HMS Victory by Bill97 - FINISHED - Heller - 1/100 - PLASTIC

[Bill97]

Maybe a little inventory help if any one knows. 
I did an inventory of all the remaining parts in the kit and pinpointed where almost everything remaining goes. Not a lot left in the box. 
I have two matching pieces that I cannot locate in the instructions or in Longridge’s book. If any of you guys could give me a hint I would greatly appreciate it. 
I have two pieces numbered #56. In the instructions part list they are named Foresail boom. However I find no where on the instructions where I am to use them. 

[Kevin-the-lubber]

No sign of them on the IMAI instructions either. A design change as they went along, meaning now surplus to requirements?

[Bill97]

👍. Thanks Kevin. 

[Ian_Grant]

Hi Bill, those are actually misnamed booms for the main lower studding sails.  They attach to the eye and crutch on the main channels as shown in step 28 "Various Assembly" (also shows the boat davits).

 

There should also be booms for the fore lower studding sails however Heller omitted them. They don't seem to attach permanently to the fore channels, probably because attempts to stow them swung back like the main booms would be obstructed by the sheet anchors. I presume they were rigged when needed. I made two (lengths are in Longridge) and lashed them down between the boat skid beams.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Ian_Grant

[Bill97]

OK Ian thanks. I bet I looked through the instructions 5 or 6 times looking for part #56. Never saw it in step 28 until you said so. So that is what part 6 (stun sail boom) on Daniel’s brass etched Plate 3 is for. 👍

[Bill97]

Finished all the lower shrouds on the 3 masts. As I mentioned earlier I am going to wait until much later to do the ratlines so as to improve access for other rigging. I can’t decide if I am confident enough to go ahead and permanently tie off the lanyards. Not sure if the standing rigging stays will cause the shrouds to get a little slack and have to be tightened with the lanyards. 

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Looking good Bill, fabulous in fact - very busy in there. Step 28... completely missed that too. But I did manage to download a much, much cleaner copy of the Heller instructions along the way

 

The shrouds look fantastic from an end view, very in keeping scale wise etc.

[Bill97]

Thanks Kevin. 

I am fascinated by your discussion over on your CS build pertaining to ink. Hope to learn something new. Really like the effect. 

[Bill97]

Been away from the shipyard for a few days but finally back at it. Worked on the main stay and the main preventer stay and also the fore stay and fore preventer stay. Don’t tell anyone but I gave up on trying to make a mouse for each stay and settled for simply using a black seed bead. I am satisfied with it. As with the shrouds I am leaving the lanyards loose for now per chance I need to tighten later. Still need to add the snaking. 

[Ian_Grant]

Wondered where you got to.  I used seed beads too, glued to stay then wrapped in thread.

 

Keep up the good work Bill!

[Bill97]

Ian I made a few day trip down to Florida to see family, a little warm weather, and the ocean (actually Gulf of Mexico). 

Thought about wrapping the beads in thread. May still do that. 

Progress seems slow now. All my work today was used up seizing four stays, attaching seed beads, making closed hearts, and rigging it up to the Main and Fore mast. 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Bill97

[Ian_Grant]

Doesn't sound too slow to me.....you should see the snail's pace on my build progress 😭

[Bill97]

Ian I noticed above I said seizing four stays. I meant serving. My little Serv-o-matic is getting a work out!

[Kevin-the-lubber]

I guess it’s probably a bit of a grind at times, doing this day after day Bill. But it’s coming along nicely from where I’m sat.

[Bill97]

I plan to use the idea you guys shared about using a pin in the back of the yards to invisibly attach them to the masts and then add the parrals and other rigging attachments. I realized before I get to far into adding the stays and preventer stays I need to drill the corresponding holes in the masts to go with the pins in the yards. If I waited to long I would not be able to get the drill lined up correctly. So I am pausing on the stays until I get all the yard mounting pins and holes set up complete. I will then put the yards aside and get back to the stays. 

[Bill97]

OK now back to the stays. I have the invisible pins for attaching the 9 yards to the 3 masts installed and the corresponding holes in the masts drilled. This was easier to do with out all the stays in the way. Now to take the yards back off and store them away until I am ready to start working with them. 

[Bill97]

Opinion as to when OK to fully tighten and touch a little glue on shroud and stay lanyards?  I now have all the lower shrouds installed on all 3 masts and the lower stays and preventer stays installed on 3 masts. I am thinking at this point it should be appropriate to meticulously tighten all the lanyards to this point to lock down the lower portion of the masts. All the remaining stays are above this point and should be based on a solid lower masts. Am I correct?  Any reason to postpone final tightening of these lower lanyards?

[Ian_Grant]

Not in photos, but if you have rigged the mizzen stay and preventer the only other things I can think of at the moment are the main topmast stays which attach to deck behind foremast. Might be easier to get in there with loose/detachable shrouds.

[Bill97]

The mizzen stays are attached Ian. Just had not added an updated picture. I will just wait a while to tighten the shrouds but will go ahead and tighten the stays. Before I add the top mast stays I have to complete the top mast shrouds since the stays go over the top of the shrouds just like the lower shrouds and stays, correct?  

[Bill97]

Deadeyes fixed for top mast shrouds and the futtock shrouds. Only thing left on Daniel’s Plate #3 are the little hooks I will attach to the bottom of the deadeyes. 

[Bill97]

Put on all the top mast shrouds. Decided I needed to do this before attaching the top mast stays and preventer stays since their upper ends loop around and over the shroud tops. As with the lower shrouds, I served the center portion of each shroud pair where it wraps around the mast. Ian based on your spread sheet I used .35mm thread for the mizzen top mast shrouds. I served them as well but found that to be a bit of a challenge because the thread is so small. They came out all right but maybe not perfect. I coated the top mast pendants with diluted white glue and hung weight on them to get them to hang more naturally when dry. I have to decide next to move on to attaching the shrouds to the deadeyes or continue now working on all the stays. 

[Bill97]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of my crazy deadeye spacing jig for the top mast shrouds!  It works for me to keep them equally spaced. 

[Kevin-the-lubber]

Looks eminently suitable, Bill. And it remains fascinating to see you working through this, bit by bit. The sheer amount of labour required for rigging gets completely lost from view when someone simply does a “ta-da” reveal and for beginners like me the step by step coverage is going to be invaluable.

[Bill97]

Thank you Kevin. Your compliments are very much appreciated. I would have to say you are very far past being a beginner!  I am following your CS build and find your work fascinating. The wood and pins little set up I have in the photo is the result of numerous experiments along the way. This method seems to work the best for me. I use clips and pins in the lower deadeyes to lock the piece of wood in position and then stretch a shroud across the face of each lower deadeye and mark the wood between the two drawn lines (predawn for the distance I want the deadeyes spaced). This establishes the correct angle of the upper and lower deadeyes. Once marked I then pin the upper deadeyes to the wood at the mark between the lines. Now I just go back and tie each shroud to the appropriate upper deadeye. The pins hold everything tight so I can snug the shrouds up taut. I rotate back and forth between port and SB doing each pair instead of doing all on one side first. This helps me keep the mast vertical. Sometimes I have to use two pins in an upper deadeye to keep the 3 little holes correctly lined up. I also use a little piece of tape to number each shroud. Once I pull the pins and the wood all the shrouds hang loose until I do the lanyards. 

[Bill97]

The the top mast shrouds for the main mast are complete with the lanyards left loose similar to the lanyards on the lower shrouds. I think I am going to complete the main mast standing rigging before moving to the foremast and mizzenmast. So I am about to undertake something I have never been before. I have to attach futtock staves on the lower and top mast shrouds. I have to do the futtock shrouds and the catherpins. And then finally the main top gallant shrouds. I will probably still postpone the ratlines to closer to finish. 

[Ian_Grant]

Bill I'm not sure if you're implying that the lower shrouds are not fully tightened yet, but they need to be before you add futtocks and catharpins.

 

She's looking great!

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. No they are not fully tightened yet. I was under the impression that is what you guys recommended. An example being your comment above #948, unless I misunderstood what you are telling me. I am ready to tighten them but did not think that is recommended. 

[Ian_Grant]

In #948 I only meant it might be easier for you to attach things that attach near the feet of the masts before final shroud tightening. Once you are happy with whatever is left to reach in at, shrouds should be tightened. Definitely before catharpins and futtocks. Good luck! 😉

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian. Looking at the futtock stave and the futtock shrouds, I am thinking it best to go ahead and do the ratlines from the stave on up. Once I put the futtock shrouds on I would not be able to get behind them to do the upper ratlines on the shrouds. From the stave down to the deadeyes can wait to later. What do you think?

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, as far as I know lower shroud ratlines end at the futtock stave; there are none above it.