Rattlesnake by KenW - FINISHED - Model Shipways - Scale 1:64 - American Privateer

[russ]

Ken:

Good work. I like the fact that you have done some research and added to your model's rigging design.

 

Russ

[EJ_L]

Nicely done. It is always a challenge when you get conflicting explanations from different sources and then having to decide which one or which combination of ideas to use. In the end go with what makes the most sense to you because after all, it's your model!

 

You may have taken time off from posting but that time has been well spent and therefore worth the wait. Her rigging is coming to life with every update!

[DocBlake]

The shrouds and ratlines look great!  My Rattlesnake (Mamoli) is on hold because of problems at the transom.  I do have the MS kit, and your build is tempting me to start over with the MS kit, Bob Hunt's  kit-bashing practicum and your mods outlined in this log to guide me in a heavily modified Rattlesnake build!  Great job so far!

[KenW]

Thanks Russ, EJ and Dave; as well as the 'likes'.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) an American privateer was not obligated to follow the British Admiralty conventions.  I can pretty much do whatever I want, but there's no way to know how the boat really looked.

Cheers.

[KenW]

I hope everyone has a very happy holiday season and that 2017 is a whole lot better than 2016.

Cheers

[JSGerson]

Just got caught up having been out of town for 10 days. She's looking real good. As my log documents I too ran into a lot of conflicts between books and the various plans I had accumulated. Not only did the Captain of the Rattlesnake not have to follow British rules, I believe he had the right to modify the rigging as he saw fit. The rigging he started out with on a voyage may not have been the rigging he ended up with when the ship returned to port.

 

Jon

[Tallsails2]

Ken,

 

What a fantastic build you are doing. And the photos are great. The detail and workmanship is outstanding. Your patience and working skills amazes me. 

 

Your build has motivated me to purchased the Model Shipways Rattlesnake for my 4th build and this thread will be very helpful. If my build turns out half as good as yours, I'll be very happy.

 

Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of your build.

 

Eddie

[KenW]

Thanks for the kind words Eddie.

[KenW]

Well, I made the main lower yard and crossed it to the main mast.  At this point, I think doing the lower yards now was a good idea.  Those buntlines and leech lines were easily rigged and I don’t foresee any problems.  So I’ll do the lower fore yard next.

As for the details – the first step was to construct the main lower yard.  All the blocks have been added as well as the horse and stirrups.  Notice that the jeer block is double stropped, as per antscherl.

 

 

I want to show the model with sails furled.  So, the next step was to make the sail along with its lines, etc.  Then the sail was bent to the yard.  Notice that I included the head cringles and earings before lashing the sail.

 

 

Next the yard was crossed to the mast and the truss and jeers were rigged.  These lines were tied off permanently.  The various lines (bunt and leech and clue) were belayed to their pins.  These lines are not permanent.  I did redo the port side leech line so that it passed between the catharpins after the photo was taken.

 

 

Belaying pins were added to the main breast rail above the buckets since I am short of tying off points.

 

 

Notice I still need to add rope coils where the jeer ties tie off to their cleat. 

 

 

I’m thinking that before adding the top masts, I should also do the crowsfeet, and the spritsail yard first as well.

[russ]

The yard, sail, and rigging look really good. Very good work.

 

Russ

[EJ_L]

Very nice. I like the way you displayed the furled sail and the rigging lines look clean and neat. Now is when the last of that "open" work space quickly turns into a tangle of ropes to get snagged on. Best of luck to you on a smooth rigging!

[KenW]

Thanks Russ and E.J. as well as the 'likes'.

And I agree, eventually there will be no "open work space".

Cheers.

[rafine]

Really well done Ken.

 

Bob

[JSGerson]

Your model is coming along very nicely. I like its clean look. I am curious though; I don't see any ladders or gang planks to the quarter deck nor the spare masts and ship's boat. Are you planning on adding them soon? It's going to get quite crowded soon on that deck to add any construction.

 

Jon

[KenW]

Thanks Jon.  And yes, all the furniture has been made.  Now that the truss and jeers tackles have been completed, I will be installing the bilge pumps and gallows soon.  I have made the extra fore top mast to hold the ship's boat, but not the fore topmast yard yet.  The extended platform and stairs are also ready to go.  I'm trying to work form the center out; and I was especially concerned about that small deck space around the main mast.

Cheers.

[JSGerson]

I believe you have the correct idea: "center out". I tried using that philosophy when I did my rigging which I started only after I completed all my woodwork and I did run into space problems especially near the main mast. You've expanded the idea to include the deck furniture which gives you initially more room to work with. Just be careful to keep dry fitting the furniture pieces as you add stuff. Small shifts in position placements can add up so you don't have the proper location space for other stuff. For example, those deck eye bolts and their subsequent rigging around the masts can mess you up placing the spare masts in position even if they are off by only a few millimeters.

 

Jon

[KenW]

Thanks Jon.  So far, I think I'm O.K.   I'm worried about the tackles for the ship's boat, but I have a plan.  Time will tell.

[KenW]

Here is a quick update.  As per Jon’s recommendation, I added some of the deck furniture (the pumps and large gallows) as well as the coils for the jeer tackle.  However, I don’t think I’ll be mounting the ship’s boat until the sheet is tied off; and the platforms will be the last to be installed.

 

 

I’d like to point out that the main lower yard is not pinned.  It is held in place only by the truss and jeers.  So if it looks out of alignment, it will be corrected when I get to the lifts and braces.

 

 

 

[russ]

Ken:

The deck details look great. The rigging details are very nice. Great work.

 

Russ

[KenW]

Thanks Russ and the 'likes'.

So Russ, what is your next project.  I enjoy following you modeling.

Cheers.

[russ]

I will be starting a build log in the next week or so for a Biloxi fishing lugger. Almost ready to make some sawdust.

 

Russ

[KenW]

Well, my spritsail is bent to the yard and the spritsail yard crossed to the bow sprint.  (I hope I have all the terminology correct).  Again, none of the lines are glued into place; and the belaying pins are not glued to the rail either.  Also, the spritsail yard is not pined.  So it will be positioned later as there will be a lot more lines to keep an eye on.

 

 

[russ]

Your bow sprit and spritsail yard look good. Nice work.

 

Russ

[DocBlake]

Excellent work Ken!

[KenW]

Thanks Dave and Russ; and thanks for the 'likes'.

Cheers.

[KenW]

Continuing my work on the lower yards, I finished making the fore lower yard and crossed it to the fore mast.  Everything was the same as the main lower yard.  I made more belaying pins and put them into the fore breast rail.  All the lines were belayed to the rail. I do realize that once I’m ready to tie them down permanently, I’ll have to tie them from the fore side of the rail.  Next, I’m going to do the cross jack and the gaff/boom setup.

 

And some photos of the details:  The ‘M’ as described by Antschrel.  The spritsail and sprit topsail brace lines are rapped in the blue painter’s tape.

 

 

And here is the breast rail.  The lines and pins aren’t glued yet.

 

[russ]

Ken:

Looks like you are having fun. Lots of spaghetti.

 

Russ

[EJ_L]

Those are some very well made blue flags that she is flying!

 

Seriously, well done on that rigging! Excellent details, nice and clean so we can easily see where and how the ropes are running. The furled sails look fantastic up there as well.

[KenW]

Thanks Russ and E.J.

Some tapes will pull the lines apart, but I find that the blue painters tape does not and is ideal.

Cheers.

[KenW]

Just a quick update since my next task will certainly take a while.  I made and mounted the jib boom along with its traveler ring setup.  I took the design from Bob ‘rafine’.  I liked the way his looked, so I did the best I could.  That's a hook for the jib that is hanging under the boom.  (It's also too big).

 

Next I raised the cross jack yard.  All my reading insists that there are no jeers holding the cross jack.  After 1773 a sling with two thimbles was used, according to Antscherl.  I used the truss that he and Lees describe in their books.

Raising the cross jack:

 

The cross jack is secured and trussed:

Detail of the sling: