26
Mast cap and trestle trees:
The kit has
laser-cut walnut cheeks. Make the trestle
trees, filler chocks, and bolsters from wal-
nut stripwood. The mast cap is an iron
fitting and is a britannia casting in the kit.
Figure 6-6
illustrates the assembly.
Note:
Notice that the trestle trees are set
perpendicular to mast. This was common
practice on many of these ships. However,
sometimes the trestle trees were installed
parallel to the load waterline, as done on
many ships. Consequently, this can be
considered an optional arrangement if
you so choose.
Mast assembly:
Before assembling the
masts, finish and slip on the mast hoops.
You won’t be able to do it after assembly.
The hoops in the kit are britannia cast-
ings. Paint to look like wood. Glue the
cheeks and trestle tree assembly. Prefit the
topmast and the mast cap, but don’t
install it yet. It will be easier to add the
shrouds without the cap in place.
Mast wedge/coat and mast installation:
On a real ship the mast is secured at the
deck by wedges, then covered by a canvas
cover called a
mast coat
. For our model,
we have a simple ring to represent this.
The mast wedge/coat is laser-cut walnut
(
Figure 6-7
). File the edge and angle the
hole to match the mast’s rake. Slip it on
the mast, then insert the mast in the mast
socket. Check the fore and aft alignment
and athwartships. The mast must rake at
the angle shown on the plans. If it does
not, file the mast heel to its correct slant,
then wedge the mast in place with wood
slivers. Finally, secure the mast wedge/
coat to the mast with woodworker’s glue,
but do not glue it to the deck. The mast
should be readily removable in the future
in case of a restoration.
3. Building & Installing the
Bowsprit and Jibboom
The bowsprit beech dowel supplied in the
kit is oversized, since it is square at the
heel, going to hexagon up to the head,
then round outboard. The very end of the
heel is flattened on the bottom so it sits
flat on the deck. The bowsprit therefore
requires a bit more wood removal than
the other spars (
Figure 6-8
).
The bowsprit is supplied as a dowel so the
wood matches other spars. However, you
could purchase a square piece of similar
color and grain wood if you feel it would
be easier to shape.
There is a sheave (drill a hole) at the out-
board end for the jibstay, and stop chocks on
the sides for the forestay, bowsprit shrouds,
bobstay collars, and footrope stirrups. Make
the chocks from walnut stripwood.
The jibboom has a sheave (drill a hole) at
its outer end for the topmast forestay. The
jibboom is secured to the bowsprit by two
FIG. 6-8 SHAPING THE BOWSPRIT
1. CUT SQUARE FIRST
2. OCTAGON
3. ROUND
TAPER
4. FLATTEN TO DECK ANGLE
FIG. 6-9 DETAILING THE BOWSPRIT & JIBBOOM
BOTH CASTINGS ARE THE SAME WITH
SPLIT BOTTOM TO FIT DIFFERENT
BOWSPRIT DIAMETERS
JIBBOOM
IRON CASTINGS
SHOULDER
JIBBOOM
JIBBOOM IS SET
TO PORT SIDE
PORT
STOP CHOCKS
FOR BOBSTAY &
OTHER LINES
SHEAVE
HOLE
FOOTROPE STOP CHOCKS
FORESTAY STOP CHOCKS
BOWSPRIT
HEEL IRON CAST-
ING
GAMMON IRON
CASTING
HEEL LASHING
SHEAVE
HOLE
FIG. 6-7 MAST WEDGE/COAT
LASER CUT WEDGE
COAT
TAPER HOLE TO FIT MAST
ROUND
EDGE
GLUE TO MAST
NOT TO DECK
FIG. 6-6 MAST CAP & TRESTLE TREES
MAST CAP CASTING
BOLSTERS
TRESTLE TREES
CHOCKS
TAPER
CHEEK
LASER CUT
CHEEKS
