"Flying Cloud " by Mamoli - kit bash

[Peter Gutterman]

Aaaand... I just noticed where I used a double where I should have used a triple... So it's back to the bench...

Nope! It's right! Just an illusion of the photo. Go figure.

 

[dockattner]

That look terrific Peter. Fiddly bits...

 

[MThomas]

And Murphy always has his thumb on the scale. Rule#3 " Nature sides with the hidden flaw"

Rule #4... Murphy will 'always' use that hidden flaw to his twisted advantage, and in such effectively cancel out all positive attributes realized via Rule #3!

 

[Peter Gutterman]

My Dad (1940s Navy vet and Naval Ordinance engineer) had#4 as "The trend is from bad to worse".

 

[GrantTyler]

Looking wonderful Peter. I agree those are really nice blocks. Cheers Grant

 

[The Gavel]

Plugging along with bench time tucked in between doctor visits (pokes, prods, jabs, labs and radiology, between a couple "seniors" they add up ) and other life contingencies, I managed to finish the water casks and add a few missing door handles. The water casks are A.J. Fisher castings. The door handles are tiny snippets of brass wire. I went with handles rather than knobs. a) easier to make and b) easier to grab and turn a wet handle than a knob.
The white metal castings I cleaned with lacquer thinner, painted with a light brown acrylic, used a colored pencil for the bands and dry brushed with a darker brown. I used quick grab tacky glue for the handles and the casks. Leaves a little adjustment time.View attachment 525062View attachment 525063View attachment 525064View attachment 525065

What a fantastic detail, Pete! Every addition brings her more and more to life!

Blessings.
Chuck

 

[The Gavel]

Pete! I agree with Paul - the live stock pen needs to come back - Please! All of the effort you put into the details on the deck need this compliment - no matter how long it takes

She's really looking magnificent! Thank you, Pete!

Blessings. Peace. Gratitude.
Chuck

 

[ClipperFan]

Pete,
I hope you can take advantage of this latest revelation. Current commercial plans are wrong when illustrating solid top lubber's holes. On Glory of the Seas her lubber's hole opening went clear across the entire top, only ending at fore and aft frames. On the Great Republic booklet there's an illustration of a solid top. The lubber's hole extends from the forward frame about two-thirds across. Both of these examples are easily more than double that shown on plans. When you think critically about this feature, it was designed as an ac too.cess point for crew climbing through to service sails. A long wide opening makes more sense. Ironically making this revision to your solid tops will make it much easier to rig too.

 

[Peter Gutterman]

I realize from previous posts that McKay's lubber holes were especially spacious. The holes in the Mamoli laser cut tops were pretty roomy and fit the trestle trees supplied, so I went with that. I don't want to get into a lot of retro surgery or have to do my masts over. I'm not sure how extensive a rig I'm doing anyway and may have to pull the plug and button her up with a partial rig, do to constraints imposed by the exigencies of life.
As you know, I appreciate the caring interest you (and Rob, Chuck, Paul and Jim) have shown in my model and your suggestions to improve it and make it a top-notch example. Thanks. Much appreciated!
Pete

 

[ClipperFan]

Pete,
I didn't mean to imply you should do retro surgery. I was thinking you could simply modify other tops which hadn't been installed yet. It would make it far easier to rig the other masts, if you chose to do so. However, taking care of your wife must obviously take precedence over everything else. Family first. As for thinking that only McKay vessels had longer lubber's holes, that's incorrect. Historic vessels have always had long, wide openings to accommodate crew. As confirmation, here's a 1797 fighting top on USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" and a decades later 1843 Whaler Charles W Morgan's civilian solid top. They're virtually identical. It's also another area where it seems like Mamoli and other commercially produced plans and kits are just plain lazy. They should do their customers justice and correct this error in their kits.

 

[Peter Gutterman]

I did find that I was able to open up the lubber holes in the tops, which would allow greater ease for rigging to pass through as well as a man. So, I did that without too much more ado. The only casualty being the supports for the main top left side deadeyes. Easy enough to re-do. On the Young America and other clippers, much of the rigging from above passes through fairlead holes drilled into the tops outside the lubber holes.
I like the look of the roomier lubber holes.

 

[ClipperFan]

I did find that I was able to open up the lubber holes in the tops, which would allow greater ease for rigging to pass through as well as a man. So, I did that without too much more ado. The only casualty being the supports for the main top left side deadeyes. Easy enough to re-do. On the Young America and other clippers, much of the rigging from above passes through fairlead holes drilled into the tops outside the lubber holes.
I like the look of the roomier lubber holes.View attachment 527755View attachment 527756View attachment 527757View attachment 527758View attachment 527759View attachment 527760View attachment 527761View attachment 527762

Peter,
I'm glad you could do minor solid top surgery with little difficulty. Besides being more historically accurate, it should make your shroud rigging easier too. I only wish others were as willing as you are to accept new revelations when they're presented with the truth.

 

[Hoss6262]

Peter, wonderful work and progression on a very interesting vessel!

 

[Peter Gutterman]

Peter, wonderful work and progression on a very interesting vessel!

Thanks, Ken!

Peter,
I'm glad you could do minor solid top surgery with little difficulty. Besides being more historically accurate, it should make your shroud rigging easier too. I only wish others were as willing as you are to accept new revelations when they're presented with the truth.

Last pics of the newly modified lubber holes, masts dry fit in place. This build has been a zig-zag path of modifications and do-overs. But, hey, it just keeps getting more interesting, an unfolding story of the "Flying Cloud" My most Iconic favorite since I first fell in love with these clipper ships as a kid 70+ years ago.
Back by popular demand, I'm starting on a second iteration of the over-the-hatch animal pen. This time over the main hatch, which makes the most sense and doesn't crowd the deck egregiously. (He said,.. hopefully ) Also started fitting cocks into the spray rail.

 

[dockattner]

Back by popular demand, I'm starting on a second iteration of the over-the-hatch animal pen.

 

[Peter Gutterman]

You and Chuck have a penchant for Old MacDonald's animal pen.
Just have the roof and floor cut out so far...

 

[Peter Gutterman]

I had to unglue my main hatch and reduce its overall dimensions for the animal pen to fit on top leaving enough room for crewmen to move around it on deck. if the hatch had an inner coaming the pen could securely fit on top, if its floor had a framework to secure it snugly over the inner coaming (not shown on my hatch as it would not be visible once the pen is secured on top and battened down). This eliminates the need for overlap of the pen floor and overlapping legs. This is the best way I can think of for everything to fit and still leave a believable amount of working room while still having a hatch close to the dimensions of the various sets of plans I have. I also slimmed down the front part of the fife rail.
I'm glad I made use of various kinds of white glue as it easily releases with a little isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, considering the number of dis-assemblies I've been required to make.

 

[dockattner]

Even your re-dos come with re-dos .

 

[Peter Gutterman]

 

[Kurt Konrath]

With those bigger lubber holes in the tops, one must watch where they step or it will be a quick decent!