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rwiederrich

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Everything posted by rwiederrich

  1. Words can't describe....though we try. Rob
  2. You've got 5 months......hmmmm..I wonder. Oh..hey….where is she going to be displayed…...at home or at the shop? Rob
  3. Indeed...these models represent the exaggerated color alterations that must have been present when exposed and unexposed plates were secured next to each other when coppering took place. At first it looks odd, but when you recollect that it represents actual representations...….it makes more sense. Rob
  4. Sutty's old bottom as of the picture I posted probably never saw salt water....but the point I was making is that the plates on her and on my Great Republic where NOT copper as was probably the Constitution...evidenced by the verdigris green oxididation, but Muntz metal....which began its life as shinny yellow and quickly turned brown...… The Cutty image was to demonstrate the color of the muntz when it was oxidized. As for the Original posters questions....I could not find muntz metal to *copper* the bottom of the Great Republic....so I treated the shiny copper foil to look like old Muntz metal plating. Rob
  5. Wonderful job thus far. Very nice execution on the ratlines. You just ripped through them.....great job! Did not the Red Jacket have back stay spreaders? Not all clippers did. the Glory of the Seas didn't originally, but was later fitted out with them. At this pace.....you might finish before I finish the Great Republic...…. Rob
  6. Wonderful work....just lovely. Clean and neat. All those nots can be tiring. Now it's done....and on to other things. Rob
  7. Then, because I don't like shiny copper.....and I wanted a real muntz metal oxidized look...I weather it. The real muntz metal was yellow..new, but when oxidized turned brown. Note the old Cutty Sark bottom.
  8. I didn't like the idea of weeks if not months plating a large hull....so I invented a much easier way to *emboss* the copper foil with segment lines nail imprints. Then just glue down each six inch section. Sone in a couple of days. Rob
  9. Thanks everyone. It's been a while. I will add some rope coils to the pennant rail before I finish with work deep inside the weather deck. It's a real bear working that far inside and around so much running rigging. I'll probably finish up the topsail and lower topsail braces as well as the main course braces, before I flip the ship and work on the other side. Without the spanker mast mounted it is waaay easier to work the rigging of the mizzen and main mast braces. Rob
  10. Next I began work on the top mizzen top mast and royal haul purchases and running them to the crab winches..
  11. I spent some time tonight working on several items...First i decided to add the main mast pennant and rigging. I first built the rail to belay the pennant line too, and then I built the cap with its sheave. I opted to fly the Union Jack from this location.
  12. I agree with JC Frankie...you've limited the boom's/gaff's latitude by the location of your backstays. They need to be brought further forward or relocated all together to free up the swing for the boom/gaff. Rob
  13. I would only assume that you are using a small jig to accurately and consistently drill all these treenail holes symmetrically? If not...you have more time and patience then almost all of us marvelers combined. Rob
  14. Like much of the tedious jobs...I find a way to mass create them. My GR is a smaller scale 1/128th..so I was able to simply apply glue to the shrouds and press the ratlines into it and then twist the ratline to incorporate the glue. Then when dry, I go back and nip off the remnant line...leaving a clean, tidy row of ratlines. I follow up by applying black paint over the glue to hide any shininess. The ratlines tend to blend in or dissolve among the extent of other rigging. I tend to rig several yards at a time in this fashion. IMV, making the job fly by....if that word can even be applied here. Realizing that since I'm *cheating* on the majority of my building techniques and am using every media available to create my models....skipping thousands of clove hitches won't break the bank of authenticity. Not much of our model construction techniques or materials are *authentic* anyway. Love the job you're doing. Rob
  15. Slowly returning to work on the GR...I(without images)..ran the mizzen upper topsail halyard purchase rigging....with its blocks resolving at the crab winch. I began to think about working on the main mast pennant rigging before I get to far with the braces and will find internal access a nightmare. So I made the first cap block with the internal sheave for the pennant line and I ran the silk line down to....what? I then decided to create...what seamed to me to be practical, a pennant rail, that rests along side the main cabin and the aft cabin(for the mizzen). It occurred to me that these pennant purchases needed to be of a single circular line so the sailor could raise and lower the pennant with ease. Installing the rails with their stanchions was a real trick...working deep within the miles of rigging and tackle..drilling deck holes and securing them. I still need to paint them and belay the pennant line to them....but everything is run. The line itself is extremely small silk....lending itself to scale and the purpose. the union Jack will fly at this mast. The house flag at the mizzen and the national flag at the gaff. Just to let everyone know...I will be off the net for a week or so....my father suffered a heart attack and is in need of a bypass...so I'm flying South to attend to him. See everyone in a couple of weeks. Rob
  16. Sweet job...... I need to get back to work on the Great Republic...…. You're making me anxious. Rob
  17. I eyeballed at first...but found the wire spacer worked very well for me...cuz I could then simply wrap the shroud around the deadeye, clip off with a mini alligator clip and then seize.
  18. Nic....masterfully done. What tool are you using to keep all your deadeye lanyards the same height? Are you using a wire spacer or something? Rob
  19. Another fine lesson in historical accuracy...…..Bob. As you have described...I never build a model that doesn't depict some form of weathering...for the deck and nearly every aspect. I appreciate, how you outlined the realities of these weathering materials being *messy* and contributing to the dirty appearance of vessels as much as its protection. Just one trip *Round the Horn* left clippers as if they had been through a sand blaster. Freezing rain cracked newly applied paint and expansion and contraction literally broke caulked seals and chipped paint off like a wire brush. And poorly preserved iron ran red with rust streaks. I have a B/W image of Glory of the Seas just after one rounding of the Horn and she looks beat up. Many images can be found on line. My own version of her has her decks pretty dark. Rob
  20. Bob...I would conclude that you are one, who I would say has first hand experience. I should have used the language, *Most of us are not first hand experts*. Still...you make my point very clearly..... The materials used to weather standing rigging and deadeys, blocks and hearts would tend to *blacken* these items...not lighten them as some would model. The reason why I said , *some, model, based on preference*, not from what actually would be reality. Tanning, taring, oiling, varnishing these members to preserve them will in fact gather dirt and all manner of debris (Not failing to mention that these preservatives themselves are dark)....discoloring them to dark brown or grimy black. Reason why I used the Constitution rebuild as an example. These smart restoring folks know what we are talking about...that is why they chose to represent the rebuild with black line and fittings. Your expertise is always welcome and appreciated....I can't speak highly enough of it. Rob
  21. Since none of us are first hand experts, to weather blocks or deadeyes of period ships....(and generally any ship built between 1700~1900), were weathered brown or black based on the material supposedly used to preserve standing rigging at the time....is actually factual....we have to do a lot of guessing based on preferences.. Many paintings are virtually unclear. What is clear, is the practice of using a preservative on lanyards(blocks and deadeyes) was a factual reality, was it *Dark*, probably. How that application actually looked on a weathered(or new) vessel is simply speculative. I tend to follow the logic of the experts....since the Historian restorers and nautical architects determined the Frigate CONSTITUTION required black deadeyes and lanyards, I tend to replicate all my clippers with the same. Feeling confident I'm not far off from the truth. Rob
  22. One redeaming fact about the Cutty Sark fire...is that all of her rigging, masts and deck furniture and houses and most details had already been removed. Rob
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