Model shipways Privateer Rattlesnake 1:64 POB by MOG [COMPLETED BUILD]

MOG

Joined
Aug 11, 2018
Messages
157
Points
253

Hello all. Not really sure what the protocol is for new members with current builds nearing completion. I guess the best place to start is a quick build overview I have been working on this build for several years. Being a large & small project wood guy, I do not work on the build daily.

I follow the building style of Master ship builder Frank Mastini, which is a bit non-traditional in the sense I use very little paint, preferring blended stains and oils to bring out the natural wood look. I know the traditional, historical accuracy paint scheme followers always cringe a little with this, all good natured of course. But I believe in the natural beauty of the wood, the feel of the ship. We all love this hobby for our own reasons , I build for the builder, she might not be the best looking ship at the ball, but she’s my ship. Sorry for the long windiness, I promise this will be my longest post.

In the attached pictures I have shown the build up to the rigging of the main. I rigged the mizzen, main, fore and bow spirit off ship as far as possible. The long boat is only placed for sizing as not to foul the lines at the base of the mast and bits, so it is not lashed down at this point. MOG

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Off ship rigging of the bowsprit Block guy lifts, collars and open hearts. Being so small the guy lifts were a problem, the wood thimbles are deadeyes with the center hollowed out, with a brass ring for line guides, then rigged with course line. The hearts & collars are not perfect, I had to make them out of stronger wood, while trying to keep them close to scale so they are a bit misshaped. As for the main mast picture I just wanted to highlight the tight working space around the mast & bits. Anyone who has built the Rattlesnake with know the challenges here all to well.


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The cramped working space for Belaying lines around the main mast & quarterdeck overhang area.

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ribs & trucks
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With all the deck and hull lines for the main mast rigged, I was able to lash down the long boat. I’m still not sure about the coiled line hanging over the starboard side??? The extra line has to go someplace just not sure if it fits. Will see how it looks when the main mast lines are rigged.
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Your boat is looking really good - you have an eye for the details
BTW: On the last photo we can see a standing rigging line with a lot of fuzzles - will you treat them at the end to remove the fuzzles?
 
Thank you, working on the small details hopefully will lead to improvement in other areas of my building skills. There are a lot of class builders on this site, which always helps with your learning curve

The fuzzy line thing, it’s been a problem lately, as a norm I wax all the lines, lately I have tried soaking them in water diluted with white glue then waxing. I have allot of different types of line in the supply locker hemp, synthetic, treated, untreated, ect not a big fan of the newer synthetic stuff so I order from several different companies. It could be the difference in quality? I do have some really old line which really looks good but will fuzz up even after waxing. I know I have to go back and try to fix the lines already rigged Like I said there are allot of very good builders on this site. I would love to hear your thoughts on the treating the line fuzz. MOG
 
Since my last post I have completed the rigging of the main mast, except the bunt lines. Here lies the problem during this build I have MAINLY used the MS rigging plans however they can be very to follow with there red and black lines covering both rigged with /without sail on the same plan sheet. Many hours spent hovering over the plans trying to finger follow the little lines tend to drive one nuts. In an attempt to make some sense of the messy line following I referred to other Snake builds that followed Hunts kit bashing plans for the most part the combination to the two answered most of the rigging question. Except now back to the bunt lines. MS plans refer bunt lines from blocks on the yard’s thru blocks under the main tops. However, they are not clear where they terminate. The MS plans are one double sided sheet hull and deck on one side rigging on the other. So as one does when building you use the building side. This double-sided sheet is a major flaw from MS. (my opinion ) Anyway, I followed the plans and went with the six bunt line blocks under the front of the main tops, It was only after I was well into the rigging that I found that Hunts plans call for the use of crow feet and euphroe block for lines that are attached to the front of the main tops, no blocks, the MS plans make no mention of crowfeet. A long rambling story in short what to do with the six bunt lines,?? Unfortunately, I think I have rigged myself into a corner, not sure where the lines terminate and at this stage seeing no way to get them there if I did. So, I’m looking at going with the crow feet attached to the mainstay. Looking forward I built and rigged the Euphroe block. If anyone has any suggestions before I move forward, I would be grateful for your imputes.
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A Short Time ago we had the same in another log - with a good sketch - have to search for it ....
 
I did not find the correct post here in SOS, I am pretty sure, that we had this part with a sketch somewhere - maybe the author of this topic make here a link.

I found a relative good sketch in the book "Rigging Period Ship Models" by Lennarth Petersson showing the rigging....hope this is helping:

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A complete book review you can find here (click on title)

Rigging Period Ship Models: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intricacies of Square-Rig
 
Thank you all for the info, Paulv1958 excellent picture. Ok this all highlights the problem, as we covered MS plans do not show crows feet instead they have six buntline blocks under the forward bottom edge of the platform, Hunts plan places the blocks under the platform only further back and more to the sides, while attaching the crow feet lines directly thru the front of the platform, the same place my blocks are. As we all know the platforms are very tight for space, many lines that work in conjunction with yards braces ect.. Pull anything out of place and you foul several other lines. The main is completely rigged, I see no way of repositioning the blocks, trying to rig the buntlines to the bits (again no working room here) and then attaching all the crow feet lines , without doing permeant damage., simply put with 6 years work at stake It's looking like a work around with what I have to work with is my best call. In some cases you have to please the builder rather than please the historians. again thanks for the responses.
 
It’s starting to come tougher. I’ve said before I like to rig as mush off ship as I can. Rolling and securing all the lose lines is great for keeping them out of your way while working However, I’m learning lines don’t react well to being stored in place over a period of time, in this case I rigged the fore mast over a year ago. Besides rewaxing all the lines, I’m using weighted clips to straighten them before I can step the fore. Yes, my work bench is a cluttered mess, I find every time I attempt to organise it I can’t find anything
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I like the way the rattlesnake is completely ng along. I'm getting the rattlesnake for Christmas can I been your ear I'm I get stuck.
 
REGARDS
You will see that I get an offer of some plans of the HMS Rattlesnake, I have not started it yet since I am finishing the HMS Bounty, the problem is that it would be my first project through plans, if you had pictures of the beginning of the ship they would be very useful , since I do not know if I'll be able to do it ..... thank you very much and HAPPY 2019
 
nandoyoni, MikeMC I joined this site long after I started the build, so I never really thought about adding some early pics. So maybe these few will be of help. My Snake is Model shipways kit , I don’t like metal casting parts so made my own, I will add the snake plans from MS are one two-sided sheet which are a pain. The best advise I can add is take the time to learn how to read and understand the plans, they tend to look like they jump all over the place, which can be confusing. Second if you have a good working knowledge of building terminology great, I thought I had a handle on it as the Snake was not my first build, I was wrong, made several errors early on as I misunderstood what some of the working terms meant. The errors caused me to go back and learn much more about all the working parts, and what they where used for. Which made it allot easer to work through some of the problems later in the build. Last if I had it all to do over again, I think I would have cut my own bulkheads, the kit supplied there very fragile, I had allot of breakage. Ok in saying this at the time I started this build (several years ago) I was not very good with a scroll saw so learning to cut bulkheads would have been easer said than done. The Snake is a good build I have learned many new skills and worked thru allot of problem solving, getting allot of advice from the many great builders on this site. I like to believe nearing the end of the build I have become a better builder.
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