CUTTY SARK by keelhauled - Mantua - kit bashed - First wooden ship build

[rfolsom]

Your work is very inspirational;  How did you do the pump on the port toilet?

[keelhauled]

Thanks Bob,

 

The pump was made from different diameters of bass and copper tubing.  The handle was brass wire.  I cut the pieces to length and soldered and then painted in enamel.

 

It's not exact, but I think that it is much better than what the kit offered.  

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2014 by keelhauled

[keelhauled]

In the spirit of Grant Dale and his courage to tear off the stern decoration of his Victory, I decided to tear off the stern decoration of my Cutty.  Although my work is much, much, much less then his was.  I simply removed the stern decoration.  I was never truly happy with it and since I carved the bow decoration I thought that the brass decoration on the stern looked mismatched.  So tonight, I took a micro chisel and pried the decoration loose.  The mess of hard CA was more of an issue to remove.  I tried wire wheels, but they didn't help.  I tried to chisel the stuff off, but it wasn't very clean or effective.  I ended up using drywall sandpaper in the end. This paper actually worked really well.  

 

In the process of removing the boomkin chain, I broke a few links, so I'll have to make that repair.  No big deal.

 

I'll post some photos tomorrow.

 

The next question is which version of the stern decoration to use.  

Campbells, the latest restoration, the 1872 photo?

 

 

 

cutty in Austrailia?

 

 

The restored Cutty?

 

 

 I'm thinking that the 1872 is probably most reflects the original carving.  It is also less complicated than the latest restoration.

 

to be quite honest, I doubt that my skill will resolve the level of detail that it would matter any way.  I imagine that it will be a crude approximation at best.

Edited November 3, 2014 by keelhauled

[NenadM]

I am carefully watching and learning, considering approaching to this stage of work.

 

Personaly, I ll give a try to present look, but ... in such a scale ?

 

It seems that some experiments and test decorations have to be made first

 

What method will you use ?

Edited November 3, 2014 by Nenad M

[gjdale]

Hey Marc,

 

Good on you for taking the plunge and ripping off what you weren't happy with. Making that decision was the hardest part - from here on it gets easier as there is no going back.

 

I look forward to seeing your modifications.

[keelhauled]

thanks Grant and Nenad.

 

Both of you guys made major changes and rework on your builds.  Mine is truly nothing compared to what you did.  But it always is a moment of pause when you know that you are going to destroy what exists and there is no going back.  But so far I've always been happier with the replacement than the original.

 

Nenad, I haven't decided how I'm going to sculpt or carve the decoration.  I think that I'd rather carve the parts.  I feel like I have more control.  There is a shop that has carving wood nearby.  I've also carved from a mixture of resin and wood filler that worked well.  That's how I did the bow.  Trouble is I can't remember what resin I used.  The resin made the wood filler like concrete after I was done carving.  I might also use sculpy.  I saw someone on this site using it for a figure head.  I tried it for making figures and wasn't impressed, but I was told that there are different versions of the product depending upon the size and detail that you want to work with.  

 

I'm definitely going to do some tests off the ship.

 

I hope to work on it this weekend!!

 

Marc

[keelhauled]

So here is my work on the stern

 

The original stern with the kit ornamentation.

 

 

I removed the brass ornamentation that came with the kit.

 

 

I then had to scrape and sand the stern removing the superglue

 

 

 

I then coated the stern with wood filler and left 24 hrs.

 

 

 

I then started carving the ornamentation with jewelers screw drivers.  I've been meaning to by micro chisels, but I can't seem to fork out the $60 to $100 for them.

 

 

 

Here I'm almost finihed.

 

By the way I did some hardening test.  The wood glue needs some strength added.  I tried coating with elmers and superglue.  The Elmer's wood glue hardened the surface, but you could still go back and carve into it.  The super glue seemed to penetrate deeper and made the wood filler hard as a rock.  You can't go back and change it without breaking it..  I think both slightly softened the detail - The Elmer's more than the CA.  

[GuntherMT]

That's beautiful carving work. 

[keelhauled]

Thanks Brian!!!

 

Here's a  couple of photos of it with a coat of paint.  Still needs some clean up and the robin's egg blue of the band and inside of the circular trim.

 

Also not sure what to do with the Star of India ornament.  I tried Sculpy with no success.  

 

I also have to add the name and town.  I saved them from the stern brass that i tore off.  

 

thanks

 

Marc

 

 

Edited November 10, 2014 by keelhauled

[NenadM]

Wow, looks goooood !!!!!

 

In my thoughts carving was one of options, but I have zero experience in carving, and I am scarry to try this direct on stern. Not brave as you

 

30-35...years ago working on Santa Maria, I had problem with thiny bullwarks, and made mixture od alabaster cast and wood glue which hardened as stone after 24 hours

 

Still dont know, considering my miniature madness this days, and reality working in scale .... what is possible and what has sense to be made, even to try. Maybe clay ? Maybe card? I faced with problem - once when succed to make something miniature, you want ALL to be precise in every corner and every surface ... pure madness. Frontier must be set, but where ? If you cross frontire, you are only lossing your time

 

Keep on good and inspirative work, my friend

Edited November 10, 2014 by Nenad M

[rfolsom]

Fantastic!

 

What brand of wood filler did you use for sculpting?  Did you shape the jeweler's screwdrivers in any particular way, or just sharpen them?

 

I am in awe, and quite fascinated with your micro-carving work...

 

Cheers!

 

~Bob

[gjdale]

Excellent work there Marc. Bet you're glad you chose to go down this path now!

[costaron]

Hi Guys, Iam just about to start on the ModelSpace Deagostini Cutty Sark and have read all your posts with great interest. I have ordered the complete kit rather than take monthly deliveries. Anyone had experience of this particular kit?

[keelhauled]

Nenad,  

 

I think you should try sculpting.  Nothing to loose and based on what I've seen of your build you'll do an awesome job, better than my attempt!  As far as the detail, you're correct that  the more detail you put into the model, the more opportunities you see to create more detail.  I think that it's hard to find the balance.  I've considered redoing several areas, but I don't want to end up rebuilding two thirds of the ship.  I'd rather move on to another ship and use what I've learned.

 

Bob,  thanks for the feedback!  I used Elmer's stain-able wood filler. The pre-carved surface is fairly rough and gritty, but underneath it will be smooth.  I didn't do anything to the jewelers screwdriver.  Looking back, I should have sharpened them.  Also when I looked back at the bow, I noticed that I was able to make more detailed work in the fine scrolls with a thinner layer.  I didn't notice this until I had already hardened the stern, so I couldn't go back.  However, if you make it too thin It may crack or break.

 

Grant, thanks again for the encouragement.  And yes, I am glad that I went down this path.

 

Costarn,  I'm not familiar with that kit. However, I don't think that it matter's who manufactured the kit. Bob, Nenad, Grant, and myself have built most of our ships from scratch, tossing aside the kit provided materials as we've become more sure of our building skills. You should look at Grant's build.  He even made the blocks! 

 

The next kit parts that I'm throwing away and rebuilding are the ships wheel and windlass.  

Edited November 12, 2014 by keelhauled

[rfolsom]

Hey, Marc;  It's so good to see you back in the build again;  you've given me much inspiration over these couple of years;  and I'm looking on to your fine build.

 

Cheers, and best wishes always,

 

~Bob

[keelhauled]

Thanks Bob,  The feelings are mutual!!

I really appreciate your support!

 

Marc

[keelhauled]

Back working on the stirrups and foot ropes.  Nothing exciting to photo yet. Hopefully I get enough time this weekend to finish the foot ropes for either the main or the fore mast - I've been working back and forth from the bottom up on those two. Not sure why I didn't include the Mizzen on the rotation.  Poor mizzen yards all left out until the end.  That is the problem with repetitive rigging, lots of work and nothing much to show for it.

 

Also I mounted the name on the stern.  Still have a few areas that need a little detail painted on the stern. 

 

Marc

[keelhauled]

So after 3 months- maybe 4, the stirrups and footropes are finally finished.  I realized I've been working on these yards for over a year.  It took longer to make and outfit these yards than it took to assemble the frame and plank the hull!  Crazy.  Oh well.

 

Here are the fore yards with stirrups and footropes

 

The main yards.  The attached tags have the name of the yard. I'm getting old and can't tell the difference sometimes, especially since many of the fore and main yards have the same dimensions

 

finally the mizzen

 

Here's my high tech storage apparatus.  I spent quite a bit of time building this to protect the yards and the footropes. 

Edited January 2, 2015 by keelhauled

[gjdale]

Nice work on the yards Marc - they certainly do take a lot of work! I love your hi-tec storage assembly too.

[keelhauled]

Thanks Grant.  Now on to the sails, or maybe the upper shrouds, or the ships wheel.  Haven't decided yet.

[NenadM]

Yards, yards, yards

 

And just perfect yards !!

 

And something I never think about - where and how to keep them safe until their time comes

 

Very nice work

[NenadM]

Thanks Grant. Now on to the sails, or maybe the upper shrouds, or the ships wheel. Haven't decided yet.

Maybe - all wooden first, then all sails and after that ... real joy with ropes

[NenadM]

Give us some sheaves photos !!!!

[keelhauled]

Here you go Nenad.

 

Before I just had these holes for the sheaves.  

 

Then I saw Nenad's beautiful work...(Nenad, I hope that you don't mind me using your photo.  If would like me to remove it, let me know and I'll take it down)

 

As usual, Nenad inspired and pushed me to do better!  So I started to do better.    

 

Then I ran into problems.  Previously the kit had the davits in the wrong location, so I moved them.  No issues until looking at including the sheaves, now I notice that the stanchions were now not correct becasue of moving the davits.  Another issue.   Oh well.  I'll do the best to fit the sheaves in and no one will notice one the rigging is all in place.

 

The actual ship (Nenad's photo)

 

So here is my take on them. Now I just need to fill the old holes.

 

Nenad, I ended up drilling from the inside since I had to move the sheave holes anyway.  

 

While I was working today, I thought that I would reattach the aft boomkin chains, which I had removed during reworking of the stern decoration.  I put to much strain on the starboard chain and broke it.  I decided to remove the eye of the boomkin to run the chain through the eyes for the ship and boomkin.  As I tried to break the boomkin eye free it broke.  I'd forgotten that I had attached it using epoxy.  That epoxy is great if you want the part to never be removed.  But if you need to remove that part your dead in the water.

Anyway I had to drill out the post of the old eye. (damaged part of the boomkin).  Repaired the boomkin, drilled out the post and reattached the chain.  Just one more minute mistake that took an hour to fix.  (At least it was only an hour!! )  I took photos, but the turned out poorly and out of focus.  

Edited January 5, 2015 by keelhauled

[NenadM]

Feel free to use any photo you need/want, my friend. B/W are Lou's who was very kind to share them with us, some photos were taken kindly by Swen, and others are from Google

 

Edited January 6, 2015 by Nenad M

[rfolsom]

Very nice!  I chose my sheave blocks to be black;  Can't remember the photo I used...

[NenadM]

... I chose my sheave blocks to be black; Can't remember the photo I used...

On some photos, particulary old ones, sheaves are white, and on other, particulary new ones - black. I can not find now, but I am almost sure I found somewhere color photo ( ehich means - younger) with white sheaves

 

 

Edited January 6, 2015 by Nenad M

[keelhauled]

I debated on the color as well. The photos from my trip have them black.  Then I saw some old photos and they were white.  

 

Just like everything else, it depends upon the day.  The heads are varnished teak..... then they are completely white, then they are white with black roofs.  And the deck houses...first they are teak with white panels, then they are completely white, then they are completely teak.  Anyone notice that the position/distance of where the bowsprit goes into the deck has changed through the decades as has the eye-bolt for the fish tackle.  

 

In the end, I think you just have to pick what you like.

 

With the sheaves I actually like the black better. But didn't want to draw much attention to them. I could have done a better job, but if I'm not careful I'd remake the stupid things over and over and over.  As it was I made eight and chose the last four.  I didn't mind making them, enjoyed it. But the point is that I would never make any progress.  Although I guess the real point is that I enjoy the journey.  

 

Marc

[rfolsom]

Good words of wisdom, Marc.

 

Progress vs. perfection:  I believe we all should stop fretting about every last detail, and enjoy the journey as you say.

We're not engineers sending men to the moon, we have no time constraints, and each step is an enjoyment unto itself.

 

That being said, I wish I were to the "yard stage".  I haven't been there in any ship build since I built the Revell Cutty in (1978?-1984?) (not sure).

 

Anyhow;  Very inspirational work, my friend; and I'm looking forward to your great progress.

 

~Bob

[keelhauled]

Thanks for the support Bob.  I'll be excited to get to the rigging, when I finally get there.  I need to do a million little things around the ship as well as deal with the sails.  I bought the pre-sewn sails from Manuta, but I not happy with them as is.  The bolt rope is a dark tan.  I'll have to figure out what to do.  Bought a sewing machine and played with it some.  But I know that I'm not good enough to actually sew another set of sails.