Hi stunning work there ,enjoying following your diary cheers mick.

Mick, Trev, thanks for your comments guys, appreciated....

Regards

Alan

Alan, that is some serious skill there what with the paintwork, the rigging and also the photography to accompany the excellent instructions. Great work.
Chris

It's just mind-boggling.
I know I've said it before, but I almost want to wander around that ship somehow...
Astounding work.

Roy.

Hi Alan,

Top work as usual, I like the idea of the jig it does help.

Regards

Trev

This is looking fantastic! The serving on the shrouds is perfect. And, I’m seriously impressed with the paint on the port surrounds.

lovely neat work on the ropework coming off of those blocks.

Such tiny parts but so nicely finished off - really looks good Alan.

Tony

Stage 129 Part 2

In creating the ratlines the instructions call for the use of black 0.5mm thread and the gluing of the ratlines to each individual shroud. I decided to change this, so had a look into my spares box and found a spool of 0.25mm natural thread, the use of this I believe gives a more realistic look. I also decided not to glue the ratlines to the shrouds but to actually tie each one in place. A tedious and time consuming process however, those who do not wish to follow this process are of course free to fit the ratlines in accordance with the instructions. It is not my intention to detail how to tie ratlines onto the shrouds but to direct members, who wish to know how this achieved, to an excellent tutorial video on the process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMmGFWJhi8E

I started the ratlines on the lower foremast, setting each ratline 5mm apart and finishing 20mm from the foretop. I then completed the same process on the lower mainmast and mizzenmast.

Now pass a length of 0.5mm black thread through the foremast shrouds underneath the top ratline, then lead it around the mast to the shrouds on the other side and tie off in the middle, bring the shrouds further in just under the mast top. Repeat the process on the mainmast and mizzenmast.

Retrieve the four decorations from stage 124. Remove any flush or burrs then apply a coat of metal primer. Paint these decorations as outlined in the instructions. Glue one of the C61 decorations up against the grating aft of the foremast. Now glue the second decoration C61 and one of the C62 decorations into the positions shown in step 30 of the instructions. Store the final C62 decoration for now.

Make up a backstay with a 5mm block and black thread, following the same process to make the forestays. Tie the free end around the main crosstrees. Then take a second length of black thread and pass it through the block, tying it off around the decoration C61.

Continue rigging the bowsprit, using natural and black thread and five 5mm blocks. Rig the bowsprit by following image 32 of the instructions. Now rig another stay between the mizzen crosstrees and the port side main shrouds, using lack and natural threads, three 5mm blocks and two heart blocks. Again follow image 33 and tie the line off to the belaying pin. Repeat this step to rig the second mizzen topmast stay to the starboard shrouds.

Drill four holes with a 1mm bit on the port side of the fore top. Tie four lengths of black thread to deadeyes DE2. Pass the four lines through the four holes in the top. Tie the ends of the four lines to the top ratline, and then cut away the excess. Repeat these steps on the starboard side of the fore top.

Store any unused parts in a bag labelled with this stage number.

This build stage is now complete.