Building from scratch my 1/280 Clipper Great Republic

Thanks Mike for the very fine comments, and I'm so glad I was some inspiration to you....that is any modelers true intent.  To influence others in a possitive way.

I'm sorry..the model is 3/32"=1ft...  It was expalined to me that was 1/280th.  could I be incorrect in this?

Thanks again for your fine comments.

And yes those are extra 1/96 CS parts.

Rob

Rob,

Not only am I enjoying seeing you do something I know I can't do, I derive inspiration just from looking at your work!

I recall how much you helped me when I was struggling to build my Cutty Sark. You, I believe, were on your umteenth buld of Revel's CS at the time. Believe it or not, it was your building of your CS at that time that kept me going in this delightful hobby. I'll always be grateful to you for that.

Back to your Great Republic, it's coming along nicely - to say the least. I am a little confused about the length of your model. If, as you've said, it's 1/280 scale, then it should be 14 5/16" in length (The Great Republic was 334' in length which is 4008" which divided by 280 = 14.31"). Somehow the pictures you're posting make it seem larger. But, I guess, that's just because I don't really have a reference in your images to really perceive it's dimensions. How long is your model?

Im like bill . Would love to learn how . Really enjoying this build rob

Beautiful!  I would love to learn to scratchbuild ship models.

Bill

Well I spent some time on the forward fife rail today.

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Rob,

Get well soon!

Bill

Rob, your scale and accuracy is looking fantastic.  

beautiful as ususal rob , hope you better soon , just getting over the flu myself .

I'm sicker then a skunk today so I will be brief.  I finished up the knightshead.

Going to bed..see everyone later.

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Thanks for thinkin of me.   I still have the knightsheads to finish and the forward fife rail.

Once the anchors are lashed down and one is hung from the cathead....I'll finish up the deck houses.  I stopped that process to finish things up forward and work aft.

Stem to stern is a good working method....keeps me on track.  Instead of skipping around the deck.

Rob

Rob,

I was wondering about you yesterday!  Your Great Republic looks marvelous!

Bill

Thanks.

I worked on the GR last night for a bit and am getting close to finishing up the anchors.

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Rob

Beautiful work!

Bill

really nice work rob , can't wait for the next installment .

The houses will not be glued down yet....I still need to install the perimeter rail and I will need as much room and flexability to do so.

Rob

Finally finished the bathroom remodel...now I can get to spending time on the Great Republic..AGAIN.

I spent some time making the two forward deck houses.  the hard part was the windows and the raised panneling.  I experimented with many approaches and after many trials and redo's.......I finally settled on a process.  Here are some images and a penny for scale.  At this scale..detail can be straining.  The GR had a steam engine used for cargo and yard work...this was housed in the second house...you can see the pullies extending outside the house on the aft section.  forward cabin has 4 doors and windows and the aft has 6 doors 6 windows and a large 3 pannel acces door to the rear." target="">" target="">" target="">" target="">" target="">

Thanks Steve.  I made all the parts and the rivets are drops of hard dental wax.

Working on the deck houses...five to make.

Rob

this is a really nice build rob , did you make those hinge's or buy them ? . love your work station too mate ,

steve

I tinkered on the GR yesterday and I finished up the rudder.

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I truly appreciate the kind words.  Yeah, I think out of the box, a lot...because...well...I'm just not a purist.  I can't imagine hand laying 1600 5mmx9mm plates one by one.  Like I have made known openly on many occasions.  I will use whateve technique and whatever material to achieve my goals.  And in most cases, I'll re-engineer other peoples manufactured stuff for my own purposes.  Cuz once there is paint applied you will never know if its wood, plastic, metal, paper, or wax.

Again...thanks for the kind compliment.

Rob

Here is an image of the freshly pressed tape plates with a sample of the mesh used to imprint the nail impressions" target="">

And one with the mesh in place on the wire grid in the roller....." target="">

Rob,

I continue to be amazed by your ideas annnd the quality of your work!  Your technique for the copper plating is brilliant!

Bill

not yet rob , I'll let you as soon as it does mate .

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?)

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

steve

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........

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

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="">

Wow, Rob!

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

Dave