Rick310

All of our models have errors.  My frustration was that when I attempted to correct those errors, I often made them worse requiring more time to correct errors with little expertise to do so.  I eventually became frustrated and hesitant to move forward.  What I have learned is to slow down and constantly check my measurements.  I also find that writing things down really helps.  Most of all I think is just accepting the fact that this is not perfect and realizing when good enough is good enough.  I constantly have to remind myself that while striving to do my best, that the worst enemy of good is better.

Welcome to the club, those of us building the Flying Fish and other McKay vessels!

I certainly sympathize with the frustration of building the Flying Fish and being unhappy with my results.  This led me to abandon the project for several decades until I was able to come to terms with the fact that this was not going to be a “museum quality” model and the only way to get better was to go back and correct what mistakes I could and then move on, hopefully getting better as I gained more experience.  I still see all my mistakes and wish I could have done better.  Fortunately, most people can’t see them and almost no one cares like we do.  I also told myself that when I finished this model, I would build it again and correct all my mistakes.  So I purchased the plank on bulkhead version ( mine is the old solid hull version).  Now I just hope to get this one finished before I pass away or my wife and family murder me as they are sick and tired of me obsessing on it.  LOL.

I forgot to add photos of the Star of India last night.  I made the shackles and eyebolts as described by EdT.  I slipped the eyebolt onto the horseshoe of the shackle and then soldered the bolt.  I had difficulty moving the eyebolt around the solder joint onto the bolt, and when I made the eyebolt larger to more easily slip on to the bolt, it wouldn’t  stay on the bolt.  I found, however that if I kept the eyebolt larger, after I slipped it onto the bolt, I could hold the horseshoe with a pair of parallel pliers and tighten the eyebolt without  deforming the shackles bolt.

Note on the Star of India, the standing end of the jib sheets are are held to the eyebolts with sister hooks.

next up are the hatches.

Rob and Clipperfan, 

Sorry it has taken so long to respond.

I really appreciate your interest and suggestions.  I have not yet decided what to do about the naval hood. I’m going to try and finish the deck structures first then come to a decision.  

I was debating where to place the head sheet  shackles and fairleads. The original plans for the flying fish show a staggered arrangement which does not include room for belaying the anchor when brought in board. The updated plans show the anchor belayed on deck which leaves the shackles and the fairleads too close together and too close to the aft pin rail on the forecastle.  I ended up staggering the shackles and the fair leads as shown on the original plans, but with different spacing.

The shackles were made from 26 ga copper wire as were the eye bolts.  These or painted white per the star of India. The fairleads were made from 1/16 inch pewter bull’s-eyes purchased from blue jacket. They should have been made of wood but I was unable to make them at this scale. These are painted gray to look like the weathered wood fairleads on the Star of India.

The anchors that came with the model shipways kit seem much too large and out of scale. I replace these with two anchors from Bluejacket that go with their red jacket clipper ship model. These look much better and much more to scale. I intend to make the anchor stocks myself.  The cat head tackles, I purchased from model expo triple shieve blocks from Falconet.  These are beautifully made although a bit expensive.

The hooks were made from 26 gauge copper wire and the straps for the blocks

from 28 gauge wire.  After an eye was formed in the 28 gauge copper wire, it was wrapped around the triple block with the eye centered at the bottom (or as best I could) and soldered in place with a soldering iron after the copper wire was cleaned with acetone.  The hook was then attached to the eye, the ends clipped off and the copper blackened.

The Cathead tackles where  then rigged with thread from Syren ship model co.

Additional items like the pumpbrake and bell were also installed as were the belaying pins.

Looking good!!

George, WOW!!!  What a great idea.  They look really good !!

I’m going to try something similar when I get to that point. 

It’s been awhile since my last post, but that’s summer in Maine.  With outside chores, vacation, work and visitors, work on the Fish has been slow.  It was my goal to get the forecastle finished by June, but here it is September and I’m finally finishing it.  That plus nothing seems to be easy and takes much longer than anticipated.  But here I am.

I finished the taffrail which took several tries.  I use basswood which I boiled for 15-20 minutes (not long enough).  These were placed in a crude jig to get the curve.  I installed the section from the companionway roof to the catheads with glue and pins.

The cat heads were then finished, I painted the outboard section black and the inboard section white.  This paint scheme copies the model of the Snow Squall at the Maine maritime museum in Bath, Me.  The 2 hearts for the jib boom guys were added on the fore side while the anchor release mechanism was added on the aft side.  The catheads were then glued and pinned with 3 copper bolts.  The forward portion of the taffrail was then added.  This was difficult because of how the bow sections both port and starboard rails meet.  A challenge producing the inside curve.  

After this, I made and installed the forward pin rail for the head sail sheets.  This appears to me to be too crowded but that’s probably because in reality, the belaying pins are out of scale.

The next item was to make and install the splash rails. I found these to be finicky and also a challenge to make. I initially used basswood but was not pleased with the several attempts to fabricate them.  I then decided to use boxwood which after shaping and cutting in the notches for the mooring fairleads and the cat heads, I boiled them for a half hour then placed them in the the jig to get the curve. This was much more successful which I discovered after re-reading EdT’s Young America.  I painted the inboard side Pearl gray to match the bulwarks and the outside black. These are then glued in pinned into place.

George, the Bobstays and shrouds look great.  I too am struggling how to terminate the foremast shrouds.  Drill a hole in the hull and gluing the stays in the hole doesn’t seem to me to be strong enough to withstand the pull of the shrouds.   I am considering passing the shrouds through a hole in the hull secured with a knot in the shroud from under the forecastle deck.  Tricky and still leaves the fore stay which is doubled.  Decisions decisions…

Rob. Your work is beautiful. We are always hardest on ourselves. As I look at my model , I see all the mistakes and things I should have done better, but at some point we need to move on if we ever expect to finish the model 

WOW just doesn’t cover it!!

Well done, really looks good.  The masts between the doublings would be left bright and oiled to allow the spars to be hoisted and lowered.. even if it appears to be painted.  In the Buttersworth painting.

I’ve also heard a brigantine or half brig referred to as a Snow

This is really well done Rob!!  Has a nice clean look to the forecastle.   I especially like the way you made the cut outs (chocks?) for the mooring lines in the splash rails. Great attention to detail!

Looks really good Rob. I think you nailed it!!

Great question. Don’t know the answer.  ClipperFan is probably correct.  Makes sense.  Mast look great!!

Really well done!!

Good work guys!

George, just saw your post.  That is great news! My thoughts and prayers will be with you my friend! Keep up the good work on the flying fish you’re leading the way!

Good to hear from you. Hope all is well 

Thanks George for all your kind words..  your model is coming along great!!  
I have to give all the credit to EdT and his magnificent 3 volume set on building the Young America.  I have only copied his techniques. At least the ones I’m capable of doing..  I truly could not build the Flying Fish without his step by step instructions.

To answer your question, the eyebolts were spun from 26 ga copper wire I bought from Amazon..  it’s pretty soft and I bent a straight pin and a small diameter brass rod into a hook to twist the copper wire,  I held the hook in a pair of parallel pliers which actually clamp on the hook.  Using a little back pressure, I twist the wire which is held in a vice.  Very quick and very easy.  I can change the size of the eye depending on how tight I twist the wire.

Well it’s been awhile since my last post, summer has finally come to Maine and that means outside chores ie gardening and spring cleanup.  It also means the start of visitors coming, along with our regular work schedule.  The result is less time in the workshop.  So for the last month I have been working on making the catheads.  This involved cutting 3/16 x 3/16 boxwood strips 5/8 inches long.  I then made copies of the catheads on the plans which I had to reduce 50% to bring them to scale.  These were then glued to the strips with white Elmers glue.  

The catheads on the Flying Fish curve gracefully upward as they extend out from the hull.  On the aft side is the anchor release mechanism, 3 sheaves on the end and 2 holes for the jib boom guy hearts.  Although the plans don’t specify a cathead ornament, it appears to be a lion’s head on the China trade painting.

So the challenges to cut the curve of the catheads on a scroll saw, drill the holes for  retaining bolts and the sheaves aka EdT and the Young America, decide and fabricate the anchor release mechanism and attempt to carve 2 lions head.  Plan B is to see if a decal can be made of the ornaments.

I immediately ran into problems with the scroll saw which I am truly terrible at.  Scratch one attempt.  I did end up with 2 That I was happy with.  Next was to use the milling machine to drill the holes for the sheaves and bolts.  I apparently did not have the catheads alighted parallel in my vice and the holes where off.  This is a conspicuous feature of the catheads and need to be correct

.  Scratch second attempt.  It did teach me to be more careful and to constantly check my measurements.  I finally got 2 catheads that I was please with.

Next step was to decide on the anchor release mechanism.  I didn’t like the one shown on the plans so I decided to go with the alternative which is a straight bar with a handle held in place with 3 eyebolts.  I couldn’t make one like EdT made for YA as the handle has to set up outside the rail.  After several attempts to solder knobs on the handles, unsuccessfully, I placed solder on the ends and when heated (fluxed(?),  look like knobs.  I also made ringbolts for the inboard ends, although not shown on my the plans.  The catheads on the Benjamin. Packard have this feature and it seems reasonable that there would be something to attach a snatch block too temporarily.  All eyebolts were made from 26 ga. copper wire spun per EdT and blackened.  I also made shackles for the gib boom guy hearts from 26 ga. copper wire.  Again thank you EdT.  I then filed holes in 2.5 mm deadeyes to make the hearts.  Finally I was faced with carving the cat head ornaments.  Fortunately I have a real cat head ornament that I bought years ago from a marine antique dealer.  The carving is a lions head which I use for a pattern.  Again, after several attempts I have 2 to that I can use.  They’re pretty crude but hopefully serviceable.  I hope to complete these catheads this week.

Rob and ClipperFan, I could not agree with you more. I believe a lot of clipper ship models are pretty much the same with boiler plate items such as three masts, deck cabins, boats, cargo hatches, maybe the figurehead, capstan and windless thrown in because it would’ve been common to all ships at that time. Probably did some research on the number of yards per mast and possibly a general paint scheme. But I am sure a lot of models are developed with ‘hey this is what they did’ and not a lot of thought to historical accuracy such as deck cabins, forecastle layout, especially the rig etc.  I would like to think that the flying cloud model at the Boston Museum of Art had research behind it but then I also believe some items were just standard on all clipper ships with little thought given to individual ships

This is what makes your work on Glory of the Seas so valuable.

Thanks for your help.  Greatly appreciated 

ClipperFan. That is the kind of detail I really want to incorporate in the model.  Only a few of us would notice it but it gives the model a much more accurate feeling. It makes the model look more ship shape.

ClipperFan

I agree and I do have questions about the Flying Cloud model at the Boston museum of art concerning the mizzenmast hoops and fish.  Although the model was made by a professional model maker, in 1915 (?),  one wonders how much research they did concerning details like whether or not the Mizzenmast was a single stick or a built mast.  Another question is how the fairleads in the shrouds are one long piece of wood versus individual fairleads. I know either could be appropriate but is that truly accurate for the flying cloud?  Overall, it is an absolutely fantastic model worth seeing if you are anywhere near Boston.

I keep coming back to the fact about the China trade painting and Buttersworth‘s painting show hoops on the mizzen And one would expect that at least one of the painters had first hand knowledge of the vessel.