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#11
04-07-2009, 09:30 AM
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Hi Jim,
I have been patiently waited for your small scale ship build. Very nice build!!! 
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#14
04-07-2009, 12:30 PM
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Hi, Glen!
I'm not that computer savy but what works for me is to save the file on my computer and then when I left click on the downloaded file one of the options presented is "extract to ...(usually the file name)" and that usually opens the file up into a folder with that same file name. There are a few other programs out there that do the same thing, but I think this software came with the computer as part of windows, as I recall. Let me know if this works for you. Cheers! Jim
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#15
04-07-2009, 12:32 PM
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Hi, Yu!
Thanks for your patience, my friend, and for the generous complements...I hope to post a few updates shortly showing how I "rigged" the shrouds, which I hope you find interesting. Cheers! Jim
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#16
04-07-2009, 12:33 PM
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Quote:
__________________
Jim
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#17
04-07-2009, 01:16 PM
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(Thanks Jim, I think it's the network blocking me at work, so to the thumb drive and open at home....the steam tug included with another model is very helpful for a project I have on a back burner)
__________________
regards Glen
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#18
04-07-2009, 09:03 PM
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In dealing with the shrouds I had to consider the scale I am working at. It is too small for me to attempt a full and accurate rigging scheme, running the shrouds over the bolsters in the mast tops, and then tying the ratlines with clove hitches to each shroud. Not only would that be impossible it would take the rest of my life to accomplish, and it probably wouldn't look right in the end anyway.
I thought of this and fell I came up with a solution that, if executed right, would give the same impression, at least at this size. I have had good results using silk fly tying line stretched over a jig which gives me the proper line separation between the run of the lines, and then applying acrylic paint where the crossed lines meet, as well as the rest of the line which helps stiffen it. I figured this would be workable in making shrouds as well, provided I took the time to properly measure the distance from the attachment point on the mast and the bottom of the shrouds at the bulwarks. This model has a relatively simple shround set up, with only four shouds at each mast, and the way they run from the mast to the bulwarks they fairly straight runs so, for a test case, it would not be complicated by trying to factor in shroud runs that advance to the mast tops at angles, like on most sailing war ships, such as the Constitution. So, for a first attempt, this seemed like a good situation to try out this technique. I built a jig using pop sticks which I set up with card strips that had cuts made at 1mm intervals, both across the top and bottom as well as along the sides. After carefully measuring the distance from the bulwarks to the mast top and the length of the base over which the shrouds would run at the bulwarks, I had a good idea of the size and shape of the shroud assembly I needed for both the foremast and the mizzen mast. I then ran the fly thread first for the shrouds from the bottom to the top, making sure a triangular shape is created that is the shape of the finished shrouds. I was able to make four sets on this jig, two for the forward mast and two for the mizzen mast. I then ran fly silk across the shrouds, spaced at intervals of 1 mm, which gave a fairly accurate spacing for the actual ratline runs at this scale. Once the lines were all set up I applied a few coats of thinned acrylic flat black paint to the lines, first at the joints to help bind them up to reduce any play as I applied subsequent thin coats. Then, after I did that twice and the joints seemed fairly set, I applied two more coats across the entire run of the ratlines and along each shroud. Here's a photo showing the jig with the lines set up for this model:  I found that because of the length over which the ratlines had to run across the shrouds adding a middle support with another piece of pop stick which then had a piece lay on top, sandwiching the ratlines between the support and this additional piece, helped keep the ratline runs fairly set and tight to help keep things in place as I coated the joints with paint. This is the piece you see in the center of the jig held in place with small black clips. After the fourth and final application of paint thoroughly dried it was then a simple matter of trimming the shroud set ups from the jig. Here is how the shrouds looked after removing them from the jig:  I then had to trim off the excess line, first cutting each shroud group from each other and then trimming the ratlines close to the outer shrouds as close as I could without cutting into the shrouds. Patience and a slow even cut worked best as the shrouds off of the jig had a tendancy to move about so if I tried to do it in one slash, top to bottom, I surely would have cut into the shroud and ruined the entire piece. Then, using the measurements taken earlier, I trimmed the shrouds down further to fit between the bulwark and mast tops, making sure the base was the correct length, and then trimming it down so it would attach at the mast top at the correct location. I found it best to first glue the base to the bulwark, making sure it would reach the mast at the correct point, and then while that was setting, applied glue to the top portions, binding it to the mast. Okay, so it would not look entirely correct at close inspection, but I think at this scale it gave me the right impression of properly rigged shrouds. Here is a photo of the shrouds in place:  You will probably see a few lines running off the model in apparent disarray, but that is the start of the fore stays and such, which I started to add as the glue on the shrouds set. One advantage to this system is the shrouds were pretty taunt and true, without any noticeable sags when glued just right at the base and at the mast. I know when I try this on the Constitution I can get a little more fancy in imparting angles to the shrouds, to match the way they run on the real ship, and to use slightly thicker line for the shrouds and the smallest line for the ratlines, to give a better contrast which is more noticeable on the actual ship than if I used the same sized line for both, like I did here. I think next time I would also possibly reduce the costs of paint as for this scale even just four coats seemed to add a significant amount of thickness to the lines overall. I think using two different sizes might also help in creating a better impression more like the real thing as well. I think it worked out okay for a first try at this technique, and since the shroud set up is fairly simple for this vessel it seemed to work out fairly well for this model. When I get back to the Constitution I think I can use what I learned on this build to perhaps tackle the more complex shrouds using different line sizes and angled shrouds, but time will tell! Anyway, I hope my explanation of what I did here is fairly clear, but if anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to ask away! Well, that's it for tonight, folks! Thanks for stopping by and having a look! Cheers! Jim
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#19
04-08-2009, 12:30 AM
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Hi Jim,
Thank you for showing us your method for making shroud. Is "silk fly tying line" the fishing line? I want to find it in Japan because it's very thin and adequate for small ship
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#20
04-08-2009, 07:18 AM
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Hello, Yu!
Yes, the silk thread I am referring to is the silk thread used for tying fly lures for fishing. The sizes I have range from 0/6 to 0/14, and in different colors. It's not that expensive and is very well suited for rigging in the smaller scales. If I recall correctly, some miniaturists have used human hair on some of their models for the smaller rigging, but I don't have that much left to spare.  I believe if you can't find it locally at a sporting goods store there are a number of sources available online. Hope this helps! Cheers! Jim
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