johnsmachines

machines which I have made, am making, or intend to make, and some other stuff. If you find this site interesting, please leave a comment. I read every comment and respond to most. n.b. There is a list of my first 800 posts in my post of 17 June 2021, titled "800 Posts"

Tag: rigging Constitution

June 8, 2025

Rigging the Constitution. Making Beckets.

Clumsy fat fingers. Poor binocular vision. Impatience. That’s me.

So attaching a block 3mm long to 0.25mm black thread, AND forming a Becket (a Becket, not Thomas), is a challenge.

I won’t say that I have developed the ideal method, but I have a method of sorts.

First, this is a block (a rigging pulley on a ship) with an loop at one end, and the other end is fastened to a mast or spar or standing rigging cable.

A becket. Not Thomas a’Beckett.
Step 1. Tie the thread with a square knot (reef knot) to a stick with the diameter of the interior of the becket. In this case, a toothpick. The block is 3mm long. I have lost count of the number of those which have vanished after being dropped.
Step 2. Hold the 3mm long block at the points of spring loaded forceps (these have nylon tips, designed for soldering. I find them very useful for holding delicate parts without marking them. And also for CA gluing, which does not stick to the nylon.
Feed the thread around the groove in the block and tie it. One throw only! Turn the foreps and blocks over to ensure that the thread is sitting in the block groove on all surfaces.
Finish that knot making sure that it sits at the opposite end to the becket. In this case I want the block to sit a few mm away from the mast, so I have twisted the thread tightly, tied another knot at the end of the twisted section, and applied CA glue to the 3 knots and the twisted section. Remove the toothpick before applying glue to the knot at that end.

It is now ready to be installed on the model.

See the blocks, the beckets and the (white untrimmed) halyards?

This post is almost certainly of no interest to anyone, except possibly me, so I can refer to it next time I have to make beckets from thread. An alternative method is to use copper wire and that is much easier, but not appropriate in this position. the black mark on the spar is a penciled guide line which I must remember to rub out.

I have spent the last 2 weeks rigging the foremast of the Constitution. It, the foremast rigging, is close to finished. Then the mainmast and mizzen to go. When I say 2 weeks, I mean 5-6 hours every day, at least 5 days per week. So I will be glad when it is finished. I think that this model is pushing the limits of my patience.

However, I received a mail reminder from my optician for an eyesight check, which I had 2 days ago. It seems that the sight in my left eye has deteriorated significantly in the last 2 years, and that apparently explains my struggling with binocular vision. I am looking forward to some new glasses in the hope that will improve my rigging of the Constitution. I asked why my left eye has deteriorated. “75 years old” was the answer. Amazingly my right eye, which experienced the retinal detachment and cataract 9 years ago, is now 20/20.

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May 23, 2025

Making Copper Rings

When I purchased it, the Mamoli kit of bits for the USS Constitution model had been opened, and it was at least 40 years old. Also, there was no inventory of parts to check whether everything was present.

So, not surprisingly, there were a few deficiencies. Some wood sizes, some metal fittings, and brass rings. Wood can be purchased, although the later purchases often did not exactly match that supplied from Italy. Fittings can be made, sometimes from workshop supplies, sometimes 3d printed with PLA. The PLA fittings were surprisingly strong and accurate, and when painted could not be distinguished from the originals.

Brass rings 3mm OD 2mm ID were supplied, but as I commenced the rigging it was obvious that there would be nowhere near enough of them. Also, the 3mm size seemed too big for some of the applications. And I did not want to wait for replacements to arrive from the Melbourne model ship supplies, or from China.

So I decided to make some rings. I did not have any brass wire the correct 0.5mm diameter, but I did have some 0.4mm dia copper wire. The 0.1mm difference does not sound much, but it does look significantly thinner. Also, the copper wire is quite soft and bends easily, so I wondered whether it would retain its shape under the strain of the rigging ropes. So I made some and tested them.

A spool of 0.4mm copper wire from Jaycar, Wind it around a 2mm drill bit….
Cut along the helix, in this case using nail clippers….
which results in a pile of slightly distorted, open rings…..
…which are then flattened in some smooth pliers, and if necessary reshaped in the drill bit…
…then use them. See the little copper rings on the spritsail spar? About the correct size. And I like the colour.
…and those little thin rings did not open up despite the tension in the ropes.
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