Flying Fish by Jared - Model Shipways - 1:96

[Jared]

Made good progress over the last 3 days and completed all the lower ratlines on the port side.  One of the best things I found with the sewing method was how easy it can be used to fix (replace) individual rungs that don't quite look right.  

 

I have noticed wide angle distortion in some of my photos which gives the appearance of the masts and mast tops looking out of alignment with each other.  Please ignore.

[ClipperFan]

2 hours ago, Jared said:

Made good progress over the last 3 days and completed all the lower ratlines on the port side.  One of the best things I found with the sewing method was how easy it can be used to fix (replace) individual rungs that don't quite look right.  

 

I have noticed wide angle distortion in some of my photos which gives the appearance of the masts and mast tops looking out of alignment with each other.  Please ignore.

@Jared beautiful ratlines. I am impressed with the patience and persistence you display in this endeavor. You might want to get further away from your subject and then use the zoom feature on your cell phone to eliminate distortion. Personally, I love the bird's eye views of your impressive deck work.

[Jared]

Thanks for your encouraging feedback.   I have no shortage of camera gear and really should be using it as I did earlier in this log (see page 1).  

Edited September 5 by Jared

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  Very neat ratlines, and everything's in black (including deadeye lacings) like they should be.

[Jared]

While most of my yards have been turned on a mini lathe I have not started to add the various fittings to them yet.   I am going to start this now to as I continue with the standing rigging.

 

Looking ahead at the yard plans (see attached photo) I have a question about the operation of the Stunsail yards.   The photo show their stowage position on the top  left and their extended position on the top right for when in use.   My question is how these yards were moved from the stowage to extended positions and vice versa.   Were they moved by rigging or by the more basic "arm strong" method?  Thanks.

[Jared]

I wanted to show better quality images of the ratlines than the phone images I posted 2 days ago.   Shot with a Nikon D850 on a tripod. The second image was focus stacked from about 30 images to show everything in sharp focus.

 

 

Edited September 7 by Jared

[gak1965]

7 hours ago, Jared said:

Looking ahead at the yard plans (see attached photo) I have a question about the operation of the Stunsail yards.   The photo show their stowage position on the top  left and their extended position on the top right for when in use.   My question is how these yards were moved from the stowage to extended positions and vice versa.   Were they moved by rigging or by the more basic "arm strong" method?

 

Jared, the stunsail booms were moved with tackles. I've seen pictures, but can't seem to find them now - if I figure out where I'll send you snaps. Needless to say, I didn't bother including them. 

 

Regards,

George

[Jared]

Thanks George.  I think it is quite complex as I looks from fig. 104 in the instruction book that the bottom of the stunsail sails were attached to the stunsail  boom which extends or retracts as I described earlier, while the top of the stunsail sail attaches to a stunsail boom that is hauled up be a halliard.

 

I am planning to install the stunsail booms only, in the retracted position.  

[Jared]

Made some interesting progress over the last 2 days.  One of my biggest concerns with this model was having to construct the required iron fittings on the masts, in particular the lower yard truss and the stunsail irons.  I don't have a lot of experience working with brass or soldering very small parts.  Happily I can report that these parts were much easier to build than what I expected.  

 

The attached photos show the results so far.  I basically constructed everything using brass strips, brass rod and brass sheet, more or less following the drawings in the kit.  I can provide more detail if wanted. 

 

 

[ClipperFan]

16 hours ago, Jared said:

Made some interesting progress over the last 2 days.  One of my biggest concerns with this model was having to construct the required iron fittings on the masts, in particular the lower yard truss and the stunsail irons.  I don't have a lot of experience working with brass or soldering very small parts.  Happily I can report that these parts were much easier to build than what I expected.  

 

The attached photos show the results so far.  I basically constructed everything using brass strips, brass rod and brass sheet, more or less following the drawings in the kit.  I can provide more detail if wanted. 

 

 

@Jared

beautiful brass work! The high quality of your craftsmanship is impressive.

[Rick310]

Nicely done Jared!

Although there is a learning curve, I find that I really enjoy soldering!  It sure helps when making those small fittings.

I had no experience with soldering when I started this model.

Rick

[Jared]

I have completed the lower yard fittings. After doing the jackstays' I now realize I could have been an orthodontist!  All that remains now before mounting the yard is to add the footnotes, make the pin for the truss and painting everything black.

 

Edited September 10 by Jared

[ClipperFan]

3 hours ago, Jared said:

I have completed the lower yard fittings. After doing the jackstays' I now realize I could have been an orthodontist!  All that remains now before mounting the yard is to add the footnotes, make the pin for the truss and painting everything black.

 

 

[ClipperFan]

2 minutes ago, ClipperFan said:

 

@Jared

beautifully done! I am in awe of how craftsmen like you can create such impressive yards. Now you only have 14 more to go. 😉

[Jared]

For the remaining stunsail bearling yards I decided to greatly simplify the construction of the stunsil irons.  The way I did it in #189 above was a real pain because of the small brass wire between the 2 rings. 

 

It is much easier to solder the 2 rings together and not add the pin (see photo).  The weld is much stronger and, at this scale, basically looks the same. 

[Jared]

Have completed the lower yards on the forecast and mainmast, and temporarily mounted them on the model. Its finally starting to look like a tall ship.

 

Correction:  The eyebolts I inserted at the ends of the lower fore and main masts are wring and have been removed.  They are meant to go on the ends of the topsail yards only, to secure the Flemish horse footropes  see fig. 88 in kit's manual).   Foot ropes not added yet. 

Edited Saturday at 02:50 AM by Jared

[gak1965]

Looking great. You are making real progress and fast!

 

Regards,

George 

[ClipperFan]

@Jared

She's really shaping up to be a lovely tall ship.

[Jared]

Thank you 😄

[Rick310]

Jared, 

What a difference it makes having the masts, lower shrouds and yards in place!

Rick

[Jared]

Have now finished the lower yard on the mizzen mast.  It turned out to be an exercise in frustration. 

 

The choice of using basswood in the kit for the yards was a bad one IMHO.  The narrower yards become quite fragile especially near their ends, once the various holes are drilled.  My mizzen lower yard broke about 1/3" from one end, where I had drilled 2 perpendicular holes for 4 eyebolts. 

 

I twice tried gluing the broken end back on using a combination of super glue and yellow wood glue, but it kept breaking off.  The third time I went to epoxy glue and this seems to have worked.

 

[Jared]

Today I tackled the lower forestay, which was a bit of tricky work involving rigging through bullseyes in a tight space and siezing the rope.

[Jared]

Completed the footropes on lower fore and main yards.  To get them to hang properly I treated them with diluted white glue and weighed them down with small copper clips.  A light coat of black paint was also applied.

[Jared]

Over the last 3 days I have mounted the lower yard on the foremast, together with the chain sling and the fore lifts.  I can't even begin to describe had difficult the lifts were to make and rig, given how tight the working space at the fife bar.  I am off for celebratory scotch!

 

At this time I am not planning to rig any cluelines.

Edited Tuesday at 07:01 PM by Jared

[ClipperFan]

@Jared

Rigging is probably the most patience trying aspect of a beautiful clipper ship. I like how you used small weights to get a more natural look to your footropes. I also respect the many challenges of rigging in tight confines. However, it looks like you can still get your lines a little more taut by taking slack out at top of yard ends. Now that your fife rail is secured, it should be no problem to tighten lines at the top. Nice work on siezing your lines too.

[Jared]

I tried tightening the port side lift.  It's about as far as I can go.  I then fitted the main stay which included rigging through bullseyes and making 2 tiny cleats on the fore mast.

 

Edited yesterday at 09:36 PM by Jared

[ClipperFan]

@Jared

Your port side lift is tighter. I haven't rigged models in years but from viewing @rwiederrich rigging, it appears like he uses thinner lines. Maybe he can describe the scale of lines he utilizes. I will see if I can find any references he made on his Glory of the Seas build. 

[rwiederrich]

1 minute ago, ClipperFan said:

@Jared

Your port side lift is tighter. I haven't rigged models in years but from viewing @rwiederrich rigging, it appears like he uses thinner lines. Maybe he can describe the scale of lines he utilizes. I will see if I can find any references he made on his Glory of the Seas build. 

I used line that represented about  3/4"~1" in diameter at scale.  The smaller the better.  Running rigging used for purchases and double blocks typically was smaller in diameter...especially if you were using the line for sheets and buntlines.  It is easy to use over scaled lines...then they become over bearing on one another at the belay point.  I use larger running rigging line for lifts...but the lines for purchases and blocks is smaller.

 

If you ever look at real pics of sailing ships....you can hardly make out any of the lines....because they are so small in diameter.

 

Personally, I would caution against  using over sized rigging line.

 

Rob

[ClipperFan]

@rwiederrich can you specify the exact types of lines or threads you used for running vs standing rigging. From the pics and descriptions @Jared is describing, it looks to me like he might be using oversized lines.

[rwiederrich]

6 minutes ago, ClipperFan said:

@rwiederrich can you specify the exact types of lines or threads you used for running vs standing rigging. From the pics and descriptions @Jared is describing, it looks to me like he might be using oversized lines.

I typically use a fly fishing line for the standing rigging.  It mimics hemp cable real well.  I also use several sizes of cotton embroidery thread.   Pretty much anything I can find in the right size and shade.  I like to alternate shades to represent aged and younger lines.   I don't use nylon for running rigging ....it has a memory and is tough to get to hang naturally.  I do use small black nylon for the deadeye lanyards.  It is more resilient to fraying.

 

Rob