Staghound 1850 by rwiederrich - 1/96 - Extreme Clipper

[ClipperFan]

Rob,

I remember your clever use of plastic for your quite convincing gin blocks on Glory of the Seas. Teaser: there's even a short "how to" on your gin block construction process. These copper welded ones are far superior to those and they were incredible. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your detailed gin block build process. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me to discover you're actually utilizing an electron scanning microscope!

[Rick310]

Rob, these are my gin blocks and yes, the 42 links per inch chain are always binding in the block.

[rwiederrich]

We’ll here is my tutorial on how I make my 1/8” gin blocks. 
 

First I begin with 1/8” copper tube. 
 

[rwiederrich]

Then I deform it by using a small hammer. 
 

[rwiederrich]

Next I use my dental tool and separator disk and cut off two end corners.  This will create the desired shape of the block.  
 

[rwiederrich]

Next I make the eyelet by twisting brass wire. 
Then I insert it between the two upper frame wings. 
 

[rwiederrich]

Next ……. simply solder it in place 

 

[rwiederrich]

Then comes the separation from the stock tubing. Again using my dental hand tool and separating disk. 
 

[rwiederrich]

Using micro bits, I do a little clean up. 
 

[rwiederrich]

Now I’m ready to cut the metal sheeve and install it 

 

[rwiederrich]

And the final product.  
If I had made the sheeves any larger, the chain would never fit.  Or I’d have to make the block waaaay to big and out of scale. 
 

[rwiederrich]

There is always compromise when building in scale. Something’s just don’t scale very well….so…..you need to make adjustments. 
 

When all’s said and done, being in scale outweighs any mods you need to make to keep it so.   And in my scale of 1/96, I have lots of room to fudge.  😆

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

Made six more.  
 

 

[rwiederrich]

Per Rich’s suggestion, I added name boards to the wheel box.   Just for fun.  
They’re about 3.5 8ths long. 
 

Rob

Edited September 21 by rwiederrich

[Rick310]

Beautiful!!  Love the technique!

Rick

[rwiederrich]

I finished up 15 gin blocks.  One getting painted……the original and these boys and girls.    Man what tiny metal work. 
 

Rob

[ClipperFan]

1 hour ago, rwiederrich said:

Per Rich’s suggestion, I added name boards to the wheel box.   Just for fun.  
They’re about 3.5 8ths long. 
 

Rob

Rob,

That Stag Hound nameboard is just awesome. It's such a tiny space I wasn't sure you'd be able to fit it in. Nicely done!

[rwiederrich]

1 hour ago, ClipperFan said:

Rob,

That Stag Hound nameboard is just awesome. It's such a tiny space I wasn't sure you'd be able to fit it in. Nicely done!

The extra detail is nice.   Good suggestion. 
 

Rob

[ClipperFan]

3 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

The extra detail is nice.   Good suggestion. 
 

Rob

Rob,

It's one of the more noticable features on the Scottish tea clipper Cutty Sark. Not a suggestion or challenge but on that ship, even her boats carry her name too. I figure it was a standard feature on all clipper ships. Your's is very distinctive and easily readable too. Kudos!

[rwiederrich]

When I built my 1/96 Cutty Sark. I did indeed add the ships name on the bow of her life boats.  
 

Every painting of Staghound depicts her boats as black. Not sure why that is.

I think that detail might be just a little too small to replicate.

Thanks for the fine compliments.  
 

Rob

[ClipperFan]

22 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

When I built my 1/96 Cutty Sark. I did indeed add the ships name on the bow of her life boats.  
 

Every painting of Staghound depicts her boats as black. Not sure why that is.

I think that detail might be just a little too small to replicate.

Thanks for the fine compliments.  
 

Rob

Rob,

Good catch on the black boats. It strikes me as odd that craft possibly intended as lifeboats (and ultimately used as such when Stag Hound tragically caught fire) wouldn't be painted a light color like white or light blue. But you're right. Contemporary paintings do show black boats... go figure.

[Rick310]

Rob, ClipperFan, 

The Buttersworth’s painting of the Flying Fish shows the boats white, while the China Trade painting shows them black.  Does not make sense for boats to be painted black as they would be difficult to see in the ocean. 
I chalk up the China Trade painting to artistic license.

Rick

[ClipperFan]

2 hours ago, Rick310 said:

Rob, ClipperFan, 

The Buttersworth’s painting of the Flying Fish shows the boats white, while the China Trade painting shows them black.  Does not make sense for boats to be painted black as they would be difficult to see in the ocean. 
I chalk up the China Trade painting to artistic license.

Rick

@Rick310

In the 3 Buttersworth Stag Hound paintings, all aft boats are black. There do appear to be some white boats on the long house abaft the foremast but it's hard to tell. Details aren't the clearest. 

[rwiederrich]

11 hours ago, ClipperFan said:

@Rick310

In the 3 Buttersworth Stag Hound paintings, all aft boats are black. There do appear to be some white boats on the long house abaft the foremast but it's hard to tell. Details aren't the clearest. 

Yeah...what's up with that?  A couple other paintings show black boats as well  However....I think I'm gonna go with white.  It was typical of the period and as mentioned...was far easier to see on the open ocean then black...for sure.   UNLESS...it can be proven that McKay had these vessels pain these boat black....or dark green.  I've got time to make this decision anyway.  It's still information gathering.

 

Rob

[rwiederrich]

On 9/21/2024 at 4:14 AM, ClipperFan said:

Rob,

I remember your clever use of plastic for your quite convincing gin blocks on Glory of the Seas. Teaser: there's even a short "how to" on your gin block construction process. These copper welded ones are far superior to those and they were incredible. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your detailed gin block build process. At this point, it wouldn't surprise me to discover you're actually utilizing an electron scanning microscope!

Thanks Rich.  I was going to make these also from composite plastic...but after seeing so many dive in and do some soldering themselves....I wanted to do the same.....however, I designed mine to only need one solder joint and that included soldering the eye bolt at the same time as closing up the vertical sides.   Some other examples I have seen look a bit larger...possibly as large as 1/4".  but I had to fight the scale monster and even at the smallest I could make...1/8".  It still means the blocks are a foot in scale size.  I've seen real gin blocks and they are quite large....at around 10~12".

 

I'll be using 3 per topsail yard for the fore and main masts, 2 for the mizzen topsail yard ...and....one for the topgallant and royal downhaul purchases.  14 in total.

 

Rob

[ClipperFan]

@rwiederrich @Vladimir_Wairoa @Luis Felipe

Lori Fidler, Associate Director of Collections, Old State House Museum, Boston, MA just sent me nine more photos of Cornelius McKay's glorious clipper Stag Hound model. She took some nice bow and stern pics but due to shelf location, couldn't get any of the rest of the model.

Immediately noticeable is her sharp 40 inches at half-hull floor. This is what makes some refer to her as McKay's sole extreme clipper. His second California Fleet Clipper Flying Cloud while still an extreme clipper had a 10 degree flatter floor with 30 inches at half-hull. Gradually McKay continued with flatter floors, culminating in his final medium clipper Glory of the Seas which had a mere 8 inches at half-hull but was nonetheless still a very sharp clipper design.

Edited September 27 by ClipperFan
additional information

[Rick310]

Beautiful!

Rick

[ClipperFan]

22 hours ago, Rick310 said:

Beautiful!

Rick

Rick310,

There's just something so mystical to me about this particular piece. Perhaps it's because Donald's son Cornelius McKay crafted her directly off the mold lines lifted from the lofting floor as Stag Hound herself was being built. Next year is the 175th anniversary year of Donald McKay's entry into the rapidly heating up competition to bring material and passengers to the West Coast. It's the anniversary of the launch of Stag Hound "the Pioneer craft of the California Clipper Fleet". That's how Cornelius described her in his letter to Capt Arthur H Clark when he turned over his beautiful model and line drawing on November 18th, 1896.

Edited September 28 by ClipperFan
Grammar

[MrBlueJacket]

On 9/14/2024 at 5:35 PM, rwiederrich said:

Finally I built the final one that will be mounted after it dries. 
 

Rob

 

 

noted modeler Steve Wheeler once said "the wastebasket is your best tool"

 

Nic

[rwiederrich]

I’m back from the best getaway ever in Sedona Arizona.