gieb8688

The instructions and BlueJacket say that the pilot house is a complicated build and that I should take my time. At least for me, this turned out to be true.
 
Many of the laser cut pieces are very delicate, so I did spend some time repairing pieces that I broke. That being said, I'm pretty happy with my progress so far. I still have several steps left before the pilot house is complete.
 

 
I added a sheet, spread and pillow to the captain's cabin. Since, the vessel was launched in 1948, I added a picture of Marilyn Monroe from 1948.
 
Here are some other images of the pilot house after painting and completing the cabin roof and pilot house roof, both of which are removable to enable seeing the detail inside. Also you can see the window frames and doors in the foreground, that I am currently working on.
 

 

 

Looking good, Paul.  There are a lot of relatively small laser-cut pieces to the pilot house, so take your time.  On the display model in the gallery, I left the roof off.   I reduced a copy of that Raquel Welch poster from "One Million Years BC" and hung it over the bunk in the captain's cabin.
 
 

Hi All - A quick update.
 
I have painted and attached the cap rails, buffalo rails, breast hook and the pins/assembly for the fore mast stays. This assembly was supposed to be painted black, but in all the images of the Pauline I've seen in it's various stages of life, including the instructions, it's always white. So, I painted it white.
 
Now it's on to the deck structures.
 

I painted then cut the timber heads to the instructed length.
 

 
Next step was to glue the timber heads to the water ways and against the bulwarks. The instructions stated that the timber heads should be perpendicular to the waterline, not the deck. I tried my best.
 
Here is the starboard side:
 

 
I needed to cut the excess off the timber heads, so that they would be even with the top of the bulwarks. I used my Dremel with a cut off disk.
 

 
Next, I had to do the same with the port side.
 

 
And the timber heads are in place.
 

 
 
 

I have finally started work on the masting. Boy, there sure are alot of spars compared to my last model. The foremast went together with lots of trial and error. Mostly error. But once I established a system, the other two masts went together rather easily. All the masting is currently dry fitted so that they can be worked on. There is a ton of fittings that will be glued on piece by piece and careful planning is called for before the spars are stained and painted. I'm pretty excited about getting to this stage. Rigging is one of my favourite phases of the build. Once the spars are fitted, rapid progress can be made with the rigging. Here's a photo of the masts in place...
 

After a long hiatus from Cutty Sark, I have finally started on the masting and rigging. This is just a short update as to where I'm at with the project.
 
The first step in this long and involved process is to fabricate the parts that hold the masts together, they being the tops and cross-trees. My old kit had these pieces marked out on sheets of ply which had to be cut out with a scroll saw and fret saw. I cut the pieces out with the scroll saw and then filed and sanded out the pieces to size.
Due to the fact that the tops are less than detailed as marked out on the plywood, I opted to use them as templates. The templates were then used to trace the shapes on thinner sheets so that I could sandwich the gratings in between. I decided to use styrene for the grating as they are a uniform thickness and width and there is no sanding involved for such small and delicate strips. All will be painted white so there won't be an issue with the different materials.
Here are some pics of the initial construction.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the likes gentlemen. I forgot to post a few pic's of the boat conversions. I basically chopped of a portion of the stern to two of the Biliing F167 life boats and then glued on a transom converting a double ender to a squared transom boat. This to me was the easiest solution and now all the boats are to a more correct scale and configured correctly.
Here are some photos of the conversion...
 

Hi All. Well, it's been a while since any serious work has taken place on my model ship bench. I am happy to be back and have resumed work on my CS.
I have finally dealt with the boats that are aboard the Cutty Sark. Two lifeboats and the gig and jolly boat. The kit came with three plastic boats and I realize that they are a serious no-no to some builders. I am not one of those however, and with a coat or two of paint they look way better than anything I could cobble together.
The kit came with 3 boats all described as lifeboats. They were F167 (good) and F405 (not good) it being way to big for the scale of model. I decided to get two more of the F167's and modify them by altering their transoms. That would convert them into a jolly boat and a gig. I added some lifelines to the gunwales of the lifeboats to make them more authentic.
I lashed down the jolly boat and gig but have not done so yet for the lifeboats. They would be in the way when it comes time to set up the shrouds and the rest of the rigging going to the belaying pins. I'll have to tie them down after the rigging is complete.
So here are the results...
 

 

 

Very nice work Peter ! 

Well, the railings are completed. It was a bit of a slog. The first coat of primer took 2 hours to apply to all the railings. Phew. That was a bit much, my neck and back told me. Thereafter I painted them in sections as they still wanted two coats of white. But now they're finished and I am pleased woth the results. Modelling will now take a back seat for a few months as summer is arriving and the outdoors and the yard call for some attention instead. I hope to putter with the ships boats during rainy days, whenever they happen. Cheers guys!
 

Hi All,
 
I have been busy in the shop of late due to the self isolation and making some progress. But boy, there is no rushing with a model ship so things are going slowly. I have been detailing some more of the main deck and added some fairleads and mooring bits here and there. I have also tackled the railings on the foc'sle and aft deck which went rather well considering. I tried my hand a soldering and it went so-so. In the end, I found that they didn't need it, and all is well seated without. I had intended to solder them so I could paint the railings off the model. But they looked so good without solder that I decided to paint them in situ. Therefore I had to tape off the stanchions at the base. Now the tedious painting begins. One coat of primer and two top coats. It took 2 hours for the first coat. Yikes. As mentioned earlier, model ship building is not done at lighning speed...
 

I just finished up the labour intensive work on the deadeyes on the main deck. It was a multi-step process that invoved some "metalwork". Billing supplies the chain plates and a bunch of plastic deadeyes. I opted to poach a bunch of deadeyes from another kit so as to use the chainpates that were provided. It would not have been easy to use them together. Once the chainplates and deadeyes were married, I used a drop of glue to make them rigid so as to paint them easier.
 
Here's a bunch of pictures showing the process...
 

After just about snapping off the bowsprit (several times) and the dolphin striker (once), it was time to take some preventative measures. I decided to "splint" the offending spar so as to avoid some dfficult repairs later on. Here is my solution. Once the bowsprit has some standing rigging in place, I can dispense with the milk carton.
 

Finally, here are some photos of the gunwale stanchions and trim along with the attachment of the foc'sle deck. I didn't think I would bother with the trim and stanchions but other builders of this model added them so I had to try and keep up. I have finally found a re-purpose for the styrofoam trays our meat gets packaged in. They are perfect for holding tiny fittings while they get painted!
What with the foc'sle deck being added, I had to afix the bowsprit in place. This made the model instantly longer by 8.5" so it is alot more susceptible to damage. Yikes!
 
 

Well, work has been progressing albeit slowly. The decks are finally all caulked and several layers of varathane applied. This is what they look like now...

Please continue to enjoy some of the latest pictures I have made in the past time. I am still learning and testing and I hope someday my model will be as good as the experts on this forum.
 
I used the motor of a broken mini drill with a motor alternating switch and motor speed regulator circuit to build this rope winding machine. On the surface it is uncertain, but it is quite adequate for wrapping small threads.
 

 

 

 

 

 
It took quite some time to tie the cannons, so now I can only tie up 4 cannons. Probably the end of this month to complete.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
...
 

Hello friends
Currently in Vietnam is on the Lunar New Year holiday so I have time to spend with my ship, here's what I have done in having done so far, and I hope to finish all the cannons this vacation.
 

 

 
You are probably familiar with the movie "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" right, I am extremely impressed with the friendship and teamwork of the captain and the doctor so I made a violin, a Contrebasse and 4 swords of captain.
 

 

 

 
the hatch cover was a tough experience for me as it took me 10 hours to be able to punch holes in it.
 

 
However I am not satisfied with them yet, so I cut the decal into strands and then stick it on.
 

 

 
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This is all I work in a month, I think I did it faster than planned. Because I can only work on evenings and weekends and I intend to finish this ship within 5 months.
I use polymer clay to sculpt decorative motifs and use gold leaf to coat the exterior. This work seems more difficult than using alchemy paint but the finished product after gilding looks luxurious.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

I started making the decks with using 1mm cardboard and decal, however in the process I forgot to look at the instructions so the deck was thinner than the kit. When using decal paper for flooring I think it is not really suitable if using water-based glue as it is not sticky, however this will be solved if I cut off the parts of decal that have direct contact continued with the details on the deck.
 

 

 
I used Master Pastel and water to accentuate the rivet details on the deck, however I still feel dissatisfied because it seems that the Master pastel that I use clings quite a bit to the floor color. seems a bit black compared to what I intended.
 

 

 

 
after making the decks I began to wrap the hull with 300gsm paper
 

 
I used Matit putty to fill the protrusions on the hull
 

 
I spent a lot of time with these details and I used the red color as shown in the instructions of the kit and with the help of my little angel finally finished coloring. She seemed to be interested in joining me in coloring :)).
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
And then there was a layer of 1mm cardboard, which hurt my fingers and it took me three nights to fully wrap the hull. however, the result is quite smooth.
 

 
 

 

 
I fixed the outer backbone with these studs because I don't think the glue is strong enough for this part.
 

 
Followed by the boatside on the left and right sides of the ship
 

 

 

 

 
I used this homemade tool to identify the submerged hull
 

 

 

 

 
I use metallic copper paper and an indentation tool (the main function is to make needle mark marks in leather) and it took me 3 consecutive nights to get it done. I use a glossy finish to protect the color from fading over time.
 

 

 

 

 
to be continued...
 
 

Hi, I am 34 years old and live in Vietnam. This is my first post on this forum, hoping to get acquainted with everyone. My English is not good, so most of the time I use google tools to assist with translation, hoping for your understanding.
When I received this kit I realized the detail part was too small for me so I zoomed in to 1:64 to make it easier to do. However, when I launched the Kit I realized that the thickness of the parts had changed a lot and I had difficulty checking their size. But I don't think this is important so here are my first results:
 

Thank you all for the likes and feedback, I really appreciate them.
After spending so much time and effort  it’s important to have unbiased opinions, and I’m happy to read that they are positive! 
And apologies for the delayed response. Busy days… 
As requested, I try to explain what I’ve done, but please bear in mind that this is my first sail model and those are my first sails ever, I am not, by any means, an expert… 
The raw material is modelspan.
It comes in two different thicknesses, mine is the lighter one, the only one available for me at the time. I have no experience with the thicker one, but mine seems to be a bit too light. 
The modelspan’s color is pure white, and it is almost transparent. That’s why I have painted it with non diluted acrylic colors. 
I’ve used pure white mixed with ivory white and a dot of black. The paint has been applied on both sides with a flat brush. 
At the end of the process, the modelspan is flexible and wet, and I let it dry by hanging it on a horizontal pole.  
Meanwhile, I have created a paper model for each sail, using the Campbell’s sail plan scaled to match the size of the model. 
Using the paper model I was able to draw each sail on the painted modelspan. 
I have added a margin around each sail. It will be bent to simulate the outer frame.
The seams line has been simulated with a sharp pencil. 
I have made some tests by gluing small strips of modelspan  as the real sails, but this dramatically decreases the flexibility of the sail, so I opted for pencil lines. 
Once all was drawn, I cut the sail and this is the result:
 

The edges of the sail are reinforced with 0.2 metal wire. It is important to straighten it as much as possible. After many tests I discovered (but surely many of you already know it) that twisting the wire makes it  straight and robust. 
Since I work almost only late evening/night, I can’t use electrical tools… That’s why I’ve produced a wire twister with my trusted Lego Technic, here it is:
 

 
The metal wire is then bent  so that it can follow the profile of the sail, including the cringes, as you can see here:
 

 

 
The edge of the sail is then bent over and glued with the wire inside using non diluted pva glue. 
Once dried, I opened the holes for the hank and I started to shape the creases on the luff side. I hope the image will clarify the process:
 

 
Now I use a temporary holding pole to hold the luff side:
 

 
With all in place, it’s time to shape the sail. 
I attach the pole to a chair and the clew to a mobile support, so that I can adjust the tension and the angle. 
A bag of  flour is used to simulate the wind pressure. Flour is soft enough to take the right shape and, if all goes well, you can reuse it at the end of the process to prepare e pizza and celebrate the event with the family! 
With all in place, this is the setup:
 

 
Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, but this was my first sail and I was a bit nervous. 
 
I then spray water on the bottom of the sail. The modelspan becomes soft and creases start to appear. Once satisfied I dried the sail with an air drier. 
The dried modelspan retains the shape of the small creases, while the metal wire helps to retain the overall shape of the sail. 
The temporary pole is then detached and the sail can be weathered. 
To do that I used graphite powder (obtained from a standard pencil) applied with a dry brush. 
Here you can see a clean sail on the right compared with a weathered one on the left. 
 

 
The hanks are made from a blackened wire twisted around a pole, and cut in small rings. The rings are then passed through the premade holes on the luff side, secured in place with a dot of CA gel glue and slightly opened. 
Sheets and relative blocks are also fitted. 
 

 

 
 
With the sail prepared, is now time to install them on the stays. 
The openings in the rings  are needed in order to let the stay pass through each ring. I literally hang the sail on the stay. Now I can close each ring (using flat pliers) with the stay inside, securing the sail. 
Tacks, hallards and downhaul are then fitted, passing the lines through the metal cringes on the sail.
The last ones are the sheets. I set the sail at the desired angle (a  bit more than desired to counterbalance some relax effect) and keep it in place with the help of a helping third hand. 
I then pass the running rigging on both sides. Setting them loose on windward and tightening them on the leeward side.
The tightened lines are then painted with CA glue, while the sail is kept in the desired position. Once dried the lines keep their shape and sustain the sail simulating the wind push. 
This last image is to answer rwiederrich’s question about translucency:
 

 
This is how they look in backlight condition. I’m not too disappointed.
 
That’s it… 
I hope it’s understandable even with my bad english. If you have any doubts, please write me and I’ll try to answer! 
Thank you all again for the feedback and support!

I thought about using some kind of silkspan myself for my 1/128 scale Great Republic but translucency was an issue for me...and hand painting every sail wasn;t what I wanted to do...though each of my sails is painted as well.  I used paper and even used a crimping plier I invented to emboss the stress points.  But at my scale it just wasn't necessary.
 
Your 1/96 versions are wonderfully made.   Here is my example
 
Rob

Sails! 
 
I have always had in mind to display my Cutty Sark under sails. 
A clipper with a full set of sails shaped by the wind is one of the most beautiful pictures I can think of. 
But when it comes to ship models, sails can easily ruin a fine job if not done properly. 
That’s why I set myself a number of targets when I started to make them. 
They should have been:
- light and thin;
- translucent;
- with no visible canvas texture, too small to be seen in 1/96 scale;
 - shaped by the wind, not standing still and flat from yards and stays;
- with visible creases near the clews and hanks;
- strong enough to withstand all the standing and running rigging tension, since I want to display them with all the lines needed.
 
After many tests with different materials and techniques, I opted for the modelspan.
 
And this is the result on the fore topmast staysail:




And here there are the jib and flying jib too:


 


 

 

 

 

 
All the sails are rigged with halliards, downhalls and relative lizards, sheets on both sides, one under tension (on the lee side) and the opposite slaked, and tacks.  
The bowsprit rigging is also completed, with footropes, metal covers for the rollers for the fore topmast stay.
There is surely room for improvements, but overall I’m not too disappointed, and I think I will keep on adding all the remaining 23 sails...
 
I hope you like them!

Hello Vladimir, 
thank you for your kind comment! 
I have almost no experience with enamel paint (I guess it was a typing error with "email paint", damn automatic corrector:) ).
I prefer to use acrylic colors and spray them with the airbrush. I usually use the standard brush only to highlight details with dry brush or recesses with wash and filters. For that purpose I usually use oil paints. 
Anyway, the base coat of Munz metal on my Cutty has been done by brush, due to a temporary problem with my airbrush. And the color was not diluted. 
There are two coats of color and the result is a uniform copper-goldish tint. 
The non uniformity visible now is created by oil washes, mixing green and blue in different percentages to break the uniformity. 
Please bear in mind that the enamel thinner used for the oil wash will wash away the enamel color below! This is another good reason for having an acrylic base coat and not an enamel one. 
Please let me know if I can help you with further details! 
And, by the way, is there a build log of your plastic Cutty Sark? I'll be glad to follow you! 
 
Update time! 
 
Fore yards progress:
 
Encouraged by the first test on the lower yard, I have adopted the same techniques for all the remaining fore yards.  
Here you can see the result:
 

 

 

 


 
The lower yard is already painted and fitted with blocks. Still a lot of work needs to be done, but they are starting to take shape! 
Please note that there is an error on the upper topsail yard: the jackstay is too short. I already fix the issue, but it is still there in these pictures. 
 
Thank you all for the comments and likes! 

Good day Bruma,
This picture is from Campbell’s book "China Tea Clippers"
I found it some years ago in free internet/ but saved only pictures without texts, nowaday only text available but I don't see drwngs for download anymore  
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