Swift 1805 by Tim Holt - Artesania Latina - 1:50 - first build

[Tim Holt]

Thank you @GioMun.  I just did a bit more work today and am getting some pictures ready.  Have cleats on the deck now, as well as eyes.  Also masts in place with some mast bands I cut on a laser cutter.  I think they will look a lot better than the brass wire that came with the kit.  I also have the main spanker boom in the works as well.

 

I'm looking forward to the rigging!

[Dr PR]

I wondered about the absence of a capstan or windlass on some of the models I have seen, especially of schooners and other small vessels. I have done some research on anchor handling on small ships:

 

https://modelshipworld.com/topic/27410-small-ship-anchor-handling/?do=findComment&comment=787942

 

 

 

[Tim Holt]

17 hours ago, Dr PR said:

I have done some research on anchor handling on small ships

Thanks for sharing this.  I had meant to add to my reply that basically I’m not sure about the anchor setup and figured I would leave that towards the end. Some things you can’t put off, some things you can!

 

I have been using the plans and information on Model Shipways Katy of Norfolk as a guide for some things.  Their plans are always nicely detailed it seems.  
 

I am also drawing a lot off Rigging Fore and Aft Craft by Lennarth Petersson.  A lot of good detailed illustrations. 

[Dr PR]

Petersson's book is pretty good. However, he tries to show every possibility for topsail schooner rigging. In actuality smaller schooners had an abbreviated set of rigging. For example, bowlines and reef tackles seem to have been "optional" on smaller vessels.

 

The anchor information came mostly from Darcy Lever's "Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor" (1808) and George Biddlecombe's "The Art of Rigging" (1925) which repeats much of Steele's "The Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship" (1794). Steele is available on line. Because these were written in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and were "how to" guides for rigging sailing ships, the information comes straight from the horse's mouth. Unfortunately, these books talk about large square rigged ships only, and there is little if anything about schooners.

 

Karl Heinz Marquardt's "The Global Schooner" is possibly the best book about schooners, but he uses a number of undefined terms and it sometimes is hard to figure out what he is talking about. He was German, but lived in Australia, so much of the terminology is for north European (Baltic) vessels, translated into Australian "English."

 

Lees "Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War" is useful for determining dimensions of rigging, but again it is exclusively for large square riggers, and Lees also uses some undefined terms that make some of what he says pretty ambiguous. His information is misleading unless you know that schooner masts were lighter and only about 3/4 the diameter of a full square rigged mast - and every rigging dimension is based upon the diameter of the mast at the partners (deck). Of course he doesn't tell you that important bit of information!

 

Harold Underhill's "Masting and Rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier" is by far the best reference for sailing ship rigging I have found, and he leaves nothing to the imagination. Every term is defined and listed in the 11 page index (about 1350 entries)! He has a chapter on schooners and other small craft, and relates their rigging to the larger ships. However, he is talking mostly about late 1800s and early 1900s vessels. But he does give formulas for calculating schooner mast dimensions and noted that the masts were only about 3/4 the diameter of a full square rigged mast. The book is VERY well written!

Edited November 15, 2021 by Dr PR

[Tim Holt]

On 11/14/2021 at 8:20 PM, Dr PR said:

Harold Underhill's "Masting and Rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier"

Well you've convinced me - a used copy on the way from the UK at this point via AbeBooks...

 

So some update on the build.  I've finally started getting into the rigging, as well as the gaffs and main boom, and a few other things.

 

First off some gaffs and gaff jaws.  The jaws I laser cut out of some thin maple originally meant for violin sides.  The gaff was tapered down then the jaw glued on. 

 

 

 

 

Final gaffs minus dark stain finish.  Main boom was done the same way.

 

 

On to the masts, I first cut a bunch of mast hoops out of some thin stock.  They are pretty fragile but I like how they don't look too heavy.  Also a lot better than the brass wire rings that came with the kit.

 

 

Next I glued on a boom jaw support ring, using a 3D printed jig I'd made a while back to accurately angle the masts and help drilling a hole for the mast.

 

 

Here is the main mast in place, with a laser cut base ring as well.  I put a bit of PVA glue into the mast base to hold it in place.

 

 

Second mast in place, with a cross piece clamped on to hold them parallel and at the same angle.

 

 

Some 5/32" single blocks set up on eyes for putting on the deck and such.  

 

 

I also made a bunch of hooks as I might do some attachments with them.  I just kept making them and slowly got more consistent with them.  They are 24 gauge annealed wire, and bent with a fine tipped round nosed pliers.  The key was just to keep making them until I started to get the rhythm of it.  Some I like better than others and a certain number I just tossed.

 

 

Lastly chain plates for the shrouds to follow...

Edited November 30, 2021 by Tim Holt

[Tim Holt]

So the more I looked at those chain plates and deadeyes the more I disliked them.  So here is round two…

 

I also made the little brass wire jig to get the spacing right. Basically it’s just two wires soldered together in the middle, then the ends bent at a right angle and spread to fit the deadeye holes. 
 

And one set of shrouds done…

 

[Tim Holt]

More rigging today, putting the traveler ring I made in place with inhaul and outhaul lines. 
 

I didn’t have the right setup to make a thimble (thin brass tube) so put the line around a piece of larger brass wire and used CA to get it to hold the shape.  Probably several wraps to make it thicker would have been more visually correct.
 

Then to the jib halyard, using line from Ropes of Scale and blocks from Syren. The hooks and traveler ring I madep using brass wire, blackened with Birchwood Casey. I’ve found it far more effective if I dilute it with water 50/50 and let it soak longer.  At full strength the finish rubs off too easily. 

I also put 3 cleats at the base of the foremast, one of which is for the jib halyard.  It definitely would have been easier to put the cleats on before I put the mast in place.  Each has a little brass wire out the base to help align and hold. 
 

 

I’ve just got the lines tied off on the cleats for now.  I will tighten and make permanent with a touch of glue at some point, but funny enough if you do it like a real cleat it holds pretty well. 

In the spirit of working forward to aft, the next task probably the gaffs, though the anchors might make sense now too. 

Edited November 30, 2021 by Tim Holt

[Dr PR]

Tim,

 

A source for precut tiny sections of small diameter metal tubes for thimbles and such is the jewelry section at Michael's or some other craft store. They have a selection of wires and small fiddly bits for home jewelry making. This includes some fine threads that look like wire cables, and a selection of small chains.

[Moonbug]

Looks great!  I've done two Swifts as gifts for friends, and I love the flexibility they offer.  Interesting seeing the older version being put together. 

[Tim Holt]

On 11/28/2021 at 7:41 AM, Moonbug said:

Interesting seeing the older version being put together

 

Thanks Moonbug.  This is a kit my father had purchased probably back in the late 70's perhaps?  He passed it on to me some time ago.  Definitely some challenges with a simple kit like the old version, and definitely the design takes a lot of shortcuts.  I've definitely have modified it a fair amount (especially deck layout and rigging), plus it's been a learning experience.  I'm trying different things and learning some skills that I want to apply to some more detailed hand-me-down kits I have.

[Tim Holt]

More rigging over the last week putting the gaffs and booms in place.  It's really starting to look "shippy" indeed, and the end is in sight perhaps.

 

A few pictures here of creating some blocks to attach to the main boom.  I tried a little experiment with one by looping rope over a copper wire, then soaking it in CA glue.  That created a nice little thimble-like loop for later attachment.  The blocks by the way are from Syren Ship Model Company, the rope is from Ropes of Scale, and the seizing thread is very fine Veevus 6/0 fly tying thread.

 

 

 

 

 

As I think I have mentioned before, I am not following the rigging plan as the original Artesania Latina kit specifies, but instead essentially following the Model Shipways Katy of Norfolk plans, as they seem much more realistic without the unrealistic shortcuts the AL model takes.

 

Here's an overview of the model with gaffs and boom in place...

 

 

And a closeup of the gaff halyards and mast base where the halyards are tied off...

 

 

 

I went with hooks for most all the gaff rigging which makes installation and removal for convenience quite easy.  For now none of the lines on cleats are glued - only tied down in proper cleat fashion.

 

One other thing I did (which you can't see) is I put a short piece of wire into the jaw end of the gaffs and boom, which then goes into a hole screwed into the mast.  That way the gaffs and boom will stay in place, and I am able to tighten the halyards without having the jaws just slide up the mast.  It also lets me ensure the gaffs and boom align along the fore and aft line.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Tim Holt

[Dr PR]

Looks good! I like the way you made the "thimble" loop.

[Tim Holt]

3 hours ago, Dr PR said:

Looks good! I like the way you made the "thimble" loop.

 

Thanks.  This is definitely my kit for experimenting and just trying things out.  Hopefully methods a bit more refined or at least consistent for the next few.

[PilotNL]

Beautiful project! 

[ccoyle]

Hey, Tim, did you ever wrap this one up?