Billing Boats Cutty Sark - Beginners Questions.

[MichaelHunt]

I explained when I joined that I was one of the many who had started a Billing Boats Cutty Sark many years ago, stopped for valid reasons, with the hull 2/3rds complete and had then stored the kit in the celler for more than 30 years. Living near to Paris, I have been confined at home for the past 10 weeks, so my now adult children told me to get the kit back upstairs.
The kit I have is the BB 564, non laser cut kit and its associated box of fittings. I decided to go with what I had in the kits, accepting that it was not perfect. Equipment at the start, 2 Stanley knives, 1 small saw, some sand paper and an old bread board for a work top. Thanks to the internet, I was able to order some more tools, a micro drill plus fittings and some BB paints.
I have looked at as many CS build logs as possible and am full of admiration for the skills, patience and results shown in them. My model is never going to have more than a very amateur finish, but has given me much pleasure over the past few weeks. I will post my own build log when I have something which I dare show on Modelshipworld.
I would be very grateful for answers to the following questions.

 

1. Ships Wheel
Is there a spindle / axle supplied with the BB ships wheel or is it DYI? If yes what does it look like?

2. Rudder
Are there pintles supplied with the rudder fittings? I cannot see any likely candidates and the building instructions don't say. Do I just use some correct size nails.

3.  Muntz metal
I am tempted to cover the bottom of the hull in copper.
I discovered that the standard size for the Munze sheeting was 48 x 4 inches. My calculation is that this translates into 16mm x 4.6mm sheets at 1:75 scale. 16 X 5mm is acceptable, so a roll of 5mm copper, cut into 300+ plates and stuck on with epoxy should keep me busy after the holidays. I see from both old and new photos that the Cutty Sark's sheathing was done Royal Navy style, with the horizontal joint overlays facing upwards. I imagine that this could have been done  when CS was refiitted, prior to joining HMS Worcester in the 1930's, but not neccessarily earlier, when she was in cargo carrying service.

Q1. Is it worth doing?
Q2. Are overlaps neccessary in this scale?

 
4. The Deck
My kit was supplied with mahogany 3 x 1mm strips for the deck planking. Not sure why, because the CS always had teak decks which are almost white when dry. I have used them to cover the deck house roofs, which are now painted white, with the exception of the Captain's quarters. The latter, with one coat of BB varnish is very dark so I am waiting for some more general progress to decide whether to strip them off, once the deck planking is complete.
I have found a supplier with 3mm x 1mm Lime wood strips.

Q1. Is this a suitable wood for the CS main deck.

Q2. Anything to avoid?

 

Many Thanks

 

Mike Hunt

 

[NenadM]

Hello and good luck.

Answer to your questions, particulary colors, depends how you imagine your model to look like - in which period of Her life. I have done some research, and decided to show her in present stage, mainly there are many useful photos if Her on internet

"Coopering" ... 4000 pieces to put them in scale as on C plans ... a lot of them...

If you are not a kind of "hot head" self testing monkey as me, main filter what to do or not is simple question - will it be visible at all?

Pls let ne know when you start your log

All the best