Cutty Sark by Cuda1949

[Cuda1949]

Ok I am about to carve the figure for the fore of the ship. I really have no idea haw to accomplish this. Would it be easier to carve it or shape it from plasticine? Any idea accepted.  

 

Thanks

[shipman]

You may be able to modify a plastic model figure to suit. There's a large range to choose from in the model railway world. Whatever you try, I look forward to seeing how you get along.

[GrandpaPhil]

It’s a matter of personal taste.
 

I like carving.  I didn’t know that I did until I tried it.

Many people like sculpting.  I have heard that sculpey is really easy to work and has minimal shrinkage when baking.  I have the tools and the sculpey, but I haven’t tried using them.  I am going to try it out on my next model.
 

Either way, at worst you are only out a little bit of time and material if the first attempt doesn’t come out right.

 

If you’ve never tried carving, I would encourage using the learn to carve tutorial here.  It helped me tremendously.

[Cuda1949]

Thanks for the tips. I might try to carve it first to see if it comes out ok. I haven't carved anything other then some hulls for my ships in bottles and a Santa Claus I made for my wife many years ago. I will keep you posted. Hoping to get back to work tomorrow on the rigging. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Cuda1949]

Back at it working on the rigging slow work.

 

Edited January 13, 2020 by Cuda1949

[shipman]

Enjoying your progress. I noticed your building 'stool' set-up.....and had a wave of the terrors. I do hope everything is lashed down firmly; wouldn't want the obvious to happen as you get absorbed in all that rigging.

[Cuda1949]

Actually I have to be very careful as this is a temporary holder for the ship. I am looking for a special piece of wood to mount the ship on. It is fairly stable. Thanks for the concern,

[Dr PR]

Nice build. The clippers were beautiful ships!

 

You mentioned the "Underhill book." Did you get "Masting and rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier" by Harold A. Underhill? It has very detailed descriptions of the masting and rigging of clippers. However, one thing about it really bothers me. He has excellent drawings, but the publisher has scattered them more or less randomly through the text. And the references in the text refer to "Plate ??" and do not give the page numbers! It does have a list of plates after the contents, so you can jump back and forth and eventually find the drawing the text is referring to.

[shipman]

I know it may be an anathema to some, but the Hackney book on how to build the Airfix Cutty Sark gives a very methodical build sequence including most of the rigging and gives suggestions of scale cordage which can be used to interpret any other scale you may choose. It could clear elements of confusion.

[Cuda1949]

8 hours ago, Dr PR said:

Nice build. The clippers were beautiful ships!

 

You mentioned the "Underhill book." Did you get "Masting and rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier" by Harold A. Underhill? It has very detailed descriptions of the masting and rigging of clippers. However, one thing about it really bothers me. He has excellent drawings, but the publisher has scattered them more or less randomly through the text. And the references in the text refer to "Plate ??" and do not give the page numbers! It does have a list of plates after the contents, so you can jump back and forth and eventually find the drawing the text is referring to.

 

Yes I am using that and some plans from Building a Clipper Ship. 

 

6 hours ago, shipman said:

I know it may be an anathema to some, but the Hackney book on how to build the Airfix Cutty Sark gives a very methodical build sequence including most of the rigging and gives suggestions of scale cordage which can be used to interpret any other scale you may choose. It could clear elements of confusion.

 

 

Unfortuantely I do not have the Hackney Book but will see if I can find it on ABE.Books  Thanks for the input. 

[Sailor1234567890]

I can't tell, are the yards "braced" to one side or the other or are they square to the centreline?

Edited January 17, 2020 by Sailor1234567890

[Cuda1949]

17 hours ago, Sailor1234567890 said:

the yards "braced" to one side or the other or are they square to the centreline?

They are braced square to the centerline.

[Cuda1949]

Okay back at it. Today I started building my life boats using basswood that I shaped sanded. I am in the process of planking them. I plan to cover the tops with white canvas material and then mounting them on the ship. I also built the braces or stands for the lifeboats as well as a jig for bending the planks. I have also continued doing the running rigging, I learned a valuable lesson from this to have everything done on the deck prior to rigging the ship. 

[Cuda1949]

Finished the three life boats and sewed covers on top to replicate canvas covers. Lesson learned do all your deck work first the attach your rigging. Life boats are in place and tied down. Now on to the final running rigging. 

[Cuda1949]

Finished the running rigging. Over two years so far invested so far. Actually the model is 99% done. All that is left is to make the figurehead and then make a base for the model to stand on. Unfortunately I have to wait to get to the lumber mill to get a nice piece of wood to mount the ship on. 

[Cuda1949]

Thanks for the offer and thanks for the kind words but I am staying close to home till everything returns to semi normal.

[EricWilliamMarshall]

Wow! You have come a long way from the the Opium Schooner! Very impressive!! (Thanks again for sharing the photos, I just referred to them to figure out how one of the stays is placed.)