JJ’s Wargames Rigging Tutorial

British Ships

What follows is my step by step guide to how I rig my Warlord Games 1:700 th ships. The picture above shows
my rigging kit consisting of thick black thread for standing rigging, thinner brown thread for running rigging,
superglue and cocktail sticks to apply it on specific points, thin long tweezers, very useful for threading
rigging past masts and other lines, and a sharp modelling knife and scissors to cut thread.

Masts & Sails mentioned in the text

1. Mizzen Course or Spanker with

gaff at the top and boom at the
bottom
2. Mizzen Mast
3. Main Mast
4. Fore Mast
5. Flying Jib
6. Fore Topmast Staysail
7. Jib
8. Dolphin Striker
9. Bowsprit
Picture 1 - I start with the standing rigging and work outward from the centreline of the ship with the first
line or stay tied off below the fighting top on the mainmast (Point A) with a dab of glue and with the two
lengths led off to the base of the foremast (Point B) and the base of the bowsprit above the figurehead
(Point C). I simply wrap around the two points, superglue in position and snip or cut off the excess.

The rest of the standing rigging is applied between the masts and from the foremast to the bowsprit to
which I attach the flying jib, jib and fore topmast staysail.

Picture 2 - The next part of the standing rigging are the backstays, those lines that brace each mast to the
ships side. Each mast is treated the same by tying off at (Point A) with a dab of glue and leading equal
lengths down to the fixing hole at (Point B) then running back up to (Point C) and fixing with the glue.

Carefully judge the tension you apply to the stays as they need to be taught, but not so much that they
distort the masts away from the centre line and the vertical.
Picture 3 - The final part of the standing rigging is to brace the bowsprit starting by tying one end of the
thread at (Point A) with a dab of glue and running it down to (Point B) or dolphin striker, where I tend to glue
the thread right on the end and cut off the excess.

Picture 4 - Once the dolphin striker is firmed up, I tie of another piece of thread at (Point A) on the bowsprit
with equal lengths leading to (Point B), the ends of the spritsail yard where they are affixed with glue, before
leading the thread to the base of the cats, the two projections on the bow at (Point C).

I then glue the thread at this point before running it to the bottom of the dolphin striker (Point D) where I
glue it and cut off the excess.
Picture 5 & 6 - At this point you have the standing rigging completed and now you simply need to add the
ratlines to each mast, and you could leave things there.

However, I am guessing that if you have bothered getting this tutorial you will want to go on and add the
running rigging which will really make the model pop.

I start with the thinner brown thread by tying off equal lengths of plenty of thread at (Point A) with a dab of
glue and run both lengths down to (Point B) wrapping it around the spar or yard and apply glue to fix before
leading one length off to (Point C), the end of the gaff wrapping round taught with glue and leading down to
(Point D), the end of the boom, then back up to C and down to (Point E) passing through the fixing hole on
the hull side and up to (Point F) on the lower yard before threading up to (Point G) on the middle yard
through and down to (Point F) on the other end of the yard where I wrap around and glue.

With the other end leading from (Point B) on the other end of the upper yard I run down to (Point C) wrap
around and down to Point E on the opposite side of the model and up to the lower yard at (Point F) and fix
with glue to complete.

Picture 7 - The final part to do on this mast is shown in the picture below, where you run a length of thread
around the mast at (Point A) running each end down to the ends of the middle yard at (Points B) and
wrapping around with a dab of glue before leading both ends to (Point C) and wrapping around with a dab of
glue.
Picture 8 – The next section of running rigging is on the main mast where taking a long piece of thread I tie
off with glue at the top of the main mast (Point A) and run both lengths down to (Points B) on each end of
the top yard where I wrap around with a dab of glue before running the thread down to the stern fixing hole
on the ships side at (Point C).

If you have a long enough piece of thread you can then continue to run it back up to each end at (Point E) on
the next lower yard and running it up to (Point D) where it will meet the line coming up from the other side. I
usually wrap around the mast and wrap with glue on the opposite yard end (Point E).

The last part of this section is to run a thread around the mainmast at (Point F), running both ends out to the
yard ends at (Point G) wrapping round with glue before leading it off to (Point C) and threading through the
hole on the ship side with a dab of glue, cutting off any excess.
Picture 9 - Only one more mast to go, namely the foremast, where similarly to the others we start with a
long length of thread tied of with glue at the tip of the mast (Point A) and running down each end to (Point
B) at either end of the top yard, before running the lines down to (Point C) below the lower yard on the main
mast where they are glued and then led back up to (Point E) on the ends of the next opposite yard, with a
wrap around with glue and up to the mast at (Point D).

I usually complete this mast by following a similar sequence for the lower spar by running thread around the
fore mast at (Point F) with a dab of glue, running both ends down to the ends of the lower yard at (Points G)
and running the ends back to the main mast at the same point as the other lines at (Point C) where it can be
fixed with glue.

If you are still with me, well done and we’re nearly done!

Picture 10 – Now we do the last piece of running rigging by fixing individual lengths of thread to each corner
of the flying jib, jib and fore topmast staysail out on the bowsprit with a dab of glue and running them to the
base of the foremast and gluing them under the standing rigging point for neatness.

At this point I would also run a line down from the top of the mainmast (Point A) to the fixing hole on the
side of the ship (Point B) and affix with a bit of glue to which I later attach the Command Pennant.
Picture 11 – The last stage is to cut out and attach the pennant and the ensign which I affix to the line
running between the two booms of the mizzen course at the stern.
 Other Nations Ships
The key difference in the way I rig other nations ships is with the running rigging around the mizzen and
main masts, with the fore masts and bowsprit sails the same as illustrated on the British model above.

Picture 12 - Work starting on the Constitution model by tying of with some glue the thread at (Point A)
running both ends down to (Point B) where I wrapped it around and took the ends off to (Point C) and back
up to (Point B) around it and on down to the hull side at (Point D) where it is glued, and the excess cut off.

Picture 13 - Here is where I start the rigging on the mizzen mast at (Point A) by tying off with glue and
running the two ends to (Point B) at the ends of the top yard wrapping around with a dab of glue before
running both ends to (Point C) on the main mast above the centre yard and tying off with a dab of glue and
cutting off the excess.

The process is repeated for the other yards on the mizzen mast that is D to E to F and G to H to F.
Picture 14 - Starting with the main mast tie off with glue at (Point A) running both ends down to (Point B) at
the ends of the top yard wrapping around with a dab of glue before running both ends to (Point C) on the
mizzen mast above the centre yard and tying off with a dab of glue and cutting off the excess.

The process is repeated for the other yards on the mizzen mast that is D to E to F and G to H to F.

Picture 15 - The rigging on the fore mast begins as it does on the British system at (Point A) running both
ends down to (Point B) at the ends of the top spar wrapping around with a dab of glue before running both
ends to (Point C) on the main mast above the centre spar and tying off with a dab of glue and cutting off the
excess.

The process is repeated for the other spars on the mizzen mast that is D to E to F and G to H to F.
Picture 16 - – Now, as with the British model, we do the last piece of running rigging by fixing individual
lengths of thread to each corner of the flying jib, jib and fore topmast staysail out on the bowsprit with a dab
of glue and running them to the base of the foremast and gluing them under the standing rigging point for
neatness.

Finish off by attaching the command pennant and ensign.

One of the key learning points when fixing the thread is how much tension to apply as in the main the lines
should be fairly taught, but not so that they cause distortion to the masts and spars or cause previous line to
become slack because of the pull you have caused in another direction.

Take your time and check before making a final fix. You will get quicker with practice.

Any questions can be left on the blog via the messaging device or in a comment and I will try to help.

Happy Rigging

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