Hi Steve-
I pre-rigged my topgallant crosstrees last night, off the model.
What I did was not conventional (big surprise), but it addressed the issues I was concerned about.
First, I used a pin vise to drill an additional hole just beside each hole for the deadeye strops in the crosstree (hence it was easier off the model!) I don't want my topgallant shrouds to be pulling up/out on the topmast shrouds, so I chose to secure the deadeyes fixedly to the crosstree, stropping them with black annealed wire, twisting the wire around itself to tighten, then running the tail end of the wire through the original holes in the crosstree. I then clipped the wire to within 1/8" of the bottom fo the crosstree, and bent it over to keep the deadeye in place temporarily.
Then I took my line for the futtock shrouds (.018 Dark Brown, I believe...it may have been .025 I'm not at home right now to check) cut 6 lengths of 4", and tied a stopper overhand knot in one end of each. Clipped the knot close, dabbed it with CA, and fed it down through the *new* holes I made in the crosstree.
Then I permanently positioned the deadeyes by bending the wire just so, and using tweezers I tucked the lower ends of the wires up close to the crosstree and the futtock shroud lead, used another drop of CA on each of those, and ta-da. Now the deadeyes are firmly secured (and so that whatever tension I put on the togallant shrouds will not pull the topmast shrouds out of whack), and the leads for the futtock shrouds still come from *pretty much* the same place just below those deadeyes (imperceptibly run through the new holes, adjacent) also firmly in place.
It might be terribly confusing to describe! Let me know if it makes any sense, I can share some pics with you if you think it would help?
Hope this helps you with yours :)
Dave
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Current Project: Imai/ERTL Spanish Galleon #2
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