Re: Hms Victory Another Rich Site
 

Finished building the mainyard with blocks attached. Forecoarse sewed (thank you wife!), getting ready to cut down the sail to 1/3 size and attach to sail (furled). Fore topmast and top gallant mast shaped, will work on cross trees today and also apply points to sail.

I'm stalled on the top and topgallant masts however. They should be "proud" (unpainted) but I ran short on material on the topgallant and had to make it out of a spare piece of mahognay supplied with another kit. It will be dark and (I feel) distracting. I think I will paint the topgallant.

My question is: Should I paint the topmast also? What color should they be, yellow ochre, as the foremast, or black? Maybe varnish the topmast and paint the topgallant.

I would like some help in this decision. And don't tell me "it's your ship, do as you want" like I so often do. I'm stuck on the decision and I need an opinion. Thanks.

Re: Hms Victory Another Rich Site
 

If you paint the topgallant, then paint the topmast. Do a google picture on hms Victory and you will find many that show which parts should be black. Paint it the same yellow you used on the lower masts.

But, its your ship, do as you want.

(just kidding)

Happy Holidays

ps If you do a youtube search you can find videos of them removing the masts which also show color schemes.

Re: Hms Victory Another Rich Site
 

Thanks Jim:

I've changed so many things on this model already that I no longer think of it as "Victory as at Trafalgar" but just a model of a 100 gun ship of the royal navy. "That's good enough" is my motto now.

It was going to be black or yellow ocher and your input helped me decide.

Re: Hms Victory
 

I refer to mine as Victory 2011.

Re: Hms Victory
 

Finally got the foreyard done; sail mounted and furled. I tried to do it like the real ship. It didn't come out well (I had to jury rig the attachements).
Will be replacing some blocks on the top (single to double sheeve) and getting the mast ready to mount the yard.

Then next step is a big one. I will be placing the foremast and running all the stays and shrouds, then ratttling down the shrouds! :=(( That should keep me busy for the next few months. I also have yet to place the pin rails at the bulwarks before stepping the mast. I still intend to run the running rigging to the foremast and sprit before starting work on the mainnast. This way seems to me to allow me to break-up the tasks and switch back and forth from wood work to rigging work (which I prefer). Although I'm not looking forward to those ratlines.

Re: Hms Victory
 

Nice job on the furled sails. What did you use for the sail material?

Re: Hms Victory
 

Thanks Tom.

The fabric that came with the kit. Wife says "some type of muslin". I used their material because I figured it wouldn't look too bad when furled and they provide enough material for all the sails.

The next sail to go on will be the fore top, which will be mounted as set and have to show all the details of stitching and all the lines. The material looks OK to me and is easy to work with after it's washed, so I'll probably use the same material throughout the ship; But before that is mounted to the topmast (off the model) I will step the bottom of the foremast and run all the shrouds and stays.

Re: Hms Victory
 

Just a quick update:
Got all the shrouds spread out and ready to mount and lost my enthusiam again.
Had planned to start back next week but then the wife got sick and have been dealing with that. Got her back from the hospital today and hope to settle into some sort of routine soon.

Re: Hms Victory
 

Well, three months have passed and I've only put on three shrouds.
It's been one thing after another; computer died, my kindle locked me out of wireless (pushed the wrong button), wife back to the hospital, etc.
Back on an even keel now. Hope to restart soon.

BTW: shrouds are a lot easier than I thought they would be.

I've been thinking of cutting the model in half and just going with the foremast and bow area. Has anyone tried that? If so how hard was it?