Building from scratch my 1/280 Clipper Great Republic

Then I cut out the bulkheads" target="">

Mounted them on the keel whaich I cut/made from a tree I fell in the yard." target="">

Another of all the bulkheads in place." target="">

I then reinforced with spacers. And built the stren." target="">

Next I covered the chamfered deck with 1/16 plank." target="">

Then I began to plank with the same 2" x 1/16 soft pine sheets" target="">

Then sanded and filled in the sections" target="">" target="">

Sanded and filled smooth" target="">" target="">

Then added the deck and planksheer and rail base" target="">" target="">

Next..I stained the deck and painted the hull" target="">

I made a press to impress or imboss individual copper plates and their nail impressions onto 5mm copper tape.  I then applied this to the hull." target="">" target="">" target="">

I had to have a mount to display the model so I built this unique maple raw live edge base suspended from a maple base I cut and milled from the same feld tree." target="">

I didn't favor the bright copper....so to mimic muntz metal that has weathered in salt water...I painted the copper lightly with metallic paint.  It represents brownish/bronzy muntz metal...I think" target="">" target="">

Currently the hull is resting on wood blocks...but will be cradled between small foam disketts.  (Like my model of the Glory of the Seas)

Next will be fashioning the dedyes and chainplates on the channels.

Rob(I built the hull in 2 days and coppered it in about the same)

A unique thing about the design of the Great Republic is she had no bullwarks.  She had a spar deck that was flush with the side of her hull.  She had turned oak Stanchions for an entire rail that went around her entire deck." target="">

From another angle..." target="">

very nice indeed rwiederrich , love watching wooden builds , can't wait for more

steve5

Well ;

   To say this is nice , is and would be an understatement . You , Sir , are doing one fine job . Now in all fairness if you are this good , when are you going to start the " Star of India " ?  T.B.

Or, the Star of Alaska, aka Balclutha?

Bill

I know that one!

G.M.,

When my two children were in Elementary School in Vallejo, the school put together a two-day program where the children acted as crew on the Balclutha. They stood watches and went about routine shipboard work while participating in a two week maritime history of San Francisco in their school.  I volunteered as a safety watch onboard and supervised several watch sections for them.  It was a great program, and I hope that Bay Area schools still have these programs.

By the Way, I have since preferred to call that ship by her original name, Star of Alaska.

Bill

Thanks T.B.  While I was building the Glory of the Seas and Donald McKay..I was planning the Great Republic.....I hope to incorporate similar deck furniture from the Revell CS model into the GR.  CS's winches are similar.

Hatch covers and kitbashed items will be used if at all possible.

Rob

Wow, Rob!

Don't know how I missed this thread until now....very cool project, man!

Dave

Thanks Dave.  I figured I needed to scratch built the Great Republic...since ther are no models of her in production.

Here are some images of the chainplates and channels being worked.," target="">" target="">" target="">" target="">

Inventing and making the machine to press my 5mm x 9mm copper plates using copper tape was a fun project.

Here is an image of some tape sectiones impressed with the plate impressions...ready to be placed on the model" target="">

Here is a sample plate of the plates after they received thier dusting of metalic paint to make them look more like weathered muntz metal.

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I used a clothes roller and mesh wire, also sheet rock sanding mesh(not shown).

I pressed the copper tape under the wire mesh and also under a strip of sheet rock sanding mesh(not shown).... Rolling the items impressed the plate lines and the many nail imprints on each plate....." target="">" target="">" target="">" target="">

There was no way I was going to hand lay 1600 indiviual plates...and take weeks of tedious work........

this build is real fun to watch rob , your a clever man .

steve

Thanks Steve......I hope to finish off the port side chainplates this evening (3 left)..then begin building the rudder and coppering and mounting it.

After all this exterior work is done...I'll focus on the deck details..probably catheads...then that extensive railing.

Rob(Any word on the package I sent?)