Mantua only sends 2 sizes of deadeye, 5 and 7 mm.
The rule for the size of deadeye to use is: the diameter of the deadeye is equal to one-half the size of the visible maximum mast diameter that it is associated with. If that size it not available, one source says to round up and another says to round down. My interpretation would be that on the lower deadeye, they probably would round up. On the other deadeyes, they would probably round down.
Deadeye are available in 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5 4, 5, 7 mm. They are others that larger sizes but would not be on this ship.
The size if the mainmast is 12 mm and the fore and missen are 10 mm. What Mantua shows is that 7 mm deadeye are used for all the shrouds and the backstays are 5 mm. This is very incorrect. 7 mm being only used for the mainmast shrouds would be right. The strops that they send do not work either because the channels are planked on both sides. Thus, the strops are to short to come below the channels.
To solve the problem, I bought the photo etched deadeye straps that are made by Amati. They come in 3, 5 and 7 mm. The 3 can be used to handle 2.5 mm deadeye and the 5 can be used for 4 mm deadeye.
Based upon the rule sighted above, I modified the deadeye on the channels as follows:
Foremast: eight 5 mm for the shrouds, two 4 mm for backstays
Mainmast: nine 7 mm for shrouds, two 4 mm and one 2.5 mm for backstays
Mission mast: six 5 mm
Currently, I have over 1,100 hours in construction time and over 4,800 parts have been utilized.
