Blue Ensign

Post 81 A base for Cheerful Whilst I wait for more blocks to arrive I turn my attention to making a more stylish base for Cheerful. 7618 For the base I have an old drawer front made of American oak, already shaped and profiled. 7651(2) The hull supports are made from some 1/8" Boxwood sheet and slots are cut into some 7mm Walnut square stock to take the support tabs. 7654(2) 7657(2) 7658(2) This will suffice for now but I may add keel blocks along the hull as I did with Pegasus. Taking a break for a week now, and hopefully when I return my rigging blocks will have arrived.🙂 Cheers, B.E. 05/04/2019

Impressive Paul, I do like the look of her. B.E.

Hi Vossie, my own preference is for a clearer deck look, and I don't think training tackles would be in place unless action was imminent, but I can see why modellers fit them to show the working operation of the gun. ps. thanks for the link to your build, you're producing a fine cutter there.🙂 B.E.

You're doing a fine job on your Lady Nelson Vossie, and those training tackles are very well done particularly as you're working at 1:64 scale. 👍 B.E.

Thank you Ferit, Caroline, and Michael. @ Michael - the deck ring bolts are in place that would suggest use of training tackles, but there is no loop indicated in the rear axletree of the gun carriage that would usually be the attachment point for the tackle. I did wonder if this was an oversight. I don't usually fit training tackles so I haven't pressed the issue. B.E.

Sorry you've lost your shipyard companion, Rusty. As someone who also has such a companion I know how much you will miss Tallie, it is a hurt that those of us with canine family members feel far too soon. What we are left with is the knowledge that we gave them a good and happy life, and fond memories of our time together. B.E.

Cheers Guys for your responses. @ Wallace - I'm a big fan of jigs, they may be a bit rough and ready but they reduce frustration in working small parts and do improve the production process. 🙂 @ Martin - I suppose you may say that I have dabbled in gun rigging previously. 😉 @ Paul - Hadn't thought about that, could be a possibility but I've some time before the crunch decision has to be made.🤔 B.E.

Post 80 Back to the gun tackles. Putting my mind to the side tackles a further modification to the gun jig is again required adding a mocked up gun port. 7530 The as yet unplaced Portside long gun was used as a test bed to rig tackles. 7533 My own preference eventually settled on using a slightly longer sagged tackle frapped with the excess loosely coiled alongside the gun. All the tackles were made on the test gun and then transferred. 7585 7584 I decided to leave for the present the aftermost carronade tackles unfrapped. 7579 The coils representing the excess line were made separately and pva'd to the deck. 7577 The Starboard side tackles will have to wait until block supplies arrive from over the pond. In the meantime I will have a think about the display base for Cheerful. B.E. 01/04/2019

Well done Peter, a very fine model. Regards, B.E.

Cheers Michael and Dave. It's not the rigging of her that's the problem Dave. Apart from Cheerful there are eleven other ship models displayed around the house, three of them large and fully rigged, it's really a question of space. Even if I don't mast and rig her I will make the masts and spars and display them in the case. Hope your rigging snags remain few and simple. 🤞 I can see that that a lot of care is required with that long Bowsprit on Cheerful when turning the model about, an island workbench would be ideal for the masting and rigging of models. B.E.

Thanks Chuck, for clearing that up. 🙂 B.E.

Thanks Dave, Caroline, and Martin, I will eventually get something that suits my eye, trouble is that what is fudgeable at 1:64 scale is not so easy at 1:48 scale on a fully open deck. Now a break from guns. Post 79 Thinking about the Bowsprit At this point I am looking at the Bowsprit because it ultimately determines the position of the Bowsprit step and the Windlass. I am using 5/16" Boxwood square stock and the process starts by drilling three mortices in the inboard end and the sheave hole at the Bowsprit outboard end. The stick will be put in the lathe for tapering and I have followed the proportions given in Steel. The length is quartered from the broadest point (8mm) and tapers in the proportions:' 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr End 60/61 11/12 4/5 5/9 The results are pretty close to the dimensions drawn in the Syren plans. 7434 To check progress during the tapering process the quarters and diameters are marked on a card. 7427(2) The lathe extension bed is required to take the length of the Bowsprit. 7441 The taper was produced using just sandpaper and constant checking of the quarter diameters. 7444 The next stage is getting the fit thro' the Bowsprit port and trialling the Bowsprit step set up. 7462 I have departed from the Syren instructions by having the retaining fid pass thro' the Bowsprit and standards. Came into my mind whether these were originally wood or iron. To my mind iron would make more sense for this important job of retaining the Bowsprit. 7463 By the same token it crossed my mind whether there would have been an iron Bowsprit retaining ring attached to the stem. 7466 The spare fid holes were punched with a square section needle file and finished off with a micro chisel. 7468 Seeing the Bowsprit in place indicates what the overall size of the model will be, representing a 51'6" length overall. I haven't decided yet whether I am going to rig Cheerful or have her as a hull model with stub mast and sprit, so it is important to me to have a removeable Bowsprit, hence not following Chuck's example for fitting between the Bowsprit Step standards. 7503 With the sprit in place the standards are glued and pinned to the deck. 7505 7505 Once dry the fids can be withdrawn and the sprit can be removed. The Starboard side long gun is secured in its port. I can now reurn to fiddling with the side tackles whilst Chuck makes a supply of 3mm blocks to complete the job. B.E. 30/03/2019

Caroline, in the end I didn't use the knights on my build, and removed them when I did my second stern modification. You are welcome to them, pm me your address and I will post them on. Regards, B.E.

Post 78 Arming Cheerful With the breeching ropes fitted to the guns it is at last time to fix the guns in position on the deck. 7410(2) A spot of pva on the wheels is sufficient to hold the guns in place at the ports and allow forming the shape of the ropes, and later fitting of the side tackles. 7415(2) Still in a state of indecision about the positioning of the Portside long gun, and why were the two forward second ports left free of guns? Whereas the Breeching rope attachment is a fairly straightforward procedure particularly if you follow Chuck's fine example, making up the side tackles by comparison is a bit of a pain. There are two single blocks each with a hook and the standing end of the lanyard spliced into the bulwark block. I am using Chuck's now discontinued 3mm black plastic hooks and 3mm Boxwood blocks. For the lanyards I am using Syren .012" (0.3mm ø line.) 7401(2) A further modification to the gun jig is required to assist rigging the tackles before they are transferred to the gun. The main issue with side tackles is getting them to look in scale both in relation to the carriages, and the breeching ropes. 7413 The 0.3mm ø line equates to a 2" circumference line which is the upper end of the rope size for guns of this calibre, and there is a sufficient visual difference on the model with the breeching lines. 0.25mm ø line equivalent to 1½" circ would also be fine and provide an even greater contrast with the breechings. Personally I wouldn't go with any greater line size, not least because fitting it thro' the 3mm block sheaves would prove testy. The first side tackles are fitted but I'm not sure I like the effect. 7422(2) 7421 7416 Probably to do with getting the lanyards to hang naturally. 1855 Not that this example on a twelve pounder on Victory is anything to write home about. 7424 I have to wait for a supply of blocks from Chuck so I'll have a play with the side tackles in the meantime. 7407(2) Completing the guns is probably one of the longest exercises of the build. I actually started the process in early January. B.E. 27/03/2019

I am also surprised that the academics seemed to think it a revelation find people of North African descent in England in Tudor times. It is interesting to try and establish the origins of the crew, but I did find the presentation overdone and somewhat irritating. Surely they were not unaware that there was sea trade between Europe and the Mediterranean which would always lead to a degree of mingling certainly in coastal areas, and of course seafarers of North Africa generally known as the Barbary pirates, were very active in European waters from the 16th century to feed the North African slave trade, something academics tend to shy away from in present times. B.E.

Beautifully done Ian, a fine build and great photo's, I would be more than happy to give your Cheerful house room. 🙂 B.E.

Thank you Dave, OC, and Thomas. @ Dave, I'm not thinking of fitting a spectacle plate, but that doesn't mean to say rudder tackles didn't feature on cutters of Cheerful's size. Loss of a rudder was a serious matter on any vessel, and Cheerful's rudder was not a lightweight item being in the order of 18' long x 3' maximum width. I've not seen such tackle represented on models of this type but I don't think anyone could gainsay you if you decided to add a ring to secure the rudder. Post 77 Rigging the guns Starting with the Breeching lines. 7201 I am using Chuck's syren line (.035"/.88mm ø Tan line) This equates to 5" circ line, about right for the ordnance. To start the process my gun jig modified to assist with the breech rope fitting is brought back into use. The first decision is how to seize the breeching line to the bulwark ring. 7227 7222 To apply the seizing I am using 0.1mm Morope polyester line, a needle proves very useful in this task. 7224 One of my concerns is not to have the bulwark breech seizing look too bulky. I trialled a couple of seizing arrangements but finally settled on a simple seizing which was the best to my eye at this scale. 7229 Forming the eye to fit around the the cascobal. 7246 7245 Pushing the loop over the cascobal has to be done with great care to avoid marking the blackening. 7308 I use rounded wooden toothpicks for this purpose. 7327 Trial fitting on deck. 7317 Nothing fixed at this stage, but one thing is clear, the gun needs to be secured in position in order to arrange the breeching line in the best fashion. I'll ponder on this whilst I complete the breeching lines, but I am leaning towards a spot of pva on the wheels to hold the guns in place. B.E. 22/03/2019

Hi Tony, I don't have any definitive information on rudder coats for open sterned cutters such as Cheerful. My reasoning is purely that she is single planked at the transom where the rudder head enters the deck and without the small deck that sometimes covers the rudder head. The cutter Alert has such a platform deck over the housing for the rudder head, but Peter Goodwin neither refers to or indicates the use a rudder coat either in words or drawings. Where such a deck is enclosed at the front with perhaps compartments for storage it would make sense to reduce if not eliminate entry of water. However, the contemporary models of Surly and Cheerful included by Chuck as part of his reference work also don't show this feature but that in itself is neither here nor there, rudder coats rarely feature on contemporary models. I think if I was building a model cutter with an enclosed rudder head I would probably fit a rudder coat, but simply because that makes sense to me. I did in fact fit a rudder coat to my model of Pickle including a cover inboard, and she is an open decked vessel, but it seemed appropriate at the time. Thank you for the appreciation of my rudder, I hadn't given any thought to serving the handle with fine line, but I think I will leave it with just a plain finish. Cheers, B.E.

Liking your progress Rob, I think you are right to feel satisfied with the results. 👍 B.E.

Cheers Michael, and thanks for the reminder about those teenytiny lines and knots.😉 Post 76 Completing the rudder I had completed the rudder and its ironwork earlier in the build but now I turn to adding the tiller. 4904 3017(1) 7156 I may be wrong but I don't think a rudder coat is necessary given that the rudder head doesn't pass betwixt decks. Onto the Tiller Chuck had suggested cutting the tiller from some 1/8th Boxwood sheet and I followed his example. There followed a period of shaping using a scalpel blade, files and sandpaper. I did the whole tiller from one piece including the ball on the end. 7185 The rudder was secured on the mill to cut the mortise for the tiller heel. The iron bands were added around the rudder head using Chuck's Laserboard fittings, the bolt heads represented by mini pva blobs allowed to dry before painting. 7151 The tiller is not glued into place, it is held by a snug fit of the tenon in the rudder mortise. In fitting the tiller I took care to ensure that the underside height at the forward end was 22mm (41" above deck.) Don't want the helmsman to be on tiptoes to steer the ship. Once again I found myself indecisive when it came to the decoration of the tiller; all natural, paint, part paint/natural, bloody decisions. 7189 In the end I decided, at least for the present, to paint the tiller arm red but varnish the handle section. 7198 7196 Back to gun rigging. B.E. 18/03/2019

Great detail shots there Rusty👍 Clearly show how good your work is. B.E.

Cheers guys for the appreciation and 'likes' 🙂 Post 75 Ordnance all in order The fiddly fittings are all completed, not the end of the process as the quoins have to be glued in position and then there's the tackle rigging, but a relief nonetheless. 7098 7113 For the first time the full complement in place on Cheerful. 7114 7116 7111 7107 7105 7104 Before I return the task of tackle rigging I will have a change of scene and complete the rudder and make the tiller. B.E. 15/03/2019

Bellona is a fine subject, the classic British 74. I also like subjects with plenty of reference history, in the case of Bellona there is the NMM model and the Anatomy of the ship book by Brian Lavery. Personally I am waiting for your cutter Alert, that too has an Anatomy series book by Peter Goodwin. Every success to you Chris. B.E.

Feel free Kevin, glad it helped. B.E.

Hi Kevin, Here is a shot of how the line is currently set up on Victory. (or was a few years ago) It passes thro' the Mizen channels and is secured with a knot. I recall that the guides at the time were unable to understand what I was talking about and let me get on the Poop to show them. Doesn't necessarily help matters but perhaps when required lines were attached held by the knot. . Regards, B.E.