L'Orenoque Mamoli 1:100 scale

[Jimsky]

Well, I should have checked the home page before my last post - Ropes of Scale. Any reviews?

Just awesome ropes, I use them all the time. It is a great product and an excellent service. Always shipped fast, today with tariffs, I am not sure of the shipping cost. It shipped from Canada, though.

Ropes of Scale

Miniature Rope for the scale modeler. These products are designed for rigging model ships but can be used for most scale modeling or dioramas.

ropesofscale.com

 

[The Gavel]

Just awesome ropes, I use them all the time. It is a great product and an excellent service. Always shipped fast, today with tariffs, I am not sure of the shipping cost. It shipped from Canada, though.

Ropes of Scale

Miniature Rope for the scale modeler. These products are designed for rigging model ships but can be used for most scale modeling or dioramas.

ropesofscale.com

Jim! Thank you! Another thing I forgot to ask was - cotton or poly? Nice to be able to use CA on the poly. Thoughts please.

Blessings. Peace. Gratitude.
Chuck

 

[Jimsky]

Jim! Thank you! Another thing I forgot to ask was - cotton or poly? Nice to be able to use CA on the poly. Thoughts please.

Blessings. Peace. Gratitude.
Chuck

You can choose any you want: He has both poly and cotton in all the sizes we need. He uses Guterman thread to twist the ropes. The only thing I am not sure if he has 4-strand ropes.

 

[The Gavel]

You can choose any you want: He has both poly and cotton in all the sizes we need. He uses Guterman thread to twist the ropes. The only thing I am not sure if he has 4-strand ropes.

Jim! Thank you!

I was really asking why choose cotton over poly?

 

[Jimsky]

Oh, sorry, Chuck. In my opinion, the main reason for choosing polyester over cotton is that polyester thread doesn’t have the noticeable fuzz you often see on cotton rope. But overall, it really just comes down to personal preference and what each person likes.

 

[The Gavel]

Oh, sorry, Chuck. In my opinion, the main reason for choosing polyester over cotton is that polyester thread doesn’t have the noticeable fuzz you often see on cotton rope. But overall, it really just comes down to personal preference and what each person likes.

Jim! Thank you! That's what I was thinking. Appreciate the help.

Blessings.
Chuck

 

[Martin By Eye]

not a fan of poly personally, prefer natural fibres. I liked their service but the import costs to europe were prohibitive for me.Maybe that will change.

 

[Peter Voogt]

Oh, sorry, Chuck. In my opinion, the main reason for choosing polyester over cotton is that polyester thread doesn’t have the noticeable fuzz you often see on cotton rope. But overall, it really just comes down to personal preference and what each person likes.

The same for me: polyester. Especially for the small sizes, without the ‘fuzz’.
Regards, Peter

 

[The Gavel]

What ho, shipmates!

I have been making some progress on L'Orenoque. I'm going to start with what I just finished, starboard anchors, and work backwards in time to the one or two things I did before that, installation of the crank houses, bridge, bridge ladders, railings and the funnel and gunnel guys. Not all in the same post.

s:

I found French plans from 1860 showing anchor stowage. I tried to follow these plans, including the shape of and iron banding around the stock. I did not, I must admit, include the mini-cathead so my effort is inaccurate even though I know that no one living can say that L'Orenoque had mini-catheads (Paul, that's your cue )



If you are wondering why I am installing the anchors at this point, my answer is that I want to do everything that I think makes sense to do outboard before I start in on the rigging. Believe it or not, the railings I already have on board make handling the model a cause for constant anxiety - they catch on everything and the slightest ding pushes them completely out of shape.



The yellow arrows point out the iron boomkins for the foretack.

Here are a couple of final shots - yes, I know that the anchor chains would not still be attached with the anchors fully stowed. I just like the curves.



Blessings. Peace. Gratitude.
Chuck

 

[The Gavel]

The rest of the progress -

The following pics show the crank houses, bridge, ladders, railings and funnel with guys installed. I almost forgot, the aft pumps and main mast pin rail are also aboard.



The XO is busy making sure all is square and correct.



Red arrows point out the funnel guys. IMHO, these had to be rigged at this point in the build. Once the rigging starts it would be very hard to get the guys rigged taught.



Blessings.
Chuck

 

[The Gavel]

If you've been wondering why I've been so quiet and the progress has been so limited - I was blessed with an invitation to give the keynote presentation at the 16th annual Sons of the American Revolution history conference. So I had to write a serious history paper. I'm not SAR as far as I know (I know you were wondering). Btw SAR is a wonderful organization with a real commitment to the complete history of the founding of the United States. They have a history conference evry summer - it will be at Purdue (West Lafayette, Indiana) next summer focused on Loyalists.

I also had to finish grading and start teaching a summer class on jury instructions and start preparing for a 100 mi ultra in August (we'll see how that goes ).

Here's a couple of shots of the conference and me presenting my paper: "Othering as a Cause for Revolution" The chap in the picture with me is the SAR Historian in Residence Dr. Jake Ruddiman who wrote a teriffic book Becoming Men of Some Consequence: Youth and Military Service in the Revolutionary War.

 

[The Gavel]

Rigging.

The kit plan as shown below has some strange ideas about rigging. I'll be candid, some of it is complete nonsense. On the other hand, I can see what the designer was thinking about when I compare the kit plans to the French archival material. Also, I never thought that it was a practice to stay lower masts in the rail (not that I know much and what I know wouldn't fill a thimble), but the kit got that part right!

Here's what the kit shows:



Below the red lines represent where stays should be based on the L'Orenoque's sister ship Panama. Yellow highlighting shows the nonsense. Note, however, that based on Panama , the kit's direction to stay the main mast in the rail is accurate. I just don't get why the same diection was not included for the mzzen mast.



You notice that this drawing of Panama shown no preventer stays. Well, I'm adding them to my model.

As to the bow - the kit plan is completely wrong. Initially I thought that it made the head of the ship look like a radio mast from the late 1800s early 1900s. What was the designer thinking with this nonsense? Well, the French archive plans show a similar idea. Perhaps that is what the designer was thinking about.



I'm going to follow the French plan with one exception. The spreaders for the shrouds are hooked to the bowsprit. I made my bowssprit and jib boom before I found these plans. My version with the spreaders on a single spar is based on my resource books about masting and rigging clipperships which accorded with the spar shown in the rigging plan.


We'll see whether I do over the bowsprit and jibboom a third time.

Blessings.
Chuck

 

[The Gavel]

One more thing. I have a ton of work left to do getting the masts ready for stepping. One thing I am trying to figure out is how many bands on the lower masts. Based on my research there should be 31 bands on the fore and main masts 2.5 feet apart - at scale the bands are 1mm wide spaced 6mm apart. Here's a pic. Looks pretty busy with 19 bands. Too busy? Please help!

 

[dockattner]

I love the SAR story. Congratulations! Back in high school I received a scholarship from the DAR (daughters) and was privileged to attend their annual meeting and learn about their history and their work. In 2020 I was invited back, but now as one of their speakers. My topic was to be: Faith of Our Founders - but we all know how 2020 turned out...

 

[Peter Voogt]

What a privilege to give that presentation, Chuck. And what a nice progress you made on the model. Very nice stowing of the anchors and rigging of the funnel. The bow will be impressive and lining those hooked spreaders will be a real challenge.
Regards, Peter

 

[GrantTyler]

Good morning Chuck. A lot to love with these last few post.....awesome. I really enjoy the cigar photo . Cheers Grant

 

[Martin By Eye]

If you've been wondering why I've been so quiet and the progress has been so limited - I was blessed with an invitation to give the keynote presentation at the 16th annual Sons of the American Revolution history conference. So I had to write a serious history paper. I'm not SAR as far as I know (I know you were wondering). Btw SAR is a wonderful organization with a real commitment to the complete history of the founding of the United States. They have a history conference evry summer - it will be at Purdue (West Lafayette, Indiana) next summer focused on Loyalists.

I also had to finish grading and start teaching a summer class on jury instructions and start preparing for a 100 mi ultra in August (we'll see how that goes ).

Here's a couple of shots of the conference and me presenting my paper: "Othering as a Cause for Revolution" The chap in the picture with me is the SAR Historian in Residence Dr. Jake Ruddiman who wrote a teriffic book Becoming Men of Some Consequence: Youth and Military Service in the Revolutionary War.

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how tall and proud , this last photo. I remember when america had a tall proud leader, that spoke with eloquence.bravo.

 

[Martin By Eye]

you've been digging without me ! and finding some real treasures, thank you for sharing! I will surely make use of some of this info. Too busy , your mast? i don't think so, your model is developing a real complete and authentic look that i think this will only add to. Your bridge looks very fine, be careful with all those railings !
Forestays in the water channels is something i have seen before,quite often, (i think it makes foremast gaffs easier to tack, my Amphion is rigged this way) but here it would be essential because of the position of the funnel . L'Aigle is stayed the same way while le Sphinx runs them right out to the wheelhouse sponson decks. Older non steam rigs often had twin stays running either side of the foremast to the deck in front of the taffrails.

 

[iutar]

Dear Chuck, the boats' lashings (rope gripes) were not crossed. This way you can neither tighten the lashings (rope gripes) nor hold the boat. The lashings were always perpendicular to the boat's keel.

 

[Peter Gutterman]

Love all the news and progress!