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

[Bill97]

Thanks Ian for confirming what I thought I understood. I also still drawing a blank on the Lifts. The paragraph right above the area I have highlighted. 

[Bill97]

Ian I just grabbed up my plans you referenced and reviewed them as I read through your text. Excellent job of explaining the rigging. You should actually teach a virtual course for modelers building the Victory. 
And now I am going to admit something I never noticed before. Don’t tell anyone but until now I never noticed that there is a Plan 9. As I read through the book I just flipped past it thinking it was just a small version of Plan 8.

I am going to have to come up with an idea of how to get the thimbles attached to the upper double block around the backstay. There is already a deadeye attached to the end at the channel. 

Edited June 20, 2022 by Bill97

[Ian_Grant]

5 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Thanks Ian for confirming what I thought I understood. I also still drawing a blank on the Lifts. The paragraph right above the area I have highlighted. 

The lifts are best understood using Plan 9 too.

 

See where the bottom of the topmast cap is shown right at the top of the diagram? A line there is labelled "Standing  part of Lift". That's attached to the span going round the cap that Longridge mentions.

 

Now look down at the top of the shrouds, just below the end of the forward cross tree. A twin "sister block" is seized between the 1st and 2nd shrouds. I made this by gluing two blocks together with an additional scrap of wood at each end, then using three seizings to attach to the shrouds. This sister block is labelled "Upper sheave > Reef Tackle ; Lower Sheave > Topsail Yard Lift". So there you have it: the lifts start at the topmast cap, run through the lift blocks at the ends of the topsail yard, run through the lower sheaves of the sister blocks, and down to deck.

 

You can see them on Plan 7 if you know where to look; don't get confused with the topsail sheet and clew lines, and the reef tackle line, all also shown in the vicinity.

 

By the by, answering your earlier query about the lower yard I forgot to mention the yardarm tackles. You could omit them if you wish but many modellers like to rig them as they are of interest in their utility.

[Bill97]

Thanks again so very much Ian my friend. You so easily turn Greek into English 😊

 

Now if you have nothing more exciting to do with your time, which I am sure you do since hockey is going strong right now, you could go ahead and start your much more clear explanation of rigging the top gallant yard!  Might as well get a head start. If you know me, you know I am most likely going to be asking you a question 😁

 

Thanks again my friend, you are pulling me through this maze one step at a time. 

 

So very much appreciated. I have no doubt any current or future builders of the Victory who read through my blog will also find your guidance extremely helpful. 

 

Bill

[Ian_Grant]

Thanks Bill, it's just fun to help people out with this model which I know is a difficult build.

 

Actually I expect your next query to be about those yardarm tackles I mentioned. They're very confusing to figure out.....😁

[Kevin-the-lubber]

You guys are creating the must read, fully illustrated guide to building this kit to a high standard. I know that when I go back to it, this will be the key reference. In fact I’ll most likely be using this for rigging the Cutty too, at least as a sense check.

[Bill97]

Yardarm tackles? 😳

What you talking about? 😀

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, looking again I see Longridge makes no mention of them. I was confused in that some of my other books describe them. Basically, they are tackles which dangle from the ends of the fore and main yards in order to use them as cranes to hoist stuff eg boats, nets of cannonballs, large casks. They can be shown triced up to the yard when not in use. I expect they would be unrigged when at sea. I rigged them, depicted as triced up, because my model is without sails, yards lowered, presumably in harbour for a while to come.

 

You can read about them in Hackney's Victory book, or in Petersen if you have them, and decide if you want to just skip them.

[Bill97]

Ian I think Longridge references them at the top of page 242. Yard Tackle Pendants.  Is that what you are talking about?  They would have a similar purpose as the pendants hanging from the main mast stay over the boats and the other ones attached at the different levels of the mast?

Edited June 22, 2022 by Bill97

[Ian_Grant]

That's them. I thought he mentioned them but couldn't find it.

[Bill97]

Ok Ian needs some help with your’s and Longridge‘a direction. This may be a case of me not understanding what is being explained. In both of the directions (your’s and Longridge), “when the topsail yard is lowered down to the lower cap , these double blocks should be level with the cap.” Are you talking about the same cap?  The lower cap is the only cap below the topsail yard?  In Plan #7 the double blocks are already below the cap with the yard in the raised position. I can’t understand how if I lower the topsail yard the double blocks would move up?  It would make since if the instructions said the double blocks would be level with the mast top if the yard was lowered, not the mast cap. 

Edited June 23, 2022 by Bill97

[Ian_Grant]

What we are concerned with here is getting the length of the tyes right, such that the halyards actually could raise and lower the yard. Because of the way the tyes are rigged at the topmast head, those 26" double blocks move twice as far up or down than the topsail yard moves down or up. If the tyes were too long, the 26" double blocks would collide with the single blocks before the yard could be fully raised. With the yard lowered, the double blocks need to be at least twice as far above the lower single blocks as the expected travel of the yard.

 

Longridge is fully aware of this, and mentions elsewhere in his book about otherwise excellent models being "spoiled" by rigging that could not operate. Thus he gives the guidance that if the double blocks are about level with the cap when the yard is resting on the cap, that would be about right for a properly operable halyard.

 

In Plan 7 the yard is not resting on the cap, therefore the block is necessarily lower down. It would move higher if the yard was in fact on the cap. However I think Longridge was a little off here, because if the yard dropped the remaining "inch" let's call it, the block would have to move up 2" as stated above. I think he forgot about that when he drew this.

[Bill97]

See Ian you make it make since!  I was not thinking about this logically. A dua moment. Of course with the block system at the top, as the yard lowered the double block would be pulled up, not lowered along with the yard. Of course. Thanks for the digital tap to the back of my head! 

[Bill97]

Ian checked the rigging looking at your reply. It makes perfect since. Now looking at my double blocks to determine the best way to attach a couple fabricated fittings so I can attach it to the backstay. 🤔

Edited June 23, 2022 by Bill97

[Ian_Grant]

At this scale a wood thimble would look a bit big against the block. I just trapped a couple of bits of thread under the strop at each end of the block, to form loops around the backstay. Perhaps you could push a needle and thread through between the block and its strop? I've done that before.

[Bill97]

This is my first try at an idea. Added some additional horizontal groves on the double block from the center to the one edge. Then I took some heavier gauge wire and made some basic staple shapes the exact width of the block. I added a bit of CA to one side and slid the wire shape into the groves. The opposite side I will wait to add the CA until after I put it around the backstay. That is if I am able to gently pry the “staple” open enough to slip the backstay in without the dried CA on the other side breaking loose. Then it will simply be a matter of connecting the tye to it. Once I attach the tye to the block the rope will butt right up against the ends of the “staples” to give a more finish d look. I may paint the staples black, not sure. This idea seems close to the way the double block attachment to the backstay is shown by Longridge in Plan 7. Stay tuned to see if it works. If not I will try plan B. 

[Bill97]

My very first perrel in place on the main top mast and the topmast tyes with the double blocks altered to connect to the backstay. 

[Bill97]

Ian I had my fingers crossed that I would get a 👍on my tyes!

 

Woo! That is a relief! 😀

[Bill97]

Primary yard installation of yards on main mast completed (slings, truss pendants, jeers, tyes, parrells, etc). Moving on to foremast then mizzenmast. Once completed I will return to do the lifts, buntlines, leachlines, cluelines, etc).

[Bill97]

Got the three yards mounted on the foremast. Completed the sling, truss pendants, and jeers on the fore yard. After I took the blog pictures and finished working for the day, I looked back at my photos. I noticed I tied the jeers to the yard outside the jeer blocks instead of between the jeer block and sling. Will need to correct that. 

[Ian_Grant]

She looks nice, Bill. You should be done next week! On to the SR........

[Bill97]

Now that looks better!  Fixed the jeers where they tie to the fore yard. 

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, I don't see a difference?....Please advise.........🤔

[Bill97]

Well heck Ian. I included the wrong new photo. 

[Ian_Grant]

I thought that might be the case! it looks much neater now.....😉

[Bill97]

Shutting down the ship yard and sending on the workers on vacation for another week!  Off to the sea shore and beach again with the other side of the family 🌊🏊‍♂️🏖.

 

Had a goal of completing the initial installation of the yards on the foremast before shutting down but came up a little short. As shown above I have the foreyard done. Today I got the necessary blocks installed and tyes for the topmast yard. Did not get the topgallant yard tye installed or the parral for the topmast yard or topgallant yard. I am thinking I may have used the wrong diameter thread for my tye system on both the foremast and mainmast?  I think it is to big at 7.5mm. When I get back I may have to redo both. I used the same size thread for both the tye and the halliard. Will have to check Longridge again. Haste may very well have made waste of my heavier thread. 

[Bill97]

Longridge says the tye was a 6” rope and the halliard was a 3 1/2 rope, about half the size. My trusty 1/100 converter shows a 6” rope would be 1.5mm and a 3 1/2” rope about .75mm. Does that sound right?  A 1.5mm rope (thread) for the tye seems big. I used a .75mm for the halliard. Is that correct?  I used a .75mm for both the tye and the halliard. Or am I completely wrong on both? 😀

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, remember that ropes on ships are sized according to circumference not diameter. A 1.5mm thread would be larger than the lower shrouds.

 

The 6" circumference tye is 1.9" in diameter, 19 thou at 1/100 scale, almost exactly 1/2mm.

 

The 3.5" halliard is about 1.1" in diameter, 11 thou at 1/100 scale, almost exactly 1/4 mm.

 

I thought you were at the beach? 😃

Edited July 1, 2022 by Ian_Grant

[Bill97]

I am in route Ian. Wife taking a driving shift. So my two ropes should be .5mm and .25mm?

[Bill97]

About 2 hours to the beach. Wife driving a little and my thoughts drifted off to the Victory again and my wrong thread size. When I get back to the ship yard I am going to correct the fore and main mast topsail yard tye and halliard. I am going to leave the .75mm tye on both since that involved a lot of rigging and blocks. I know it is about .20 mm to big but I can live with that. I am going to replace the 4 halliards with a .25mm thread. Should be able to salvage the 4 long lengths of .75 thread for a future use. Should not be a difficult repair then on to mizzenmast.