rwiederrich
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Everything posted by rwiederrich
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Wonderful job....I hope you have been following the threads on the newly realized McKay cutwater and naval hoods..... and forecastle changes to the plans of these models. Most manufacturers get it all wrong, making their models sorely inaccurate. Good build. Rob
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And so it begins.... Rigging stays, backstays and headgear. Standing rigging is the strength of the framework that holds the masting, to which the sails are energized. A world, all in of itself.... Good job! Rob
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Still waiting on the bulkheads to arrive. Any day now friends.... Rob
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One simple rule I try to always follow: Always pre-rig all your blocks on the mast (that means some homework), rig your mast off model(If you can), work from stern to stem(this allows you room to work all around the mast without bumping the next mast, work from bottom up( this permits you the freedom from not having to work within a hole of rigging...you have room above), work from inside-out (nothing is worse then when you have to go inside the rigging envelope to add something deep within, that you missed), You must always be thinking 4th dimensional. Height, depth, breadth, time. Of course, you can never forget the component that binds it all together, and that is, how much detail are you going for? Now, one item I modify, and that is, the bottom -up issue. I never add the main yards until I have completed the shrouds. They're just in the way. I actually add them last on my mast builds. One last thought....building your masts off hull works the best because you can simply rotate the mast to work on it from all sides, adding blocks...rigging, and such, then when all your individual yard and sail lifting/control lines are in place...you can glue the mast directly in...and then begin to belay all your lines. I treat each mast as a single unit...it makes for better organization, and it created each mast job into its own little project...breaking up the whole thing into smaller pieces. Which is good for the psyche' . Treating each mast as its own project, helps the entire project move along nicer. IMHV. Rob
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The anniversary is a great reason to make her hull completion a goal.
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Vlad is sending your copy to me (from what I understand), and I'll pop it off to you. As you are probably aware...McKay launched his ships with simple stub masts....so if I can pull off just finishing her hull by years end...I'll have launched her as was the prototype. On her 175 Anniversary. We'll just have to see. No one knows the future.. Rob
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Fantastic work Rick. She is moving along nicely now. I find it kinda funny, that, apart from most builders, I always build my masts entirely, individually. One at a time. Everyone has their own method. Reflecting on my Great Republic build....I began with the foremast and worked back. Realizing that, this technique caused more problems for me...when adding the sails. I reversed this method on Glory of the Seas...and starting from the mizzen, worked out so much better. I didn't have to work around previous work. I could work straight on and over the hull. Yeah....you have a point....the solid hull kits, require that you cut out all the parts.....so in essence, you are practically Sudō scratch building. Great job. Rob
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After Michael Mjelde told me specifically that Chapelle never had peer reviews of his data and drawings. I began questioning the validity of them when things look wrong.
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I'm sure that it was.....however, when you're cold, nostalgia and pride gather close to the warmth....of the fire. Rob(Doing my bit to clear the lofting floor of shavings to reveal the truth)
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That sound like it might be a monumental task. Profits are all these big model kit manufacturers are thinking about. Still, it wouldn't hurt to at least inform them of the blatant errors, they allow in their so called scale model kits. Revell didn't make any corrections to their Thermopylae kit. Not sure they even make that kit any longer. Still...the expensive wooden kits might make the change if they are concerned about accuracy. Maybe *close* is good enough?🤥 Rob
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Donald McKay was a naval architect visionary. However, that seems to be limited to the clipper design. When other yards were quickly converting to steam ship building and design, McKay held his ground. The loss of several of his ships that he alone paid for, contributed to his financial failure...along with the demise of sailing vessels, outpaced by new steam ships. Webb, went on to be a very successful steam ship builder...others too. Unfortunately, McKay was a victim of his own dedication. His brilliant career did bring him great wealth and high honor. It was his stubborn lack of vision for the future of iron steam ships that brought him low. It was his own choices....not the advent of a superior vessel. Rob
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I agree...I find the errors passed down to be unfortunate. It's easy to sell something to a person ignorant of that something. Rob
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Exactly. McKay built Staghound completely...her masts. yards and rigging as well. And as you suggest.....most clippers used similar deck features and equipment. With that being said, however, McKay's ingenious pre-thought spilled over into deck features on his clippers. So many have been previously mentioned here and elsewhere. So to think his deck designs might be different is not outside reality. Duncan McLean's own overwhelmed remarks and acknowledgements of what a *Perfectly* provisioned vessel should look like, was expressed many times when describing a McKay vessel. His own words, such as *Ingenious, skillfully executed, masterfully provided, well equipped....only reinforces the fact, that McKay used extraordinary skill and foresight in fashioning his vessels with modern and ingenious structures. His attention to provide for his workers comfort was just as prevalent for providing for the men who would sail his vessels. One note to remember: McKay permitted his captains to be involved in rigging decisions, but he had overall control.....because the rigging design, in most cases fully effected the sailing characteristics of the hull. No matter how well the hull was designed...if coupled with inadequate, or faulty masting, yarding, or sail plans....the entire vessels performance and reputation was in jeopardy. McKay, wasn't down with that. Rob
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Mike told me Chapelle had no peer review concerning his drawings and many items he includes or eliminates can be suspect. Unlike Chapelle...we cross reference and compare, historically what McKay did, or most likely did....based on his actual practices. I completely agree, Rich. Somethings fishy with this model....and Chapelle's drawing/design for it.. Rob
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The Challenge has the same winches on her bits that Chapelle drew for the Staghound. Intetesting
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The Challenge was a Webb designed clipper. However McKay was a clipper visionary. I would not use w Webb design to validate a McKay design. Especially when Duncan McLean describes her in such detail with having an ample, airy, well lit space for a shift of men to bunk. And no other clipper of the era had Naval Hoods either. Proof , we can not use what others did to conclude what McKay did. He worked to his own tune, setting records and building what no other designer would dare. Donald McKay’s one of a kind clipper fleet is my evidence. Just in case you wanted to know how I feel about it?🧐👍 Rob
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So very much appreciated Vlad. Your work can not be praised any higher.... And in 3~4 weeks, they will arrive and I can begin the hull......I'm so excited. Rob
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I'm still apt to believe that the typical forecastle of British clippers was relied upon when they concluded the W/C's were to be outside the forecastle proper.....and not within as McLean describes. Full height Topgallant forecastles even drawn my Campbell...show a forward bulkhead with windows and companionways. Rob
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She's looking wonderful...great job. Clean and well constructed. Rob
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Well, there you go Jared. she's coming along nicely...good work. Rob
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Gent’s. As far as the W/C’s go on McKay vessels….. you are missing one very large piece of the puzzle. British clippers were small clippers. C/S was only 901 tons. And so was most British clippers. American clippers were nearly twice as large, Many 2/3rds larger. They had to put their W/C’s outside their forecastles for design and space issues. Those little boats couldn’t house them along with the windless and crew. American clippers had size on their side. I feel since the C/S is the only clipper left to evaluate. Model designers simply used her arrangement as their example. Without doing real research. Rob
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Indeed, I fully agree. Rich, I suspect the companionway doors had a modest step up, to prevent water from easily pouring down the passageway. 6~10 inches....this offset allows the companion way slide roofs to nearly be resting on the forecastle deck...as you have depicted in your drawing. This is similar to the example I had shown you presented on that old Thermopylae model forecastle deck... Rob
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Rick, your Flying Fish is just wonderful. Clean, sharp, and very well executed. In our small groups 15 year study of McKay's final clipper, Glory of the Seas....we discovered many construction practices McKay employed in just about all of his clippers. His innovative designs were for the most part, heavily guarded secrets at the time. Rich is pointing out a simple overlooked detail, I discovered, that will make construction much easier when the time comes. We've made many of these discoveries and the intention is to pass along these observations, to aid future model builders....correct issues in plans that did not have the data we have uncovered with the great aid of our friend Michael Mjelde. Rob
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Well, well Rick. Interesting... I retired from Denturism over 10 years ago myself. I did notice a few hand instruments on your desk....that gave me a clue. Now I can see clearly as to where you got your attention to detail skills. I've been a dental lab tech for over 45 years and a Denturist for over 20, till I retired. We share much in common. Rob
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