Vasa - 1:65 DeAgostini [COMPLETED BUILD]

Daniel20 said:
Paul that is just beautiful work! It is amazing how fast our handmade rope gets used up, something I took for granted when using spool wound kit supplied rope.
Is the block attached to the bow sprit just a friction connection or did you glue the rope strop onto the bow sprit?
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Thanks Daniel! Right now its friction fit and seems to be fine - but I don't trust it. Perhaps there should be a little block of wood on the underside of the bowsprit to hold the stay in position? If not, I'll likely add a tiny drop of glue at some point. Since I am still running scared I'm not gluing/fixing anything in place right now.

I burned through 3x seven-foot lengths of .036 rope just making futtock shrouds and lanyards for the foremast shrouds. Ugh...
 
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VERY clean work, Paul. I foxed my bowsprit to the hull permanently early on because it provides tension for the forestays, and that tension transfers back through other stays back aft, and this in turn helps keep the tension on all your shrouds. The bowsprit is really the foundation for much of the standing rigging. You should have some tension on your forestay at this point.
 
dockattner said:
An intermezzo...

I promised you that I would be back when the foremast shrouds were completed but I have run out of lanyard rope (ALREADY?!?) so I turned my attention to the foremast stay.

This line is looped over the shrouds at the masthead and feeds through itself with a 'mouse' to prevent a noose from forming around the mast. First up was making a loop at the end of a 1.4 mm rope (served). Here is what I ended up with:

View attachment 284229

Next, I needed to figure out how to make a mouse. My resource books both suggested using a wrap of wool to create the proper shape and then weaving thread around that clump of wool to sheathe the mouse. I couldn't make that work.

I then remembered that my Domanoff serving machine has an auxiliary disc that could be used to make a woven mouse. I couldn't make that work either (my bad not the tool's). Indeed, @PGN (Paul) used the same machine to create a masterful rendition at a similar scale to my Vasa. Sigh...

Respect to you Paul!

So, I drilled a hole in the center of a small wooden rod and cut off a section (roughly 5 mm long) to form a wooden infrastructure for my mouse:

View attachment 284227

I then slid that piece on a toothpick (to use as a handle) and used sanding sticks and sandpaper to create the proper shape:

View attachment 284228

I then slide that wooden bit onto my rope and glued it in place...and then served over the whole thing:

View attachment 284230

View attachment 284231

Not woven but I can work with this.

Here it is on the ship:

View attachment 284233

And now the working end:

View attachment 284234

View attachment 284235

Yes, that is one wacky lanyard. From the Vasawarship forum I learned that the rigging sequence begins at the strop of the 4-holed block and is actually two distinct ropes (the left side mirrors the right side). I haven't figured out how to tie off these lines yet, but I still have time - I'm leaving everything loose for now pending future tensioning.

The overall picture:

View attachment 284236

One line = one day. At this rate...

Thanks for taking time away from your own builds to visit mine. You are appreciated!
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Fantastic Paul. Your making of the mouse has given me something to have a go at. Thanks. I also like the lashing on the short end of the stay line after your triple lashings- I have been wondering how to finish these off.

Your ropes and blocks are such high standard. It is a joy to see your work.

Cheers
Grant
 
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
VERY clean work, Paul. I foxed my bowsprit to the hull permanently early on because it provides tension for the forestays, and that tension transfers back through other stays back aft, and this in turn helps keep the tension on all your shrouds. The bowsprit is really the foundation for much of the standing rigging. You should have some tension on your forestay at this point.
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Thank you, Kurt. The bowsprit and the lower masts are cemented in place. It's just the shrouds and the stay that have loose lines. But as soon as I can attach the rest of the foremast shroud lanyards I'll snug everything up and tie off the ends. I've read so much about sagging shrouds and stays that I'm just being (overly?) cautious at this point.
 
GrantTyler said:
Fantastic Paul. Your making of the mouse has given me something to have a go at. Thanks. I also like the lashing on the short end of the stay line after your triple lashings- I have been wondering how to finish these off.

Your ropes and blocks are such high standard. It is a joy to see your work.

Cheers
Grant
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Thank you, Grant. The wrap on the end of the rope just made sense to me on this large line. I have seen this used on 1:48 scale builds (on most every rope!!!) but not on a lot of 1:64 and smaller-scale builds. I won't do this on the smaller lines (thinking about it for the shrouds), but it just made sense for this larger line. Just the fact that you noticed made it worth doing :D (full disclosure: that's a lie ROTF).

You can totally do the mouse - it was easy once I figured out something that worked in my hands. Your natural skills exceed mine so you will own it!

I take no credit for these particular blocks - bought them from @zoly99sask:

https://drydockmodelsandparts.com/

Of course, shipping to SA will be $100 USD and take two months so good luck with that...
 
Of course, shipping to SA will be $100 USD and take two months so good luck with that...

Hi

Probably not that much ,but if he message me his addres I can verify that

 
zoly99sask said:
Of course, shipping to SA will be $100 USD and take two months so good luck with that...

Hi

Probably not that much ,but if he message me his addres I can verify that
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Seriously Grant. And I think you know I am uncompromising to the extent I can be (well, that's overstated but you know what I mean). These are the best blocks I can find.
 
dockattner said:
Thank you, Grant. The wrap on the end of the rope just made sense to me on this large line. I have seen this used on 1:48 scale builds (on most every rope!!!) but not on a lot of 1:64 and smaller-scale builds. I won't do this on the smaller lines (thinking about it for the shrouds), but it just made sense for this larger line. Just the fact that you noticed made it worth doing :D (full disclosure: that's a lie ROTF).

You can totally do the mouse - it was easy once I figured out something that worked in my hands. Your natural skills exceed mine so you will own it!

I take no credit for these particular blocks - bought them from @zoly99sask:

https://drydockmodelsandparts.com/

Of course, shipping to SA will be $100 USD and take two months so good luck with that...
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Got to love Paul’s humour.
 
zoly99sask said:
Of course, shipping to SA will be $100 USD and take two months so good luck with that...

Hi

Probably not that much ,but if he message me his addres I can verify that
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Hello Zola- I will send you a mail (don’t want to Hijack Paul’s log). Blocks, thread etc. You will be a life saver if we can arrange something. Cheers
 
GrantTyler said:
Hello Zola- I will send you a mail (don’t want to Hijack Paul’s log). Blocks, thread etc. You will be a life saver if we can arrange something. Cheers
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There is an even faster method,just add some products in the cart and go to the Checkout page and there will tell you the shipping options and prices
 
Donnie said:
Paul,
I am speechless. Can I hire you for help on my ships? Ha. Up to page #103 !!! What an accomplishment so far. Rope? I must have missed the post about the rope you are using.
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Hi Donnie. I'm honored when SOS royalty checks in!

Yes, I'm embarrassed by the fact that this build report has grown so big - but it is what it is. I am humbled and grateful. I have received more than I have given.

The ropes are my own work. Not sure I will do that again - but glad I did this time to add to my skills...
 
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dockattner said:
Thank you, Kurt. The bowsprit and the lower masts are cemented in place. It's just the shrouds and the stay that have loose lines. But as soon as I can attach the rest of the foremast shroud lanyards I'll snug everything up and tie off the ends. I've read so much about sagging shrouds and stays that I'm just being (overly?) cautious at this point.
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Sagging shrouds is not a huge problem if you tension your stay to a moderate tension, then make your shrouds in pairs, and make them firm but not too tight. Make your shrouds in pairs after adding tension to the fore stay. If you are using poly-based line for shrouds, and not cotton, they have a lot of stretch in them, so even a small amount of stored stretch will keep the shroud in tension if it is slackened off a bit, sort of light a rubber band stretched taut about an inch. Loosening it by 1/4" does not make it go slack. I have never had an issue with shroud slacking.

1642657224105.pngJust DO IT!
 
Hi Paul. It took me some time to reed and look to your addings till my last visit. With the ups and downs, you made beautiful riggings! Now you are part of the ‘Overthinking Club’, to short lines are done. And the little piece of wood over the line is a good example of that thinking.
Regards, Peter
 
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