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

[Geoff Matson]

Here are some pictures of my thimbles on my mast slings. They are just on and waiting to get installed before I trim the whiskers and dog hairs that always seem to get caught.

 

 

 

 

 

The third picture shows the mast sling for the main and fore mast. The third sling is for the mizzen mast and a little smaller. I like using my Byrnes Ropewalk so I make different line sizes to show the difference in size

Edited January 26, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[Elijah]

Those little rigging details are looking nice Geoff! What have you used your Byrnes rope walk for and how often do you use it?

[Geoff Matson]

Thanks Elijah. I am making all the rigging line for my Constitution with the Byrnes Ropewalk. The scale is 1/87 and I can get much more realistic rope that way

[S.Coleman]

I do like an extremely detailed rigging job. This is one of them. Good work. Thumbs up.

[Geoff Matson]

Here is a picture of the foremast sling test fitted on the foremast Yard. The whiskers will be trimmed of and set with diluted white glue.

 

 

Here is a picture of the upper foremast sling that will be attached to the mast. They two parts of the sling will be attached by a lashing to thimbles.

 

Edited January 28, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[Geoff Matson]

These are my foremast yards all ready to put the rigging on. I have the sling temporarily on the lower yard and am working on the rest of the rigging. Lots of knots, serving, and seizing going on.

 

 

 

I want to install as much as I can before it must the yards to the masts. I have small pins in the yards to help hold them on the masts. These pins are just for alignment and will NOT BE GLUED. That way if my big hands get in the way and break something I won't have unglue them.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[usedtosail]

Nice work on the yards, Geoff. it looks like you have captured the present day color of those smaller yards very well.

[Geoff Matson]

Tom:

 

One of the guys I'm my model club turned me on to the color. He used Burnt Sienna oil paint. I bought a small tube at Hobby Lobby and it turned out be just what I was looking for. I just rubbed it on and let it dry. I can always touch it up if it needs it 

[Geoff Matson]

I often wondered why some modelers just do Admiralty style models. Now I know. They don't have to RIG them. Maybe my next model will be admiralty style. 

 

 

I have been working on attaching the sling and jeer blocks on the foremast yard. All these procedures will be the same for the main mast yards. I leave some long tails on the rigging parts so I can adjust them into position. I have big hands and no fingernails so the tails really aid in adjusting the parts. The long tails are the reason I make my own line. I am not worried about waste, I can can always make more line. Once I have them in place I set the part with diluted white glue, let it dry and then trim the tails off.

 

Here are the results:

 

 

 

There are a lot of adjustments to getting the blocks just right.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[Geoff Matson]

I am a retired Horseshoer/Blacksmith and got tired of using my 100LB anvil to make and level my small metal parts.

 

I was at a flea market and picked up an old iron that they used before they had electricity for $5. I thought it would be a great mini anvil. It worked so well I finally made a small box to hold it out of some scrap wood. You can also use the iron as a weight to help glue flat pieces of wood together. 

 

 

 

 

Now all I need is a smaller hammer!

 

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[Professor]

Brilliant!

[Geoff Matson]

I have everything pre rigged on my foremast lower yard. I am sure glad I did this off the mast. There was a lot of fiddling and adjustments to be made and I know it would have been a real pain to do on the mast. 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything is a learning curve. I hope rigging the main mast yard will go a little easier. Now I have to make up some more  line so I will be making rope  for a while.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2017 by Geoff Matson

[Geoff Matson]

I have been busy making line for my running rigging.

 

[J T Lombard]

Geoff:

Which rope walk machine do you  use?

 

Regards

J

[Geoff Matson]

J

I use a Byrnes rope walk

[Geoff Matson]

For each size of line I use I make a 3x5 card for reference. Each card shows the single strand, three strand and nine strand.

I then use the ships rigging plan and scale conversion chart to match the size of line I need to the size of line I use

The scale conversion chart is a great key to have.

 

[capnharv2]

Thanks for posting the reference cards Geoff. That falls under "why didn't I think of that"???

 

Better yet, why am I not doing this now?

 

Harvey

[Geoff Matson]

Harvey

 

Thanks for interest.

I really like the index cards and often refer to them during the build. They are also a great asset when you need to reference how you rigged a previous line. The niece thing about the rigging line chart is that it gives you the true perspective of what the actual line would look like. 

[Geoff Matson]

I wasn't happy with the way my first attempt at rigging the foremast yard. I knew it would bother me too much, so I decided to redo it.

 

Here are my results. I am very happy the way the foot ropes turned out. Overall, things just look better.

 

 

 

 

[Submarineman]

Geoff,

just a quick question about the Floriani thread you use, do you find that it stretches at all?

 

[Geoff Matson]

I make my own line and can twist it pretty tight. So far no problems with it stretching. When I am ready to use the line I give the piece of line a few tugs to help set it a little.

[Submarineman]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks very much for that, I also am intending to make my own with my home made Ropewalk, and have been trying to source thread that will not stretch or sag over time.  The prices on 1000m reels of Floriani are very competitive compared to those available from the modelling outlets.  Thanks once again.

[Geoff Matson]

 

Submarineman, A little off topic, but I was Mineman in the Navy 67-71. 

 

Now back on topic. I have have found the best sources for thread to be Hobby Lobby, Joanne Fabric, Handcock Fabric, and the internet. The best thing to do is shop around and then make some test runs with your ropewalk to see if you are getting the desired result needed. Then when decide on a model, make a scale chart, (see previous post), so you can see the relationship of real size line to your scale size line. You will not need many sizes. Anything from 1/2 inch to about three inch will do fine. A hand crank serving machine will help out a lot, see xken Constitution build for his serving machine. Ken is a great builder and I wish I had his talents, and also a third hand to hold things. I try to rig as much off the model as I can trying to keep the rigging under control. Hope this helps and I am looking forward to your build. 

[Submarineman]

Thanks Geoff,

(Off topic) I to was on sweepers based in Hong Kong - Wasperton and Monkton back in 79, before changing tac and joining submarines in 81 til 2005.

 

back on subject area!  I had the Constructo Victory given as a present by she who must be obeyed (CINCNAG HOME), but due to house move, renevations and work I have only just started to set it all out.  During that time I have been collating all the tools and equipment to make the job easier, conducting research and collecting a library of books.  But the rigging element excites me and as you alluded to make up a full range of required rigging - it will be trial and error but I will get there - I do love the idea of the rigging card.

 

another area my mind is focussed is the Victory Gallery at the stern - considering hand carving the whole thing, especially the finial decorations - don't like the brass etchings supplied by Constructo.  Have been admiring from a distance the various build logs: yours and Paul0367 too.

onwards and upwards, thanks for your sound advice, it will be taken onboard.  All the best

[Geoff Matson]

I finished working on the pre rigging of my foremast yards.

 

The royal yard

 

 

 

The top gallant yard

The topsail yard

The main yard

All four foremast yards

[usedtosail]

Great looking yards, Geoff. Can I ask how you made the jackstays? They look like small eyebolts with a brass rod through them? Did you solder the rod in place? Thanks

[Geoff Matson]

Tom

 

I did just that. Small eye bolts with a thin brass rod through them. The one draw back to the jackstays is when you rig the yard you have to pass the  line under the back stays. It makes it a little harder but I like the results. Your Conny is looking great. 

[rwiederrich]

Fantastic job Geoff.

 

Rob

[robnbill]

Geoff, You are doing a fantastic job on all the rigging details. Don't think for a second I am not going to lean on this heavily once I start making the rigging for my Eagle.

[Geoff Matson]

Thanks Bill

 

Any questions I can help you with, just ask, and I will do my best.