Harriet Lane by Organ tech - Model Shipways

[druxey]

Hull looks good, Steve, but wouldn't the masts be raked?

[Organ tech]

Good point They are a little. The main mast needs to be a little more. The masts are not glued in yet.

 

Edited July 16, 2021 by Organ tech
Added info

[Organ tech]

The masts are still not glued. I increased the rake. The plans show more rake for the main mast, when it seems the square rigged formast would need as much or more(?)

Edited July 16, 2021 by Organ tech

[Organ tech]

I am drilling the holes in the fife rails for the belaying pins - a modified sewing pin works well as a drill for the Britannia metal. The plan shows the foremast fife rail 180 degrees oriented to how I would expect it ( see my photo of the top plan view). I want the haulyards to belay behind the yards so I will place them accordingly. I am not sure why the main mast has a fife rail, but will ask that in the right forum.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Organ tech

[Organ tech]

I assembled and installed the foremast fife rail. One piece is missing so I used wood. Too bad I spilt the deck under the rail when installing! In this small model, I only noticed it in the photo. I tensioned and belayed the port topgallant halyard to it, after gluing in the foremast at a little too much rake :-(. 

[Organ tech]

I also added my figure head. Here, I made the mistake of gluing in the bowsprit first, not leaving enough room to fit the correctly fashioned figurehead assembly. I went ahead and installed it wrong. I might correct, as I see a way to re-do it.

[Organ tech]

I work with very small parts on top of a piece of 600 grit black sandpaper. This reduces bouncing and rolling and makes small things easier to see.

Edited July 17, 2021 by Organ tech

[druxey]

That's very neat work on the grille at such small size. Nice idea for a non-skid surface as well!

[Organ tech]

Thanks druxey🙂

[rlb]

Your work looks very good.  The belaying pin you show next to a penny and the companionway/skylight looks in scale and well proportioned.  Did you make/adjust it, or is it a stock item?  They are so hard to find just right.

 

Ron

[Organ tech]

Thanks for the compliment! It is a stock item that came wit the kit.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Organ tech

[rlb]

You're welcome, keep up the good work!   Thanks for the info on the belaying pins.  I have had trouble finding them just so, I'll have to give Model Shipways a try.  

[Organ tech]

If I made a lot of ship models I would get a watch makers lathe and turn them from wire. I bought extra blocks from a firm in Australia. I think they have pins too🙂

[Organ tech]

Belaying all of the lifts-halyards. I hang a clothes pin on the line to make it just taught, but not bending the mast, then add a drop of clear glue. I will simulate the rope wrap- arounds on the pins, later, with extra thread.

[Organ tech]

The lift looks taught at the top.

[Organ tech]

The stern area is ready for the main mast. I have the boom sheet block secured to the deck, with an eye, ready for the line that I will thread 1st, before glueing the mast.

[Organ tech]

My main mast is glued in. The gaff lift is belayed and the boom sheet secured. I am disappointed that the deck block is askew, but will leave it and press on.

[druxey]

Yes, the direction one threads line through a block makes a difference, but that's all part of the learning curve!

[Organ tech]

I did get the direction right, just didn’t secure it to the eye right☹️

[Organ tech]

Rope loops on belaying pins. I formed them around a 16 penny mail, add glue to the side of the fife rail, then drape them over the pin with pointed tongs.

[druxey]

Pretty tricky at that scale! What happened to the aft cross-piece, though?

[Organ tech]

I have glued the deck structure- pilot house in place. The chains, supplied, for staying the funnel are too large to scale so I used the supplied thread, which is too large to scale for any of the rigging. I failed to get the curve on the bottom to conform to the deck. I also added the port side pin rail, not in the plans, as I am adding one or more sails to the formast to hide the out of scale rigging there. I wish I had bought finer thread. The running rigging thread looks better.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Organ tech

[Organ tech]

8 hours ago, druxey said:

Pretty tricky at that scale! What happened to the aft cross-piece, though?

It isn’t shone in the plans or provided for in the parts. It would be easy to add and I may.

[Organ tech]

1 minute ago, Organ tech said:

It isn’t shone in the plans or provided for in the parts. It would be easy to add and I may.

 

[Organ tech]

On 7/22/2021 at 7:19 PM, Organ tech said:

It isn’t shone in the plans or provided for in the parts. It would be easy to add and I may.

 

[Organ tech]

Still at it but slow going. Since I am adding a couple of sails to my square rigid for-mast, I am making pin rails to secure the buntlines. First drilling the holes, adding the belaying pins, then reducing the rail to its final dimensions.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Organ tech

[Organ tech]

My port pinrail is glued in place

[Organ tech]

My port pinrail is glued in place

[Organ tech]

The lower shrouds need to be in place before I belay the foremast clew and buntlines, so before adding the square sales, I am making the 22 lower shrouds for both masts. The buntlines and clewlines will pass through a guide, fastened low on the shrouds. Since my rail is thin file folder cardboard, for authentic scale, I am faking in a thick spot in wood, to be painted black, to seat the shrouds. Another “invention” for this model.

[Organ tech]

I will make the wooden “ shroud seat” thinner before painting, to make it less conspicuous.