Mantua Sergal's Cutty Sark

GaryM

GaryM

Joined
Jan 30, 2012
Messages
1,401
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Location
Citrus Heights, California
Since the level of detail a person may add and the availability and amount of research a person may chose to perform will vary with each modeler, the times I show are related to the actual work performed on the vessel. Each person’s ability to read and interpret plans can vary a great detail. Thus, the time reflects only that used to measure the plans for comparison on the vessel or to determine the size of wood used to make a part that is unclear and not listed in the instructions or on the plans separately. Hopefully, by doing this, a person can use this as a guide to determine the level of commitment necessary to compete this type of project or can use it to gauge how far along they are if building the same vessel.

I have got the first planking of the Cutty Sark done so it is time to post some pictures. At this stage I have 60 construction hours and over 100 parts. The newer kits use 1.5 mm balsa strips for the first planking and the second planking is 1 mm walnut strips. The balsa makes bending easy and on a streamline vessel like this, no soaking or heating is required. I do not think this would be a good planking material for earlier vessels that are not streamlined for speed like this one. Sanding is also very fast even when using 320 grit as I did.
 
Re: Mantua Cutty Sark

<r>Hi Gary,<br/>
<br/>
Very nice looking hull! I bet it feels good not to have to worry about cannons, gunports, lids, castings, wales for a change <E>:D</E> <br/>
<br/>
Congratulations on the first post of your build. I'm looking forward to the updates.<br/>
<br/>
Clare</r>
 
Hi Gary,
I look forward to watching this one too.<br/>

Donnie
 
By the way, Gary, are you sure it's Balsa? I've never heard of kits being stocked with Balsa planking before. My HMS Victory is a current kit and it's still using lime or basswood. At least that's what it looks and feels like. Anyway, the planking job is great. <br/>

Clare
 
There was a time when they used balsa. In the kit it said they were substituting balsa and gave a card that said let them know what you think about it. My plans say 1994. Maybe they got enough negative comments that they stop using it. I pick this kit up on eBay and includes the sail that only cost $80.00 then. I wish that still included the old rail ball stanchions that were metal instead of photo etched and the metal bulwark supports and metal sides. This cheapened the kit and made it less authentic. Thus, when we meet next, I will be going over to Ages of Sail since Billings still has the stanchions and maybe some other parts that work better. Also will be looking at the Billings Titanic kit that will take a 78 inch case to fit it.
 
I just found out that Mantua still makes the ball stanchions and they make the deadeye plates that simulate the way the deadeyes were done on the real vessel.

I just placed an order for these and hopefully will get them before I need them. I realize that it takes for ever for Mantua to fill orders but I should be able to have several months worth of work before requiring the parts. I can build the deck house, plank the lifeboats and find other work needed while waiting for the deadeye straps.
 
Hi Gary
I was sorry to read of your Royal Louis woes,however I must say you are really motoring on with this build.I am fairly certain now that the majority of the mantua group kits come with balsa first planking,great for a hull form like Cutty Sark,but as you point out,not so great for either cutting gunports or complex curves.I find it doesn't behave like lime when it comes to getting it to bend in even,tight radii.<br/>

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
Nigel, I do not understand why a company that has been in business as long as Mantua would start cheapening their model kits like they have been doing instead of improving them. Lime wood makes for a solid hull and since they use very few frames, without a streamline design, distortion of the real hull shape is more likely and degrades the value of the finished work.
 
Neither do I Gary.I admit I am not a fan of the upgrades full stop.I think the laser cut gratings and laser engraved deck planking will always look like what they are and the new style of gunport framing is questionable to say this least.This is marketed as making the kit easier to build,however one has to ask as to whether it is also to help the Mantua group's profit margins.<br/>

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
Beautiful planking job Gary. Nice work.<br/>

I've always been meaning to build a clipper ship, but still haven't gotten to one yet. The Cutty Sark is a very nice subject. I have some drawings I got from the Cutty Sark gift shop. They are George Campbell plans. Unfortunately, they are somewhat low resolution scans or maybe they were blown up from a book or something because they're a little bit on the rough side when you look closely. Let me know if you have any interest in using them. I can bring them to our meeting next week.

Anyway, keep up the fine work. Looking forward to your posts.<br/>

Clare
 
Thanks Clare. I sent away the the museum in England and got the actual three sheet of Campbell plans. The plans were 4 pounds each (12 pounds) and the shipping was 20 pounds (about $57.00 total). If you would like I could bring them and let you take them to get a copy made from them since I will be getting the parts to start my SOS and the Titanic kit when I go to Ages of Sail after the meeting. Thus, the Cutty might be dry docked for a while. I have parts that I ordered to wait for before finishing the Cutty. I need 2 mm planking material and a lot of other parts that I have Roger getting for me. The decking they provide in the kit was 4 mm wide which is over twice as large as the Cutty was planked with. Also the new kit was cheapened by photo-etched stanchions and deaeye plates. Thus, the parts below have been ordered and will have to wait for Mantua to send.
Art 8050, 0.5 x 2 x 1000 mm white maple wood strips
12 each of 31700 one ball stanchions 2x12 mm
10 each of 31780 two ball stanchions 2x10 mm
29 each of 31790 two ball stanchions 2x15 mm
4 packages of 42880 deadeye assembly
1 package 42900 pintles 7 mm
 
Yes, that's what I have. 3 sheets by George Campbell, ordered from the museum shop in England. Price sounds the same. I can bring them and we can compare and see if there's any difference. The ones I have are okay. They're good enough to use, though I'm not thrilled with the resolution – I would have expected better.<br/>

Clare
 
HI Gary,
Looking really nice, do you plan to leave your Cutty in natural finishes or will you paint her out?<br/>
J
 
Thanks, J. If I was not going to mast and rig her and leave her in a state as if under construction, I would not paint her. Once you put mast and yards on her, she would be painted, even if still on the launching ways.
Thus, to me, not painting her destroys what the ship really looks like, especially if with 2300 copper plates on her.
 
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