AnobiumPunctatum

Really nice progress

I am further busy with sanding the hull. The starbordside is finished. At the port side some further sanding at the stern is necessary. It's a lttle bit difficult to get this really smooth with stem glueded in place.
 

 

 
 

I am further busy with sanding the hull. The starbordside is finished. At the port side some further sanding at the stern is necessary. It's a lttle bit difficult to get this really smooth with stem glueded in place.
 

 

 
 

I am further busy with sanding the hull. The starbordside is finished. At the port side some further sanding at the stern is necessary. It's a lttle bit difficult to get this really smooth with stem glueded in place.
 

 

 
 

Really nice progress

Thank you Ryland for your kind words and thank you to all the 'Likes'.
 
I started working on the stern.

I started by planking the counter. I first determined with the help of the plan the curvature to give to my planks.
 

Then I have to admit that with the travel iron it's really easy to shape the planks. You just have to moisten the wood with your finger and bend it while passing the hot iron. And the plank keeps its curvature.
 

For gluing, although no pressure is really needed, I still hold the planks in place with clamps while the glue dries. I can't master gluing with CA, it sticks my fingers more often than the planks... So I use good Titebond wood glue which requires 30 minutes of holding time for the glue to set.
 

Once the whole counter is covered, as this part will be painted red, I allow myself to fill all the micro-cracks between the boards. Often, they are not even visible to the naked eye but with a magnifying glass or by observing against the light you can see them.  I use acrylic wood filler (Jubin Akrilin) that I tint with a drop of acrylic paint and add a little white glue.
I mark the areas to be filled with protective tape and use a toothpick to push the filler in.
 

The over-lengths are first shortened with my proxxon and then refined with sandpaper.
 

The whole thing is then carefully sanded.
 

 

The interior has been lightly cleaned of a few small traces of glue. I don't know yet if I'll fill the inside joints between the planks perfectly or if I'll leave them like that. I don't mind that you can guess the joints between the planks...
It's time to move on to the upper part of the stern.
 
 
 

Today I started some deck details.  The way I work the gun deck fittings is to start at the stern and work my way forward.   With that in mind, the first thing to be done is the aft bulkhead that defines the great cabin.  The aft few deck beams were permanently glued in position.   But I left a few off so I could get my fingers in there while working the bulkhead sections.
 
The bulkhead sections are all laser cut for you.  This aft bulkhead will have all parts labelled as "G" when you get them.  They are actually laser etched with the paneling on both sides so no need to glue two halves together or anything like that.   The sections are 1/16" thick. 
 
You start by centering the "center" section of the bulkhead under the beam and on the separating line between the checker floor and deck planking.   I have cut these slightly taller just in case there are subtle difference from model to model.  So sand a bit from the bottom and the top until you get a nice snug fit....
 
But not so snug that you can see  beam raise up under the pressure.  The beam must stay where it is so dont force it under there or you will suffer later when you try and plank the qdeck.  That beam should flex at all.  Remember to face the correct side facing forward which has a laser cut reference line for another panel that span the gap between the two bulkheads and create two cabin spaces.  Check out the plans for that.
 

In that same photo you can see two doors that will go in next.  But first you have to build them.   Its laser etched on both sides but you still have to add the window which is thinner.....and add the door kn0b and hinges.
 
First glue the 1/32" thick window into the opening so its uniform and shows the laser char evenly around it on both sides.  Dont remove the laser char because these were cut with care to fit perfectly in the opening.  You can also see below that I stuck a 28 gauge black wire through the door knob hole and clipped it off so it sticks out.  You will be gluing the door Knob on this wire.   So ensure it sticks out on both sides.  Push it all the way through the hole and clip it so maybe 3/64" is sticking out on both sides.  Note the knobs and hinges below as well ready to go.
 

The door knob is carefully placed on the wire but dont push it against the door.  Let it sit proud of the door a bit. Then paint it black  These are laser cut for you also.
 
The hinges are laser cut from black laser board.  Glue these on but make sure you allow the other side to hang over the edge.  That part of the hinge will be glued to the bulkhead panels and hold the doors in position.  Make sure you evenly space these so they are all at the same height across all the doors or it will look awful.  To finish the doors add the small acetate window pains on the aft side of the windows.  Or you can just leave those off the model as they tend to be dust magnets.  

Finally glue the one door into position only by its hinge.   The one that gets glued to center panel section below.  But then place the second door in position only so you can mark the deck and beam with a light pencil reference line.   You want to know where the hinged side of the door ends so you can shape that last panel against the bulwarks to fit perfectly.  Remember that the doors are also slightly taller just in case.  Sand them to fit nice under that beam.  After you mark the end of that door for reference set it aside.
 

 
Finally the last outside panel needs to be shaped and fitted.   This shape should be pretty close but everyone's model will vary slightly.  It depends on how much you faired the frames before you planked the bulwarks.  That curve of your bulwarks may vary....
 
This last panel is a bit wider and taller so you can shape it to first fit tight against the bulwarks.   Match the curvature of your bulwarks first.  Then sand the top and bottom so it fits under the beam.  Last you can test it to see if that second door fits alongside of it to close the gap tightly.   You can show the door open or a variety of open and closed.  Its up to you.  I prefer them closed.  
 
Here is a look at the finished bulkhead wall spanning across the deck.
 

With this bulkhead done I can glue a couple cannon in permanently now and move forward to the work on the mast coats and then the next  forward bulkhead.   I will slowly work towards the waist in this fashion.....slowly adding the beams and knees as I finish making the fittings that will go under them.
 
 
 

Thanks...
 
Today I finished this beam along the transom.  I removed it from its temporary placement and painted the inboard side of the transom red.  But you can see where I stopped at the bulwarks.  Dont paint the area above the q galleries.  
 
You can also see some iron straps which form a right angle along the ends of the beam.  These were laser cut from black laser board and glued into position in two pieces to simulate the strap.  It really finishes it off nicely although the straps wont be seen anyway.   Before adding them however I added a strip of 1/8' x 1/32" cedar to to deck clamp between both beams to clean it up and make the deck clamp flush with the paneling below it.   Then I added the strap section on top of that....I am referring to span between the deck beams.
 

Today I found time to sand the first half of the hull. After removing the adhesive tape at the keel I have to sand a little bit at the stem.
 

 

 
Those who can read have a clear advantage. 😉 If you see, I didn't follow Chucks advise, I simply overread this.  So I copied the marks on the other side of the frames.

The planking is looking great.

Do not to much work on one side. An old modeller told me that it is better to work symmetrical on both side to avoid torsion of the hull.

Rigging the Cannons
 
This is something most of us have done, likely many times. True to form however, rigging Cheerful was a different approach and experience for me and once again I learned new things. Mostly following the monograph, here’s how I did mine.
 

 
First up was making the breeching ropes. I used now historical .035 light brown rope from Syren, fortunately I bought all the required rope for Cheerful long ago. I created a simple jig that aided me in sizing each rope to 3 inches in length fitted with an eyebolt and ring on either end, an eyebolt and ring within those for attaching to the gun carriage and a brass rod to form the splice for the button. The photo shows the various tools and materials I used.
 
As I've said before I’m really enjoying the quad hands. It's a great upgrade from the old version I’d used for years, it just makes things easier. In this instance I wanted the breech line seizing to show, so I used common thread. I was ok with 3mm commercial split rings and eyelets on the line ends, as they are essentially equal to the recommended 28 gauge. However I made my own larger split rings for the carriages from 24 gauge wire for a heavier look.  Following the monograph, I used a sharp pointy thing to pierce the rope, dividing it into two lines either side, placed that over the brass rod then used watered down white glue to semi-harden it into shape.
 
Once I’d settled on a process and finished one, I then did 13 more. With those made I attached one to each gun carriage off the ship. Really no need for a jig to do this, it’s just a matter of gluing in the eyelets either side.  I did not attach the splice, I wanted to pull the rope back out of the way when I mounted the guns on the ship.
 

 
I mounted the guns using Smith Industries Maxi-Cure Extra thick CA glue, I use Smith Industries Medium CA for everything else but in the case of the guns I want the extra strong bond the Maxi-Cure provides. I applied a small dab on each wheel, held the carriage above the deck (don’t drop it Glenn, don’t drop it…) as I guided it through the port, then outboard by the barrel as I lined it up to the port opening. It’s a dicey moment or two as I set the carriage carefully down onto the deck, first the front wheels then the back. I breath for the first time in 30 seconds then move to the next one. Once the maxi-cure sets I’m comfortable the guns aren’t going anywhere.
 
Once mounted I attached the breeching rope to the bulwarks, placed the splice onto the button, and did a little shaping of the hang of the line. The size of the splice is set so it’s a tight fit, precluding the need for any glue that would mar the barrel, again guidance from Chuck’s monograph.
 

 
Back to the quad hands to make up the gun tackle using Syren .012 light brown rope, small 3mm PE hooks, and Syren 1/8th single blocks. I may not have needed to use all four hands, but it did make it easier by doing so (I loosened everything up for the photo to make it easier to see). The hands hold the block on one end and the hook on the other with the running line through the seizing line at the head of the block. The rope is looped then seized, in this case using tan fishing lure line, or as I like to call it some blond lady’s hair, though hair may be thicker. Through experimentation I learned there is very little space between bulwark and gun carriage eyelets, the tackle needs to be tightly done to fit, and it this instance I didn’t want the seizing to dominate.
 
I know there are many ways, means and methods to seizing blocks, the figure eight loop and seizing is the way I prefer. I would like to sort out how @Chuck does it so precise and neatly but until then this is the best I can do, it works for me. I’ve literally done hundreds of these over the years and can pretty quickly knock them out.
 

 
It comes off the quad hands as shown on the bottom of the photo. I tie the running line using half hitches, a knot I can slide tight to the block and firm to itself. I had tried seizing here as well, but it took up too much of the limited space on board so I switched to the half hitches. Once I did one I did 27 more, ok really like 34 more, I didn’t like how some came out.
 

 
Then it’s time to make up rope coils. I have done the flemish coils (or whatever they’re called) on a prior model and I may do frapping on a future one. In this case I wanted natural looking coils that vary in appearance as though done by different gun crews and left laying out of the way, semi-neatly but not Admiral’s inspection ready. So that’s what I did using .012 line wrapped four times around a dowel, wet with very watered down white glue so as not to cake. Taken off the dowel after drying and trimmed I then basically mashed each with my finger. I made more than the 28 required to get what I wanted - the mashed finger approach is not a precision method. I also wrapped half to the left and half to the right to have them coiled appropriately either side of the gun.
 

 
The hooks of each tackle were connected to both bulwarks and carriage and gently tightened. As you can see there isn’t much space to work with. To be clear though, this is not a scale problem, I checked it with mini-me:-). The blocks are the appropriate size, the carriages of the carronade are just shorter and smaller than a cannon of that scale and of course the guns are completely drawn in tight to the bulwarks. I’m going to miss Syren rope, it is so authentic appearing. I suppose some day I’ll have to learn to make it with a rope-walk like many do and many more will do with it no longer being a Syren offering.
 

 
The running line is snipped and glued to the deck with CA.  The coils were added, glued on top with Aliphatic Resin for its colorless appearance and longer setting time. This allowed me to position the coils such that they appear to be a continuation of the tackle (I know, gun rigging 101).
 

 

 
And with that the carronades are mounted and rigged, the cannon at the bow will wait until the next step of installing the bowsprit and winch. The tackle is already made up, I just need to take stock of the limited space.
 
Next up is mounting the deck furniture I made up long ago and that will be it for finishing the hull.
 
Thanks for stopping by, the follows, comments, and likes are very appreciated.

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.
 
The strakes above the molding have been glued, so take your time and measure the length of each segment precisely.

 
I marked one edge of each plank with an HB pencil to simulate the tarred seems between each strake. I also glued the edges with a dark wood glue.

 

 
You will notice that the two outer frames of the stern have been reduced to a thickness of 1/16". Most of the work was done with a sanding drum mounted on my proxxon flexishaft and then the last few millimeters were carefully removed with various sanding sticks.

 

 
At the stern, the last row is slightly below the top of the outer frame, but this has been noted in several build logs and I don't think it should be a problem.

 
Next step: planking the stern and always so much fun !

It's looking really nice.

OK finally the guns are all done.....I just have to make one more eyebolt per gun carriage....for the inhaul.  I always forget those until I take pictures.

 
The corresponding eyebolts and split rings were added to the bulwarks.  They were made the same as those for the gun carriages.  I used 24 gauge black wire.  The split rings were the same also using a 41 drill bit to make them.
 
There are also eyebolts/split rings on deck for the carriages which were also made the same.  BUT, if you examine the plans there are also 8 larger rings which need to be added.  I added those at this time also.   Those were made from 22 gauge wire using a #31 drill bit.  You can see I forgot the one eyebolt on the back of each carriage....so I will add those at some point.  Man that was a lot of eyebolts and split rings to make....sheesh!!

Remember that I wont be rigging them so they will look just as you see them here.  But the beauty of not rigging them means that I dont have to glue them into position permanently yet.   I will wait in case removing them makes it easier to work on the other fittings in the next chapter.  But if you are going to rig them....this would be the time.  I will rig one just to explain how I do it but then I will take it all apart...
 
Also remember that you wont be able to rig 4 of the guns yet because the eyebolts are actually located in the hanging knees.  Those will be added early in the next chapter.   So no worries there.  Check the plans for those....
 

 
And the proverbial pic leaving the camera on deck facing aft showing all the guns....Next up I will rig that one cannon for you folks and start on chapter seven.
 

It's been almost a year since my last update. The reason is that Speedwell has been landlocked in Canada since last November. My very talented collaborator David Antscherl had made and applied all the carvings and I was going to pick her up to rig her just when Covid struck and the border was closed. I have all the blocks, ropes, masts and spars ready but no model. I'm hoping to get her this summer but who knows at this point. At any rate here are some photos of her sporting her wonderful carvings. 

What you see, comes mostly from the laser. It doesn't cut perpendicular to the wood. After a little bit of sanding the outside is looking fine.
This is the stem of my model build with the parts, Chuck provides.

Post 55: the Main Gaff
 
This was made in exactly the same manner as the main Boom above.  The only thing I  would add is that in order to ensure that both jaws were identical I used the "spot of glue" technique which I  thank Dan Vagas. 
 

 
Here are the two spars completed
 

 
John

Post 54: the Main Boom
 
This was trickier than it looks as the outboard end tapers to a diameter of only 2.5 mm.
I first make the boom octagonal using the 7:10 :7 rule and then plane of the corners with my Veritas block plane.
 

 
Then  I turned the inboard end first down to a diameter of 5.3 mm.  On my home made lathe the central board is usually a moveable support but this time I clamped it in place at the widest point and then tapered to the outboard end.  I use decreasing grades of sand paper from 130 down to 400 but like any rotational method it does leave slight radial grooves so I finish of with  400 and 600 grade paper in the longitudinal direction
 
 

 
The bearings on this device are roller blade bearings and I have a number with wooden inserts to reduce the diameter:
 

 
These ensure that the mast (or boom) in this case fits firmly so that there is no scoring since it is the bearing which rotates.  Here is the completed boom after turning to the shape indicated in the plans:
 

 
The next task is flatten the inboard end to take the crutches which connect the boom to the mast. I used the mill for this with the head set to an angle of 2 degrees :
 

 
Next the boom crutches themselves.  I used my Knew Concepts Jeweler's saw for this, and then  finally shaped with files and sand paper.
 

 
On the subject of Jeweler’s saws:  I originally owned one like this
 
 

 
I  had a problem finding the correct tension and kept breaking blades. This was probably down to my poor technique and perhaps I should have persisted.  However,  recently I have acquired a Knew Concepts saw and for me this is a much superior tool.  The lever system ensures the blade is always at the correct tension.  It is beautifully balanced so I can cut really close to the line and I have not broken a blade in nearly 12 months.

I would recommend these to anybody about to purchase a jewelers saw. They are not cheap but like most things quality cost money.
 
Some would use a scroll saw for this task.  I did own one of these but it was a cheap model – I paid A$80.  I was disappointed. Even though I bolted it to the bench over a rubber pad it still exhibited lots of vibration.  The foot designed to hold the work down constantly came loose and for thin timber, say 1/16 inch, I could not install fine enough blades to meet the “three teeth rule” so there was lots of tearing.  So, in the end I sold it and made more space in my workshop..  I have written about this elsewhere on this site.   My local woodwork shop does weekend workshops and demonstration and I have trialed out there a parallel arm scroll saw.  These are a very different story.  Virtually vibration free and they will take finer blades so quite fine work is possible .   A fine tool.  They do however cost about A$1000 and are out of the question for me.  A nice tool though.
 
I digress! So, here is the boom with crutches installed
 

And finally with the blocks added and ready for installation

 
John

Hi all, a little update from me, slowly process...
 

 

 

 

 

 
Alex

Your stern is looking really beautyful.

Over the past three days I started to shape Winnie ll with mallet, chisels, gouges, a block plane and a few power tools.  Exterior shaping is pretty much where I was at on Winnie l when I hurt my back, but the interior hollowing out is, as you can see, much further along.  Although the model is 6.2 lbs lighter than when I first began it's still quite heavy at 18.6 lbs.  The Jet Air Filtration System was suspended from the ceiling today, so I was free to use the heavy dust producing power tools.  Very soon I will start hull shaping with the set of plywood templates I made.  The photo of the work bench shows the tools I used on the first pass.
 
 

Glenn,
 
thanks for the really nice descriptions. This is very helpful for me.

Post Eleven
 
Flying Transom.
 
This is another tricky piece to hold in the correct position whilst the glue bites.

1192
I used pva and bamboo poles to secure the angle and to support the Flying Transom whilst the glue bites.
It allows me time to sight and check the Flying Transom  set-up from various angles.

1201

1208(3)

1214
With the Flying transom in place I use a template taken from the plan to mark the curve down from the underside to the Transom base.

1224
The stern area is then taped up to provide stability for the next stage.

1226
I then carefully pare down to this line using a No 11 scalpel.

1228
The plank ends are then sanded back to the Transom face.

1234

1232

1231(2)
The next stage sees her released from the base and the removal of the frame centres.
 
B.E.
21/03/21
 

That’s one, only 11 more, or 44 more blocks, 44 more hooks, 24 rope coils, and 66 seizings. The breech ropes are done though. 


 
Fun stuff😁

Bowsprit and Mast
 
With all the hull and deck furnishings made its time to mount them to the deck…except it isn’t. I decided I needed to make the bowsprit to ensure I put the bowsprit step in the right place and I shaped the main mast to ensure the mast coat and mast slot were correct and because I was on a roll turning square things round.
 

 
Thanks to my having to restart after my dropped hull (still makes me shudder almost a year later) I have two sets of plans.  This has come in handy, allowing me to do cut outs of various sections while keeping one set whole. In this case I cut the bowsprit and mast so I have them right by the work piece. I marked the square piece of cedar using the 7-10-7 rule and used the mill as a drill press to drill the three holes at the base - I later used a file to square the two forward holes that would be visible once mounted. I also drilled the hole for the sheave at the forward end, much easier to to that while its squared - and as advised by Chuck’s monograph.
 

 
Then to the jig I sorted of copied from Derek to convert the square into an octagon for both the mast (shown here) and the bowsprit using my quite handy finger plane, that once again proved perfect for the job. I’ve mentioned before I’ve never had any luck with planes, but this little jewel works perfectly in making long smooth strokes on the square edge. The key, for me anyway, is to expose very little of the cutting blade on the bottom so it only takes a little wood off per stroke. I’d rather do more strokes than go too deeply into the wood.
 

 
Then it’s off to the lathe for its first real use. I left enough stock on the end for the chuck to grab onto. I had been concerned (not sure why it was never an issue when I did it with a drill before getting the lathe) that there would be too much wobble not having both ends steady. It proved not to be a problem by using my right hand to steady the end while the left hand did the rounding. I used only various grits of sandpaper, 150, 220, 320 and 400 as I progressed, no tools needed. I took the measurements at incremental points along the stock (here the bowsprit, same thing for the mast) and stopped to check them frequently with digital calipers. I can’t put it back on, better to take it slow and enjoy the massive amount of sawdust it creates.
 
At least for this task there isn’t a huge difference in the lathe and the hand drill in doing the rounding. The big difference is the quick on/off to do checks and the placement and hold of the stock makes things easier than holding a drill. Some of the jigs I’ve seen for holding a drill are likely just as good, but the Proxxon DB250 is inexpensive and worth the price as I’m sure there is more I’ll do with it later. Another plus pointed out by Derek is the ability to push the wood thru the chuck which though not needed for masts and bowsprits will come in handy later for spars.
 

 

 
The mast is squared down at the top and includes an off center sheave - I did both before rounding the rest of the mast.
 

 
A quick check for fit. I sat the hull on its final stand temporarily to ensure when mounted there is a slight rise. It’s interesting how long the bowsprit is on a cutter relative to a square rigged ship.
 

 

 
A check of the mast to make sure with the coat I can get it both level and slightly slanted towards the stern. It’s a little off in the photo, it won’t be when I mount it later. This step turned out to be worth the time, I did have to make minor adjustments. These were easy to do now, not so easy if I’d waited after all the deck furniture, the winch in particular, had been mounted. I got to make a new mast coat, the first was too small, but that’s ok, making them is kind of fun. This one from boxwood got a few coats of WOP after I was sure of the fit.
 

 
Another trip to the mill to flatten the area for the mast cheeks, just a .25mm deep cut for now, I will shape in more once I have the cheeks in hand.
 

 
Following a couple of coats of WOP the bowsprit and mast are done for now. There is much more to do on the mast later (the photos are a bit out of sequence, I’d cut off the extra on the bottom of the mast before test fitting).
 

 
The bowsprit has an iron ring (black shrinkable wire wrap did the job) and four blocks. I added the ring and drilled the holes but will add the eyebolts and rings after the bowsprit is mounted. For me it’s easier to rig the blocks off the ship then glue them in (a practice I’ll follow throughout the rigging). The standard commercial eyebolts work in some circumstances on Cheerful, but not all - the bowsprit is one such place. The commercial versions were much too  ’skinny’ to look right so I made four from 24 gauge black annealed wire.
 
I suppose everyone comes up with their own way of making these. I tried finding some options on MSW but didn’t really find anything I liked so I came up with my own using various pliers, shapers, cutters, and vise. I experimented and decided 1mm was the right size so I reversed a 1mm bit in a pin vise. A tight turn, a couple of bends and two cuts and I had it.  It being (once again) my first time making these it took a little practice and rejects. But once I got on a roll, I made a bunch for all the eyebolts on the outer hull and cap rail as determined from the plans.
 

 
With eyebolts in hand I turned to the quad hands to rig the four blocks. I’m using fly fishing line to seize these and other blocks but will also use regular thread when I want the seizing to be more visible. Here I have the eyebolt (hidden from view on the right) in one loop and the block in the other. I use my standard loop and wrap method for all my seizings, it works for me. I’ve always had a third hand tool for this work, but the newly acquired quad hands is a big step up from those and well worth the expense. The flexible clip arms and having four to hold different things really makes the job easier. A completed block is shown on the far right, but the clip hides much of it.
 

 
Thanks mostly to Cheerful, the power tool corner of my workshop has become a bit crowded. It’s usually not this much of a mess, I was working on the mill and the lathe at the same time. My shop dust filter was working overtime to clear the room as was my dust mask. The dust buster and broom came out after this photo. The tool chest holds all the accessories required for the power tools and was a Christmas gift from my supportive wife.
 
Much of this post probably seems mundane, but it accounts for a lot of time. These small ultimately taken for granted steps are integral to the completed model. For now the bowsprit, mast, and rigged blocks go onto the shelf (I have a literal shelf in one of my cabinets with a soft cloth lining) until its time to mount them. The next step, and the last prelude to mounting everything, is rigging the cannons. That will be my next post. It’s a long process to do one, then 11 more after that one.
 
Thanks for stopping by, the comments and likes are very appreciated.