HMS Vulture 1776 by Dan Vadas - FINISHED - 1:48 scale - 16-gun Swan-class sloop from TFFM plans

[rth385]

Hi Dan,

I wasn't going to rig but your treatise shows how beautifully integral rigging is to a completed model. Your work is beyond extraordinary. Where do you get your "rope".

Regards, Russell

[cog]

Dan,

 

Starts to look like needle pointing on very small scale. Marvelous detail!!

[Dan Vadas]

Thank you again for the very kind comments Nils, Greg, David, Christian, Allan, Russell, Carl, John and Robin. They are all appreciated .

 

Russell, I get my rigging line from Syren Ship Models.

 

John, when I bought the rigging line Chuck hadn't started making right-handed line (I believe he does now). Besides, small ships such as Vulture were sometimes rigged left-handed so I took a bit of licence here .

 

Fore Topgallant Stay

 

Before the fore topgallant stay can be fitted the treble block for the stay and the topgallant Bowlines needs to be slipped over the end of the jibboom. I've used a treble block rather than a triple thimble collar, first because this setup was used on some ships of the period and second because it's easier .

 

I did however make a two thimble collar for the spritsail yard lifts :

 

 

 

The topgallant stay is fitted to the topgallant mast in similar fashion to those on the main and mizzen masts. It passes through the middle hole in the treble block at the end of the jibboom and finishes with a thimble which is lashed to the starboard side of the fore preventer stay heart block using a collar :

 

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Jib Stay

 

The jib stay starts on the Traveller. It's seized to the ring between the starboard side of the shackle and the hook :

 

 

Then it passes through the upper sheave on the starboard side cheek block on the topmast head :

 

 

It finishes by being tied to the starboard topmast backstay above the deadeye :

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Mast Trucks

 

I'd previously turned the mast trucks, now I've drilled four 0.3mm holes in each to simulate the sheaves for the flag halliards :

 

 

A couple of pics of the trucks fitted :

 

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

I've also fitted the fore topgallant shrouds and backstays. These were done in similar fashion to those on the main mast.

 

This concludes all the standing rigging apart from the Guy Pendants Falls. These have been partially rigged and will be finished off when the Spritsail Yard is fitted.

 

Here are a couple of pics of the completed standing rigging :

 

 

 

 Danny

[Jim Lad]

Just lovely work, Danny!

 

John

[GLakie]

Some beautiful work Danny! 

[dvm27]

Outstanding, Dan. A beautiful Swan.

[popeye the sailor]

super looking rigging Danny....very nice detail!

[CaptainSteve]

A master-piece, Dan !!

[dgbot]

I pray that you do not have any rambunctious cats or little ones under foot.

David B 

[mtaylor]

Just beautiful, Danny.  I hope you'll celebrate this milestone because it's a big one.

[gjdale]

Outstanding Danny, as we've become accustomed to with this build. Congratulations on reaching another significant milestone too!

[cog]

She looksd a million ... Another outstanding piece of work

[tlevine]

I had no intention of masting and rigging my Swan but looking at how sweet Vulture looks I am tempted.  Marvelous work, Danny.

[dgbot]

Danny, your log is an inspiration for those who wish to build a Swan Class. If I did not have a model waiting for when I return to Chicago I would probably tackle one myself . Great job.

David B

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Danny

What can I say, that hasn't been said a million times before. Great work, great teacher, great log etc.

Are you going to do the running rigging and sails? Hope so, because I don't want this log to stop....... being selfish, I guess

 

Cheers

 

Greg

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks for the comments John, George, Greg, Popeye, Steve, David, Mark, Grant, Carl, Toni, John, David and Greg. As always they are much appreciated .

 

I pray that you do not have any rambunctious cats or little ones under foot.

 

 

We have a small dog which behaves itself very well in the workshop, but we are also getting a kitten tomorrow to keep him company. THIS could be a problem   .

 

I hope you'll celebrate this milestone because it's a big one.

 

 

I'm doing that as we speak Mark .

 

I had no intention of masting and rigging my Swan but looking at how sweet Vulture looks I am tempted.

 

 

Oh dear, I hope I haven't created a monster Toni .

 

Are you going to do the running rigging and sails?

 

 

I'm about to start making the Yards Greg, which will be followed by complete running rigging. I'm still very undecided about adding sails - I don't want to hide too many of the details of the masts and hull.

 

And don't worry about this log ending - once I'm finished with Vulture I'll start something else .

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Billboard

 

With the standing rigging completed I can now finish off the Billboard. As you can see from the pics below it covers the first three chains on the foremast. The billboard protects these from damage when the anchor is stowed.

 

The first thing to fit is the previously made Bolster :

 

 

Next come two stanchions to which are bolted the planks :

 

 

 

Finally the planks are fitted and "bolted" with 0.7mm headed round head rivets :

 

 

 Danny

[DBorgens]

Danny,

Wow! I marvel at your execution of detail. You could easily publish your log as a practicum on how to do a ship well, including the bumps along the way. Showing us your rework is pure encouragement. I've a Pegasus kit awaiting completion of my current pinnace so I am trolling if you don't mind. Your log is a gold mine for information to all of us.

 

Dave B

[Sonofagun]

Danny,

Just got a chance to catch up on your build. Still settling into our new home - not without some major problems.

Looks like all my shop equipment made it all right! Yea! I want to tell you how impressive your VULTURE looks!

You must be very happy with your results. Cannot imagine you would have any regrets. She is beautiful.

Congratulations on your continued accomplishments.

[Dan Vadas]

Thank you very much Dave and Bryan. 

 

I've a Pegasus kit awaiting completion of my current pinnace so I am trolling if you don't mind.

 

 

I don't mind at all Dave . I look forward to seeing the start of Pegasus.

 

Spritsail Yard

 

I've started making the Yards. The basic method of making them is pretty much the same for all of them, so I won't detail each step for all of them. Where there are differences in the construction I'll show those details.

 

Construction starts by marking out the tapers using the 7-10-7 method. Two opposing tapers are sanded into each end using the disc sander - this is easier than it may seem with a bit of practice. Then the other two tapers are done in similar fashion.

 

Next I marked out the octagons :

 

 

and cut them in with a very sharp chisel using my "V" block rest :

 

 

The central portion of some of the yards are octagonal in shape with only the outer parts rounded off. The rounded sections were done with a sanding block. I used the lathe to cut a sharp neat transition on each end of the octagon before sanding the round sections.

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

All the blocks and fittings are much easier to fit BEFORE the yard is fitted to the mast. I didn't do these in the right sequence for this yard, but I learned my lesson .

 

First things to make and fit are the Sling Cleats. These were made from English Box.

 

I also made the Spritsail Halyard Strop. This has an eye in each end, with a thimble seized into it's "centre" - it's actually a bit off centre with a long and short leg. A lanyard fixes the two eyes around the yard :

 

 

 

Next I made and fitted the Stop Cleats near the ends of the yard. This was the mistake I mentioned earlier - they should have gone on AFTER the other blocks had been fitted as I couldn't slip the block strops over them. It would have been a lot easier if I'd left them until later in the piece.

 

A strop with a thimble seized into it is fitted at the 3rd quarter of each end of the yard for the Jib Guys :

 

 

 

An overall view of the yard to this stage :

 

 

The Clueline blocks are fitted 3 feet from the slings :

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Next pieces are the Stirrups and Horses. I've made these from "tarred" line as they get a lot wetter than the horses on the other yards.

 

The Stirrups have an eye in their lower ends. I made the eyes by passing the line back through itself using a needle threader :

 

 

The upper ends of the stirrups turn three times around the yard. On the real ship they were nailed to the yard, but PVA does the job on the model :

 

 

Finally the Standing Lifts are fitted. These also have a thimble seized into their outer ends :

 

 

I haven't glued the stirrups to the horses yet - I'll do that after the yard has been slung to get them to "hang" neatly.

 

 Danny

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Dan,

 

it's a pleasure to follow your log. As allways very nice details

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Hi Danny

Marvellous work is all I can say. Great lesson for the not so experience model maker. Indeed a lesson I'm very interested in.

Cheers

 

Greg

[Jim Lad]

Precise and beautiful as always, Danny!

 

John

[cog]

Dan,

 

It;s so nice to have someone build and explain things in such a superb way, that you can fall back on his log for both kit and scratch builds You're build is a true inspiration. Thanks

Edited March 7, 2015 by cog

[scratch]

Truly inspiring   work Danny .  

 

David