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

[rwiederrich]

I made some stunsail booms for the main starboard side.

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

Hi Rob, I am just catching up after getting back from my 4 weeks in the UK.  Some great progress there despite the trials and tribulations - and am very happy to hear the hand is almost better.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[rwiederrich]

12 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Hi Rob, I am just catching up after getting back from my 4 weeks in the UK.  Some great progress there despite the trials and tribulations - and am very happy to hear the hand is almost better.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Thanks Pat...I still have some tenderness in the arm... but It's fully functional....thank the Lord.  I was going mad... being so debilitated.

Yes...I am vary pleased with the progress, I've been making, and am excited for the next phase...which is the mizzen stays and their sails. (I'll add the port stunsail booms in there somewhere).

Finishing up the fore braces, only draws me closer to the overall finish line...and compartmentalizes the build...which I have been doing to make it feel as if it's going by faster.(It's all psychological anyway).

Again, thanks for your fine comments.

 

Rob

 

[rwiederrich]

Went shopping for more rigging line and honestly...I've never been a real stickler for rope that followed a prototype of actual rope.  My scale has always allowed me the freedom to use whatever color/style of rigging thread/string I had on hand or purchased for the modeling project.  If I modeled in any scale larger I would be more discriminating.

 

Concerning my GR build...I have been using  out of stock spools of .005 cotton tan thread as the running lines for most of the standard control lines.  However, I am running extremely low and so I went shopping and found several cotton threads to match.....the issue is, I cannot find the exact size as the original line (I acquired from several old late1950's productions of the Revell 1/96 Cutty Sark and Constitution and Marx's Sea Which kits).  These older threads were very nice and fuzz free...non shimmering, stable products...and they have served me well for  nearly 50 years.

 

Anyway...the thread I ended up getting is near identical in shade, but is .004.  I am hoping to mix this new thread into the build along with the remaining thread of the original stock.  Most ships ran many sizes of line for the many needs on the ship....and since I am getting close to the end and the spanker mast is the last to install...things might work out well and the difference may not be noticed.

 

When I begin-again the rigging of Gory of the Seas(after the GR)..I will use the new thread entirely.

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

I am sure at your build scale most observers would have difficulty noticing the size difference Rob, and besides, if the Spanker mast is a little smaller, the rigging would have been correspondingly smaller anyway.  he colour match is the more important thing here, as even a tine difference would be noticeable to some.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited June 14, 2019 by BANYAN

[rwiederrich]

I ran the first of many lines..the royal lift and its purchase......even I have to study it for while to notice the extremely slight difference.  Color is a good match.

I finished up the port stunsail booms....I have several pics of that.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

In this image if you look closely..identify the last lift on the port side...just inside the backstays.....you can follow it up a bit....THAT is the new line.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

I also finished up the starboard fairleads fixed to the shrouds....I'll work on the port side later this week.

[rwiederrich]

I also managed to make a short dozen of cleats for the braces to belay to...they're all about the parameter of the rail.  Tiny little monsters.

 

Rob

[GrandpaPhil]

That looks awesome!

[rwiederrich]

1 hour ago, GrandpaPhil said:

That looks awesome!

Thanks Grandpa.....

As I proceed, I am always adding new details unrelated to the task at hand....

As I progress...I'm always finding something that needs to be added before something else...just to keep it easy....

 

Rob 

[BANYAN]

In the photos at least it is impossible to see the difference in the line colour (or size) Rob; nice job!

 

Making some great progress, you cannot be too far off finishing her now?

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited June 18, 2019 by BANYAN

[rwiederrich]

17 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Making some great progress, you cannot be too far off finishing her now?

 

It's all subjective at this point...I think.

In the big picture, I have about 10% left to complete....currently...I still have all the mizzen backstays and top stays(and their sails), lower topsail and crossjack sail...  Oh and don't forget, all the braces...   Not even any spanker mast work...which will include its shrouds, stays, backstays and 2 sails.  Yeah... I'm right at the finish line...which will probably take 6 months to cross....if the creek don't rise.

 

If I finish her up soon...there will be no clipper ships represented here on these pages...now that EdT's Young America has slid down her ways...….

 

Rob(That would be a bad thing)

Edited June 19, 2019 by rwiederrich

[BANYAN]

Ahh, you'll just have to stretch out that last 10% then Rob - can't have a sudden loss of visibility to these fine ships can we (sincerely).

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited June 20, 2019 by BANYAN

[rwiederrich]

10 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Ahh, you'll just have to stretch out that last 10% then Rob - can't have a sudden loss of visibility to these fine ships can we (sincerely).

 

cheers

 

Pat

Thanks so very much Pat....I don't mean to sound self serving, but the majority of the fine detailed models presented these days are men of war...with all their armament details gloriously presented and all decked out in ornamental pageantry.  A  modelers delight....not to mention that of the viewer.

 

EdT's exquisite example of construction elevated the interest of the commercial carrier.  The clipper was the pinnacle of architectural design focusing on speed and robustness.  Their rigging alone far surpassed what was commonly accepted...for part of that architectural design was in the harmony of her hull with the enormous amount of canvas that was being required to make the entire extreme concept a reality.

Representatives such as Ed and myself(I can't speak for him, for clippers are all I build), have a great platform to exhibit the wonderfulness of clipper extremes. 

Rigging is probably the one best example most will defer to when describing the clipper, and EdT's example did not disappoint.  So much so, that  I myself am trying to depict such detail in my own example here with the Great Republic....which I feel is the most extreme example ever constructed.

 

Well....I do hope to *stretch* out the last bit, by continually adding more detail as I focus on what is still required for completion.

We still have a lot to do and when we finally round that corner and place her on her shelf....the boys and I will open up the saw pits, stoke the donkeys and turn our attention to the Glory of the Seas.....at least 2 more clippers will be finished here...Glory of the Seas and the Donald McKay.

 

The way I see it, a clipper ship log will be here for some time to come.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Spent some time working on the mizzen backstays and I finished up the port fairleads too.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Spent a little time this evening working on some mizzen backstays and the topgallant stay.

 

About half done...

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

I am needing to begin the install of the next sail the lower topsail.  I made it, but still need to add the buntlines.  Here it is simply posing in place.

 

Once mounted, I will then add the buntline blocks and the reef points.  I wanted to begin adding the final sails of the mizzen before I finished up the backstays, because it is easier to grapple with these lines and the lifts and their purchased....before the last backstays are installed.

It is a delicate juggle between one task and another.  Always being mindful of systematic progress.

 

I hate redos.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Spent a bit of time working on the lower topsail of the mizzen.  got the buntlines on and the sail mounted.

[rwiederrich]

Now I added the buntline blocks and some clew blocks and the blocks for the downhauls.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

I really didn't spend as much time as I would have liked, but I have to get ready for this weekend's big fence building party for some critters my daughter is wanting to house at my place.  About 1/2 an acre of fences and gates and a custom chicken coop to boot.

 

Here is an overall view of today's work.  Slow going these days.

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

Very nice progress Rob and you seem to have mastered the 'system ' as you call it.  Unless you're not telling us of some redos?  Like you I prefer to avoid them but sometimes .... 🙄

Cheers 

Pat 

[rwiederrich]

11 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Very nice progress Rob and you seem to have mastered the 'system ' as you call it.  Unless you're not telling us of some redos?  Like you I prefer to avoid them but sometimes .... 🙄

Cheers 

Pat 

Systems work for me....techniques can be regulated and specialized for particulars.  Once I develop a *system* I run with it...and up to this point I have had no major *redos*..cept the original stunsail booms...got an upgrade.  I fell victim to my pain and had to shake myself clean of it and just redo it all...the right way..without pain being a contributor.   And it paid off...so much nicer and accurate.

 

I'm all good now...thanks for the fine comments and encouragement.  Now I will add some stay sails..before I finish off the backstays.

The mainsail will follow all this work.  I'm sorry I'm not as descriptive of my labors as was EdT...I'll answer any questions though....

 

 

Rob

Edited July 6, 2019 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

Hoping to spend some time on the GR today....before..I wanted to take some updated images of her currently.

 

Rob

[Keith Black]

So graceful.

[Bob Cleek]

She's certainly coming alone fine, Rob. It would have been so easy to omit the sails and take a bow, but you pushed it to new heights. 

[druxey]

That's a whole acreage of canvas, Rob! Nice going.

[rwiederrich]

1 hour ago, Keith Black said:

So graceful.

From these views she looks ginormous..and active.

Thanks for the fine comment.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

38 minutes ago, Bob Cleek said:

She's certainly coming alone fine, Rob. It would have been so easy to omit the sails and take a bow, but you pushed it to new heights. 

Thanks Bob....After building the yards for the Glory of the Seas...without sails(Not mounted yet)...I realized, the largest clipper ever built had to have her sails set...for the sails of a clipper are as impressive as her hull....for in reality...it is her enormous expanse of sails that makes her so Iconic.

 

A clipper spreading full sails in open water must have been a thrill to witness.  I can only hope my attempt can, slightly, if possible...create the same feeling.

Thanks for your fine comments and compliments Bob...I really do appreciate it...very much.  and I appreciate all the likes from my fellow modelers.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

11 minutes ago, druxey said:

That's a whole acreage of canvas, Rob! Nice going.

Thanks Druxey....the power is in the large number of sails put on these vessels...

 

Rob