Cutty Sark by uscharin - Sergal - 1:78

[uscharin]

The back story –

 

Purchased the Sergal Cutty Sark kit in 1982 and within a year and a half was 70% competed, faithfully following the provided instructions.  I was a first-time modeler and quite enthusiastic, but also quite naïve.  It was at that point I picked up a copy of THE CUTTY SARK, Two Volumes in One, by Longridge, 1959.  I also found a copy of MASTING & RIGGING the Clipper Ship & Ocean Carrier, by Underhill, 1965.  After reading both books I quickly became critical of what I had built.  Without too much more effort I could have finished it, and no doubt would have displayed quite nicely in my home, but now I knew too much.

 

I considered abandoning my kit and starting over with a scratch build.  Life was already beginning to get complicated with a young family and evolving career.  Eventually I decided to try and remake the model into something that I could live with.  To the horror of my family, I tore down all my hard work to below the weather deck, leaving only hull planking and copper sheathing.  I re-contoured the deck, re-built the bulwarks using the kit’s copper facade, re-planked the deck, started building new deck houses, etc., etc., using nothing of the original kit from that point on.  To make matters more difficult I had secured several old photographs of the Cutty Sark at Falmouth (without internet!) and slowly realized that Longridge substituted, in a number of cases, his own interpretation of what the ship would look like in his model.  I think the most grievous substitution was that of the head rails and name board, which heavily influence how the ship presents.  To quote Longridge himself: “The head rails as shown in the model are not to be seen in the actual ship.  There are at present two somewhat unsightly-looking pieces of angle-iron.”  At first glance, Longridge’s substitution looked rather nice but over time did not wear well.  First and foremost, it was not accurate and beyond that I actually came to admire the angle-iron and brought me closer to the real thing.  Historical accuracy has become very important to me.

 

Current Condition –

 

The following are a series of pictures of what things look like today.  I’m retired now and finally have the time to complete her.  The first thing I did this last fall/winter was to build a case in anticipation of completing this model.  I posted that project here:

 

DIY Mahogany Display Case - Model Tips and Tricks and Making Jigs - Model Ship World™

 

The bow is the most complete.  I ground and filed the original kit figurehead down roughly 40% by mass and one of the few parts I have recycled into the ship.  I then skinned it over with polymer clay and re-sculpted.  A small piece of Nannie's hair has since snapped off so will need to fix that, and many other issues.  I had used a pickling stain on all the deck board originally, but the color wasn't right.  You'll notice the color is different on the fore deck.  I painted over the stain with Floquil teak which looked pretty good and has aged well.  I still have a bottle of that paint and hope it is enough to cover the remaining deck surfaces, as I find it is no longer manufactured.  Lots of work (fun) ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

[Rick310]

You’ve done a really nice job!! CS looks great!!

Question,  I thought CS’s studding sail booms hung below the main yards?

Rick

[Kelp]

Your Cutty Sark model is looking fantastic!  I’ll be looking forward to your updates on this build.

 

Don

[uscharin]

1 hour ago, Rick310 said:

I thought CS’s studding sail booms hung below the main yards?

Hello Rick, and thanks for the kind words.

I made the yards decades ago and can no longer tell you what my inspiration was.  According to the 'as built' Campbell plans, which I purchased after the fact, some are above, some are below and looks like some are somewhere in between.  I am already out of compliance!  Of course, my plan is to model this to look like the early Falmouth restoration, which is likely going to be a nightmare to interpret.  As it is, much of my old work (yards) will need to be re-worked to be consistent with that point in time.  Between the few pictures I have of Longridge's model, his Cutty Sark book, Underhill's plans, and old pictures I should come up with something close to the way it was.  But I'm not there yet and still getting oriented.  Since the bow is closest to being done, I plan to start my work there and see where the wind takes me.

Ron

Edited Friday at 12:51 AM by uscharin

[uscharin]

Well, I have officially restarted my CS project by making a new part yesterday.  Didn't need glasses when I started this ship 40 years ago.  Today I need both glasses and a magnification visor.  I can be grateful my hands are still steady.

 

Thought I would start with something simple, which turned out to be anything but.  I made a pair of sheaves that mount to the bowsprit.  They are part of the topmast forestay cable assembly.  I rummaged around my scrap bins and selected my materials.  I have several leftover copper hull tiles that turn out to be very handy.  They measure approximately 0.7mm thick; just the right size.

 

The only power tool I have ever used in modeling is a hand-held B&D "Dremel" with a micro chuck.  It is also 40 years old and still works fine.  It comes in handy as a hand-held lathe.  For the pulleys I used a small round file to cut the groves and then polished with steel wool.  I then separated the pulleys with a jewelers saw, and file dressed to thickness.  I left the pulley pivot rod long to pin into the bowsprit, which worked great.  I blackened the pulleys with selenic acid (can find in gun bluing solutions) as I like the look.

 

I scratched my design outline onto the copper tile using a pin, then trimmed with scissors and hand filed to shape.  Nothing magic about that, just takes time.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 08:05 PM by uscharin

[Rick310]

Really well done!!  They look great!!

It really adds to the appearance of the bowsprit!  I also like that you left the shieves brass.  I decided to do the same on the Flying Fish. Makes them stand out a little bit.

zRick

[rwiederrich]

Picking up where you left off will be fun.  I'm wondering, will you be adding all the Portuguese additions...when she was the Ferriera?  The fore deck access and the aft access at the poop cabin rear? Facing changes and railing changes to the forecastle?  All the portholes added when she was a cadet training ship.......?

Or are you looking to keep to her original configuration.

I talked to you about all the differences one can encounter in a vessel's life span, when modeling her.  Deciding what era you are focusing on will be definitive in her appearance.

 

Rob

Edited 15 hours ago by rwiederrich

[uscharin]

7 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

Or are you looking to keep to her original configuration.

My aim was and still is to show her as she might have been following Dowman's restoration.  That said, I might struggle to include some of the additions/deletions that were executed at the hands of the Portuguese.  We will see.  The CS has seen so, so much change during her life.  While it has never interested me to show her during her glory years, I do want to preserve some of that original grandeur and dignity.  For now, I'm working on items that don't require any serious decision making.  Still some time to plan my course.

 

And BTW, I thoroughly enjoyed your Ferriera waterline model.  Excellent work!  I'm amazed how much detail you pulled out based, I assume, solely on period photography.  Amazing.  I also really liked your aging work, something I want to do a little of on mine.  Once I get the hull close to completion, I might try to pick your brain a bit on how-to's.

 

Ron