Cutty Sark by rfolsom - Billing Boats

[rfolsom]

Thank you for the kind words, Popeye and Dognut.

 

I'm still plugging along with priming and painting the stanchions, touching up the bulwarks, and drilling holes for the deadeye stays. 

After drilling all 13 holes for the main port deadeye stays, I clamped my port pre-drilled main pinrail section into place, and then rammed a needle one cm down into the holes at the angle the stays will enter the deck. (Yes, I know they are affixed to the iron bulwarks in the real ship, but as my bulwarks are made of 1/32" sheet basswood, they are going into the deck!).  I then set up this hairy contraption with lenghts of 24 gauge wire (25 gauge is more accurate for these, but why buy more wire when the notice is imperceptible?) to test the angles of the stays, as compared to the angle of Campbell's plans.

These stays are all at different angles, as the loads of the shrouds were distributed across this linear area at the deckline.  Everything is temporarily posistioned, and the stays will be straightened and attached to deadeyes at a later time, but all the holes, and their angles, need to be established before the main rail is attached.

Second photo shows the starboard twin partially shaped with belaying pins test fitted.

[NenadM]

Bob, I think that you will run into problem to wrap the wire corectly around deadeyes. How do you plan to do this ?

 

About that problem, my thoughts go in next way

 

 

 

We do not have so much space between deadeye and nailholder, and that deadeyes are pretty small (maximum 4-5mm on diameter in my scale). When you have done rings, it will be pitty not to do this   

 

Will I still be guilty as charged ?

 

Edited October 29, 2013 by Nenad M

[rfolsom]

Oh yes, Nenad!   You strike again, my Serbian friend!!  I was waiting for this...  I am thinking about surrounding the deadeyes with brass strips;  I'll have to see how it goes when I get the deadeyes actually installed... but I will test the aluminum can theory;  it will most likely be more in scale...

 

Grrrrr...

 

Jury finds the defendant...

 

Guilty As Charged.

 

Sentence:  More pictures....

[NenadM]

[rfolsom]

Nenad;  The CS has deadeyes in diameters of 6,7,9 and 10 inches.  At my scale, 1:76.8, this translates to 2, 2.3, 3, and 3.3 mm.  Model Expo sells 2.5 and 3.5 mm deadeyes (their smallest), which I ordered some in May 2012.  I am planning on using the 2.5mm for the 6 and 7 inch deadeyes, and the 3.5 mm for the 9 and 10 inch.

[rfolsom]

Close enough for me to be satisfied, I believe...

[rfolsom]

Ok;  This afternoon's progress, for Nenad

Nenad;  your sketch would prove to be structurally impossible at this scale, however, I did use an aluminum can to fabricate the ring.  Pics show various stages of prototype construction, with last pic showing the prototype assembly in place on the ship, with the temporary setup of the main rail section. 

 

This part of the build will actually be a few weeks away;  main rail needs to be installed and finished, plus all the bulwark decorations.

[dgbot]

nicely done. 

David B

[NenadM]

I think that will be OK

 

I like it, really

 

Nice little beasts. 

Edited October 30, 2013 by Nenad M

[popeye the sailor]

looks very nice Robert.   that's what I was talking about.....there is some detail that would be impossible to do at this scale.   if a way is found to pull it off....it can add a lot of depth into a model.   well done indeed! 

[Dognut]

Hi Rob,

Nice work on those deadeyes. Makes me think...

 

Thinking...

 

 

 

How am I gonna do this on my scale?

 

Sniff - I'm going back to my shipyard...

[WackoWolf]

Now that is beautiful detail, very nice. Keep the pictures coming.

[rfolsom]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.  I have to do some tweaking before I install the main rail, so it might be a bit before I post some pics.

 

Dognut;  at 1:115 scale, Model expo's 2.5 mm deadeyes would look just about right, I believe....

[rfolsom]

Allright... the main rail is almost roughed out;  some sections were made around a year ago, and some can stay, and most will go...

 

Firstly, I had to discard the 1/8" parts made a year ago, in favor of 3/16";  a little large but better in scale after sanding and shaping.  The roughed-out port mainmast section of the pinrail is ok, but the starboard side will probably need to be remade, since I shaped it before fitting on the actual ship.  (live and learn)...

[rfolsom]

I then used some new rail pieces, drilled for deadeye stays, belaying pins, eyebolts, and boat davits to locate the davit holes in the waterway, and drilled...

[rfolsom]

Here is the layout of the foremast main rail pinrail;  12 holes at 1.25 mm for deadeye stays;  17 holes at 0.85 mm for belaying pins; and 2 holes at 0.5 mm for eyebolts...

 

Belaying pins were installed to check scale, relationship to existing structures, etc, etc...

[rfolsom]

These rail pieces are just clamped into position temporarily; bulwarks need to be final painted, stanchions also need to be final painted, remaining deadeye stay mounting holes need to be drilled, paint needs touched up....  You get the idea.  Always look 3 to 5 steps ahead in order to complete the step you are on today.  This process should always leave several steps between 3 and 5 that are "under construction";  but leaves a good heads up for your finalized step.

 

Mistakes?  You can:

 

Fix them.

 

Hide them.

 

Ignore them. :mellow:

 

Pretend they're supposed to be there.

 

Blame it on someone else.

 

Whatever works, enjoy your builds!!

 

Bob

[WackoWolf]

Beautiful work. I like the way your doing the drilling, it takes time but the reward of seeing it done is worth it. Thanks for sharing this with us. Keep the pictures coming.

[Captain Slog]

Hi Bob,

 

your deck looks incredible!

 

Cheers

Slog

[NenadM]

Good work, Bob

 

In your thoughts about steps and mistakes,you have just read my mind

 

It is some kind of fortune that you are 10-15 steps in front of me, so I can watch learn think and say Hmmmmmm

Edited November 3, 2013 by Nenad M

[popeye the sailor]

you've done a fantastic job so far...the only possible answer to your question is   "until you are satisfied with it".    a question does come to mind though..........how wide are your cap rails going to be,  and will they over shadow your pin rails?

[rfolsom]

Thanks for the great feedback, guys, I really appreciate the positive comments.

 

Popeye; as far at the cap rails are concerned, the actual dimensions on the real ship are 6.5 by 3.5 inches, which translates very closely to 3/32 x 3/64 inches.  I do have some of this stock in my other build, but not enough to fit the CS.  I will be opting for the much easier to obtain 1/8 x 1/16 inch strips, and sand into an approximately oval form in cross-section.  1/8 inch is 9.5 scale inches, but after sanding and taking into account my thicker than scale bulwarks, I hope to strike a happy medium.  They will definitely not overshadow the pinrails, as the maximum width over scale would be 1 mm. (3 scale inches).

 

Bob

[brian2_h]

Just come across this build. I have an old billing Cutty Sark kit from the 70's. So far its been going for about 40 years on and off. Delays caused by minor things such as marriage and children but now retired so started again. Its nice to see all the detail put in to yours, must admit than mine is a lot simpler. Biggest problem that I currently have is trying to sort out the rigging as the original rigging plans are not much help and after downloading the latest build pdf from Billing's web-site the rigging on the masts (only part detailed) is numbered differently to the original plans, trying to get hold of the latest plans without success.

 

The deck colouring changes discussed could be partially due to the planking being wet and dry, surprising how bleached wood changes colour when wet.  

[rfolsom]

Hi, Brian;  Is your kit the old 459?  Mine is (bought off of ebay) and did not include the fittings kit or kit instructions, but included two copies of G. Campbell's plans (3 sheets each) that I refer to almost exclusively.  If you can get ahold of a copy of these plans, all rigging information can be found there, including the rope diameters.  I had also downloaded the Billing's plans for the current CS model, but shelved them in favor of Campbell's. The only kit pieces I wound up using were the bulkheads and keel pieces, and their supporting structural components.  I ordered basswood planking to scale in bulk for both the decking and hull, copper tape, deadeyes, belaying pins, rigging line and blocks from Model Expo.  I will also be using the original kit's spars for the most part, since they seem to be in scale, and many are pre-tapered (Yay!).

 

I probably would have built this kit right out of the box, but the sheet with the main deck was missing, so after framing I started scratch-building that part, and things just progressed from there....

[NenadM]

.... must admit than mine is a lot simpler....

 

Brian, you can always do it in complicated way adding details, as Bob did   and model will be better than only from kit. Depends of your ambitions, skill, time, and will

Edited November 5, 2013 by Nenad M

[popeye the sailor]

what you have Brian,  is a kit from an early production.   they seem to stop production,  when the supply is large,  and restart it again when the stock is near depleted.   of course,  this also means that the instructions can change,  if the kit goes through any modifications in the process.   you might see better diagrams and stuff,  but with how many Billing's kit I've built in the past,  it's a safe bet that you won't see much improvement.   they are,  in my opinion,  great kits to bash,  adding in details that may not be in the kit in the first place.  I've come to understand their instructions,  and with a little research,  very easy to expand on.   is that kit laser cut?

[brian2_h]

Hi mine is the old 459 model. Luckily I got the fitting kit with it. Have added some extra details so far and will attempt to get Campbell's the rigging plans mentioned. Currently model has suffered minor damage from a shelf collapse in the garage, learnt not to screw into thermilite blocks used in modern homes without using specialist fitting bolts.

[md1400cs]

Bob,

 

Nice update. Your skill set is tops. Super nice....

 

Regards,

 

Michael

[rfolsom]

Michael;  Thanks for the nice comments!

 

Brian;  Do you have a build log started for your CS?  I'd like to see some pictures...

 

Bob

[NenadM]

So do I, Brian