Pumps, capstan and a messenger with three rollers

Because the blocks and hooks are not in yet, I have started on another job. The pump assembly, which I had already prepared during the deck fittings, has gone back in and is now glued in place as well. The capstan has been put back, and that immediately brings the next job with it. I have come up with the idea that it would be nice if the capstan on the upper deck could later actually haul in the anchor cable to some extent. (In my post I wrote “the rudder”, which Piet rightly flagged as a slip of the pen; I thought that was rather funny.) For that the gun deck needs a messenger, with rollers to guide it. The rollers I turned from walnut offcuts left over between the laser-cut parts. Although I very much enjoy turning, I find it hard to get everything identical. But they go in the corners of the gun deck, out of sight, so you will not see the differences. They are exactly the height of the gun deck and I fix them to the supporting beams of the upper deck.

Eye splices and a lanyard

In the description I found, the messenger has an eye splice at both ends, and these are joined into a single loop. I did not understand that. Hans thought you pass the second loop through the first before closing it, and Stephan thought so too. Then they are fixed, but can never be undone easily again and the length is fixed. It seemed the most logical to me, so that is how I made it. The second splice already went better than the first, and it is certainly strong. I bound off the ends with a small whipping.

Oops. Piet corrected me: both loops must be able to come apart and were joined in use with a lanyard. That is shown, of all places, on the drawing on page 36 of my own build log. Well, it is fun to do, so we will simply do it again. Pingu57 referred to scoutwiki.org for the lanyard, and Piet explained how to attach it: with two half hitches to one loop, then alternately through both loops a number of times, and finish off with two half hitches around the lanyard. Top tip.

Three rollers

Here is the end result of today. I have fitted three rollers, because on the drawing there is no roller at the front, where the anchor cable is hauled up. The pump assembly can be seen again as well.

The blocks arrived today as well: self-assembly blocks of 2.5 mm from model-shipyard.com. Not exactly easy, the first test has already failed. I will throw myself at that tomorrow.