1/96 Cutty Sark WIP (Revell H-399)

The pin rail IS the channel in this application.  That is why I fixed all the lower deadeyes to a thin wood strip then glued that to the rail..painting it the same color...so it would blend in.  What else are you gonn do that works well?  They never are even noticed.  Good shrouds and ratlines make up for the necessity of the mod.

You could always add the deadeyes to the rail prior to its install..by drilling small holes that the wire pass through...the same wire used to strop the deadeye....or you can band the deadeye with fine copper strips (Paint white)then drill small holes through the mating ends and thread wire through, secure and then run that through the holes in the pin rail.

I still prefered my easiest/earlier method as you might find out for yourself.

Move on to what is really noticed....yards and thier rigging.

Good luck in what ever you do.

Rob

So I've been on hold with this build, because of an impasse.

Early on, I decided on a means to install the lower deadeyes...any who've built this kit know the kit-supplied deadeye assemblies are meant to be glued to the inboard pinrails, and used with the coated thread shroud/ratline assemblies included.  Those threaded shroud/ratline mesh parts don't apply much in the way of tension (if at all) to the pinrails, so for those who use them, there's no issue.

For me, I prefer to use wooden deadeyes, and rig my shrouds and ratlines.  This means I needed to find another way to fasten the deadeyes, because the tension of the shrouds would quickly pop the pinrails off, no matter how well they were glued to the bulwarks.

So....I pre-installed some annealed wire through drilled holes below the waterways, drilled adiditional holes in the pinrails, and led the wire through when I installed the pinrails.  When I made this plan months ago, I foolishly assumed it would work without a hitch, and even if any trouble came up, I'd find a way to make it work.

Boom.

Once I started trying to install the lower deadeyes using the wire, I quickly realized I had little control over the finished height of the deadeyes.  With so little room to work between the pinrails and the bulwark, and the stiffness of the wire, I couldn't after many tries, get the deadeyes to sit at a consistent level.  It was terribly frustrating.

I finally figure out a way that I think will work.  And it means more or less abandoning the wire for stropping.  I've done a few with the *new* method, and I think it will hold up and allow me finer control of deadeye height.  PHEW!

Anyway, the point of this long-winded post is that I've been absent for awhile, trying to get around an obstacle, and I wonder how many others have dealt with the frustration of the lower deadeyes on this kit?

...but I may have gotten past it!

I'll take some pics of the process and include them with my next post, to help it all become more clear.

It's unusual for me, because all my previous builds involving replacing kit deadeyes with wooden parts and tied shroud/ratlines have been pretty easy, using channels, chainplates and brass pins/eyes in the hull....with no channels, it makes the Cutty Sark a real departure.

Thanks!

dave your build is looking wonderful , looking forward to seeing more

steve5

Looking forward to your progress.

Rob

Thanks for the compliment, Rob, and thanks for the pics!  I always love getting some good views of ships!

I've actually already applied a good amount of my weathering...though, it's more of a shading technique, meant to add a little more texture than actual weathering.  If you look at the first two pics of my previous post, those are images of the wood decks glued down as-is...the next two pics show the main deck without any shading, but with a forecastle(?) deck having had some shading applied...the two last pics show the main decks (and pretty much all of them) having all been treated with shading, via the artist pastel chalks.

I'm going for a subdued, but still shaded and slightly weathered look, both for the decks, and for the rest of the model...even the mast and deck furniture are really only getting a mild treatment, to add just a touch of *weather* and mostly for shading and texture....

I wonder if I went too subtle with the decks, if it's not really noticeable?  Maybe I'll go over them with a little more vigor one more time.

I got the main deck glued in, and when I removed the clamps this afternoon, nothing popped open, so that's a good sign!  lol  The hull was slightly warped and need to be held tight to the deck while the glue dried...I'm glad it held.

Dave

Dave..if you are going to add some of your weathering details...will these be applied to the deck as well?

Your hull is spectacular. 

Rob

Dave..looking very good.

I'm quite sure your model will be exceptional.

Personally I'm not a fan of the multi-color plank deck..but that is irrelevant.

Here are some images of the CS deck for reference...during her long life.

I agree, Scott.

I actually made some more progress this week...got most of the deck parts glued down, and even started on some shading/weathering of the scaledecks.

One point I want to make is the means of adhesive for the scaledecks.

I started out with contact cement....big mistake!  It makes a strong bond, but it grabs instantly once the parts touch each other, leaving zero time for adjustment/alignment...it was stressful, and I wasn't able to get the large deck section lined up perfectly.  I switched to regular testors liquid styrene cement for the last few pieces, and it worked great!  nice bond, plenty of time to get it all lined up before it set.  Anyway, I needed to share that point :)

Once I got the parts on, I did a little trimming on the edges, installed the brass (blackened) eyebolts and then set about some texturing.  John at Scaledecks recommended against using anything *wet* for weathering (oil paint, regular paint, washes, etc.) so I used some artist pastels I had from years ago (basically earthy-colored chalk sticks)....I used them with a gentle application and shaded the areas using a stump, or tortillon (another tool artists use for shading)...it worked pretty well, though I could use some more practice.

Here's a few pics....some of the deck parts after they were cemented, and some with shading for comparison...I may go a couple more passes with the pastels to even out the shading, but I think it looks *okay*...

Thanks for watching!
Dave

20180409_171128 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

20180410_150603 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

20180411_154830 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

20180411_154841 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

20180415_092144 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

20180415_092204 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

Great update David, that new deck does have more appeal than the older one.  

Might as well add a few more pics...

Here's how I'm stropping my deadeyes (as described in the previous post)....these pics are of the t'gall deadeyes, which are super-tiny (2.5mm)...

20180408_090555 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

I'm using the same gauge wire, so it's a bit burly compared to these tiny deadeyes

I wrapped the wire to loop around the deadeye and make it a snug fit

20180408_090638 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

Then I bring one end of the wire over the other to loop it

20180408_090724 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

Trim off the end, and tuck it up snugly behind the deadeye, and Ta-Da!

20180408_090851 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

Hey Everyone-

Thought I would stop in for a quick post.

Not a lot of especially exciting developments...I've been detail painting mast parts and applying some texture via oil washes.  I also started putting together lower deadeyes for the crosstrees so they're in place before mast assembly...using 3.5mm walnut deadeyes from Model Expo and some annealed black wire, I drilled holes in the cross trees (using the plastic deadeye parts as spacing gauges)....then I wrapped a short piece of wire around the deadeyes, twisted it around itself once, snipped off one end and pushed the remaining end down through the crosstree hole. Bent it over like a hook, and CA'd it in place...Boom!

20180408_080459 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

Regarding my wood deck from Scaledecks...

I cut out all the pieces and decided to try a test fit of the main deck...to my surprise, it didn't quite fit.  The wooden part seemed to be too long (by about an 1/8")...if I fit it on one end it would line up, but it gradually grew more misaligned along the length, to the point that the holes for the foremost hatch were off by 1/8".

I was concerned, and considered that maybe I'd trimmed too much material from kit plastic parts (it's 3 large plastic deck parts cemented together to make the main weather deck)...but 1/8" is a lot of material to have taken off with a sanding stick.  I decided to reach out to Scaledecks to see if they'd heard of any other similar issues.

John at Scaledecks is a great guy, very communicative and helpful.  He told me this issue had occured rarely with their previous cutting instrument (they've since gotten a new cutter).  He graciously offered to send me a replacement, which I received quickly, and the fit is MUCH BETTER!

Additionally, there is a new design of the Cutty Sark deck kit that they offer, with a darker, richer teak coloration, and with some mismatched planks and other little nuances to give it a more realistic aspect.  It's a beautiful set.  In fact, I'd hate to say I'm glad the first set was faulty...but if it wasn't then I would not be using the new design, so there's that!

Anyway, here's a pic of the original deck, and the new style deck from Scaledecks...some may prefer the clean lines of the lighter colored deck, but for me, I really dig the new one.

20180408_080400 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

*Oops, I posted the same pic twice...it's edited to display the correct pic now :)

Once I finish the masts, I guess I'll be installing the deck and putting eyebolts into it...I'll bring some notes and pics to the next update.

Thanks!

Dave

Here's the iron part, Mike. (Different ship).

Then the entire hull was planked with oak. Over that is the Muntz metal, replacing what would have been copper on a warship or anti-fouling paint on commercial ships.

Rob,

Thank you for posting that video.

I wasn't sure if I'd heard the narrator correctly when he referred to "the iron hull" in one section of dialogue but a few seconds on the internet got me the information I needed. Even though the script in that video may not have been 100% accurate as far as "the iron hull" is concerned, I found out (thanks to my ignorance and the video) that sections of the hull were indeed made of iron.

From: Royal Museums Greenwich:

"Cutty Sark’s hull was innovative for its composite design, which combined wooden planks with an iron 'skeleton' of frames, beams and cross bracing. The result was a very strong, rigid ship, with more room for cargo, because the iron framework took up substantially less space than a wholly wooden hull.

Originally the hull was covered in Muntz metal, a composite that was developed in Birmingham. The current sheathing has the same appearance, but is more readily available today."

Live and learn.

Thought it was quite informative.

thank's mike , sorry dave . it pay's to read everything , instead of being mesmerised by the build

Steve,

Dave, in his post at the top of this page, said:

"Here's another pic of the hull, during test-fit of the base.  I used 3/4" Red Oak, and pedestals from Model Expo."

beautiful as always dave , could you tell me where you got those pedestals , from please .

Dave,

I had a feeling it looked like the stuff I have. It is. I have a box of 10 of those 50ft. reels. Lord knows if or when I'll ever use them all but that stuff has come in handy more than once on ships and aircraft. 

If I ever rig another Cutty Sark I'll use your method.

Hi Dave, looking great bud. So the deadeyes for the CS go on the inside of the hull ? I have never built a CS, so will be following your build closely.  Thanks for info on that wire, I am ordering some now, should be a help on my Connie or a future build.    Dale

Nice start on the Cutty Sark Dave. No doubt I'll be appling some of your tecniques when the time comes for me to do mine when I eventually get my Victory back dating project done..

Michael D.

Thanks for the compliments, guys!

Mike, the wire I used is 28 gauge annealed dark wire, the brand is Hillman.  I've used it before for deadeye strops, and other various uses in shipmodeling....I like it because it's dark in color, and it's flexible, so it can be bent and twisted several times before it will break.  Pretty cheap, too...you can find it on eBay or Amazon for a couple bucks per 50 feet.

Dave

David, your work is just flawless looking. Everything you do looks perfect. Your posts are a joy to watch.      Gene

Looking great Dave. Your weathering technique looks right on as usual.

What gauge wire and of what material did you use for attaching the strops/chainplates?

Quick progress update...

Got the wire installed in the hull for the lower deadeye strops/chainplates, and glued the hull halves together.

20180315_161621 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

I'm a little bummed about the molding of the hull parts....the wales don't line up at the stern, even though the upper edge and keel are aligned....I don't have a picture of that yet, but they look uneven, and I'll have to do something to try and fix it.  Good ol' Revell!

lol

Here's another pic of the hull, during test-fit of the base.  I used 3/4" Red Oak, and pedestals from Model Expo.

20180316_144457 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

You'll notice the inner bulwarks are *weathery*....I can't help but apply some texture, I feel like bare paint just looks fake, so I went ahead with some thinned oils to help fill in the shadows and add some character....The oil actually darkened the lower hull so much that it now looks more like copper than the original paint I laid down...no biggie to me, but it's worth mentioning.

And finally, here's another pic after I stained the wood for the base....it's installed and levelled out (I go through great pains to make sure everything is level at this point...even if there's a minute *list*, by the time the upper masts and yards are on, it will be exxagerated!)....the bolts are tightened, tomorrow I'll apply a bunch of epoxy down in the hull to keep the hardware from ever coming loose later (which happened on my Soleil Royal, and it was a *royal* pain to re-stabilize the pedestals after the deck was in!)

20180319_145515 by Dave Kump, on Flickr

The instructions say that mast assembly is next, so I guess that's what I'll be doing for awhile.

Thanks for looking!

Dave

https://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/videos/534650570241311/

For anyones edification

A close look at this photo may be of some help with the anchor chain.

Mike, now you need to add an iron angle that's 1/16" x 1/1/16" around the base of that hatch!