USS Constipation 1/120 scale Imai long suffering build

rtfoe

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Hi, I've just spent the day finally finishing the ratlines I started years ago. They're for the upper masts sections and should have been done first and attached to the masts.

Lucky for me my jig survived the flood in 2006...

USS007.jpg

These are the final seven pieces...

USS0086.jpg

This shows how I attach the ends to the stays firstly by drilling a groove to take the thread and attaching with CA. I then snip off the excess.

USS0087.jpg

Still working on the gun ropes and blocks and listening to some authentic chain gang music with some hint of early blues.

Monkeys and the desert stuff are keeping me company...so is the harbour which I'd like to re-visit.

Cheers,
Richard
 

Jim R

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Hi Richard
2006 or earlier ;) - that's quite a stalled build. Good that you just had to finish them off. Those rat lines do look excellent.
Jim
 
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rtfoe

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Hi Richard
2006 or earlier ;) - that's quite a stalled build. Good that you just had to finish them off. Those that lines do look excellent.
Jim
Thanks Jim, definitely earlier as I had done one half of the bottom set of ratlines when the floods hit.
Rattling good ratlines there Richard. Some of the best I’ve ever seen to be honest. Love the way you’ve got the foot rope sizes different as well.
Thanks Tim, that was the idea as the given plastic ones were the same size all round. What's missing is the sag though...but I've seen some that don't have any.

Cheers,
Richard
 

rtfoe

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Richard,
Lovely work mate.
Thanks Scottie, been busy giving the ratlines a coat from the rattle can. Didn't dust for cat fur so ended up picking them off bit by bit. Here's the lot...I missed out one that fell on the side.
20220407_005001.jpg
Now looking all even in black. Will airbrush shades and dry brush highlights.

Cheers,
Richard
 

wotan

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More great patience and skill Richard. Remember shrouds and ratlines were heavily painted with tar on the real ships so the colour would be pretty much slightly shiny black. The lanyards (that is the thin lines that tie through the dead eyes would be regular oakum coloured since they were worked and renewed more frequently.

John
 

rtfoe

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More great patience and skill Richard. Remember shrouds and ratlines were heavily painted with tar on the real ships so the colour would be pretty much slightly shiny black. The lanyards (that is the thin lines that tie through the dead eyes would be regular oakum coloured since they were worked and renewed more frequently.

John
Thanks John B, the info confirms what I read about the shrouds and ratlines. I was in two minds about painting the lanyards a lighter shade in oakum(gotta look that up)
I thought I had finished with the ratlines when I noticed more needs to be done. Just as the ratlines reach the platform there's an extention that attaches to the outside of the platform so it's back to the jig just to make only the sections needed. The land lubber in me doesn't know what it's called.
Great work Richard, looks very realistic.
Thanks John R, hope you're feeling better.

Cheers,
Richard
 

Airborne01

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From this Richard I think you're referring to the 'catharpins' that come from where the shrouds converge to the outer edge of the fighting tops, in reality they serve as extra tensioning devices; seasoned seamen would use these to access the next set of shrouds - less able or confident seamen would access the shrouds by passing through the rectangular openings adjacent to the mast 'doublings' - termed the 'lubbers hole'! There is a small spreader bar that provides a link between the shrouds and catharpins. Hope this helps!
Steve
 

wotan

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Richard

The actual shroud extensions as you call them delight in the name FUTTOCK shrouds. The Catharpins are horizontal weaving that tie together the two sets of shrouds (port and Starboard) just below the tops.

mast head.jpg

On this photo you can see the catharpins joining the two sets of shrouds horizontally and the lubbers hole at the front of the mast head as Steve mentioned.

John
 

rtfoe

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Thanks Steve, Jim and John B,

Thanks for the reference on the carthapins and futtock shrouds...man I love all that rope on the fighting tops which is not shown in the destruction sheet.
What are those dangling with loops at the end? Are they more rope attachments to the deck?

Cheers,
Richard
 

rtfoe

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Oh no I also need to make more eyes for the futtock shrouds.:disappointed: Thought of just gluing them just behind the outer beam but then again.

Cheers,
Richard
 

wotan

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Richard

Those dangly bits are for the securing of the spar (or yard arm) for the main sail. I am not exactly certain but they are either known as JEERS (sometimes JEARS or even GEERS),PENDANTS or SLINGS.

John
 
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rtfoe

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Richard

Those dangly bits are for the securing of the spar (or yard arm) for the main sail. I am not exactly certain but they are either known as JEERS (sometimes JEARS or even GEERS),PENDANTS or SLINGS.

John
Thanks for that John B. On the kit there are protrusions to glue the yardarms which will make them straight or 90 degrees to the mast. Am I right to say that they ought to be able to pivot depending on direction of wind?

Cheers,
Richard
 

Airborne01

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Thanks for that John B. On the kit there are protrusions to glue the yardarms which will make them straight or 90 degrees to the mast. Am I right to say that they ought to be able to pivot depending on direction of wind?

Cheers,
Richard
That's correct Richard - they are suspended on the slings (chains, pendants etc - see John! ) A shaped wooden piece (your protrusions)is secured to the yard and the yard is then retained by a rope and wooden 'ball bearing ' system, (or an iron collar) called 'Parrels' This allows the yard to swivel and to slide up and down the mast! This is the simple answer I'm afraid!
Steve
 
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wotan

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Richard

Yes you are right. The yards are secured to the mast only by ropes and are free to pivot around the mast. The BRACES, which attach to the end of the yards and run aft down to the deck level, and the TACKS which run forward are used to swing the yards and the attached sails around. When a ship wants to change direction the first order given is "OFF TACKS AND BRACES" which releases the yard then "MAINS'L HAUL" which tells the crew to haul on the weather tacks and the leeward braces to swing the yards around.

If you are going to depict the ship under sail then the yards would not be square but would certainly stand at an angle. However if you are not adding the sails then the yards would be "SQUARED AWAY" and indeed the Topsail and Royals yards would be run down the masts to just above the relative cross trees.

In modelling I fully rig the SLINGS to hold the yards but then I also add a spot of glue just for security, to attach the yards to the masts.

John
 

Airborne01

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Richard

Yes you are right. The yards are secured to the mast only by ropes and are free to pivot around the mast. The BRACES, which attach to the end of the yards and run aft down to the deck level, and the TACKS which run forward are used to swing the yards and the attached sails around. When a ship wants to change direction the first order given is "OFF TACKS AND BRACES" which releases the yard then "MAINS'L HAUL" which tells the crew to haul on the weather tacks and the leeward braces to swing the yards around.

If you are going to depict the ship under sail then the yards would not be square but would certainly stand at an angle. However if you are not adding the sails then the yards would be "SQUARED AWAY" and indeed the Topsail and Royals yards would be run down the masts to just above the relative cross trees.

In modelling I fully rig the SLINGS to hold the yards but then I also add a spot of glue just for security, to attach the yards to the masts.

John
And to further confuse the uninitiated there are other ropes such as 'uphauls' and 'downhauls' - it's a minefield mate!
 
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