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HMS Victory Mantua 1:78 (first build) by Grant Tyler

Good morning

Futtock shrouds and catharpins : I remember the redos and struggle with the Mizzen however they must be done :p .

I had to make the staves from 2x2mm birch (as you guys know I am a tad resource limited) using my dremel and sanding disc. I brought this down to a 1mm dowel. I attached the ratline template to ensure the futtock ties lay between the ratlines as these would create mayhem with the ratline clove hitches later.
336B8B04-1146-4D65-8D4A-B19E66BF82FC.jpeg
I looped the 0.5mm futtock shroud around the stave and tied off each to the main shroud using two clove hitches.
211B9308-FEAA-415A-B207-41696E29FB94.jpeg
...and from the inside with some catharpins. The Catharpins are also 0.5mm and 60mm long with a whipped loop 1mm each side. I attached these looping around each side of the shroud and then tied of with a double half hitch.
AFE239FD-B39C-4742-831A-EA6D98943C9D.jpeg
From outside:
FBE84302-E03F-499B-A55D-5E764EA69CCD.jpeg
The tension of the catharpins is tricky as you pull one up the other loosens and the shape of the main shroud lines changes. One more to go and hopefully all is still in symmetry once done.

Ps @Heinrich I did take some time off to have oysters at 34degrees south in Knysna with my client and even had a surf in Victoria bay. I was a little rusty and unfit but was super fun- such a legend surf spot :D:D.Vic Bay also holds special memories for me as I met Arlene there some 35 years ago.:D

Cheers Grant
 
Very good and tricky work, Grant. I am sure that achieving and maintaining equal tension on the catharpins is a tricky issue. That really looks very good. I am glad that you enjoyed your sojourn up the East Coast and also found some time to play. I actually don't know the East Coast that well at all. I often went to PE (Also Scribante) and East London (Grand Prix Circuit) for racing but that was about it. I can well imagine that Victoria Bay holds a special place in your heart. Today, you can kick back and look forward to the French Grand Prix tonight - especially with the Scarlet Scuderias in such good form. :)
 
Very good and tricky work, Grant. I am sure that achieving and maintaining equal tension on the catharpins is a tricky issue. That really looks very good. I am glad that you enjoyed your sojourn up the East Coast and also found some time to play. I actually don't know the East Coast that well at all. I often went to PE (Also Scribante) and East London (Grand Prix Circuit) for racing but that was about it. I can well imagine that Victoria Bay holds a special place in your heart. Today, you can kick back and look forward to the French Grand Prix tonight - especially with the Scarlet Scuderias in such good form. :)
OH yes....looking forward to the scarlet machines giving Max a whipping . No apologies to my Dutch friends here ROTF. Cheers Grant
 
As you said earlier - last year I supported Max to the hilt, but I actually do not have a favorite driver or team. I do have a soft spot for Alfa Romeo though - all the fault of my GTV6 3.0. That car gave me such problems that I eventually got rid of it - big mistake! But boy ... when it went ... Fridays, midnight between Pomona (Kempton) and Pretoria's off-ramp NOTHING could touch it!
 
Back in the day!! ;) Every young guy in SA wanted that GTV especially the V6 twin spark in the 1970’s and early ‘80s. They where manufactured in Pretoria, I think the only other place outside Italy at that time. Pity you sold it, they are classics now and are almost impossible to get hold of. Cheers
 
Good afternoon. My ship building has been on hold for a few days a few more to go.... getting withdrawals ROTFROTFROTF Nothing exciting either had to have a tumor cut out my saliva gland by my jaw. Home now but still out of action.

I need to get more thread and with the cost of shipping etc to SA, I am going to order rope and blocks for next ship all at once.

I have a 850mm x 650mm spot in my pub for this ship and am undecided between the Endurance or the Xebec Cazador??? What do you guys think.

Cheers Grant
Speedy recovery. For me it is the Endurance.
Great job on your Victory.
 
Back in the day!! ;) Every young guy in SA wanted that GTV especially the V6 twin spark in the 1970’s and early ‘80s. They where manufactured in Pretoria, I think the only other place outside Italy at that time. Pity you sold it, they are classics now and are almost impossible to get hold of. CheersN
These ones were the very special cars built for homologation purposes to go up against the BMW 535i of the time in Group 1 Racing. Roger McCleery the then marketing manager of Alfa Romeo went to Italy where he discovered an abandoned project by AutoDelta. He promptly brought the engine parts back to SA in his luggage. You are correct, the cars were built by Sampie Bosman and Dawie de Villiers of Glenwood Motors in Pretoria. The fuel injection was discarded in favor 6 x downdraught Dell'Orto carburettors which were a nightmare to tune. But they cleaned up on the tracks!
 
Very tidy bit of work on the futtock shrouds Grant - much better than the 'clunky' first attempt on the other mast. In your own words: YOU OWNED THAT! You are very trainable - the upside for you is limitless if you choose to stick with this hobby.
Good evening Paul. Thanks indeed. “Trainable”.....I’m not sure Arlene agrees with you ROTF, after 33 years still no progress. Cheers Grant
 
Great detail work, Grant! Where did you get the instructions for how to do the knots for attaching futtock rod and catharpins?
Good evening Vic. I used a polish site I was referred to by Vladimir. They have simplified the standard rigging of McKay and MacGowan with some good diagrams. I have reference their drawings fairly often on my log. To tie the stave I used clove hitches onto the main shrouds where have no futtock shrouds attached. (In pics above I still have one or two to do). As I tied the futtock shrouds “the alternate” way (see arrow in Pic below)) and the catharpins attached to the same points on the starve I did use clove hitches here as the futtock and catharpins secure it sufficiently. Catharpins attached per picture 2.

For me less is more on these starves. :
5DED15A6-936C-4938-A3F1-5AA88A895BF2.jpegB7294134-7681-42E8-9F2E-C3F327550D5F.jpeg
Cheers Grant
 
These ones were the very special cars built for homologation purposes to go up against the BMW 535i of the time in Group 1 Racing. Roger McCleery the then marketing manager of Alfa Romeo went to Italy where he discovered an abandoned project by AutoDelta. He promptly brought the engine parts back to SA in his luggage. You are correct, the cars were built by Sampie Bosman and Dawie de Villiers of Glenwood Motors in Pretoria. The fuel injection was discarded in favor 6 x downdraught Dell'Orto carburettors which were a nightmare to tune. But they cleaned up on the tracks!
Hello Heinrich...that was one serious GTV. Ferrari let me down today....again. It’s like all Max has to is finish a race to win while the red scarlets are in turmoil. Calvin (motocross) made up for it by coming second for SA in the MXgp today in Belgium. Cheers Grant
 
These ones were the very special cars built for homologation purposes to go up against the BMW 535i of the time in Group 1 Racing. Roger McCleery the then marketing manager of Alfa Romeo went to Italy where he discovered an abandoned project by AutoDelta. He promptly brought the engine parts back to SA in his luggage. You are correct, the cars were built by Sampie Bosman and Dawie de Villiers of Glenwood Motors in Pretoria. The fuel injection was discarded in favor 6 x downdraught Dell'Orto carburettors which were a nightmare to tune. But they cleaned up on the tracks!
Reading with interest your lamenting of selling classics, I for my sins had a Mk. 1 Moto Guzzi Le Mans as my first road racing bike, I did pretty well on it until I destroyed it in a short circuit course in northern Ireland, (only 17 and didn't know no better), anyway a few years later, from what I can only think back as being under some mystic cloud of nostalgia (alcohol driven no doubt), I swapped a Wynne tuned Ducati 900ss for a grand and a burnt out Mk. 2 Le Mans! Me and my best mate rebuilt it, sticking in some 36mm valves then adding a pair of Dellorto 40mm's . We took it over to watch the TT, running it on pure toluene, saw over 150 two up on its dodgy clock, had a ball for a week blowing off big four Kawas and Suzies then on the last day it had a China syndrome like melt down. We tossed it through the hedge into Sulby dam and its probably there still. 900ss's sell for over 50 grand these days, that's if you can find one. Ah well c'est la vie. JJ.

Guzzi 2.jpeg
Embarrassing pic. of my first ever race.
 
As you said earlier - last year I supported Max to the hilt, but I actually do not have a favorite driver or team. I do have a soft spot for Alfa Romeo though - all the fault of my GTV6 3.0. That car gave me such problems that I eventually got rid of it - big mistake! But boy ... when it went ... Fridays, midnight between Pomona (Kempton) and Pretoria's off-ramp NOTHING could touch it!
Alfa Romeo's had a rather bad reputation in the Netherlands, at least to some; they were considered to be unreliable, check, prone to corrosion, check, and suffered form poor craftmanship, quality control or both, check.
I did some maintenance and troubleshooting jobs on some Alfa Romeo's, to say I was unimpressed is an understatement.
But you're right, once they were up and running, they were a delight to drive.
 
I looped the 0.5mm futtock shroud around the stave and tied off each to the main shroud using two clove hitches.
...and from the inside with some catharpins. The Catharpins are also 0.5mm and 60mm long with a whipped loop 1mm each side. I attached these looping around each side of the shroud and then tied of with a double half hitch.
You're talking like a really sailor now Grant ROTF

And I envy your trip to Knysna, what a beautiful corner of the world Thumbsup
 
Good evening Vic. I used a polish site I was referred to by Vladimir. They have simplified the standard rigging of McKay and MacGowan with some good diagrams. I have reference their drawings fairly often on my log. To tie the stave I used clove hitches onto the main shrouds where have no futtock shrouds attached. (In pics above I still have one or two to do). As I tied the futtock shrouds “the alternate” way (see arrow in Pic below)) and the catharpins attached to the same points on the starve I did use clove hitches here as the futtock and catharpins secure it sufficiently. Catharpins attached per picture 2.

For me less is more on these starves. :
View attachment 320012View attachment 320013
Cheers Grant
Hello Vic apologies- it was Longridge not Mackay and MacGowen this log is based on. And I left the “not” out. I do not tie clove hitches where the futtock shrouds join the starve as the futtock shrouds and catharpins secure this to main shroud. I confuse myself at times
 
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