Herzogin Cecilie 1902 by Jim Lad - Four Masted Barque

[Jim Lad]

I've been a bit slack in posting updates over the holidays, but the 'Duchess' has been quietly progressing in front of admiring holiday crowds at the museum. It always worries me that the unprotected model is very close to the public, unlike on the dedicated model makers' desk which was intentionally built wide, but I never have to worry about the kids touching the model - just (occasionally) their parents.

 

As you can see, the standing rigging is finally nearing completion (sans ratlines), with only a few more stays on the jigger and the mizzen spreaders to do. I'm now changing my focus to the sails and will hopefully play with the first sail - the flying jib - for a bit on Friday.

 

John

 

[Keith Black]

She's looking ever so much better, John. Is there anyway someone could video record the crowds interaction with you? 

[Jim Lad]

Thanks, Keith.

 

An interesting thought - the video - but I think we'd run up against privacy legislation (just for a start). 🙂

 

John

[KeithAug]

I have to agree with Keith that she in now looking pretty damn good John. 

[Jim Lad]

Thanks for the encouragement, Keith.

 

John

[Jim Lad]

A major step forward (at least in my opinion). The 'Duchess is now boasting a sail!  Obviously a bit more work to do before this sail is complete on the model, but at least it's there! Only 33 more to go.

 

Concerning sails:

I broadly followed Tom Lauria's method with silkspan. I found the silkspan much easier to work with than I anticipated - it seems pretty strong and stable considering its structure. Having said that, I would highly recommend handling it carefully when it's wet (don't ask me how I know that); dry - it's great. I painted my silkspan with one coat of flow acrylic on one side and that seems to be sufficient - the paint soaking through the sail. I used a 'toy' iron as Tom demonstrated to iron down the linings and that worked very well - both sealing the dilute PVA glue and smoothing out the wrinkles at the same time. I had no issue with having a little too much glue on the seam. I tried furling a test sail in the workshop by spraying it with a fine mist of water and then coaxing it into folds; it worked well; hopefully the same will happen on the model.

 

John

 

 

[BANYAN]

Braver man than m e John, all that extra rigging to put in place (sail control/handling lines)   She's comiing along really nicely; I'll bet the museum staff are chuffed with it.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Rick310]

Really nice looking model!  The sail looks great!

what color paint did you use?

Rick

[Jim Lad]

Pat: I usually show all the running rigging on my models that would be left aloft if the sails had only been taken down for a short time, so on the headsails I would rig the halliard and downhaul shackled together, but the sheets wouldn't be shows as they're taken below with the sail. I didn't really have much choice with this model as the museum wants her shown as she would have been as she was preparing to sail from Port Lincoln on her final voyage in 1936 - so the sails have to be rigged - staysails still furled and square sails "hanging in the gear" ready for setting.

 

Rick: The paint colour is called 'Soft Cloud', but that's obviously a brand name for it (Josonja Matte Flow Acrylic).  It's a pale grey to try and simulate the colour of worn canvas.

 

John

[Rick310]

Thanks John!

Rick

[Ian_Grant]

5 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Braver man than m e John, all that extra rigging to put in place (sail control/handling lines)   She's comiing along really nicely; I'll bet the museum staff are chuffed with it.

 

cheers

 

Pat

I once counted up all the buntlines on the 5-masted Preussen; I forget the total but it was huge enough to convince me to omit the sails and some associated rigging on my model.

Edited 15 hours ago by Ian_Grant

[Jim Lad]

Ian, the 'Duchess has (unusually) 5 buntlines on each square sail; 6 square sails per mast; 3 masts. If my arithmetic is correct, that makes a mere 90 buntlines in total! 😀

 

John 

[Mirabell61]

Beautiful work John,

 

I love that reconstruction of your 4 mast barque

 

Nils

 

[Jim Lad]

Thank you, Nils.

 

John