Donald McKay

[rwiederrich]

The largest sphere of interest is by collectors. Viewing figures and the occasional "like" don't mean a great deal if no-one says anything, but speaking for myself, I don't get any satisfaction at all from "playing to an empty theatre" which is why I have discontinued build logs, not just here - but everywhere. In fact at the moment, I am considering giving it up altogether, and just taking up plan drawing for my own amusement. The main reason is that after the Gulf Stream model was wrecked, I am not prepared to send them out by courier any more, so my outlets are now reduced to personal collection, and in the past, I have made too many to keep. My best customers were mainly in the USA, Europe and the Far East. I am already getting pressure from collectors, but when a hobby becomes a chore, it is time to give up! It makes a pleasant change that there is now some discussion taking place, but even so, it is very limited, and will soon die out! Afraid that kits have taken over, and nothing will ever reverse that. I expect the 3D printers will eventually supercede the kit - progress, I suppose.
Bob

Interesting...Robert. I found this same situation happening to me concerning my custom made miniature lighthouses....after one was destroyed being delivered to the East coast...I was troubled and kept local. Namely the collector sought them out and interest diminished to the point I gave up. I have toyed with starting up a limited production...but my clippers keep me satisfied currently. As you mentioned...it was becoming a chore...to design, coming up with a unique setting and name...etc. they are an luring subject, but I needed more then that to keep me personally emotionally interested.

Rob

 

[shipbuilder]

Rob,
That sums it up very well - Bob

 

[rwiederrich]

Up to date more than 300 people viewed this topic, several posted already comments and several more made "likes" -> there is interest in these ships, but not everybody is building models of them

I agree....there is a fascination with *Tall ships*...possibly a childhood..romantic one, but when pressed...,the complexity of the rigging and sails tends to distract folks from follow through. It is a fact that sailing ship models(from the manufacturers point of view are the least finished models once begun. They require loads of patience and a real aptitude/skill at figuring and dealing with the intricacies' of modern cargo carrying vessels rigging.

One reason why I tend to build my clippers into a diorama....is to draw the viewer into the real world realm and day to day activity of the vessel being modeled. If I can introduce the viewer into an actual event in the life of the vessel being modeled, it then stops being just another static model, but one that actually had a history...and hopefully by this, the viewer will, themselves be drawn into the hobby.

Robert does it very well with depicting his miniature vessels in active roles...such as open water sailing...ice flows....etc

Rob

 

[Uwek]

I agree....there is a fascination with *Tall ships*...possibly a childhood..romantic one, but when pressed...,the complexity of the rigging and sails tends to distract folks from follow through. It is a fact that sailing ship models(from the manufacturers point of view are the least finished models once begun. They require loads of patience and a real aptitude/skill at figuring and dealing with the intricacies' of modern cargo carrying vessels rigging.

One reason why I tend to build my clippers into a diorama....is to draw the viewer into the real world realm and day to day activity of the vessel being modeled. If I can introduce the viewer into an actual event in the life of the vessel being modeled, it then stops being just another static model, but one that actually had a history...and hopefully by this, the viewer will, themselves be drawn into the hobby.

Robert does it very well with depicting his miniature vessels in active roles...such as open water sailing...ice flows....etc

Rob

Hallo Rob,
I fully understand your explanations and underline them.

I can tell you my thoughts about tall ship models - but only especially related to my personal subjective modelling:
In principle I like to build in bigger scale my models, especially because you can make and include more details of the vessel - this is my personal taste.
So scale would be 1:48 up to maybe 1:64
Like you wrote in your post "the complexity of the rigging and sails tends to distract folks from follow through" is for me the problematic side of these kind of ships:
The modern sailing boats have much much more metal parts included in the rigging, which makes these kind of ships problematic or more complicate to build.
I have the problem with the metal parts, soldering, welding, mass production of these parts......

I would really like to build one, the hull planking works are easier, because of the beautiful lines, also deck furniture easier, no or very reduced decorations, means no carving necessary - and most important they are beautiful - BUT - if somebody could produce all these metal parts?

This is my personal point of view - so Bob: to build in small scales to reduce the details is not a solution for me

 

[shipbuilder]

I have always found it much easier to make miniatures because the rigging is much simplified by the use of wire, with no knots at all. I can put half a dozen backstays on in less than five minutes. Another of my peculiarites is that I have always found that making small parts from metal is a lot easier than wood because it is stronger. Never having had much patience, practically forced me onto miniatures!
Bob

 

[rwiederrich]

I have always found it much easier to make miniatures because the rigging is much simplified by the use of wire, with no knots at all. I can put half a dozen backstays on in less than five minutes. Another of my peculiarites is that I have always found that making small parts from metal is a lot easier than wood because it is stronger. Never having had much patience, practically forced me onto miniatures!
Bob
View attachment 53292

Robert...your miniatures are absolutely supreme with detail...I'm completely enamored with your ability at this scale. Using photocopied material.
Ding...spot on.

Rob

 

[shipbuilder]

On the Facebook group, quite a number of them are building highly detailed models at 100 feet to 1 inch, so mine are not all that small. It is not, however, the scale that I am receommending, as much as getting into the far more interesting merchant ship model. I find it odd that whenever a whaler is mentioned, there are comments about how awful it was killing wales etc, but it was no different than a modern trawler scooping up 50 tons of cod, and pouring them into the freezer hold to die. And warships, specifically designed to kill and destroy, are always considered noble and wonderful subjects for models - give me a tramp steamer, passenger liner or steel four-masted barque any day! Welcome to the Facebook group, and hope to see some of your excellent clippers arriving, to help even the balance between sail and steam.
Bob

 

[rwiederrich]

Beautiful model.....spot-on.

Rob

 

[wesmaine]

The largest sphere of interest is by collectors. Viewing figures and the occasional "like" don't mean a great deal if no-one says anything, but speaking for myself, I don't get any satisfaction at all from "playing to an empty theatre" which is why I have discontinued build logs, not just here - but everywhere. In fact at the moment, I am considering giving it up altogether, and just taking up plan drawing for my own amusement. The main reason is that after the Gulf Stream model was wrecked, I am not prepared to send them out by courier any more, so my outlets are now reduced to personal collection, and in the past, I have made too many to keep. My best customers were mainly in the USA, Europe and the Far East. I am already getting pressure from collectors, but when a hobby becomes a chore, it is time to give up! It makes a pleasant change that there is now some discussion taking place, but even so, it is very limited, and will soon die out! Afraid that kits have taken over, and nothing will ever reverse that. I expect the 3D printers will eventually supercede the kit - progress, I suppose.
Bob

I here you there ...

 

[Norgale]

Good evening Bob. I've just been reading this thread and I'm wondering what happened to the Gulf Stream. I'm assuming that you shipped it to a customer and somehow it got wrecked. Maybe you would tell the story again. Also you have mentioned metal parts for sailing vessels and a lack of them being available. Maybe you should write a book about doing that sort of thing. I have needed parts like that myself and tried to make them using brass. They came out ok but are nothing to brag about. I'd like to know more about things like that.
Another thing I'd like to know about is how the lower decks of the clipper ships and other ships were furnished. What is going on below decks while the ship is at sea? Is there a web site where I can see more of what you do?

 

[shipbuilder]

Good evening Bob. I've just been reading this thread and I'm wondering what happened to the Gulf Stream. I'm assuming that you shipped it to a customer and somehow it got wrecked. Maybe you would tell the story again. Also you have mentioned metal parts for sailing vessels and a lack of them being available. Maybe you should write a book about doing that sort of thing. I have needed parts like that myself and tried to make them using brass. They came out ok but are nothing to brag about. I'd like to know more about things like that.
Another thing I'd like to know about is how the lower decks of the clipper ships and other ships were furnished. What is going on below decks while the ship is at sea? Is there a web site where I can see more of what you do?

Hello,
The Gulf Stream came back to me, and the courier dropped it again, and damaged it even more. I eventually re-rigged it and it is now in my permanent collection. I am now 81 and have stopped building models, mainly due to becoming allergic to glue fumes. I have never purchased metal parts for my models. I make everything myself. There was nothing inside sailing ships apart from either ballast or cargo, so nothing went on inside them at sea. The crew lived either in the forecastle, or a deckhouse behind the foremast. The captain and officers lived right aft inside the poop deck. The apprentices usually lived in a small deckhouse behind the mainmast.
I have written many thousands of words about miniature shipbuilding, and here is the complete catalogue of downloads, many of which are only the price of a cup of coffee. Plans of the Gulf Stream and full constructional details are among them (two separate downloads). Click any front page to read the synopsis of the contents. If you wish to purchase a download, a button is provided in the synpsis for Paypal or cards. I never built many clipperes, preferring the big heavy "windjammer" class of vessel. If you are in Facebook, I have a group called Merchant Ships in Miniature.
https://payhip.com/Shipbuilder/collection/miniature-merchant-ship-construction-history

 

[shipbuilder]

Extracts from Gulf Stream download -

 

[rwiederrich]

Robert...I'm so sorry she got so damaged. It frustrates me to no end when carriers simply fail at their job...to *Handle carefully*, *Fragile*...... to protect items they are told are extremely fragile.
As Usual....I'm extremely impressed with your models....and the personal history of your own experiences that lead you to becoming one of the premier miniature model makers.

Rob

 

[shipbuilder]

Robert...I'm so sorry she got so damaged. It frustrates me to no end when carriers simply fail at their job...to *Handle carefully*, *Fragile*...... to protect items they are told are extremely fragile.
As Usual....I'm extremely impressed with your models....and the personal history of your own experiences that lead you to becoming one of the premier miniature model makers.

Rob

Thank you Rob,
As you can see above, I put it all together again as good as new, but it was the last one I tried to sell. I am pretty washed up these days, aqd about all I can do is write and study. I can't even go out for pleasure these days, because I am out of breath after walking a few yards, but I can potter round the house fairly well.
Robert

 

[rwiederrich]

Thank you Rob,
As you can see above, I put it all together again as good as new, but it was the last one I tried to sell. I am pretty washed up these days, aqd about all I can do is write and study. I can't even go out for pleasure these days, because I am out of breath after walking a few yards, but I can potter round the house fairly well.
Robert

I review your books and work often. Thank you for being such an inspiration over all these years of our aquaintence.

Rob

 

[shipbuilder]

Robert...I'm so sorry she got so damaged. It frustrates me to no end when carriers simply fail at their job...to *Handle carefully*, *Fragile*...... to protect items they are told are extremely fragile.
As Usual....I'm extremely impressed with your models....and the personal history of your own experiences that lead you to becoming one of the premier miniature model makers.

Rob

Thank you Rob,
As you can see above, I put it all together again as good as new, but it was the last one I tried to sell. I am pretty washed up these days, aqd about all I can do is write and study. I can't even go out for pleasure these days, because I am out of breath after walking a few yards, but I can potter round the house fairly well.
Robert

 

[shipbuilder]

Thanks for replies. Please address questions to the forum rather than in private messages to me. The reason for this is that posts in the forum benefit everyone. Replying to privates messages individually is rather time-consuming for me, especially when they are concerning a particular model.

Here is a sail plan from the download naming the sails on the Gulf Stream. Also the shaping of a sail on an ostrich egg, and arriving at a shape that will fit correctly. I did not mention the lines on the sail because they could be applied to the paper any way you wish - a fine drawing pen, or even a hard pencil. I make them on the computer. No special programme is required for this, it can be done in normal word processing. Underlines, printed in grey so they are not too prominent.

I am not a computer expert, and each must find their own preferred method of producing the lines.

I think a lot of the problem is that an increasing number of people download these practicums into mobile phones, that to me, seem to a bit too small to use.

If you download to a desktop computer, and print from that, they will come out at A4 size, but as I said, I am no computer expert.

These models do not build themselves, and it is necessary to use the downloads as a guide.