rwiederrich

Finished up the top gallant yard. Pictured are the upper and lower topsails and newly finished top gallant. Next is the royal and……bam….I’ll begin on the shrouds. Rob

Keith…….you can do it. I simply paint the shiny glued stropping flat black. I will be adding the mizzenmast shrouds soon myself on my Glory. Post some images when you can. Rob

Started the top gallant yard and preparing to add the furled sail. Rob

I've long gone away from using my unaided eyes. I need my magnifying head band to do nearly all the work on my Glory. I'm just so thankful I still have steady hands. Keep the post coming..... Rob

Man Vlad...you're speeding along.....getting those carpenters to work over time. Great job...very nice. The only deck work I still have to do myself is add the lower rail frame to the fore mast fife rail and mount the port and starboard davits. They are easily bumped...so I'm waiting for now. Great job man..... Rob

Thanks Rich. Personally, I have never replicated a tightly furled sail before, but after great experimentation and comparison.....realistic weathered furled sails are extremely problematic...because the sail control blocks and furling beckets need to be correctly replicated while still presenting a good scale sail. I wanted to go in a direction that was unexpected...considering the subject vessel. Nothing is perfect...especially in the real world and replicating this imperfection is my aim...I just don't want a bulky cloth sail, but sails that can lend to the realism and not be a distraction but a compliment. I've probably put more time and attention into this part of the build as I have into any other single aspect and I pray when completed, commutatively they will make this model *POP*. Glory of the Seas deserves my full creative resources. Again...thanks for your fine compliments. Rob

Actually...this is quite true. These are so easy to make too. I just cut a piece of wire about an inch long...crease it back onto itself, forming a *U*. Then grip the two ends with a plier....then using a *Hook* of the desired size(Diameter of the eye) in a pin vice, I hook the looped wire and then turn the wire, winding it, onto itself. when the turns are tight, prior to breaking, I cut the shank to the desired length. Then slide the pad eye off the *Hook*. Easy- Peasy.... Rob

It takes an overall view to really see the effect. We tend to see sails furled loosely....with puffs of sail hanging symmetrical along the yard....but rarely do we see sails tightly bundled across the top of the yard. An entire sail, pulled up and bunched and rolled and attempted to be smooth over a jackstay laden yard. Creating ridges and folds to increase the effect can be daunting. Finished off with some slight weathering and stain/chafing details. It looks fuller once the beckets were installed and I added the sheet support rollers/eyes under the yard(Not shown in pics). Rob

Once all the yards are finished for this mast…..I will then rig the shrouds. Mixin it up from my GR method…….keeping the Monotony at bay. Rob

Spent some time finishing up the upper topsail. When I mount the yards I will run the sheets and downhauls. Still need to add the bunt blocks. Rob

I make 3 sizes for my 1/96 models. Wrap wire around a specially made hook(3 sizes) in a pin vice and twist it to form the eye. Rob

Indeed. The S shaped rungs acted as wind generating fans to aid in cooling the pump members from ever heating during continual use. The metal bushings used as bearings(Within the iron pillow blocks) for the iron crank shaft to turn through, were most likely made from *Oil-lite*...an oil impregnated soft bronze metal widely used when there was going to be metal to metal contact. Rob

Glory's futtock shrouds were either metal cable or iron bar. I suspect they were iron bar...because the bars acted as support structure for the tops. Because...remember..... the top cross members do not interfere with the lubbers hole....making the top less rigid from an engineering/structural stand point. But bracing the outer section of the top with 3 strong iron futtock shrouds that bolted to the futtock iron mast band makes all things quite rigid. Rob

In essence this is true. Standing rigging was weathered by means of a blackening(most likely dark, dark brown). A tar based preservative was applied to protect the line from rot. Though lanyards are sometimes considered running rigging (falsely),because they are basically a pulley...they are brought taught...securing the shroud, then secured tightly and for their protection, coated in a dark tar/varnish like substance to protect the line from the damaging results of salt/sea/sun weathering. In essence the lanyard is part of the standing rigging. Rob

Well we try to humble ourselves every day. No one likes to *remake* what they have been toiling over and thinks is a *Masterpiece*, to learn it is anything but and needs replacing. The brutal task of being true to the prototype, forces us to correct our own mistakes and gently point out those of others. We scratch builders can be a finicky bunch. Rob

Thanks Rich...I knew you'd come through with some impressive imagery. My Glory capstans are similar to J. Gardner's design. Rob

Beautiful wood. It will look nice. Rob

You betcha. there are some small details that have been overlooked....but I be Rich can find a newspaper clipping that identifies the Patented capstan design McKay used...I know I've read it somewhere. I might hold off till I know for sure if you have that freedom after consulting with Rich. Personally, I added period capstans that may or may not be arguably as accurate as was actually used on Glory....but as you say...there is still some freedom of expression there. Some small details that are undocumented can be artistically created at the modelers convenience. I wait to see what you come up with. Rob

The worst thing is to notice an inaccuracy....and then to muster up the nerve to tell you...just after you spent all that time and skill. but it is far more important that you get it right...then be inconvenienced. I can't speak for Rich...but I struggle when I see an inaccuracy.....do I just let it pass....not wishing to appear prudish...and let your fine model retain its error.....or do I bravely point it out so you can enjoy the most accurate model you can produce. its clear you want the latter. Oh....one thing...are you going to treat your mast and yards with a coat of varnish or simply leave them raw.....? Rob

Oh...we know you Vlad...you pump out good work....it is just astonishing that you do it so well....AND....quickly. but since you admitted you don't sleep much....I can see now where you get your time to be so fruitful. Rob

Kevin....if you continue along in the log you will see the corrected drawings we commutatively developed...with Michael Mjelde's approval. His drawing are correct for the most part...but are grossly inaccurate in her cutwater and stern, not to mention on a few of her deck trimmings and furniture. Remember he did these drawings many decades ago with no peer review...no second set of eyes. We have the benefit of several enthusiastic researchers who are tenacious about details. Plus we have the great wealth of Mikes unpublished photographic library. Please continue along and you will devise as we did the most accurate replication of Glory to this day. Plus you have the extra added benefit of having Glory of the Seas built , replicating both her early and later years...representing her many added modifications. A fully printed version would be an amazing thing to behold as well as 3D printing can smoothly and seamlessly recreate finer details if done well. Good luck in your adventure.....and do your research well. It can be as rewarding as the build itself. I believe Vladmir has the original CAD drawings he used to have bulkheads laser cut from. He would be the true source to look to for this kind of information. I would follow your build log in a hurry. Rob

Thanks Kevin……they sure are eye catching. This plan is in Michael Mjelde’s second book about Glory of the Seas. Rob

Man this boys passin me up like there’s no Sundays. These days I barely get in an hour here and there in the boat shop. Vlad is doing great indeed. Rob

When originally rigged these ships did not sport the stationary lower topsail(Typical of the Howes design), but were later converted. The Great Republic was built before all of of these other examples and actually, McKay originally built her with Forbes Double topsails....the Originator of the double topsail.. Howes didn't invent the double topsail...he merely modified it and made it more practical. McKay recognized the benefits of the rig and first used it on GR. Prior to that most clippers used single topsails that were large single sails....the topgallent was just as large and hence was the Royal. I gathered that the Champion as originally designed, was of the sail plan depicted in the photograph, but was later re-rigged with Howes double topsails Since Lightning and Champion were build a year later then GR....I wondered why they were not *Originally* built with Howes rigged double topsails. It's just curious to me. In short(Or long, dependent how interested you are), Champion in this photograph, was built over a year after GR and she only carried a main, a single topsail, and a Royal. she didn't even carry a topgallant, which was typical of this period clipper. Great Republic, a year earlier(as originally designed), carried on her main mast.....a Mainsail...upper and lower topsails...a single topgallant....and a Royal. When rebuilt a year later(as Howes rigged) she sported her mainsail...double topsails....topgallant....Royal and skysail. Champion in this image only carried 3 sails per mast....strange...😏. Must been taken earlier then when she posted her record 24 hour log of 20 knots per hour. Rob

One other note concerning this image of Champion of the Seas. She was built in 1854 an extreme clipper larger then Glory at 2447 tons. But.... Why on earth would she be sporting only mains, topsails and royals? Was this sail configuration part of McKay's scheme to increase her speed.(she was fast...20 knots) ..what methodology was he following....or theorizing? Rob