jfhealey

Beautiful (and very patient!) turning, Mattthias. Best wishes Fred

I'll second Chris' view. This is looking very good indeed. Fred

Its fascianating to watch what a premier league player (I have no idea where you are based Gary: if you are in the US the premier league, just in case it's an unfamiliar term, is for the absolute top flight soccer players) - your Montague is gorgeous - makes of Winchelsea. I am following this log with keen interest. Fred

What finish are you planning for the cabin walls, Edward? Paint or varnish? Either way they are looking good Fred

Thanks, chaps, for your kind remarks and likes. I am indeed looking at my Winnie, JJ, and wondering what to do with her. There is a bit of me that wants to start again. I feel I'd make a better job if I did and the Winnie, properly built - there is a bit of a mis-match between how I see her in my mind's eye and how she comes out - is a truly lovely model. I guess thats the frustrating thing that all but the very best model builders must feel. Anyway, Cheerful is coming along and I'm learning new skills and adding experience and knowledge along the way (and adding usefully to my toolbox). One day, I hope, I'll make the model I'm truly proud of. It may be Winnie 3. I've completed 3 guns more or less. Only 9 to go. 2 is as much as I can manage in a day. Best wishes all Fred

Its time to rig the guns on my Cheerful. I found these hooks from HisModels in the Czech republic. They are tiny but fit the 3mm blocks almost perfectly. They enable the outhaul tackle to be rigged without the space between the blocks being unduly compromised. Here are the breeching ropes all done per the instructions and using Syren Ultra rope. And here the first gun rigged and ready to dry fit. And here fitted. I can see I got the inboard hook upside down. Pictures can be unforgiving but never mind. I have not yet glued the rope coils down. I'm undecided how long to leave the rope. I want something that looks like a coil of rope - but these coils would, unfolded, stretch to the far side of the deck and part way back. I will have a play around I think. I set up my new Syren serving machine. I took care with the gears but they came out a bit wonky so the machine groans and squeaks but it does a perfectly serviceable job and there is something wonderfully relaxing about serving a rope. For a bit of light relief from the guns I fitted the bowsprit guys and bobstay. Before turning the square stock for the bowsprit I drilled the holes for the sheeve - unhappily, as you can see, on the wrong face. I don't know why one hole filled reasonably inconspicuously and the other with a great black ring. Never mind. I'm on the home straight I feel. All the best everyone. Fred

I purchased the Hobbymill EU boxwood package for my Cheerful from Vahur and I cannot praise the quality of the wood and the machining highly enough (and the quantity - Vahur added a number of pieces over and above Chuck's woodlist to ensure I didn't go short as well as samples of his other stock). And Vahur is a very pleasant fellow. Highly recomended! Fred Healey

Thank you Gentlmen for your very kind words which I warmly appreciate. I'm nearly done with the woodwork and metal work: soon I can turn to the rigging. The carronade carriages are assembled, painted and ready to rig. I tried painting the brass barrels, blackening them and blackening and lightly buffing them with wire wool and decided I preferred the blackened and buffed look. The backstays are done and ready to fit. The elm tree pumps are likewise done and ready to pin and glue to the deck. I can see I made a small error. The outlet pipe and pump handle should be a little closer together: say seperated by one face of the octagon rather than three. It means a small compromise. If I angle the handle out as shown on the plan the outlet would discharge onto the grating. In the result I have to position the pumps further apart than they should be. Its only a small thing and I'm not going to lose any sleep over it . It does show, though, that you have to study the plans like a hawk. Here are some pictures. I hope my next post will feature lots of rope. I'm really looking forward to the rigging. I wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year. Fred

You are a brave fellow to take on this monster as a first semi-scatch build. I tried and came up second best: though I'm planning to re-start as soon as I have finished Cheerfulno: as to which have you thought of that as a first semi-scratch build? Its just as challenging but not quite the marathon run Winnie is. You build whatever you want to build of course. I absolutely don't mean to interfere and wish you the very best. Fred

I love the last photo you posted. The lights look superb - absolutely in scale and creating a real "real ship" atmosphere. I can see the Captain and Lieutenants sitting down and plotting........... All the best Fred

That is a beautifuly executed floor to the captain's cabin and you are absolutely right to say its your Winnie and you get to make it just as you like it. Upon any view its going to be a super build. All the best Fred

Greetings everyone from Cornwall - and I hope you all had a very happy Christmas. We hear on the news that half of New York State is under 10' of snow with many houses without power. If you are affected then I hope things are not too bad and that better times are not far away. I've been plodding on quietly with Cheerful. For anyone yet to build her and thinking of a next project I can highly recommend this lovely little craft beautifully put together by Chuck/Syren. Incidentally I purchased the boxwood from Hobbymill EU: they provide the complete wood package ready cut; and lovely stuff it is. Highly recommended. Here are some pictures of the present state of play. I re-cut the bollards with my new mill. Much better than my earlier freehand versions. A bit of a shame to paint the mast but I went with the convention/realism in the end. Mast and spar making. My first go. I followed the regular instructions: 7/10/7, planing down to an octogan and then turning in the chuck of a drill. All came out acceptably well. I decided to turn another mast coat. I cut the other one in two and used it for that bit 5' or so up the mast. I have no idea what it is called. Full Color 2023 MSW/NRG Calendars Now Available For $12.95 In The NRG Store Here are the channels filed down from brass sheet. As ever making one is not too difficult. Making eight reasonably the same is trickier. I made a not quite but nearly jig to help and they are OK There seem to be a lot of small jobs to do but I hope to start the guns and rigging soon. Happy New Year All Fred

Thank you Gentlemen. I appreciate your kind remarks. Glenn - it is as you say. We've had three goes at beating the US and not yet succeded. Add in what your stroppy forefathers got up to 240 odd years ago and the US is a bit of a bogey team. Best wishes Fred

Having spent an hour reading Matiz's HMS Euryalis and Johann's French Corvette logs in increasing bewiderment at the skills those two possess I'm reluctant to post any pictures of my own far more humble - but perhaps more accessible to the majority - efforts but I have a spare moment so here goes. I provisionally hung the rudder and formed the tiller. For a reason I cannot fathom the tiller comes out shoulder height to a 6' tall man. I don't think that can be right. I shall work on it. The mast coat is OK. I may have another go. It looks a little flat - rather than rounded - in the middle section. The ladders were a cinch with my new Proxxon mill. I cannot decide whehther to paint or not. Flushed with success making the winch I decided to re-make the bowstrip step so the formed bits at the top match the winch. I used the mill to cut the grooves. I pinched this idea from Glenn's Cheerful log I think. And the catsheads are underway. Here placed temporariy in position prior to a bit of final fettling. To paint or not to paint - and single colour or two tone. I cannot decide. And here some overviews of where I am now. All the best everyone and thank you for the likes. Fred

I was dismayed to read of your ill health Jean-Paul but delighted to read you are on the mend. I had a heart attack in 2015 and thought it was the end of the world, but I do the exercise and take the pills and, fingers crossed, I feel fine. Keep well and best wishes Fred

Any progress on your Cheerful Jean-Paul? Fred

Thank you Ian. Thats a lovely looking Cheerful. I'm using boxwood from Hobbymill EU (highly recommended - its beautiful wood and beautifully cut). I wish it was a wee bit darker. Your Cheerful is to my eye spot on on the darkness front. In the meantime I have shaped the topmast and test fitted it. For a first attempt at scratch building a mast ( scratch building anything in fact) I'm very pleased. The proxxon mill is a godsend. Cheers everyone. Fred

Thank you chaps for the comments and likes which I appreciate. Glenn - I understand soccer (football on our side of the ocean) is not high on the US's list of sporting priorities but I wish I shared your confidence. The newspapers over here are full of reminders that in two world cup final meetings England has not yet beaten the USA. JJ - I look at my Winnie on a high shelf in what I fondly call my workshop (my wife takes issue with the term) every day and I think I'm getting quite fired up to get going again; but I must finish Cheerful first. All the best Fred

Thank you all for your comments and likes. I have been plodding along quietly with Cheerful. I initially made the chimney stack from wood but I didn't like it that much so I re-mad it in brass. I'm much happier. I purchased a lovely little plain and made a board for planing a square stick down to an octagon prior to turning to round in the drill. I've not made a mast from square before but it all proved very straightforward. I cut the square bit at the top on my new Proxxon mill which, again made a tricky task simpe enough. There is a little bit of run out on the mill so the square section, viewed from above is, if you are very picky, a little bit parrellelagram-ish; but not enough to worry me. The instructions with the mill relating to adjusting the run-out are very vague. When I was researching the mill before purchase I read lots of useful advice on this site. i only have to find it again now. I can see looking at Chuck's build that I should not have rebated the cross trees so they fit flush with the fore and aft bits but no matter. And here is the bowsprit just resting, like the rest of the deck furniture, in position. Carronades next I think. I may now spend a little leisure time watching the World Cup. England v USA on Friday. England has yet to beat the USA in 2 meetings in WC finals including that momentous defeat 1-0 in 1950 when the Americans ran out an amatuer side against an England team containing a number of players good enough to play in a World XI. Lets hope we don't have anything like that again! Cheers everyone. Fred

Thank you Chuck. I'm really enjoying Cheerful - though sometimed I look at Winnie and think its time to dust her off and get going again. Still, I'm going to finish Cheerful and then have a long hard think about Winnie. The dilemma is that I have learned so much about ship modelling over the last couple of years that I think I'd make a better fist of Winnie if I started over: and its such a lovely ship that I want to make the best I possibly can of her. I guess most of us part time hobbyists start a new model thinking "this is going to be the best model I shall ever make" - or at least I have found it so. But in the case of Winnie I really mean it. I'm determined if not much else! Fred

Thank you everyone. After much indecision I decided to treenail the hull and deck. It came out OK. The problem - and I don't see a way around it - is that the filler necessarily occupies every little planking defect. See the picture above where the drill knocked out the bottom right corner of the butt joint. The deck is now finished and I'm pretty pleased with it. I left off all the deck furniture because the treenailing requires a lot of sanding of the filler and an absence of furniture makes that much easier. Here the furniture is not glued. I bought a Proxxon mill. It gets mixed reviews - I suspect the low scores coming from those that want to mill metal. i've only used it a couple of times but I think its a fantastic bit of kit. it made forming the mouling on the top of the winch pot.sts a doddle. I was also able to drill - with the mill - a 1mm hole through a 2mm brass tube to form the handle for the winch. I couldn't have done that otherwise. And this is where I am at: All the best Fred

Hi Mike - I had my cataracts done in September. I now look out on a different world full of extraordinary light, vibrant colours and definition I'd long ago forgotten. Its a miracle opertion. I hope your second op goes well and wish you the very best outcome. Best wishes Fred

What a lovely idea. It's intruiging to think about the circumstances in which your message might one day be read. What sort of a world will the reader live in I wonder. Best wishes Fred

You are not really serious about just 100 "kits" are you? I predict a riot if you are!!!

As far as I can see this is faultless. Keep going at this standard and you will have a superb Winchelsea. Best wishes Fred