Cutty Sark by rfolsom - Billing Boats

[omarcs]

 I have noticed a lot of variations for the Cutty Sark. I think Campbell and current ship represent different periods in time. I look at photos of other models and they don't look like Campbell or current ship. I have decided this captain (me) will make it to make me self happy with it. Every time I make a change the admiral rolls her eyes; mutters something about not going there...  

 

Omar

[rfolsom]

You own the key to success, Omar;  the whole idea is to have fun; and if you can make the Admiral happy in the process,  it's quite the bonus!

 

   Cheers!

 

~Bob

[rfolsom]

Thanks for the kind words, Keith and Nenad;  I'm glad I took the time to tear up the topgallent rail and sand things down.  I'm not nearly as courageous as you, Nenad, but sometimes you just have to take the plunge...  

[rfolsom]

Always trying to plan ahead; the best I can do...

 

I have no idea how to represent the scrollwork, other than photo etching.  15 years ago I worked for a circuit board manufacturer and everything I would need was at my fingertips;  now, 800 miles away, I'll have to do it on my own.

 

Photo etch is not my first choice, but I know the limits of my artistic skills, (nonexistent)...

 

Anyway, much more paint, stain, and cut up aluminum cans  to go before photo etch,..

 

[clearway]

Looking through some old books on ship modelling a lot of them old guys used card and cuttings from cigar box labels and even old xmas cards for bits of scroll work and decoration.

Keith

[foxy]

Sounds about right Keith.

 

It is a good medium to use, especially in this scale.

 

Great build there Bob  matey

 

foxy

Edited September 16, 2014 by foxy

[NenadM]

Untill I am deep drown in rudder hinges, hardly wait for your solution of that stage, which is one of next steps in line for me too. Doris made magic with clay. Maybe ...

[popeye the sailor]

nice progress Bob........I love how the bulwarks came out.   the cat heads are coming along nicely as well........looking forward in seeing what you do for the whiskers

[rfolsom]

Thanks for the kind words, everybody.

 

Popeye;  I plan on mounting the cats before installing the whisker booms, and I'm still deciding on how to fabricate them;  they'll probably be installed after all the outside detail and deck detail is added, (probably right before stepping the masts) so that's a good ways down the road....

[NenadM]

If instal them too early you can crash them. Uf too late, could br impossible. Question is - when is right time?

[popeye the sailor]

you could wait till later......assemble them off the ship and put them in place when you do the caps.  have you done anything with the structures yet?  I find that working on something else,  works well in jogging the ideas.

[rfolsom]

I'm working on finishing the catheads except for the whisker booms, the cleats that hold the whiskers into place, and the actual cat's head sculptures on the ends.  The catheads will then be painted and mounted so that the topgallant rail can be finished over them.  I've had to fiddle, redraw, and redrill some things on these, as Campell's plans don't agree with different drawings on the same plans, let alone the pictures of the actual ship.

 

As far as structures go, poop deckhouse is pretty much complete, as well as the main hatches, companionways, and heads;  fore deckhouse has been preliminarily framed.  All this was done about a year and a half ago...

[rfolsom]

This is the frustrating part of this assembly; (catheads) after reviewing (and re-reviewing) pictures of the actual ship, the cross-pin had to be relocated outboards by about 2.3-2.5 mm. The old holes are plugged with toothpick tips (cut plug in foreground, uncut toothpick in background.  Also, you'll see on top the rough pencil lines where the white ends will meet the black.

[rfolsom]

Cleats, (in the foreground) for the fore tack, that will be mounted on the top of the catheads, are sized up on a scrap board....

Edited September 20, 2014 by rfolsom

[NenadM]

Tricky work.

 

I see on e-bay you can order another pair of eyes

Edited September 21, 2014 by Nenad M

[rfolsom]

Nenad;  it becomes tricky when nothing adds up;  then you have to rely on limited knowledge to fill in the gaps... This was the way with scratching the catheads..  Campell's plans, on three different diagrams, did not not match, even after rescaling.  I used the photos that Lou, and yourself provided, to fill in the gaps; actually measuring on the cmputer screen, to provide approximate dimentions.  I hope to be over the "Cathead Hurdle" in the next couple of days.

 

~Bob

Edited September 21, 2014 by rfolsom

[rfolsom]

Alright.  I know everyone's tired of my cathead fiddling...  I guess I just have to post the little bits I get done (Nenad..  maybe this is my "group therapy" for my "shipaholic" state)

 

Tumbler assemblies are finally done, after much fiddling, testing, sanding, patching etc....  Final painting soon, (The red bead will not be red in the end)

 

As I mentioned before, the whiskers will not be installed (or indeed fabricated) until a later date.  There's much to be done on the outside of the ship's hull that would probably destroy that assembly in the process.

Edited September 21, 2014 by rfolsom

[rfolsom]

Grrr...  relocating (again) cross pin on the port cathead.. And the cleats are a bit too big...

 

However, I was able to get both of these test-fitted into the bulwarks after filing and fiddling, so they should fit into place nicely, if they ever get finished..

[clearway]

Nice work Bob- I didn't put my whisker booms in place till near the end of the build- i rig from the stern forwards- and the stays/ booms were about the last pieces to get rigged and even then they still got a few "knocks"

Keith

[rfolsom]

Thanks for the input Keith;  I thought that would be the best course of action;  although most CS builders I've seen add the whiskers to the cats before installing...

 

It's been about three decades since I've rigged a ship, so I'm looking forward to everyone's advice when the time comes.

[NenadM]

Line of moves ... I was wondering ... It depends how much clumsy and unpatient you are. Higher level of unpatience, unneccesary hurry and hands with their own will causes higher possibility to break something. Threre are not only planes to look planing moves, we must think about ourself charactrer too

 

Maybe first to make all such a things, then to finish all little holes and other on bulwarks, and, just before masts mount them

 

I am not clever enough which way to chose

 

Keep good work my friend

Edited September 22, 2014 by Nenad M

[rfolsom]

 New observation I missed:  If you check out my posts 629 and 630, and assuming the ship is at sea;  what do you find most wrong with my tumbler release handles? 

Edited September 26, 2014 by rfolsom

[rfolsom]

Catheads are almost finished; and so are the bulwark modifications needed to accompany them.

[rfolsom]

White ends need to be painted... (again)

[NenadM]

Just briliant

[clearway]

if you don't say anything else about the tumblers Bob no one will know any different  them catheads are looking fantastic. Nenad and you are nearly making me want to do Cutty Sark version 2.0 - note how i said nearly!

keith

[NenadM]

And it will be fourth simultaneously build, Keith?

[clearway]

True Nenad- at the moment i am building some 1/35 scale armour (m4 sherman and jagdpanther late version by Tamiya) as a break from ship building for a while- fruil model metal tank tracks are kewl

Keith

[rfolsom]

I found my mistake in Campell's China Tea Clippers.  I wrongly assumed the "up" position was the anchor stowage, pulling down to release;  it is the other way around;  luckily a gentle nudge broke the ca loose, and I was able to rotate it freely into position;  The right way (stowed) is shown in post #635.

 

And believe me, Keith, if it hadn't have been that easy of a fix, I was not about to remake the assembly; as you said, nobody, (except me) would have known the difference..

 

Lesson learned:  Do your research thoroughly , especially if you have the resource material right at your fingertips..

Edited September 27, 2014 by rfolsom

[rfolsom]

Keith;  I popped in on your Victory log tonight;  great work, and a temptation to jump over to my Victory.  I will try to resist temptation....

 

(Did Admiral Nelson jump ship to take over the Cutty Sark and run tea from China?  ...not to mention the minimum of 64 years in the future...)

 

BTW, the last time I built a Tamiya tank model was when I was around 11 or 12 years old... Did you say the tank treads are metal?  I remember the vinyl(?) ones at the bottom of the box that you had to melt the tabs with a hot knife in order to join their ends together...

Edited September 27, 2014 by rfolsom