Model Boat Mayhem

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Down

Author Topic: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model  (Read 28245 times)

Edward Pinniger

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 531
  • Location: Berkshire, UK
    • Plastic Ship Kit Previews
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #25 on: July 15, 2009, 12:02:02 pm »



All of the 16 yards have now been cleaned up and painted. Smaller details such as jackstays (the stanchions for these are already in place), eyebolts and the irons for studding-sail booms will be added later.





I've revised my method for attaching the removable yards to the masts, to give a more "scale" appearance. The lifts are now attached to small blocks which have a brass wire peg fitted, which fits into a hole drilled in the mast cap. Note that I used black thread to represent the lifts, rather than the usual pale beige used for running rigging to represent untarred rope, as the ones on the real ship are made from metal cable.

The lower topsail yards don't have lifts, but are rigged to the yard above with "downhauls" which run through blocks.

Also, the topmast crosstrees are now permanently glued in place, with only the topgallant masts removable. This will make rigging easier, particularly the topmast shrouds which will not have to be made removable. The yards on the topgallant masts will be permanently fixed to the mast, along with the associated rigging, so everything above the crosstrees can be removed in one piece for transportation or storage.







With the yards in place the model is starting to look like a ship at last! The yards on the topgallants, and the jib + boom on the mizzen mast, still need to be added.
All of these yards are removable but are securely held in place both by the lifts and the hooks that attach them to the masts.
Logged

Edward Pinniger

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 531
  • Location: Berkshire, UK
    • Plastic Ship Kit Previews
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #26 on: July 15, 2009, 12:38:18 pm »





The poop deckhouse is next to be rebuilt. The moulding around the sides represented with thin wood strip, so I left this in place, cleaned up + sanded down as much as possible. The companionway hatch and skylight have the usual clunky printed "detail", however. I reworked the companionway in the same way as the main deckhouses, resurfacing it + adding the moulding details from thin cedar veneer, and making a new roof from plywood (which will later be painted white). The skylight - which is a solid lump of wood in the Billing kit - I completely rebuilt from scratch. It's made from thin plywood painted with teak stain, as the cedar veneer is too fragile for structural work. 



The deck is planked, and edging strips added using teak-stained limewood.





The completed structure, varnished and painted and with brass fittings in place (the binnacle, ship's bell, signal gun and railings will be added at a later stage). Portholes are Robbe turned brass items, which are relatively inexpensive (less than £4 for 10) and look much better than the Billing plastic ones originally fitted.
Logged

Jimmy James

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 987
  • Location: Kings Lynn Norfolk
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #27 on: July 15, 2009, 08:25:39 pm »

Nice job so far Edward... I have a book here called CHINA TEA CLIPPERS by George Campell  ISBN 0 229 11525X  Adlard Coles Ltd  London 1974
 The Illustraions of constuction are superb and give good coverage of spar's sails  and deck fittings, steering gear hand lever windless. foc'le and deck fittings ,Deck arrangments, boats, fife rails and bitts deck planking and rudders on British and Yankie Clippers
The Author George Campell MRINA Prepared all the working drawings Specifactions and rigging estiments for the rebuilding of the Cutty Sark at Greenwich
If you can find a copy it's well worth having  (try Able Books)
Freebooter
Logged
Retired  Ships Officer/ Master.
Experience: 50+ years at sea under Sail, Steam & Motor
Kings Lynn

DickyD

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9,423
  • www.srcmbc.org.uk
  • Location: Southampton UK
    • SRCMBC
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #28 on: July 17, 2010, 09:22:48 am »

Was this ever finished ? {:-{
Logged
Richard Solent Radio Controlled Model Boat Club http://www.srcmbc.org.uk

SteamboatPhil

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2,762
  • Location: Dieppe, France
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #29 on: July 17, 2010, 05:34:53 pm »

Maybe to go for true accuracy he set fire to it, and is now rebuilding it again.... {-) {-) {-)
Logged
Steamed up all the time

DickyD

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9,423
  • www.srcmbc.org.uk
  • Location: Southampton UK
    • SRCMBC
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #30 on: July 17, 2010, 05:57:50 pm »

Maybe to go for true accuracy he set fire to it, and is now rebuilding it again.... {-) {-) {-)
And there's me being serious for a change Phil.  O0
Logged
Richard Solent Radio Controlled Model Boat Club http://www.srcmbc.org.uk

Edward Pinniger

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 531
  • Location: Berkshire, UK
    • Plastic Ship Kit Previews
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #31 on: July 17, 2010, 08:55:35 pm »

The model has made a bit of progress since the last update in this thread, but I haven't done any more work on it for over 6 months. Basically I got very dissatisfied with the lack of steering ability - the low powered twin prop drive with ex-RTR Severn motors simply doesn't have enough power to turn such a long, heavy hull easily, though it can go forwards/backwards at a reasonable scale speed. And there really isn't enough room in the hull (due to the wood bulkheads) to fit larger motors.

I'm now planning to eventually rebuild the Cutty Sark as a R/C sailing model using a very simplified sail control setup (all yards interconnected and operated by a single servo). Another member of my local club has a model set up like this - a 3-masted barque, I think - which sails quite well. But I still want to get more experience with R/C sail first - and also need a lot more more lead for ballast!
Currently I'm working on a small two-masted merchant schooner, the build log is here - http://www.modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12433 - and I'll post some photos on Mayhem when it's done (this one definitely will be finished within a reasonable timeframe, unlike some of my previous builds. I've now learnt to get the technical/working aspects of the build out of the way and fully tested before moving on to the fine detail work...)

Also, my large motor yacht model (in the power boats section) IS finally completed - I'll get round to posting some photos of the finished model soon!
Logged

huntandfish

  • Guest
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #32 on: October 11, 2010, 05:29:53 pm »

Interesting thread .
I made a Cutty Sark using the Billings it in the 1970s . I have just found the book in the loift !
I remember getting as far as the deck before I started scratch building , I cant remember using much at all from the kit and I had bits in my workbench for years ,probably still got some .
I still have the model and Im about to replace the case .
Logged

Edward Pinniger

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 531
  • Location: Berkshire, UK
    • Plastic Ship Kit Previews
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #33 on: October 18, 2010, 06:56:48 pm »

I'm still trying to work out how to convert this into a "proper" R/C sailer. Ironically the biggest challenge seems to be not the sail control but the rudder! There is no space in the hull for a tiller arm so I will probably have to put one on deck, under the wheel housing, and have the servo arm going across the deck to a servo located under the poop deck cabin. I'ill definitely also have to make a new rudder, possibly with a removable lower section.

On a more positive note, my 1800s merchant schooner (build log on rcgroups.com) is nearly finished - just the final stages of rigging to do - and I'll post some photos here when it's done!
Logged

tigertiger

  • Global Moderator
  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7,748
  • Location: Kunming, city of eternal springtime, SW China.
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #34 on: October 19, 2010, 12:15:02 am »

I can think of 2 alternatives to the norm. I am sure there are other fixes.

A rudder arm could run fore and aft, and it could be pushed and pulled from the sides using cord (control lines)
or
Instead of push rods use the flexible control rods as used on model aircraft. These work like a bike brake cable, semi rigid outer with a semi rigid inner push rod.

Servo can be anywhere, as you know
Logged
The only stupid question is the one I didn't ask

meatbomber

  • Guest
Re: 1/75 scale Cutty Sark - Billing Boats kit rebuilt as a working model
« Reply #35 on: October 19, 2010, 10:45:38 am »

Edward, i`ve had both the rudders actuated below decks on my Bounty and the St.Helena Brig. Both use very very small arms on both teh rudder axle and teh servo and i`m quite fine with the result, Teh short arms also make for a very sturdy attachment and don`t put much strain on the servo even with a largeish rudder extension... can you show maybe a detail photo how the area on the stern looks like ? i`m pretty sure you can fit a small arm there :)
Logged
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.093 seconds with 22 queries.