IIIa-Rory McCreadie’s step by step guide to painting and rigging 1:1200 Scale Napoleonic Ships - Part III

I think it's time to post Rory's rigging guide part 3. This part is on how to do the running rigging. It may seem complicated at first, but after you have done a few ships you won't even have to look anymore. This is the longest section so I will break it up into segments.

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Rory McCreadie’s step by step guide to painting and rigging

1:1200 Scale Napoleonic Ships

Part 3 Running Rigging

The running rigging: I use Rod Langton's book on painting and rigging as a guide. I have made a number of changes which I think help me. I do longer runs with one thread. I use less knots. This in my eyes would help tension problems. I start on the yardarm ends and go around the mast on the opposite side. If I can I always go between the mast and rat-lines. I go over or under the tops as I think it is best for the angle of the line I'm working on. As I'm only going for the look of running rigging, I think it’s O.K. I must say Rod’s book is my bible and the best £10 I have spent.

I use a lighter colour thread for the running rigging. Add a spot of glue to the bottom front side of the jib. Lay the end of the thread on the glue and press.

Pull through the fore main channel. Pull, knot and glue.

If you have 2 or more jibs: Start with the first one and do not glue and knot at the channel, just go back to the 2nd one, lay a dot of glue on the bottom of it, pull and hold the thread for a minute on the glue. Do the 3rd one as a single jib. At the end of the rigging I will paint over all the thread on the sails and yardarm ends.

Knot, pull and glue thread to the end of the spritsail yardarm.

Pull thread under the foremast topsail and around the opposite side of the foremast. Between the mast and the rat-lines.

Cut the ends off. Knot, pull and glue thread to fore topsail yardarm.

Go back under the main topsail and around the main under the fighting top.

Go back under the main topsail. Go up to the opposite foresail yardarm. The one below the one I started with. Add glue to the yardarm pull and loop around the arm.

Going up behind the fore topsail to the foremast, go over and around the front of the yardarm and down to the opposite side. Add glue to the yardarm. Pull and loop around.

Go back under the main topsail again and back to the opposite fore topsail yardarm. Add Glue to the yardarm Pull and loop around.

Go behind the fore topgallant sail and around the mast. Coming down the opposite side behind the sail (Note I missed, and went in front of the sail on the photo and had to re-do). You should be back where you started this run. Add glue to the yardarm pull and loop around.

It should look like this. When dry, cut the ends.

Knot, pull and glue thread to the fore topgallant yard arm.

Go back to the main mast at the top of the topsail yardarm. Go around the main mast and back to the opposite fore topgallant yardarm. Add glue to the arm, pull and loop around.

At the top of the foremast add glue. Pull and loop around mast.

Go back to the start of this run. Add glue pull and loop around arm.

This is the bowsprit and foremast done. Only 2 small bits to do then we move to the main.

Put a spot of glue on the bottom corner of the fore sail. press the thread onto the glue.

Run the thread back to the hole behind the main mast channel.

Go through the hole, pull, knot, pull again and glue. After a minute or two, cut off thread end.

Repeat all of the above on the opposite side. If the courses are not set, you can miss this bit out.

So! This is a long run, have a long thread ready. I have only gone so far, but stopped at a good place. Add a spot of glue to the front of the mainsail (course). Press thread to the sail. If the course is not set, start at the mainsail yardarm by knot, pull and gluing.

Go to the rear hole at the stern and go through from the outside.

Go to the lower arm of the spanker. Add glue to the arm. Pull and loop thread around the lower arm.

Have a walk around as the next bit is hard. On the same side, go between the spanker and the standing rigging. Then go between the mizzen mast and the ratline (above the fighting top).

Go over the crossjack and under the mizzen topsail and then go around the front of the mizzen mast. And back through the opposite side again between the mast and the ratline. Just do it slowly and one step at a time.

Have a cup of tea/coffee. Work the thread through the standing rigging so it again is between the spanker and the standing rigging. Go back down to the lower arm. Add glue to the arm, pull and loop the thread around the arm. You will feel good with yourself at this point.

From here go to the opposite stern hole and go through from the inside out.

Go to the upper spanker arm. Add glue to the arm. Pull and loop thread around arm.

This is the hardest bit.
If you look from behind the ship, on the mizzen mast you will see the first piece of the standing rigging you did in the middle of all the rigging (the one the shrouds passed through, over). Your thread must go around this one thread only (use tweezers). Lay it on the fighting top. Pull about 90% of the thread through. Then work the thread under the fighting top and pull the rest through.

Go back to the upper arm of the spanker again. Add a spot of glue to the arm. Pull and loop around the arm. No Joke this time, the bad bits are behind us.

Into that hole again at the back end of the hull, from the outside. And back up to the top arm of the spanker again. Add glue to the arm again. Pull and loop around the arm.

Go to the opposite side of the hull and from the in-side, go through the hole.

Go up to mainsail yardarm. Add glue to the arm. Pull and loop around the arm.

Go up behind the mainsail to the main mast. Go around the front of the mast and back down the opposite side behind the mainsail again to the mainsail yardarm. Add glue to the arm. Pull and loop around arm.

Go back to that hole again. Go through again, If it is full just go around the rigging instead of the hole. Pull, knot, pull tight and glue.

After it has dried, cut off the end. Put a spot of glue on the front of the mainsail (opposite side to which you started). If the mainsail is not set miss this bit out.

As above go to the last hole again. Pull, knot, pull tight and glue.

So if you still have a ship and not a ball of metal and thread. You can rest a bit as I do and photo the next bit.

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I will take a break here and end segment 1 of Part III.

II-Rory McCreadie’s step by step guide to painting and rigging 1:1200 Scale Napoleonic Ships - Part II

Part II of Rory's guide is a long one. It is our sincere hope that 1/1200 scale modelers of this period will benefit from the information here.
(Sorry for all the wierd spaces between some of the photos and text. It doesn't look that way on the input screen and just got worse when I tried to fix them.)

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Rory McCreadie’s step by step guide to painting and rigging

1:1200 Scale Napoleonic Ships

Part 2 Standing Rigging

The tools for rigging: 3 types of thread, Thick black sewing thread, and a black and lighter colour thin embroidery thread. All man made. Bent tweezers, Cocktail sticks, Nail scissors, Glue and cutters for ratlines.

All ways dip the thread end into the glue to make the thread end hard. Do not use short bits of thread. Make a loop knot and lay it over the base of the main mast and pull tight.

Add glue to the knot with cocktail stick and pull.

Go around the mizzen mast under the fighting tops and over the crossjack. Knot.

Pull and glue.

Lay thick thread next to bowsprit and glue.

Cut ends of first thread as close to masts as you can.

Take the thread through the hole in the bow.

Go over the bowsprit and back through the hole again.

Go over the sprit-yard, under the bowsprit over the other side sprit-yard and back into the bow hole again.

Start going over the bowsprit and through the hole as many times as you can. Knot, pull and glue.

Cut the 2 thin threads away. Move the thick thread out of the way of the fore mast. Use a long thin thread and knot, glue and pull at the base of the fore mast.

Get both threads and move they back to the main mast. Go under the maintopsail, thick to port and thin to starboard. Put both through the hole at the main fighting top.

Knot around the mast over the fighting top.Pull the thick thread back under the maintopsail and pull and glue. Cut away thick thread when dry.

Knot and pull thin thread around mizzen mast at the top of the mizzen topsail and under the top. DO NOT GLUE!

Go over the back of the 2 tops and on to the top of the mizzen topgallant. Knot, pull and glue at the topgallant only.

Knot, pull and glue at the top of the maintopsail and under the top.

Knot, pull (under the fore topsail) and glue, over the fore mast fighting top.

Make shore you go to the back side of the Jib (stay sail) the side the wind blows from. Knot, pull and glue at the sprit-yard.

The ship should look like this, after you cut off the rest of the thread.

(By the way I said I would rig the Selafail 74. She has more sails set, so after I have done the standard rigging on the Venera (48). I will use the Selafail for the running rigging, when she has the standard rigging done.)

Knot, pull and glue some thin thread to the top of the mizzen mast.

Go through the hole at the stern starboard side from the outside and pull.

Take the thread and fish it thou between the mast and the rigging between the top two tops.

Pull and work it under the bottom of the 2 tops. Pull, DO NOT GLUE!

Go through the hole at the stern port side from the in-side. This is hard take your time.

Go up to the top, top lay the thread over the top pull and glue hold for a short time down the starboard side.

Go through the hole on the starboard side again.

Go again through and under the top as the first time and again through the port hole from the inside again.

Go up to the top of the mast, Knot, Pull around mast and the end of thread and glue.

Go under the top, top of the main mast. Knot, pull and glue.

Go under the 2rd top from the top of the fore mast. Knot, pull and glue. Wait a minute and put a spot of glue on the jib sail. Lay the thread on the sail and hold.

Add a small thin line of glue along the front edge of the jib and lay the thread on the glue. Knot, pull and glue around the front of the sprit-yard arm.

It should look like this after you cut away the extra thread.

Now for the main mast. Knot, pull and glue thin thread at the top of the main mast.

Go into the hole behind the main mast channel starboard side from the outside.

Lay the thread across the top middle rigging from the mizzen mast (2nd one down). From the in-side of the port side go through the hole on the main channel.

Pull up to the top, top lay the thread across the top and pull and glue.

Go down to the starboard side the back from the out-side thou the hole again.

Up we go again to the top middle rigging again and again lay it over again.

Down the port side and (sorry) from the in-side back thou the hole.

Back up to the top of the mast. Knot around the mast and thread, pull and glue.

Go to the fore mast above the topgallant yard. Knot, pull and glue.

Knot, pull and glue the thread on the jibboom/flying jibboom joint.

After cutting off the thread ends should look like this.

Before I go on. If you have more than one jib sail, you may have to drop this part of the rigging from the main mast to the fore mast to match the 2nd jib sail.

So the last or fore mast. This mast is just the same as the main mast. The only thing different from both is this is the last bit and you have more room to work in.

Add glue to the end of the flying jibboom, and loop thread around it and pull side wards (port).

Add glue to the end of the port side spritsail yard. Loop thread around it and pull towards the ship. From the in-side go through the hole by the port cathead.

Go over the middle port side of the spritsail yard, under the bowsprit. Go over the starboard middle spritsail yard and back to the ship.

Go through the hole by the starboard cathead, from the out-side.

Add glue to the end of the starboard spritsail yard. Loop thread around end.

Again add glue to the end of the flying jibboom. Loop thread around this, pull down and back.

Put glue on the end of the dolphin striker. loop thread around it and pull.

After you have cut off the lose ends. your ship should look like this.

Now for the rat-lines. I start from the middle of the spur. Working outwards I use them so: Lower main, fore, mizzen, upper main, fore and mizzen. On some spurs the upper mizzen is across the top of the spur.

Look for the name tag in the bottom left side. This is the right side to be on the outside, pointing out from the ship. Look for the straight edge on the main mast rat-line, this goes to towards the bow. As do all the rat-lines on that side of the spur.

Cut free the first rat-line. I do it in the order as said above. (main)

Put the rest to one side. I only do one at a time.

Using the bent tweezers and hold the R/L next to the mast.

If too long, cut away from the top. The blocks should rest on the channel and the top under the fighting top.

Turn the R/L over and add a spot of glue to the top and bottom. As I have only 2 hands, I use the glue straight from the bottle.

Lay R/L from the top to bottom, holding the R/L with the tweezers. I also use the closed tweezers to push the R/L to the channel. If you push at the top it can move the R/L around the mast.(bad times) So push the bottom haft of the R/L only.

I then move to the fore mast, doing as above again. I find the main mast the hardest to do, as you have less space to work in. So it gets easier as you go.

I then do the mizzen R/L.

Wait for a minute or two, and do it all over again on the other side.

I now do the upper R/L'S. I again start with the main mast. I hate having to cut them to size as I feel they should be made to fit. Fit to the mast under the top, and go to the outer edge of the fighting top. Glue, move around as above.

I wait again, turn the ship over and do the other side.

This is the finished ship.

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So this is the end of Part II. Stay tuned for Part III "Running Rigging".

Comments are welcome!