The Black Pearl... a slow build log

[Twokidsnosleep]

Funny what lying awake in bed not falling asleep will let you think of
I was brainstorming why my brass didn't look right until I thought of the ring seat being a separate piece added
Then brain went through various methods to make that ring seat

Agreed! I just got to spend another week in the hospital. I haven't been able to do any scale modeling because my hands shake so badly . I have been able to design how I'm going to paint the bead lock rims on my 1:1 jeep and came up with a way to indicate where the valve stem is, mostly while half asleep. Maybe not a good thing but I'm liking the asymmetrical, individual paint scheme for each rim and then a painted flag on the spoke where the stem is.

Way off base for your build. It's looking great!

That is quite all right
Hope you are healing up fast and well

[digger303]

Funny what lying awake in bed not falling asleep will let you think of
I was brainstorming why my brass didn't look right until I thought of the ring seat being a separate piece added
Then brain went through various methods to make that ring seat

Agreed! I just got to spend another week in the hospital. I haven't been able to do any scale modeling because my hands shake so badly . I have been able to design how I'm going to paint the bead lock rims on my 1:1 jeep and came up with a way to indicate where the valve stem is, mostly while half asleep. Maybe not a good thing but I'm liking the asymmetrical, individual paint scheme for each rim and then a painted flag on the spoke where the stem is.

Way off base for your build. It's looking great!

Get well and get modelling
Maybe a note book to jot down these thoughts. If it was me I'd spend the next day trying to remember my ingenious solutions

[Twokidsnosleep]

Decided to make a background for photos for this big beast
Caribbean Sea stock pic:


My attempt:


It is pretty large


With ship:


I re-made this front rigging with round deadeyes as that is what the movie ship had.
Five more pairs of those to make up in the lathe

[aur0ra145]

Very cool painting, is it acrylic on paper?

[Stokesy44]

Nice art work

I hope you're on the way to feeling better matey

[Twokidsnosleep]

Very cool painting, is it acrylic on paper?

Yes
I tried to airbrush Tamiya blues, but that was a S show…I am blowing out blue snot still
Then acrylics with brush but azure blue was hardening in the bottle so poor coverage
Finally sponge smoothing with better paint to even things out
It is harder to do than you think, much respect for artists

[digger303]

Multi talented chap you are.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Decided on using the kit’s plastic blocks for the rigging. They are so small and hard to replicate in wood.
Primed tan Ultimate, w/n bunt umber on the body, Mr colour brass on the loops, flat black magic wash
Trying to write things down so I remember what I used later

[aur0ra145]

Decided on using the kit’s plastic blocks for the rigging. They are so small and hard to replicate in wood.
Primed tan Ultimate, w/n bunt umber on the body, Mr colour brass on the loops, flat black magic wash
Trying to write things down so I remember what I used later

Those look nice!

I've recently started trending towards using my build threads to document my painting procedures. In the past I've written them in a small notebook, which I seem to always lose when it's needed.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Decided on using the kit’s plastic blocks for the rigging. They are so small and hard to replicate in wood.
Primed tan Ultimate, w/n bunt umber on the body, Mr colour brass on the loops, flat black magic wash
Trying to write things down so I remember what I used later

Those look nice!

I've recently started trending towards using my build threads to document my painting procedures. In the past I've written them in a small notebook, which I seem to always lose when it's needed.

Exactly!
Can't find it or I don't write enough of what I did
So photos plus some documentation here makes more sense

[Twokidsnosleep]

On we continue.
I need five PAIRS of the 7mm deadeyes for the standing rigging lines…that means ten round doodads, yes ten Scott, not five
Had to cut out more and then had a number of failures on the lathe so only got two pairs done all day

This is Hemlock… a poor choice by me. A perfect sized piece ready to go, but grain is too large hence weak
I have a hunk of Alder that is a harder wood, just a big hunk I would have had to cut up. Will be doing that tomorrow


Turned to 7mm diameter on the lathe


First ones I turned in the morning went fine, the rest went to hell and I only recovered with one more in the afternoon



I also made a little jig to hold the round eyes stable and a fixed distance while threading them.






So not a total loss day, but some challenges

[digger303]

On we continue.
I need five PAIRS of the 7mm deadeyes for the standing rigging lines…that means ten round doodads, yes ten Scott, not five
Had to cut out more and then had a number of failures on the lathe so only got two pairs done all day

This is Hemlock… a poor choice by me. A perfect sized piece ready to go, but grain is too large hence weak
I have a hunk of Alder that is a harder wood, just a big hunk I would have had to cut up. Will be doing that tomorrow


I also made a little jig to hold the round eyes stable and a fixed distance while threading them.

So not a total loss day, but some challenges

From this pic I'm thinking that the mandrel is causing the wood plug to break apart. If this is the case you could put a hose clamp around the plug whilst it's being lathed. HOWEVER be real careful as that thing spinning around could do some nasty damage to your good self.

[Twokidsnosleep]

On we continue.
I need five PAIRS of the 7mm deadeyes for the standing rigging lines…that means ten round doodads, yes ten Scott, not five
Had to cut out more and then had a number of failures on the lathe so only got two pairs done all day

This is Hemlock… a poor choice by me. A perfect sized piece ready to go, but grain is too large hence weak
I have a hunk of Alder that is a harder wood, just a big hunk I would have had to cut up. Will be doing that tomorrow


I also made a little jig to hold the round eyes stable and a fixed distance while threading them.

So not a total loss day, but some challenges

From this pic I'm thinking that the mandrel is causing the wood plug to break apart. If this is the case you could put a hose clamp around the plug whilst it's being lathed. HOWEVER be real careful as that thing spinning around could do some nasty damage to your good self.

Yes I will think on that
Not too hot about adding a spinning clamp, nor getting me too close to the chuck…so I want the mandrel
I think a tighter grained hardwood, ca glue on the brass as well, use the parting tool dead last steps, that should solve it

[Stokesy44]

Well that does not look complicated at all

More masterwork to make me choke on my morning coffee

[digger303]

On we continue.
I need five PAIRS of the 7mm deadeyes for the standing rigging lines…that means ten round doodads, yes ten Scott, not five
Had to cut out more and then had a number of failures on the lathe so only got two pairs done all day

This is Hemlock… a poor choice by me. A perfect sized piece ready to go, but grain is too large hence weak
I have a hunk of Alder that is a harder wood, just a big hunk I would have had to cut up. Will be doing that tomorrow


I also made a little jig to hold the round eyes stable and a fixed distance while threading them.

So not a total loss day, but some challenges

From this pic I'm thinking that the mandrel is causing the wood plug to break apart. If this is the case you could put a hose clamp around the plug whilst it's being lathed. HOWEVER be real careful as that thing spinning around could do some nasty damage to your good self.

Yes I will think on that
Not too hot about adding a spinning clamp, nor getting me too close to the chuck…so I want the mandrel
I think a tighter grained hardwood, ca glue on the brass as well, use the parting tool dead last steps, that should solve it

zip tie ?

[RangerNeil]

Casting my mind back a goodly few years I built the 1/100 Heller kit of the Victory which had all these rigging tweaks built in - there was a jig to make the ratlines up and and another to make the deadeyes up which was very similar to yours. I remember the complexity all too well as there were 9 pairs of both to make and every pair was different. Great fun!! I remember that as soon as a set of deadeyes were made they had to go on the model as otherwise they got irretrievably tangled up and you had to start again.

And now I keep looking at those kits for sale - damn it, you've given me the bug!!!!!

[digger303]

Casting my mind back a goodly few years I built the 1/100 Heller kit of the Victory which had all these rigging tweaks built in - there was a jig to make the ratlines up and and another to make the deadeyes up which was very similar to yours. I remember the complexity all too well as there were 9 pairs of both to make and every pair was different. Great fun!! I remember that as soon as a set of deadeyes were made they had to go on the model as otherwise they got irretrievably tangled up and you had to start again.

And now I keep looking at those kits for sale - damn it, you've given me the bug!!!!!

It's the modellers way ...

[Twokidsnosleep]

From this pic I'm thinking that the mandrel is causing the wood plug to break apart. If this is the case you could put a hose clamp around the plug whilst it's being lathed. HOWEVER be real careful as that thing spinning around could do some nasty damage to your good self.

Yes I will think on that
Not too hot about adding a spinning clamp, nor getting me too close to the chuck…so I want the mandrel
I think a tighter grained hardwood, ca glue on the brass as well, use the parting tool dead last steps, that should solve it

zip tie ?

Hmmm maybe
Might F up the balance but I have some little ones
I think the dense Alder will hold the brass mandrel better without splitting

[Twokidsnosleep]

Casting my mind back a goodly few years I built the 1/100 Heller kit of the Victory which had all these rigging tweaks built in - there was a jig to make the ratlines up and and another to make the deadeyes up which was very similar to yours. I remember the complexity all too well as there were 9 pairs of both to make and every pair was different. Great fun!! I remember that as soon as a set of deadeyes were made they had to go on the model as otherwise they got irretrievably tangled up and you had to start again.

And now I keep looking at those kits for sale - damn it, you've given me the bug!!!!!

Ha ha, hop to it
They are a long slow build but will look cool in the end

[Twokidsnosleep]

Much better wood selection with the Alder. You can see the grain pattern is much tighter than the hemlock ones.
Plugs cut, mandrels mounted and deadeyes lathe cut. Not a single failure.
So I have made just enough and in matching pairs, so temporarily tied them together.
I have extra plugs cut if needed.



Some overall pretty shots to keep me going…the masts are getting tall !





Mr Gibbs and Jack on deck

[digger303]

[Stokesy44]

The word 'epic' continues to apply here

[digger303]

The word 'epic' continues to apply here

Onedin Line...comes to mind

[Garion77]

Amazing work. Hope you are proud of what you've achieve with this build. There's so much work.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Amazing work. Hope you are proud of what you've achieve with this build. There's so much work.

So Much Work
Yes but it is fun and I am enjoying it

[RangerNeil]

The word 'epic' continues to apply here

Onedin Line...comes to mind

Oh dear - that dates you - and me......

[BigWall]

Spectacular Scott!

[Twokidsnosleep]

Spectacular Scott!

Thank you
It is tough sledding now figuring out the rigging variations

[RangerNeil]

Would this help at all??
https://www.hismodel.com/_filemanager/d ... .php?Id=94

It's a plan of the rigging for the Black Pearl.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Would this help at all??
https://www.hismodel.com/_filemanager/d ... .php?Id=94

It's a plan of the rigging for the Black Pearl.

Oh wow super helpful
I have no detail views of the sails attachments so those are great
I printed all those figures out
Thank you so much for that

[RangerNeil]

Would this help at all??
https://www.hismodel.com/_filemanager/d ... .php?Id=94

It's a plan of the rigging for the Black Pearl.

Oh wow super helpful
I have no detail views of the sails attachments so those are great
I printed all those figures out
Thank you so much for that

No probs - glad it was helpful.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Would this help at all??
https://www.hismodel.com/_filemanager/d ... .php?Id=94

It's a plan of the rigging for the Black Pearl.

Oh wow super helpful
I have no detail views of the sails attachments so those are great
I printed all those figures out
Thank you so much for that

No probs - glad it was helpful.

It was very helpful, the more info the better

All the final mast heights are glued in and the ship is very tall and hard to work around
I got the most of the main standing rigging in place. Nothing is fully tightened and I have left extra rope length to accommodate flexing and sagging.
One more line to go from the foremast to the main mast mid way up. I love the very front rigging triangle detail

[digger303]

Very nice looking better and better as it should.

[RangerNeil]

Getting there - its a cracking job!!

[Twokidsnosleep]

I printed out all of Neil’s reference rigging photos. Super helpful and of course different from the kit
But I will do a hybrid version as the real ship is cut masted and mine will be full masts
The masts look all wonky right now as I only have the front or fore stays on and no back stays to keep the masts plumb

The big problem is the front ‘bowsprit’ has too many stay ropes on it and in the wrong positions
I need to add one to the very tip and it has no where to tie off to up top




The corrected version has a single line up to the top of the foremast added. I removed one block and tackle rope and the others were re-oriented




Hope you can see what I mean. This way lets the front sails sit in the correct orientation

[digger303]

Looks like you've got it figured and solved.
Looks good, but I'm sure you've still got some tweaking to do.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Looks like you've got it figured and solved.
Looks good, but I'm sure you've still got some tweaking to do.

Oh man there will be LOTS of tweaking to do
I have left extra ends for the ropes so I can tighten or loosen as needed
Expecting lots of fix one thing and screw up another kinda pattern

[Twokidsnosleep]

Ok well forward we go, kind of. Ok well maybe backwards a touch too
I added some lines to the main mast to test balancing and straightening it up. These lines are called stays.
Two tan stay lines were temporarily set to deadeyes.



This proved to me that once you start adding ropes laterally, it is impossible to work in the middle of the ship. But I have deadeyes, shroud and rat lines and such to make down the middle of all three masts!

So off come the tan ropes.I decided to put in all the round deadeyes on the platforms of the three masts now.
I popped off the platform’s ca glue, untied the ropes and lifted each platform up off the mast through their middle hole.
Then I made some brass collars to add to the underside for support and I bent the wire into a round to allow a rope attachment.
Diagrammatically, this:











Then painted black to blend


While these platforms are off, I think I will get the shroud lines routed that wrap each mast and go the the deadeyes
A very large job.

[digger303]

A large job indeed and to get the tensions just right so the mast doesn't get pulled off centre. Your going to be bobbing all over the place checking the angles.

[Stokesy44]

Cracking work although I did snigger when I saw the names futtock stave and futtock plane on one of the diagrams. Far too close to a rude word for me not to raise the ooh err flag again.

[Twokidsnosleep]

A large job indeed and to get the tensions just right so the mast doesn't get pulled off centre. Your going to be bobbing all over the place checking the angles.

Yes.
There will be lots of push me pull you kinda stuff going on
I would like fewer factors of adjustment at one time, but ya

[Twokidsnosleep]

Cracking work although I did snigger when I saw the names futtock stave and futtock plane on one of the diagrams. Far too close to a rude word for me not to raise the ooh err flag again.

You were not alone
LOTS of Super weird terminology for old sailing ships

[Twokidsnosleep]

So today was a stat holiday
I spent most of my quiet morning making more wooden deadeyes on the lathe as I was five short of needed numbers.
New approach to the lathe work; mounting the plug into a collet. This means no brass rod in the middle and I can make two deadeyes per plug



I have seven alder plugs and made fourteen deadeyes, but lost one set of two on the floor of the garage


Then I organized everything into piles so I know exactly what is left to do and where they go


I managed to destroy a couple making the three holes in them. This is a little jig used to hold the deadeye while it gets its holes drilled



I oil paint stained them burnt umber and wrapped some in the black wire for attachment to the ship
Came out with a few extras just in case

[digger303]

It's like making tracks.
time consuming.

[Twokidsnosleep]

It's like making tracks.
time consuming.

Sucks going back and making more as I shorted myself, BUT I refined the process and doubled the production and at least halved the time needed.
With the collets like that I can do the cuts almost right to the edge and easily get two deadeyes out of one plug
Plus it is more secure and thus safer

[Twokidsnosleep]

Here we go with some more rigging



This is for the rear mast, the Mizzen Mast. Ropes Of Scale 0.8mm tan synthetic rope tested.
It is compared to the plastic kit lines here. I only have the lower round deadeyes to attach to for the test; the uppers were just stained.


There are a number of ways to run these Shroud lines. In pairs looped around the mast or looped and across left to right side
Some diagrams. Shroud lines in pairs for the same side with loop around the mast:


Crossing sides shroud lines for an uneven number.


For these odd numbered shroud lines, I was trying one set crossing from left, around mast and then to right. When I did same side loops for the other two, the ropes did not lie as even triangles than if I went straight across. That was one of the tests before committing to a side to side pattern for these three. The order you place them also makes a difference. Lots of variables

[Stokesy44]

Superb work versus the kit parts mate. Top drawer stuff.

For some reason it made me think about what it must have been like to take these kind of ships into combat. Thinking about the damage that would have been caused to sails and masts and all that rigging by ball and cannister ammunition.

Its Saturday morning contemplation time with my morning coffee

[digger303]

Bit of a cliche, but it really is coming together in a big way. As Stokesy says superb work and only your first tall ship

[Twokidsnosleep]

This was a lot of work….most of my Saturday. A good five hours of modelling
Some swearing and remaking of incorrect rope work and some figuring out of colours
I am hoping none of this lower stuff sags as it was a pain to get things tight and stay there





I used AK pigments Dark Umber mixed in solvent to stain tan ropes a dirty brown, much like we see on the movie Pearl
Had tried three different techniques on the ropes with different blacks, but the reference shots say different



My cross pieces, the rat lines, may be black unless I do another order from ropes of scale and get thinner tan ropes…which I might do
Addendum: and I did order thinner tan ropes tonight

[cor]

The rigging work looks fabulous. A really great model this is building into.