Rigging basic rules

[Michelnou]

I have almost finished the deck arrangement of my 1/50 schooner. I am going to start the rigging  which is a new activity for me.

 

According to rigging basic rules, in which order the main tasks should be performed after the spars have been fitted with blocks ?

 

Which mast to rig in first ? Main mast, foremast, bowsprit ?

 

Starting with shrouds or stays  ?

 

When fasten booms and gaffs ?

 

Thank you for the advices

Mike

 

 

[allanyed]

MIke

What schooner are you rigging?  I am sure there was some kind of traditional order when rigging a full sized ship, but for a model, I think you have more leeway.  

Definitely rig as much as possible before you install blocks, eyes, hoops and so forth on the the masts, gaffs, booms, spars etc.  The following is just my way when rigging schooners, but it is not by any rule, just the way I have had good experience.  I start with the  main mast, pre-install the mast hoops, cross trees, cheeks, bails, everything possible, before stepping the mast.   Then on to the foremast, but I see no reason not to go with the foremast first.   Next up for me are the shrouds and swifters.  Pre-rigged sprit or spike, depending on the vessel, can go next  and then top masts follow, then appropriate stays, spring stays and other standing rigging.   Next up are the pre-rigged booms and gaffs.  I have actually gone with the sprit as late in the order as possible at times as it sticks out and extra care needs to be taken when turning or otherwise handling the model. Again I don't think there is any set rule for a model but I am very curious to read what others do.   

Allan

[Michelnou]

Allanyed

I am rigging the Mantua clipper of Baltimore .

Mike

[Michelnou]

I thank you Allan for the advices.

I have print your answer to organize the different tasks to be performed.

Mike

[allanyed]

Michel,

Mon plaisir.   

Allan

 

[Michelnou]

If I consider to install some sails on my schooner, which are the essential tasks to do on the masts before stepping them on the deck ?

 

Thanks for advice

Mike

[allanyed]

Whether or not you are putting sails on the model, for the lower masts, if there are boom saddles, these can go on first.  Next make and slip the mast hoops onto the mast and they will all rest on each other loosely on top of the saddle for the time being.   Next up are the trestle trees, hounds,  cheeks, bibs and bolsters if they are present.   If there are iron bands and battens  they can be put on as well.  I am guessing there are no wooldings as there are mast hoops that need to go up and down the mast, but if there are any around the cheeks, they can go on beforehand as well.   Cap and cross trees can then be added as well as any eyebolts and blocks that hang from the cross trees and trestle tress.  You can make and fit the top masts at this point as well, but they should not be set permanently in place until after the lower masts are stepped and the shrouds, swifters and lower stays, if present, are in place.  All that is really needed is to look at what goes on these masts and add them in any order that will not prevent the next item from going on.  

Allan

[Michelnou]

There are no mast hoops in the Mantua kit, but the drawing show like rope rings ont the lower masts. I suppose that a rope is coiled around each mast crossing the sail luff over the entire height of it. See the drawing.

Mike

 

[Rik Thistle]

Mike,    

 

This recent thread has some useful information. It shows 9 min stop motion video of how a ship kit is built... 'ropes' start appearing at about 4.55 mins in ...   

 

...  and on YouTube....  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SuPPsyck2M

 

It;s a great watch, and a superbly made video.

 

Richard

 

[Michelnou]

Richard,

Very useful video.

Thanks

Mike

[allanyed]

Michel,

I think the rings on the masts are too many to be wooldings which were usually made of rope.   Even large vessels had fewer wooldings than the drawing shows.   I wonder if the drawing is wrong and these should be wooden mast hoops to which the foreside of the sail is tied so it can be lowered and raised.  If these are wooldings, the gaff would be difficult or impossible to lower without it getting hung up at each woolding.  See the photo below and you can see the wooden mast hoops on the P of B II.  Allan 

 

[Tompslattery]

On 2/2/2021 at 5:06 AM, Rik Thistle said:

Mike,    

 

This recent thread has some useful information. It shows 9 min stop motion video of how a ship kit is built... 'ropes' start appearing at about 4.55 mins in ...   

 

...  and on YouTube....  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SuPPsyck2M

 

It;s a great watch, and a superbly made video.

 

Richard

 

That’s a great video 

[Dr PR]

Mike,

 

I am working on a Baltimore clipper also. I am at that start of rigging and have been reading a lot about it.

 

For real ships George Biddlecombe's The Art of Rigging says they started with the bowsprit and then the lower masts. One reason is that the forestay from the fore top usually fastened to the bowsprit  and was necessary to support the fore mast. Then the added the jib boom and topmasts. After that went up the spars and booms, and topgallant masts (if any) and spars last. After that the sails were added.

 

But the all around best advice for model building I have ever seen was a lot simpler. Ask yourself if you really want to try to work on spars and sails after the standing rigging is finished? Do you like the thought of trying to rig the sails to the spars through a web of rigging lines?

 

Rig as much as possible to the spars, booms and gaffs on your work bench where you have no obstructions. Rig the spars, booms and gaffs to the lower masts before stepping the top masts.

 

I have been working on the sail plan and rigging for my topsail schooner for a couple of months, and I have posted some general information about schooner rigging here:

 

 

I have been reading everything I can find about schooner rigging details and rigging sizes and will soon add more to this thread. Almost everything published about rigging has been for square rigged ships, and I have found it to be misleading for rigging schooners. And especially American schooners of the late 1700s and early 1800s because the builders followed their own rules. But after allowing for schooner masts and spars being lighter (about 4/5 the diameter of square riggers the same beam/length) the rules for relative spar and rope sizes can be used as almost everything is related to the diameter of the main mast.

Edited February 3, 2021 by Dr PR