OGALLALA by molasses - FINISHED - 1/96 scale - BOTTLE - Prairie Schooner

[molasses]

Jeff:  I have lots of proportion diagrams that show where the joints are, range of motion, etc. with the most useful to me printed out for reference including one set reduced to the size of my figures. I haven't worked on him today - I'm rigging dead eye pairs, maybe later.

 

Dave

[Chasseur]

Okay, and I keep forgetting how small all of this is. Looking forward to some more pictures of the sailor/man.

[molasses]

Here's the first pair of .040 in./1.0 mm deadeyes with lanyard, posed with a bigger pair (.060 in./1.5 mm) from a few days ago.

 

Left, 1.5 mm deadeye assembly; right, 1.0 mm deadeyes.

 

 

Dave

[mtaylor]

1mm?  Diameter?  <does low whistle>  Amazing work.

[michael mott]

Dave ...you are insane....  so when did you start that Swiss watchmaking apprenticeship?

 

Amazing work Sir!!!

 

Michael

[molasses]

Dave ...you are insane....  so when did you start that Swiss watchmaking apprenticeship?

 

Amazing work Sir!!!

 

Michael

 

Thanks, Michael - I think.     And thank you, Mark.  The hard part of getting that photo was photo-shopping the 3X scale X-acto blade. 

 

Michael, you reminded me of a story I heard when I was in college. A couple of grad students working in the materials technology lab made what they thought was the smallest drill bit in existence and sent it to one of the foremost Swiss watch makers - no message, just the bit. It came back, also with no message - just the bit with a hole drilled through the shank.

 

Dave

[captainbob]

And here I am trying to make 2.5mm deadeyes.  Good job.

 

Bob

[Chasseur]

Awesome Dave!!!

[molasses]

Thanks Bob and Jeff.

 

Got all 20 of the deadeye assemblies made and starting rigging them to the tops and topmasts. Also got more detailing done on the fore crossjack and topsail yard and some preliminary work on the upper hull for rigging. Photos and descriptions in a couple days when I'm a little further along.

 

Dave

Edited June 3, 2014 by DFellingham

[molasses]

I'm finally getting to my favorite part of a build when all the different mini-projects are installed and I can start tying them all together with rigging - in fact I enjoy doing rigging just on its own.

 

I took the method of making blocks (two discs with a thread sandwiched between then a thread tied around the block) and expanded it to double blocks.

 

This is part of the steering tackle with a double block. I still need to strop it. The white

discs are.040 in./1.0 mm in diameter, same as those used to make the double blocks.

 

After I finished making twelve deadeye assemblies with .060 in./1.5 mm deadeyes and eight assemblies with .040 in./1.0 mm deadeyes (plus a couple extras of each) I started rigging the smaller assemblies to the topmasts.

 

Main topmast while rigging the topmast shrouds. After the glue cured on the lower

deadeyes at the top, I routed each shroud through the same .020 in./0.5 mm hole in

the topmast and tensioned the shrouds with standard size clothespins as shown here.

 

I can't rely on "feel" for equalizing the tension in threads at this size so always use weights, usually clothespins - in this case two on each shroud until the lanyards looked right. I filled the hole in the topmast, which is .035 in./0.89 mm diameter at the hole, with ca. A spar gets seriously weakened at a hole and I avoid holes greater than 25-30% of the spar diameter unless the hole can be filled with ca to restore most of the spar's strength. After the ca cured I trimmed the excess thread flush then tied off the lanyards. I should have tied them off when I made the assemblies - something to remember next time.

 

Completed shrouds at topmast. I'll tie off the futtock shrouds to staves on the lower shrouds later.

 

Before I could step the mainmast I needed to make a heart and collar for the mainstay. I chose to split the mainstay around the foremast simply because putting the mainstay on the starboard side of the foremast messed with my sense of symmetry. After making them I needle spliced an eye around the heart and rigged a lanyard through the heart and around the collar. This stay will be used to erect this mast inside the bottle so I routed the two lower ends through holes drilled in the deck and out the bottom of the upper hull and stepped the mast and rigged a temporary pair of backstays. I needle spliced the upper end of the mainstay making sure that the mast was at the correct rake and the collar near the foremast would not interfere with it.

 

Completed mainstay heart, collar and lanyard. The .063 in./1.6 mm drill bit is standing in for the same diameter foremast.

 

With the mainstay in place I moved ahead with rigging the mainmast shrouds. After gluing the deadeyes to the channels and fixing the chains through holes in the hull I routed the shrouds through the top, attaching each to the opposite side shroud with needle splices. The middle shrouds have one shroud forward of the mast the other aft to form a cut splice around the mast. Not quite accurate to actual practice but pretty close - it's easier to get the mast vertical, side to side, this way than by duplicating the right way. It took a while to get all the tensions balanced out and all the needle splices done, but once I was satisfied that I had the rake correct and the mast was centered I glued the needle splices. After that glue dried (I use pva thinned 50/50 with water on my needle splices) I completed the second pass through of the needle splices, glued them, attached the shroud stretchers and tied off and glued the lanyards.

 

Completed shrouds with chains, stretcher and tied off lanyards. I still need to

 rig a breast backstay and touch up the paint on the edge of the channel.

 

Inboard view of deadeyes, stretcher and tied off lanyards.

 

Before I could do any of this work I had to cut holes in the bottom of the upper hull to get access behind the holes for the chains.

 

Another angle of the chains showing the access hole where the chains were

fed through a hole, bent to the sides and glued.

 

While the schooner was on its side I got a shot of the underside of the top

to show needle splices of the shrouds and the eye splice on the mainstay.

 

I found that the blackening on the chains flaked off from handling and bending (which left black smudges on the hull I need to touch up) and tried a permanent black marker on them which worked very well. I tried the marker earlier but it wouldn't take so must assume that the acid in the blackening product etched the copper enough for the ink from the marker to adhere. A bath in acetic acid (vinegar) will probably work just as well.

 

Sorry, I forgot to include visual size references in the photos. Next, the foremast rigging and finishing the incomplete work on the main.

 

Dave

Edited June 3, 2014 by DFellingham

[Piet]

Astounding miniaturization Dave!  The close-ups make it look much larger then it is and such precise rigging, Just outstanding work.

 

Cheers,

[molasses]

Thank you, Piet, sometimes I amaze myself when I take off my Opti-Visor and see the real size of the work.   The first one is always the most difficult but I use lots of little temporary fixtures made with scraps of wood and bug pins. It's really not much different from the rigging most of you guys do - just smaller - and I don't have to serve it.

 

I swung up the yards on the foremast but decided to finish the mainmast standing rigging including the ratlines and rig the boom and gaff before installing and rigging the foremast.

 

Back in a couple days.

 

Dave

[Chasseur]

Excellent work Dave! Simply amazing at this scale and such detail. Looking forward to more and thanks for your generosity in sharing your techniques.

[michael mott]

 

and tensioned the shrouds with standard size clothespins as shown here.

 

The clothes pins really illustrate just how small and amazing your rigging is.  You are making an incredible model Dave.

 

Michael

[molasses]

Welcome back.

 

Thank you, Jeff and Michael, you are both very generous. BTW, I proudly stole every one of "my" techniques - thank Donald McNarry and Lloyd McCaffery for many of them.

 

I started with the breast backstays, each rigged with a single and double block. After choosing the length of the tackle from outside to outside of the blocks I routed the thread between two pins in drilled holes in a scrap of wood and built the tackle using the discs as previously described then needle spliced an eye around each block and added the backstays to the model.

 

I rigged the main ratlines using a "harp" with ratlines spaced and glued to wooden frames. The frames were opposite hand, one for each side of the schooner. After pinning the frame in position with bug pins I glued all the intersections. I'm trying out artist's matte acrylic fixative instead of thinned white glue and am pleased with the results. The white glue sometimes goes milky while the fixative stays clear. I thinned it a little by using a wetted brush when I dipped it into the fixative.

 

"Harp" pinned in place with intersections fixed and frame ready to cut from the ratlines.

Starboard side has the harp removed but the excess on the ratlines un-trimmed.

 

Breast backstay and trimmed ratlines. The backstays go through the same hole where the

topmast shrouds were secured and are now tensioned with weights. The backstays need a

bit of adjustment before they glue. After this photo I rigged the futtock shrouds and

futtock staves then glued and trimmed the backstays.

 

 

Starboard view of the mainsail, spars and rigging. While assembling this I had a card stock sail

in place, tied to the boom, mast and gaff to hold them in their correct positions. This card stock

sail has been lengthened slightly along its leech (aft edge) to give the belly I want in the sail. The

aft ends of the boom and gaff have a thread to pull that belly in this temporary sail.

 

Larboard view. The card stock sail will be removed later to use as a pattern for making the sail.

The black line will be removed before the sail is installed. I have some cleats to make and install

where the leads from the blocks and tackles will tie off which explains some of the stray threads.

 

Close-up of main top showing the futtock shrouds and futtock staves. I used a needle to pass

each futtock shroud through a lower shroud, glued it (not ca) then passed the needle through

those intersections, sideways, for a third thread to be the futtock stave, glued it and trimmed.

 

Close-up of main top showing the boom and gaff halliards and gaff throat halliard. After making

and installing the throat halliard and installing the gaff I routed the throat halliard and the boom

and gaff halliards through eyebolts installed while building the masts. The blocks for boom

halliards were made in place. The block on the gaff bridle halliard at the eyebolt was glued

prior to rigging to act as a stop while rigging. All four lines continue to the deck.

 

Close-up of pin rail where the halliards tie off. I installed eyebolts earlier for the gaff halliards

to route through so that some of the tension on the pinrail is downward to balance the upward

pull by the boom halliards tied off there. Tensions are very light - just enough to hold the line

straight - but I felt it necessary to do this. You can also see where one of the breast backstays

tied off to the pinrail on the bulwark just below the shrouds. A white thread from the throat of

the boom, through the mast and out the bottle for pulling the boom into place is also visible

but mostly out of focus.

 

I almost forgot a size reference but recovered with a standard #11 X-Acto blade.

 

As always, click on a thumbnail shown here for the larger format photos.

 

 

Thank you for viewing this log.

Dave

Edited June 12, 2014 by DFellingham

[captainbob]

Thanks for the size referance.  Your rigging is fantastic.

 

Bob

[Chasseur]

Very effective David! Amazing photography as well especially with the close up shot. Tough to do at this scale so Kudos to you my friend.

[molasses]

Thank you, Bob. Coming from you it means a lot to me.

 

Thank you, Jeff. My photography gradually improves as I learn from practice and occasional tips I receive. I'd like to improve my depth-of-field in the close-ups but a smaller aperture requires more light or longer exposures. So far my experimental photos haven't turned out well - I'm still pretty much an "all auto" photographer.

Edited June 13, 2014 by DFellingham

[molasses]

Welcome back.

 

Worked mostly on foremast rigging. Since most of this work is repetitious of the mainmast rigging I won't go into the details of how it was done.

 

Foremast with most of the rigging - and looking like a birds nest. It's

easier - and safer - to rig as much as possible of the mast off the model.

I took this photo right after stropping all the blocks while waiting for the

glue to cure so I can trim all the loose ends.

 

Foremast in place with the standing rigging and ratlines rigged. Also in place

are the gaff with throat and bridle halliards and vangs. The bird's nest is slowly

being un-tangled with lines going down to the deck and tied off to the pinrails.

 

Close-up of fore topmast, gaff, crossjack and topsail yard. You might notice that the

topsail yard and crossjack halliards pass through the tips of the yards to become

the respective braces. The lines are not glued at the tips, only at the mast. This

arrangement allows the yards to rotate to a position more parallel to the mast

after the mast is hinged down to the deck for fitting through the bottle's neck.

 

Another view of the crossjack and top. Note that the running rigging is in four shades

of tan to simulate varying states of wear and weathering. I still have the topsail yard

halliards and the topsail clew and buntlines to route to the deck and tie off. That will

leave the other ends of the clew and buntlines left hanging until I bend the topsail.

 

Overall view of the progress so far. I didn't forget the ratlines on the main topmast shrouds, I left them off

because they were frequently omitted on schooners like this. I also have the fore braces and vangs to rig.

 

 

 

Dave

[Piet]

Stunning - - - amazing - - - jaw-dropping!!!!!  The detail at that scale is beyond belief but we see it!!

 

Keeps us entertained with your masterly work.

 

Cheers,

[captainbob]

I agree with Piet.  What more can be said.

 

Bob

[molasses]

 

Thank you, Piet and Bob, and the likers and lurkers. I don't mean "lurker" at all derogatorily - I "lurk" several builds and topics myself.

 

Worked on some odds and ends. I started with some cleats.

 

Cleats ready to install. They have a piece of bug pin through them for strength when glued to the bulwarks.

 

Some of the cleats glued into holes and rigged. The crossing ties on the cleats are fakes.

The lines to the cleats will be glued when inside the bottle and trimmed close to the cleats.

 

 

Then I finished the foremast yard braces and foresail gaff vangs.

 

Upper portions of the braces and vangs.

 

Lower portions of the braces and vangs.

 

 

The remaining rigging will be finished when the sails are installed.

 

I also worked on my trial figure by building it up with some more gesso to the point where I can try to detail it. I discovered that the cured gesso is flexible, almost rubbery, and I can adjust the pose, which may be a blessing - or a problem. I didn't test it to find out how much flexing it will take, maybe later if I don't like the finished figure or replace it with another after some practice making three more figures. 

 

 

A photo I posted a while back for comparison to the more "filled out" current condition.

 

 

A pair from his larboard quarter. I trimmed the legs and will add feet below the cuffs of his pants.

 

 

And from his starboard quarter. It seems my photography has improved somewhat in the interval.

 

 

 

Dave

[augie]

Can't believe you pinned those cleats.  FANTASTIC!

[molasses]

Can't believe you pinned those cleats.  FANTASTIC!

I absolutely cannot have any of those cleats coming off inside the bottle, they would be just short of impossible to repair. By pinning them with .012 in/0.30 mm diameter X .030 in/0.75 mm (stick-out) steel bug pins I'm able to provide about 2.5 times the glue surface over the .020 in/0.5 mm X .040 in/1.0 mm base of the cleat plus the steel reinforcement of the connection. No worries about the cleat failing unless it breaks apart from around the pin. The extra work is cheap insurance against a near disaster and the pins provide convenient handles for painting the cleats.

[Chasseur]

Dave,

Your work simply continues to amaze me. Good idea on your part about the cleats and the figure is coming along nicely. I am learning a lot from I you.

Jeff

[molasses]

Thank you, Jeff. Learning from each other for the benefit of all is the whole point of this website. Ship modeling has perhaps the longest and initially the steepest learning curve of any hobby and anything that eases that curve is a good thing. I feel like I've learned more in the year and a half since finding this site than in my decades of ship modeling that passed before. I'm very pleased that I can help others.

 

I didn't mention it when I installed the belaying pin rails at the masts and on the bulwarks but they are all pinned at their attachments. The pinrails at the masts are also pinned through all the joints. I did this not so much for the stresses of the finished static condition but for the sudden, accidental loads that can occur during building - and everyone who has built a sailing ship model knows about those.

[michael mott]

 

I feel like I've learned more in the year and a half since finding this site than in my decades of ship modeling that passed before. I'm very pleased that I can help others.

Dave your sentiments about this site are no doubt shared by many including myself.

 

Dave those cleats are simply amazing, as is the rest of the model and the rigging is remarkable.

 

Michael

[molasses]

Welcome.

 

Spent several hours on the computer redrawing the sails based on my card stock templates made to verify size and curvature then detailing the drawings with seam edges, stitching, patches, reef bands and brass colored grommets. I then mirrored those sails and detailed the opposite sides to match.

 

Sail printing computer master. I used four shades of light grey and two shades of light tan to simulate

differing ages, thicknesses and production lots of the canvas. This image was printed on both sides of

a sheet of paper to print two sets of sails. The red crosses and the blue centerline and border served

as register marks to check that the images on both sides align to each other. I stopped counting at

about twenty tries and estimate that it was at least thirty print-outs before I got one sheet with two sets

of sails where the variables in paper feed starts, slight angular shifts of the paper during printing, etc.

resulted in one "perfect" set of sails. I used the best grade of 20 lb. printer paper with the smoothest

surface finish I could find.

 

After cutting out the sails I drilled the holes at attachment points rather than poking holes with a needle point which promotes tears in the paper near edges. I also drilled the holes for the reef point ties.

 

Fore topsail bent to the yard with the reef point ties in place and the buntlines finally rigged.

Notice the stitch line below the reef band across three clothes for the wear patch on the other side.

The sail is 2.015 in X 1.140 in (51 mm X 29 mm) since I forgot a size reference again.

 

Aft side of the topsail. Here you can see the wear patch in a slightly darker shade of gray,

a buntline and a clew line with an appropriate caternary to the corner of the sail.

 

I made up some blocks at .032 in (0.8 mm) diameter for some of the sail control lines on the staysail and jib and bent the sails to the stays.

 

Jib with a block and rope for the downhaul. I still need to rig the sheets at the corner. The block

and rope for the uphaul is visible just below the stay in the first photo of the topsail.

 

 

 

Dave

[Piet]

Magnificent work Dave.  It's a pure joy watching your magic.

 

Cheers,

[captainbob]

Magnificent work Dave.  It's a pure joy watching your magic.

 

Cheers,

 

I couldn't have said it better myself.  "a pure joy".

 

Bob