Harriet Lane by bobandlucy - FINISHED - Model Shipways - 1:96

bobandlucy · July 19, 2022

Installed the foremast shrouds. Jumped ahead a little and did the ratlines on one side as well. As you can see, my upper deadeyes did not fall in a straight line (the other side is better), and are perhaps a bit higher than design, due to my measuring length of the shrouds from the outer end of the loop at the mast, rather than from the seizing. I also ended up with a "crossing" at the top- if I had noticed this, I would have reversed the position of the shroud pairs. However, this was all very difficult- I will accept the results!

Edited July 19, 2022 by bobandlucy

GGibson · July 20, 2022

Good job, Bob. Thanks for sharing. You are doing well on the Harriet! I'm to the blocks/deadeyes/shrouds point on my Ballahoo, and really concerned on how well I will do. What are you using for your backdrop for lining up the shrouds and ratlines? Looks to be a bit "sturdier" than the paper and cardboard I have seen in some other build logs. Appreciate your updates! Congrats on your success1

Gregg

bobandlucy · July 22, 2022

Gregg, the backdrop is just an ordinary index card.

I moved on to the shrouds/upper deadeyes for the main mast. The deadeyes came out even higher than for the fore mast.

I ripped the mainmast rigging out. Second try on the first two shrouds was closer to design. Deadeyes are still not aligned perfectly, but the distance between upper and lower deadeyes is closer to plan. When I get these and the ratlines finished, I will rip out the work on the foremast and redo. I'll end up scrapping some hours of work, but any time in the shop is quality time, and I won't regret the loss in time as much as the remorse I know I would feel not having fixed this, when the model is finished.

Edited July 22, 2022 by bobandlucy

druxey · July 22, 2022

Re-dos: The mark of a true model-maker. Good on you, Bob! You'll be glad you revised the rigging. There should be a little stretch in the shrouds to allow you to align them.

bobandlucy · July 26, 2022

Finished the second attempt at the lower shrouds/deadeyes, and ratlines. Still not perfect, but much, much better.

The foremast is really parallel to the funnel, for some reason it appears otherwise in the pictures- I had to go check again! The mainmast needs a little less rake, but will be corrected when I add the stays.

I ordered more of the larger diameter Syren line, I'll need it for the stays, and may leave things alone for a couple of days. Maybe do the dishes or something like that. . .

carlo_l · July 27, 2022

Hi @bobandlucy! Maybe it could be useful for the future to use this simple technique to help you out with the alignment of the deadeyes

Here below the link 😃

https://youtu.be/HpRps6apwTg

druxey · July 27, 2022

Looking very respectable, Bob!

tlee01 · July 27, 2022

Bob, very impressive.

Now that my new knee is feeling better, and I am off medication, its time to get back in the shop.

bobandlucy · July 27, 2022

Thank you, David and Gary! And thanks to Carlo for the link. I'll remember that.

I kept forgetting to finish the windlass. Some of the mechanism is to be scratch-made. I added the pawl, and began work on the crosshead. The dishes will have to wait. . .

For the crosshead, I glued some basswood planking scrap over 1/16" square stock, with an overhang at each end. Came out pretty nice.

bobandlucy · July 27, 2022

Finished the windlass mechanism. Do the dishes now? Or. . .

Edited July 27, 2022 by bobandlucy

GGibson · July 27, 2022

Very sharp, Bob! Looking great!

druxey · July 29, 2022

Nicely rendered, Bob. Now, get those dishes done!

bobandlucy · July 30, 2022

Added the lower stays and began placing the deadeyes for the upper shrouds.

Upper shroud futtocks and ratlines. The ratlines are hard to place with my elbow off the table, as my hand shake more. I can see things getting more difficult higher up. I will try stacking boards for support.

druxey · July 31, 2022

You could try using a low coffee table or similar. I hate the idea of a stack of boards falling on your model!

bobandlucy · August 1, 2022

Added the upper shrouds to the mainmast. This is actually my third attempt, and I think I'll keep it. If I were to do it again, I'd make sure that the seizings on the shroud pairs matched on each side of the mast.

Getting pretty good at seizing, at least off the model. Really improved when I began using a sewing needle, and when I learned to make sure that the lines remained parallel. Poor picture, I know. . .

For setting the height of the upper deadeyes, I used the method linked by Carlos in his post above.

Edited August 1, 2022 by bobandlucy

GGibson · August 1, 2022

Looking good, Bob! I am jealous of your seizing abilities now, as I have a bunch of deadeyes and blocks to do on my Ballahoo (after the grandkids leave and I have some medical stuff attended to). But... back on topic, everything looks great! Doing well!

bobandlucy · August 5, 2022

Placed the upper shrouds. I must have miscounted, because I ran out of deadeyes and cannot complete the backstays. I'll do the ratlines, and then take a break while I wait for the mailing. I don't think it would be wise to go out of recommended order on the remaining rigging. Update: Oops, I see I had already posted similar above- I must be losing it. . . but this is with the foremast shrouds added.

From my reading, it seems that it's a matter of preference whether to glue/not glue masts to the model. The instructions do not mention doing so, and I have not. As the rigging is added, things seem to be getting more stable, and I'm thinking that it's part of the challenge- as well as being more accurate as far as how a real ship is put together. I did not glue the topmasts to the doubling either. I'd be interested in hearing other's thoughts on this issue.

Edited August 5, 2022 by bobandlucy

druxey · August 6, 2022

The standing rigging will do its job and keep the masts in place - just like the real ship. No glue required!

bobandlucy · August 7, 2022

One thing I have really been struggling with is the size of the ropes. The manual, early on, gives sizes and model numbers only, but then as rigging becomes the main task, uses a variety of terms to describe line sizes: thin, thinner, light, thick, thicker, heavier, etc.

Three sizes were supplied with the kit: 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm, and 0.45 mm- all in both dark brown and beige.

The manual also called for 0.6 mm beige for rigging the guns; this was not supplied. I ordered this size in both brown and beige from Syren, and replaced the other kit-supplied line as well.

I decided that four sizes are used throughout, but am not sure that is correct. The rigging plan attempts to show line weight by using double and single-line drawing, but I believe there are errors, such as the mast backstays shown the same size as the shrouds, which are called "heavier," while the backstays are identified as "thinner." I used 0.6 mm for the shrouds, based on appearance, the manuals' photos showing it around the deadeyes.

I am taking what clues I can from the photos, rigging plan, and deciding what makes sense considering the size of blocks involved.

This is what I am doing, for the most part:

0.2 mm = Thinner and light.

0.3 mm = Thin

0.45 mm = Thick

0.6 mm = Heavier and Thicker

The "thick" size may be used only once, for the vangs, and since this size rope is supplied in both brown and beige, I am led to believe that my approach is wrong, there should have been only three sizes as supplied, with the gun rigging being an outlier in beige only.

The manual also calls for "thread," for footropes, ratlines, lanyards, etc., which is defined as quilting thread in at least one instance, and I'm assuming that term is used consistently.

Anyway, I think I'm in too deep now to correct this, if it is indeed wrong- and really, nothing looks "bad." I think consistency is the thing from here on out. Just an example of how I drive myself (slightly) crazy!

Edited August 7, 2022 by bobandlucy

GGibson · August 7, 2022

Hi Bob - Will watch for replies from experienced modelers on this topic, as well, since rope sizes for the various riggings have always interested/concerned me. I, too, have purchased rope from Syren, as well as Ropes of Scale, as I find both their qualities to be much better and more "authentic", if you will, than kit-supplied. I have a stash of multiple millimeters and colors to hopefully last me through my current build and those waiting in the shipyard. If not, I know how to get more! Ha!

Your Harriet Lane looks awesome!

Gregg

gak1965 · August 7, 2022

Bob,

Looking great!

Having not seen the Harriet Lane plans, do they use this "heavier" or "thinner" language or is it only in the instructions? My experience with 3 MSW kits is that they mark line diameter or circumference for the real ship on the plans and then you need to convert to the available line. I've never seen an MSW kit with all the different scale lines (or deadeyes, or hearts, or whatever) shown on the plans, they generally provide some number of sizes and you match as best you can or obtain additional material (I have giant spools of rigging thread now).

Regardless, I wouldn't lose any sleep over the exact line thickness. Lines got replaced when worn out, maybe you could find the same size, maybe not. Real ships were always a mixed bag. And thinner at least tells you to relative size

WRT the footropes, I tend to use standard black sewing thread. I'm sure others do differently. The one thing that I found helpful is to make the stirrups from wire. Much easier to deal with and they hang better in my opinion.

Regards,

George K

Edited August 7, 2022 by gak1965

bobandlucy · August 8, 2022

Thanks, George and Gregg.

George, the language is in the instructions.

I'm not real concerned, just kind of illustrating how I can take a simple issue and make it complicated. Also clarifying things for myself. Learning how to puzzle out such things.

To paraphrase kit designer David A., "If it looks right, it is right. . ."

b

druxey · August 8, 2022

Bob: As you obviously have the interest, I suggest you are well on your way to scratch building and research. Fortunately there is a lot available online these days.

Due to economic constraints, there is a limit to how accurate any kit can be. The more costly, the more you should expect, but that is not always the case. I applaud your efforts to get it right, or closer than the 'out of the box' kit can be.

bobandlucy · August 8, 2022

David, I understand. I am not at all bashing this kit. Just relating some of my obsessive thinking, the bane of having been a specifications writer. . . at least this hobby gives me a productive outlet.

To the contrary, I highly recommend this kit and the rest of the series. I'm so glad I started with these. The instructions on modeling techniques have brought me pretty far in a relatively short period of time, and saved me from obsessing over the state of the world the last couple of years (mostly)!

Bob

druxey · August 11, 2022

I did not take you to mean that you were critical of the kit, Bob. I appreciate your wish to be more scale-accurate than the 'out of the box' version. Go for it! There are excellent commercial ropes available, or you can learn to spin your own with a suitable machine.