Sherbourne by Stockholm tar - Caldercraft - 1/64

[Stockholm tar]

Jay,

 

Sorry you have been ill, and hope you are better now.

 

I'll see what I can do about Bluenose. She's a little dusty right now, and will need a bit of a going over with a paint brush! Also one of her nav. lights has come adrift and will need fixing. Then I'll try and take a few good pictures of her.

[Anja]

Hello Kester,

 

Happy birthday. Enjoy it and have a great day.

 

Anja

[Kevin]

Happy Birthday

 

Have a great day

[Stockholm tar]

Anja, Dirk, Kevin,

 

Thanks for your Birthday wishes.

 

I'm sure I'll have a great day – and I'll try my very best not to party 'tooooo' much.

 

As they say, one year older, another year wiser. In my case I'm not too sure about the latter observation.

[Jeff-E]

Happy Birthday Kester     I hope you have a great day

[Stockholm tar]

Jeff,

 

Thanks for your Birthday wishes, I'm sure I will.

 

Now, I'm just going to have a look at your bow section buildlog...

 

[mobbsie]

Hi Kester,

 

A Very Happy Birthday to you mate, I hope the day brings you both satisfaction and lots of toys. Enjoy your day.

 

mobbsie

[Stockholm tar]

Hi Mobbsie,

 

Thanks for your Birthday wishes.

 

I'm shortly having a tea with my mother-in-law, who lives not far from us (my wife is at work). I do enjoy her company, although I do try not to eat too many of her cakes – try being the operative word! However, as it is my Birthday...

 

 

 

 

[popeye the sailor]

hey Kester...........hope you had a great day yesterday!  belated Happy Birthday,  my friend!

[Landlubber Mike]

Hi Kester, really nice work on your Sherbourne.  Very clean and crisp details, and thank you for taking the time to post your construction methods.

 

I love how your furled spanker sail came out.  I'm adding furled sails to my Badger build, and I think I have the square sails in pretty good shape.  Like your sail, I have been cutting my sails back to probably 1/3 of the bulk of what the full sail was.  I've been trying to think ahead and figure out how the reduced spanker pattern would look.  When cutting it back by half, what did your pattern look like?  Given the way the brails work, was the pattern more triangular in shape?  Do you happen to have any pictures of the sails before installing?  

 

Thanks very much, and happy birthday!

Edited October 16, 2013 by Landlubber Mike

[trippwj]

Wishing you all the best on your Birthday!

[augie]

Happy birthday and many happy returns.

[Stockholm tar]

Hi Popeye,

 

Thanks for your Birthday wishes.

 

Actually you have just caught it, as it's not 'belated' quite yet... at least I don't think so... at least not over here... or is it?...have the clocks gone back... no, I don't think so, I'm pretty sure that's pretty near the end of the month... is it me? (well I am 64 now, you know).

 

Mike,

 

Thanks for your Birthday wishes too.

 

Thanks too for you kind words about my Sherbourne's furled mainsail. Yes, cutting back the sail back to around a third, seemed about right, although the shape was not quite triangular. The head and luff were of course full length, since these would show. The leech is similar but it tapers in towards the foreshortened foot, which as I said is about a third of its full length. I found that those proportions were about right. However, sorry, I don't have a picture I'm afraid.

 

I also found that just damping the sail a little before furling, also helped. I think it somehow compresses the material, and dries into the desired shape. You probably read that I bent the sail to the gaff before fitting the latter, so I actually furled it on the model, using the brails a little at a time and lifting with one hand. Going carefully, it worked quite well and I think looks reasonably realistic. I'll probably do the same for the staysail and jib, although the square sails will very likely be furled off of the model as you did it.

 

Btw, I've been looking at your Badger log, and your sails look very good. You seem to have a good method there.

 

Wayne, Augie,

 

Thanks for your Birthday wishes, much appreciated and, in the words of Clint Eastward, have helped to 'make my day'! 

Edited October 16, 2013 by Stockholm tar

[Landlubber Mike]

Kester, thanks very much for the information.  I really appreciate it.

[CAd My Fingers]

Happy Birthday, Kester! I hope you had a wonderful day filled with celebration!

 

Best wishes,

Jay

[Stockholm tar]

Mike,

 

Only to glad to help, and if you can make use of any of it you're welcome.

 

As I mentioned, I will probably furl my square sails off the model, much like you did. Come to think of it, I will no doubt be avidly reading your log again when the time comes for tips!

 

Jay,

 

Thank you. I had a very pleasant day, nice and quiet, just how I like it – apart from those people wishing me a Happy Birthday all the time! (Only kidding )

[fnkershner]

For someone who was a Mid on the Victory at Trafalgar! You have aged quite well. My best to you!

[Stockholm tar]

At this point I thought it a good time to fit some items of the running rigging – those which belay at the foot of the mast and the small pinrails inside the shrouds, access to these areas being much easier without the shrouds in place. These were the toprope, the throat and peak halliards, and the boom topping lift – all four lines being 0.50mm. in circumference, their purchases 0.25mm. Incidentally, the short pin rails inside the shrouds only contain six pins per side, which I estimate as not being enough for any additional rigging, and the foremost pin on each side already belays the rigged burton pendants. However I fitted them – and will probably resort to shroud cleats later in the build.

 

The first line to be rigged was the toprope, which was used to raise or lower the topgallant mast. There has been some debate as to whether this was actually left in place, but I decided to include it out of interest. Having treated the line with beeswax, I fastened one end to an eyebolt in the larboard (port) side of the mastcap, threaded it (to starboard) down and through the sheave hole in the foot of the topgallant mast, and then up and through a single 5mm block fastened to another similar eyebolt, on the starboard side mastcap. From there it runs down the mast and is seized to the upper 3mm double block of a purchase, a similar lower double block being fastened to the deck at the foot of the mast, just outboard of the anchor cable. The line was rove between both blocks, coming off of the top one and belaying to one of the mast cleats on the starboard side. (My favoured method for fixing the lower blocks to the deck is to twist some thin wire around the score in the block, forming a ’tail’ which can then be carefully be painted black, and glued into a hole drilled in the deck. When positioning, the block should ideally be orientated in the direction of pull towards the pin.

 

 

The throat halliard was seized to the upper of two double 5mm blocks, secured to an eyebolt in the aft side of the mast just above the shrouds. It then runs down and through a sheave of the lower block and is then rove until all the sheaves are taken up, finally coming off of the top block. It then runs down inside the starboard shrouds and again is seized to the upper 3mm double block of a purchase, the lower block being fastened to the deck close to the 4th pin in the rail, to which the fall was belayed.

 

The peak halliard runs through four 5mm single blocks, two being fitted to eyebolts on the after side of the mast, with two being attached to the gaff. The end of the halliard was first seized to the upper block of the two on the mast, situated just below the doubling. From there it runs to the block at the peak of the gaff, threads up through it from below and then runs back again to the upper block on the mast, reeves down through that and then runs to the second block on the span at mid-point on the gaff. It threads down through that and then reeves through the lower mast block, from where it runs to the deck on the larboard side, and is seized to the upper 3mm double block of the purchase. Again the lower 3mm block is fastened to the deck near the rail as previously described, and the fall rove between them, coming off the top block. It is belayed to the fourth pin in the rail.

 

The final piece of running rigging fitted at this stage was the boom topping lift. This simply runs from an eyebolt fitted at the end of the boom and reeves through a 5mm single block, which is bent to a strop fitted around the after end of the lower mastcap. From the block it runs down to the deck on the starboard side, and again is bent to the upper 3mm block of the purchase. The lower block is positioned at the after end of the rail, and the fall is belayed to the last pin.

 

There are, of course, other lines to be rigged inside the shrouds and to the foot of the mast, but these will have to be done when the shrouds are in place. With that in mind the fitting of the ratlines will, thankfully, be left until as late as possible!

 

The shrouds went next over the masthead in pairs – or rather in this case, around the mast below the doubling – following the burton pendants. There are four per side. I used 1mm black, waxed, thread and they followed in the normal way: the first and second to starboard, first and second to larboard, third and fourth to starboard, third and fourth to larboard.

 

 

The shrouds, and the other items of rigging, were set up with the model raised to a more comfortable working position – on top of a small work box, with a cloth on top to secure it from slipping! The approximate amount of thread required for each pair of shrouds, including an additional length for turning in the deadeyes, was then centred round the mast. To pass the seizing, I temporarily fixed the shroud ends by employing a drill stand – which was of a similar height – positioned a short distance from the model. Once fastened to this, the now near-horizontal shrouds were given some slight tension (but obviously not enough to pull the model off the box!) by carefully moving the stand.

 

This then left my hands free to attend to the seizing, using black 0.25mm thread. The seizing was merely a series of overhand knots close against each other, and passed alternately above and below each pair of shrouds, until a suitable length was produced. The ends were then cut short and fastened with a small drop of glue. The finished eye was then bedded down on the mast stop, the shrouds being lined up with the lower deadeyes on the channels.

 

When turning in the upper deadeyes the same procedure was followed with all four shrouds, beginning with the first pair to starboard. First, the distance between the upper and lower deadeyes for each shroud had to be gauged, and to do this I used a short piece of stiff wire of the appropriate length, the ends of which were bent at right angles. These ends were then passed through the centre (ie the upper and lower) hole of each deadeye, the wire being thick enough to be ’push fitted’.

 

With the upper and lower deadeyes thus connected by the wire ’spacer’, the groove in the upper deadeye was then smeared with glue and the end of the shroud passed around it from the fore side. It was then crossed over its standing part at the top of the deadeye, and held with self-closing tweezers. Following some slight adjustment, in which the shroud was worked taught (but not too tight), the glue was then left to dry. The end was then backed up the shroud, cut off at an appropriate length, and glued to the standing part – on the fore side of  each shroud to starboard, and the after side to larboard. The wire spacer was then removed from the deadeyes, in order to to reeve the lanyards.

 

 

The lanyards for each pair of shrouds were rove as each was finished, using O.25mm tan, waxed thread. I gauged the length of each lanyard as being six times the distance between the holes in both deadeyes, with an additional length for fastening off on the shroud. Beginning with the first pair of shrouds to starboard, the lanyards were all rigged in the traditional way – starting from the right hand hole in the upper deadeye, the lanyard being passed from inboard. (Naturally I couldn’t use the traditional wall knot, so a simple overhand knot had to suffice!)  With all the holes in both deadeyes taken up, the lanyard comes inboard off of the left hand hole of the lower deadeye, and then runs to the shroud above the upper deadeye, where it is fastened. Before I did this however I rigged all the shroud lanyards, leaving them with long ends, in order to be able to make final adjustments. As each was done, the lanyard could be finished off, the end being passed through the gap between the shroud and the upper deadeye (I used a needle for this) and then hitched to the former. The end was then cut off close and given a touch of glue.

 

The final job was to pass three small seizings around the lower shrouds, one just above the deadeye, another at the end of the tail length, and one in between, for which I used 0.25mm tan thread. With that done the shrouds were finished.  

 

Next time: the standing backstays. The next will also be the first instalment in ’real’ time, rather than in retrospect, since work on the model is now up to date. I also have a suspicion that the captain may also be coming aboard...

Edited December 15, 2013 by Stockholm tar

[Jim Lad]

Almost there, Kester!

 

John

[egkb]

Wow Kester that is a lot to take in...

I think there is a 'Practicum' for Sherbourne in there and I for one shall be referring to it.

 

Thanks Kester, keep up the good work.

 

Eamonn

[popeye the sailor]

very well done Kester.........I thought this build was finished.    we haven't missed it..........something to look forward to 

[Stockholm tar]

Thank you gentlemen,

 

John,

 

If you are referring to the mast rigging, that's true. If you mean the whole model, there's still a little way to go yet.

 

Eamon,

 

Yes, there was a lot this time. Glad you like my 'practicum', and of course you can refer to it as much as you like. I will endeavour to keep up the good work!

 

Popeye,

 

Thank you. So, you thought her finished huh? Not to worry, there's still plenty to come...

Edited November 10, 2013 by Stockholm tar

[Landlubber Mike]

Looking great Kester.  It's quite a busy little vessel, isn't it?

[Stockholm tar]

The kit is provided with two running backstays, one on each side but, in addition I decided to add two standing backstays, such as fitted to the Alert. This arrangement would appear to be the more likely – which is not really surprising, considering the large sail area of these cutters, and the mast support required. The backstays go next over the masthead after the shrouds, the standing ones nearest the mast first, followed by the running backstays further aft.

 

The standing backstays are fitted with deadeyes and lanyards, of a similar size to those for the shrouds, and I purchased four extra 5mm deadeyes for them. I had previously set eyebolts into the side of the hull for these backstays but now realised that they would be neither sufficient nor in the right position, and so removed them. The lower deadeye of the standing backstay sits on the edge of the cap rail, being bolted to a metal strengthening strap, which effectively transmits the pull of the shroud to the hull. On considering what might I might use for these I remembered the short brass strips left over in the kit, originally intended as handles (!) for the swivel guns and which I hadn’t used, but retained amongst my spare parts. However, they looked as though they just might make passable backstay straps. (Moral: never throw anything away you think you might find a use for!)

 

One end of each strip has a hole drilled in it, which I thought to use for pinning the strap to the side of the hull (conveniently through the holes which had previously held the eyebolts) whilst the other end comes to a point. After having rounded off the square corners at the ’hole’ end and slightly widened the hole itself (for some reason a new similar–sized pin wouldn’t fit!), I then turned the strip round and bent over the point, so that it formed a hooked shape. (My thinking was that this would hold firmly on the caprail, whilst leaving a small gap between it and the rail to pass a wire strap around the deadeye. The bent angle should also fit into the groove in the deadeye.) The finished strap was then laid aside, whilst I made a similar one for the backstay on other side. (Making up the pair together not only ensured that the same procedure was followed for both but the two will, hopefully, end up looking reasonably similar.)

 

 

I had originally thought to glue the strap and its deadeye to the hull as a single unit but, in doing this, I couldn’t be sure that the angle of the deadeye to the lie of the shroud would be correct. I therefore decided it was better to fix the strap first, then mount the deadeye to it. (I also only have one pair of hands and it would have been difficult, to say the least, to manage all of these procedures at the same time!) The way I eventually decided on to attach the strap, was to first cut the retaining bolt to the right length then, holding the end with small pliers, pass it through the hole in the strip, brush the other end with CA and push it into the hole in the hull – at the same time angling the strap to the seized shrouds on the mast, using a simple ruler. (A bit heath robinson, and it had of course had to be done quickly before the glue went off, but it did work after a fashion.)

 

A length of suitably-sized, flexible, wire was then passed under the turned over part of the strip on the rail and glued, leaving one end long, the other very short. The wire was to form the retaining strap around the deadeye. The wire was painted black, and the long end was then passed around the groove in the deadeye and under the bent over part of the strap. It was gently worked tight, with a pair of long-nosed pliers in one hand, the other aligning the deadeye in the direction of the lie of the shroud. The deadeye itself was left free within the wire strap, so that it could be correctly orientated. The long end of the wire was wound firmly three or four times around strap below the deadeye, anchoring the short end, being fixed with CA. A touch-up with black paint, and the job was done. (I may as well point out an error here, before the eagle-eyed amongst you do so, in that the deadeye is upside down! My fault entirely, being caught up in the intricacies of the work – but I am afraid the error will now have to remain.)

 

 

The whole process had been a little intricate so, rather than go straight to fitting the backstay strap on the other side, I first decided to rig the backstay and lanyard on the strap that I had just finished. The backstays, both standing and running, should be of a slightly smaller size than the shrouds, and I opted to use 0.7mm thread for them.  The backstays on each side are of course single, the upper end being passed around the mast and seized to itself. Apart from that the same procedure was followed as previously for the shrouds. The distance between the two standing backstay deadeyes when rigged I decided to make about about half that of the main shrouds, in order that all of the deadeyes would be more of a uniform height. Having rove the backstay lanyard in the normal way, and as earlier described for the shrouds, I left the end long whilst I made and rigged the opposite side deadeye fittings and shroud, which were done in the same way. Both backstays were then finally tensioned, each lanyard being threaded between the shroud and the top of the deadeye with a needle, before being fastened off around the shroud.

 

 

Moving on to the straps for the running backstays, here again I decided that the eyebolts I had earlier placed for them would both be insufficient, and in the wrong position. I could now also see that it would be easier, with the mast and in situ, to judge where they should be positioned. Searching around for suitable material, I again remembered that left over from the swivel guns. This included the strips of metal originally intended for the gun supports, but which I didn’t think had looked quite right, and so had swopped for something else. The strips were rather long, having two creases in their length where they were supposed to be bent at right angles, giving two long sides and a middle shorter side, to form the support. I therefore cut one of the longer sides off, a process which left two holes, one in the remaining long side, and one in the short. The crease between them was slightly bent to accomodate the uneven side of the hull, and to which the long side could be glued. The hole in that side was used to pin the strap to the hull. The hole in the short end was used to attach the hooks of the running tackle, when the backstay was set up. With a pair of pliers I cut off the square corners at the short end, leaving the part with the hole proud, and which would protrude above the rail when positioned. I rounded off all the corners and then painted the finished straps black.

 

Using a length of thread from the masthead to align the shroud straps, I then fixed all four in position with CA. New holes then had to be drilled in the hull, through those in the lower part of the straps, for the pins. This operation had to be done very carefully, first using a drill size smaller than the hole and then enlarging it, so that the movement of the drill bit didn’t knock off the strap. (This actually did happen with one of them – which, naturally, promptly ’pinged’ off onto the floor, although I did eventually find it.) This operation took a little while, but the straps were all finally glued and pinned in position. It was then just a question of tidying up the upper wale and rail, and touching up the black paint on both.

 

The final job will be to attach the running backstays themselves and their associated tackle. However, this will have to wait until next time, as there was one small task to be done before that, and whilst I still had the access to do it. This was to position the first crew member on deck, the young lieutenant and commanding officer…

 

 

Next time: Setting up the running backstays.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Stockholm tar

[Stockholm tar]

Hi Dirk,

 

No problem (well not much), and it was an interesting exercise – in keeping the old brain cells working!

 

I don't exactly see how my log will be that useful, as I'm not sure there's much I can teach you.

[tkay11]

There are others who can learn, Kester!

 

Tony

[Gregor]

Wow, Kester - finally I get a real close look into that little box you made so lovingly! But more important, I love the backstay and I will try to copy your idea.

It's not only a question of teaching; it's also the method of asking questions like "what if she had backstays like Alert?" that inspires others.

As I'm still struggling with nautical terms and a general understanding of rigging - may I ask you for a close-up picture of the masthead? This would really help me to understand what you have done.

Thank you, Kester, I learn a lot here.

Gregor

[tkay11]

I forgot to say, Kester, that I really appreciate your saying that you keep every scrap of the kit. I do the same. And I too will copy that backstay once I get that far. Great idea!

 

I'm with Gregor on the method of asking questions. In my own work I have often told people that it's the art of finding the right question that will set them on the path to finding answers. For some reason (or lack of reason) there are many who don't have that kind of exploratory mind. One of the nice things about this forum is that there are several like you who have exactly the right kind of exploratory mind that makes this hobby so interesting.

 

Thanks a lot!

 

Tony

[Stockholm tar]

Thanks guys, and you're right of course. My, perhaps rather badly-phrased, final sentence was really hinting at the workmanship Dirk has put into his version of the Sherbourne. Superb, I think you'll agree. Naturally, I'm only to happy for you to copy my ideas, such as the backstays, should they work for you. 

 

Gregor,

 

I didn't actually notice the lead being visible in the deck box until afterwards, as I was intent on trying to get a good picture of the lieutenant. It does show to advantage though, I agree. By 'masthead', I take it you mean the lower masthead just below the doublings, where the upper parts of the shrouds are fitted, rather than the topgallant truck, at the very top? Either way, I can do probably that.

 

An inquiring mind is a good thing to have, rather than just accepting things for what they are. Luckily most of us have that, although I think it can be developed. We want to know not only how a thing works, but why it does so in a particular fashion. Regarding ship modelling, I always try to envisage how an item would work on the real ship, so that the operation of that item won't impede the operation of something else. I suppose having sailed might make this easier, but it can be done by anyone, and I'm sure reading on the subject helps.

 

 

[tkay11]

Thanks, Kester. I think I should start putting smileys after light-hearted comments. I was only ribbing you about us poor learners, so don't take it to heart -- I think I understood your focus on Dirk! He's truly a great modeller, as you are, and we love learning from you both.

Tony