happened to them. There can't be a worse feeling in modeling. Like everyone else here, I know that you'll see this through.

 

Bob

[Blue Ensign]

Hi Grant, just to re-visit the question of Yard Tackles:-

 

I came across this post by dvm on the Longridge Victory.

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/968-hms-victory-model-by-longridge-science-museum/

 

You can see the yard tackles hooked into eye bolts in the channels on a couple of the photos.

 

Cheers

 

M.

[gjdale]

Thank you one and all for the sympathy/empathy (for those who have been here themselves!) and general good wishes for the repair.

I'm pleased to report that the bosun has done a thorough inspection of the repair job and declared it fit for sea (sorry, no pics yet).

All of the Fore and Main yards have now been re-fitted to include Brace Pendants, and the Fore and Main lower yards have been fitted with long tackle blocks for the Yard Tackle Pendants. Additional tricing line blocks will be added to the shrouds prior to re-installation of the yards.

While I had the yards off again, I decided to revisit the parrals for the top gallant yards. I decided that the previously made parral ribs were over scale for the topgallants, as were the beads used for the parral trucks. So, I bought some new beads today from a local beading supply shop, and made some new, smaller parral ribs for the top gallant yards. I'll post some pics of these, along with the method of making them, tomorrow.

B.E. - thanks for the extra info re Yard Tackle Blocks - now I think you're just messing with my head I had all but made up my mind to show these triced up, and now you show me pics of them secured to the channel.......... I also note the absence of Brace Pendants in these pics....... At least the pics are consistent with the book.

Dafi - extracts from ships log:

"05 Jan 2014. Fore Topgallant Mast sprung as a result of lighting strike. Fished the mast where it was wounded. Employed people to repair the rigging."

"06 Jan 2014. Fore Topgallant Mast repairs surveyed and deemed fit for sea. Double rum ration issued to bosun and carpenter's crew."

Edited April 4, 2014 by gjdale

[mobbsie]

Hi Grant,

 

Well done on the repair mate, knew you could do it. :)

 

As far as the bosuns reward is concerned, give yourself a double wicky.

 

Be Good

 

mobbsie

[texxn5]

Glad you have a Chief Bo'sun aboard.............he deserves several extra grog's....for a job well done...

[augie]

Glad to hear all is back in Bristol fashion.  Looking forward to pics of new parral trucks!

[Patrick Haw]

Well done on the repair Grant!  Seeing your beautiful work damaged like that almost brought a tear to my eye, but I think we've all been there, done that at some point in our modelling careers, it's just a question of how we respond and it sounds like you've brought her back to ship shape and Bristol fashion very quickly.  Great work!

 

Patrick

[clloyd]

I had nearly the exact same injury on bounty - and she spent the final 6 months of rigging with a "cast" around the fore topgallant mast.  My solution was the same as yours.

 

Colin

[gjdale]

Thanks Lawrence, Patrick and Colin,

 

Got distracted with household duties yesterday, but did manage to finish off the new parrals. All fore and main yards now ready for fitting - hopefully today.

[Moonbug]

Can't wait to see photos of the repair. I snapped the top off the mizzen of my San Juan during that build. It's remarkable how many of us have snapped a mast or yanked rigging out of whack despite how careful and precise we all are!  Only takes that half second of inattenion...

  

... often followed by a flurry of colorful vocabulary, a period of slow methodical breathing (and maybe a tear), then finally a plan for reconstruction. Hey... at least you didn't have to pull it off at sea.

 

- Bug

[mikec]

Hey Grant, I did exactly as you did , and same spot. I repaired mine with wifes sewing pin and superglue. The pin is very thin but strong. This allowed me to skewer the pin through the rope . I then flooded with super glue.

 

Glad you managed to fix yours

[gjdale]

Thanks Bug and Mike, it's nice to know I'm not the only klutz in the class!

 

Mike - that looks like an interesting fix. I considered using a brass pin, but was just too scared to start trying to drill more holes in situ, especially with rope in the way. Clearly, you found a way to do so! So far, the epoxy repair looks to be holding up well - I have a lot more confidence in this joint than I would using CA or other glue types - and the repair itself is hardly noticeable.

 

I managed to get the Fore lower yard reinstalled yesterday, but was dragged off to take the Admiral out for dinner before I could take extra photos and post pics for an update. It seemed a little easier doing this the second time around (rigging, not dinner, that is ). I guess it's the benefit of all that practice!

 

One thing I did discover in re-doing this bit though. Re-reading Longridge's instructions on belaying, I realised that the kit had completely neglected to use/provide Kevel blocks, incorrectly belaying the lower lifts directly to the timber heads instead. Guess I'll be making a few of those today (nine in total required by my count). I have a cunning plan....................

 

I will try to ensure a full pictorial update tonight before you-know-who comes bashing on the door.

[texxn5]

Look forward to more pictures.....I'll be watching like you know who

[Trussben]

Well done on the repair Grant, these things do happen unfortunately, but nice recovery.

 

Ben

[gjdale]

Thanks John and Ben, and also all of those who "liked" my earlier posts.

 

I mentioned previously that in re-doing the yards, I had decided that the parrals for the Topgallant were too large, so a visit to the local beading shop turned up some nice very small beads, and with the aid of Turbo CAD, I redrafted some patterns for the parral ribs at a more appropriate size, printed them on sticky label paper and stuck them onto some 1/64" boxwood stock:

 

 

I then drilled the holes for the parral ropes and filed the general "B" shape into them using first a triangular file, and then a round file:

 

 

The resultant ribs look like this:

 

 

And beside their big brothers for the Topsail yard:

 

 

And here they are ready to go:

 

 

 

 

 

[gjdale]

Now I was ready to fit the yards, or so I thought...........

 

Re-fitting of the Fore Lower Yard went pretty much according to plan.  Here's a few shots showing how it looks now.  Note the the addition of Brace Pendants, and also the change of the Yard Tackle Pendants to include Long Tackle Blocks in lieu of standard double blocks:

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't really show in the pictures, but two 7" (3/32" scale) blocks are attached to the first shroud at the futtock staves on both fore and main mast.  These are the tricing line blocks that we discussed some posts back.  Still haven't finally decided on how the Yard Tackle Pendants will be displayed, but now I have some options and will have a play with these in the next few days.

 

The lifts are not yet belayed as when I re-read Longridge on belaying, it seems that the Kevel blocks to which these are belayed had been omitted by my kit, the kit instructions suggesting they be belayed directly to the timber heads.  Having thought about it overnight, I decided that I would just have to manufacture some Kevel blocks and do it right.

 

The basic design is pretty simple - I took the dimensions from the diagrams in AOTS as Longridge is scanty on dimensions for these.  Initially, I just drilled some holes to represent the sheaves:

 

 

Then I thought, what the heck, why don't I have a bash at making some working sheaves - another opportunity to play with some of my toys  I had some 6mm diameter Aluminium bar stock on hand, so I turned this down on the lathe to approx a 3mm diameter and then bored a 1mm hole through it for the sheave pin.  Then I sliced off sections about 1.3 mm thick:

 

 

The Kevel blocks were then adjusted by milling out the full sheave space using a 1.5mm end mill mounted in my Proxxon drill press:

 

 

And here are the resultant pieces waiting for final finishing and assembly.

 

 

Now I'm ready to continue with the yard re-installation.

 

[WackoWolf]

Excellent work, I enjoy you walk through as how you are going about these little upgrades. Keep the pictures coming.

[augie]

So now we have working sheaves.  Don't forget to balance them so we don't get any vibration during rotation.

 

Absolutely great on the parrel trucks as well.

 

FABULOUS!

Edited January 9, 2014 by Augie

[j21896]

Hi Grant,

 

You sure know how to use those "toys" to great advantage!  Beautiful detail work on those kevel blocks.

 

Cheers,

Robert

 

[texxn5]

Oh man, now were down to making microscopic sheaves.......what next Grant????  how about microscopic food, I'm sure the Chief Bo'sun would like to eat....?? really Mate, that's outstanding, it'll be interesting to see how they work as well as look.....nice repair.....