Armed Virginia Sloop by GuntherMT - FINISHED - Model Shipways - scale 1:48

[Blue Pilot]

is looking beautiful!

[Mahuna]

Brian:

 

Next time you're here I'll show you the Sherline wood tool rest.

 

Frank

[GuntherMT]

Thank you all for the encouraging comments and likes.  Appreciated, helps keep me motivated to make progress!

 

Brian:

 

Next time you're here I'll show you the Sherline wood tool rest.

 

Frank

 

Thanks Frank,

 

I visited the Sherline site and looked at it.  I may add it to the stash one of these days, but for now I think I'm good without it, as I really don't have a 'thing' lined up that I need to use the lathe for anyway.

 

Based on tonight, I think I'll only be adding 1 or 2 out-haul tackles per night, it's just really tedious working with such small stuff under the magnifier and then fiddling trying to get it all set on the gun on deck.

 

I did 1 out-haul tonight, and also did a single rope coil on the previously completed gun.  The method I used was kind of clunky, so I need to go back through some other build logs and remind myself of some of the cool techniques that others have used.

 

I also built the riding bitts, although I didn't glue it down as I think it may be easier to deal with setting the mast later without this right next to that spot on the deck.  I've got it so that it's a very tight press fit into the deck, so should be quite easy to place even if I wait until the mast is permanently attached.

 

No photo's, I'll just include them in my next update, as I don't have time tonight to get them all processed.

Edited June 26, 2015 by GuntherMT

[Mahuna]

Brian

 

Don't buy if you can borrow!  You're welcome to use any of my accessories before you decide to buy them.

[GuntherMT]

Thanks Frank.  Not planning on buying it currently, and will certainly take a look at yours before I do if that gets on my radar at some point!

 

I did order a self-centering 4 jaw chuck, as that seems to be something that would be pretty great to have for working with square stock.

[DocBlake]

Excellent job rigging the cannons, Brian.  Don't add the riding bitt to the deck until after the mast is stepped and the spreader yard horse is rigged.  It will be impossible to rig it with the bitt in place.

[GuntherMT]

Thanks Doc.  I'm not sure what a spreader yard horse is, but I'm sure I'll find out!

 

Picture of the completed (but not glued) riding bitt.  I need to do a bit of final filing as it's not quite sitting flush on the deck yet.

 

And... I'm half way done with the gun rigging!  Well, more than half really since I have the breaching lines done on all of them, but half way done with the out-haul tackle and rope coils.  You can almost see what order I did them when how I got better.  The first two were on the middle gun, where the first coils is sort of ragged, and the other one gets quite a bit better.  Then I moved to the rear gun and I found a system that worked better for me and they went pretty smooth (if a bit fiddly) after that.

 

[russ]

Brian:

Very nicely done. Everything looks very neat and shipshape to my eye.

 

Russ

[Mahuna]

Hi Brian

 

Our next meeting is in a couple of weeks, and I'm looking forward to seeing your latest work - fabulous!

 

Frank

[HIPEXEC]

Nice Flemish coils.

[Jack12477]

Nicely done, Brian

[rschissler]

That's a nice looking deck!

 

Randy

[GuntherMT]

I had a request to document my method of stropping the single block to include the tackle rope, so this post is a pictorial step-by-step of how I do that.

 

The materials.  I am using Syren 5/32" Pearwood single blocks, Syren 3mm hooks, some generic tan thread I found that is very thin for seizing, .008" Syren brown rope for the stropping, and .012" Syren tan rope for the tackle line.

 

I cut about 8" of .012" line for the tackle rope, this leaves me with about an inch or so left over after creating the rope coils on deck and an extra inch or so for the block end to make it easier to work with while seizing.

 

I cut 6" or so of thread for the seizing to give me plenty to work with.  If you leave it too short it can be hard to grab while wrapping the seizing, and it's thread, the spool is something silly like 300 yards long, I'll never run out and if I do it's cheap.

 

For the same reason (ease of working) I cut 5" or so of the brown rope, even though less than an inch is actually used in the strop.

 

1) I put the single block into a clamp that I secured in my vise, and then tape down the tackle rope to the clamp across the base of the block.  Before I tape the rope, I apply a very tiny dab of CA glue to the base of the block where the rope will cross it.  I use the tip of a steel X-acto punch tool to apply the glue from a drop on a piece of tape.

 

2) I thread the stropping rope through one of the hooks and tie a single knot in the rope *before I cut the hook free from the sprue*!!  I lost about half the hooks I tried to thread to the floor when I was trying to hold these tiny hooks and thread them when cutting them free first.  Once I have a hook tied to the approximate middle of the brown rope, I soak about 1" or so on either side of the hook in CA glue (from the same drop on the tape I used above).

 

3) I don't really know how to capture a photo 'in progress' of the next step, but I'll try to describe it.  Take the hook on the rope and put it in behind the block, centering the hook on the top of the block.  Pull the rope down both sides of the block, cross them across the bottom of the block where the tackle rope is, and then continue up the other side of the block and then back across the top where the hook is.  This will give you a double rope strop all the way around the block.  Continue back down to the base, and then hold them steady for 30 seconds or so to let the CA take a good set.  If the ropes are not even on the sides of the blocks, it is easy at this point to use the back edge of an X-Acto blade to push them into place.  You can add glue at this point if needed, or in the next step.

 

4) Remove the block from the clamp.  At this point if everything is looking good, you can trim the rope at the top shoulders of the block.  If you need to adjust things, it's pretty easy with either the X-Acto blade or a very small set of pliers or whatever tool works to prod the rope into place.  Add another dab of glue if anything comes loose and squeeze it into position with the pliers.  

 

5) Using small flat blade pliers I then squeeze the tackle rope into shape at the base of the block.  It will be stiff because of the CA.  I also use the pliers to flatten down the ends of the trimmed stropping ropes, adding a tiny dab of CA if needed to get rid of the cut ends.

 

6) Put the stropped block back into the clamp, but this time clamp in the seizing thread with an inch or more going past the block.

 

7) To seize the tackle rope, form a loop with the seizing thread, with the top coming back up to the clamp.  Leave the loop large enough to be able to thread the other end back through it, which is why I cut this thread longish.  Take the top of the thread and while holding everything else in your left hand (or right hand if you are one of 'those' people), and wrap the thread around itself, starting at the block and working away from it.  This part takes practice to make it work, as you really can't watch it, as it's all happening between your holding fingers to keep a tight seizing.  I use only about 5 wraps on these tiny blocks or the seizing looks way too big.  Once you have 5 wraps, take the loose end, and thread it through the loop between your fingers, and pull it firmly until it goes through your fingers so that it's tight.  Bent nose tweezers can be helpful for this.

 

8) Now remove the assembly from the clamp, but keep holding everything with your left hand.  Using your other hand, grab the end of the thread that was clamped with the block, and start pulling it.  This will pull the loop closed between your fingers.  Feel for the loop to close up against the seizing, and then pull the back of the thread tight again.  Now you can stop holding with your left hand, and see how the seizing looks.  If needed, slide it up closer to the block now, and play with the bottom thread to tighten up the seizing coils.  Then finally, pull the top thread firmly until it completely pulls the loop inside of the seizing.  You should end up with something like this (the practice part is important here, it took me doing a bunch of these before they didn't look a total mess).  Now apply dabs of CA glue to the three points that will be trimmed - both ends of the seizing, and the extra tail on the tackle rope.  Trim them off with nippers or nail clippers or whatever you have that will trim very close.

 

9) Dab a bit of CA on the trimmed ends, and using the flat nose pliers, crimp them to make them blend into the overall seizing.  I use a very fine Xuron needle nose plier for this.  No substitute for good quality tools I've learned. I get more use out of a single $25 plier than a full set of pliers from Lowe's that are cheap.

 

10) It's done!

 

Hope others can find this helpful, it's a system that works well for me, when other systems that I've read and tried just didn't seem to click for me.

[dgbot]

Nice tutorial.

David B

[Jack12477]

Thanks for the tutorial. Nicely done.

[GuntherMT]

So instead of finishing the guns on the other side of my ship like I should have today, I totally went off on a tangent, for no real reason other than the idea popped into my head and I felt like it.  I apparently have modeling ADD.

 

I played with the Catheads.  The base parts are part of the laser cut walnut parts, but the holes for the tackle to go through are not pre-cut of course. The kit instructions are to drill 4 holes, and then using your X-acto blade, cut a shallow slot between the hole pairs in order to make a fake sheave. The slot would be just deep enough for the rope to be flush with the top surface when the rope then runs through the holes.

 

I apparently don't put any value on my time at all, so I decided I was going to make working sheaves with actual little tiny brass pulleys in full slots instead of faking it.

 

First I cut out the slots, and then drilled a hole through the sheave slots for the axle to go. Here you can see the catheads with the other items I used - a brass rod for the axle, and a brass tube to be cut into the pulleys.

 

Next up was cutting little tiny slices off of the tube to make the pulleys.

 

Then sticking the little pulleys into the sheaves and fishing the axle through them. I secured the axle to the outside edge by applying super-glue and working the axles a bit to allow capillary action to pull the glue into the catheads.

 

Complete!   Then I fished a .021" rope through one of them to test it. Works perfectly. Such a huge waste of time for the heck of it on something that nobody will ever see once it's rigged, but hey, I had fun!

[rafine]

Great work Brian. Who cares if no one can see it -- you know it's there.

 

Bob

[Salty Sea Dog]

Wow! You are doing some great work! Thanks for the tutorial.

[GLakie]

Don't know how I missed this build Brian.  So many beautiful builds out there and not enough time I guess.   Found it when you posted the link for Ken. Great tutorial man.  I know I'm months late for the party, but you've been doing a fantastic job on her, and if you don't mind, I'd love to set in and join the rest of the spectators. 

 

Cheers

[Mahuna]

Very nice tutorial, Brian, and a well thought-out process too.

 

I like what you did with the catheads - glad to see your getting lots of use out of the lathe already.

 

Frank

[GuntherMT]

Actually didn't use the lathe at all for this, I used the mill!

[GuntherMT]

Went back into the workshop and made the pumps.  The kit used to include walnut dowel for the pump bodies, but at some point they changed it and only give beech dowels, so they required staining.  I used card-stock for the bands instead of brass, because it's so easy to work with and it is painted black anyway.  I used the hard brass nails from my Carmen kit for the rods and handle pivots instead of the softer brass rod from the kit.  It's slightly smaller diameter, but not enough to really change the visual look at all.

 

[Canute]

Nice pumps, Brian.

[HIPEXEC]

Lookin' good!

[GuntherMT]

Thank you all for the likes and comments.  Now that the pumps are done, I finally installed the companionway in it's permanent home.

 

And then I buckled down and did it.  All the guns are rigged.  Woo!

[UpstateNY]

HI Brian,

 

Love these wider angle shots!  All your carefully built details are creating a wonderful model.

 

Your stain and color choices are also complementing each other beautifully.

 

Cheers,

 

Nigel.

[_SalD_]

Great job Brian, she looks beautiful.

[JesseLee]

Looks very good! I love # 6 & 7 shots

[mrangus]

Brian, I am going to unabashedly plagiarize your design of the pumps for my SM b/c I love how they came out. Hope you don't mind!

[GLakie]

She looks marvelous Brian, very nice indeed!!