Rick310

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.

Sorry, bad post. Trying to say that there are vertical grooves and the mizzen mast as well as the main mast which I believe means the masts are fished. This would mean of course that the mizzen mast was a made mast. Also note the hoops on the mizzenmast

George, I went back and looked at the pictures of the flying cloud hit the Boston Museum of Art and appears that the missing mast was finished, and that there are vertical grooves on the mizzenmast Samos mean in for. I am taking this to mean that the medicine on the flying cloud was finished or a build mast. Don’t really know. Note the oops on the mizzenmast mast.

ClipperFan, thank you for your kind words. I keep plodding along anxious to get to the deck houses and deck furniture. Really looking forward to the masting and rigging. Thank you again for the beautiful photo of glory of the seas and how the aft deck cabin Curves to match the bulwarks. It is my intention to attempt to replicate this on the flying fish.

George, ClipperFan, I agree that the flying fish probably had a solid mizzenmast. I still think hoops on the mizzen mast although solid are appropriate for the added strength given Duncan McLean described the masts of the flying fish as massive. Interestingly enough, I have seen a number of China trade paintings of clipper ships and I have never seen one that shows fished masts. This seems to be a detail that was frequently omitted in the China trade paintings. Given that both the buttersworth painting And the China trade paining show hoops on the mizzen mast, I will probably elect to put hoops and the mizzen mast when I get to that point. I do not think either is wrong.

George, you bring up a very good point about the mizzenmast. The butters -worth painting clearly shows a fiished mast with hoops. The China trade paining Definitely shows hoops on the mizzenmast but fish are questionable. I believe I read somewhere that singlestick masts we’re hooped sometimes to give them extra strength. So The dilemma is do you make the mizzenmast similar to the fore and main mass with fish or do you fish only the main and foremast but hoop all three masts? My thoughts right now are to fish the main and foremast but put hoops and all three masts as both buttersworth and the China trade painting show hoops on the mizzenmast. Could it be artistic license that buttersworth depicted the fish on the mizzenmast? Interestingly the China trade painting doesn’t show fish on the either the main or the foremast, a detail that seems to have been omitted. The model of the flying cloud at the Boston Museum of Art does not show fish on the mizzenmast although the fish on the main and foremast are very difficult to see so I could be mistaken. Does anyone out there have any ideas?

Just a quick picture with the mooring posts in place but not yet cut to size and shaped. Working on the cat heads now.

Looking good. Since I’m behind you in the build, l’m trying to learn from your experience. The masts and tops look great!

Looks great Rob. Looks like you are spot on with the red color of the mast bands!

WOW!!!

I have spent the last month working on the forecastle. This included the deck beams,main rail, stanchions, the nibbling strake and the deck planks. The nibbling strake and deck planks are holly. Again, because of the asymmetry of the bow, it took a lot of finagling to get everything lined up. I nibbled the deck planks where appropriate (to me). Holly is very flexible but I had trouble trimming it with a chisel especially around the mooring bits and the nibs. The planks on the forecastle are much lighter than the main deck although the same holly. The main deck was planked over 10 years ago,

I’ve been continuing to work on the extension of the main rail over the forecastle. The edge plank over the aft end of the forecastle fairs into the main rail and is joined with a fitted knee. The edge plank also has 2 pin rails for the head sail sheets. This is a prominent feature and I wanted to get it right. Initially made the main rail out of basswood but found it unsuitable for joinery work so I switched to boxwood for both the main rail and the edge plank. This is very fiddly work. I am constantly amazed at EDT’s joinery work and how difficult it is to do well. Thank God for Bondo. I found it easier to fit the knee to the edge plank and then the combination to the main rail. I will fill in all the gaps when it is cemented in place. Right now I am waiting to get new paint that I ordered from Model Expo. Both the main rail and the edge plank will be painted pearl gray with the deck beam painted white.

ClipperFan, absolutely

No doubt, I just went back and re-read the McLean article. A lot of good info there. It’s been awhile since I read it and each time I do, something else jumps out to me ie, the fancy knees.

Glad to help. Lord knows I need all the help I can get! Rick

George, I’m not sure but I think the sizes given are the circumference and not the diameter. I need to check the plans when I get home. I think on plan 4? There is a conversion table Rick

ClipperFAn, Thank you for your very generous praise. When I compare my model to true artists like EdT, KeithAug and Rob, just to mention a few, they are at a whole different level. They have set the bar that the rest of us strive for. The first picture of the forecastle is the clipper Snow Squall at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, Me. I have about a hundred pictures of her, most on film, but I don’t know if there are any on their website. What could be of great interest to Rob is that the model has a full set of furled sails. I will post a few, but can do more if interested.

I made the anchor windlass pump break(?) from brass round and rectangular tube. The round tube was filed square for the arms and the rectangular tube was cut and drilled for the pivot. The links were made from brass eye bolts supplied with the kit. The 2 handles were made and soldered from brass rod and boxwood. Again, I had much trouble reducing the diameter of the boxwood using a draw plate. I would like to have gotten them thinner but this was the best I could do. The brass was blackened and the boxwood stained with Minwax Ipswich pine.

Really well done! I especially like the way the masts and tops came out. Great technique, something I’m looking forward to and somewhat dreading.

Absolutely amazing Rob, your furled sails are top notch!!

Next up was the anchor windlass. I didn’t like the one supplied with the model, so I purchased one from Bluejacket. After cleaning it up, I blackened the pewter and painted the barrels white. I made the whelps from copper wire, blackened them and cemented them on with super glue. What a mess!! I also made the travelers(?) for the windlass, the forecastle deck beams and the beam knees. I made the pawl from copper strips, blackened it and super glued it to the Samson post although it’s hard to see. am copying the windlass color scheme of the beautiful models of the clippers Snow Squall at the Maine Maritime Museum and Challenge, at the Smithsonian Museum of American History.