HMS Sphinx 1775 by Glenn-UK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - V2 Kit by Glenn Shelton

[Glenn-UK]

Masts

I have now completed fabricating all the masts. The two pictures below show the Fore, Main and mizzen masts in position without glue. The top and topgallant masts for the fore, main and mizzen are also complete. I still have to fabricate the various yards.

My next task will be to fit the deadeyes and chain plates to the channels. Once that is complete I can work on adding the burton pendants and then then the lower shroud lines. I might run in the spritsail yard brace lines before the shrouds for easy of access.

Edited May 3, 2022 by glennard2523

[yvesvidal]

You are making great progress. It is looking really sharp.

 

Yves

[Glenn-UK]

31 minutes ago, yvesvidal said:

You are making great progress. It is looking really sharp.

 

Yves

Thank you Yves, slow but steady at the moment

[Glenn-UK]

Deadeyes and chain plate

The three mast platforms have now been fitted with various 3mm deadeyes /strop assemblies. Starting with the mizzen mast the 6 x 3mm deadeyes were added to the strops and placed in position. Each strop was opened open slightly using my round nose pliers so the deadeye can be added. I took great care to ensure the deadeye was correctly aligned in the strop before the closing the strop back up.

The process was then repeated for the main and foremasts. I did run a micro drill through the deadeyes to ensure the holes were clear before they were added to the strops. The following picture shows the main mast deadeyes ready to be added to the strops

It was then a case of opening up the strops slightly and then adding the deadeyes. As with the mizzen mast great care was taken to ensure the deadeyes were correctly aligned. The following picture shows the completed main mast assemblies prior to fitting to main mast platform.

The completed strop/deadeye assemblies were then added to the platform, the picture below is of the mainmast platform.

I then took some brass pins and after cleaning them in acetone and hot soapy water they were blackened.

Moving on to the channels the first task was to add the stunsail boom bracket and boom iron to both the fore and main mast channels. The boom irons located in the fixing holes on the channels without any problems. I then added two shortened blackened pins to each end of the stunsail boom brackets and then added them to the channels. Once in place a third shortened blackened pins was added the stunsail boom bracket central hole. I also checked the various strops and eyebolts would be fit OK in the channels, as can be seen below.

It was relatively easy to add the 3mm deadeyes to their respective strops, as the strops only required to be opened slightly. I am finding it much more difficult to add the 5mm deadeyes to their respective strops. Once the 5mm deadeye has been added to the the strop adding the preventer and chain plate upper and lower links is straightforward. These links were secured in place using the blackened pins. It is important to place the upper chain plate link the right-way round and to apply a slight bend to the end where the pin is to be fitted. The access slot in the preventer link is positioned to face the hull.

[Glenn-UK]

Chain plates and links - Starboard Side

I indicated in my last post that I found it difficult to fit the 5mm deadeyes to their respective strops. This morning, when browsing the build manual, I found the following photo. I noted the bottom section, which fits through the channel is also opened up which is something I was not doing.

As I was not doing this I thought I should give it a try as I still had 22 x 5mm deadeyes to fit to strops. Using my round nose pliers I opened up the strop as shown in the photo below.

The fitting of the deadeye in the strop was much easier and neater. Lesson learnt!

 

With all the deadeyes fitted to the strops it was then a case of adding the links and chain plates. The design of the links and chain plates made this a relatively straightforward task. I used a pencil to mark through the upper chain link and drilled a hole. A blackened pin was then inserted to secure the upper and lower chain plate links. A second pin was added to the lower chain plate link. It was a bit repetitive but after a couple of hours the starboard side was completed.

Foremast channels

Mainmast channels

Mizzen mast channel

[chris watton]

Looking good Glenn - but you may want to relocate some of those chainplates. As a rule, the should follow the same angle as the shrouds they secure.

[Glenn-UK]

38 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Looking good Glenn - but you may want to relocate some of those chainplates. As a rule, the should follow the same angle as the shrouds they secure.

Thanks Chris. I was aware the correct angle required for the chain plates should be same as the shrouds but it is a bit difficult to work out without the shrouds. I generally tried to position the chain plates as shown on the plan sheets. I am not overly worried if they do not match the shroud angles when complete as I don't think my family members will pick up on the error as they will be the only ones looking at the completed model.

Edited May 5, 2022 by glennard2523

[glbarlow]

I stuck a dowel with fake shrouds tied off at the same height as they would be on the mast, stuck the dowel in the mast’s hole on the deck, then taped them to their spot on the channel. With that I could then mark in pencil where the nail for the chain plate needed to go for the proper angle.

 

Too late for that now a you’ve tapped the holes already, so just a thought for others and the future. 

Edited May 5, 2022 by glbarlow

[Glenn-UK]

Mizzen Mast Chainplates

As indicated by @chris watton and @glbarlow the chainplates should run along the same path as the shrouds. Therefore I have taken their very helpful advice onboard as I start work on adding the chainplates to the port side.

 

A temporary shroud line is attached to the mizzen mast and the first chainplate is aligned to follow the shroud line path, as can be seen in the picture below.

 

I then continued with the same process and completed the installation of the mizzen mast chainplates.

 

It would appear that the left hand chainplate is misaligned in the first photo below. This is not the case when you seen the second photo which is taken at a slightly different angle, and the other chainplate now looks misaligned.

 

 

 

[Glenn-UK]

Chainplates Port Side. Spritsail Braces and Burton Pendant

I have now completed adding the chainplates to the port side. As shown in my previous post, following the sound advice from Glenn (USA) and Chris Watton, I used some threads secured to the masts so the chainplates would follow the line of the shrouds. 

 

Foremast

Mainmast

Mizzenmast

Before moving on to the shrouds and burton pendants I decided to run the threads required for the two spritsail yard braces as these run through the double blocks located beneath the foremast platform and will be hidden by the shroud lines so to some extent makes access a bit more difficult. These brace threads will be secured to the spritsail yards and belaying points later on in the rigging process. I can always remove these threads if they become a hindrance when rigging the shrouds.

The first items to be added to the masts are the burton pendants. A length of 0.75mm black thread was seized with 0.25mm black thread. I used a piece of 8mm dowel (Fore and Main masts) and applied 6 half hitches top and bottom. The end result is shown in the photo below.

The pendant thread was then placed over the foremast so I can check the position where I need to add the thimbles. I would welcome some feedback if the seizing looks Ok as I am not sure if I need to make it tighter or looser around the foremast. It looks OK to me but it is an area I have no real idea what is right or wrong. I plan to use the same method for the shroud lines so I would like to get it right from the get go.

Edited May 8, 2022 by glennard2523

[allanyed]

Glenn, This model is coming along beautifully.  Your photos show the higher quality of the Vanguard kit very clearly especially considering the materials, scaled parts, and general attention to detail in replicating the ship and paraphernalia it is representing.  

Allan

[Glenn-UK]

18 minutes ago, allanyed said:

Glenn, This model is coming along beautifully.  Your photos show the higher quality of the Vanguard kit very clearly especially considering the materials, scaled parts, and general attention to detail in replicating the ship and paraphernalia it is representing.  

Allan

Many thanks for your kind comments. I agree Vanguard Model kits are all of the highest quality.

[Glenn-UK]

Start of Shrouds - Fail

The good thing about this log is that I will detail my progress and methods which other builders may find helpful. I also receive some great advice from other builders, Jim and Chris. I also like include some of my failures in this build log. This post details one such failure when adding deadeyes to the foremast port side shroud lines.

 

All the foremast shroud lines were all prepared, using the same method as detailed in my last post for the burton pendants, no problems so far.

 

I have a jig, which I have used on my previous builds, to help me position the deadeyes in the shrouds so they are all at the same level. The photo below shows the jig in place. Two prongs on the jig are pushed in to the channel deadeye.

The shroud line is then wrapped around the dowel on the jig and the loop is secured with three half hitch knots. Once the jig is removed a 5mm deadeye can be inserted in the resultant loop. It is then a simple process to add the two further seizing's. The shroud deadeye is free to be rotated to the correct orientation before the lanyards are added. So far so good as can be seen in the photo below.

Full of confidence that the method was working fine I added the deadeye to the second shroud line. I took care to ensure all the seizing's on the second shroud line matched the seizing's on the first line. I was reasonably happy with how the second line looked. However when I compared the first two lines there was a major problem, as is clearly seen in the photo below.

I can only assume that the shroud line moved as I was securing the loop, resulting in the two shroud deadeyes not being positioned evenly. I seem to recall that @DelF used a drill bit to form the deadeye loop at the end of the shroud line and then, using a needle, secured the loop by passing the seizing thread through the shroud lines, which locks it in place and prevents slippage.  I need to rethink my method and experiment to find a method which will produce repeatable results, without unwanted slippage.

 

Edited May 9, 2022 by glennard2523

[Dave_E]

The bent wire stuck into the lower and upper deadeyes thing works. Many videos on how to do it. Easy, and you’ll never have this happen again. 👍😀

[Oldsalt1950]

Glenn, what Dave is refering to is known as a "deadeye claw" . It is two pieces of wire twisted and soldered together and used to keep the deadeyes spaced properly while you are setting your shroud line length up and seizing it. Once the line is seized around the upper deadeye, the claw is removed and you can than rig the deadeye. It will look like an 'X' with legs on the ends 

[Glenn-UK]

9 minutes ago, Oldsalt1950 said:

Glenn, what Dave is refering to is known as a "deadeye claw" . It is two pieces of wire twisted and soldered together and used to keep the deadeyes spaced properly while you are setting your shroud line length up and seizing it. Once the line is seized around the upper deadeye, the claw is removed and you can than rig the deadeye. It will look like an 'X' with legs on the ends 

I have tried the deadeye claw before before moving on to the jig I made with two pins and dowel which has served me well for my last three boat builds. I could never fully get to grips with the deadeye claw method. I modified it by replacing the top pins with a dowel. I am going to experiment with a few different ideas.

[DelF]

20 hours ago, glennard2523 said:

I seem to recall that @DelF used a drill bit

Hi Glenn. Here's a link to the technique I think you're referring to...

 

Derek

[Glenn-UK]

Foremast Shrouds - Port Side Start

After the false start yesterday with adding the deadeyes to the foremast shroud lines I have been able to refine my method which seems to be working well so far. I must admit I do not enjoy the task of adding deadeyes to the shrouds, but it does become slightly less onerous now I have my refined method to a set of repeatable steps.

 

I am still using my jig to form the loop for the deadeye, but I have discovered the position of loop can be adjusted. Once I am happy a touch of ca gel is applied to the loop seizing and the excess thread trimmed.

 

The shroud line is then held in one of the quad hands,. A clamp is used to hold the thread in place, as shown in the photo below.

 

It is an easy job to then add the seizing's. Each seizing consists of 5 bottom and 5 top half hitch knots.

 

I then add some test lanyards to the first pair of shroud lines. With the partially rigged lanyards held under a bit of tension the deadeyes are reasonably level. I am not going to worry too much if there they are slightly uneven once then proper lanyards are rigged, as that is normally the case for the actual ships.

The picture below is shows the first three deadeyes in position with a bit of tension applied to the test lanyards.

 

The second shroud line is now complete, and looks good when a test lanyard is added and held under tension.

I have one more pair shroud line and one single shroud line to add to the port side foremast before I will repeat the process for the starboard foremast shrouds. It should be noted that the starboard shrouds lines are being added to the foremast in turn, as per the instructions in the rigging plan sheets.

 

I will continue to take my time with this aspect until all the lower shroud lines have been added for the three masts. I will post some more pictures as I progress with this task.

Edited May 10, 2022 by glennard2523

[Dave_E]

Very nice! Whatever our techniques, the successful desired outcome is what matters. Good job. 👍😀

[Glenn-UK]

Foremast Portside Lanyards

I will start this post with saying this is the best I have ever done a set of shrouds with deadeyes and lanyards. The method I used certainly helped me improve my technique. When looking at the attached the two photos the first 3 shroud lines (nearest the bow) are not too bad and look reasonably even. The next 4 shroud lines however not so good, especially the last one.

 

I am now in a quandary as they have not turned out quite as I hoped. Can I accept this standard of workmanship and move on as there is a marked improvement compared with my previous builds. This is what I would have done in the past without a moments thought. The new me is now thinking I can do so much better and I am now very tempted cut my losses and start over, refining the method slightly to get even better results.

 

The shroud deadeyes tend not to be at an even level on a real ship which is another consideration. I would welcome some comments before I finally take the plunge and start over. With regards to the seizing above the shroud deadeye, does the first one need to be nearer to the deadeye? I used a some 2mm tape to to set the same distance for each line. I think it would have been better if I had used 1mm tape.

Edited May 11, 2022 by glennard2523

[Blue Ensign]

 

Hi Glenn,

What size line are you using for the Shroud lanyards, it looks a little thin to my eye.

 

B.E.

[Glenn-UK]

1 minute ago, Blue Ensign said:

 

Hi Glenn,

What size line are you using for the Shroud lanyards, it looks a little thin to my eye.

 

B.E.

Hello Maurice

I am using 1mm black thread as per the plan sheets for the foremast shrouds. I am using 0.1mm natural thread for the seizing's.

 

Do you think I should remove the shrouds and start again to see if I can make it better?

 

Also do you think the first shroud seizing needs to be positioned closer to the deadeye?

 

Thanks

Glenn

[Blue Ensign]

Removing the shrouds seems quite drastic to me, can you not remove the seizings and the lanyards and adjust?

 

It was the lanyards between the deadeyes that I was querying as to line size?

 

B.E.

 

 

[Glenn-UK]

20 minutes ago, Blue Ensign said:

Removing the shrouds seems quite drastic to me, can you not remove the seizings and the lanyards and adjust?

 

It was the lanyards between the deadeyes that I was querying as to line size?

 

B.E.

 

 

I did remove the seizing on a couple of shroud lines and readjusted before I trimmed the 1mm thread end as I went along, it is not possible now the ends have been trimmed. I have already remade the shroud lines which didn't take long. You are right I should have used 0.25mm natural thread for the lanyards, 0.1mm is for the 3mm mizzen mast lanyards.

 

I'm still unsure about the position of the first seizing above the shroud deadeye. I think it needs to be nearer the deadeye.

[Blue Ensign]

According to Steel, the lanyards for the Fore and Main masts are 4" circ = 0.5mm dia at scale. For the Mizen 21/2" = 0.3mm dia.

if you're using the kit provided line I would try 0.5mm and 0.25mm for the lower shrouds.

 

The shroud lanyards are taken thro' the loop  from aft where the shroud crosses the deadeye, and is then expended around the  shroud several times and is seized to the shroud upright end. The two seizings that secure the shroud end are fitted above, The top one a little closer to the end than you have it.

 

I can't provide you with any reference links as at present I'm  away from home in Monmouthshire.

 

B.E.

[Glenn-UK]

Portside Shrouds, deadeyes and lanyards

I have taken the bull by the horns and decided to start again. As pointed out by @Blue Ensign the lanyards were rigged with the wrong sized thread in my previous attempt.

 

I have now slightly refined my method when adding the deadeye to the shroud (and seizing's) which I hope will means all the deadeyes will be bit more even this time around. The first deadeye looks good to my eye. There is a nice amount of tension of the shroud line. Fingers crossed I can get the others to match this one.

[glbarlow]

Good call on changing the lanyards and moving the top seizing up so it’s just short of the stubbed end of the shroud, I don’t thing the bottom seizing needs to be any closer to the deadeye than you have it now. Your latest phot looks great. 

[Glenn-UK]

22 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

Good call on changing the lanyards and moving the top seizing up so it’s just short of the stubbed end of the shroud, I don’t thing the bottom seizing needs to be any closer to the deadeye than you have it now. Your latest phot looks great. 

Thanks, much appreciated.

[Blue Ensign]

Not quite sure about how you have got the lanyard, the photo appears to show  the line running over the deadeye strop and down again.

 

The running end after feeding thro' all the deadeye holes in the right order should feed up and thro' the deadeye strop from the rear, and then be secured around the running end of the shroud.

 

Fortunately I'm spared the pleasure of rigging deadeyes on my build,  but when I do I'm never in a hurry to permanently secure the Lanyards, I leave it as long as possible before  trimming the ends.

 

B.E.

[Glenn-UK]

27 minutes ago, Blue Ensign said:

Not quite sure about how you have got the lanyard, the photo appears to show  the line running over the deadeye strop and down again.

 

The running end after feeding thro' all the deadeye holes in the right order should feed up and thro' the deadeye strop from the rear, and then be secured around the running end of the shroud.

 

Fortunately I'm spared the pleasure of rigging deadeyes on my build,  but when I do I'm never in a hurry to permanently secure the Lanyards, I leave it as long as possible before  trimming the ends.

 

B.E.

I have not tied off the lanyard just yet. It has been fed through the back of gap at the top of the deadeye strop and will then looped around the shroud a couple of times. I want to get the next deadeye in place so I can adjust the tension of the shroud line pair before I do this

Edited May 11, 2022 by glennard2523