HMS Harpy 1796 by Blue Ensign – Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale

[gjdale]

In the lowered position would be an interesting and somewhat unusual way for a model to be displayed B.E. and therefore adds an extra degree of interest to the model. I’m liking this arrangement.

[CiscoH]

I agree the lowered topmasts look most interesting and least obscuring.  Gets my vote, if you were looking for opinions

[Nipper]

6 hours ago, CiscoH said:

I agree the lowered topmasts look most interesting and least obscuring.  Gets my vote, if you were looking for opinions

This has my vote too, BE.

 

I like the appearance of a working ship because it adds a great deal of interest and uniqueness to the model.  On my slowly building Sphinx, for example, I intend to have one of the boats being lowered from the pendants.

 

Nipper

[Blue Ensign]

Cheers Guys, lowered topmasts it is.

@ Andy -  I wasn't thinking of making up the yards but that is certainly an option, thank you.

 

B.E.

[Blue Ensign]

Post 92

Pendents of tackles

I have re-visited these as the blocks and seizings looked too heavy to my eye, and as they are fitted before the shrouds, need to be  attended to now.

I unpicked the seizings and re-used the Pendents.

This time I used  a 2mm diameter  thimble  from Chuck’s new Resin range.

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4810a

It is quite small but matches the size of 5” suggested by David Antscherl in his FFM Book (Vol IV.) The next size up 3mm, looked a tad too large to my eye.

 

I think this range of thimbles will prove very useful for ship modellers. 👍

 

Gaff and Main Boom

This is an opportune time to attach these to the Mainmast, easier before the shrouds are rigged.

I used Boxwood parrel beads rather than the shiny black kit versions.

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These were coloured using Dark oak wood stain.

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No rigging for these items but seized together for convenience.

I may rig the sheet simply to hold the booms in place.

 

B.E.

21/06/2025

[Blue Ensign]

Post 93

Fitting the shrouds.

It has been some five years since I last did any shroud rigging and I’m feeling a tad ring rusty, and getting the first shroud rigged took a while, including a full ‘re-do’.

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Each pair of shrouds were stretched before fitting.

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The first shroud is slightly more awkward due to the thicker ‘served’ line.

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My approach is to set the first shroud deadeye (Starboard side) to the distance that suits my eye bearing in mind the norm of around  2-3 times the diameter of a deadeye.

The finished space between the deadeyes worked out at 7mm.

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The tricky part is getting the shrouds level along the channels.

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I prefer to rig the shrouds purely by eye, carefully adjusting the upper deadeye to suit the line as I move along the channel.

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Not decided yet whether to dye the round seizings to match the shrouds.

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The next stage is to make up the Main stays which are fitted before I attend to the Fore shrouds.

 

 

B.E.

23/06/2025

 

[Glenn-UK]

Nicely done

[Blue Ensign]

Post 94

Main stay. (Part 1)

The kit plans show a simplified form of the Main/Preventer stays.

A more authentic version includes serving of the stay collars including the eye splice through which the stay passes, and a more stylish mouse to replace the kit plastic version.

The kit indicates use of deadeyes for securing the stays but I have opted for hearts which were more common during this period.

 

I am using Steel’s tables for an 18-14 gun ship.

 Mainstay                - 10”  - 1.26mm   - 15” Heart  (6mm)  Main Preventer Stay - 7”  -  0.88mm  -  10” Heart  (4mm) 

 

The kit line dimensions are close to this using 1.3mm line for the Main stay, and 1mm line for the Preventer stay.

For the Mainstay I am using Syren 1.37mm line, and for the Preventer 0.88mm line. The lines are stretched under weights to remove the spring before fitting.

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The position of the mouse needs to be tested on the model.

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Here the  un-dyed Preventer stay serving is apparent, and the ‘weave’ of the mouse shows through.

4889a

I have been thinking about the positioning of the stays.

 

The kit arrangement has the Main stay fixed by a collar to the Foremast, and the Preventer stay  running above it and beyond it to a collar on the Bowsprit.

I have some doubts about this arrangement, generally Mainstays run beyond the foremast to the bow.

Steel says that The main Preventer stay is lashed to the Foremast and the Main stay to the Bowsprit chock.

Lees comments that the Preventer stay was usually carried above the stay but that on small ships was sometimes carried  under it.

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Full details of my preparing and fitting of the stays and the related Mouses is fully covered in my Pegasus log, so I won’t repeat it all here.

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In the case of Harpy I have decided to run the Preventer stay below the Main stay, and reverse the locations of the lashings.

Onto the lower end stay fixings.

 

B.E.

25/06/2025

[SaltyScot]

Reading your posts just makes me so aware of how much I don't know about all this  It is fun to learn though, especially with fine builds like this.

[Blue Ensign]

Post 95

Main stay. (Part 2)

The lower end of the stays have hearts turned in.

I am using Syren Resin versions, (6mm) for the Main Stay and (5mm) for the Preventer.

The kit provided deadeyes for this purpose are easier to fit than hearts and lanyards, but were an old fashioned option by the  time of Harpy.

4901a

It is easier to fit the Preventer stay and collar with the Main stay and Fore shrouds out of the way.

I had fitted the Preventer stay at this point but found I had fed it incorrectly through the mast top.

Annoying when you have spent  time doing tiny seizing and fitting of lanyards, but I couldn’t let it stand.

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Lashing of the Main stay I used Syren 0.45mm line.

For the collar 0.88 mm line served with 0.1mm line was used. The tricky part of the collar is forming the eye in one short leg.

 

Main Preventer stay

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Stropping the Preventer stay heart.

 

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0.3mm line used for the Lanyard.

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I can now attend to the Fore Shrouds.

 

B.E.

27/06/2025

 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by Blue Ensign

[Glenn-UK]

Nicely done Maurice.

[hollowneck]

Very nice detail work on your rigging, Maurice. Thank you for sharing these techniques.

[dunnock]

Lovely and accurate work Maurice