BUILD LOG PART II is devoted to constructing the masts, or "Stepping the Masts" and rigging most of the Bowsprit, Chainplates and Deadeyes with the exception of the Stays on the Bowsprit. The choice was made to not rig with sails and will not deal with sails or some of the sail rigging. References are provided for model shipwrights to access should sails be desirable. See Plans and Drawings from Mystic Seaport Archives for reference.
The model should be completed through BUILD LOG PART I - the hull, deck structures and deck furniture at this point (in my opinion). Anyone desiring an email notice of progress, please fill out the form or email me as per the "Contact" page and I will try to post updates that are significant in a monthly newsletter hopefully as time permits.
BUILD LOG PART II:
Begin: 11-14-2014
**COMPLETION OF BUILD LOG PART II: 1-31-2015**
THE SHIP MODEL SHOULD BE AT THIS STAGE OF CONSTRUCTION
The model should be completed through BUILD LOG PART I - the hull, deck structures and deck furniture at this point (in my opinion). Anyone desiring an email notice of progress, please fill out the form or email me as per the "Contact" page and I will try to post updates that are significant in a monthly newsletter hopefully as time permits.
BUILD LOG PART II:
Begin: 11-14-2014
**COMPLETION OF BUILD LOG PART II: 1-31-2015**
THE SHIP MODEL SHOULD BE AT THIS STAGE OF CONSTRUCTION
THE JIB BOOM & DOLPHIN STRIKER
The Jib Boom and Dolphin Striker are made. Once the Jib Boom is shaped and constructed it is glued in place and painted. The Dolphin Striker is not installed at this time nor is it completed yet, this occurs later.
The Jib Boom and Dolphin Striker are made. Once the Jib Boom is shaped and constructed it is glued in place and painted. The Dolphin Striker is not installed at this time nor is it completed yet, this occurs later.
ANCHORS
Early in the build the anchors were CA glued together and painted black. They are installed here so that the rigging and chains can be attached. They can be removed easily. An error occurred here (due to the level of detail I desire) and for accuracy and details they have been replaced. Replacement parts have been acquired. The Anchor Stocks supplied are metal (essentially generic period cast to scale) and in reality, the anchor stocks should be wood with round steel bands around them. These have been replaced (later in the build) with wood stocks turned on the Proxxon Wood Lathe and strapped with blackened brass rings and stained natural. These are shown here in case the builder wishes to use the metal stocks which is certainly acceptable.
Early in the build the anchors were CA glued together and painted black. They are installed here so that the rigging and chains can be attached. They can be removed easily. An error occurred here (due to the level of detail I desire) and for accuracy and details they have been replaced. Replacement parts have been acquired. The Anchor Stocks supplied are metal (essentially generic period cast to scale) and in reality, the anchor stocks should be wood with round steel bands around them. These have been replaced (later in the build) with wood stocks turned on the Proxxon Wood Lathe and strapped with blackened brass rings and stained natural. These are shown here in case the builder wishes to use the metal stocks which is certainly acceptable.
BOWSPRIT
The Bowsprit area will be addressed in stages dependant on the lines being run. Drawing Sheet 3 should be mostly complete by now, so we move on to Drawing Sheet 5 which shows the rigging.
BOBSTAYS
The Bobstays are made of small chain and copper strip trimed to proper length with a deadeye attached to the end. The chain used here is bigger than the chains provided. I found a suitable chain similar in color to the anchor chain used. This chain is 11 links per inch and is available through my Ship's Store for anyone interested. The opposing deadeye is tied with a Lanyard to the proper eye on the bottom side of the Bowsprit. There are 2 of these. The copper end is CA'd to the keel stem and painted black or Blackened. The deadeyes are rigged with black rope of the proper size and tied back as shown. Caution: be sure the copper strip is bent with the bow angle in mind, as it is not a 90 degree bend.
The Bowsprit area will be addressed in stages dependant on the lines being run. Drawing Sheet 3 should be mostly complete by now, so we move on to Drawing Sheet 5 which shows the rigging.
BOBSTAYS
The Bobstays are made of small chain and copper strip trimed to proper length with a deadeye attached to the end. The chain used here is bigger than the chains provided. I found a suitable chain similar in color to the anchor chain used. This chain is 11 links per inch and is available through my Ship's Store for anyone interested. The opposing deadeye is tied with a Lanyard to the proper eye on the bottom side of the Bowsprit. There are 2 of these. The copper end is CA'd to the keel stem and painted black or Blackened. The deadeyes are rigged with black rope of the proper size and tied back as shown. Caution: be sure the copper strip is bent with the bow angle in mind, as it is not a 90 degree bend.
The second Bobstay is installed the same way. The Bowsprit Shrouds (chains) port and starboard are tied off on an eye attached in the side of the hull and then tied off with deadeyes to the Bowsprit according to the plans.
On a sidenote upon studying the deck I wasn't pleased with how the Copper Cooling Tank had an open top. It seemed that perhaps in a rolling sea that the oil could spill out or slosh. Attempting to think like a sailor working in this area what would be a solution. A wood lid was made, stained and applied to the tank. This would keep the contents intact, and could easily be removed for adding or removing the oil. Things such as this will occur frequently as the build progresses. You'll see something and think...."hmm, that's cool and a great idea, I think I'll add one of those to the model". You can add details at any point which I seem to be doing frequently..
Nov. 3, 2014 -
The model shipyard is officially reopened after a 10 month break. We travel several months a year in our RV Trailer, so there will be breaks along the way as this model progresses.
With that being said, the first order of business is to remake the anchors previously shown. The old set of anchors had been CA'd together and painted black very early in the build. I probably did this just to show something finished and I thought I knew what I was doing. It wasn't too far into the construction when I realized that was a dumb thing to do, that they should be wooden stocks instead of metal, and painting them wasn't a realistic option. At the level of detail going into this build that was not a good corner to cut. I started over at this stage of the build before moving on to the masting and rigging. The proper sized dowel (1/4" D) was selected, then marked and turned on the Proxxon DB-250 Wood Lathe. This is probably my favorite Proxxon tool. After turning them to the proper diameters, I used my makeshift Proxxon Mill to cut the slots for the anchor shank to fit to the wood stocks, then fitted with blackened brass rings and a blackend anchor to finish off properly. The following pictures will show this operation. Another option could be to use thin paper strips to create the rings as a flat squarish type of steel band around the wood stocks. There are old pictures of the Morgan in the Gallery section showing the real anchor with the correct round bands which I include and replicate here.
Turning the Anchor Stocks with the DB 250 Lathe.
The TBM 115 Drill Press, with the KT 70 Compound Table and MS-4 Vise being used to Mill a 1.0 x3.0 mm opening in the anchor stocks to accept the anchor shank.
The cast anchor shanks with the turned wood anchor stocks and properly sized blackened brass anchor rings prior to assembly.
The anchors are now ready to be re-hung on the ship and secured properly.
MAST CONSTRUCTION
Some work had been done on the Foremast and Mainmast a while back, but not significant enough to discuss yet. The Foremast will be stepped at the same time as the Mainmast since the Mainstay (installed at the time of the Anchor Deck construction) will be fed through the Fairleads on the Foremast and secured to the Main Top. This procedure is done at the same time to insure that the Mainstay is tightly secured as well as properly aligned. See Plan Sheet 5 Rigging Profile for clarity as well as Mystic's plans for accuracy.
Some work had been done on the Foremast and Mainmast a while back, but not significant enough to discuss yet. The Foremast will be stepped at the same time as the Mainmast since the Mainstay (installed at the time of the Anchor Deck construction) will be fed through the Fairleads on the Foremast and secured to the Main Top. This procedure is done at the same time to insure that the Mainstay is tightly secured as well as properly aligned. See Plan Sheet 5 Rigging Profile for clarity as well as Mystic's plans for accuracy.
THE CHAINPLATES & DEADEYES
Next is Deadeyes and Chainplates. Starting with the starboard Foremast working my way to the Main and Mizzen both port and starboard. I think now is a good time to install all of them since, #1 It needs to be done, and #2 they'll be available when needed without having to interupt the flow of things. I use brass wire, proper sized deadeyes, solder and blackening the brass. Once the chain plate is blackend insert the ends into the pre drilled holes in the channels, wrap the brass around the nails +/- 1/2" brads, and drill the hole and glue in place. Should look something like this.
Next is Deadeyes and Chainplates. Starting with the starboard Foremast working my way to the Main and Mizzen both port and starboard. I think now is a good time to install all of them since, #1 It needs to be done, and #2 they'll be available when needed without having to interupt the flow of things. I use brass wire, proper sized deadeyes, solder and blackening the brass. Once the chain plate is blackend insert the ends into the pre drilled holes in the channels, wrap the brass around the nails +/- 1/2" brads, and drill the hole and glue in place. Should look something like this.
When positioning the Chainplates take note of the line (plane) they fall in by checking the plan drawings that show this. The chainplates are a simple extension of each shroud and should be in the same plane. Since each Shroud is at a different angle so are the chainplates. The Deadeyes are tied with a Lanyard completing the straight line from top to bottom. If this is not clear refer to the photographs of the real ship or study the Shroud lines on the drawings. The holes have been drilled in Build Log I and if done accurately should line up to the angles on the shroud lines. If this isn't true, then they need to be plugged and re-drilled to line up properly.
This will continue all the way around the ship. Progress pictures will be posted as I go.
I am starting to prepare working the deadeyes, chainplates and the channels. This will use deadeyes, brass wire, resistance soldering, nails and blackening. Realizing how all of this will work, I added a new toy to my collection for ease of working with these elements.....the Proxxon Precision Vise FMZ to use on my makeshift wood TV Tray workbench. This will hold the components so I can use my Resistance Solder Iron, to solder things together, then blacken the chains prior to mounting in their proper locations. I tried just pinning them, but it was too much trouble and difficult to hold them in place, therefore, the vise was a good investment.
I am starting to prepare working the deadeyes, chainplates and the channels. This will use deadeyes, brass wire, resistance soldering, nails and blackening. Realizing how all of this will work, I added a new toy to my collection for ease of working with these elements.....the Proxxon Precision Vise FMZ to use on my makeshift wood TV Tray workbench. This will hold the components so I can use my Resistance Solder Iron, to solder things together, then blacken the chains prior to mounting in their proper locations. I tried just pinning them, but it was too much trouble and difficult to hold them in place, therefore, the vise was a good investment.
The starboard Foremast chains and deadeyes are now complete. Unfortunately I have some errors, which I'm not happy about but will live with for now. I might come back and try to improve them or not. There will be other items installed here which will cover up or distract from them. The chains are not as good as I would like and they are not lined up as good as I desire. I will improve as I move on through experience. Just be aware they don't look perfect. I will continue to get these installed as I work my way around the ship. Word of advice is to study the plans carefully, and insure that your channels and pinrails are accurately placed on the model. My Starboard Forward Channels and Pin Rails are slightly forward of where they should be on the Starboard Foremast side by about 3/8".
The Resistance Solder equipment setup
Now would be a good time to give measurements for the chains as this can be tricky to keep uniform. I cut a .70mm piece of brass wire for each. They are bent and wrapped around small nails, or straight pins, at a 24mm length from the bottom of the deadeye through the channels to the hull. Then a piece of brass wire is shaped around each nail in almost a figure "8" and about 8mm long for the secondary chain, allowing for a nail to pass through both ends. The top nail is used to secure the top chain and the top of the secondary chain to the hull, then the second nail is used in the bottom hole in alignment with the entire plane of the chain. These are all Ca'd to the channels and the hull for strength since they will have a fair amount of pressure on them from the Shrouds and Backstays. They were blackend prior to installation, then painted Hull Black in the appropriate areas to blend in with the hull and the channels. The Starboard side was completed and a correction made to the Foremast chains in attempting to space the Shroud lines better (straight line with the future Shrouds). There has been some discussions about Round Nose Pliers. Should you need some I carry them in the Ship's Store. These are essential for forming the loops that will hold the nails. In this first picture you can see the tip of mine, and I have 3 pair of them. In fact, below I will show the pliers needed in this operation. (also available in the Ship's Store). The plans show for all Chain Plates to be single bolt plates. However, the real ship uses double bolt and double plates but only on the Foremast, with singles for the Main & Mizzen. See picture of the real Morgan below. This is the design I will use on this model. The first picture shows the .70mm brass wire wrapped around the deadeye and shaped at the 24mm length prior to installation on the first Mainmast shroud eye. A word of caution here in the angles of the chains. Remember that the chains secure the Shrouds and Backstays to the Hull. If you check the plans you can see the correct angles which are an extension of the lines of the Shrouds and Backstays which then form a straight line or geometric plane attaching to the hull after passing through the holes in the Channels.
The above picture shows the Real Morgan's chain plates on the Starboard Side, with the double chains in the shade under the Whaleboat, and the single plates on the Main & Mizzen. Port side chain plates are completed now and have been painted. More photographs of these are in the Gallery; The Morgan as of 8-22-15 section. It is a slide show so scroll through the pictures until the desired picture comes up.
Bowsprit, Jib Boom and Dolphin Striker Rigging:
Not a lot of progress, but spent a lot of time studying the plans for the masts. The first pictures are the tools I used for constructing the Chainplates. In my opinion these are absolutely necessary. Progress has been limited, I had started the Dolphin Striker earlier, but only shaping it for the most part. The Dolphin Striker is now ready for painting. I used a piece of thin ABS (thin brass sheet could also be used) to form the plate for attaching the chains for the Martingale Forestays and Backstays.
Not a lot of progress, but spent a lot of time studying the plans for the masts. The first pictures are the tools I used for constructing the Chainplates. In my opinion these are absolutely necessary. Progress has been limited, I had started the Dolphin Striker earlier, but only shaping it for the most part. The Dolphin Striker is now ready for painting. I used a piece of thin ABS (thin brass sheet could also be used) to form the plate for attaching the chains for the Martingale Forestays and Backstays.
The Dolphin Striker with the Manila card stock band w/ABS plate to tie the chains to.
This was very tedious and time consuming. Using two very tiny 40 link/inch chain, I installed the Martingale Stays from the Jib Boom to the Dolphin Striker, then using Bullseyes and line, ran the Martingale Backstays back to the hull eyes to square up and tighten the dolphin Striker. The Bowsprit is starting to shape up. I used Alexey Domanoff's Serving Machine to serve the Bullseyes to the lines on the Backstays.
SERVING LINES
SERVING LINES
Alexey Domanoff's Serving Machine - see Tools and Resources page
Bullseyes are needed for these steps and are not provided, so plan ahead and obtain or make these so that time is not lost waiting for a shipment.
The Jibboom Shrouds are installed using Bullseyes mounted to the Catheads. Again, tedious and time consuming. This completes this part of the Bowsprit Rigging with the exception of the Fore Mast Stays covered in BUILD LOG PART III and Footropes, which comes later in BUILD LOG PART VI.
MAST CONSTRUCTION:
With the Bowsprit finished as far as we can go, it is time to move to the masts. Starting at the Foremast the Mast Top is made. I had started this earlier, but was unhappy with the results, so I rebuilt it. Then constructed the mast using Plan Sheet #4 and the Mystic Drawings for reference. Make the Fairleads, Futtock Band, Eyebolts, Futtock Shrouds and the Spider Band with Belaying PIns. The paint scheme is Yellow Ochre below the Spider Band, and White above with Black for the Iron Futtock Shrouds. Of course, as luck would have it, when I opened my Yellow Ocher paint bottle the paint was hard as a rock. So mounting the Foremast will have to wait until I get my paint order from Model Shipways next week. There is plenty to build so next we will move to the Mainmast and then on to the Mizzen Mast. The square part at the top of the mast is milled using the Proxxon Drill Press/Compound Table and a 3mm Mill Bit to assure a square shape. I've painted the white and black on the Foremast and will paint and mount the mast once it's painted the Yellow Ocher.
The Mast Top with Futtock Shrouds and the Futtock Band. The Futtock Shrouds are made from .7mm brass rod and attached with wire through the brass eyes on the band and to the deadeyes on the top. The band is made from manila card stock with the truss bracket made from thin ABS or brass. If you have a resistance soldering tool and some very thin brass the band could be made out of metal. Small brass eyes (5) are set into the mast, the loop made on the Futtock Shrouds fit in between the eyes. A brass rod fits through all of the loops and eyes to secure them to the mast band. Glue, trim and paint to finish. Tricky, but fun and a great result.
Dryfitted mast
Moving to the Mizzenmast next, solely to break the monotony of repeating most of the Foremast construction on the Mainmast. A few notes or comments on constructing the Mizzenmast. Caution should be taken when measuring the Mizzenmast against Plan Sheet 4 Hull & Spar Details. Once measured and marked on the dowel check it against the actual model to make sure the Spider Band and eyes will clear the Skylight. The Spider Band mounts above the Skylight and it holds Belaying Pins. Since small variations can conflict with the pieces, just make sure they don't interfere with each other. I made the loops for the eyes that mount on the Crosstree and also made up the Futtock Shrouds from brass wire and blackened them. Care also should be taken when cleaning the holes out on the Spiderband for the Belaying Pins to fit as it is fragile and brittle. The metal is not cast well but was barely usable, and I also suggest going ahead and installing the Belaying Pins in the Spiderband prior to CA'ing it to the mast. I CA'd the belay pins to the band. This can easily be replicated with a small brass strip molded to match the mast dowel and soldering proper brass tubing making a Spider Band which I should have done.
The Mizzen Spider Band, drilled out with Belaying Pins CA glued to the metal band.
The Manila Card Stock Band with eyes for the Futtock Band and Futtock Shrouds.
Now that the Mizzenmast is completed it is time to move on to the Mainmast. It pretty much is a duplicate of the Foremast and once again check the mast against the plans as well as how it appears on the model, assuring that the parts are proportional and look correct. These steps in construction of a ship are called "Stepping the Masts". There are many discussions as to whether the masts on a model should be glued to the hole in the deck or just set in or "stepped" to the keelson and tightend straight and square with the shrouds and deadeyes adjusting from side to side to square them. I think I will have enough trouble "fiddling" with the shrouds and deadeyes just to get them the proper length and keeping a uniform equal appearance, that I will probably glue the masts in place. I'll decide this at the time since I still have to wait for paint before I install the mast. I am moving up with the Topmasts, Topgallant Masts and the Royal Masts construction prior to any Shrouds.
I thought that I was finished with the lower masts, however, my good friend Lester who actually worked rigging the Morgan during the restoration, pointed out to me that there is an error in the plans and that the Futtock Shrouds are supposed to be served rather than left in the bare metal. This is for the purpose of the Ratlines to have something to attach to as well as secure the deadeyes. This seemed as though it would have been easier to do with the Serving Machine, however, I'm not real sure about that. The retrofit on the Mainmast went easier than I thought, in fact, I wasn't sure I would have been able to do it at all, but was willing to try. Therefore, I think the choice is up to the model shipwright as to how to proceed on this aspect and how much detail you wish to include. I'm actually glad I did it and really quite pleased with the result. I'll show a picture of the real Morgan, and the model. All of the mast Futtock Shrouds have now been served and are ready for the Ratlines and/or Ratboards. I am also very happy that this was brought to my attention now as it would have been impossible to achieve once the mast was in the air.
The Real Morgan Mast Top showing Futtock Shrouds, Deadeyes and Shrouds.
Hand serving the brass Futtock Shrouds. Be sure they are painted black prior to serving so that no shiny brass could peak through the wrapping..
Serving the Futtock Shrouds. Be sure to paint or blacken the brass rods underneath the serving so that shiny brass doesn't show through the serving if small gaps should occur (and they will).
The finished mast showing the Deadeyes, served Futtock Shrouds, Futtock Band and Yard Truss.
At this stage, I have decided to continue constructing the balance of the mast parts so that when I begin making the shrouds I can work my way upward without having to stop and construct mast pieces. These are dry fitted together so that the shrouds can be added properly before gluing the masts together. To start, I set up the Mill to cut the slot for the Fid and drill in the sheave at the top of the Fore Top Mast. I then stained the center part of the Mast a Mahogany color and spray varnished it with Deft Satin Finish Varnish (spray can type). This prevents glue from the Futtock Band, Sling Band and Lower Topsail Truss Band damaging the Natural Finish in the center of the mast. Then the previous mentioned parts can be installed and then painted white. This will proceed row by row in making the mast parts. Then the served shrouds can be laid properly and then working upward will be glued together as each stage progresses. This should make sense as you follow my approach working from the deck upwards. This is not a real good description of the process but should make sense as I set this up. Here is the start of the Fore Topmast dry fitted to the Foremast.
Milling the Fid
NOTE: This is the time to mount the Tub Parrel on the natural stained area of the mast. This should be painted white first and then it slips over the mast and is not glued. It mounts to the Upper Topsail Yard later in BUILD LOG PART IV, and is much easier to install it here than having to do as I did and saw it in half and re-glue it together on the finished mast. It should slip over the manila paper band easily(left side in picture). I missed this piece on the plans as it is not clear as to when to install it. I was lucky and I was able to cut mine, spread it apart and re glue it without the brittle Metal breaking. It is the same for both Fore and Main Masts. Had it broken, it would not be difficult to make from some brass and wood. This could easily be replicated with brass tubing and brass cut parts according to the plans for scratch builders.
This is the metal part I'm referring to.
The Tub Parrel painted white and mounted on the natural part of the mast and slides up and down freely. This photograph is what it should look like. The below photos do not show this since I installed it much later in the build.
Next is to move on up the mast again staining the areas that are to be natural prior to working on the piece. The reasoning for the natural areas on the masts is that these areas are where the yards actually slide up and down on the masts for adjustments for the sails. Wood glue is very bad about filling in the grain of the wood and then when you stain it you get a yellowish white where the glue is and it will not absorb the stain. The dowel is turned on the Proxxon DB 250 Lathe to make the Fore Topgallant Mast and Fore Royal Mast, which is actually combined into one piece of wood dowel. By turning as well as using sandpaper you can obtain the stepped diameters of each. Refer to the Sheet Plan #4 and follow the details. Then build the Fore Topgallant Crosstree, Drill the Sheave, make the Futtock Band and the Fid Hole. Prior to doing this I made the Futtock Shrouds for theTop Mast and served them after completing the Fore Top Mast Crosstree. Again, these are just dry fitted at this point. The Lookout Ring has not been added yet. The areas are then painted white where appropriate. The ship is starting to get tall at this point and really shaping up.
The Crosstree (topside up) with the Fairleads installed - ready to paint. I used small brass rod to shape the Backstay hooks port and starboard.
Constructing the Main Topmast, Main Topgallant and Royal, Mizzen Topmast and Royal is done using the Proxxon DB 250 Lathe, and the Mill (Drill is set up to act like a mill). The Mill is used to cut the tops square, making the sheaves and the Fid Holes. Again, stain the areas that are supposed to be a stained finish prior to making the bands and painting the white colors. The stained areas or natural finish whichever one prefers are for the yards to slide up and down on the mast without damaging or discoloring the paint scheme. The Fore Mast is finished, painted and dry fitted.
The Drill Chuck attachment is used here, but not tightened. It is only tightened enough for the dowel to spin freely inside the chuck. If it is too tight it will break the dowel. You can also remove the black adjustment screw and brass wheel allowing the shaft to spin freely in the tail stock.
The dowel can then be slid into the power end of the lathe, shortening the length of the working end of the dowel to finish the ends without breaking them or the dowel.
The versatility of the DB 250 Lathe is incredible. I turned a 1/8" dowel down to 1/16" in 2 stages and I was amazed that it didn't break with the pressure. With the variable speed, I was able to sand it down rather than use the chisels. The collet set on the headstock and the variable drill chuck on the tailstock gave me great control on the stability of the work piece. The access hole on the motor end of the lathe allowed me to put the excess part of the dowel all the way through the machine, which allows for a longer piece of wood to be used. The smoothness of the motor allowed for no vibration at all. Very handy.
Photographs of model ships as well as the real ships have been the most useful items I have used for reference in how to construct an accurate model. I have provided photos of construction throughout this website, some probably have been somewhat repititious but for someone trying to see all angles especially when the instructions or plans are vague or non existent one picture might show something that another might not, especially when it concerns the rigging stages. Yesterday, here in Texas, was an absolutely gorgeous day - clear, 80 degrees, and sunny. I took advantage of this, took the Morgan outside and made some natural light photographs to show her off a little. The results are as follows.
The Main Topmast, Topgallant and Royal Masts have been completed with the exception of the 2 Lookout Rings which will be next. The lower sections of the masts still need to be painted the Yellow Ochre color once the paint arrives. This completes the Masting Stage or the "Stepping of the Masts". All are dryfitted into the hull and the individual masts. The next steps will concern Serving the Shrouds and installing the Shrouds & Deadeyes and the Standing Rigging. This is covered in BUILD LOG III.
Foremast
Main Mast
The partially completed masts dryfitted together and dryfitted to the ship.
The Lookout Rings for this configuration are on both the Foremast and the Mainmast. I tried several different ways to make these as my attempts with wire did not look good. The real ones are round iron. I settled with a round tube I had that holds small drill bits. It was the right size and thin enough to look like iron bar at scale. Of course cutting these to a proper thickness was a challenge to say the least. The pressure of the sawblade would disfigure or break them, but I think they turned out ok. After painting them white the masts were dryfitted back together and set on board the ship.
Real Mast with Lookout Ring and Shrouds ready to be re-hung on the Morgan 2014
I just realized an error at this point, but it is too late to correct. The mast part that is painted white between the Crosstree and the Lookout Ring should be natural and not white as I show in this picture. To be totally correct that section should remain natural. Not a big error, and actually in my opinion I like it better, but that should be the modeler's discretion. Especially since the Royal Yards weren't used in 1871.
CONGRATULATIONS !
If you have completed your model to this stage, you have now reached a major milestone. Sit back, relax, have an adult beverage and admire your work. Truthfully, I wasn't sure I would ever get to this point, and it feels good and I am very pleased with the "semi finished product".
This completes the Mast Construction and "Stepping the Masts" stage of this model contruction. Your model should be at this stage prior to starting the rigging. BUILD LOG PART III is devoted to the Standing Rigging. I was waiting for Yellow Ochre paint to be delivered to finish the masts and have posted updated pictures since that is finished.
If you have completed your model to this stage, you have now reached a major milestone. Sit back, relax, have an adult beverage and admire your work. Truthfully, I wasn't sure I would ever get to this point, and it feels good and I am very pleased with the "semi finished product".
This completes the Mast Construction and "Stepping the Masts" stage of this model contruction. Your model should be at this stage prior to starting the rigging. BUILD LOG PART III is devoted to the Standing Rigging. I was waiting for Yellow Ochre paint to be delivered to finish the masts and have posted updated pictures since that is finished.
*** BUILD LOG PART II COMPLETED 1-31-2015 ***
Please go to BUILD LOG PART III - THE STANDING RIGGING to continue.
