Chuck

You need to taper the top of the stem much thinner or the figurehead wont fit. This is mentioned in chapter one of the monograph. It gets pretty thin.

Very nice start. Its really nice to see you making sawdust.

So close!!!!

Yes....its been open for a while. See the banner on the right side of the forum for syren.

I used CA....but it doesnt really matter as long as you make sure it doesnt slip out of position while setting.

That is looking fantastic. Really nice work.

Yes. I prefer black but the carvings arent glued on permanently yet in case I change my mind.

Yes its in the corner glued to the underside of both. Once its painted black you wont even see it. i still have to drill out the hawse holes and add a large knee inboard. Then lastly drill out the scuppers. that should finish up chapter five. then its all about the cannon and making a bazzilion eyebolts for them. Fun stuff. That will be a stand alone thing or chapter 5b.

The area between the cheeks have three laser cut layers. They are very thin. They vary in length. Note below how the top edge of these three layers runs along the top of the black strake. This might vary because I have no idea where your black strake is and if it deviated from the plans a bit you will need to get creative. We can talk about that. But its not the end of the world. Hopefully you guys will read through the entire process and take more measurements before you get this far. These pieces along with the headrails are probably some of the most complicated parts of a model project. All three layers were pre bent with heat (hair dryer). I sanded of the laser char and softened the aft edges of all the layers. Each layer was added one at a time. The final layer has the size and location for the hawse holes. More on that later.. Next is the upper cheek...You should have beveled this like the lower cheek. This one should go easier. Note how it wraps onto the stem. It doesnt extend above the top of the stem. This upper cheek is also shorter on the hull as you can see. You can sense the repetition.... Then the upper hair bracket. Again it was designed a lot longer than you need. Add the figure head and determine its length. Cut it so you get a clean tight joint with the cheek. Double check your work.....do or die so to speak. If your measurements worked out the carving should fit perfectly with a bit of room to spare between the hair brackets. If not you could always tweak the carving so it fits as best it can. Almost done now.... In the next photo you can see three more parts I added. I will explain each to you but please refer back to this photo below for its position etc. First is the short decorative molding along the front of the figures leg. This is laser cut for you. Round off the edges along its length. Clean up the char as usual. Its a little long and once again its best to put the figurehead in position. Then test the fit of this molding. Cut it to fit and glue it in position while the figurehead is temporarily in place as a guide. It goes from the foot up to just under the skirt. Next up is the bolster. The bolster is pretty thick and laser cut for you. Its an 1/8" thick. This piece is too short and too thick to pre-bend. Thats why it was layer cut 1/8" thick. You will need to sand it to the curved shape so it fits against the hull. You can see where it goes in that photo. It sits between the cheeks on top of the lower cheek. Start by sanding the back side to fit snug against the hull. Get it nice and snug with no gaps. The photo below shows one bolster shaped. It will get pretty thin by the time its all shaped correctly. Probably just a but thinner than 3/32". It depends on how deep your cheeks ended up after your beveling and shaping of those. Then shape the forward side keeping it a consistent thickness. To finish it up round off the top edge as shown. IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not glue this in position. Just make sure it fits and looks good sitting on the cheeks. You dont want this glued on when you drill out the hawse holes. We will be doing that next. They would certainly get damaged. And then the wash cant.....The wash cant is rarely seen on any kit. If you look at that photo you can see it temporarily tacked in position. It sits on the underside of the lower cheek. ....in the corner where the hull and stem meet. It helps deflect the water and waves. You need to sand this odd shaped piece. Its hard to describe. The front edge is like a knifes edge. Sand the entire piece by rounding it off to a knifes edge along the front edge. This will be painted black but I show it natural in the photo because you wouldnt have been able to see it. I have since painted it black and glued it back into position. The photo below shows one of them shaped and ready for painting. And here is that last picture again to show the placement of those last parts... Now I know this looks complex. That is because it is. You will not see any other kit with this much detail. Even those Chinese POF kits that everyone raves about do a rather crappy job with their headrails and cheeks. But this is a pretty close representation to any contemporary model you might examine for an English frigate. I know you guys can do it. I could have cut many corners and gone with something simplified and kit-like. But I think its something you will be proud of once you finish. Just take it slow and do lots of measuring......lots of testing.....repeat and repeat again. Just wait till we get to the head rails....good times!!!

You saw how the hair brackets were made. Next the cheeks need to be made. These are connected to the hair brackets. Building the cheeks is very different than building the hair brackets. There are three layers to each cheek. There are two of them. The lower cheek is actually slightly longer than the upper cheek. So remember to select the right laser cut pieces when you put them together. The middle layer is thicker. The two outer layers are 1/32" thick. The top layer has a laser etched reference line that is very important. It indicates the bevel line. You will be beveling the edge not just to get a snug fit against the hull but also to establish the correct angle for the little end of the cheek that wraps onto the stem. Now all of this always looks easier than it actually is. You will need to get in touch with your creative side here a bit. Each of these pieces will need some shaping and testing.....and repeat many many times the shaping and testing. Let me explain. Th echeek on the top is completed. But the frieze hasnt been glued onto it yet. The other three below that are the individual layer for the second cheek. You should start with the middle layer. Make sure it fits in position. Make sure it sits against the hull planking reasonably well and also against the stem. Everyones model will be different because these are pretty complex. You may have to adjust the angle to get them to sit snug, Then round off the outside edges. Remember this center layer will need to match the center layer of your hair brackets. They will be joined and you want them to look as seemless as possible. Then take each outer layer and round off the outer edges of those. These outer edges will be the continuation of those on the hair brackets when joined. In the photo below you can see both cheeks have been made and I took some care to make sure that they would look nice when joined with the hair brackets. They need to look like one continuous piece. Remember the center layer of the cheeks should stand proud a bit from the top and bottom layers....just like the profile you ended up with for the hair brackets. This can be complex but remember...you dont want it to look like one of the horrible kit-like details you see even in the newest supposedly innovative designs. They simplify these parts too much and they look almost toy - like. But I know you guys can do this. Lets make some head rail details that will stand up alongside any contemporary model or the best scratch built models out there. You should constantly check the connection between the hair brackets and cheeks as you assemble the cheeks. Check that they will be able to join together seamlessly. I know you guys will have lots of questions about this. Now once you have the cheeks built and the hair brackets we can start adding them to the model. But how will you now where they go??? It gets tricky because you have to leave enough room between the cheeks for the hawse holes and you need enough room between the hair brackets to put the carvings. And yes the figurehead needs to fit after you get done with all this. So you will use the templates provided. Cut them out and place them on the stem. Line up the top edge of the template along the top edge of the stem. Not the gammon knee, but the top edge of the stem. Also temporarily add the figurehead too. Make sure everything is going to work before you start gluing these pieces into position. Then carefully mark the bottom of the template on the stem with a sharp pencil. This will be where you place the lower hair bracket.....but it will also tell you where the cheek needs to be so you wont place it too low or too high. The lower cheek will be first. Using your reference line.... place the lower cheek in position. You should pick the longer one. The lower cheek is slightly longer than the upper cheek. If you beveled the back side correctly, it should fit snug in position against the planking and also along the stem. The cheek should follow the run of the wales.....but also as it wraps onto the stem......match with the reference line you drew from the template. Makes sense? Hopefully you can see the pencil line I drew from the template and how the cheek sits on that line on the stem. Then at last, it is time to connect the lower hair bracket. I made the hair brackets quite a bit longer than you need, So place the figurehead in position and determine how much you should trim the hair bracket. Test it in position. Note how the scroll touches the foot of the figurehead. This will get messy and you will no doubt have to touch up the black paint later. I also discovered that many of you may find it easier to add the friezes after you put the cheeks and hair brackets together on the model. Because you have to work on the seam between the two pieces you may damage the friezes. Live and learn. But try and hide the joint as well as you can. This is tricky work so take your time and try not to get frustrated, Do the best you can. To be continued in a few moments.....as its a lot to write. I want to try and give as many details as possible because this isnt like any other kit you are gonna build. It wont look like a kit when you are done. Dont hesitate to ask any questions if you think I left anything out.

Templates for the cheeks in chapter 5.....chapter 5 coming soon......I hope cheektemplates.pdf

You could also use the actual interior for Cheerful.....rather than use one from the much older Alert.

beautifully done...

Just glue it together. Dont remove any char because that will shorten the keel and affect the joint fitting. Any space created can be filled with yellow glue to strengthen the joint.

Real nice

Looking good Jeff!!!

For me personally.....its a matter of why plank it twice if you could do it properly with the first layer. As a MFG and designer it has nothing to do with cost. At least for me. It has more to do with the usual audience of folks who buy my kits. Single planked kits are targeted to more experienced builders who know how to plank. Once you learn how to properly plank a hull, why in the world would any builder want to be forced by the design of a kit to plank it a second time. So I would say that neither single or double planked POB kits are better than the other. I would instead say that they are directed toward different groups within the hobby. One is for those more experienced with planking. BUT... depending on the design....any single planked kit can be planked a second time if that is what the builder wants to do. I would however state that they should think about the thickness of those planks or even possibly sanding more off the bulkheads to compensate for the additional layer. But again...if you are comfortable with your planking as a more skilled builder there is no reason to do it. Any POF kit of course would never be double planked and the same is true for smaller open boats like the Medway Longboat which just wouldnt work. Chuck

You would need a bandsaw to rip those pieces into sheets. Then thickness sander to make those sheets accurate......the Byrnes saw could then be used to mill strips from your finished sheets for sale. In addition you would absolutely need good dust control and possibly a jointer to help make life easier for you. I cant see those wood pieces to tell what they are. They dont look like the more sought after types that ship builders want. They look like the more common Cherry, Poplar and or maple which can already be bought in sheet form pretty regularly. Chuck

I would give it a try....its probably basswood and not balsa.

I think you need to slow down just a bit .......I see a few things that may give you issues. Your planked upper counter will certainly give you fits later.

Very nice start. And a very interesting approach.

That is coming along beautifully.

Nice job on that framing.....nicely done Vlad

Beautiful model of the Cheerful Bill, Well done. Cant wait to see that next model come to life. Chuck

I actually developed a mini-kit for the winch. But then I made a conscious decision to not offer them. I wanted to leave at least one item that wasnt overly difficult to make as a scratch-only item. I wanted to encourage everyone building this model to at least try and build one fitting on their own......I am so glad I did that. Well Done. If you can make the winch you certainly could have made every other fitting which is the message I was trying to encourage. Well Done. Chuck