Supplies of the Ship Modeler's Handbook are running out. Get your copy NOW before they are gone! Click on photo to order.
×
ClipperFan
-
Posts
2,094 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by ClipperFan
-
Rob your inventiveness and clever use of plain, ordinary materials to achieve such extraordinary results constantly amazes me. Thanks for describing your lifeboat canvas cover creative process. I really appreciate it.- 3,560 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
-
Rick310 I agree with Rob. If you have a build log, do please share it with us.
- 602 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- Flying Fish
- Model Shipways
- (and 2 more)
-
Rob, Not only can I confirm these few shorter iron mounts on Glory, there's another McKay Clipper "Sovereign of the Seas" (most likely II) that's equipped with them too.
.jpg.3ea8b9e0547235f805fd1b575e1ef1c4.jpg.7fdf14914054387494c4c3b8557890c1.jpg)
- 602 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- Flying Fish
- Model Shipways
- (and 2 more)
-
Rob, by slightly cropping your images, I was finally able to get them all oriented correctly.
- 3,560 replies
-
- 3
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
-
Vladimir, these images are from "Before the Mast in the Clippers" I shared the painting of Clipper 'Surprise' just because it's a beautiful piece. The other two images show complete rigging fore and aft of topsail and course (main lower sail). I thought you might be able to use them for your plans.
-
Jared I reviewed the Butterworth piece and see that in the stern area, where lifeboats are on davits, they're both stored face up while covered with canvas tarps. Meanwhile the ship's launch on the large house abaft the foremast is stored face down. This also appears to have been the practice on "Glory of the Seas." There are also photos which verify this procedure.
-
https://www.maritimawoodcarving.co.uk/maritima-commissions/the-cutty-sark/ Vladimir I thought you might appreciate seeing the creation process start to finish of a real figurehead. Attached is a link to the woodcutter's replacement of Scottish "Cutty Sark" Witch 'Nannie'. The earliest image shows a paper outline laying on a block of wood. Then the wood is carefully shaped by the carver. In the background you can see a smaller scale version of the completed sculpture. Since you're already working on a 1&1/4" size to start, there's no need to start any smaller 😉 Regardless, I hope this article serves as inspiration for your effort. Another helpful hint, all human bodies are 7 heads tall. It helps to know this in order to keep your Proportions accurate. A favorite resource for me is Michelangelo's "Illustrated Man." the famous image of a man inside a circle. While Glory's figurehead 'Athene' is topless, a good portion of her is wrapped in a Grecian toga. Her left arm barely covers her left breast and her left hand grasps her toga just below a large necklace around her neck. The toga flows outward in a tight triangular flowing shape. Her right arm reaches back to grasp the other end of her toga. The right thumb faces outward while the upper part of the hand is mostly hidden by fabric. Speaking of which, the fabric forms an open loop behind 'Athene' so that you can see right through both sides. On both sides of the figure, her torso is open with the toga flowing down in graceful arcs almost below her hips. Her pose is left foot forward, toes down, heel slightly elevated while her right foot is back practically verticle. The model was very graceful and looks as if she's ready to step right off the pedestal she's resting on. Most of her legs are hidden by her dress. I realize very few of these details can be realized on a figure just barely over an inch tall but I thought you might appreciate knowing regardless.
-
Jared This contemporary photo of Glory's lifeboats actually shows a type of quick release tie down securing the craft to the ship's mounting rail. Either mounted face up or face down, it makes sense that lifeboats, due to anticipated expediency for their use, would be secured with quick release lines either way.
- 391 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- Flying Fish
- Model Shipways
- (and 1 more)
-
Vladimir it may surprise you to know that I agree with Rob 100%. There is an immediacy and rustic charm to the lovely work you've already done. There is such a thing as trying too hard. Sometimes it's better to step back and accept the beautiful results you've already created. As for Glory's figurehead, I encourage you to set your doubts aside and just go for it. She can either be constructed from a series of smaller carved wooden components, like her arms, for instance or using thin wire armature, built up out of clay or sculpey. Good luck!
-
TheAuthorsDaughter Arina if you let me know about these rare items, I'll try to get them for you and your dad. If anybody does, it's your dad who deserves to have these rarities in his collection.
- 3,560 replies
-
- 3
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
-
Rob, the addition of the Bowsprit spreader really is a fascinating anachronistic device. As usual you've done a beautiful job on the inclusion of this unique spar. I'm far more used to seeing such original spritsail mounts in 18th Century warships. Then those were mounted below the Jibboom in order to allow mounting a sail. Being set up on top, clearly there was no intent to mount a sail. As it apparently wasn't originally installed at her launch, this spar like the many other ingenious deck revisions was most likely a result of Captain Nickerson's work.
-
Rob, while you see the flaws, what others like myself see is the single finest miniature replica under an inch, of Glory's Grecian Goddess Athene figurehead ever done. Even the great McNarry sculpture is much larger being around six inches tall.
- 3,560 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
-
Rob, one consistent feature I've seen with ship's figureheads is that the subject's head is tilted in such a way that their face is looking straight out. Invariably when a figure is mounted at a sharp angle, this put their head at a tilted back position too.
- 3,560 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
-
Rob, at the risk of sounding seriously redundant, I just want to once again acknowledge how meticulously accurate your scratch built model is to "GLORY of the SEAS" herself. It's remarkable how even the bowsprit's angle matches the one in the picture behind. Well done, sir. Well done indeed.
-
Rob, not having either of these beautiful figurehead images, how on earth did you come so close to them? I'm even more impressed with your capabilities now!
-
Rob, actually besides the lower tilt of his head and lower position of your figurehead's left arm, the rest of him is very accurate, including authentic paint job. I read that the McKay's original figurehead was lost at sea. This replica was carved by the Ship's Carpenter as a replacement at sea. Knowing how complex a project it is to create a 7' likeness, it's a fair bet that the original artwork, especially if sculpted by Mason was far more refined.
-
Rob, nobody's going to confuse your "Wee Scottish Laddie" for Davey Crockett!
-
Rob, your latest series of Starboard and Port Bow headgear rigging photos really demonstrate how beautiful and accurate your model is. It also reveals how meticulously our combined research really has been. I'm looking forward to seeing the completion of this portion of your build, especially bobstay and spreader.
-
Vladimir, since your model is 1:72nd scale, a 90" figurehead at scale is 1&1/4", just slightly larger than 7/8".
- 3,560 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
-
Rob, from all the photographic evidence we have, none show any belaying pins inserted into any of Glory's rails. To the contrary, all images available so far, including this latest broadside prove that all rails even on her large rear house were solely used as rails and nothing else. Your idea of creating internal shroud mounted belaying pins must be the logical workable alternative.
-
Rob, In this latest beautiful broadside of Glory I was surprised to discover almost all her yards have tightly furled sails like yours. I am struck by the professionalism of these sailors in their ability to so tightly compress these massive fabrics. When you consider rolling up these thick canvas sails, it's an amazing accomplishment. I remember having to compress older real canvas tents when we struck camp in Boy Scouts of the 60s. Since I was participating in US Armed Services Units, our camping gear was surplus World War II military style tough canvas duct. Believe me, it is an art to get gear like that to be as tightly furled as those sails used to be.
-
Vladimir, I couldn't agree more about this fantastic discovery. Everytime I think I've seen the last image of "Glory of the Seas" another never before seen picture emerges. Each time I am once again reminded what a substantial vessel she was too. To give an idea of how far back she is in this 1910 photo, look at the size of "Dora's" passengers in the fore image. Now knowing the size of the ship's rails, project the scale of those same folks into the background. Knowing her dimensions from Stern to Bowsprit tip, I realize that the real estate Glory covers is the equivalent of two goalposts of an American football field!.
-
Rob, while it can add upwards as twice as much time to properly outfit a square rigged ship, I can say that it is precisely that almost mystifying labyrinth of lines, with their various chains, gin blocks and tackles that I appreciate the most. It gives me great joy to follow rigging and trace each line to its logical conclusion at its belaying location. I imagine that with judicious pre-conception and a well laid out plan, the amount of time to accomplish this very challenging but highly rewarding facet of your build can be well managed.
- 3,560 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
-
Rob, Vladimir courtesy of Richard Alan Wood, Administrator of the Facebook page "The Clipper Ship Era" comes this very rare postcard of an Oct 3rd, 1910 Port Broadside view of Ship "Glory of the Seas" unloading BC coal at Unalaska, Alaska. Photographer was John E Thwaites.
- 3,560 replies
-
- 4
-
-
- clipper
- hull model
- (and 2 more)
Our Emblem ®
