Armed Viriginia Sloop by JpR62 - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:48 - First wooden ship build

[JpR62]

Thank you Brian for your help.

It's always reassuring to know that you can have the help of people who have already done this same job.

I will mostly use the practicum to acquire the basic techniques.

For the rigging sequence, I will follow the method read in the Cheerful instruction manual and especially reread the various logs on the AVS ☺️.

[JpR62]

The rigging of the boom has been carried out.

A temporary rope is placed at the end of the boom while waiting for the boom topping lift to be fixed.

I don't know if I can already fix the ends of the boom sheet and of the outhaul on their cleats definitively or if it is better to wait before giving the final tension to these two ropes...

Next step : the bobstay

[JpR62]

Thank you David for your advice. I will try to follow it and make more diagonal cuts to better simulate the splice.

[GuntherMT]

19 hours ago, JpR62 said:

I don't know if I can already fix the ends of the boom sheet and of the outhaul on their cleats definitively or if it is better to wait before giving the final tension to these two ropes...

 

No reason you can't 'finish' them, but my suggestion is to finish them (and all the other ropes) in a way that allows you to adjust them later if you really decide you need to.

 

All of my rigging was 'fixed' by using the actual methods of tying off to a cleat, and then soaking (using a paintbrush) the rope around the cleat with a 50/50 mixture of white glue and water.  When it dries it's completely invisible and the entire mass of rope (including a coil if you have one) will be 'glued' in place, but if you ever need to adjust it, all you have to do is add some water and wait a few minutes and suddenly the rope is free to adjust however you want.

 

My entire rigging is secured this way, and it's been 5 years now and not a single rope has slipped/changed and there is no visible evidence of the water/glue mixture.

I forget if you are using Syren rope for your model like I did, but if you are, then this method worked really well for me.  No idea if it would work on that nylon rope provided in the kit.

[JpR62]

Thank you Brian. I will do this using the method you used.

I also changed the nylon rope to that of Syren which seems really very realistic to me.

[JpR62]

The bobstay is now in place on the bowsprit.

I will add now the footropes and the bowsprit shrouds.

 

[captain_hook]

Nice work Jean-Paul, looks very good. The rigging of the AVS I had the most trouble with were the stays (bob-, fore- and backstays) because their tackles are supposed to be seized and fixed. So I ended up doing all them twice because I had to readjust the tension after some time. If I had to do them again I would prepare but not finish them until bowsprit and mast were in place and then adjust to final tension. 

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes' and thank you Captain_hook for your advice. I would pay attention to the tension of the stays.

So far I have set up the footropes and the bowsprit shrouds.

The footropes still need to be coated with a mixture of white glue and water to make them look more real.

The shrouds must be still tight and definitively secured. On the sheet 5 of the plan they indicate that the belay line must be secured around the block.

Not very convinced and I wonder if I will not attach it to a timberhead on the main rail...

[Blue Ensign]

Enjoyed reading through your log JpR,  love the colour combinations you have achieved, and the look of her.

I would be very happy to have produced your fine little model. 

Nice work 👍

 

B.E.

 

 

[JpR62]

Thank you BE for your kind words.

Your work is a great inspiration to me and I will follow with great interest the progress on the  Muirneag.

[JpR62]

The rigging work continues.

Nothing is finished because I was expecting an order for some ropes from Syren.

The boom topping lift, the gaff throat halliard and the gaff peak halliards  are being installed.

Luckily, in one week my order arrived and I will be able to finalize these different lines.

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.

The boom topping lift, the gaff throat halliard and the gaff peak halliards  are now finished.

I also added the spreader yard horse.

Time to install the shrouds...

 

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.

Rigging continues. The shrouds are done and rigged. Next step: rig the ratlines.

I really like this phase of building. The model is really starting to become a replica of a ship.

 

[Justin P.]

Clean work, glad I discovered this build before it was over!   

[GuntherMT]

So... I'm not sure if you are as OCD as I am, so not sure if it bothers you, but I had one of my swivel-gun supports get in the way of the shroud laying cleanly just like your photo shows on yours.   Now is the time to fix that if you want to, not later.  It's honestly not that difficult of a repair if you can get it to separate cleanly, just a bit of paint/finish touch up after you get it off and moved slightly rearward to allow the shroud to lay clean.

 

If it doesn't bug you, then don't bother!  I'm just crazy OCD and I knew it would bug me forever if I didn't fix it.  Lol... 

[captain_hook]

Very nice, Jean-Paul. I also had to fix one swivel-gun stock, did all of them analog to the plan but unfortunately one interfered with a deadeye. 

[JpR62]

Thank You Justin, Brian, Captain_Hook and all the 'Likes'

I know that one of my swivel-gun supports is slightly off-center from the two shrouds.

But that does not prevent laying the swivel-gun. It's just that he can turn less to one side.

It is probably the case of half a millimeter ... I still hesitate to move it ...

 

I finished laying the forestay and the jibstay. For the mouse, I used the method described in Brian's excellent build-log

 

 

Syren's Serv-o-matic is really practical and efficient. And so easy to use. Another purchase that I do not regret.

 

 

 

 

I really like this part of the construction.

 

[Chuck]

Very nice.

[JpR62]

Thank you for all the 'Likes'

Thank you Chuck. I'm trying to gain experience so I can finally start my Cheerful. And luckily it is getting closer ....

 

I quietly continue my rigging work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it's starting to take the form of a ship...

 

[rafine]

Really nicely done.

 

Bob

[JpR62]

Thank you Bob for your kind words and thank you to all the 'Likes'.

The repetitive work on the ratlines is done...

I first printed parallel lines (spacing 7mm) on a white sheet using Excel software.
I then glued this sheet onto card stock and cut two shapes based on the plan, one for port side and one for starboard.

 

The two pieces were then glued back to back by inserting a thin wooden stick in order to stiffen the whole.

 

I can thus use the same jig for both sides.

 

 

Then it's just a matter of patience ... One clove hitch after another ... Then finally the job is done

 

All the lines concerning the mast and the bowsprit are now in place.

 

 

I can switch to rigging the yards

 

[Gazzarian]

Such a beautiful build. It's inspiring me to some thoughts for my own attempt at a 1/64th cutter, which is not massively dissimilar. Not that I will achieve your standard but your pictures definitely give me aspirations, so big thanks to you.

[JpR62]

Thank you Gazzarian for your kind words. My next build will also be a cutter, but at 1/48 scale. But the color scheme will be completely different.

Thank you also to all the 'Likes'.

The topsail yard is ready for mounting on the mast.

 

 

[JpR62]

Having had a week off and given the current situation due to Covid, I quietly stayed at home and was therefore able to move forward on my build.

The rigging phase is over!

Spreader yard ready to installed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's time to work on the anchors and their buoy.

But the holidays are over ...

[captain_hook]

Very nice. You‘re close to the finish line..

[GuntherMT]

Looking great.  I really like how you did the center of the spars.  The contrast between the black ends and the centers is nicely done and looks very good.

[rafine]

Wonderful work, jean-Paul.Something to be really proud of.

 

Bob

[JpR62]

Thank you Captain_hook, Brian and Bob for your kind comments and thank you to all the 'Likes'.
Indeed, I begin to have the end of my work in my sights. 😄
I really enjoyed the rigging phase which was a complete discovery for me.
There are still a lot of details that could be improved, but for a first try, I am still quite satisfied with the result.

 

[JpR62]

The end is coming.
I installed the 2 anchors and their buoy.
For the buoys, I followed the method described by Chuck in the Cheerful cutter instruction manual.

 

 

For the lines, I made a small jig on the model of the one described by Tom Lauria in his excellent video on belayed lines.

 

Here is the link on this video

Jig belayed lines by Tom Lauria

 

I can only advise you to watch the various videos produced by Tom Lauria in his Youtube channel. They are really very informative.
Once all the elements are finished, all you have to do is assemble everything.

 

 

 

I will now finalize the placement of the rudder chains.

 

 

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.

I remembered that I still had one detail to add to the rudder.

I had set up the eyebolts to receive the rudder 'safety' chain.

 

This detail is inspired from the small vessel 'Le Rochefort', an excellent monograph written by Gérard Delacroix for Ancre editions.

This yacht has the same tonnage as the Virginia Sloop and is from the same period.

 

 

I still have to put all the belayed lines on the deck and to finalize the base.

But the finish line is in sight.