Constitution by Geoff Matson - Model Shipways 2040 - 1/76 scale

[Geoff Matson]

Hello David

 

Bob made his practicum some time ago and I if I remember right there was some mast dowel problems with Model Expo.I used the ship plans for mast sizes. I also junked the dowels that came with kit. They kind of looked like my arthritic fingers or an old Clint Eastwood cigar. I made my mast out of square stock and shaped them accordingly. If you look at sheet 6 of you plans they give the all the mast sizes. I have taken all my measurements from the ship supplied plans during my build. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

 

I have busy making line and tying knots making all the line for my rigging. If you look at sheet 7 of the plans it gives a vast number of sizes for the rigging line. That is what I have been working on with my ropewalk. I found the kit supplied line to be inadequate and opted to make my own. So far I have been happy with results and you can see the gradual difference in sizes of the line. I will post some pictures soon.

 

Happy modeling

[David Lester]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for your quick response. I will use the mast sizes directly off the plans too. I think what I'm seeing in the practicum is a small error, there are a few in this practicum. My dowels don't seem to be too bad, except for one, which is quite different than the others and is some kind of very coarse grained wood which I recall from my AVS and had to replace. It was almost impossible to shape and had huge rough grain. All of the others are very smooth grained, not sure if they're basswood or just what they are (look like maple, but I somehow doubt that.) They're very light in colour and seem ok to me. 

 

Running rigging always seems to present me with a problem. I bought a lot of cotton line from Blue Jacket to replace the kit supplied, (I did that too for my AVS) and it seems to be quite good. The black presents no problem, but the white is very white. I dyed it for my AVS but was only somewhat happy with the colour and found the dying process a real pain in the neck and a bit of a crap shoot. I bought some crochet thread online this time which seems ok. I could find it in size 10, 20 and 30 which corresponds to much that's required. I can't find a conversion chart anywhere to know what sizes it actually is; I'm just going by eye. I think I need something a little smaller than 30, so have located a different supplier and ordered some size 80 which should be quite thin. I think those four sizes should cover it more or less. The colour is a sort of taupe-y shade which looks great on the spool, but seems a bit too light on my deck (gun rigging). It will probably be ok as the running rigging though.  I'm nowhere near ready to get involved with rope walks and such at this point in my ship-building career. I might order some more crochet thread in a darker colour, but it's quite a nuisance ordering online, not knowing for sure what the colour will look like and having to wait for it. I wish I could just pop into a store and see the colours for myself.

 

Anyway, thanks again for your input, much appreciated.

David

[J T Lombard]

Geoff:

Whose rope walk are you using?

 

regards

 

J

[Geoff Matson]

JT:

I use a Byrnes ropewalk and like it very much. In the beginning there was a little learning curve but I quickly caught on. 

 

David:

With the scale of the Constitution being 1/76th the rigging can be a little hard to make thing look right.

 

I use cotton line. It is usually Black for standing rigging or Euchre for the running rigging. The reason I use cotton thread is; One because I can stain it if I want to. Second I can set the line with thinned white glue, and Third, it doesn't unravel like the synthetics.

 

Almost any fabric store will have what you need. I use Hobby Lobby, Joanne's fabric, and the internet to purchase my thread. With the thread, the smaller the number the thicker the line. The higher the number the thinner it becomes.

 

I use Coats and Clark 30wt and 35wt from Joanne's fabric. I also get Gutermann 50wt from Joanne's. From Hobby Lobby I use  DMC cotton #5,#8, and #12. I also use Lizbeth 20wt, and 80wt. cotton. If you ever need really thick line you can get Aunt Lydia's #10 and #3 cotton from Hobby Lobby.  I found Madeira 80wt, Presence 60wt, and Florin 40wt on the internet. Just check around and use goggle, you should find what you need to supplement you kit supplied line. 

 

If you get a spool of each one you can see how the different sizes will work for you. 

 

Hope this helps

[David Lester]

Thanks Geoff,

That's very helpful information.

David

[J T Lombard]

Thanks Geoff

 

J

[Geoff Matson]

I know its been awhile, but my summer chores are coming to an end and I promise I will be back rigging my Conny by the end of week!

[Geoff Matson]

Well, I finished the Fore and Main mast rigging for the shrouds. They will be installed in stages.

 

 

Here is a picture of  of the bowsprit, fore main mast prior to installing.

 

 

I have most of the lines fore the foremast made and ready to go. I am presently working on the mainmast lines.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Geoff Matson

[CaptainSteve]

Good to see that you are back, Geoff.

[S.Coleman]

Those are neat little stands you have for your pre installed mast sections. Good work.

[Geoff Matson]

 I made the stands to help me do my rigging off the model. I want to install the lower ones and rig the shrouds and ratlines. Once that is done I will step the masts in three sections. Then I plan on installing the spars. My plan is hopefully to figure out how to do the rigging without damaging what I done. I am a retired horseshoer or farrier as you down under might call me. I have big hands and they always seem to get in the way. Again, that is why I have the stands so I can easily work around the mast as I install the rigging. 

 

Thanks again for you interest in my build

[Geoff Matson]

I finished up making most of the rest of the rigging lines for the foremast and main mast. I am all ready now to start on the mizzen mast. I did take a little break and worked on making some of the line for yards and lanyards. I really love my Byrnes Ropewalk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2016 by Geoff Matson

[historyguysteve]

Hi Geoff

  I'm looking in on the build. Great job!!!  You are discussing the scale ropes- a serious issue on sailing ships. Look at Cottage Industry Models. They specialize in Civil War Ironclads. I was able to get my hands on the revenue cutter Alexander Hamilton (Samuel B Morris class revenue cutters, USCG.) At any rate they include enough of their handmade rope/cable to complete the model. That stuff is awesome, inexpensive and readily available. You are making your own now and the ropewalk looks cool, but if you get in a bind try the Cottage Industry stuff.

  thanks

  Steve

[Geoff Matson]

Steve

 

Thanks for the tip. I am familiar with them.

[Geoff Matson]

I finished the lower shrouds on the Mizzen Mast today

 

Here're the pennants.

 

 

Here are the shrouds and swifter ready to install

 

 

 

Here are few pictures of them installed.

 

 

 

 

Now on to the top mast shrouds.

Edited August 1, 2016 by Geoff Matson

[Modeler12]

Very neat work, Geoff.

One small suggestion for the shrouds. You might use a small piece of tape with a number on each one to identify where they go. They will get longer as you go aft and it is easy to mix them up. As they go aft, they also slide a bit aft around the mast. Yours look like they are loose enough to make that adjustment when the time comes.
 

I have used tape intended for identifying electric wire. See https://www.amazon.com/Kableflags-KFA001-Cable-Identification-Blank/dp/B000TO8GGW

 

But you can make your own, of course.

Edited August 4, 2016 by Modeler12

[Geoff Matson]

Thanks for the interest and tip Jay

[Geoff Matson]

Well, I have finished all my pressing projects and made it through the holidays and am glad to be back to modeling. I am working on rigging the mizzen top mast. 

 

I am making my own rope with the Byrnes ropewalk. All my line is made with cotton thread in single strand, three strand twist and nine strand twists to get the sizes I need for the Conny. I took the line sizes off the plans and scaled the cotton thread to the sizes needed. I have made a ton of line and think I have it all figured out. I will be posting a few pictures to so how my process works. The plans a well marked up and that is how I planned my rigging. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[capnharv2]

Geoff,

 

A question about rigging sizes (I have your size chart from way back). I know there are places in the plans that call out for

 

.012"

.014"

.015"

.017"

.019"

 

diameters.When using only 30 and 50 wt thread, how do you determine which sizes are close enough to use the same size line and which are different enough? Also, when making 3 strand line on the ropewalk, how consistent are your diameters? On larger sizes, it's not been  problem. But when making, say .015" dia line, sometimes, from the same spool, I get .013", sometimes .016" (this is after hardening it a couple days).

 

I guess a lot of it boils down to "how good is good enough"?, and I was looking for your (and others') thoughts.

 

Thanks,

 

Harvey

 

BTW, I like the highlighter on the plans for finding sizes. I also use them to show completed lines (it's easy to miss or forget a line that's impossible to put on as an afterthought sometimes)

Edited January 2, 2017 by capnharv2

[Geoff Matson]

Hello Harvey, thanks for your interest. 

 

I use 13 sizes of cotton thread:

 

Madeiria 80 wt

Presencia

[Geoff Matson]

Hello Harvey

 

I use 13 sizes of cotton thread:

 

Madeiria 80 wt cotton

Presencia 60wt cotton

Gutermann 50wt cotton

Coats and Clark 35wt cotton

Floriani 40wt cotton

Coats and Clark 30wt cotton

DMC #12 cotton

Lizabeth 80wt cotton

DMC #8 cotton

Lizabeth 20 wt cotton

DMC #5 cotton

Aunt Lydia's #10 cotton

Aunt Lydia's #3 cotton

 

All are purchased on the internet, Hobby Lobby, or sewing stores.

 

This way I get 13 sizes of single strand, 13 sizes of three strand, and 13 sizes of 9 strand or 39 sizes of cotton rope.

 

Most of the sizes fit the plan size. If I am within .001" that is close enough for me. 

 

My main thought was you will be able to notice a slight size difference in the ropes. As your shroud go higher they get thinner in rope diameter. The shrouds and stays seem to be the thickest. 

 

With the Byrnes Ropewalk i make all the three stand rope and nine strand rope on spools for future use. This way I cut the rope lengths longer than I need and don not feel bad about wasting a little. 

 

Hope this answers your questions.

[capnharv2]

Geoff,

 

Thanks! It certainly does answer my question!

 

Harvey

[Geoff Matson]

I have been working on the bullseye and blocks for the main and fore masts

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pictures show how I make the rigging attachments. The lines are served and all ready to be installed on the masts There is a loupe o n the other ends of the bullseyes and block that will slip over the mast and be installed. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[Geoff Matson]

Here are few pictures of the bullseye on the mast. When I start the rigging I will permanently install them. I use the threads to make the final adjustments.

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[usedtosail]

That's a great method Geoff.

[Geoff Matson]

I am working the Mizzen mast stays and making the mouse for the stay. I used my serving machine and after I had the lines made I added the mouse to the lines by twisting it around the line until it looked ok.  The first picture shows the line with whiskers still on it. I then cleaned them up and here are a few pictures.

 

 

 

 

I am finishing up on the rest of the mizzen mast rigging

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[Elijah]

That is some nice seizing! Your rigging is very neat!

[Geoff Matson]

I have finished most of my lines for the standing rigging and have them on the bowsprit and masts. The rest of the lines are in zip bags with all the information I need when when I begin installing them on the model.

 

This completes most of the standing rigging. Here are a few pictures of the completed process:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will now begin all the lines for the standing rigging. I will pre install everything I can on the yards off the model to make it easier, I hope!

 

Edited January 18, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[usedtosail]

Really nice work on those masts, Geoff. I'll bet your rigging is going to look equally as good.

[Geoff Matson]

I needed to make some thimbles for my mast slings. I remembered Chuck showed how to do it in one of build logs. His way made making them simple. I used 16th inch K&S brass tubing. It was scored with the #11 x-acto knife and simply rolled back and forth with the x-acto knife, until it cut through the tubing. It sounds too simple, but it worked without much of a learning curve. Once cut, I used a punch made from an old nail and flared both ends. The flares will allow the line to be wrapped around the thimble and keep the line in grove created by the flare. After making a bunch they were blacked using Birchwood Casey Brass Black (available at most gun stores). Here are a few pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2017 by Geoff Matson