rwiederrich

Amazing!..How you do it is besides me......

Working through that little opening.

Heah..I found a ship in a bottle in an antique shop the other day...I think it is the Charles W Morgan...there is a whale along side the ship splashing.

What do you think?

Well..I'm almost there.  Here are a few images to bring ya'll up to speed.

I finished the tops and rigged them with their eyebolts...now I'm focusing on the spanker mast.

Rob

Finished the foremast top.  I had to make 3 sizes of eyebolts for this build and set the medium bolts for the clew/leach line blocks.  They were probably painted....because black iron rust horribly in salt air.

After I finish all three masts..I will add the deadeyes and futtock shrouds.

Rob

Amazing story...thank you for sharing.

Rob

OK..I see what direction you are headed.  I wasn't sure of the sling design Webb's mast crew used.  Slinging from underneath the top via an eyebolt to the yard sling band is probably the easiest method anyway.  Earlier clippers may have used the sling that goes up and around the mast head with a leather sleeve.

What I do, is make a measurement of the length of the chain sling and mount the chain to its eye bolt up between the cheeks...and then let it hang until I am ready to mount the trussed yard.  I will then make adjustments to the sling length(If need be) before making the final connection to the mast sling eye bolt.

This way...I can have the mast finished, stepped and ready for yards without trying to add the tedious sling later.

Any way...that's my way.   

I really appreciate following your build...it motivates me and sets a good example to follow.

Rob

Just so no one is confused(especially myself).....  the Fore/main/mizzen lower masts doublings will be painted black as will the top mast doublings.  I left them white and was waiting till the mast is fully assembled before painting them.

The top masts and topgallant masts will be Varnished...only the doublings will be painted black.

More later....as later gets closer.

Rob

Thanks Russ.  Before the top gets mounted on the mast head...I still have to mount all the eyebolts for the bunt/leach line blocks.

Rob

I was noticing Ed...how will you be attaching the chain sling to the mast....is the eye bolt hidden?

Beautiful work.

(Upon further study) I was wondering if the YA design called for an additional thumb cleat aft to support the chain sling that ran up through the lubbers hole to the thumb cleat...or will the sling stay low down near the bolsters.  Will you simulate leather sheathes?

Rob

Thanks Russ and everyone for all the likes.....

I worked  about 40 minutes on the GR and finished the first top...2 others will proceed in similar fashion.

Rob 

Thanks Patrick.....The masts are temporarily stepped...so I can remove them to finish the tops and add all the hardware and eyebolts

I hope to finish up all the tops this weekend.

Rob.

Fantastic work Ed......I'll be building the tops for the GR this weekend myself...thanks for the fine example.

Rob

Good night Nurse!  Fantastic work on the mass production of the blocks....very nice indeed

Rob

Simply amazing....almost baffling.

So much detail that can go un-noticed by the less then discriminating viewer.

Stunning!

Rob

I love chain work...nicely done.  Not sure...did you blacken the chain?

Rob

Cast your anchor has some scale boats that might work...

Rob

Another

Tinkered on the GR for a bit and added the cheeks to the foremast.

After lengthy searching I found the appropriate version that nearly represents the Great Republic as she sailed down from Boston to NY.

One item that will be altered is the lower spanker mast which was not painted white, but was varnished to permit free movement of the spanker sail mast hoops.

As depicted in lithographs of the period and described by eye witnesses(Such as Duncan McLean) she had no sail higher then Royals forward and aft.

This a good representation of how I will depict the beautiful Great Republic.

It is prudent to mention that most images and paintings of her show her with 6 sails per mast...this was her final representation after she was rebuilt...this was because her overall sail plan was reduced(doesn't look like it when you go from 5 sails per mast to 6)...but the size of each sail/yard was reduced significantly...so in reality she actually lost several hundred yards of canvas.

No wonder she was originally called the *Behemoth*.  She was HUGE with the largest main yards (120ft) ever placed on a sailing vessel.

Rob

Looks fantastic...but if I may suggest...try using some bees wax on your lines...it covers up all those frizzies and smooth's out the line.  Cotton line is notorious for frizzing.

Super attention to clean detail....

Rob

Your carving skill is second to none...coupled with an acute sense of balance and symmetry...I'd say nothing could really be a challenge for you...unless maybe you choose to build something like this...

Looking forward to your next adventure.

Rob

Green/White....that all depends on what stage of her life you want to model her in....I guess.....

Rob

No...I was building the 1/96 scale version.  I reversed my direction on her and am turning this kit into a kit bashed version of the West Coast built clipper the Western Shore...build in Coos Bay in 1874,,,the last wooden clipper ever built, anywhere in the world.

What stage are you going to build her?  With green hull or white...when she was cut down to a barkentine?

I started the Revell Version first painting it.

Popeye...have you seen these images of the Thermopylae...I post some time ago?

The exploded view is amazing..but you can see the details of her design.

Rob

Fantastic job fer sure.....