Some complicated rigging on the bowsprit area. 
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WOW Vic!!! Beautiful work. Despite all the opinions of how things should be done, a dummy like me would say its simply a work of art. Perhaps 1 in ten thousand would ever know the difference between a yard, lift blocks, mizzen masts etc....certainly not the proper location of a pulley on a wooden model ship. Us weenies will give you all the credit and leave the critiques to the experts....
Whoa there... Certainly my models (few as they are) get better because of all the other's opinions, not in spite of them... just sayin'. There are no experts here, just hobbyists all learning more about ship models, some with more experience and research accomplished than others. We all work as a team to help each other, and critiques are 100% positive and useful. I certainly value them.WOW Vic!!! Beautiful work. Despite all the opinions of how things should be done, a dummy like me would say its simply a work of art. Perhaps 1 in ten thousand would ever know the difference between a yard, lift blocks, mizzen masts etc....certainly not the proper location of a pulley on a wooden model ship. Us weenies will give you all the credit and leave the critiques to the experts....
In fact, I rely on them!
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Thanks for the encouragement, Rick!WOW Vic!!! Beautiful work. Despite all the opinions of how things should be done, a dummy like me would say its simply a work of art. Perhaps 1 in ten thousand would ever know the difference between a yard, lift blocks, mizzen masts etc....certainly not the proper location of a pulley on a wooden model ship. Us weenies will give you all the credit and leave the critiques to the experts....
I agree, but I think that in the case of the course sail lifts, I was correct and Heller was wrong. The research tends to confirm it. I probably rely too much on Anderson’s descriptions, but I’m a little leery of Von Mondfeldt. I’ve heard of several instances where he was proved wrong. Then again, I have a copy of Anderson on my computer but not Von Mondfeldt.Whoa there... Certainly my models (few as they are) get better because of all the other's opinions, not in spite of them... just sayin'. There are no experts here, just hobbyists all learning more about ship models, some with more experience and research accomplished than others. We all work as a team to help each other, and critiques are 100% positive and useful. I certainly value them.
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I certainly wouldn't disagree with your position! I was just looking at things on the lighter side. Surely, we have all learned something from everyone here. However, everyone that takes on the endeavor of building ship models most likely realizes different levels of self-accomplishment and surely likes to hear a good shoutout! Personally, I'm just a hack at this hobby and was offering my friend Vic a hardy thumb's up. I offer no other apology if my comment was taken out of context!....Whoa there and ahoy!Whoa there... Certainly my models (few as they are) get better because of all the other's opinions, not in spite of them... just sayin'. There are no experts here, just hobbyists all learning more about ship models, some with more experience and research accomplished than others. We all work as a team to help each other, and critiques are 100% positive and useful. I certainly value them.
No offense taken by anybody, Rick. I get a lot of encouragement and friendly advice here. I’m at the stage where I appreciate the vigorous discussions now. I can look at several positions, do more research, and then decide on my personal course of action. Some of the comments force me to dig deeper to be able to defend my position. Sometimes I’m just all wet and need a redo. At times I have to accept it’s a mess and just move on. Don’t get discouraged Rick. One reason I show the good, bad, and ugly is to help newbies like me to see some of the challenges coming up and how to overcome them. But right now, I’m just basking in the fact that I got the lifts right. The terminology will come as you look at others’ builds and do the research. I highly recommend R.c. Anderson’s book. I bought it online for under $20 and it’s on Google Play now.
You hang around here and you won't be a hack for long! We welcome newcomers and want to see how they progress on their builds. Glad you're here!I certainly wouldn't disagree with your position! I was just looking at things on the lighter side. Surely, we have all learned something from everyone here. However, everyone that takes on the endeavor of building ship models most likely realizes different levels of self-accomplishment and surely likes to hear a good shoutout! Personally, I'm just a hack at this hobby and was offering my friend Vic a hardy thumb's up. I offer no other apology if my comment was taken out of context!....Whoa there and ahoy!
Kits are frequently wrong when it comes to rigging, Vic. Our research is often more reliable. It's great to have others to bounce things off of.
Good morning. I’m have to agree with all the above. Firstly Vic beautiful work, your sails, rigging especially the details you are including in your Soleil Royal is wonderful. I have been blown away with the guys on this site- awesome people- and the encouragement, advice and at times in a positive and humble manner saying...” Grant redo”! I personally love the “Grant redo “ as this just makes me a better modeler. I owe much of my Victory to the friends I have made on SOs. A pleasure and thank you. Apologies Vic for expressing my sentiments on your log. Love your work. Cheers GrantWhoa there... Certainly my models (few as they are) get better because of all the other's opinions, not in spite of them... just sayin'. There are no experts here, just hobbyists all learning more about ship models, some with more experience and research accomplished than others. We all work as a team to help each other, and critiques are 100% positive and useful. I certainly value them.
No apologies needed, Grant. Do you vacation in winter in SA? How cold does it get there? As hot as it gets in Texas, the winters are brutal in North Dakota where I was stationed in the Air Force. One February, we flew non-stop to the island of Guam. We were scheduled to do it without aerial refueling, but we were bucking 250 knot headwinds part of the way and were going to land with only 15,000 pounds of fuel. That’s like running on fumes in a B-52. So we asked for a tanker that was on strip alert on Guam. We landed okay, but getting off the airplane was quite a shock. We had taken off from North Dakota with the weather at -20 F. We were wearing parkas, longjohn underwear, and insulated boots. As soon as I opened the hatch, I was engulfed with warm, humid atmosphere. Rivulets of sweat streamed from my brow and down from my armpits within minutes. When I walked, my boots sloshed with water inside. We couldn’t wait to get to the base store to buy shorts and flip-flop sandals. After a month in Guam, we flew back to Minot. We had forgotten to dress for our return and had left our long underwear packed. We climbed out of the hatch and were instantly greeted by an icy arctic 20 knot -15 F breeze that knifed through our clothing and crystallized whatever sweat was on our bodies. Welcome back to North Dakota! Oops! I guess I just high jacked my own thread! The only thing it had to do with ship building is the word “knots.”
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If not for the great mates here, I would have never been able to go as far as I did on my Pearl! I think one of the reasons I shelved it for the past 8 months is that as I have completed the ship, I feel I may not have the skill to attack the sails and rigging with any authenticity! But, I look at it like the Black Pearl wasn’t a real ship so, I guess I should just do my best! Vic, I apologize for talking about myself on your thread!
No problem! I’m no paragon of reticence about talking about myself on others’ threads. That’s how we learn and cross feed. I pretty much followed the directions for rigging and sail making on my Pearl. I think it turned out fine for my first complete build. It’s a great ship to learn on. Just go for it. Or download R, C. Anderson’s book and do some research on rigging and sails. It will help get some of the terminology down. Then you won’t feel silly asking about the little thingamajig that winds it’s way around the top of the piece of cloth and the horizontal pole that’s somehow attached to the long vertical pole. Wait! I’m starting to sound like myself!
Good evening Vic. That is a crazy experience. I struggle flying in a quiet commercial plane in calm and quiet weather...I would have been shattered on that flight
. We do have winter vacation, although I always go away out of season as it is quieter and running my own business I do get to choose when and where. Cape Town has a temperate climate compared to you guys for sure. Temps in winter drop to 9 C and average around 15 C.....and we still think it is cold.. It does rain in winter a fair amount with strong winds. (frontal weather system). Summer is lovely average of around 26-28C. Cheers Grant
The flight did have its rewards, though. I brought home duty-free cameras, china ware, and silver jewelry. One guy brought home a beautiful Thai desk and a huge papa san chair in the bomb bay.Good evening Vic. That is a crazy experience. I struggle flying in a quiet commercial plane in calm and quiet weather...I would have been shattered on that flight
Those were the days Vic..
. I wonder with all the regulations etc now days if you guys would be able to do that now?
Probably not.
One down side of getting advice online is that it usually comes too late. Andrey @Mr.Deep suggested measuring the after market sails I bought against my yards to determine if they were the right size. Great advice! Unfortunately, I had already made my yards and bought my sails. Now I’m stuck without my lathe and sails a bit too large for the yards. But we’ll make it work. It just won’t be perfect. I just love how we learn through experience!
I have experience salvaging problem situations of all kinds, Vic. Modifying the sails is not a good option, since replacing the sail would be required. I suggest making the tips of the yards a bit longer. The extensions could be slighting smaller in diameter than the ends of the yard, so that there is a small step at the joints, or if the extensions need to be much longer, make steps in the diameter of the extension at the appropriate locations, and at the joints the wood will be equal in diameter. To reinforce these weak glue joints, take a micro drill and drill the tips of the yards and the extensions and fit brass pins with the heads cut off or pieces of brass wire to join the parts together. If you stain the extensions to match the yards, the modification will be undetectable.
I do know this. ANY correction is well worth the time to do. Strangely, this is because others may not know of the existence of an error, BUT YOU WILL, and it will bother you. Errors that are not correctable because we have progressed too far in the build to fix them are one thing. Things we do not correct when we have access and the means to correct them gnaw at you when you pass them by. Only by making your best effort can you preserve and maximize that feeling of pride when you look at the finished model. Things you cannot easily correct, you change on the next model. I listed 16 things on my first model which needed correction or improvement when I got done. All of those lessons make the next model much better.
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Not great, but it will do. 