Flying Fish by Jared - Model Shipways - 1:96

[Rick310]

Totally agree Rob.  Jared, we all make aesthetic decisions based on what we know and what we think looks good/ correct.

I will choose to mount the booms in their irons, the traditional way to display them. Not right or wrong, just personal preference.

The model looks great!!!

Rick

[Jared]

The rigging of the flying jib halliard, outer jib halliard, jib halliard and fore topmast stunsl halliard have now been completed.  I can see light at the end of the tunnel!  I also tightened up the associated standing rigging, replacing one of the lines.

 

 

Updated Punch List of Outstanding Tasks for Completion of my Flying Fish.

 

1. Rig the following 2 halliards: Mizen Staysail Halliard, Mn Topgal Staysl Halliard.
2. Rig all yard braces
3. Rig the flag halliards and install the flags.
4. Add the Bowsprit manropes (horses) p/s
5. Complete the insides of 2 ships boats & mount on the supplied davits.
6.  Add a few rope coils to the deck
7. Make 3D printed scale figures (crew & officers) (WIP)
8. Final touch up painting and cleaning of the model.
9. Fabricate a case and plaque
10. Celebrate the model's completion with a few well deserved shots of a good single malt scotch!

Edited July 15 by Jared

[ClipperFan]

@Jared she's shaping up to be a very impressive vessel.

[Jared]

Thanks Rich.  

[Jared]

Completed rigging of the mizzen and main topgalant staysail halliards and the handropes above the bowsprit.  Items 1 & 4 off the list.  I will rig the yard braces next.

 

 

 

[ClipperFan]

@Jared

It constantly amazes me how much complex rigging is involved in these beautifully designed clipper ships. Painstaking doesn't even come close to describing the immense patience required to successfully duplicate this in scale.

[Jared]

Thanks Rich.  It is quite magical how it all slowly comes together.   These ships, which are a marvel of engineering and human ingenuity, are certainly one of man's most beautifully made creations.   To stand on a deck of any tall ship like the Cutty Sark is an incredibly inspiring and humbling experience.

[ClipperFan]

@Jared I know exactly what you mean. I've been on the decks of the Frigate USS Constitution "Old Ironsides", the whaler Charles W. Morgan when she was still a full-rigged ship as she was launched and the barque USCGS Eagle. Each time it was a dizzying experience to comprehend the gossamer webbing of lines, blocks and tackles. 

[Jared]

Over the last week I have been rigging the braces for the yards on the mizzen mask.  They went pretty well and are now completed.

[ClipperFan]

@Jared nicely done.

[Jared]

As a diversion from the endless rigging I decided to install the boat davits and complete the insides of the 2 ship's boats which will hand from them.  I used the kit's Brittania cast boats which I had previously painted.  I then used a crimping tool to curve the wood strip boat ribs, gluing them in place.  The wooded floor boards were then glued in place, and then the sests.

 

For the oars I carve a small notch into some small length wood strips then glued the oar handles (narrow diameter incence sticjs) into the notches.  The paddels were sanded to shape, painted, then glued and tied into the 2 boats.

 

The unpainted wood parts were coated with tung oil as finish.

Edited July 30 by Jared

[gak1965]

Great looking boats Jared. You are definitely nearing the end of the journey.

[Jared]

A build log would be of limited value if it only showed the forward achievements and none of the worts that occurred during the build.  About a month ago I had a bit of an accidental disaster that I did not mention.

 

Photo 1 shows a floor lamp I use to light my work area.  Its a great lamp except for the fact it is top heavy and poorly balanced.  Well the inevidable happened last month.  It toppled over and grazed some of the foremast and bowsprit rigging on the model, pulling out a few of the securing eye bolts holding lines.  As these were easy enough to repair, I chose not to comment about it.   I fixed the lamp problem by adding two 3-pound weight to the based.  And so I thought thatvwas the end of it.  BUT NOT SO 😪.

 

Early last week I noticed that the thin diameter  top section of my foremast was leaning, and on further inspection realized that in fact the cause break was a complete.  I was at wits end what to do about it.   Fortunately a fellow member of   model boat club I belong to (Model Shipwright's of Niagara, MSON) is a master builder and restorer of model ships (Ray Peacock).  He was able to save the mast by drilling holes in the adjacent broken ends and epoxy gluingvthem back together with a brass pin inserted in the drilled holes like a dowel (see last photo).

 

Thanks Rayvfor saving the day!  I have to reinstall 3 stays then the repair will be completely done.  The moral of this story is that sh!# happens in models build's but things are often repairable.  Thanks for reading.

 

Edited August 2 by Jared

[Jared]

The removed rigging on the repaired top foremast has now all been replaced.

 

 

[ClipperFan]

@Jared your friend did an excellent job saving your fore royal-skysail mast. Thanks for sharing your mishap with us. Doing so humanizes the experience for all of us.

[Jared]

With the repairs behind me its full speed ahead.  All braces on the main and mizzen masts are complete.  These add a whole new layer of complexity and beauty to the model.  After working with all the tight and very challenging on the inner rigging, the far more easily accessibke braces were a real joy.  

 

I will now work on the foremast yard braces, and leave the mounting of the ship's boats to the end of the build.

[rwiederrich]

Good job Jared.  I'm surprised there are no pennants for the topsail to main course yards........?   It's getting pretty hectic now....isn't it?  Imagine if you added 3~4 bunt lines with their blocks to each yard as well.....

 

At this point, I'm sure you are beginning to think about a case and home for her.

 

Rob

Edited August 5 by rwiederrich

[petervisser]

Like you I am starting to do minor repairs to my model as the project nears the end. What with the complexity and vastness of the rigging it is so easy to snag yards and rigging when concentrating on another aspect of the model. Nice save with your predicament! I am also nearing the stage of installing the braces to the yards and now that I have seen yours, I'm getting antsy to start mine! All the best with the finishing touches, she looks great!

Peter

[Jared]

No bunt line, no clew lines.  Enough.   Installed the brace today on the lower yard on Foremast.  Only 4 braces to go.  Then the only rigging left will be the flag halliards and ropes on the davits for the ships boats.  I also have to mount coils on many of the belay pins.

 

I will be having an acrylic case made for it very soon.

[rwiederrich]

12 hours ago, Jared said:

No bunt line, no clew lines.  Enough.   Installed the brace today on the lower yard on Foremast.  Only 4 braces to go.  Then the only rigging left will be the flag halliards and ropes on the davits for the ships boats.  I also have to mount coils on many of the belay pins.

 

I will be having an acrylic case made for it very soon.

Jared....she looks wonderful.  Adding those belayed/coiled ropes will add conversational detail as well.  I was thinking about an acrylic case for Staghound.  Are you having that made locally, or sending out for one?  Is it affordable?

 

Rob

[Jared]

I am going to have a 5 sided acrylic case made at a local shop.  I will make a wooden base for it myself.  There are several acrylic laces in the greater Toronto area that can do this.  A fellow modeller has recommended two.  He thinks yhe cost for the size I need will be under $250 Cdn.

 

For my last ship (Charles Morgan Whaler) I built my own case out of glass and oak.  It weighs a ton.  I won't make that mistake again.

Edited August 6 by Jared

[rwiederrich]

2 hours ago, Jared said:

I am going to have a 5 sided acrylic case made at a local shop.  I will make a wooden base for it myself.  There are several acrylic laces in the greater Toronto area that can do this.  A fellow modeller has recommended two.  He thinks yhe cost for the size I need will be under $250 Cdn.

 

For my last ship (Charles Morgan Whaler) I built my own case out of glass and oak.  It weighs a ton.  I won't make that mistake again.

That's sweet.  My case for my Great Republic was made with maple and glass....and as you pointed out...weighs a ton.  My Glory of the Seas case is only 3 sided plexi.  Way easier and lighter.   I'd like to find a place close by me who can make a large 5 sided acrylic case for my Staghound.  Good idea......I'll look around.

 

Can't wait to see your model mounted and displayed.

 

Rob

[Jared]

Today I finished rigging all of the braces on the fore mast yards.  I have also tightened up the other rigging on the model where it was needed.  I have also touched up any needed spots on the model requiring this.  So little remains to be done before final launch.

 

 

[rwiederrich]

Well....there you go.  A very fine model...well executed and clean.  You've done a great job Jared.  Congrats.   How long has it been?  Anything new on your horizon?

 

Rob

[Rick310]

Jared, congratulations!! FF looks great!!  Well done!!

A remarkable achievement, I can only hope to get there someday!

Rick

[gak1965]

Congratulations Jared!

 

She looks really great! A long, difficult job that is paying off!

 

Regards,

George

[Jared]

Thanks everyone for your kind words.  As I complete the few items I have a question.  I had planned to install flag pennant and flags but having now looked at them, I am having second thoughts.  They seem to be a bit tacky looking.  What do you all think?  I noticed George left them off in his beautiful model.  Also, what is the likelihood that such ships wold have had their flags flying when in port?

 

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

 

[Jared]

2 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

Well....there you go.  A very fine model...well executed and clean.  You've done a great job Jared.  Congrats.   How long has it been?  Anything new on your horizon?

 

Rob

I started this model in 2006 and worked on it slowly over the next 6 years, finishing off the hull, deck and much of the deck structures.  In 2012 my late wife was diagnosed with ALS,  which resulted in work stoppage on the model.  About a year after she passed away, I woke one morning with significantvvision loss in one eye.  With the loss of 3D vision, I did not think I would ever be able to complete the model.  

 

However, one finds ways to adapt to handicaps and I picked up the model again around 2019 with no real expectations I would be able to finish it.  Two drivers that kept me  going were this MSW log which I joined at the time and my joining a local model ship club.  The rest is history, all well documented in this build log.

 

As for my next model, I realize that with my vision issue building another highly rigged ship would not  be the best choice.   When working with thin threads it is very difficult to tie knots and thread blocks without 3d vision.   I do enjoy the working with wood part which is not as demanding for 3d,  and I have always been fascinated with Admiralty  models since first seeing them at the Science museum in London in the late 60's, and at Greenwich UK.   So earlier this year, I purchased an admiralty-style kit of the USF Essex 1799 from Model Shipways and am eagerly waiting to start it.

 

I am thinking about modifing the Essex kit to expose a  small section of its inner timber construction.  Two photos of the model Essex as below, from the manufacturer.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 12 by Jared

[rwiederrich]

Truly am sorry to hear about your wife and your vision issue.

I thought kidney stones where trouble.

I too have recently developed a floater in my left eye....causing some visual impairment...but not loss of vision.

Age is having its way..I supose.   The Admiralty model will be fun...no rigging to stress over and lots of detail remaining in the hull and armament to boot.

 

Still waiting to see your model cased and mounted.    It's been fun...and for you...quite some time too.  I generally take 2~3 years to complete a scratch built model.

 

Good luck with your next shipyard adventure.

 

Rob

[Kenchington]

Jared,

 

Very sorry to hear of your struggles! You seem to be facing them bravely and successfully.

 

You asked:

2 hours ago, Jared said:

what is the likelihood that such ships wold have had their flags flying when in port?

When in (or entering or leaving) port is when a clipper would be shown off with flags.  When out at sea, there was no point in wearing out expensive bunting by having it flapping in the gales with nobody to see it, except for some kind of masthead pennant to indicate wind direction to those on board. The ensign and perhaps the ship's "number" would be shown when passing close enough to another ship for those flags to be recognized. If there was some special message to be sent, code flags could be shown. But that was about it.

 

You also suggested:

 

2 hours ago, Jared said:

I am thinking about modifing the Essex kit to expose a  small section of its inner timber construction.

If you do that, you'll need to be sure that that the internal structure is either reasonably realistic or perhaps stylized (as the original Navy Board models were). I don't know the Model Shipways Essex kit but kits with that rise to those standards are few and far between.

 

Trevor