Great Republic 1853 by rwiederrich - FINISHED - four masted extreme clipper

[rwiederrich]

I surely didn't get much done today....My head is swimming and my ears are totally plugged.  I'm feelin pretty horrible...but I did manage to rig some of the mizzen top shrouds.  I'm going to bed...   Shovin-off .

 

Rob

[druxey]

Sorry you are under the weather: I hope you recover soon, Rob. What you did get done looks neat, though.

[rwiederrich]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes...I won't die...but it feels like I will..

 

I mustered up some time ro do a bit more work on the Mizzen shrouds.

[rwiederrich]

Feeling better I spent some time on the mizzen mast and finished up some items...the shrouds and the spreaders.

Now I just need to ready myself for the long process of rigging the ratlines......

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Ratlines are finished on the mizzen mast.  I forgo the ratlins on the futtock shrouds at this time to facilitate  running rigging passage later.  They will be added at that time .

 

Now onto the main mast....and lastly the spanker mast which will have  rigging limited to futtock shrouds and top shrouds and ratlines at this stage.

[rwiederrich]

I placed the fore and mizzen mast back into the model to see how things look...coming along nicely.

When I have time I kinda get some stuff done.  Now that the front porch is finished.

The Great Republic gets to sit on the mantle in my Den.

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

Looks great Rob and I love that painting in the background.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rwiederrich]

23 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Looks great Rob and I love that painting in the background.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Thanks...that was a painting I picked up in San Diego about 30 years ago...well executed and alive.  I also have this painting that was done in 1942 another original.

 

Rob

[druxey]

Nice painting. It could use a clean and revarnish to bring out the true colors. Hopefully you have a professional conservator nearby: that painting is worth it.

[BANYAN]

Another beauty Rob, nice to preserve history in such beautifully executed painting.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rwiederrich]

I scour old garage and estate sales.  Sometimes I get lucky 

 

Here is another.This is a replication of a famous painting I recall seeing.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Spent a bit of time experimenting with lift block construction and for the gin blocks for the tye chain rigging I made this metal block that will get painted.  I'll need two per lower topsail for the Forbes rig.  Typically you have one and the chain tye runs through the mast sheave and back down to another gin-block and then to the halliard and further down to the purchase blocks and belay pin.  Since the  Forbes system places the lower topsail parrel stropped to the main mast doubling there is no access for a mast sheave because of the proximity of the topmast aft doubling.  So the tye must anchor at the cap, run down through the shackled first gin-block at the spar band, back up to the second gin-block at the cap head(to one side) and then down through the tops and on to the halliard. 

 

Here is my first gin-block....it's about 3/8"  The chain is 42 lpi.

[rwiederrich]

Today I spent a bit of time in the model shop working on the top shrouds of the main mast....but I had to deviate to the metal shop and put in some lathe time, turning a mandril for my dental handpiece to hold small circular saw blades.  Blades around 1/2"~ 1" in diameter...so I can more readily cut small wood and metal parts..without the heat and dust generated from my diamond cutters.

 

I'll post images tomorrow.   I hope to finish up the main mast then as well...we'll see.

This is my anniversary week of 34 years...so my sweetheart might have other plans for me.

 

Rob 

Edited September 28, 2018 by rwiederrich

[popeye the sailor]

congratz on your anniversary.......hope you two have many more     great looking shrouds........well done!  

[rwiederrich]

Thanks Popeye....I couldn't be married to a more supportive woman.....and thanks for the ship compliments...I hope to get the mainmast finished up, so I can step the masts and begin on the main shrouds.  I'll revisit the fore and mizzen masts to add some block eye bolts and a lower topmast iron gin-block.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Well...as I predicted, my love has other things instore for me tonight....but I did get some pics of the mandrel I made for my saw blades.

 

Here are some.  this little tool makes cutting off material so much easier.

 

I have 4 sizes of blades......the large and medium are shown here.

[rwiederrich]

Well I spent some time today working on the main mast shrouds....along with that I made several more gin-blocks for the lifts for the lower topsails.

 

Here in the images you can see the added gin-blocks and I decided to test fit the main spar too.  

Just a bit more and then the ratlines.

[rwiederrich]

Did a bit of work today on the GR main mast.  I first finished up the shrouds and ratlines.   Then hit the books for some reverification of the lift gin-blocks and I decided to rearrange them to a more suitable location *under* the mast cap..instead of along the cap.  There needed to be a lift block I bolt mounted there...sooo....

 

I also finished up the addition of the spreader as well.

 

Here are some images of the days work.

 

I'll finish up the lift gin-block mod on the fore and mizzen later this week.

 

The spanker mast has a bit of rigging to be done as well...so I'll tackle that when I do the gin-block mods.

 

I think before I proceed in stepping the masts and rigging the main shrouds....I'll deviate and turn all the spars and get them banded and finish up the iron work on them. 

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

She is looking good; and what a great way to show her off!

 

cheers

 

Pat

[popeye the sailor]

looks great on the mantel........nice job with the ratlines  

[rwiederrich]

Thanks gentlemen.....I believe she needs a significant location and on the mantle in front of this particular painting...she will surely be on display......Until she has been dressed out with full canvas .... then she will be impeding the view of the painting and will probably be relocated to her own shelf (I will make for that purpose) to the right of the mantle.  We'll see.

 

I'll work on some yards tonight and post some images of that adventure.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

One thing I can surely say.....I'm not finicky when it comes to certain details. 

 

I worked on the lower topsail yard...adding bands and pad-eyes for blocks.  I'll only install the securing band to the parrel when I'm ready to permanently secure the yard to the lower mast head.

 

I think I'll finish up all the yards for each mast before I step the mast...its so much easier to work on them off model.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Spent a little time today working on the lower topsail yard and its lift and hardware

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

All looking good there Rob; keep pluggin' along

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rwiederrich]

Photos reveal all manner of irregularities.....and sloppy workmanship.  I generally work in 1/96 and larger scales....1/128 makes things a bit smaller and harder to keep clean and sharp.   Or am I just getting older with poorer vision and acuity ? 

 

Thanks for the fine compliment.

 

I'll put more time into it tomorrow...today is honey-do day.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Worked a bit today on the topsail yard.  I also finalized my method for fabricating the iron sheet blocks for this model.   They are only 1/8" wide..pinned and ready for both sheet chains to pass through.

 

Rob

[Chasseur]

Looks really good Rob! Just getting over the same bug myself, glad you’re well. Please keep it coming as I am really enjoying this build.

[rwiederrich]

I worked on the top gallant yard last night a bit...still need to add the sheet block to the lower topsail yard.  Once I finish the royal yard I will then add the jackstays to both gallant and royal.

 

Not yet decided if I will add all the yards and their lifts prior to stepping the mast.  Just finish up the parrels for each yard, run the chair rope lifts(secure them), then step the mast...and then come back and rig the lower shrouds and lanyards.

 

This method is quite new to me... but I have seen it done by other modelers.

 

On the other hand....I like the idea of detailing the sail and her rigging to each yard prior to attaching them to the mast.   I'll probably go that route.

 

Later.

 

Rob

[popeye the sailor]

poking my head into the scratch build forum,  I was glad to see you've made some progress on this one.   fine progress it is too     glad to see your feeling better.

[rwiederrich]

Yeah...I'm feeling much better thanks everyone.

 

I spent some time making more sheet blocks and at this scale 1/8" wide...these little buggers are fun.

Here are some images of the process.

It all begins with the necessary metal...and that turned out to be file folder clips....one uses for medical records.

 

Just a little ingenuity, cutting and drilling....and using the natural pre-machined bends of that material....I fashioned the very things I needed.

 

Rob