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Author Topic: Rigging for the Beginner  (Read 2587 times)

Millwallsteve

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Rigging for the Beginner
« on: September 20, 2017, 06:55:44 pm »

Hello Folks

Recently started a topic on plans for the HMS Endeavour, which has been kindly supplied by Alan from Guildford ? Anyway, as a fairly new builder of sailing ships, I have now come to the stage of the rigging....reading through the supplied plans, although they are comprehensive in what needs to be achieved, they are somewhat complicated, I was wondering if the vast knowledge of Model Boaters on the forum, anybody can give me some tips or any books I can look up to help me in this complicated stage of the build.

Kind Regards

MillwallSteve :-))
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nemesis

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2017, 08:22:45 pm »

What ever you do, always rig from the inside (C/L) outwards. Croquet hooks are a very handy tool to have. nemesis
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unbuiltnautilus

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2017, 09:42:51 pm »

Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petterson..your one stop book to understanding ship rigging. I have it and it was our go to book when rigging some of our RC sailing ships, including our big HMS Victory. Recommended.
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Millwallsteve

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2017, 10:28:18 pm »

Thanks Both for this.....will nick some crochet needles from my mum......will also enquire about the book from the internet. I've also been told that you can get a "rigging tool" have either of you had any experience of this or know of this tool, any help would be grateful. Finish work tomorrow for a week or so, I'm anxious to crack on....

Kindest Regards

Millwallsteve :-))
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roycv

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2017, 12:10:56 am »

I think understanding how the rigging works is the first thing. 
The boat is divided up into what holds up the masts,
 how the spars are attached to the masts,
what attaches the sails to masts and spars
and the running rigging used for sailing the boat.
The bowsprit is a piece of geometry taking and absorbing energy from fore mast and sails.

Most applications call for different types and sizes of ropes.
A rope can be enhanced by running it through some hard beeswax first, gets rid of hairy string effect.

There are many three hole blocks in pairs used to hold up the masts, these should be positioned with the triangle of holes pointed away from the middle and the other 2 holes in parallel across the space between.  Anything else is incorrect and you will find errors in magazines etc.
Make up the mast ropes (haliards) on a jig of nails on a board, then you can make an identical set of ropes for the other side.
Learn just a few basic knots which will make life a lot easier.

Good luck, though I am sure you will come out of it a very knowledgeable person.
Roy
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Millwallsteve

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2017, 04:46:13 am »

Thanks Roy...that's absolutely fantastic - I'm will study your advice carefully and make sure I have taken it in before I attempt to start.....I did think of making up some kind of jig for the haliards.....but all the plans are quite good but complicated, so your advice will be great. If I come up against a couple of snags I will contact you if that is OK with you. The ship I'm building is HMS Endeavour and I want to use this as learning curve as I have another 3 ships of the same type that I want to build as they are taking up space in my man-cave. My wife has also got me HMS Sovereign of the Seas which I hope to display in my local pub.

Once again thanks for this invaluable advice..

Regards...Millwallsteve
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roycv

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2017, 06:13:03 am »

Hi, I am not an expert, I have been doing a working sailing ship on and off and the rest was reading up on the subject.  If you think about it, what Nemesis said is spot on, and the list I gave you might help the order of doing it.

You should also consider the colour of the ropes, the standing rigging once set up was tarred and very black because it does not have to move anymore.
Other ropes are brown through to lighter colours for ropes that had to move freely through pulley blocks / sheeves.

The rigging holding up the mast has to look taut and could have a light tension spring out of sight to keep it that way.  They do not just vanish through holes in the deck.
 Use a magnifying glass to look at pictures, all sailig ships of the period were rigged in the same way it was the culmination of hundreds of years of development, an industry in itself and did not vary much between building yards.  Although an 'old salt' could tell where a ship came from by its rigging!

Another satisfying expertise to learn is whipping and forming loops at the end of ropes, you will need this to terminate some of the haliards, they just loop around the mast and sit on a wooden shoulder built into the mast.  Also for making an 'eye' at the end of a rope.
It is easy and quick and I can tell you how, if you want but you can also find it on the Internet.

If at home you have an old fashioned potato peeler with the blade attached to the wooden handle with string.  This is called whipping.  You can see there are no knots.

I learnt 60 years ago, as in electronic circuit building then, prior to printed circuits, the wiring was all neatly brought together for tidyness and whipped in place.
regards Roy
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hammer

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2017, 09:35:30 am »

Two methods I have used to keep stays tight. A spring under the mast pushing it up. Or shearing elastic through the deadeyes.
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tonyH

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2017, 09:36:52 am »

Hi Steve,

A rigging tool set can be got from Cornwall Models http://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/acatalog/rigging_tools.html

Useful for the ratlines but you may have to play around with the spacing. You can make one to suit because it's a pig of a job to do it on the model plus you really do need to make them in pairs, port and starboard, or it'll annoy you every time you see the finished model.
Apart from that, there's nothing really difficult apart from the boredom setting in. After all, it's just a case of tying lots of knots interspersed with some fiddly bits :-))

Good Luck
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Brian60

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #9 on: September 21, 2017, 09:47:47 am »

I was going to say have a look at any of Hammers builds in the sailing section, some nice photos of rigging going on, although I don't think he's ever built a square rigger, just gaff and ketch (fore and aft/ sails.

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2017, 12:04:13 pm »

terminate some of the haliards, they just loop around the mast and sit on a wooden shoulder built into the mast. 

Halyards from the old term haul yards are for hoisting sails, spars,
flags etc.
They are termed running rigging.
Ratlines and stays that hold the
masts up are Standing Rigging.
Giving a beginner the wrong terminology could be confusing.
Ned
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dreadnought72

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2017, 12:16:46 pm »

Is this not still the essential go-to? Conway's 'The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War'.


Andy
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roycv

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2017, 12:54:57 pm »

Hi also the Underhill books are good on rigging taking it from the start and leading you through.
reagrds Roy
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hammer

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Re: Rigging for the Beginner
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2017, 04:14:45 pm »

Thanks for the mention Brian. Your right no square riggers, the nearest a topsail schooner. The square sails did furl by remote as well as turn. Now sold and in the Cottage Loaf Inn Llandudno, where parts off the original Flying Foam form the beams in the bar. Hammer
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