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rwiederrich

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Everything posted by rwiederrich

  1. rwiederrich
    Yes...I troubled over these for some time. The originals were taught, but they appeared unrealistic to me..so I removed them and created the ones with natural sag. Much more effective, the course is fluid in the wind and since it is not being held down by anything more then gravity and the tension of the braces, the clews needed to represent the same fluidity. As mentioned before, I'm representing a mild to moderate breeze in her sails. I have some halyard chain issues to correct...but after that, I think I will rig only the lower forestay......then get on to the main mast. I've vacillated with my next move and I think it would benefit construction, if I forgo adding all the forestays at this time(don't need to bump into them). Rob
  2. rwiederrich
    Some rope coils....still working on these...need some cleaning up and dressing... Rob
  3. rwiederrich
    Spent some time today on the GR...first I had to replace the main clew lines with something that had realism and sag.... Finished adding some rope coils too. Here are bunch of pics.
  4. rwiederrich
    Thanks Harvey. Over the years it always seamed difficult for me to see how much effort was required to make Silkspan look like real sails...not to mention real cloth(which is way out of scale). I began using paper about 30 years ago....I've improved on my technique and from what I have determined....they are quite convincing these days. Thanks for the fine comments and encouragement. Paper is actually very easy to make look like authentic sails...when manipulated with the right tools and treated with paint. Finding material for scale sheet points (Nylon paint brush) was a spontaneous stroke of genius. If I say so myself. Not sure how mobile the model is....I will have to consider its travels.......thanks for enquiring.....it would be a real privilege to show her off. Rob
  5. rwiederrich
    Right. Having the main mast off really helps get around..when belaying lines and running them through the faileads. Rob
  6. rwiederrich
    That is exactly how I was going to do it. I have some extremely strong orthodontic stainless wire that is very small and it will do the job without looking like wire. Rob
  7. rwiederrich
    Not been feeling to well today so I just did a bit..... I added the buntlines and worked out some fairlead positions...
  8. rwiederrich
    Thank you so very much.... The details find themselves in preparation...and more preparation. Years of adding and retracting details have brought me to where I have ended. Good scale panel lines(On both sides) of your paper is a very good start. Applying even layers of paint to achieve a realistic opacity is also critical. It was a stroke of desperate, spontaneous, enginuity, that caused me to realize that the fine strands of a nylon paint brush, cut to scale length, would make exceptional reef points. The thread ones I used years ago..were just comical...and not really to scale. I think the effects I will use on the jib sails will surely step up my game...I just hope I can pull it off..since these sails need to appear to defy gravity. Since my GR sails are depicting a brisk breeze I will not have to mimic the jibs pushing away from the stays. I feel the effect, I'm looking for will provide the emotion I'm looking for. Thanks for your fine comments and compliments. And thanks everyone for your nice likes... Rob
  9. rwiederrich
    Thanks Pat...I appreciate that comment. My work pales compared to some masters who haunt these pages....I'm generally a lazy modeler...and I'm surprised myself, at some of the effects.... I'm actually thinking of rigging the head gear and rigging the fore stays and the jibs....before I move to the main mast. Rob
  10. rwiederrich
    Yes..that was determined...however, similar arrangements occur when tacking.....that is all I was referencing...when building a model other then prototypically. Thanks for the correction. Rob
  11. rwiederrich
    Closeup of the reef points on the reef bands.... Rob
  12. rwiederrich
    I'm liking the paper sails too....they are opaque enough..but still present a real sail like quality... A few more for the day..... Rob
  13. rwiederrich
    And a few more.....I think she is going to be a good looker when complete.... Rob
  14. rwiederrich
    I took some closeup to help get the perspective...
  15. rwiederrich
    After the final rigging was added that would be harder to add later was done..I focused on making the fore main course. Using my sail making technique and a couple of hours...I finished making the sail and now all was needed was to bend it to the yard. It is being supported with extra elevation...so that when it is dry it will have some room to sag back down and be clewed up and rigged. Bunt lines and reef points were added as well...
  16. rwiederrich
    Spent some time finishing up the items I had mentioned earlier. The clew lines and the lower yard lifts......added some rope coils too..
  17. rwiederrich
    I did not take it as criticism....on the contrary....I encompassed your observation into a brauder observation, that yard positioning can be greatly expressed during many circumstances and or changes in wind direction and course. It is typically known that sails set on a model are set at an angle, catching the wind off the aft quarter...but even less known is that sails can be directed in any fashion during the evolution of a tack but are rarely depicted in a model such as represented in the image I provided. Folks sometimes forget that sails as much as they were used to propel the vessel..were also used to stop the vessel. I remember the CS hull offer and I hope that when I finish the GR...my imagination muscles will produce a wonderfully ingenious project for it. Thanks for the wonderful remarks. Rob
  18. rwiederrich
    I tend to agree, however, my point was the array caused by yards swinging about under a tack. I used this image to demonstrate what happens when every yard on a mast must shift in order to catch the wind. This image is what I had to demonstrate the principle. Thanks for pointing out the specifics of the movement. Your observation demonstrates how orchestrated the movement of the yards/sails was and how every purpose could be recognized. The question brought up originally about yard placement in relations to what I was trying to accomplish, I feel, was answered satisfactorily...solely based on historical evidence that Clipper ship masters would indeed extend the proper use of sails to achieve their ultimate goal of speed and to set a good sailing record. Clipper captains were known for PUSHING/DRIVING their ships and crews to the very brink of catastrophe. I think 12 to 20 degrees is ample pitch for my sails to exhibit their prowess and still expose enough rigging detail. The only folks who will ever see it will be family and friends, and myself. Scrutiny is low. Cept for now, while under my MSW friends all seeing eyes. Rob(Thanks for the fine comments and many likes everyone)
  19. rwiederrich
    IT would be the house....... When I am focused on adding as much detail as I can....it becomes almost second nature to *go for it* and add as much as possible. One thing one needs to keep in mind when identifying sail requirements for any particular wind speed. You are correct in the stun sails were made of much lighter material then storm sails and were generally employed in light breezes...to gain as much momentum as could be gained. But the little known fact is that many clipper captains were notorious for DRIVING their ships in all manner of weather and if they felt they could gain another knot by keeping the stun sails aloft while running before the wind...they would...and not even blink an eye doing so. Some captains would leave they sky sails set the entire voyage...even while rounding the horn(Dangerous stuff). Thanks for the fine compliment and comment. Rob
  20. rwiederrich
    Yes...I would assume to fully use the stun'sles ...and to prevent them from plunging into the waves as the vessel heals to one side...you would require to be running before the wind. I've not yet seen a model rigged where she was tacking her yards...where they are aiming in all directions shifting from one tack to the next. I'm sure it looked messy and would not be an example one would want to display. Note the painting.
  21. rwiederrich
    Over the years of building clippers(before I decided to form my new technique of single mast building), I openly dreaded the task of rigging 66 to 72 deadeye shroud combos....couples with the one million ratlines that were required(sarcasm injected). Add the many other very repetitious tasks...and 5 years later(If you're fortunate), you are half way done. Repetition can be a project killer for some.....I just hope I retain most of my dark hair when this is all said and done. Rob
  22. rwiederrich
    Thanks for noticing. The yards are braced at 12deg...The reason was if I had braced them further I would in essence block the view of either the front or aft of the sail...hiding lots of rigging work. The main mast yards will be braced at slightly greater degree and the mizzen even further. I did wrestle with how much angle I would brace the yards....like a typical painting with full face exposure of the sails...either port or starboard. Either way, portions of the rigging detail would not be in view. I opted for a middle approach. Running before the wind was not unheard of while setting your tack. Capturing the curl of leading footer edge of the sails was the hardest thing to tackle...It looks authentic as much as I can possibly make it. Here is a contemporary example and a painting.
  23. rwiederrich
    Riight! I'm not finished installing the clew lines for the lower topsail and the lifts for the main yard....not to mention the main sail and all its control rigging. Once done this will nearly finish off the fore mast mini project. I might add the forestay...but my focus is proceeding to the main mast....off model. Generally I add all the details for each step...for example...once a line is belayed at the rail...I'll add the coiled rope to it as well..to finish off that mini project. I left off last night beginning to add the rope coils to the control lines coming through the fairleads to the rail. Still have 6 to go. I used to put off adding rope coils to the end...but that got monotonous. So like many monotonous tasks...I prefer to break them up by following a step through to its completion....and if that means stopping a process to go to another....that is what I do. Makes for less tedium for me anyway. Can anyone say...RATLINES... And this new technique I'm fiddling with provides the relief of that tedium and produces satisfying results in a step by step format. When breaking the entirety of the build down into smaller and smaller mini projects....it makes the entire project feel as if it is moving along.....no...Clipping, along much faster....and seeing each project get done is very rewarding, indeed. Thanks for your fine comments and everyone's likes.... Rob
  24. rwiederrich
    Worked for a bit today finishing up adding the lower topsail.
  25. rwiederrich
    I also added the clews to the lower topsail..getting it ready to set . I'll probably rig the downhauls before I rig the sail...less out of the way, plus I can more easily square the yard for the sail. I did all the new work in about 2 hours tonight. Gotta run to get some parts for the mantle I made my wife. Thanks for visiting. Rob

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