Sailcat

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...

A thought that occurred to me after I posted was that you should also determine how your copper was weathered in terms of 'dry' or 'wet.'
 
If it weathered in water then it will be black or dark grey.  If it weathered in air (like in dry dock) then you will get the green patina look.
 
Copper does not 'go green' in water.
 
Best of luck with this and remember that 'the good stuff' takes longer but is ultimately worth it

RadMan - I had a situation with my build where the copper was already painted by the previous builder and had been somewhat 'beaten up' by time and being wrecked.  What I chose to do was to 'selectively weather' the copper plates by going in with washes, first wide and then after the detail 'plate by plate' wash to create the effect of different alloys and also the look of 'repairs' done over time.
 
If you still choose to go for the 'plate by plate' weather effect I recommend this method as being less 'involved' than trying to create the effect right off the bat.  What this would entail is doing the whole of the copper first and then adding the details after.  This might seem like a lot more work But ...
 
By working on the 'complete' coppering you get a view as it goes of the weathering itself, giving you the control to adjust and modify the look as you go along the hull.  Also, the taping of individual plates might not seem as unified as the distinct tones and shades would be a bit too contrasty.  
 
The wash I used was a simple mix of matte black enamel or very dark matte grey diluted with thinner.  I mixed up batches of it at a time and then gave the whole a thin wash to cut down the shininess of the copper paint.  Then I went in with a small brush and started 'shading' plates here and there.  Part of the process was to let the wash 'bleed' along the edges of the copper to add the 'depth contrast' effect.  Then I repeated the procedure on a spot by spot basis, trying to imagine a history behind the weathering ('this section was re-coppered recently, it won't be as dark ... this part is old and is darker ... the 'water darkening' extends here ...').  I also 'wiped down' the odd place here and there with a thinner-dampened cloth.
 
Here's some links to my build log.  This one shows the coppered hull before weathering - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/272-cutty-sark-by-sailcat-revell-plastic-196-rescue-kit-bash-morphed-to-dame-tisane/?p=9023
 
This post has images of the weathering in process - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/272-cutty-sark-by-sailcat-revell-plastic-196-rescue-kit-bash-morphed-to-dame-tisane/?p=13571
 
This post has some close-ups of the coppering detail - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/272-cutty-sark-by-sailcat-revell-plastic-196-rescue-kit-bash-morphed-to-dame-tisane/?p=13578
 
I hope that some of this is of some use to you

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...

A Big Thank You to all of you for your kind words and encouragement
 
And at the risk of sounding like a TV Commercial - It's All About Braces!  Last post I ended with the beginnings of the mizzen braces being set up.  Since that time I have been puttering away at it, a bit at a time, and remembering to take a few photos along the way.  With that, here we go.
 
We start with the mizzen Royal and Topgallant braces in place - view is from starboard.

 
These next two are the start of the Mizzen Upper Topsail braces from both sides for perspective.

 

 
And now the Mizzen Lower Topsail braces.

 
Finally the Cro'jack (or Crossjack) braces.

 
A view of the tie-off's for the braces - I'm going by the 'incorrect' kit instructions at this point because it's how the model is set up and the thought of trying to research and adapt to be more realistic is very, very, very intimidating, lol.

 
Do the next thing ... which in this case involves the Mainmast Skysail braces.

 
Followed by the Royal braces.

 
And the Topgallant braces - again all of this is as per kit instructions.

 
The Upper Tops'l braces being rigged - you can see the dangling line from the upper tops'l pendant.

 
The Upper Tops'l braces in place now.

 
The Lower Tops'l braces being rigged.  Hard to see for all the rigging now but trust me, they're there.

 
And we end with the Lower Tops'l braces in place.

 
What I haven't gone on about, nor shown, is the 'fun and joy' of the tying off of the braces to their respective pins on deck.  I can say that I accomplished it with no breakage or snapping of lines in place - how I did this is a mystery to me though
 
So almost through with the Mainmast braces which will only leave the Foremast braces to complete.  And at that point I will call this adventure over, which is probably why I have been procrastinating a bit.  Funny and contradictory, but for these last 4 1/2 years all I could think about was the perceived impossibility of actually 'finishing' this re-build, yet now that the finish line is within reach, close enough that all I have to do is reach out and grab it, I find that I don't Want to, not really.  Oh, there are always more things to do, like build the display case and find a home for her, but I am now getting the full realization of Why people put themselves through the seemingly Herculean effort of building and rigging these kinds of ship models - repeatedly.
 
Before now if I'd been asked if I'd ever do something like this again I might not have had an easy answer.  Now though my answer would be, "Of course I will.  The only questions are How Soon and What Kit."
 
And on that note I leave with the bittersweet certainty that this is the penultimate post in this Build Log - unless I find a way to draw it out even longer, lol.

Thanks for all the kind words and thanks to Jim, Popeye and Sailor123 for your answers to my questions
 
Advancing forward now, dealing with the occasional bout of disbelief and trying not to get impatient had resulted in some more work, go figure, lol.  Here we go with a batch of progress photos.
 
After all this time I have finally tied off the lines for the boat davits, which had been hanging loose.  Here I applied the 'zero tension' strategy by dabbing diluted PVA into the blocks to lock the lines in such a way as to simulate tension.
 

 
I chose to simply hang the rope coils off the davit 'cleats' after perusing images on the Internet, it seemed like the common method.
 

 
Attaching the life rings onto the aft rails, just a dab of GS cement.
 

 
Bumkins (aka bumpkins aka boomkins) being affixed to the hull.  At first I had planned to modify these but instead I left them as is in order to represent the kit origins - something I have done here and there through the build.
 

 
Hanging the anchors ... here is where I was applying weight to the forward end and then soaking the line in diluted/tinted PVA to give the illusion of weight tension.
 

 
The result with the anchor canted more realistically.  The tint in the PVA is diluted black China ink, not a lot, to give the lines a dirty look when the glue dries.
 

 
A bow view shot of the anchors in place.
 

 
Attaching the 'chains' to the bumkins, some thin black nylon in this case.  This is the midships bumkin.
 

 
And here's the aft bumkin.
 

 
While I was attaching the blocks for the running rigging I consciously chose not to attach the blocks for the braces with the fear that I'd wind up getting confused and use the wrong ones.  Sage forethought as I would have made more mistakes ... but now comes the time to attach all the rest of the blocks for the braces.  A look at the mizzen mast with additional blocks in place.
 

 
Putting the blocks on the bumkins - this is the port aft bumkin.
 

 
And the port midships bumkin.
 

 
Here we go with the first brace, mizzen royal starboard, loosely in place.
 

 
Both mizzen royal braces in place with slight tension.
 

 
And a not too clear view of the mizzen royal braces tied off - additional detailing like rope coils yet to come.
 

 
So now there's just the rest of the braces to do ... just ...
 
This is the part that I never thought I'd get to in times past.  Getting here fills me with mild disbelief and moderate elation, but also there is the growing concern of what happens when I tie off the last line and glue down the last rope coil.  The question of who gets the Dame and where she will stay is still up in the air, thought I now have a place for her to reside temporarily while I figure this out.  However, such concerns I am putting aside until such time as they become the primary ones, right now I just have to concentrate of making sure I do the braces correctly.
 
Stay tuned for more ... but hopefully not a Lot more

Shrouds and ratlines.



 
The question of the backstays came up and I discovered that I should have modified the crosstrees.  Too late at this point but the little 'tabs' moulded onto the parts didn't interfere.  Although the 'real' rigging would not have had these 'angles' I have noticed in photos of the restored Cutty that her backstays are angled at the crosstrees.  Irony ...


 
Ratlines on the mast top shrouds.


 
And ratlines on the crosstree shrouds.

 
The 're-aligned' backstays.  Looks much better when they're as straight as possible I think ...

The shrouds - I tried to do these as authentically as possible - you could say I felt 'guilty' over cheating on the crosstree shrouds.






 
Attaching the blocks for later rigging.


 
The adventure known as Ratlines begins.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...

A Big Thank You to all of you for your kind words and encouragement
 
And at the risk of sounding like a TV Commercial - It's All About Braces!  Last post I ended with the beginnings of the mizzen braces being set up.  Since that time I have been puttering away at it, a bit at a time, and remembering to take a few photos along the way.  With that, here we go.
 
We start with the mizzen Royal and Topgallant braces in place - view is from starboard.

 
These next two are the start of the Mizzen Upper Topsail braces from both sides for perspective.

 

 
And now the Mizzen Lower Topsail braces.

 
Finally the Cro'jack (or Crossjack) braces.

 
A view of the tie-off's for the braces - I'm going by the 'incorrect' kit instructions at this point because it's how the model is set up and the thought of trying to research and adapt to be more realistic is very, very, very intimidating, lol.

 
Do the next thing ... which in this case involves the Mainmast Skysail braces.

 
Followed by the Royal braces.

 
And the Topgallant braces - again all of this is as per kit instructions.

 
The Upper Tops'l braces being rigged - you can see the dangling line from the upper tops'l pendant.

 
The Upper Tops'l braces in place now.

 
The Lower Tops'l braces being rigged.  Hard to see for all the rigging now but trust me, they're there.

 
And we end with the Lower Tops'l braces in place.

 
What I haven't gone on about, nor shown, is the 'fun and joy' of the tying off of the braces to their respective pins on deck.  I can say that I accomplished it with no breakage or snapping of lines in place - how I did this is a mystery to me though
 
So almost through with the Mainmast braces which will only leave the Foremast braces to complete.  And at that point I will call this adventure over, which is probably why I have been procrastinating a bit.  Funny and contradictory, but for these last 4 1/2 years all I could think about was the perceived impossibility of actually 'finishing' this re-build, yet now that the finish line is within reach, close enough that all I have to do is reach out and grab it, I find that I don't Want to, not really.  Oh, there are always more things to do, like build the display case and find a home for her, but I am now getting the full realization of Why people put themselves through the seemingly Herculean effort of building and rigging these kinds of ship models - repeatedly.
 
Before now if I'd been asked if I'd ever do something like this again I might not have had an easy answer.  Now though my answer would be, "Of course I will.  The only questions are How Soon and What Kit."
 
And on that note I leave with the bittersweet certainty that this is the penultimate post in this Build Log - unless I find a way to draw it out even longer, lol.

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...

The base coats for the Dame applied.  Now to let it dry and then start adding details ...

 
Thankfully I found a drill bit whose base was the right size for me to form the Wheel.  I did this by laminating thin strips of plastic with Super Thin plastic cement.




 
And here's how I added a bit more 'depth' to the Wheel.

 
The Wheelbox parts at this stage.


 
Drilling small holes, very carefully ...

A little shot of the organization of parts - lots of clear baggies.
 

 
Painting the Dame in preparation for her 'new look.'


 
Here's where I started working on the Dolphin Striker/Martingale for the Bowsprit.  I miss the posts on this specific topic, lots of info and photos of the Cutty's bowsprit and more than a few humorous comments ...
 
The set up I had for soldering and aligning the parts.

 
The first test with plastic rod convinced me that brass wire was the way to go.

 
And here's the first attempt to replicate the kit supplied Dolphin Striker ... note that it's all in the same 'plane.'

During the process of posting progress and asking questions I was 'turned on' to the Silver Soldering process, here begins the shift over to something I hadn't tried before.  The first shot shows the clutter and equipment.
 

 
And here's a few of the process using 'regular' solder.





 
A comparison of my fabricated eyebolts and the plastic ones from the kit.

 
Around here I shifted from Copper to Brass wire for the eyebolts.

This is about where I joined MSW - if my memory serves me (never a sure thing, you understand) ...
 
The first part of scratch building the aft post rail.



 
Repairing and 're-posting' the fore post rails.



 
Catheads and Dead Eyes ...

And some more ...


 
Sorting out the Masts and Yards.


 
An early concept was to use paper 'card stock' to scratch build missing portions like the Cabin Skylight.



 
And of course there were paint effects for the deck and the structures.

And here's some of the process of cleaning it up ... 
 

Having just completed a re-indexing of my Build Log photo archive (970 plus and growing) I am now going to begin the process of re-posting *most* of those photos onto the new/old Build Log.  Some of the photos will likely be out of sequence early on but hopefully it won't be that badly mixed up.  And I am going to try and 'remember' as much of what was going on at the time as possible, though strictly speaking so much went on that I don't expect to remember most of the specific details.  Having said that -- Let's roll!  
 
On October 01, 2009, a co-worker rescued a dismasted model ship that was being thrown out in the garbage. He offered it to me innocently, not knowing that by doing so he was about to send me on a trip across the waters of unknown territory filled with information, frustration, obsession, distraction and hundreds upon hundreds of hours of work. During my voyage I have dredged up past experience and mixed it well with the new skills I have picked up.  And eleven months or so into that voyage I finally made the dive from lurker to member of MSW.
 
So these first rounds of photos involve the time Before MSW - when the Transition occurs I will make note of it.
 
But to start - here's the start of it.  From my current perspective I still wonder what the heck I was thinking when I brought it home, lol.
 

 
The original caption for this photo was, "Now here's my plan ..."

Pardon me for falling into my youth but ... Dude! That is SO COOL!
 
Keep listening to the little voices in your head - they make take you down unplanned avenues but from what you've shown us, the detour is well worth the effort!

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...

I use two kind of liquid plastic cement, the regular and the super thin.  For long seams like a hull I prepped the edges then clamped and ran the thin cement along the seam on Both sides (inside and out).  After curing for 2 days I then ran a bead of 2 part long set epoxy along the inside seam for extra strength.  Normally I don't take the extra step with the epoxy but my personal experience with plastic models has been, "The longer the seam the more likely the glue will fail eventually."
 
I used to use excess 'sprue' from the parts trees to add reinforcement but the epoxy bead provides more strength I found.
 
Hope this is of some help.

Hey dafi, checking in on some build logs after my absence - I have to say, Holy Cow!!!!   I am stunned and I also can't wait to see what happens next

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement once again  
 
The display case is planned but I haven't really looked into it yet, soon though.  And that's because this is my last post for this Build Log ... yes, it's finally 'done' in the sense that the work on the ship itself is as complete as planned.  There's still the case as mentioned, plus little tweaks for the final appearance adjustments.  But for now I'll just get on with the last photos.
 
Fore Royal braces in place.

 
 
Fore Topgallant braces.

 
 
Fore Upper Tops'l braces.

 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces loose fit before tying off.

 
 
Fore Lower Tops'l braces tied off and Course braces loose fit.

 
Fore Course braces tied off.

 
The last of the decorative rope coils in place and the finish line is crossed. 

 
 
The Dame Tisane.

 

 
And the rest I'll save for the Completed Model Ship thread.  Many thanks to everyone who looked in and provided much needed advice and information.  Special thanks to Jim, Dan, Popeye, Dafi and likely others who've slipped my mind, for helping me out repeatedly when I was struggling with stuff.  It's because of you folk that I was able to get to this point
 
And as to what may come next - I've been feeling the itch to do other things hobby wise but I also can't stop thinking about the next nautical adventure.  Perhaps the New Bedford whale boat, I really like that kit ...