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

[rwiederrich]

While I'm at work and away from my model shop...I thought it expedient to show some examples of the Top Sail rigging I have referenced and have talked about on several instances.

 

Possibly unbeknownst to some or many.......clipper ships were originally rigged with  a single topsail.  Making reefing and furling in any weather, particularly bad weather a tough job.  In the late 1840's early 1850's folks...namely a gentleman named Forbers invented a means to quickly reef the sail, by inventing a second sail and spar to make up the entire space one topsail occupied.  Two sails doing the job of one sail.....but the top spar/sail of these two sails slid up and down the top mast..while the second spar/sail slid up and down the top of the doubling of the main mast.

 

In this way these sails could be reefed with minimal men aloft...apart from furling.

 

Now another gentleman came along named Howes, who improved the design by fixing the lower spar/sail  to the main mast head and only allowing the top spar/sail to move up and down the topmast.

 

In both designs it permitted the top spar/topsail to be lowered over the bottom spar/sail reducing its effectiveness and in essence cutting sail and permitting easy furling because the sail was not full of air and taught.

 

Here is a painting showing the Howes design...on the clipper drying its sails(To the left)...notice the top spar/topsail over laying the bottom spar/topsail as the top spar is lowered in its lowest position.

 

Hope this in some way help bring a picture to all the discussion and chatter.

 

Rob

[Chasseur]

Awe ... You finally found a representation of Howe's design. I love the painting. The painting style reminds me of the Late artist Thomas Kincade. The artist captured the moonlight just right. Everything is in its place. This photograph would make an outstanding screen saver. Thanks for posting this Rob.

[rwiederrich]

I didn't have much time but I spent about an hour laying decking and adding the rail base around the spar deck.

 

Rob

[popeye the sailor]

looking very nice Rob....deck planking looks to scale.   no bulwarks........that's interesting  

[GuntherMT]

Since you did ask for opinions on the coppering (and I just caught up with the build, so mine is a bit delayed), I'll just say that I agree with Mark and your initial KISS method.  I think that in that scale, unless you have a way of making extremely tiny imprints, it looks better (to me) without the nail indents at all.

 

The photo's you posted of the Cutty Sark and Constitution are the deciders for me - at the small scale I think it will look better without them.  

 

Very interesting construction method so far btw, enjoying watching how fast it's coming together.

[rwiederrich]

looking very nice Rob....deck planking looks to scale.   no bulwarks........that's interesting  

Yep  she had four decks and the top most deck was flush with the rail...the SPAR deck.  That is why she had a rail nearly all the way around it.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Brian..what do you think of the final pressed plates with the minor nail impressions..using the wire and sanding mesh?

 

It is my habit to use untypical building methods....I'm not so precise with extreme details like found on others magnificent POF builds.

 

I'm more of a hack builder...skip unnecessary steps and processes....cover up blemishes with any thing that does the job...and then as with the original...Paint the heck out of it to seal and protect from the elements....in my case the elements are ME.

 

I appreciate your opinion.

 

Rob

[GuntherMT]

Brian..what do you think of the final pressed plates with the minor nail impressions..using the wire and sanding mesh?

 

It is my habit to use untypical building methods....I'm not so precise with extreme details like found on others magnificent POF builds.

 

I'm more of a hack builder...skip unnecessary steps and processes....cover up blemishes with any thing that does the job...and then as with the original...Paint the heck out of it to seal and protect from the elements....in my case the elements are ME.

 

I appreciate your opinion.

 

Rob

 

Your methods are interesting, and are perfectly fine with me, I build for that 'end goal' appearance as well.

 

As far as my opinion on the plates, they just don't look to scale to me at all.  When looking at the Conny photo, you can just barely see tiny 'spots' where the nails are, you can't see any actual indents, and I just don't know how that could be recreated to scale without some really tiny pins along the lines of how Ed did it.  I can't see the nails at all on the Cutty Sark photo's that were posted.

 

Full disclosure - I have never done a coppered hull, and probably never will as I just don't care for how they look at all, I'm just giving my opinion of how I see them compared to the real photo's you posted.

[rwiederrich]

Again..thanks for your frankness.   Interesting enough...the new copper I received in the mail yesterday is much brighter copper...almost yellowcopperish........kinda.  Not orangey copper.  Anyway... when pressed the nail marks are significantly lighter and when the plates are pressed in place they soften even further.  the only problem I'm having with the new copper tape is wrinkles that appear when you pull off the backing.

 

I'll have to work through THAT issue when I get to that stage of the build. 

 

Just between you and me...( )Riiiight...I've been experimenting with a roll press that you can simply roll over the hull after you have painted the copper bottom and it impresses a (representation) of a copper plate system into the uncured paint.  It's Technique sensitive....cuz you have to impress the embossing at the right time on the drying paint.  More to come on that later.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Using the new shiny plate...I assembled a bit to see the detail impressed with my roller.  
These are 5mmX 9mm plates.  I laid this 2"x7" plank in about 1 minute. Removal of the copper from the backing wrecked the imprint and even rippled it beyond repair...  so I simply applied contact cement to the plank and the back of the copper...I then sprayed it with a light coat of metallic paint to tone down the brightness and add weathering, as what the yellow metal looks like after exposure to sea water.  Here is a before and after the paint treatment.

 

Rob

Edited July 19, 2016 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

A little more deck work.

[popeye the sailor]

copper plates look good.......but if your going to paint over them...then you can use just about anything      great food for thought.  deck is looking great!

[GuntherMT]

Ok, so that very last photo of the plates looks really good from a scale perspective, just tiny impressions.  Nice job!

[rwiederrich]

I suppose you could, however the paint is not entirely covering the copper....simply nocking off the bright shean.....Plus the paint seals the cracks between rows.

 

The copper looks nearly like what munz metal looks like after it has seen salt water.  It's no longer *Yellow*, but almost brownish metallicy.

 

I can cut and press 7" long strips in no time...and gluing them on the hull is nearly as fast.  Just what I like.

 

I'm glad I tackled the coppering issue before hand and worked out the bugs now.

 

I'll finish up the trim around the deck...add the planksheer and channels and fit the 3 hawse holes..then mask off the hull.

 

Rob(Hack modeler at work)

Edited July 20, 2016 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

This new copper tape is thinner then the original I've had for years...so it pressed less against the sand screen and I reduced it as well to make those indentations even smaller....now, mere suggestions...really.

 

I think I like them too and.... fast.  Every step I have expedited.  The metallic paint does two fold..... subduing the brightness and aging the copper and by covering  any exposed *white* backing.  Only problem is avoiding defective tape..prior to pressing and I have lots of tape...so that will be negated..

 

Thanks for your fine comments.

 

Rob(Just a bumbling modeler throwing it together with spitballs and tape)

[popeye the sailor]

nothing 'bumbling' about some of the stuff I've seen you do    gotta see what this is gonna look like!   defective tape?!?!?!?!   aren't you suppose to peel off the 'white backing'?  

[rwiederrich]

Well bumbling.......is my way of getting it done.  Far too many extremely skilled modelers on these pages make my attempts seam almost comical.

 

Yes..defective.  Meaning the tape is so thin that it easily can wrinkle on the white backing....and making things worse is when removing the tape from that backing, the tape is rendered useless for the purpose I am using it for....coppering the hull of model ships.

 

I suppose the tape sold through reportable model houses is slightly thicker, thus removal of the copper foil tape from its backing is relatively a non destructive procedure.  This new tape I purchased, nearly is destroyed when removing it from its paper backing.  Sooooooo...I thought it through and decided to leave the backing and use contact cement to secure the tape with its backing to the hull......still thinner then the commercial copper sold for coppering model hulls.

 

I will use the slightly thicker model copper for the keel and such but as I mentioned..everything is getting a light coat of metallic paint anyway...to seal things up....and weatherize.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

For the edification of onlookers.

One bit of uncovered inconsistency.  I'm not sure this can be considered by some as a real inconsistency...because far too many reputable contributors agree.

 

It concerns the rig design of the Great Republic.  I have concluded and with much concurrence from Crothers and others, that she was Forbes rigged...and all records indicate this to a degree(because Forbes was the predecessor to Howes design).  However, I came across excerpts from a letter from Forbes himself claiming that he was friends of McKay and that he was present during Great Republic's building and at her launching....and that he claimed unequivocally that she was NOT rigged with his double topsail design, but with Howes design. Interesting However, first hand, eyewitness accounts disagree with this claim.

 

From what I'm forced to gather, it appears that she was rigged with the Forbes design, but it was modified(probably why Forbes denied she was carrying his design).  Still utilizing the longer then normal doubling of lower and topmast but with the lower topsail yard mobile on the forward portion of the lower mast.  Not as Forbes originally designed with the topmast aft of the main mast.

This revelation doesn't change how I am going to proceed. It does, however bring mystery to the validity of the Forbes letter....or....validation that the Great Republic double top sail design was a hybrid of sorts.  For the true Howes design connects the entire lower edge of the top topsail to the lower topsails jackstay.  this is quite not the case for the GR rig.

 

Research can put you into the mind of whom or what you are researching...which makes the journey all the more exciting.

 

Fair seas,

 

Rob

Edited July 23, 2016 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

Spent some time today working on the trim and planksheer.

 

I cut and trimmed the inner portion of the edge trim/rail base.

 

 

[rwiederrich]

I need to plane these 3ft long 1/4" X 1/16" strips down a bit so I can make the channels.

Edited July 23, 2016 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

A view from the starboard side.

[rwiederrich]

Did a bit more work on the GR.  Added the chainplates  hull detail like howes holes and anchor skids.  And painted gloss black.

[rwiederrich]

I'll be painting the upper portion of the top trim...that is the base for the turned stanchions for the rail white...but I think...I'll spend the next couple of days making the copper plate strips...so I can copper the bottom next.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Some folks may be asking; *what the heck did he do to the deck*?

Well...I prefer my decks to look like they have seen the sea and time....even though many new clippers have hard pine as decking and one so new as the Great Republic would not have shown very much wear.  I still prefer age to just off the show room.

 

Rob

Edited July 25, 2016 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

Not much activity today...Just spent some time rolling out lots of copper plate sections( about 7"~8" long each).  I've cut nearly an entire roll of tape into these sections.  I'll apply the contact cement to both the hull and each strip and then simply secure them in place.

 

Other then that...things are slow in the shipyard......work has my attention as of late.

 

Fair winds and following seas.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Well I snuck in an hour and began laying copper plate.  This is nearly one entire toll.  I don't use the very last of any roll, because it unrolled uneven and kincky.

 

A couple pictures of the first section on one side.

 

I think the rolled impressions work well....and it lays down fast and even.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Remembering that the entire coppered surface will receive a very light coat(dusting) of metallic paint to seal it and give it that warn look.

 

Rob 

[popeye the sailor]

I gotta say.....it looks good Rob     as for the upper hull,  I thought you'd plank it with thin strip or something.   I am amazed how good it looks simply painted.   wonderful job so far  

[rwiederrich]

Did I mention that I'm a lazy builder......?    Thanks Popeye, for the kind observations.

 

 

If I were NOT painting the hull...and IF I was planning on using colored wood as the color..I would have .

 

The original vessel only had one layer of planking...most ships only have one layer of planking(Unless you are a model)....plus I'm a firm believer in covering a multitude of sins with paint and what not(copper in this case too)

 

I want to thank everyone for the many likes....I'm glad my efforts are not totally unfruitful.

 

I'll prep another roll of copper tape and press out a bundle of new strips tomorrow...for my next session.

 

Thanks Ya'll

 

Rob

Edited July 26, 2016 by rwiederrich

[Chasseur]

Rob .... the tape and your process/ingenuity was a good call on your part. I think it looks really good! 

Bravo ... Jeff