Thanks, knputs!
The rest of the standing rigging should go pretty quickly now, only the topgallant masts remain...unfortunately, I let myself run out of a certain rigging line, so I'm now waiting for a Syren delivery. They're usually quite speedy with shipping, so I hope to be able to continue working on it soon...
Something intersting to note, regarding a mistake in the plans, with regard to standing rigging:
All the sets of instructions I have (original Heller French, Aurora English, and Imai Japanese) call for the shrouds to be assembled using the contraption they include with the kit (sort of a loom or something?), and then the shrouds are to be set over the top of the mast, and finally attached via deadeyes.
Well, that would work fine for all the lower and topmasts, but when it comes to the topgallant masts, they are all premolded with the mastcap/heel and also the flagpoles atop them...meaning, there's no way to pull the shrouds down around them. It's the same in the instructions for the backstays, and the stays...there are steps beforehand that call to have seizings (or a mouse, or a loop, or whatever) but they cannot be attached the topgallant masts if assembled previously.
I don't use the ratline loom anyway, and my advice for anyone would be to avoid using it (making shrouds and ratlines on the model is really easy, and honestly I think it would be terribly frustrating to try doing it any other way)...but even for me, I normally make my shrouds pairs off the model and seize them in a vise, then transfer them to the mast....but with the flagpole (?) and the mastcap molded on, that won't work either...so for the topgallant masts, all the shrouds, backstays, and stays need to be installed on the mast directly....and preferably, BEFORE installing those masts on the model!
Anyway, hope that makes some sense, and hope it might help someone avoid unnecessary backtracking!
Thanks,
Dave
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Current Project: Imai/ERTL Spanish Galleon #2
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