Glory of the Seas 1869 by rwiederrich - FINISHED - 1/96 - medium clipper

[rwiederrich]

Finished up the lifts.  
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Making more gin blocks.  
 

Rob

[ClipperFan]

Rob, 

When my son Mark saw your scratch built gin block sitting on FDR's face inside the dime, he exclaimed "Oh my God, that's so miniscule! How does he make something so.... tiny?"

So, Rob.... How you make such tiny gin blocks? He also asked what are they for?

[druxey]

Remarkable!

[rwiederrich]

The gin block is used to lift the yard.   It translates the purchase energy from a stationary point on one side of the ships gunwale up to the block, back down to the opposite side of the ship to a series of blocks to reduce the load of the yard , making its lift easier on the men.   I will take picks of how I make the next one 

 

First, I use a strip of light cured plastic.  I cut it to the proper width and thickness of the gin block.  

[Keith Black]

 Rob, did you make the gin blocks for the GR? 

[rwiederrich]

Then I cut out the center, forming the inner walls.  
 

 

[rwiederrich]

Just now, Keith Black said:

 Rob, did you make the gin blocks for the GR? 

Yes

[Keith Black]

May I be so bold as to ask why you abandoned the GR design for the current GS design?  

[rwiederrich]

Then I cut off the corners and leave the frame of the block 

[rwiederrich]

Then I drill a small hole to accept the eye bolt and add the pulley.   
 

Edited May 22, 2022 by rwiederrich

[rwiederrich]

Lastly, a coat of black paint.   
 

There you go.   One more down and one more to go. 

[rwiederrich]

24 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

May I be so bold as to ask why you abandoned the GR design for the current GS design?  

I’m not exactly sure what you are asking Keith?

[rwiederrich]

Gin blocks all mounted. 

Edited May 22, 2022 by rwiederrich

[Keith Black]

Rob, in post # 462 you show a "my first gin block" which is a different design than the current gin blocks you're making. I'm trying to understand, are they two different types of gin blocks and if so does each serve a different purpose? 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Keith Black

[rwiederrich]

17 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

Rob, in post # 462 you show a "my first gin block" which is a different design than the current gin blocks you're making. I'm trying to understand, are they two different types of gin blocks and if so does each serve a different purpose? 

Right…….I see the confusion.  
 

The difference about these two types of gin blocks is that the GR was using the Forbes designed double top sails.  Glory is using the Howes double top sails. The difference is that the GR’s topsail lift’s origin was found in the cap of the main mast.  Instead of a chain running through the mast down to a gin block and then it’s purchase……. The chain lift left the mast cap went to the yard block, went up to the large gin block mounted on the mast cap the down to another set of blocks and then to its purchase.  
 

The GR masts we’re so large they needed this extra blocking……..also because of the Forbes design.   
 

Just review the images and you’ll see the difference.  
 

Rob

Edited May 22, 2022 by rwiederrich

[Keith Black]

Got it, Rob. Thank you very much for the explanation. 

[ClipperFan]

  Rob, 

Thanks for that fascinating and very detailed tutorial on your Glory of the Seas gin block construction process. Your description of their use too, is concise yet fully understandable. A bonus was the comparitive difference in the type of gin blocks constructed for Great Republic which made use of the more complicated Forbes design while the later vessel employed the more advanced Howes rig. 

Just one last observation. I gather to do such tiny construction you must have some pretty sophisticated magnifying lenses.

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by ClipperFan
grammar correction

[rwiederrich]

8 hours ago, ClipperFan said:

  Rob, 

Thanks for that fascinating and very detailed tutorial on your Glory of the Seas gin block construction process. Your description of their use too, is concise yet fully understandable. A bonus was the comparitive difference in the type of gin blocks constructed for Great Republic which made use of the more complicated Forbes design while the later vessel employed the more advanced Howes rig. 

Just one last observation. I gather to do such tiny construction you must have some pretty sophisticated magnifying lenses.

 

Thanks Rich……but I’m using ole cheapies from Harbor Freight.  
 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

On 5/22/2022 at 1:47 AM, ClipperFan said:

  Rob, 

Thanks for that fascinating and very detailed tutorial on your Glory of the Seas gin block construction process. Your description of their use too, is concise yet fully understandable. A bonus was the comparitive difference in the type of gin blocks constructed for Great Republic which made use of the more complicated Forbes design while the later vessel employed the more advanced Howes rig. 

 

 

Well...... Forbes actually invented the double topsail.  However, his lower topsail was also movable, but it road up and down along the topgallant mast in the doubling.  Both the top and lower topsail yards were movable.  It was Howes who fixed the lower topsail yard to the lower mast top cap doubling iron and hung it with an iron crane...like what you see on my Glory build.  The whole notion was to eliminate the burdensome man hours required to lower and furl the giant topsail of previous rigging designs.  Forbes imagined a design that split the topsail into two smaller sails and when you wanted to reduce the upper topsail, you could nullify its wind catching ability by lowering it in front of the lower topsail.  This required less work and was also easier to furl, then the much larger single topsail alone.

 

Rob

[ClipperFan]

Rob, Vladimir et all,

Michael Mjelde or as he prefers Mike, has come through for us again. Months ago I literally stumbled on a rare scene of the old McKay Clipper Ship Glory of the Seas depicted in a cork insulation company ad buried deep in an Insulation business magazine. I shared the third low res picture with Mike just in case he hadn't seen it before. He casually mentioned that he had an original of the same picture in his files and voila! here it is. Since the original arrived positioned vertical with slightly more surrounding white space, I rotated it and cropped some of the white, leaving the entire image intact. First pic is my 4th edit, primarily to enable her lovely Grecian goddess Athena figurehead to be seen closer. A portion of her lower left leg and entire right arm below the shoulder are both missing. As an artist, I would love to make a painting of this scene, recreating her razor sharp prow with her entire, impressively lofty rig, depicting some of her enormous sails as she's towed through the Golden Gate into her ending berth at San Francisco.

Edited May 23, 2022 by ClipperFan
revised image arrangements

[BANYAN]

Nice editing and clear-up of that photo Clipperfan; shows some of the rigging details very nicely, especially the bowsprit.  I am particularly interested in the forestay set-up to the bow knighthead.  Can you zoom in to get a closer look?  I have tried with you middle pic but that starts to lose resolution at the zoom level I need.  The tackle suggests it is either being set-up/tensioned or it was used like that at this stage of her career?

  

Thanks

 

Pat

[ClipperFan]

Hi Pat,

Here's 2 more edits, each focusing on the bowsprit and the particular rigging line you requested. At least I hope this encompasses the forestay to bow Knighthead rigging that you want a closer look at. I can still get tighter if you need to, just let me know.

[rwiederrich]

I think this is the same pier she was at when she had her figurehead removed.....Well what's left of it..

 

 

Rich....can you see if Mike has this image in his clear collection of images?

 

[Vladimir_Wairoa]

Wow Rob its beauty. Middle one is treat to watch up to sky. I Guess i should be Lucky this time. No deep cuts thankfully so - fingers working...only 4 stitches...

 

Be careful folks...not stupid as I.. 

 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Vladimir_Wairoa
Add

[Vladimir_Wairoa]

On 5/23/2022 at 7:23 PM, ClipperFan said:

Rob, Vladimir et all,

Michael Mjelde or as he prefers Mike, has come through for us again. Months ago I literally stumbled on a rare scene of the old McKay Clipper Ship Glory of the Seas depicted in a cork insulation company ad buried deep in an Insulation business magazine. I shared the third low res picture with Mike just in case he hadn't seen it before. He casually mentioned that he had an original of the same picture in his files and voila! here it is. Since the original arrived positioned vertical with slightly more surrounding white space, I rotated it and cropped some of the white, leaving the entire image intact. First pic is my 4th edit, primarily to enable her lovely Grecian goddess Athena figurehead to be seen closer. A portion of her lower left leg and entire right arm below the shoulder are both missing. As an artist, I would love to make a painting of this scene, recreating her razor sharp prow with her entire, impressively lofty rig, depicting some of her enormous sails as she's towed through the Golden Gate into her ending berth at San Francisco.

Wow, you never cease to Impress Rich. As does Michael. Good Luck with paint and show IT after V. 

[ClipperFan]

3 hours ago, Vladimir_Wairoa said:

Wow Rob its beauty. Middle one is treat to watch up to sky. I Guess i should be Lucky this time. No deep cuts thankfully so - fingers working...only 4 stitches...

 

Be careful folks...not stupid as I.. 

 

 

 

Hi Vlad,

It's not stupidity. I'm sure you didn't intentionally slice open your own fingers. That's why they're called accidents. Meanwhile, do be careful while juggling with multiple sharp knives. Leave that up to the professionals.....

Edited May 24, 2022 by ClipperFan
Misspelled words

[ClipperFan]

3 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

I think this is the same pier she was at when she had her figurehead removed.....Well what's left of it..

 

 

Rich....can you see if Mike has this image in his clear collection of images?

 

Hi Rob, 

I will send Mike your request. It was a great thrill to get this latest image. Mike is such a nice guy. He actually gets a kick out of how much we enjoy the beautiful images he shares. 

When I received this latest one, I was again struck at how simply beautiful Glory of the Seas truly was. Even though her entire superstructure is marred by the uncaring, callous factory additions, there's yet enough of her original lines observable to still imagine her classic beauty.

[rwiederrich]

4 hours ago, Vladimir_Wairoa said:

Wow Rob its beauty. Middle one is treat to watch up to sky. I Guess i should be Lucky this time. No deep cuts thankfully so - fingers working...only 4 stitches...

 

Be careful folks...not stupid as I.. 

 

 

 

Vlad…..what in the world…….?

How did you do that?

You do know you need those fingers……right?

 

Rob

[BANYAN]

Thanks Clipper, I think we have reached the level of resolution possible / captured by the camera.   Much appreciated.  I think there is enough there to allow me to make a fair assumption.

 

Vlad, take care mate, hope all heals quickly - indeed you need those fingers.

 

cheers

 

Pat