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Half- Moku Coxcomb (and Full Moku Instructions)

The "Half Moku" coxcomb has bee n used for years on handrails

and on the rims of yachts because it gives an excellent grip for

the hand, while providing a smooth under-wrap for the fingers to

grip.

Here's an example aboard t he USS Z uni (ATF 95) [USCGC TAMAROA

WMEC-166] which probably dates from the mid-sixties. This rail is in

forward twartships companionway and the ladder leads up to the 01

level (Radio and Captain's quarters) and down to Officer Country.

The ship (at the time of the picture) had been decommissioned for over

18 years and so there is a LOT of dust buildup on the rails, as well as

a fair amount of damage f rom sliding equipment across the rails as

she was "stripped out".

Start by stropping two lines to the rail/wheel to be covered.

For this coxcomb, use t he tightest- laid line you can obtain...

it pays off in the finished appearance.

If you can't get a really tight-laid cotton line, consider using

(on a standard 1.75" piperail) some 3mm polyester-covered

nylon-cored line. It will give an excellent result.

Take the RIGHT hand side line and make a half-hitch

going to your LEFT. Get this as tight as you can withoutpulling the line out of it 's stropping..

(WEAR YOUR GLOVES! This coxcomb is truly [turly???]

tough on your hands!)

("Don't spell like my brother!")

Now take t he f ree line (the LEFT hand line) and half- hitch

over the first and to your RIGHT. (Don't forget t o "roll" the

line in your fingers to tighten up the lay!) then take the first

line and make another half-hitch to the lef tand then tighten the

livin' crapdoodle out of t he hitching. You want these and the

hitches to be as t ight as possible and all about the same size .

(It's important... really.)

Fair up back and sides as you go... when pulling this tight you

won't get that much of a chance to do correct ions later.

Keep on doing alternate- side hitching until you reach the SIXTH

from the apex... tighten everything up hard as you go!

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(Keep rolling that line betwee n your fingers, but ONLY when

you're hitching to the right, or against the lay. )

Tricky part: you should have SIX hitches on each side, including the

one forming the apex of t he pyramid.

Your SIXTH half -hitch on both sides is where you' ll re verse dire ct ions,

and it needs to be as tight as the rest of them, just heading in

the opposite direct ion.

Continue doing alternate sides, rolling the line going RIGHT!

(Just showing you how it looks when you've reversed

and tightened up.)

Now you should be looking at something like this. It will NOT be

a tot ally symmet rical "diamond" shape as you have a large body

being covered and using large line, but your edge points should

be a just about the sidelines and your crossing point should be

approximately at the cent reline of the work.

Since our initial crossing was from LEFT to RIGHT, we'll do that

again, so half-hitch to the right and OVER the series heading in

the other direction and then just snug it down...

Now take the line you just crossed over, hitch to the LEFT and

then tighte n them both down as much as possible.

Consider t his to be t he f irst hitches in the next series and

once again do six hitches, make the reverses, com back to

cente r, cross and continue until you're finished.

(Sorry about the colour... never le t a Boatswain's Mate loose around

anything more complex t han a chipping hammer!)

As I'd said, using large line on a large pipe rail will te nd to

exaggerate the slight skewing of the diamond pattern ...

not to worry: "It'll never be noticed from a galloping horse!"

The main worry points for t his one are to keep your side points

in as lose to a straight line as possible and the apices of the

diamonds on the centre -line,

Tightening everything up as you go and fairing will also contribute

to the neatness of the job.

The diamonds ALWAYS go UP on the rail or the wheel's rim.

They are there to improve your grip and that is best done when

the pattern faces up.

Some people will want t o paint this instead of varnishing, but varnish is (IMO) a bet te r tre atment as i

will not

"fill in" the project ions of the hitching as much as paint will and will thus produce a more "grippable"

ob.

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Last pic just shows the side points in a straight line... Gives the

work a lot more visual impact!

NOTE: To convert this to a

"full Moku" wrap, just

don't reverse at the side points.

Continue each line around in a

"French" coxcomb, hitching

alternating sides and you'll meet in the back, at "180

degrees".

Do the crossover as described and continue

in the same direction and your next crossover

will be in the front again at "0 degrees"...

Keep it straight!

If you have comments, suggestions, questions or want to do a tutorial for t he site , please EMAIL ME

and let

me know!

Love to see pictures of your projects, both under construction as well as finished!

Fair Winds!

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COXCOMBINGTwo Line

"Half-Moku" Coxcomb(with inst. for "Full")

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Last updated Nov 02 2010

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