A small update today that represents hours and hours and hours of work.
I've mentioned several times that I have been making rope while working on other tasks. In studying other build logs I've noticed that some builders choose to make rope on an as-needed basis (well, assuming they didn't just use the kit-supplied rope or purchase rope on the aftermarket). I decided to pre-make rope in various sizes ahead of time so I would be locked and loaded when the need arose.
There is probably not a right or wrong way to approach this, though my solution did require a great deal of research on the front end to determine what sizes of rope would be needed for my build (thus far I have largely limited myself to the standing rigging). There are several tables and spreadsheets available to assist the builder though they sometimes don't agree (though I suspect much of that is user error on my part). In addition, I needed to estimate the lengths I would need of each size. Of course there is no way I got all this right...
Here is what I have done so far:
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I still need two more sizes and will also need more of several of the sizes that I have started (the 0.36 for example). A man can only take so much rope-making at a time...
Here are some closer looks at several of the sizes:
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As you can see I have selected polyester source threads. For anyone interested, most of these began as Gutermann Skala 240 or Guterman E121 (though some are from Gutermann Mara 120, 70, or 30).
Before you panic, while almost everything you see is intended for standing rigging, nothing has been tinted yet. I will be tinting on an as-needed basis because many of these sizes will show up in the running rigging as well (untinted). There is also material for ratlines in what has been produced and that will remain hemp colored for this build.
You may have also noticed that everything you see here is right handed (hawser laid). I am well aware that some builders think all the standing rigging should be left handed - others think it should be right handed. Others believe only the largest ropes from the standing rig should be left handed with the smaller ropes being right handed. I have even read that port and starboard sides should use different handed-ness on the shrouds. Unless something changes in my thinking everything will be right handed on this model (well, the anchor rope will be cable laid). Don't hate me.
Poly vs cotton vs silk vs... is open to debate and the preferences of the individual builder. I chose poly because it produces cleaner (less fuzzy) rope - perhaps too clean for some of you though if you have been following this build for long you know I wasn't going to be OK with fuzzy rope.
Poly has one major reported downside that I will need to sort out - it is marginally stretchy - the thicker ropes more so than the thinner ones (that's not a scientific conclusion - just my personal stretch test...). The other thing poly does is unravel when it is cut. Care must be taken to 'burn' the ends or use CA or some other binder before cutting the ropes.
And when I say it unravels I mean it unravels with enthusiasm - almost violently. I intend to use CA but I was still worried that I would lose control of some of the ends. My solution (not my invention) was to bake all the ropes in the oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes or so). This helps a lot.
In the image below the rope on the right is uncooked. All I did is cut it with an XActo and it fell apart in the blink of an eye. The rope on the left was baked and cut with the same knife.
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I learned (the painful lesson) that you can't just throw loose rope into the oven and bake it because the rope will take the 'pattern' of however it is sitting in the oven. My remedy was to wrap the rope around a soup can and then bake it.
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I'm still a ways off from doing any rigging - but it is now on the visible horizon so rope-making will continue in the weeks ahead.
Thank you for checking in on my build. The simple fact that you visit now and again is more encouraging than I can put words to.
Oh, and thank you to
@Daniel20 and
@mati.n who offered helpful advice (along with several others). It takes a village...
I mean, what else I can say...seriously. It is supposed to be a rookie build, really?
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