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

[popeye the sailor]

good to see your back at it......take your time.  it is good to put in missing detail that the kit doesn't have...especially if it's too big to ignore.

   there is always a lot of controversary about paint and fitting......and the time period in which they were present.  that's a big problem with pictures......there's never an exact date in which they were taken.   I ran into that big time when I did my revell kit.....I must have three different accounts concerning paint.   I just picked a scheme and went with it.   your doing a fine job......even if your just playing with the sub assemblies for now.   when your ready to work on the big picture........the build will be that much quicker.  go at a steady pace....I know I'm not going anywhere.........I'm sure others aren't either. 

[keelhauled]

Thanks Popeye!

 

When I was trying to figure out whether to varnish the cabins or paint them white, I looked at historic photos and paintings. One painting, commissioned by the Ship's owner and painted the year of the launch, had the cabins finished in teak. Then I read a scientific analysis of the paints taken during the restoration

from areas on the cabin that were protected from stripping over the years . The report said the first layer had been white, then subsequent layers consisted of coasts of varnishes, and other coats of white.  So were the cabins originally painted white and then the owner had them stripped back to teak and varnished as in the painting during her first year?  Who knows?!  I gave up and just painted the panels white. 

 

Same thing happened trying to figure out the hatches as well as the combings.  Some photos had them white, some were dark (black or reddish/orange? - I read descriptions of both). 

 

Tons of time spend with magnifier glasses and old photos.

 

I think that I spend too much time trying to figure out what the ship should look like instead of just building it.  Sometimes I should just make a decision and move on. 

OR drink more!!!

 

Marc

[mobbsie]

Hi Marc,

 

That's some nice work your doing there mate, it's the little bits that bring a ship to life and your Cutty is coming alive.

 

Well done and keep it up.

 

mobbsie

[gjdale]

Good to see you back Marc. Some more nice details added I see. You certainly are making some nice improvements to the kit here.

[keelhauled]

Hi Grant and Mobbsie,

 

Thanks for feedback! I really appreciate it.

 

Cheers

Marc

[popeye the sailor]

I wish I could be a better barometer for you......she had her share of both......lots of teak though.   then she changed hands a few times and info really becomes cloudy.   I wanted to get another one,  and try to do her as the Portugese ship Ferreira.....nicknamed the Pequena Camisola by her crew........and later turned into a Barquentene  Maria Do Amparo....very few info,  if none at all about these two

[DCIronfist]

In the end go with what what makes you happy........ :)

[NenadM]

Hello

 

I will follow this topic with great interest

 

Nenad

[NenadM]

Keep on going

 

Your topic is very useful for me

[rfolsom]

Marc;  Awesome build!  I too struggle with the actual colors of the ships' deckhouses.  If you compare a ship with a personal home, you know that through the years you have to allow for many changes:  for example, a house built in 1950 is not going to have the same painting scheme, wallpaper, flooring, roofing, and furniture, and is highly unlikely to have escaped any major structural modifications, as compared to the same house in 2013.  This is in 63 years.  If you extrapolate the date the Cutty turned 63, that would have been 1932.   I see that you have a copy of G. Campbell's plans, and that is what I always bounce back to when I have a dilemma concerning minor details.  I know my model is not representative of the CS at any one point in time, but serves my personal preference as to how she looks the best, while trying to keep things as historically accurate as possible.

 

Keep up the excellent work, and don't sweat the details

 

~Bob

[NenadM]

That remains me about similar story of Belgrade fortress ( Kalemegdan) first built at the beginning of the second century by Ancient Romans legion IV Flavia called Felix - happy, when castrum was rectangular, 560 meters and a width of about 350 m. After that fortress was many times knocked down to funds and rebuilt, and today fortress is in area of ​​53 hectares, so archaeologists do not know what state the fort to reconstruct.

 

Similar with the Cutty Sark, which is very old ship with long history

[keelhauled]

Thanks Grant, David, Bob and Nenad,

 

You're right, you just have to accept that ships change during their lives and you can't always determine when those changes occurred.

 

Sorry for the late replies.  We had a family member who's health declined and required our help to take care of him.  Unfortunately he passed and we've been tied up with family. 

 

So the Cutty has had to wait.

 

 I'm working on the spars today and will take photos and post.

 

Thanks

Marc

[popeye the sailor]

yepper.......just have to pick a period and go with it     I'll look forward in seeing the roads you take in building yours.

 

sorry to hear of your recent loss....my sencere condolences to you and your family.

[NenadM]

Accept my condolences, and find find strength to continue

[rfolsom]

Marc-

 

My thoughts go out to you and your loved ones;  hope to see new posts when you're ready.

 

Bob

[keelhauled]

Popeye, Nenad, and Bob,

 

Thanks for the condolences and wishes.  We just interned my father-in-law today. 

I appreciate the thoughts.  He is greatly missed.

 

Hopefully, I'll be back in the garage this week.  I was able to spend a couple of hours last week, but that has been it for the past month and a half.

 

Take care,

Marc

[popeye the sailor]

make sure the home is secure before you do.......do what you need to do........then you'll be able to continue your build,  on an even keel.

   I'll look forward to your updates.....

[DCIronfist]

I am sorry for your loss. I hope you and you family are doing ok in these tough times.

[keelhauled]

David,

Thank you for your thoughts.

Marc

[keelhauled]

Sorry for the break in posts.  I've been working on the ship on and off, but haven't managed to post the progress.  I have been taking some photos so I'll work on posting them.

 

I decided to tackle the ships pump. 

 

The pump that came with the kit didn't look anything like the real one.  In fact, I can't figure out what the kit piece is supposed to represent.  It kind of looks like a cam shaft for a car.

 

Anyway, I made the pump out of brass.  The pictures are of it before I painted it.  But I think it probably shows up better before painting.

 

Thanks

Marc

Edited November 10, 2013 by keelhauled

[keelhauled]

I worked on the bowsprit.  I went off of actual photos of the ship as well as Campbell's plans.

Although the gammoning chains should wrap through the stem, the model didn't have this detail and by the time I realized it, it was too late.  Further, the only portion of the gammoning that is visible when the model is finished will be the part going across the top of the bowsprit.  So I just wrapped the chain around the bowsprit.  The bands are brass.  I simulated the hinge and clasp with brass rods and tubes.  The dolphin striker is also made of brass.

 

Edited November 10, 2013 by keelhauled

[keelhauled]

I made stuns'l boom irons based on Chuck's paper on making Yard details

http://modelshipworldforum.com/resources/Mats_and_Yards/Making%20yard%20details.pdf

 

I used epoxy.  Although it worked ok, I think that I would solder them in the future.  I had a couple of irons come apart since there isn't much surface area between the rod and the pipe.

 

If you use epoxy, make sure that you hold the rod when bending and not the pipe.  Holding the pipe and bending the rod will stress the epoxy joint and could weaken it.

 

 

 

 

 

[NenadM]

I am following your build with great interest. Keep on posting, pls

 

Nenad

[keelhauled]

Thanks Popeye,

[rfolsom]

Marc;

 

I'm so glad to see you getting up and running on your build and build log;  hope you found closure on the home front, that's the most important thing... 

 

The saltwater pump, bowsprit, and irons looks great, I've thought about them, but need to stay focused on matters at hand, or I'll wind up with 20-30 tiny builds in various stages of construction all over the place!

 

All the best,

 

Bob

[keelhauled]

Hi Bob,

 

Thanks for the kind words.  I do jump around, but I complete the little mini projects before jumping to another while continuing the main build.  I find that sometimes I need a break from some of the tedious or mundane tasks (stropping blocks, shaping spars, etc.).

 

My mother-in-law showed me how to sew - at least enough to make/alter sails. I bought some sails, but I need to adjust some of them for furling and sew in some of the reef bands.  That will be one of my winter projects when the garage gets too cold.

 

Take care

Marc

[keelhauled]

Here is the jpeg to help describe the bulwarks.  For some reason I wasn't able to edit and add it to my post on the subject

Thanks

Marc

 

cutout jig 2.pdf

[rfolsom]

Marc; 

 

Do you have any tips on soldering?  My skills are poor, at least for structural soldering, (I can do wires, PCB component soldering etc.)

 

Would you recommend a small torch? and if so, what brand? 

 

I'm definitely a ways away, but I like to try to plan ahead...

 

Many thanks, Your build is very inspirational!  :)

 

Bob

[rfolsom]

Oh, yes, and Thank You for your bulwark diagrams; I tend to jump around within our logs so I hope I don't confuse any of our new friends!

[keelhauled]

Thanks Bob!  I've soldered using both the torch and the irons.  I used silver solder with the torch.  The silver is supposed to be stronger structurally, and I'm sure that it is.  However, I made a couple of davits and stanchions using both methods side by side (mainly cause I don't like using the torch) and didn't see much difference when I pressed against the piece with my thumb.  The same pressure would have cracked the wood on a bulwark if I had pressed against an eye epoxied into the side.  I'm by no means an expert.  Just remember to use the rosin and don't burn yourself - very easy to do.  Oh, the other part is remember to use heat sinks - especially with the torch.  I've unsoldered joints in one part of the structure at the same time that I was forming them somewhere else.  The brass got too hot.  I bought my torch from Micro Mark, but you can by them from jewelry supply dealers.  I've purchased several tools from sites dedicated to folks who make jewelry as a hobby.  They even have videos on soldering (that's how I learned).  One last comment.  Don't use too much solder and always clean your surfaces before soldering.

 

I case you're interested, the water pump I made a few post back was soldered together using a torch.

 

Take care,

marc

Edited November 15, 2013 by keelhauled