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"Flying Cloud " by Mamoli - kit bash
- Thread starter Peter Gutterman
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Good morning Peter. I certainly have seen plenty…myself includedI wonder how many of us have pictures of our toes in our build logs?
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Finally got all the deadeyes mounted in the channels (each step in the process x72).
After trying several aftermarket capstans, I settled on these from Modeler's Central in boxwood. They aren't as detailed as I'd like but they are in scale, so I bought extra to make two double action capstans out of four, with two single actions as they came in the package. Some careful cutting with a razor saw and some creative use of needle nose Vise-Grips and a vise. I cut the drums off two and glued them onto another pair after cutting the domes off and flattening them. No room for do-overs here.
Since the "Flying Fish" and the "Flying Cloud" were both designed and built by Donald McKay in the same yard in the same year, 1851, I decided to add freeing ports to my "Flying Cloud". To the best of my knowledge there is no evidence for or against "Flying Cloud" having them, but since they do appear on the " Flying Fish"at about the same time I thought I would include some on the "Cloud" as per the "Flying Fish" plans. They are unobtrusive (practically invisible even) and make a lot of sense when rounding the horn as the "Flying Cloud" was designed to do. I sure as hell would want them under those circumstances. What the heck! My model, so sue me! And, as I said they're almost invisible, even though I made them a little darker inside their frames, inboard.
A LOT of hours adding up to not very dramatic progress. I'm eager to get to some super structure. But there's no rushing it.
Oh yes, I started finishing and mounting the display stand, which at least looks and feels like more progress than it actually is. I'm starting to like the way she looks. The patina on the copper is pretty nice. All Mr. Natural. (For you old counterculture fans out there " Keep on truckin'...")
Pete
After trying several aftermarket capstans, I settled on these from Modeler's Central in boxwood. They aren't as detailed as I'd like but they are in scale, so I bought extra to make two double action capstans out of four, with two single actions as they came in the package. Some careful cutting with a razor saw and some creative use of needle nose Vise-Grips and a vise. I cut the drums off two and glued them onto another pair after cutting the domes off and flattening them. No room for do-overs here.
Since the "Flying Fish" and the "Flying Cloud" were both designed and built by Donald McKay in the same yard in the same year, 1851, I decided to add freeing ports to my "Flying Cloud". To the best of my knowledge there is no evidence for or against "Flying Cloud" having them, but since they do appear on the " Flying Fish"at about the same time I thought I would include some on the "Cloud" as per the "Flying Fish" plans. They are unobtrusive (practically invisible even) and make a lot of sense when rounding the horn as the "Flying Cloud" was designed to do. I sure as hell would want them under those circumstances. What the heck! My model, so sue me!
And, as I said they're almost invisible, even though I made them a little darker inside their frames, inboard.A LOT of hours adding up to not very dramatic progress. I'm eager to get to some super structure. But there's no rushing it.
Oh yes, I started finishing and mounting the display stand, which at least looks and feels like more progress than it actually is. I'm starting to like the way she looks. The patina on the copper is pretty nice. All Mr. Natural. (For you old counterculture fans out there " Keep on truckin'..."
)Pete
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Thanks! As they say: (whoever "they" are ) "Only a poor craftsman blames his tools" (Kit, materials, etc.) I keep plugging away at it and thinking of ways to improve it (and me). It's a voyage of discovery, after all. There are better clipper kits than the Mamoli "Flying Cloud". All require a lot of skill, imagination and improvisation, which is, after all, a good thing.
Clippers were noble and beautiful craft and well worth memorializing (the checkered history of their operation notwithstanding
).
Pete
) "Only a poor craftsman blames his tools" (Kit, materials, etc.) I keep plugging away at it and thinking of ways to improve it (and me). It's a voyage of discovery, after all. There are better clipper kits than the Mamoli "Flying Cloud". All require a lot of skill, imagination and improvisation, which is, after all, a good thing.Clippers were noble and beautiful craft and well worth memorializing (the checkered history of their operation notwithstanding
).Pete
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True, but there are few of the Flying Cloud. I really wish that Bluejacket would re-release their old solid hull kit!Thanks! As they say: (whoever "they" are
Clippers were noble and beautiful craft and well worth memorializing (the checkered history of their operation notwithstanding
Pete
Bill
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Ebay had a complete BlueJacket kit awhile back. Pretty nice, but at $400, a big ask! The Mamoli is the only one I know of currently available, but a kit in need of a LOT of modification. You're almost better off starting from scratch! BlueJacket and A.J. Fischer have good plans at1:96. The MS Flying Fish plans and book are invaluable. BlueJacket still supplies the figurehead and they and Fisher supply a lot of the fittings at 1:96 scale. I have the Bluejacket roughed out "pre-carved" hull if you are interested. Good quality! I wish I had started there. But you have to like to whittle, rasp and sand. A huge task no matter what you start with.
Pete
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Just enough to cover the postage. I'll send you whatever extra plans I have as well. I have extra copies of the BlueJacket plans, and I can have copies made of the AJ Fisher plans for you as well at cost. I advise getting all the Flying Fish plans and instruction book from Model Shipways as they are invaluable. Except for the Spencer sails the Flying Fish rig is identical, and the MS plans show every line and belaying point. I'll pm the details tomorrow.
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Pete,
Rob Wiederrich, myself and a few others recently finished an exhaustive, in-depth reconstruction of Donald McKay's final Medium Clipper Glory of the Seas. Rob's finished model is shared on this site too. Why I'm sharing this background with you is to hopefully help you be the very first person ever to properly model the famous Flying Cloud bow accurately. When she was first launched, she had a Cutwater which overlapped her bare Stem and both were then partially covered by Naval Hoods. Lars Bruzelius has an excellent resource for many Clipper Ships. Flying Cloud, since she was the largest merchant vessel in the world at her launch was given a highly detailed description by Duncan McLean, journalist of The Boston Daily Atlas. Here's his entire write up:
http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/News/BDA/BDA(1851-04-25).html
In it you'll find two references to these long lost nautical devices. I've included some rare picture references, including an 1871 painting from an Australian Maritime Museum which shows Flying Cloud with her ornate gold embellished Naval Hood, carved Cutwater and white winged trumpet bearing angel. The second pic is of the Starboard Bow of Glory of the Seas in 1913 and comes from author Michael Mjelde. Her Naval Hood is just above her Athene figurehead which rests on the Cutwater. Other pictures show her Starboard profile in 1907. The last two pics are of Rob's Bow and included are my reconstructed sketch based on using published diagrams of Flying Cloud. Since you're putting so much effort into your model, I thought you might appreciate knowing these facts about the true appearance of the beautiful vessel you're modeling
Rob Wiederrich, myself and a few others recently finished an exhaustive, in-depth reconstruction of Donald McKay's final Medium Clipper Glory of the Seas. Rob's finished model is shared on this site too. Why I'm sharing this background with you is to hopefully help you be the very first person ever to properly model the famous Flying Cloud bow accurately. When she was first launched, she had a Cutwater which overlapped her bare Stem and both were then partially covered by Naval Hoods. Lars Bruzelius has an excellent resource for many Clipper Ships. Flying Cloud, since she was the largest merchant vessel in the world at her launch was given a highly detailed description by Duncan McLean, journalist of The Boston Daily Atlas. Here's his entire write up:
http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/News/BDA/BDA(1851-04-25).html
In it you'll find two references to these long lost nautical devices. I've included some rare picture references, including an 1871 painting from an Australian Maritime Museum which shows Flying Cloud with her ornate gold embellished Naval Hood, carved Cutwater and white winged trumpet bearing angel. The second pic is of the Starboard Bow of Glory of the Seas in 1913 and comes from author Michael Mjelde. Her Naval Hood is just above her Athene figurehead which rests on the Cutwater. Other pictures show her Starboard profile in 1907. The last two pics are of Rob's Bow and included are my reconstructed sketch based on using published diagrams of Flying Cloud. Since you're putting so much effort into your model, I thought you might appreciate knowing these facts about the true appearance of the beautiful vessel you're modeling
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