1669 Soleil Royal - ZHL [COMPLETED BUILD]

Progress on the Mizzen mast which is now ready to go :)

View attachment 259104

I need to figure out how to attach the yards to the mast. If some of you can point me to good practices on this aspect, this would be great.

Cheers
I would rig and make the yards before attaching them. Are you going to use parrels? (beads on a string)What I did with my Pearl and Constitution was to attach lines to the belaying pins first before anything else. It's advisable to roll up the line and tape it together. It's harder to belay after everything else is built. Then I hung the yardwith the line that goes around the mast. Then I attached the parrel. Finally, I brought up the halyards from the belaying pins and attached them. I'm sure others have done it differently, but it helped me with my clumsy fingers to do it that way.
 
Are you installing yards before finishing shrouds all the way up?
Hi Vic
I am now back home and re-starting work.
I have read several threads and did change my mind. I am going to finish all mast sections, all shrouds and ratlines, start on some rigging for the various stays, and then work on the yards. Does that make sense to you?

Yes, I shall include sails; I have ordered them from Cornwall (I ordered the Mantua/Sergal sails) and should get them sometime this week.
 
Hi Vic
I am now back home and re-starting work.
I have read several threads and did change my mind. I am going to finish all mast sections, all shrouds and ratlines, start on some rigging for the various stays, and then work on the yards. Does that make sense to you?

Yes, I shall include sails; I have ordered them from Cornwall (I ordered the Mantua/Sergal sails) and should get them sometime this week.
I personally think that’s a wise decision. I bought the same sails. I’m not sure how I’m going to treat them to get them to billow yet. I’m not completely satisfied with any of my earlier attempts. And I only have one shot at it with these sails. But that’s a long way off for me. Keep showing the good pictures! It’s good to see the details of someone else’s work. I’m glad you’re back. You’re doing good work.
 
Foremast is now completed and installed.

20211012_175408.jpg

I am going to start some rigging on the foremast and the bowsprit (fore stay, topgallant stay, ...).
I realize that the bowsprit top is not very stable and believe that I have to make some adjustments there before doing any rigging. The gluing surface is quite small and I need to find a way to strengthen the top.

If some of you have good advice on this, it's more than welcome. Below a picture of the bowsprit top and how it's attached to the bowsprit.
As you can see from the 2nd picture below, the connection between the two is quite limited.

20210908_172458.jpg
20211012_182152.jpg
 
Foremast is now completed and installed.

View attachment 261693

I am going to start some rigging on the foremast and the bowsprit (fore stay, topgallant stay, ...).
I realize that the bowsprit top is not very stable and believe that I have to make some adjustments there before doing any rigging. The gluing surface is quite small and I need to find a way to strengthen the top.

If some of you have good advice on this, it's more than welcome. Below a picture of the bowsprit top and how it's attached to the bowsprit.
As you can see from the 2nd picture below, the connection between the two is quite limited.

View attachment 261717
View attachment 261751
@dockattner has done one of these on his Vasa. I think @Mr.Deep , @paulb , and @DARIVS ARCHITECTVS have some experience with that as well. I’m interested too because that’s coming up some day for me as well. @BigMike is another one.
 
I advise you to fasten all parts with pins besides glue. Drill a hole, insert a pin on the glue, then also drive the pin into another part with glue. And you can also give a slight slope to the blind-topmast forward. Then, anyway, she will pull up with the staves, the foremast's bram-staffs. If you don't do this, the blind-top will fall back. I'm not sure that the translator will convey my idea correctly.
 
One more remark. You have fixed the salings of the Mars bowsprit platform too high. Make sure that the top of the bowsprit goes between the long salings. And fill this place with ca glue.
 
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I believe I have found an acceptable solution in order to firmly attach the top to the bowsprit
Thanks to MrDeep and Darivs Architectvs for their valuable input.
I have re-done a sprit topmast knee similar to the one provided in the kit with 2 changes: I used plywood slightly thicker than the one provided so that it fits firmly between the trestletrees, secondly I have extended the height of the knee so that a larger part sits between the trestletrees.
I then glued the new topmast knee between the trestletrees making sure that the top bends slightly forward as recommended by Mr Deep. I used a strong wood glue for this purpose; longer time to dry but much stronger than the 5 minute wood glue I am using in many cases.
I then glued the topmast knee to the bowsprit.
I also changed the eyebolts on the bowsprit to a smaller size.
Picture of the result below.

20211016_170630.jpg 20211016_170637.jpg

Let's now get started with some rigging with the first stays. :)
 
I hope I can replicate that!
One thing, I would love to mention, you are not building a replica of Gilber's model, don't you? Gilbert generously showing his way of building, and it is perfectly fine, you may look at his way and build yours with your own accents which will your model unique. ;)
 
One thing, I would love to mention, you are not building a replica of Gilber's model, don't you? Gilbert generously showing his way of building, and it is perfectly fine, you may look at his way and build yours with your own accents which will your model unique. ;)
I think I have added several personal touches already, Jim. I intend to add more. I just want to make sure the bowsprit mast doesn't fall off while I transport it to Omaha for my daughter. I was hoping @Mr.Deep would come up with some good suggestions, and I believe he did. We learn from each other. My stem, figurehead, four seasons, cannon color and rigging, molding, and some of the planking are fairly original, for better or worse. But I have decided that I won't have rainbow glitter sails. Maybe I'll put a unicorn horn on the seahorse figurehead. Just kidding!
 
Check this out, Vic. It is clearly showing knee bolting to the bowsprit. You can do it on your model as well. Also, the deadeyes are stroping by mean of a metal chainplates around the bowsprit. Why would it fall off?

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