Chuck

It would be tough to get pieces large enough if you are building in a larger scale. But I have used hard maple from Home Depot or lowes that was 1/4" thick. It worked fantastic. The stuff is rock hard though so be prepared to sand and sand....its tough to cut as well as the blades will get dull quickly. Chuck

Funny....Yes, I introduced my son to binge watching the X Files from start to finish on Netflix. He bought me that poster as a thank you. It was a blast watching it with him. Big Sci-fi buff. Chuck

Thats the laser char....I didnt bother sanding it....it will all be removed when I take down the bulwarks later. The ply burns a bit and teh char is more evident. Chuck

The planking above the wales is basically completed. Just a few more planks to add on the port side as you can see. I didnt bother simulating the caulking between the seams where it wont show. So it looks a bit weird now. But once the molding and second layer of the wales is added it will look fine. You can only see a few places with a crisp line for the seams. This was done by running a number two pencil down one plank edge. If I did this on both plank edges it would have been too pronounced for my tastes. I will plank the transom and counter next at the stern. Its an interesting detail that in case of a cutter like this you dont plank the stern counter first. The transom and counter are planked after the sides of the hull. The exposed end-grain of the counter planking and transom planking will be protected from the elements and rot by the fashion pieces. You can see them in the profile drawing. So you will not see any of the end grain from the planking. The frame for the square tuck also does this for the end grain of the planks. Its an interesting feature and I almost forgot NOT to plank the counter first. It is something I am so accustomed to doing. Before I plank the stern transom and counter I have some shaping of the outer stern frames to do. I will post pictures of this as well because its an important feature to keeping the finished model looking accurate. So far its coming together quite well without any real issues. Its a fun build so far. You can start to see the final shape of the cutter come to life as the planking progresses. I know the bulwarks look thick at this point but they will actually be thinned down quite a bit soon. The outboard and inboard planking at the sheer was actually just 1 1/2" thick....once its planked inboard and out the final width will be just 1/8 - 5/32" thick at the most. Closer to 1/8" thick I hope.

Nautical Research Guild Winter Issue is in the mail. Become a member and get it delivered to your front door every 3 months. Here are some highlights including the table of contents. EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242 The Weedon Island Dugout: A 1,100 year-old Saltwater Canoe by Irwin Schuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 The Blockade Runner Condor by Jeneva Wright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251 Scratch Building a United States Navy Anchor Hoy of circa 1819 by Don Meadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .271 Trash to Treasure—A Restoration Project by Bill Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281 HMS Ardent: A King’s Ship, But Which King? by Ron Neilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289 A Traditional 10-foot Wooden Dinghy Model by Byron Rosenbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .305 SHOP NOTES Simulated Deadeyes for Mini-Models by Irwin Schuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 A Bonding Jig for Acrylic by Irwin Schuster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 MODELERS’ REVIEWS Orange Hobby HMS Victorious (1966) Kit by Mark Myers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313 Letters to the Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315 BOOK REVIEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..315 ADVERTISER INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316 Click here to read one of the articles.... Read this months Editorial by Paul Fontenoy For more info on the Journal and the NRG please visit the website.

I will move it to the correct forum....

Thanks...Yes indeed I do But it all gets done eventually. I really like coffee. Chuck

Very nice....With a little luck I will be back at my Winnie in a month or so!! I cant let you catch up to me

On the Hawke...that isnt the bobstay. That is actually the Jib outhaul. But I agree with you on Frank on the bobstay. But as with the Hawke and the model used for teh Peterson book, some contemporary models dont show it. In fact...many of the photos Michael showed above are not actually the bobstay. They are also the jib outhaul attached to the traveler ring. Then it reeves through the end of the bowsprit and runs to a sheave along the stem. Or in some cases a simple block setup Go figure.

Thanks guys Rusty it will be basically the same. Except in this case the original planking expansion did show one drop plank at the bow. I am basically replicating that draft exactly. So I will include that drop plank and then divide the bottom of the hull into belts. But only two this time. Then I will line off the hull before moving forward with the planking. Heres what the hull looks like after those two planks were added between the molding and the wales. I only darkened the seams where it will eventually be noticed. This helps if I need to tweak the placement of the second layer for the wales and molding. Without the seams darker its easier to move the second layer without folks noticing. You will notice the darker wales. This was just a sheet of boxwood I had that was noticeable darker. I figured what the heck, I might as well use it for the wales. Its going to be painted anyway. It also helps me visualize the run of the wales as I plank above them.

Only the wales.....its a single plank on bulkhead, But rather than use a thicker plank for the wales and molding, those are done in two layers.

Unfortunately you cant base everything 100% from Peterson's book. It is based only on one model. There are countless examples of a cutter from many different time periods rigged with a bobstay. The Surly is rigged with one as the image shows above. Earlier examples had the bobstay go through a hole in the stem. Later they had an iron fitting with an eyebolt attached to the front of the stem so they didnt have to drill through it. This made it prone to rot. The cheerful in the Rogers collection has one. Chuck

I started the planking today. This always begins with placing battens on the hull. The top of the batten represents the bottom edge of the wales. I really spent a lot of time on these because it will establish the run of all of the planks on the hull. It was added to both sides so I can check it from every conceivable angle. Once I was satisfied I planked the wales with two strips. This will be the first layer. After I plank the hull from here up to the sheer, I will come back and add the final layer. Its a hold over from my time building kits. I like the idea of being able to make small adjustments with the run of the wales on the final layer. Since it will be painted black and this isnt the final layer it laid down in one long strip rather than in 25 foot long pieces. Now on most ships you can just start planking from the wales up...the run of the wales determines the run of the planking above it to the sheer. Mostly anyway. In this case however it isnt true. It is again one of the reasons I chose the Cheerful. Its not difficult work at all but requires careful planning. If you examine the plan for the cheerful you will see the run of two moldings just under and through the gunports. I was fortunate to have the original draft for teh planking expansion and my model will follow it exactly. The same number of strakes and their run are precisely copied from it. The space between this molding and the wales is not consistent. So I decided to add the 1/16" strip first which for the most part runs right under the ports, leaving a 1/64" rabbet along the bottom of each port. Then I divided up that space between the molding strip and the wales equally so I can taper these two strakes that will fit between them. You may be able to see my tick marks defining the space and strakes on each bulkhead. The molding strip is just the first layer also....Once its all done I will come back and add the final layer after scraping the fancy profile into it. Once again, having a little wiggle room to adjust teh run of the molding later is a huge plus. Then its just a matter of finishing the planking and other molding strip as I work my way up to the sheer. Chuck

Nicely done Dan. Cannon rigging look good. Chuck

Basically you should taper the bulkhead former a bit more than 3/32' thick at the stern just to be safe. This was my first kit design trying out the rabbet strip concept. From the bearding line to the rabbet strip it should really be a gradual tapering to 1/16" thick. But after the hull is planked it will be a bit thicker than the stern post, so yes, you will need to gradually sand the hull planking along the stern post so it sits flush with the stern post (1/8" wide). Because the planking is 1/16"' thick....its really too thick for this scale. So gradually sanding the finished planking toward the stern post to make it flush will be required. It only need to be done really at the lower corner of the stern post where the keel meets it. Because the original kit supplied basswood at 1/32" thick couldnt be used as planking material...its real crap and would literally fall apart. I had to substitute thicker 1/16" basswood strips. This means it will stand proud of the stern post and keel by 1/32" This extra thickness needs to be gradually knocked down to sit flush against the 1/8" wide stern post and keel after you finish planking the hull and add them..

Thank You!!! Its Windsor & Newton Acrylic Galleria paint from a tube. The color is crimson. Chuck

You are correct. There would not have been breech rings at that time. But it simplifies the process of rigging them. Have you ever tried to splice plastic rigging line properly? So it was an oversimplification to spare folks the headache when trying to rig the breech line around the button of the cannon as supplied by MS. Especially after a fine paint job. I talked about the decision quite a bit on the original build log for the prototype. Nice catch again and hopefully this log will now serve as the place to get the scoop on that. Its looking great Augie. Chuck

The loose end would indeed be fixed to the shroud itself. Just above the upper block. Think of it in terms of mirroring the way the lanyard is fixed above a deadeye. Its the same thing.

Its hard to see the definition in the lower and upper counters. This can be tricky unless you define it better. Note in the first picture I drew the shape of the counters with lines on the right. But on the left side you can still see a very crisp edge and corners that define these areas. I would take some sandpaper and sanding sticks to your counters and see if you can better define their shapes as shown in this photo. Remember the upper counter (the skinny long one on the bottom in these photos) needs to be a consistent width as it works its way port to starboard. Most folks have a tendency to make it wider in the middle and I can see that happening in your pictures. You can correct this buy working the sand paper across the counters carefully as you fair it more. Remember to try and create hard line breaks between these counters and the sides of the lower counter. Chuck

Thats the plan Druxey. We shall see how it goes. I think it will work out OK. Bill, All laser cutters cut on an angle. You can minimize it a lot but never get rid of it entirely. Basically the laser is cone shaped as it travels through the lense that focus' it. Much like how you would focus the sun through a magnifying glass. So it gradually comes to a point. If you focus that beam so the point ends in the center of the thickness of wood you can minimize the angle of cut but its hard to do. So its just a matter of focusing well and the, choosing the proper laser power for that thickness along with the most appropriate speed. If you pick the slowest setting possible along with the least power possible to just cut through the wood, then the Kerf will be as thin as possible......thus reducing the angle. The angle is always more noticeable on thicker pieces which are few on a model. So I enlarge them by 1% or 2% to compensate. Once the laser char is removed with a sanding stick while you at the same time make a true 90 degree angle the part will be the appropriate size. Its just a fact of life for laser cutters and all kit cut pieces. But you can minimize it quite a bit with practice, trial and error. Chuck

I managed to finish the skeleton for Cheerful today. So its now ready for planking. The stern framing was pretty standard although the design concept was modified for the square tuck. This is a feature that is rarely shown correctly on these cutters. There are some pretty complex angles. Its hard to tell in the images but the square tuck is not flat and completely perpendicular to the keel. It has a slight convex curve as it works its way from the center outward. It isnt complete yet. The actual framed square tuck will be added after the sides of the hull are planked. Its probably the trickiest part on the model but I simplified it quite bit as far as the construction is concerned. But when its done it should look exactly like the real thing. Thats my hope anyway. The first image shows the Rogers collection model with its square tuck. The frame around the vertical planking will be added after the hull is completely planked. Then I will fill it in with the vertical planks. Chuck

Oops I meant earlier......wrong choice of words.

Thank you. Its a tough thing to describe in writing. It is so much easier to demo it. That was a good idea about doing another demo at next years conference. I will talk it over with the guys. I actually did one for my local club members. I just showed them how to prepare the surface and paint a solid color without brush strokes. What brushes to use and how to paint a straight line without using tape. When I was in college I had to take an entire course in color theory where we had to paint 2" x 2" square swatches of solid color. Th e teacher was rough to say the least. If the painted swatch wasnt completely flat without brush strokes and perfectly even color you would fail. I can only now see where that class had a purpose that was worthwhile so many years later. I had to paint hundreds and hundreds of swatches. Oh the memories of art school. Anyway, after spending hours cleaning the shop, I had a chance to cut those forward ports. I used a scroll saw blade that I snipped a small length off off. I placed it in my hobby blade handle and used it to cut out the ports. You can see it in the photo. Then it was a matter of refining the sides of the port opening with files and chisels. This was to try and get straight sides and sharp corners. Then I wanted to do a quick preliminary fairing inboard at the bow. I didnt want to look at that disgusting thick bow with all the laser char as I planked the hull. You can look at earlier pics to see just how thick it was. I used a sanding drum in my dremel to cut down the thickness to around 1/8" thick at the bow. It needs much more attention and will eventually be thinner. But its easier for me to look at now as I work on other areas. Tomorrow I will start framing the stern permanently. Then its on to planking. You will see how rough and uneven the inboard side of the bulwarks look. I wasnt careful about how uneven the pieces of wood stuck out on that side. As long as they were deep enough to faired later I didnt care. I will take the sanding drum to it after the outboard planking is done and it wont take long to make it all look nice and clean. You can start to see that taking shape at the bow after just the preliminary thin-down. The stern frames are still just taped into place temporarily. You can see how they are let into slots in the two last bulkheads. It makes proper placement a lot easier.

Gesso Thick milky white base used to coat canvases for painting. see this link http://www.art-is-fun.com/what-is-gesso.html Chuck

Hopefully not to confuse the situation, But here is a better image of Cheerfuls stem parts. You are using the outboard plan. This is from the inboard draft. I have seen this arrangement on two other cutters but sadly these details are not shown on most cutter drafts. The Alert is much younger also so this may not even be applicable. But I wanted to mention how all of the lines on the draft you posted are dashed for these elements. On the inboard sheet however it shows the dashed lines as if they were parts cut for the other side of the stem only. Meaning that the stem was intended to be cut in one piece and the two other elements used for the boxing joint and apron on the other side only. That is ...if I am reading the draft correctly. It seems unlikely that they could find such a large piece to make the stem like that. So I agree with Ed that in all likelihood it depended on what wood they had on hand and probably ended up with a much different "made up" stem that may not have matched any of these choices. So I simplified it a great deal for my project because I dont find all of these elements an attractive addition to a ship model anyway. Its too distracting and busy. In fact....you never see the separate pieces on almost all of the contemporary cutter models I have seen. The stem is always one piece down to the boxing joint.