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

[GLakie]

Never gets old! Just a marvel to watch!

[kees de mol]

Its a pleasure to watch your buildingskills. Thanks for sharing

[Mirabell61]

Nice rigging work Danny,

 

you mentioned once that you may be rigging some sails....... is this still valid ?

 

Nils

[Dan Vadas]

Thanks for looking in again David, George, Kees and Nils, and also to all those who hit the "like" button .

 

Spritsail Running Rigging

 

I've completed all the rigging on the Spritsail. This pic shows the Jib Guy Falls (dark inner lines) and the Yard Lifts (light outer lines). I'd rigged the forward parts of the Falls earlier, now they pass through the thimbles about 3/4 of the way in from the ends of the yard and end with a single block which has an eye stropped into it's ****. The tackle for the falls has a block and hook attached to the Cathead, and the fall passes through the block in the fall and ends at a timberhead.

 

The Lifts start at the yard cleats, pass through the thimbles at the end of the jibboom and tie off to a cleat on each side of the bow :

 

 

The Halyard has two single blocks, one with an eye and both with hooks. One hook is attached to the thimble in the centre of the yard, the other hooks to the eyebolt under the cap. The fall runs to a timberhead on the starboard side of the bow :

 

 

The previously attached Standing Lifts lash to another hook and thimble which go into the eyebolts either side of the cap :

 

The light colored lines in the shape of a "W" are the Braces. The standing parts of these are very long, as they start on the Forestay where the attach via a clove hitch in it's centre, through the blocks on each end of the brace pendants on the yard, up to the blocks under the mast top, down through the sheaves in the inner ends of the Bitts, and tie around the timberheads above them :

 

 

 

 

 

At this stage I haven't done any "faking down" (coiling the lines around the belaying points) of any of the lines. That will come when I've finished all the rigging.

 

 Danny

[GLakie]

That's some marvelous work Danny! I'm beginning to believe you're a wizard! 

[SawdustDave]

First, I've got to comment on Jerome's clever posting on the previous page. That facial expression is priceless. It also does a perfect job of expressing my own words regarding your work Danny. We don't often have the opportunity to see total perfection in craftsmanship.

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

G'day Danny

Another pict-o-graph of your wonderful and skilled tallant. What you need to do, is to get a publisher and publish these step by step instructions. ....I've have no doubt it would be a best seller. It will not only help the less experience builder, but also the experience ones as well.

Looking for more outstanding pictorial-instructions to come

Cheers

Greg

[dgbot]

A detailed practicum would be a best seller.  Your work is that good.  I know I would add it to my library.  Flawless craftsmanship and skill.  Simply outstanding.

David B

[Jim Lad]

Absolutely delightful (as usual), Danny.

 

John

[Mirabell61]

super rigging Danny

 

Nils

[Dan Vadas]

Once again a big thank you for your overly kind comments George, Dave, Greg, David John and Nils.

 

Crossjack

 

The Crossjack is much simpler to fit with blocks than the two previous yards, as this yard doesn't carry a sail.

 

The only blocks are a 10" block for the Sling, two 10" Quarter Blocks, the usual two Lift/Topsail Sheet blocks at the outer ends, and two Brace Pendants :

 

 

 

The brace pendants are lashed to the yard about 4 feet from the ends to improve their lead :

 

 

Instead of Jeers like on the other two lower yards the Crossjack is supported by a Sling. This has a small eye spliced into one end, passes through the Sling Block, and goes around the mast above the shrouds. The end of the sling goes through the eye and is seized back to itself :

 

 

 

A Truss is fitted in similar fashion to the other yards, except there is only one thimble and fall. The fall of the truss has a single block stropped to it. The standing part of the tackle goes through the eye of the strop, through another single block with a long strop and hook, back through the upper block, and belays to a timberhead :

 

 

 

The lower truss tackle block hooks into an eyebolt in the port mizzen channel :

 

 

 Danny

[GLakie]

I just love those details Danny. You are an artist, and one can only hope to be as good.

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Danny

I can hardly wait for your next chapter in this wonderful pictorial book of HMS VALTURE. Well done

Greg

[CPS_skybolt]

You one of the few master builders.

[michael mott]

 

At this stage I haven't done any "faking down" (coiling the lines around the belaying points) of any of the lines. That will come when I've finished all the rigging.

What!!... you mean you are not going to be able to adjust the sails.....

 

Great work Danny

 

Michael

[Trussben]

That's a beautiful figurehead Danny, Janos did you proud. I think I will be getting a commission done for my Pegasus figurehead as I'm not a carver either.

 

Ben

[kees de mol]

much simpler to fit

 

Only a master dares to use these words posting these photo's...

 

 

Man, you make me feel like a total ***** when I see these pictures.

 

Regards, Kees

[Dan Vadas]

Once again thanks for the comments George, Greg, Skybolt, Michael, Ben and Kees .

 

Mizzen Mast Cleats

 

There are six cleats to be fitted near the foot of the Mizzen Mast. These would have been considerably easier to fit before the mast was stepped .

 

To mass produce the cleats I tack glued about 10 (some spares) pieces of 5mm x 1.5mm x 0.8mm pieces of english box together. When dry I filed them to shape :

 

 

 

Then I dropped the unit into Isopropyl for half an hour and seperated them :

 

 

The hard part was gluing them to the mast with the shrouds getting in the way a bit :

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Gaff

 

I made the Jaws for the Gaff from Swiss Pear for a bit of contrast. This pic shows the jaws after gluing to the spar and before rounding off :

 

 

After shaping, and with card bands, eyebolt, blocks and parrel fitted :

 

 

 

 

 

I turned and drilled the Parrel Trucks on the lathe. They are 1.5mm in diameter :

 

 

The Throat Halyard block is supported in a sling which goes over the bolsters in the mizzen top :

 

 

The Parrel is knotted on one side of the jaws, goes around the mast and back through the hole in the other side. A stopper knot finishes it off :

 

 

The Peak Halyard rigging. A double block hooked to the mast cap is used to lead it downward :

 

 

 

The falls of the two halyards belay to the cleats :

 

 

 Danny

[Dan Vadas]

Jeers

 

With the arrival of the rigging thread I was waiting on I could now finish off the Jeers on the fore and main masts.

 

These start with a double block on one side. It reaves through the large jeer block under the Top on one side, through the block in the centre of the yard, back up through the other block under the top, and finishes with another double block :

 

 

The tackle of the jeer falls. This is the main mast :

 

 

And the fore mast :

 

 

The falls of the tackles go through the sheaves in the Jeer Bitts and belay around the Bitt Rail :

 

 

 Danny

[GLakie]

Truly lovely work Danny! 

[Jim Lad]

Looking fairly reasonable, Danny!  

 

John

[BANYAN]

Great rigging Danny (and very timely for me )

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Greg the peg leg sailor]

Another example of pure excellence! Another example of step by step pictorial "teach-o-graph". I don't know what we are going to do when you are finished with this outstanding ship......I'll be crying I think.

Cheers

Greg

[RichardG]

This is a truly wonderful build!

 

Richard.

[cog]

I never realised it, but the rigging - as in rope - looks so realistic even at the scale you are building ... it is amazing. And again splendid detail on the gaf... like the contrast with the pear wood

[Mirabell61]

lovely !

 

Nils

[popeye the sailor]

I don't say much Danny........your one of the awesome craftsmen here.  the ability to craft your own blocks and perform such life-like rigging,  is a prime example of technique and experience.  so many comment who have much more experience than I do,  so I simply watch and learn,  and enjoy watching you do that voodoo,  you do    

[CaptainSteve]

I don't say much Danny........your one of the awesome craftsmen here.  the ability to craft your own blocks and perform such life-like rigging,  is a prime example of technique and experience.  so many comment who have much more experience than I do,  so I simply watch and learn,  and enjoy watching you do that voodoo,  you do    

 

Arrr ...

What he said .. !!!

[gjdale]

Yup, wot they said!!!

 

Reading your updates never fails to put a smile on my dial Danny!