HMS Sphinx 1775 by Hollowneck - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[hollowneck]

Thanks for everyone's comments, questions, suggestions. Much appreciated.

This is the type of feedback that makes online participation with other MSW member's so rewarding.

 

First, Quoting Allan:

The Vanguard yawl hull looks really good.   (I assume it is a yawl as it is clinker built)   As the boat will be sitting right side up, are the thwarts, knees, supplied with the hull or will you be making and installing them?  I looked at the Vanguard website but only see the hulls.   Will you also be including the longboat and pinnace which 6th rates carried in her time?

 

My boat is the yawl which I partially went for BECAUSE it shows the "clinkered hull" detail nicely. The Vanguard hull doesn't come with the interior bits, however, the three boat builds supplied in the Sphinx kit has everything one needs to detail them.

 

I'd like to also suggest another possibility: were I the ship's bosun, I'd make my boats ship-shape with tight, tarpaulin covers so they don't fill up with water when it rains in a sudden squall. Depicting three, bare-naked, open boats is a ship modeling convention I'd wager. What say others, here?

 

I decided early-on that HMS Camilla would carry only one boat, a medium-sized one. My modest yawl will ferry crew and provisions as well as transport a French captain back to Camilla to negotiate terms of his surrender. So, no inside bits for the yawl since it will be lashed to the skid beams upside down, despite the casting's details being outstanding. I'll take a photo of the interior - post it on this thread - it really is quite tasty (see next post!). When I examined the little yawl firsthand, I have to admit I had thoughts about switching plans to add the interior goodies and display it right-side up.

 

druxey

Lovely progress. However, you might consider 'softening' the edges and corners of your mast caps. Here is the advantage of dye: once you have rounded edges off, simply re-dye the exposed wood ((I use a Q-tip) and buff.

 

Thank you for the suggestion; I'll do just that, break the hard edges of the mast caps ever so gently. And, absolutely, if the native wood gets revealed I'll just touch-up with some more black dye.

 

DelF

More great work, some of which I'll shamelessly copy. I'll try that wood dye as an alternative to spraying, which I find a pain - especially the cleaning up. I'm also seriously tempted to get one or two of Chris's new boats.

 

As I've noted - and another comment here attests - the black dye is messy and you need to carefully control where you want it as it tends to migrate throughout the grain. Again, the main reason to use dye over paint is that it doesn't hide details and actually does quite the opposite. To prevent "grain bleed" I painted a thin band with flat black acrylic where the dye would meet-up with it so I avoided this possible disaster; so far, so good. This "combo" technique seemed to have worked well despite there being a minute reflectivity difference between the two finishes. We'll see how a poly coat applied to some areas that have black dye will work, after I do some testing  on this approach.

 

I recommend Chris's boats wholeheartedly. At 1:64-scale and with several size options from which to choose, they are a brilliant, better-looking solution than trying to build these little guys. I acknowledge that some will enjoy building the three boats in the Sphinx kit; I'm just not one of them. I'm moving on to masting, rigging, sails and...oh yeah, H2o.

 

Blue Ensign

Just a curiosity Ron,  I have seen inverted boats on  19th c Clippers  but never seen one as I recall on an 18th century warship. Is this just a bit of artistic licence on your part? that clinker finish  on the Yawl does look good tho'. ps:  I like the finish on your mast tops, very nice effect.

 

Totally artistic license here. I imagine myself and my mission as captain of my own ship; this is all part of my motivation in building these art objects - if you will - my time travel back to the 18th-century, my favorite. In HMS Camilla's case, I'm a post captain and my assignment from Whitehall is to harass and capture as many French ships in the Channel as I can, then maybe speed to North America or the Sugar Islands to help with KIng George's cause. For the mission, I only need one boat but I really need more provisions - including munitions. I also need a spare topmast (or two). Three boats is an unnecessary luxury when I 'm counting pounds (not currency ones) burthen.

 

Wait until I finish that upward facing yawl hull! It is going to look really nice. I agree, the decision to blacken the masts, as conventional as it is, was a good choice. Even my 8 yo grandson agrees.

 

glbarlow

 

I believe the boats are always sitting up to make them faster and easier to launch, but i could be wrong. The leather dye is an interesting choice, but I recall from using it back in my time the army as being a total mess to work with. No matter how careful I was it wound up in places I didn’t want it and near impossible to remove. Still a nice effects,  you seem to have kept it in control. 

 

Yep. Your points are well taken: Fast n' Furious on the boats. I've drilled my crew well; I guarantee they'll get Camilla's single yawl off the skids and in the water in record time after we capture those illegal vessels operated by belligerent frogs and insurrectionist Yanks!

 

I've worked with Fiebings dyes for other components on my build and I am watchful on where and how I apply it. Tricky bizness, fer sure.

------

 

I'd like to offer the thought to my modeling colleagues that I try, to the best of my abilities, to present realistic portrayals of all my models, but stopping short of full-on "weathering" and embellishment with things like: broken spars, hull barnacles, cannon splintered bulwarks, dead sailors...you get the idea.

Like the majority of others here, I like to create models which, at the end of the day, elicit from onlookers a response of: "Wow. That really is a big, beautiful boat. It looks so real." There are many different motivations and goals, challenges and pleasures to our modeling passion(s).  As I previously noted here on this thread, one of mine is to hopefully create an ART OBJECT, crafting a ship model with the beauty of their simplicity and complexity at the same time.

Ron

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by hollowneck

[hollowneck]

Here is a close-up interior photo of Chris' 3D resin yawl I've chosen for my model. Very nice detail indeed, like the outside clinker hull that I'll display upside-down. For ya'll * who want to show it open like this, you'll need to scratch thwarts, knees, rudder, etc. and of course, appropriately paint it to resemble wood. The Vanguard site has details on the full range of these tasty little boats.

 

*yes, a really bad pun.

 

 

I may yet change my mind on Camilla's boat mounting. The detail is quite nice and would look even better with scratched pieces and then nicely painted and finished; another decision that doesn't need to be made quite yet.

 

 

Three quick progress photos to show all the masts completed - up through their topmasts. The topmasts alone (four including a spare main) took a full week to accurately make. A 7-10-7 square-to-octagon template for shaping the masts can be seen on the bench. The final topgallant masts are next and compared with the topmasts are much easier and straightforward to scratch. All three final topgallants will begin with 3mm square stock and be shaped down to about a 1mm to 1.5mm taper to accept the top trucks.

 

 

"She's got a hole in her bottom, Sir!"... Well, don't just stand there sailor, ..."Man the pumps!"

She's starting to look like a sailing man o' war from the eighteenth century. I'll go to all the mast stays first,  and then on to the shrouds and pendants soon after the final mast pieces are complete. The Build Manual has anchors next, but I think I can wait a month (or more) on making these...

 

Some may note that I have some additional blackening (dye) to do on the mizzen top as well as some touch-up on the main mast bibbs n' hounds.

 

 

Fore and bowsprit masts are properly aligned. With the Vanguard design, the tolerances to achieve this necessary alignment are notable. Follow the build directions on the basic hull and deck assembly and you'll end-up not having to struggle with this aspect later...it can be a tricky part of fully rigging a ship of this complexity.

 

BTW: my solution for ready reference to large plans is right behind my main assembly workbench: the luxury of a big cork board. Next up for the pushpins? Standing rigging. As indicated earlier, there are several sheets supplied in the kit for all the normal model rigging. 

 

Ron

 

Edited January 25, 2022 by hollowneck

[druxey]

A quick note on dye migration along the grain. Depending on the wood specie and its structure, another method that works on tight-grain wood such as Castello is to knife cut in a stop line. The dye travels to the line, but not beyond. Test on scrap first!

[hollowneck]

1 hour ago, druxey said:

A quick note on dye migration along the grain. Depending on the wood specie and its structure, another method that works on tight-grain wood such as Castello is to knife cut in a stop line. The dye travels to the line, but not beyond. Test on scrap first!

 

Yes, great tip, druxey. How do I know this? ...uh, by having to start over on a boxwood mast in the past! My experience is that pear grain and coloration is slightly more forgiving than box, but knifing-in a stop (ever so gently!) is still a good idea no matter the choice of hardwood. On more open grain woods I would suspect dye bleeding would be very problematical. I've never tried it and likely never will.

 

"Testing. Testing...Yikes!" no dye here!

 

Test on a scrap: always a good idea - like measuring twice and cutting once.

 

Ron

Edited January 25, 2022 by hollowneck

[Blue Ensign]

She certainly has presence Ron, I don’t think you will have trouble achieving that "Wow. That really is a big, beautiful boat. It looks so real."  accolade.

I think the resin Yawl can be made to look natural, and I see that Chris has moulded the thwart supports onto the hull. Always a tricky business getting those right on a small boat.

Dressed with Pear or Box fittings, I think it would certainly look the part.

What a great choice of small boats Chris has now provided.

 

B.E.

[glbarlow]

I really wish Chris had those boats when I built four of them the old hard way for Vanguard, Chris is making it easy for us. I agree that setting up right is a much better look and no problem fitting out for someone with your skills. 

 

The masts look nice, making them from anything other than kit walnut dowels is a big step up.  I plan to do the same again with Flirt in boxwood when I get back to her. Meanwhile it’s one plank at a time for me.

[hollowneck]

11 hours ago, glbarlow said:

I really wish Chris had those boats when I built four of them the old hard way for Vanguard, Chris is making it easy for us. I agree that setting up right is a much better look and no problem fitting out for someone with your skills. 

 

The masts look nice, making them from anything other than kit walnut dowels is a big step up.  I plan to do the same again with Flirt in boxwood when I get back to her. Meanwhile it’s one plank at a time for me.

 

Thanks Glenn for the commentary, the compliment on the masts. Going full-scratch on the masts/yards is the only way to approach a model of this quality IMHO. If one pursues a fully-rigged version I believe it to be mandatory to toss the walnut (but keep the excellent laser- cut top hamper pieces). I also have Flirt "on the shelf" and will likely build her in pear (my favorite)....depending on when the Vanguard Indy kit launches!  My second ship model (2012) was the Caldercraft/Watton HMS Diana and then it was on to the Amati/Victory dockyards...

 

I'm still undecided but I'm now leaning toward dressing Camilla's yawl with pear - per B.E.'s thoughts here. Of course, in the event, I would then add the kit's crutches to secure her upright amidships.

 

Back to the sticks n' strings bench: one SyrenShipModels or Ropes of Scale string at a time for me.

 

Ron

 

Edited January 26, 2022 by hollowneck

[allanyed]

On 1/23/2022 at 1:48 PM, hollowneck said:

I'd like to also suggest another possibility: were I the ship's bosun, I'd make my boats ship-shape with tight, tarpaulin covers so they don't fill up with water when it rains in a sudden squall. Depicting three, bare-naked, open boats is a ship modeling convention I'd wager. What say others, here?

This is an interesting point for me.  As the boats were usually stacked one on another depending on the number of boats, rate, etc,  Were they actually covered or did they have drain holes that were plugged when set asea?   I looked,  but so far found nothing on boats ever being covered in the 19th century or earlier.

Edited January 26, 2022 by allanyed

[druxey]

I believe that keeping the boats 'wet' was advantageous: it kept the seams watertight. Demote that bo'sun!

Edited January 26, 2022 by druxey

[hollowneck]

23 minutes ago, druxey said:

I believe that keeping the boats 'wet' was advantageous: it kept the seams watertight. Demote that bo'sun!

Thanks, druxey.

Leftenant Python just demoted him. The bosun is now that tar carrying the officer's honey bucket to the head...

I suspected there might be a quick answer to my ships' boats query!

 

Ron

[hollowneck]

A little more progress on mast work, finishing-off the topgallants, some tools I use to prep them.

 

 

There is a .7mm hole at the support for the top gallant yard tie. This "bulge" also gets blackened. I like to break the edges of small holes with a chamfer tool since my most used, small drill bits don't have the sharpest cutting tips and leave some "fuzz." I know, I need to purchase some more small drill bits.

 

 

Speaking of... a .7mm drill bit in a pin vise and my two chamfer(ing) tools. Just a couple twists with either of these eliminates most wood fuzz. I believe I purchased these from MicroMark years ago but not certain, though. Inexpensive I recall. I've had them for years. Diamond cutting surfaces too. AH...the joy of having the right tools for the right jobs.

 

 

Here is Camilla's foremast trestle and crosstrees with rigging blocks lashed. The thimble is a nice wooden one, 2.5mm, and is for the main topgallant mast stay. The little chock that holds the mast stay thimble in place is tiny. If you can't read the last word in that sentence you probably should be thinking about not doing rigging.

 

Seriously, these itsy-bitsy chocks - all 182 of them provided in the kit, lasered in pear - are so small that when I sneezed (I'm nursing a cold), several that I'd cut out to prep literally disappeared - Poof! - forever gone to that place to hang out with sock monster, a close cousin.

 

I've glued the topgallant mast into position and I'll blacken up through the mast cap next. I can't emphasize how important it is to mount all these mast rigging blocks in- advance of the stay and shroud line rigging. One wants to be mainly "running rope" at that stage and not fiddling with tying these rigging elements into place after-the-fact!

 

 

Nothing too surprising here, however, I've learned to insert a smaller alligator clip into the larger one in my "third hand" - which is indispensable for rigging. I have a "Quadhands" also, but this particular work only needs two grippers to accomplish the task successfully.

 

The single sheave, Falkonet pearwood block is 3mm. I refuse to rig any block smaller than this and I have 20/40 close vision!... I use .15mm upholstery thread typically (the brown line around the block mounting rope) to tie-off my blocks. The block's mounting rope is Syren's new "Ultra" dark brown. This rope's diameter is .20mm or .30mm, depending on the size of block or thimble.

 

Like I demonstrated earlier I also pre-drill my block holes with a small thumbdrill. This saves so much hassle later. Anyone who's done rigging knows the trick to apply CA to the end of the rope line so it pokes through the holes more easily. In most cases, just opening up the tiny holes allows the end of most thin rigging rope to slide right through (but I still will use CA on some rope ends).

 

 

 

Another not too surprising photo of repetitive rigging work. However, I've unveiled my secret rigging tool: my Gingher stork embroidery scissors. Yes, they are designed to resemble the bird's long beak. They are beautifully crafted, stay razor sharp ( I do hone them, but infrequently, as they're only used for rigging). They have comfortable finger holes in the blade shanks. The tiny cutting tips speak for themselves. I have two pair, both within easy reach on my bench. A good close-up cameo for the mini alligator block holder.

 

A Breaking News update! Be careful if you're thinking about getting these Gingher scissors. There are several cheesy knockoff's on Amazon. The real-deal are about $18- $20. And worth every penny.

 

More sneezing. More tissues. More rigging to do....Ciao,

 

Ron

 

Edited January 27, 2022 by hollowneck

[druxey]

We will consider the bo'sun's reinstatement....

[hollowneck]

1 hour ago, druxey said:

We will consider the bo'sun's reinstatement....

 

You are too kind, druxey. I will note - with great irony - that your avatar is an upside down clinker hulled ship's boat!

Ron

Edited January 26, 2022 by hollowneck

[druxey]

Curses! Smoked!

[glbarlow]

Gingher scissors are the best. I’ve used them on rigging for years, though I prefer the non-stork embroidery version. They’re also good for goatee trimming, so I have several pairs. 

[hollowneck]

Details: Gammoning & Frapping.

Now that all the masts are completed with topgallants - with their rigging blocks in-place - it's time to take care of business on the bowsprit before commencing other rigging work.

 

 

A detail on gammoning of the bowsprit. I've used .5mm dark brown (tarred) rope for this rigging. There are eleven turns up against the cleats and down through the openings below the head rails to the stem slot. I pulled each rope turn tightly before threading the next turn.

 

 

The gammoning rope turns will fill the stem slot; this looks straightforward to do. It is NOT. Below I've attached a photo from "Lees" rigging book to illustrate that the rope crosses over its previous turn with each successive one which results in a "twisting"arrangement. This entire procedure of rope wrapping also resembles "weaving" - of a sort.

 

 

My completed "gammon lashing" of the bowsprit. These ropes were critical for securing not only the bowsprit (and its spritsails) but also the fore and main mast stay rigging ropes; the thick support ropes (standing rig) exerted tremendous upward strain on the bowsprit. In addition to "looping" each successive rope turn over the previous one and once the vertical threading was complete, the rope was then horizontally threaded tightly between and around the vertical rope turns. This second, contiguous rigging step is referred to as "frapping." The number of frap lacings were equal to the number of rope turns around the bowsprit, in this case: eleven.

 

 

Gammon lashing and its frapping completed. The end of the rope is simply fed through a frapping turn as a hitch and tucked into the frapping and glued with a small drop of CA. I'm pretty confident 18th-C dockyard riggers didn't use CA to finish off this elaborate rigging process.🤪...

 

 

A Lees book detail on gammon lashing. To the right, the cross section illustration shows a simple "eye splice" to START the gammon lashing. However, what the rigging "Bible" doesn't show is the critical step to alternately overlap each successive turn after its fed through the stem opening and back around for a successive turn. The illustration on the left does show the effect of crossing-over each rope turn: the forward-most turn is at the rear of the stem slot. Note that the stem slot is full.

 

 

The next bowsprit rigging step; making-up and mounting the various stay collars and their deadeyes. There are lots of these blocks to make and mount. The cleats to support the collars are already in place from the earlier step to finish the bowsprit's woodworking (these small wooden cleats prevented the collars from slipping along the bowsprit).

 

 

Once all the bowsprit's fore and main stay blocks are rigged (coming up soon), I'll mount some "manropes." This will be a hand-sized rope line from the bowsprit cap back to the fore timbers (both starboard and port). The ropes were for sailors to have a hand hold when they were at work on the bowsprit.

 

Ron

Edited February 1, 2022 by hollowneck

[druxey]

Lees unfortunately nodded here: man ropes were not knotted at intervals. However, footropes to the jibboom were.

[Blue Ensign]

Neat spot of gammoning there Ron.👍

 

B.E.

[tomganc]

Fantastic job on the rigging. I'm getting ready for my bowsprit but I need to make some heart blocks for the stay and preventer stay.

I like level of detail and for sure it will e inspiration for my build

 

Regards

Tom

[hollowneck]

33 minutes ago, druxey said:

Lees unfortunately nodded here: man ropes were not knotted at intervals. However, footropes to the jibboom were.

...good catch. I'm getting the impression that  following Lees is a little like interpreting the Dead Sea Scrolls...I'll drop the knots on the manropes and add footropes along the jibboom. Yay! Ship modeler "tech talk!"

Thanks, seriously.

 

39 minutes ago, Blue Ensign said:

Neat spot of gammoning there Ron.👍

 

B.E.

 

20 minutes ago, tomganc said:

Fantastic job on the rigging. I'm getting ready for my bowsprit but I need to make some heart blocks for the stay and preventer stay.

I like level of detail and for sure it will e inspiration for my build

 

Regards

Tom

Thank you B.E. & tomganc, appreciate your comments.

 

Ron

[TBlack]

Ron,

I'm trying to imagine the actual operation of all that threading and twisting, which turned out marvelously, was there any swearing that accompanied that operation?

[hollowneck]

2 hours ago, TBlack said:

Ron,

I'm trying to imagine the actual operation of all that threading and twisting, which turned out marvelously, was there any swearing that accompanied that operation?

 

Thank You, TBlack.

After reacquainting myself with the procedure (I've done this before, but it's been awhile), it just required patience to proceed slowly, methodically. The most difficult aspect is threading the line upward through the headrail slots and keeping the rope taught so it didn't slacken between turns. Hint: I used a small clamp on the edge of the stem to hold the rope taut as I fished the end through the slots. The gammon rope needs to be quite long ( for this build, about 48") which means it will inevitably want to tangle itself around something, typically one of the bumkins. Also, after I'd completed the turns around the bowsprit with all looking even and tight I took a break and clamped the still lengthy rope to the stem's edge. I returned a while later and did the horizontal frapping, with physically "fresh" fingers - and mentally, unencumbered!

 

Like so many aspects of proper square-sailer rigging, proceed slowly for the best - and most satisfying- results. Haste really does make waste. And, I will add: anxiety if one is in a hurry.

 

No swearing. Honest. Just holding my breathing every so often to steady my hands... which is also a good technique to employ when you do delicate, critical painting too.

Ron

Edited February 1, 2022 by hollowneck

[hollowneck]

🎼 Rig, rig, rig your boat, gently - or you'll scream.

 

 

The "rig station." This looks messy, but most everything in the foreground is readily at hand for making the foremast stays.

The large, alien-looking yellow tool is a "QuadHands", my four-armed, extremely flexible helper. Its base is quite heavy so it stays put where you place it (unlike its smaller third-hand cousin, seen skulking-off to the left). In the following photos you'll see different combos of small clamps (QuadHands ones plus others) that help to keep rope lines straight and taut while others hold various tackle in place, like open and closed hearts.

 

 

Here the foremast stay rope is pulled taut and wrapped around a closed heart block (6mm). The first of three stroppings is shown tight to the block's head. Adding a number of clamps helps me set up these blocks nicely. There are numerous methods, techniques to accomplish rigging. No two ship model builders will do these tasks in the same way. The steps (and tools) here are one approach that has worked well for me.

 

 

The basic materials and tools for the lower mast standing rigging: a long TFE nozzle for depositing miniscule spots of CA where needed, Matte Medium acrylic used as an adhesive for some aspects of affixing rigging, two sizes of dark brown (tarred) rope for the mast stays, and the QuadHands jig. Oh yeah: very pointy tweezers.

 

 

The bowsprit is loaded up with her tackle blocks: deadeyes, open hearts, single sheave blocks.

 

 

The foremast stay and preventer ropes wrap around the lower mast's bibbs, over the bolsters and loop around the hounds (the square section). I created a simple "eyesplice" to tension the rope termination against its "mouse." The mouse piece provided in the kit is a shiny black, slightly elongated bead. I've created my own "mice" with small carved pieces of wood in past builds but this one will do the job  - after it gets painted with flat black so it's not shiny. There are two of these (identical with the lower main mast) and the "collar and mouse" will both tuck closely beneath the tops and frankly, they get visually "lost" in the mass of rigging lines that are arrayed in this area.

 

Some same era MSW modelers will note that I don't "serve" my standing rope lines; although it's more historically accurate and yet another level of detailed execution, I don't attempt this on 1:64 models. If HMS Camilla were a 1:48 scale kit, that would be a different ballgame and I'd add a significant number of additional steps to my build, especially with rigging.

 

This previous point is a personal hobby philosophy. I don't like to exceed 8-10 months on any specific build. Especially now since I'm interested in the challenges of making dioramas for my models that adds a considerable amount of time to each artwork. There remain a large number of (sailing ship) models I'd like to build before my eyes and hands won't permit me to accomplish what I envision in my mind. Life's short. That's my excuse - and I'm sticking to it!

 

 

 

I've positioned the closed heart rigging block that's been stropped to the fore stay with a holding clamp from the QuadHands; the jig has two long arms ( about 12") with adjustable, locking alligators. The multiple arms are super-convenient for this specific rigging work. Note that the closed heart block is in position to be lashed to its open heart mate already tied and positioned on the bowsprit. Also note that the rigging rope is "tensioned" with the quad's clip and not in the way of working the lashing line through the opening.

 

 

 

The blocks are now lashed (and frapped), 4 turns each. The end of the thick stay rope has also been stropped with three turnings of .20 brown thread (not rope). The toothpick is shown just before applying a tiny spot of matte medium acrylic to the end of the tied back rope end to prevent it from coming unravelled. The acrylic adhesive will dry transparent, not shiny.

 

After a second fore stay (the preventer) is mounted to the lower mast and bowsprit in an identical fashion (the second closed heart block can be seen here behind the completed fore stay), I will rig the two bobstays that run from under the bowsprit downward to the stem. I do these next to even out some of the tension created by the upward pressure from the upper stays. The foremast is mounted securely now and should be near perfectly perpendicular to the waterline. Once the main's topmast is rigged to the lower foremast, the fore will pull aftward ever so slightly - which is the desired angle, fore-to-aft. Don't worry about the starboard-to-port angle of the foremast just yet; it will get properly positioned once its shrouds and stays are added.

 

Ron

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by hollowneck
grammar spelling/tech edit

[BobG]

Fantastic work, Ron, she looks great! I always feel like the rigging really brings the ship to life. 

[Glenn-UK]

It is interesting to note you have fitted the first stay before the shrouds. I know the normal method, as detailed in the build manual, is to fit the shrouds before the stays.

 

Glenn (UK)

[Rustyj]

I just caught up on your work and it is outstanding. Your descriptions and photos are a tremendous reference. Thanks!

[hollowneck]

Thanks you BobG, Rustyj - and those who are following my build. Your encouragement is much appreciated.

Rigging "gives life" to a sailing ship, as it should. Convincing sails with their proper rigging (whether furled, set, or a combo of both states), also "kicks things up a notch" ..as TV Chef Emeril LeGasse' used to say.

 

I've mentioned here before, but I'll say it again: I especially like these complex rigging steps. For me, creating a convincing looking model of a large sailing ship depends significantly on the execution of all the "strings." Despite this very methodical, engineering and physics-oriented task, a complex rigged ship can be a dramatic artistic statement at the end of the day. With saying this, it's not meant to diminish a more spartan execution of a Royal Navy dockyard-style one.

 

"...the noblest and most beautiful work of man, a ship." - J.H. Craine, London, 1948, Ship Modelling Hints & Tips

 

Glenn - I've always rigged the principal stays first, although the backstays get rigged when I do the shrouds. I like to set the mast positions first at this early stage, then proceed to precisely align them when subsequently mounting the shrouds. Some builders like to rig shrouds off the model, then mount them and then add all the stays. Not for me. One of the benefits of my sequencing is that virtually all rigging lines - but particularly the standing rigging - are presented very taut, as they should be. On the other hand, if one follows the rigging plans as numbered in the kit, a nicely rigged model can be accomplished. I have merely taken a couple of Chris' clearly drawn and detailed rigging plan sheets out of sequence.

 

Ron

 

 

[SUBaron]

Ron, beautiful build! Absolutely motivating to complete my Swift and move on to the Connie 🙂 

 

Cheers!

-Andre

[glbarlow]

any progress?

[hollowneck]

20 hours ago, SUBaron said:

Ron, beautiful build! Absolutely motivating to complete my Swift and move on to the Connie 🙂 

 

Cheers!

-Andre

 

Thanks Andre. Your Swift is coming along nicely, good job.

 

Reading my HMS Camilla build log (only a partial one and far less thorough than others of the same kit re: HMS Sphinx) - or any of the many other logs for warships of this era - will give you a solid look into what you'll encounter with your Constitution kit, especially since you'll want to fully rig it.

 

As I have frequently commented here, when one's completed a full hull with all its various bits n' pieces, you're only halfway to completion of a fully-rigged, three-masted, square-sailing, 18th-century warship model. Keep this in-mind and know that a project of this scale will demand a substantial amount of your time. My saying this is not meant to discourage you, but there's nothing like an icy-cold bath to kool off one's ardor! In addition to "patience", a period ship modeler also needs a good reservoir of perseverance.

 

Your Constitution kit will result in a large, impressive model, but be prepared for the many months necessary to accomplish this with any degree of building fidelity.

 

The English have a wonderful, simple expression for the reality I'm describing: "Keep Calm and Carry On."

Cheers!