Fair American by JLong - Model Shipways - 1:48

[JLong]

Happy New year all!

 

This is the first progress update of 2025 for the Fair American Model ship. Which makes this the start of year 6 of the build - Seriously hoping to finish by the summer!

 

Anyway, I'm starting on rigging the yards, with the Main Lower Yard.  There are 2 buntline cringles on the sail, so I need two blocks each side. these are 3/32" Singles. Looking at the Niagara plans I purchased, these blocks are nearly vertical above the cringles, or at a slight angle, so thats how I arranged them on the mast

Of course once I attached them, they're facing the wrong way. They need to have the block holes going vertically, to allow the rope to pass straight up to the top. This was because I only used a single knot at the top of the block when stropping. I didn't think about that.

So I removed that block and added another knot, making sure the ropes go parallel to the block holes.

Now when I added them to the mast, they're facing the right way. I also had to tie them so they stick forward just a little so the rope can reeve through nicely, while also being aware of the orientation of the foot ropes and cleat side, so it's not backwards.

Here is the finished yard with buntline blocks and then a single leechline block on the outermost end of the yard.

The sheet blocks were next. I used 5/32"blocks for these. The rigging plan doesn't specify sizes of blocks, but I later found an excel sheet that ''someone'' created that I used for a guide of rope size and blocks, shown later....

Additionally, during my research and learning about model ships, I saved this snippet about general rigging. It shows some basic blocks and locations on the yard.

On the Niagara plans, the Clueline block is on the Inside of the yard, and the sheet is outside of that. In other ships, I've seen it the other way, where the sheet block (the bigger block, is the one closest to the center of the block. For mine, I tied it off outside the cleat, where the foot rope ties in. 

The sheet was 5/32" and the clueline block was 1/8" single block. Tied and glued in place.

The braces were next. How I strop the blocks is, again, fairly simple. I'll take the rope starting at the bottom, over hand knot it on the top...

Then add some CA glue to secure it. 

I'd put the trimmed/stropped block into a little jig with .031" drill bit, and hold the two ends with tape. Then pinch and CA glue them close to the block and let it dry.

Then I can take small black sewing thread and make a neat little seizing. I have to knot the first loop and glue, make a couple more loops, then knot the last one and glue. After which, I'll trim all the loose ends up. I'm pretty happy with the look.

That's one!!!

I'll look at the plans for the lengths of the braces and try to make a loop to that size.

This is trickier. I had to sort of guess the diameter of the loop before I knotted it, so that it will fit over the end of the yard and not be too tight or loose.

But I made it work on my little jig. The reverse action tweezers were handy with adding some small amount of tension before I glued things.

2 braces done....

The first time I added them and glued them to the yard, they were facing the wrong way!!! Luckily I noticed/remembered the orientation of the main yard - according to the rigging plans these ropes are braced on the Foremast, so they need to go forward.

 

Thats it for today....I have more progress with this one yard, but that'll wait for another post in the future.

 

Thank you for reading and following along

 

- Jason -

[abelson]

Fantastic work on the sails and the ship as well.

[JLong]

Slow, steady headway on the Fair American Model ship:

 

One thing I've noticed is that I don't have enough blocks, primarily singles for all the sails, sheets, bunts, leeches, etc. I had a bag of 100 of 1/8" and 3/32", but they were doubles. I could order more from Model-Expo, but they've taken a while to deliver in the past, so I'm opting to make my own.

 

My approach was to cut down the sheave hole of a double, with a saw:

Pretty crude:

Then on one side, I use a small file to create a groove to help grab the rope, when stropping

 

I made a bunch. I'd stick them to the back of some painters tape, and stain them with Golden Oak.

From the plans for all the yards and masts, the mast cap showed 4x eye hooks, 2 on each side. On the rigging plans, they aren't used for anything that I can see. 

 

From other models I've seen, the lifts are rove through single blocks attached to these eyes.  The instructions show them going over the mast cap in a saddle and cross sides, but they'd likely chafe horribly in actual use. I'm going to use single blocks as shown.

Again, I'm not sure how they're supposed to be tied to various parts, so for ease and time, I'm just doing square knots. 

Have to remember to do both sides....

On the starboard side of the main lower yard, is the yard tackle. I needed a nice rope eye to go over the yard end, and be partially served. So I'm using fine black thread to create some laddered loops to make the effect. Each loop is actually another overhand knot to keep it from unraveling. I makes for a relatively neat look.

I did the same mini-serving for the double block. I made the length close to that on the plans.

I would loop it over the end of the yard, and shoulder it next to the brace line. Just a dab of CA glue to tack it in place.

I make sure to add a little label, so I know that the black one is the brace, and the other black one is the tackle. Next up is the lift....which is ......black?

Using some fine tan thread, I start making the loop for the Main lower yard lifts.

Making subsequent overhand knots as each loop of the mini-serving.

The ends look good enough, after the ends are trimmed.

I made a pair of them, P&S, since I'd like to be able to lift both sides.  Making coils will help when attaching the yard later, instead of letting them dangle.

I'm trying to do as much yard work, no pun intended, as I can so I'm not limited on space later. This is tough enough OFF THE MODEL!

This is the last thing for the yard ends...more CA glue to tack in place on both sides. I have to remember to have them point UP.

And yes, I later realized that the lifts were supposed to be black rope. The rule of thumb I was following was any rope that goes through a pulley, is running rigging, hence tan. But Lifts are standing rigging, and according to the instructions, its 'tarred' so black. 

 

I later removed the tan lifts and remade them in black rope, shown later.

 

I know this doesn't seem like much progress, but when you spend 15min tying one rope end, and stropping blocks, and trimming, and measuring lengths, and doing the other side - its tedious. Time slips away so quickly at the end of the day.  

But I'm making progress.

 

Until next time,

Have a nice weekend, all.

 

- Jason-