I /think/ some of the shrouds and stays on my Ragusian Carrack should be served (at least Olha served hers), but don't have a machine to do it, and question my ability to do it in a manual way. No, I KNOW I'd fail at doing it manually, and probably with a machine, which I don't really want to buy, as well..
A search on the Net, prompted by my inherent laziness along with a desire for accuracy, found these pre-served ropes on eBay:
Pre-Served Shroud Rigging Lines
They're from a Chinese supplier (naturally), and while one of the photos shows sizes for 0.65mm to 3mm diameter, they currently sell just 0.65 to 1.2mm diameter. The quality looks good, but incredibly, (and REALLY confusing to me), is they're only available in TAN! I inquired about them, and was told I could dye or paint them, but it seems a shame they're not dark brown or black.
Has anyone tried them? Are there any other sources for similar products?
For that matter, for my 16th century Carrack, would the shrouds and stays have been served? Did they do this from antiquity, or only after a certain date?
A search on the Net, prompted by my inherent laziness along with a desire for accuracy, found these pre-served ropes on eBay:
Pre-Served Shroud Rigging Lines
They're from a Chinese supplier (naturally), and while one of the photos shows sizes for 0.65mm to 3mm diameter, they currently sell just 0.65 to 1.2mm diameter. The quality looks good, but incredibly, (and REALLY confusing to me), is they're only available in TAN! I inquired about them, and was told I could dye or paint them, but it seems a shame they're not dark brown or black.
Has anyone tried them? Are there any other sources for similar products?
For that matter, for my 16th century Carrack, would the shrouds and stays have been served? Did they do this from antiquity, or only after a certain date?