To victory and beyond ...

[dafi]

Yes, dafi knows how to do it, dafi hasn't forgotten anything ...

...

...

... the wrecking ball!

What happened again?

I always say it, my biggest problem is getting the big exhibit in P. out of my head.

For almost 20 years now, I've been looking forward to those great special shoulder and quarter blocks that I discovered back then back there, building them exactly according to McKay and Bugler's plans and, in my exuberance, not even realizing that they are much rounder in the classic literature ...

Thank goodness there are some people in my german and english packs who are not so obsessed and have a keen eagle eye and have pointed this out to me. Thank you!

So I made new rounder blocks. I also finally did some research, as I was slightly irritated at the first pass when I noticed that these blocks on the foremast lower mast and topsail are all the same size, just like on the main mast lower mast and topsail. Thanks to druxey from the MSW for reassuring me and confirming this on the basis of Steel's information.

At this point, in response to a few questions, I would like to repeat the painting method: first, using an old disheveled brush, two layers of very thin paint in a darker brown, which is the base color. The thin paint makes it easy to get to the sides without pasting over the holes.

The highlighting color in a lighter brown, applied with a dry brush, is applied on top. This emphasizes the edges and the depths remain slightly darker, which gives optical depth. And the deliberately uneven application of color keeps the whole thing alive and no longer looks like plastic.

Then the grand finale: as the new round blocks are the same size as the old square ones, simply press the new ones back into the strop from the side and you're done.

The same with the sheet quarter blocks, before - after

You see dafi still can do it ;-)

XXXDAn

PS: All those of you that already got a delivery of blocks will get a free upgade of the blocks in question

 

[shota70]

Dear Dafi
your blocks look great

 

[dafi]

Just a small warning for those who follow the sequences of my build: Please remember to put the shrouds before putting up the stays! My stays are up for test purposes, I will still have to reopen the lanyards, take the stays off, fit pendents and shrouds and then finally reset the says and its lanyards

All the best, DAniel

 

[dafi]

xxxxx

 

[dafi]

Well, what can I say. I'm only away for a few weeks because of work and already my tinkering room doesn't want to let me back in ...

"What does THIS strange man want here?!" was one of the nicer questions I had to listen to ...

After some persuasion à la "man cave whisperer", I was allowed to do something in there after all. In the meantime, I had revised my lists of blocks for the Victory again. I had noticed that McKay had left out some quite some blocks in the AOTS and that there were also some errors among them. I had therefore plowed through the entire Steel of 1795 and worked through the various entries, compared them and selected the most plausible variant, possibly adding variants. All in all, there were significantly more blocks added, both the standard blocks and the special types. But more on that later.

The last thing I did was to replace the square shoulder blocks, which are used on the ship today and which McKay also shows, with contemporary round ones. The main yard continues to serve as a model playing field. Here is a reminder of the last status.

Next came 3 x 2.5 mm blocks on each side for the belly and nock gordings.

Check on the tweezers whether the paint application is complete and either brush on the tweezers immediately ...

... or after the block has been pinned. Place a strop around the fixed block as described before ...

... and checked the length in place. Since the block hangs in front of the yard, the legs must of course be different lengths.

The pointed tweezers with clamping function do a good job here, first one side ...

... and neatly trimmed, and the other and you're done

Here is a comparison of the simplified version with a simple knot on the top of the yardarm and the more correct solution with a lashing.

Since the lashing is tricky to thread, a classic needle helps.

And this is how it should look

With this technique, I'm now just as fast for the small blocks as I am for the large ones

XXXDAn

 

[europapete]

Awesome work Dan, our collective education enrichens as always. I just showed this to Darlene and she was blown away with the detail. ( She is used to my 1/48 WW1 aircraft models where you can read the instruments)

 

[dafi]

After the leechline and bowline blocks had worked out so well, we continued with the tricing lines of the yard tackles pendants.

The block on the yard tackle pendant was hauled to the yard with the outer tricing line and the lower block with hooks was hauled with the inner tricing lines to the shrouds to be hooked/fastened there. Unlike other load rigs, the yard tackles were not struck off when not in use, but were also used as to support the braces in strong winds or for other purposes.

And so that the whole thing doesn't get too boring, this time the blocks are 7" and 8", i.e. 2 mm in my scale. But it doesn't matter, it works just like the others

First on the filed needle, then stropped in as usual ...

... and succeding the function test.

Fits. Then, as usual, tied the eyes with the pointed clamping tweezers and quickly put them all on the leash, such a stopped block is too quickly inhaled.

And to show that you can get these blocks to the yard even with sausage fingers like mine ...

... you just have to make sure that you …

… get not tangled. And already finished.

You can clearly see the noticeable difference between the 2 mm block of the tricing line and the 2.5 mm blocks of the leechline.

The tricing line is one of the thinnest in the entire rigging, here hanging loosely with the yard tackle in use ...

... and with the yard tackle pulled up.

For the sake of completeness, the inner tricing line next to the 4 mm clue line block.

XXXDAn

 

[Uwek]

Hallo Daniel,
you know, that with the age, the eyesight is getting worse and worse (step by step) - the fingers are starting to shake etc.....
and you are getting smaller and smaller with your modelling .....
Wahnsinn was du da machst

 

[dafi]

Counteracting the effects of aging ;-)

Anyway it is not the size that matters, you need to have the right technic!

XXXDAn

 

[WilliamM]

Yes, it was a hell of a ride through model makers universe that I was taken through out the last years. Right from the humble beginnings straight forward obb down to the heavy seas to the Arsenal Exhibition in Rochefort, as mentioned by Uwek in another thread. Yes this build started to have a life of it´s own, his own superior will and I am very privileged that it granted me the honor to be part of it.

And yes too, my litte Vic was the only sailing ship build originating from plastic in the great Exhibition du Modelisme naval. But almost nobody realised this, even when seen in company with all this superior build wooden arsenal models . And hush, do not tell, I think she did rather fine, very fine

... hihihihihi, that´s Uwe in the picture by the way

And here too, together with our "Delegation allemande" and our french host.

Let me get you a small retrospective from this ride.
tbc.

XXXDAniel

Your Victory is amazing!

Bill

 

[dafi]

Thank you Bill!

XXXDAn