rwiederrich
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Everything posted by rwiederrich
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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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Two hours because I was reading it on my phone …………with a magnifying headset….🙄🤪👍
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Rich I just took about Two hours to finish reading your article. Wow! So much information and discovery. Great read. Thanks for the many kudos and also referencing Vlad’s wonderful build as well. A third article would do his build justice…… Good idea. It would be something if through this article a museum would materialize. 😏 Thanks again my friend. Great job. Rob
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Yeah …..tell me about it. Mine are 1/8”. 🤪 Rob
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Oh boy. Thanks Vlad. I’m so glad you are over the Covid. I’ve been on holiday(Anniversary) for the last 10 days …… Plus , I’ve been keeping busy with lots of mundane tasks. It will be exciting to begin on the hull soon. Again…. Thank you so much. Any book yet? Rob
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Did you include images of the finished model on display? I didn’t see any. Cept with Mike and me. Rob
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How fun. I can’t wait to see it in print in the NRJ. Very impressive work indeed Rob
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I took all those images bro. From hikes we took. Thanks for the fine comments Rich. We had a blast. Rob
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Started working on the metal sheet blocks. I’m following the same method I used for Glory of the Seas. I used metal record tabs. Bent them in half to form the block body. Marked and cut them. But first I drilled all the mounting holes on the mill. Here are some pics of the process. Short but sweet. Next, I’ll mount them on the yards when I get to that point and paint the entire thing then. Each block is 1/8” wide. Rob
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I’m back from the best getaway ever in Sedona Arizona.
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I built a 1956 version of the Cutty Sark. No problems with the blocks. If you expose any model to direct sun light it will deteriorate as well.
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Good eye Johnny. Each block is cleaned of flashing...drilled out and then painted an appropriate block color...then the eye and stropping is painted as well....using paint pens. I used many other kinds of wood blocks in the past...but found, for regularity, and consistency....not to mention expeditious, these premade blocks can be made to look very convincing. Plus, like all things...they are fast and easy to prepare. I'm generally a lazy modeler to begin with anyway. But if it works...it works. I have hundreds upon hundreds of those blocks...single and doubles.😉 Rob
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What I've Learned over the course of time is that, it is far easier to rig your yards on the mast...with the mast off hull. You are free 360deg around the mast to work. Secondly, if you start with the upper most yard...sky or royal...you can then easily run the rigging down through the mast structures far easier and with less opportunity to damage something. I perfected this method and building in this manner when I built the Great Republic. Then when you have all the yards mounted....except the main course...you leave that to add after the mast is glued in, you can go through your lines and belay them to the correct spot/pin. Now, in your case, if the masts are already glued in, you can still start from the top and work down. Again...because it is far easier to run the sheet and bunt lines this way. Then you move to the next yard and so forth. I always add the stays after each mast/yard section is done....so you have room to work around the mast, without bumping into the stay. I can't explain my entire method here in this short posting, but I assure you, you must look at your rigging 3 dimensionally.. Top to bottom and from the inside out. What rigging requires a block/s and where is that block/s located. As you go, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Rob
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