Granado by RMC - FINISHED - Caldercraft - 1:64

[Gahm]

Beautiful work - a job very well done!

 

Thomas

[RMC]

Thanks Thomas.  I have friends in South/North Carolina and hope you are doing well too.

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Bob, looking great.  I think we've both been struggling with the same area and similar challenges but you look to have overcome everything well.

[RMC]

Obviously progress has been very slow - largely self-inflicted.  The main yard has been a nightmare.  A few things that I did some time ago have come back to bite.  First, replacing the poor quality 1.5mm ply bibbs with 2mm strip.  This of course meant that the mast is 1mm wider than specified.  Second, the main stay is specified as 1.3mm thread.  The Syren thread comes as either 1.14or 1.37mm.  I originally chose the 1.14mm stuff.  It was suggested (rightly) that the thicker thread would look more authentic.  I then replaced the 1.14mm thread with the 1.37mm (which looked far better). However I eventually measured the 1.37 thread to be closer to 1.5mm.  I then served the eye and the mouse which made the stay thicker still.  All of this looked just fine.

Now come the problems.  The jeer  blocks had been installed earlier according to specification.  However with the extra thickness of the mast and the eye, the upper (double) block was fouled by the eye.  The top blocks therefore had to be lowered.  This meant that the blocks had to cut off, then replaced with longer drops - which turned out to be far, far easier said ....

 

Moreover the thread for the falls specified as 1mm (I used 0.88mm) did not seat properly (it's quite stiff) and had contributed to the fouling.  I replaced it with 0.63 thread which further improved things.  Fortunately the change is not noticeable.  In all, the overall result is reasonably adequate though I guess that's for others to judge.

 

 

I see I have just duplicated the photo.  I have no idea how.  In no particular order associated bits and pieces.

 

Below in the photo of the parrel, there is a small length of Tamiya tape attached to the thread which goes through the lower part of the parrel.  This both prevents the whole assembly coming off in the process of installation and identifies that is the lower thread. (It's easy to mix them up.)  With the crowded rigging around it, the installation is quite difficult.

 

 

 

The yard rings are really quite poorly designed.  To put top and bottom together reasonably securely and accurately, I ended up drilling holes in both, then inserting and gluing a piece of wire into the holes.  For the end ring, again a hole was drilled, wire inserted and bent to the appropriate shape.

 

 

Here is how they came out.  Incidentally, for the foot ropes, rather using wire for the drops, I used thread, consistent with anatomy of a ship.  Despite the photos the ropes now hang quite nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Why, on every kit I buy, do I have trouble with yard rings ?

I like your solution.

Also  -  that rigging is exceptional.

 

Sam

 

[Gahm]

Your rigging follows the whole nature of your build - clean, precise and extremely well done! It is a pleasure to follow your progress!

 

Thomas

[RMC]

Thanks Sam and Gahm.  A bit of encouragement is always welcome.  After all this, I think I'll take up modelling aeroplanes.

[HardeeHarHar]

Wow, having just started the Granado, your build log text and photos (and all the other build logs) are stunningly informative, masterful in skill and beauty, clearly founded in solid research and best practice, and absolutely terrifying.  😃

[RMC]

Hardee ...  :  you have chosen quite a demanding model, particularly if this is your first attempt.  Thanks for the kind words.  If I can help you on the way, don't hesitate to contact me.  Good luck.

 

Bob

[RMC]

Here is progress, such as it is.  Since my last post we've had storm damage to our house on the coast south of Sydney which has disrupted all sorts of things. What with the fires, our floods, the pandemic and the recent storms, we're now waiting for the locusts.  The following photos are all a bit random.

 

Instead of wire to support the foot ropes, I have used thread which more nearly approximates the real thing.  To make them appear taught, dilute PVA has been applied and wire threaded though the holes for the ropes.  Alligator clips have then been hung off the wire while the glue dried.

 

 

Belaying ropes the appropriate points is often quite difficult.  Here are the' tools' I used for the main yard lifts which are belayed to kevels  - simply a piece of wire bent to be able to hook the thread and a bamboo stick with a notch cut in the end to push it.  Manipulating them across the deck works a treat with weights on the end of the thread to keep it taught.

 

 

 

 

This is the overall look at the moment.  Unfortunately the light for photography was not all that good and doesn't show much detail - will try harder next time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Hi RMC,

Sorry for your troubles but keep up the good work.

I especially like the foot rope solution.

 

Good luck with the locusts.

 

Sam.

[flyer]

 

Great progress despite all that plagues. I like your supports for the foot ropes.

Ehm..

I hate to be the bearer of unfortunate news but there should be at least one more after the locusts - depending on if you are looking for Armageddon(1) or just want to leave Egypt(4). Let's hope it's not a plague of woodworms.

Take care

Peter

 

 

[RMC]

A belated thank you Sam and Peter.  I'm sure the locusts are on their way.  Armageddon? Perhaps not. 🤨I don't know about leaving Egypt - first we have to get there, and at the moment we're not allowed to go.🙂

[jwvolz]

Looking really good Bob, nice work. 

[RMC]

Thanks Joe - a rather late thank you.

 Well the main mast and bowsprit rigging is finished.  Ship building has not been a high priority lately.  Here is the bowsprit.  After a few silly mistakes it has come out quite well.  I have used small alligator clips as weights extensively.  They keep lines taught while the rigging process goes on.  This also shows one of my mistakes (now corrected) - using black, or in my case, dark brown instead of natural for the lanyards.

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously the rigging is very crowded indeed.  For much of the rigging, 0.25mm thread is specified.  The Syren thread comes as either 0.2 or 0.3mm.  I chose 0.3mm.  This, I found, caused a problem with  the 3mm Syren blocks that I used.  When using CA to aid threading through the blocks, the thread did not want to go through.  My solution was to drill out the holes with a 0.6mm bit.  Doing it before a block was mounted was easy - doing it in situ was sometimes rather hair-raising.  Another problem is the lack of space between the belaying pins.  Once the various lines are belayed, rope coils have to be fitted.  This was far easier said ....  An extensive vocabulary helped.  The result is acceptable, though I now see that a bit of adjustment is needed.

 

 

 

I have included the following photo to illustrate  just how crowded and complicated the rigging is.

 

 

This is how things look - with the mizzen rigging still to be finished.

 

 

 

 

 

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Thanks for the rigging tutorial.   

Will be using these posts when rigging my latest.

 

Sam.

[HardeeHarHar]

Having just finished the 2nd planking, my fear level is increasing.  Your rigging is stunning, as is the rest of your work. 

[RMC]

Thanks for the encouragement Sideways (?) and Hardee etc. One thing I sugges, when belaying lines, particularly if you use Syren thread, is to wet the line near the belaying point.  It makes the thread far easier to manipulate in tying it off.  The Syren thread tends to be a bit stiff.  I use a paint brush dipped in water, then running it along the lower bit of thread.  Works well.

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Good tip RMC.

Sideways is fine,  (it's the way I walk).

 

Sam.

[RMC]

Rigging the mizzen topmast yard is now close to complete with the yard sheets and the cluelines done.  While it has come out acceptably, getting the rigging correct while making sure the crossjack yard and the topmast yard both parallel and horizontal was not something I would like to do again.

 

 

Moreover, belaying the lines to the centre pinrail ran up against the same belaying problem that I found with the jeer bits; not enough room.  The holes  for the pins are either too close together or the pins are themselves too large.  Eventually I was successful, but it was rather frustrating.  I'm not sure how I will later put on rope coils.  The belaying shown below has been tied off, but the lines have not yet been glued or cut off.  (You never known when a further adjustment may be needed.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Beef Wellington]

Beautiful rigging Bob, looking very nice indeed.

[shipman]

Late to your party and had a quick bimble through your posts. What a lovely crisp build this is with no hesitation to junk much of the sub standard kit components. In fact you've done a good job disguising it was ever a kit. Congrats; I'm following to completion now.

[HardeeHarHar]

Hey Bob, I believe you substituted rigging ropes and fittings extensively in your Granado.  It looks soooooooo good, but I also know it led to some issues and rework.  I am a long way from starting the rigging on my Granado, but I was wondering if you have reached a final opinion of the value and benefit, and whether you were willing to recommend those substitutions specifically to a newbie like me?  

 

Best regards,

Brian

 

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Hi Bob,

I am a long way from rigging my latest but, like Hardee, am looking for inspiration.

Have already absorbed new ideas from your posts  -  these will help a lot.

What is your opinion on beeswaxing rigging (before or after fitting) to help it hang naturally ???

Obviously rigging under tension wouldn't need this but would waxing help the appearance

of  "kit" supplied material ???

 

Thanks,

 

Sam

[RMC]

Thanks Shipman, Brian and Sam for your comments. I am a bit pressed for time at the moment and will try to reply in a little more detail later. 

 

Briefly, Shipman - I now regret not looking at the Amati version of Granado.  The materials etc. for the Vanguard(Amati Victory Models)  were infinitely better, though of course it is a far more expensive kit. 

 

Brian, I think the substitutions are worth it, but I guess I'm biased.  Incidentally there are a few inconsistencies between the instructions and the rigging plans that I will note later - not a big deal, but annoying. 

 

Sam - I do have some beeswax, but have never used it.  I have found saturating the thread with very, very dilute PVA works fairly well.

[HardeeHarHar]

Hi Bob, Thanks again for sharing your knowledge as time permits!!  Take care and stay safe.

Brian

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the reply.   Will experiment with both.

 

Sam.

[RMC]

I have only just realised that I have almost finished.  Here are the errors I have found in the plans - ie: inconsistencies between the instructions and the plans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is progress.

 

Rigging the driver gaff is quite a difficult proposition.  Putting the parrel in place is easiest by rigging it below its ultimate place on the mast, then moving it up.

 

 

 

 

The following shows the complexity of its rigging - and there is still one more bit to come.

 

Here are the various falls belayed to the breast rail.  On the Joytika website they are shown like this, simply cut off - no rope coils.  I'm not sure whether to follow this or in some way try to but on coils.

 

 

 

 

[HardeeHarHar]

Great documentation...and good questions.  I’m glad I’m not there yet I think!! 😉

[rafine]

Bob, I checked photos of my build ( I no longer have the model) and found that I used pre-made coils hung from the line wrapped around the rail. An easy way to do it.

 

Bob