USS Constitution by Hipexec - FINISHED - Constructo - 1:82

[HIPEXEC]

Making all theses Ratlines is like eating an elephant....I'll have to just start chewing on the toe!

[SkerryAmp]

Rich, your project really is coming along quite nicely.   I know how you feel about the ratlines, I think half the reason I am stalling a bit on my mayflower is that ratlines is right around the corner!!

[Sjors]

Rich,

 

A few more ratlines to go.

I know how you feel because I have done a few myself.......

For me, I'll be doing 10 ratlines at the time and then take a break.

Otherwise it goes wrong......

 

Sjors

Edited December 7, 2014 by Sjors

[HIPEXEC]

I'm done after 5 ratlines!

[GLakie]

I'll be lucky if I get 2 done at a time. But like I always tell people who ask me why it takes so long. 1st, you can't rush beauty and 2nd, If they need it now, they're REALLY gonna need it by the time I get it done.    

 

Cheers   

[HIPEXEC]

Dam the ratlines...full speed ahead!  I actually did 10 ratlines yesterday. I feel like I can tie stitches in the emergency room after a glass factory explosion.

[GLakie]

Great job Rich. Those are one of those things that seem to go faster and faster from the sheer repetition of it doesn't it?

 

Cheers 

[Dimitris71]

Keep going Rich. Great job !!

 

Cheers :)

 

Dimitris

[Jack12477]

Nice job, Rich. I like the "tablet paper" as a template/guide !

[HIPEXEC]

My thick fingers do get better with each line. I used lined 3x5 cards taped together  to give me the spacing. Also...I put some very diluted PVA/water mixture on the lines before I attempted to tie them to the shrouds. It made tying them much easier and still gives the bowed effect needed for realistic ratlines.

[SkerryAmp]

Ratlines are looking good!!

[dgbot]

They look great.

David B 

[Sjors]

That goes quick Rich.

 

How more you do, how easier it goes !

 

Sjors

[augie]

Nice going......you're not pulling the shrouds together and the rats have just enough slack.  PATIENCE!

[Guest seaburd]

Man I wish I was on this site when I was doing the hull on my Constructo,Grimsby hull, that sapele wood is a mutha. Great job, I lost the photos on page 14, I'm at Starbucks and their not loading, being the first and only ship I ever done it was a hard kit for a first. Being a carpenter helped, and a buddy at work helped me, he built a few kits, a new job started in the shop with sapele wood, I needed to make parts for my build that just didn't work. I used the dark wood glue I think it was from Elmers, it blended in well. Great thread, I may be out in Scottsdale this spring, I'll buy you a beer at the Grapevine. Lol

[HIPEXEC]

Seaburd....I'll take you up on that beer offer.

 

Lawrence....I only can do three ratlines at a time. That's my breaking point with this seemingly never ending project.

[HIPEXEC]

Foremast port side main shroud ratlines complete. They need some tidying up, though.

[GLakie]

That's the great thing about this hobby Rich. We can just turn it off for a while, so we can take a break to re-load with motivation and inspiration. No-one's standing over us with a whip (except maybe the Admiral once-in-a-while ) ,but that's usually over house-hold chores. 

 

Cheers 

[HIPEXEC]

Here's a cleaned up shot of the first finished ratlines.

Edited December 12, 2014 by Hipexec

[mtdoramike]

Beautiful work. 

[HIPEXEC]

Lower portside ratlines finished. My knot tying skills improved with time, but the shrouds kept getting closer and closer together the higher I went. There's still many many ratlines left to tie!! 

[GuntherMT]

Quick progress on those ratlines Rich.  Nice!

[Jack12477]

Nicely done ratlines, Rich.

[Sjors]

You see Rich,

 

How further you go and how more you do ,how better and quicker it goes !

Very nice job my friend !!!

I'm proud of you   

 

Sjors

[augie]

OK, stop gloating and get to the starboard side 

 

NICE!

[Mahuna]

Very nice work Rich! It seems to be going pretty quickly.

 

Frank

[HIPEXEC]

My fingers are so thick I have to use tweezers to tie the knots. I just screwed up the first ratline on the strboard side and will have to spend a lot of time fixing it. I applied some glue before checking alignment. Oh well?

[robnbill]

RIch,

 

I find using a pair of bent tweezers works best for me when tying the ratlines. Also, depending on what glue you are using, use the appropriate solvent right on the knot and trim the line flush with the shroud on one side. You should be able to pull the remaining thread out of the knot and off the shroud. At least that has worked for me. Then you can redo the ratline with a new thread.

[HIPEXEC]

I redid it okay...only I can tell. Thanks, Bill

[HIPEXEC]

I have a confession to make.....I gave up trying to tie clove hitches at each shroud, so I now make faux (fake) clove hitches by gluing the ratline in place with PVA and when dry, I am tying each clove hitch separately, touch it with a drop of CA and when dry....cut the ends off the fake clove hitch. With a tap of a small stick...the ratlines bow just right when the glue sets. From a distance it looks like I tied each one. I'd have torn down all my shrouds with my shaky fingers trying it the correct way. I guess when you don't have the talent...improvise.