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ream the eye with a pointed dowel. This
helps to form the eye while the glue sets,
quickly forming its shape. Push the two
loose ends through the hole in the top as
shown on the left side of photo #6. The
seizing on the eye should be large enough
so it doesn't pull through the hole in the
top's rim. Then tie a dead eye in place
with the two loose ends. A drop of super
glue on the knot will be more than suffi-
cient to hold it securely. Trim off the
excess with a sharp blade or nail clippers.
Finish it up by painting the dead eyes
black.
The tops are now finished. If you want to
take it even further, a series of knees or
frames lined the inside of each top. This
detail is shown on the plans but is optional
depending on you preference and skill
level. The tops can now be glued onto the
lower masts. The cross trees sit on top of
the hounds. Be careful before you glue
them and make sure they are facing the
right direction. The deadeyes are posi-
tioned slightly aft of the center on each
top. Check the rigging plan to be sure.
With the tops in position you can now glue
a cleat on each side of the masts inside the
top. These are shown in the photo above.
Paint them black. These cleats will be
used to belay the lifts for the topsail yards.
Main and Fore Topmasts...
The fore and main topmasts are also iden-
tical except for their length and size. The
caps for both have been laser cut for you.
Begin by taking those caps to check that
the square opening will fit the square
tenon you created on each lower mast.
Don't glue them into position yet. Then
take the appropriate sized dowels and taper
them to match the shapes of each topmast
from the plans. Note that the heel of each
topmast is squared off. See the photo
above. Through this squared portion you
should drill a small hole to accept the
"fid". The hole runs port to starboard.
Square
Cap
Fid
The fid is nothing more than a length of
1/32" x 1/32" strip wood pushed through
the hole. The fid prevents the topmast
from falling through the trestle trees. Drill
another hole to simulate a sheave close to
the tip of each topmast. This will be used
for the topsail yard tie. Last you will
carve another square tenon on the very tip
of the topmast. The cap for the flag staff
will slip onto it.
Once the topmast is shaped, test its diame-
ter to see if the cap will slide into position
as shown in the same photo above. If
everything fits together you can perma-
nently glue them into place.
Flag Staffs...
The fore and main topmasts have flag
staffs. Small caps are laser cut for you.
They are used the same way as the caps
for the lower masts. A smaller cross tree
will also need to be constructed. The
cross tree is slid into position on the top-
mast. A small "lip" is visible on the plans
above the sheave for the topsail yard tie.
The cross tree will sit on top of this lip.
Place the cap into position on the square
tenon of the topmast.
With these elements temporarily in posi-
tion, taper the appropriate sized dowel to
create the flag staff. A ball truck is made
out of some scrap wood material and glued
on the tip of the staff. Paint the ball trucks
Mizzen mast assembly
Main top mast
Cross tree
Cap
black. These trucks would have actually
had small sheaves in them for the flag hal-
liards. The scale of our model makes them
difficult to create. Instead we will simply
tie the halliard to the staff. Test fit the
staff to ensure that it fits through the round
hole of the cap. The flag staff really
should have a fid much like the ones you
created for the topmasts. Otherwise they
would simply fall through the trestle trees.
But again, the scale of our model makes
creating them difficult (but not impossi-
ble). If all of the elements fit together
well you can glue them into place perma-
nently.
Mizzen Mast Assembly...
After completing the main and fore masts,
the mizzen mast should come together
without any problems. The mizzen mast is
tapered like the others. Two cheeks or
hounds are created from the 1/16" thick
basswood sheet provided. A small sheave
hole is simulated through the mast
between these cheeks. Construct the tres-
tle tree and glue it into position on top of
the cheeks. Place the cap onto the squared
tenon you will carve on the tip of the
mizzen mast. To finish it off, create the
flag staff with ball truck and glue it into
place. Note the round tenon carved at the
heel of the mizzen mast. This will be used
to secure the mizzen mast onto the deck.
See the photo below. Note that the two
cleats are not yet placed on the mast.
sheave hole
Square Tenon
Flag staff
Ball
truck
35
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