Bill97

Thanks Dave. Yes that is exactly the way I repaired the jib boom. Did not think just gluing it would have held. Drilled both pieces and used a match stick. Finished rigging the 3 masts with all sails. Furled the bottom sails. After seeing other builder’s take on the Cutty Sark, I really like the white railing on the back and front instead of black. I removed the black thread, repainted the posts, and replaced the thread with white. Like it much better. 

After a mild disaster where I accidentally hit and broke off the job boom 😫(which I was eventually able to untangle the chains and ropes in order to repair) I have rigged the jib sails and some of the staysails. Moving right along with my progress. 

Robert here is mine ready to go once I finish my Cutty Sark. I will for sure refer to your build for tips as I go along. I have already been comparing your color palette and the one in the instructions for ideas. Now that she is finished what is next on your horizon?

Great John. Just general working clothes for people who work outdoors. Probably just basic colors like black, brown, etc. Nothing colorful like military uniforms. 

Thanks John. Will research ordinary working clothes of the day and the blue serge uniform jacket. 
 

Bill

Decided to move the studding sail booms inboard since I will not be adding those sails. Removed them from the yards and now debating if I will reattach them in the inboard position or just leave them off all together. Completed the running rigging on the backside of the foremast sails and began attaching the mainmast sails. Have yet to attach the bottom sails on both masts since I am thinking I may furl them. 

Here is an interesting question maybe someone knows the answer too. I have tried Google and other sources but can’t find a good answer.  
 

What uniform did the crewman on the Cutty Sark wear?  I enjoy painting the little crewman characters that come with the kits. Give me a fine tip brush and lighted magnification lens and I am good to go for a few hours. When I recently built the USS Constitution  I was able to research military uniforms (Navy and Marine) for the area and easily found color pictures I could refer to. I know the Cutty Sark was a civilian ship with a crew of around 25-30 civilian crewman. Need color references if anyone has an idea. 

Thanks marc and popeye,  I already have the yards set (glued) at about 25 degrees so I can’t really change that. I had the booms previously set in the outboard position since I originally planned to rig those sails. Now that I am going to leave the studding sails off I removed the booms today. I will reset them inboard, or just leave them off all together. Marc I will need to check out what you are saying about the spanker, mizzen, and spencer. Interesting. I have the sails I made, except for the bottom (course sail) mounted on the foremast. My plan is/was to furl the bottom sails on all three mast to add a little visual interest and improve viewing of the deck area. 

Thanks mtaylor.  I just made a command decision today and did just that. 

Ok MSW friends I have another question on my Cutty Sark build. Simply because of the space where I plan to put the shelf to display the ship when complete, and the case I intend to make for it, I am limited on the desired width of the final build. As a result I am going to leave the 8 studding sails off. The 4 on the foremast and the 4 on the main mast. With that as my plan I am curious about the Upper and Lower Yard Studding Booms. For authenticity do I need to mount them inboard on the yards as if without sails or can (should) I just remove them from the yards?  I am rigging the ship with sails except for studding sails. 

Added all the blocks to the yards today and began attaching my hand made sails to the foremast. Left the bottom (fore course) sail off for now. Thinking about maybe a fueled sail at the bottom of each mast. If I go with that idea I will need to remake those 3 sails. Pleased with my first time making my own sails. 

Spent a good part of a couple days modeling time adding all the blocks to the yards for rigging the sails. After all the blocks were added I touched up a few marks and blemishes on the yards and then began attaching my handmade sails on the foremast. I left the bottom (fore course) sail off for now. Debating maybe furled sails at the bottom of each mast. Not sure yet. If so, will need to remake those 3 sails furled instead of unfurled. 

Robert I am so sorry to hear about your sick family member. Went through a very similar time in the past year. Even though I only know you through this blog I feel like we are friends, at least friends in modeling. Hang in there. 
Later when it is more appropriate I will let you know my final decision on my sail making. Right now for you i am sure it is not very important. 

Finished the sails today. Added all the lines and a little antiquing. Now to start adding the blocks and getting ready to rig them on the ship. 

Ok after experimenting with the different sail making techniques, both paper and cloth, I settled on cloth. I drew out and cut paper patterns for each sail on the plastic form including the lines. I found an old cream colored bed sheet and stretched it out tight. Next I drew in long rolls of lines On the sheet with pencil matching the spacing on the patterns. For a bit of simplicity I spaced the lines a bit further apart then the molded forms. Next I drew all the patterns on the sheet matching the paper and cloth lines and included the sail number on a side tab. Then in a time consuming process I hand stitched all the lines within each pattern. After I finished sewing all the lines I cut out each sail. Using a 3 to 1 dilution of water and white glue I painted each sail formed over the plastic molds. When the glue dried I had a perfectly molded sail. I waited 24 hours to make sure sail was solid. I will now come up with a satisfactory color to lightly hit them with my airbrush. I think I will reinforce the bottom corners for rigging before I attach them to the yards. I am happy with them. As a purest I know the stitching is out of scale but I am willing to except that. 

Hello Bruma. How is your build coming along?  I have set mine aside for a few days while I work on making my own sails. Once they are done and ready to go I will start the running rigging. I also have the old rigging instructions which, like you said, are a bit more understandable. Those are the ones I plan to use. I looked at the Campbell instructions. Wow! That is intense. One thing I noticed right away when I started the rigging was in the new instructions   In Step 95 you are instructed to tie the ends of the yards together with black thread. That step is not in the older instructions, and it does not seem to carry over in subsequent steps. I did it and for now it has been helpful keeping the yards parallel, but I wonder if I will need to remove it later. 

Great Robert. Will let you know how my attempt goes. 

Thanks again Robert. Yes I understand bending the wire in the sides to get the billow. It just looked like in the one picture like the sail was also billowed side to side as well. As if there was a wire in the bottom. Just seemed like the two sides would collapse together when not rigged to the ship. 

Thanks Robert. I did go to your Golden Hind build log. Absolutely beautiful!  Now I see why you enjoy building these ships. Your painting is incredible. I hope I can come anywhere close when I do my Man O War and HMS Victory. Just a couple questions about your sails after looking at the Golden Hind log. I included a few of your pictures for my questions. In the picture of the sail laying on the table you say there is wire only in the two sides? How is it holding it’s billowed shape side to side? It is as if there is wire in the bottom as well. My other question is when you draw the lines for sewing do you try to match the same number and spacing as on the plastic formed sail or have a set spacing you do regardless of the plastic?  It appears as if there are more molded lines on plastic sail then you put on your cloth sails. On my Cutty Sark formed sails there are many many lines. The first picture that uploaded is one of them. 
 

Robert do you have any photos of your sail technique completed and on a ship?  I have my 3mm wire and cloth. Ready to practice. When I originally read this build log I thought the pictures of the example completed ship was your’s with your sail technique. But looking back now I see they are of a ship Thunder included in his comment (I think if I am reading it correctly). And then near the end of the log you say that the sail with the block is a sail you purchased. So I am not sure if there is a picture included in this build log showing one of your sails completed and attached to the ship. If there is, tell me which one to refer to. Just want to see a finished example so I have a reference to aim toward. 
Thanks Robert

Bill

Popeyes I have the old assembly instructions that Arctic37 shared. I copied one of the pages above in our discussion. I am going to compare the rest of the pages with the newer instructions that came with the kit to see what else may be different. 

mtaylor this is kind of funny. That is a topic I started. I am Bill97.  I have really enjoyed the comments and found them very helpful  🙂

Thanks popeye. Yes I plan to go with sails. In fact I am going to try my hand at making my own sails for the first time. Going to practice a few different methods to see which I can do convincingly before I put them on the ship. I also printed out the old version of the instructions from years ago that Arctic37 posted. They are a big help. Below is I think the same page you were saying makes no sense in the instructions. As far as complicated rigging I think you are correct. I have my USS Constitution setting up high and when I walk by it I think it’s rigging was tough. This is a whole new level!