HMS Speedy 1782 by dunnock - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Scale

[dunnock]

I have made enough hanks and coils to clear the decks sufficiently to carry on rigging. While doing so I found some of the lines were not running as freely as they should so changed them. I found that 18 (boom topping lift) and 44 (main top gallant clew) occupied the same pin so I moved the topping lift to the bitts, which seemed to be a more natural line.

I have also moved the shifting back stay which was belayed to the pin rail. I was always unclear where the fall should tie off since the plan didn’t show any clear belay point. I have now tied it off to the lower deadeye which releases the pin for the top gallant sheets.

After all this realigning, I decided to have a break from rigging and turned to the anchors.

 

The stocks required some filing of the notch to accommodate the anchor shaft. There should be a gap between the two halves of the stock to allow for expansion and contraction of the anchor. I also tapered the ends of the stock and rounded them off.

The 3D-printed anchors are cleaned before painting with Iron Black from Admiralty Paints. I have used 0.7mm brass rod for the rings, blackened in the usual way, rather than the PE etched parts. For the puddening I used 0.35mm rope. I tried wrapping straight rod and bending into a ring afterwards as suggested by (I think) @Thukydides but I made a mess of the wrappings when I tried to make the ring. I think maybe I should have used much longer pieces of rod to leave more room for bending pliers. I resorted to my previous method of fitting the rings then wrapping them afterwards. I decided not to add servings to each ring because it is hardly noticeable when the anchors are mounted and they have tended to look oversized.

The rings are easier to do without the stocks in place which can now be added. I use heat-shrink tubing rather than black card for the bands.

I have made two anchor bouys. I couldn’t find exact measurements for the bouys so starting with 8mm dowel, I made them 15mm long. They are roughly shaped using a scalpel and then sanded to final shape. I covered them with strapping painted dark brown to represent the tarred cloth wrappings. The ropes are 0.35mm. I start by cutting two lengths and serve the centre section and form it into an eye to give four ‘legs’ or slings.

The sling assembly is glued to one end of the bouy with pva. The hoop is also made from 0.35m with a mock splice. Each sling is wrapped around the hoop and tied in place with a three wraps of thread. The process is repeated for the other end of the bouy.

One finished and one shell - the shell has the remains of tape which I had to redo.

 

The two finished bouys

 

Anchors and bouys are put away until needed as one of the final parts of the build.

And now it’s back to rigging.

 

Thanks for looking in and and the encouraging likes

David

 

[Thukydides]

Nice buoys. They are really fiddly to make.