davyboy

Hi John,nice to see another Cheerful being started. Blue Ensign has an excellent build log in the kit build log forum here on MSW. My own build is almost finished,scratched except for the windlass and guns. I will be following your build also.

Dave 

Good evening B.E.

That ladder detail is not on my plans which are from 2015,that is obviously a later amendment. Still,it wasn't a problem to make the ladders,milled 1/32" slots in some 1/16" sheet pear. Marked out the required angles for the stiles then sliced them off on my table saw. Glued up,job done. BTW,remember we are our own worst critics,your work is excellent 👍

Thanks for the thought about my hands. Left is now OK but right still giving me "jippo". 

Dave 

Hi B.E, 

Looking perfect as normal. I also left my cleats unpainted,looks much better than being painted would. Out of curiosity where on the plans are the ladder profiles shown ?  Certainly nowhere to be seen on my plans or else I'm going blind  Anyway I just made a pair to fit,look the same as yours with unpainted stiles.

Haven't done anything these last few days,cold,damp and frosty weather do wonders for the rheumatics I have in both hands NOT.

regards,

Dave   

Hi B.E.

It's looking very good. I was right when I said 2mm looked overscale as you've shown,I'll order some 1,8mm cabled rope for my anchor cables. Funny you should mention about a cathead support bracket,I thought that too. The Science Museum model hasn't got any and of the NMM models only one appears to have them fitted.

regards,

Dave 

Thanks for that B.E. I had purchased some 2mm dia. cable laid rope but it looked  much too large. 1.8 mm dia would likely be ok but I'll wait until your post on cables.

Dave 

Hi B.E.

I'll  post these items to you tomorrow or Wednesday.and will tape the files and drills to a piece of wood to prevent breakage in the post.

Not sure about the anchor cables. I've had a look in Steele's list of necessary ropes and can find nothing about the size of anchor cables although every other rope related to anchors is given. Sods law I guess or I'm looking in the wrong place. Have you any idea of their sizes in comparison to the mainstay ? I read somewhere sometime that they were the thickest ropes on the ship,but............

Regards,

Dave 

Patrick,you are making a very good model,very nice indeed.

I watched a programme yesterday on English television about this ship and Drake. There were many parts of the programme taken on board the replica in London. Not a lot of headroom below decks and extremely cramped living conditions. Hard to believe that the original ship circumnavigated the world.

BTW,the pivot point for the Whipstaff is called the Rowle.

Dave 

Very nice job on the ordnance B.E. There are a lot of parts for each gun assembly aren't there. I've moved both my long guns to the #2 gunports and have made up 4 swivels to place in the #1 gunport areas,my choice. The rigging is nearly finished,just the lower yard braces to do then make the cat blocks and anchor buoys etc etc.

BTW,if you can find a use for a couple of 1mm sq x 80mm long jewellers files #4 or 5 cut plus some .7 and 1mm drills drop me a PM with your address and I'll post them to you. All are unused courtesy of the Basel fleamarket,cost me next to nothing

Regards,

Dave  

Matrim,

The tops should not be at  right angles to their respective masts but tilted down at their fronts at the same angle as the mast is raked aft. 

As the tops are fitted to the trestle and cross trees Steele says :- "the foremost ends (trestle trees) are to drop as much below a square with the middle line on the mast as the mast is to rake aft in the length. That they may be level when the mast is in its place". Sorry about the somewhat archaic English.

Hope this is of help.

Dave 

I would say yes.

The Spritsail yard would certainly have at least standing lifts and was also used as a lead (via thimbles or eyebolts) for the Jibboom and flying Jibboom guys. Has to be safe access for any repair/maintenance req'd on those  whether or not a sail is bent. Just my opinion of course.

Dave 

Well done with the Boom Crutches B.E. I did say they were a bit of a pain to make  I like your addition of bolts in the Transom Knees,I may crib your idea and do mine,have to remove the Flag Halliard cleats first though. C'est la vie.

I bit the bullet and made 4 swivels and posts for the bow area,I'm the Captain so it's my choice  They also will not be added until the build end.

Incidentally,I'll bet you will catch those Crutches sometime,they are a bit vulnerable there,even when pinned. Mine have been off a couple of times already,I'll glue them finally at the end of my build.   

regards,

Dave 

An excellent start to the New Year  B.E.

I just carefully cut down the transom frames 'til the knees were a snug fit,those Boom crutches are a bit of a pain to shape right. I had two attempts before I was happy. I'm currently in the process of rigging the Yards which I fully dressed before hanging them,makes life a bit easier.

I wish you a happy,healthy and prosperous New Year.

Dave 

Andante,I use Pritt glue sticks. Available throughout Europe I believe as they have the name (glue stick) in 15 different languages on the container. 

Dave 

Very nice BE, may I suggest not hanging the rudder until later in your build. It is quite vulnerable,don't ask me how I know. I've made my "waste product pipes" and their location holes in the planking. Drilled a small hole then filed them out as I didn't wish to risk any splintering. 

Best wishes for the festive season,

Dave 

Good evening BE,

One interesting point re the "facilities" comes to mind. There are no discharge pipes/chutes for them shown on the plan as I'm sure there must have been. I missed this earlier so I will now run a small drill down the "hole" and through the lower counter planking. Can then open it out to a suitable size for a piece of tubing.

I would imagine that the area below each "facility" compartment must have been lead lined to prevent rotting of the lower counter planks. Not that we need to bother about that though. On the other hand,maybe only buckets were there and "naughty" sailors were given "latrine detail" instead of the cat  Sorry,couldn't resist saying that.

Regards,and keep up your excellent work.

Dave 

Good evening Scott,

The following sail rigging shown on period ship models is normally left on with the upper yards lowered to the caps.

Sheets and Clewlines,they help to hold the yards down. Buntlines,Leechlines and Reefing tackles if fitted,an overhand knot

is tied at the rope ends and the lines pulled up to their respective leading blocks on the yard. Bowlines are not always

shown but if so,they are hitched to their respective yards.

Hope this is of some help.

Dave 

Good evening timboat,

Telescopes/spyglasses first appeared in the early 17th century. I would think that at least a ships captain Naval or Merchant

would possess one in the early 18th century.

Dave 

Hi BE,that's an excellent job you have made of your deck planking. Very nice indeed 

Dave 

Hi BE,can't help you there as I planked the deck as shown on the plans. However,in Chucks' practicum you can see the 3 outer plank strakes are hooded at the ends. Perhaps that may solve your dilemma and give you the required space for the first 6. Just a thought in case you haven't noticed that. Hope this makes sense.

Regards,

Dave 

Hi Allan,

I'm not 100% sure but I think they were/are synonymous with the fore jeer bitts. Lees has some belaying plans in his Masting and Rigging book and one plan has them named main top bowline bitts with the fore jeer bitts below on the main deck. The others fore jeer bits. Hopefully a more knowledgeable member can give a definitive answer.

Dave  

Thank you Allan and BE,a timber hitch it will be. I have Andersons' books didn't think to look in there 

Spyglass,lovely photo's,thanks for posting them.

Kind regards,

Dave 

Thanks Gregory,

I will just form an eye and sieze the Clewline to the yard. The Mondfeld

illustration and Chucks rigging plan don't actually show how  it's attached to the yard. Also

Lees doesn't say how in the text in his book. Likely standard practice and not worth mentioning.

Mark,the model is of the cutter HMS Cheerful scratched from Chucks' plans.

Thank you,

Dave 

How would the clewline be attached to the Topsail Yard ?

1) By an eye then lashed to the yard.

2) By an eye with the running end passed through the eye

Lees shows the second option but that is on a model from 1692. The pix of other models are not really

clear enough to see an alternative.

Thanks,

Dave 

Alan,LOS will not blacken Brass but is great for Copper. I tried blackening the pintles and gudgeons for my Cheerful build,left them in an LOS solution for hours with little result. They barely changed colour. Carrs Brass black at at 20% strength instant result.

Dave 

1 hour ago, Blue Ensign said:

Thanks Dave, can you tell me what the height is  midships between the deck and capping rail top on your model?  I’ve been looking at the scale figure on the plan and the capping rail top on my Cheerful appears higher in relation to a 1:48 scale figure but I can’t figure out why. 🤔

 

B.E.

Hi B.E. I have 7/8th" approx. Difficult to be exact as shrouds,guns and guntackles are in the way. I can't get my vernier in so had to use 2 bits of wood and a pencil mark. Hope this is of use to you.

Dave