glbarlow

Well said Rusty. I totally agree that adapt, improvise, overcome is the modeler’s creed.

Hi Richard, If you’re referring to Cheerful, I’d encourage you to consider Chuck’s starter kit. He provides the plans and frame parts on his website https://syrenshipmodelcompany.com/. It’s a nice way to get off to a good start, no scroll saw needed😁that is unless your want to get a scroll saw

I’d never considered a fishing craft before, but thanks to @chris watton great design and seeing what you’ve done with it I’m going to add it to my list. I’m off big models, cutters and brigs for me...and now a fishing vessel or two. Maybe I’ll even go for the th pink sails. Your metal work On the steering gear is inspirational.

Thanks BE, Derek, and Jean Paul. I appreciate the encouragement and feedback. I’m trying to provide a log that will help others just as I frequently consult BE’s, Rusty’s and Chuck’s Cheerful logs. I’d be nowhere with out Chuck’s detailed monograph, but it’s my belief logs from us of more humble skills will both help in construction and encourage others to take on building their own version of this great model. PS: I wasn’t able to use great in a sentence for a few days there, but I’m past that now, or should I say I’m past that for now😜

So who here besides me was expecting a train wreck after my last post. I cut the fashion pieces only to decide the plan size was too short for my ship, I decided that after they were glued on, because they curve into the ship dry-fitting didn’t help. So I remade them, more in a moment. The concept of a drop plank is simple and works great once you’ve done your first three and then it clicks - seems obvious and maybe that was my problem, trying to outthink it - figured it out eventually so let’s start: I “adopted” my process for cutting out the planks from Rusty. I made copies of a section of the plan, cut out the fashion pieces and then used rubber cement to attach them to a section of 1/16th board. This process worked well, but here’s what I learned - to be clear this applies to my model your milage may vary. I noticed right away the first ones I cut seemed to “small” so to make me feel better I enlarged the copy of the plans to 105% and used those for the template. As I mentioned those still turned out too short so as you can see in the photo I added a few marks to them extra long so I could trim to fit. I’m not going to say what iteration of cut-outs wound up on the ship, let’s just say more than four are in the scrap heap though in fairness a couple were intentional victim prototypes to try stuff like bending and curving. First-timers… I found this simple little jig helpful. a strip of 1/32nd up against the hull for the right distance of the piece back from the transom and another scrap on top of it as a backstop to align the piece equal to the run of the transom. Yes that's a cracked plank but its the lower level of the wales so no problem - else it'd be gone. A good place to note I ended up adding a 1/64th shim on frame 16 to get a better flow to the eventual square tuck -or maybe I'm overthinking it again, no this time I'm right, maybe. You might note the two fashion pieces are on opposite sides of the ship, that didn’t stop me from making as near exact copies as I could as my multiple measurements (sorry Chuck, in millimeters) taken multiple times until I got them near copies. I'm not sure why I was going to the hundredth of a millimeter, seems obsessive. I learned from attempt one I have a bit of a curve on the lower wales plank, so to make the fit easier I modified my plank bending station to roll the fashion piece into a curve over a dowel. I did this having first “stretched” it because my counter was longer/wider/shallower that the plans - really not very much at all, but enough that bending the curve out helped. I would like to add - this worked and other than dipping it in water or wiping on a little water with a wet finger I soaked nothing (at some point I knocked my beer over, but that’s not the point). This advertisement of Chuck’s Plank Bending method brought to you by me. Don’t look too closely at this photo because those planks don’t exist anymore except as a waste of a perfectly good Alaskan tree. I didn’t like the fit (there is a gap at the drop plank, or would be on the next row of planks) and I just wasn’t going to compromise. On a double planked kit I know I could easily make it up with the remaining planking, but here I was concerned it would just compound as I went. The problem, for me, was the alignment of the drop plank extension. First I pushed it up too far, and then let lay down too much which makes the subsequent planks less than a clean run. I figured out, and while this might come as a surprise, to glue it down the way it wants to lay naturally…go figure. easy for you to say. So I ripped off the below wales planks on both sides (you'd think you'd learn the second time but no. And while I was at it, see above on fashion pieces, taking those all off with the rest. I walked upstairs and told my wife - you know how I’ve been working on this ship for the last several days - well I wasn’t because everything I did is gone. At least the frame hadn’t dropped on the floor and exploded again, at least not yet - let’s not think about that… I lightly sanded the entire hull down and will apply a new coat of poly after installing the wales and before moving on to the rest of the planking. I'll be using Admiralty Paints Ironwork Black on the wales. I did a test strip - it both looks fine with wipe-on Poly with a slight satin look or the Poly can be painted over if I want to keep it flat. I'll see when I get there. So, anyway, I arrived to a point where I’m ready to move on. I’ll add the 2nd layer of the wales next then start the process of lining the hull, cutting more sticks, I mean planks. Did I mention I was impressed with myself for ripping the thin 1/32nd (.79mm) thick planks required as the top layer of the wales. I figured I needed 6 but I was having fun so I cut 12. I hope I don’t need them but who knows. On we go.

Thanks. I’m making good progress yesterday and today. Back to photos soon.

Thanks BE, that makes sense. I wasn’t thinking like a fisherman 😊

I was scheduled to be in Southhampton for a cruise to Portugal and Spain this September. We arranged our trip to be there a day early, I pre-purchased tickets to see HMS Victory (and still have the non-refundable tickets). Thanks to Covid, no trip - cruise canceled. I really want to walk aboard HMS Victory, maybe someday. As to the model, I'm sure its amazing but I barely found a place to display Vanguard, so I'll just have to enjoy it through other's build logs.

I’m still here both enjoying and being frustrated by this build. I just ripped off both fashion pieces after staring at them several days and have ripped off planks below the wales more than once, my first drop plank and my desire to do the best possible work hasn’t proven to be a good combination thus far. I’m hoping there is plenty of 3/16ths wood, based on the number of pieces I’ve cut and rejected I'm going to need a lot. To be clear it’s the builder not the model that’s the challenge. Seems everything I do is something I never did for a kit, so I get to learn on the job....good stuff. Here is one recommendation I’ll pass on. My first layer of wales must be a tad low because the fashion pieces, cut exactly to the plans, turned out about 1mm short - which is why I ripped them off to make them longer at the bottom. My counter also needed the fashion piece bent out a little, no two models will be exactly the same. Three months ago I couldn’t rip planks worth a darn, now I’ve ripped 5/32nds at 1/32nd thick, .79mm, which is thin...so yay. So no pictures worth sharing. Patience and perseverance...

Nice work on adding the nets. The location of the chimneys seems peculiar, seems like all the smoke would blow right in the helmsman’s face.

It would be hilarious to put a 1:64 chair on the kitchen counter with a note that says “how many more chairs do we need”

You’re doing a great job. We all make those mistakes. I took off the same plank three times yesterday on Cheerful, just couldn’t get it right. I always try to remember dry-fitting is our friend.

Sand that puppy smooth. The stern looks fine, your ready for the next step

Just ordered it, thanks for the recommendation and review

Lou, My most current logs are Cheerful and Nelson, both linked in my signature line below. Next up for me on Cheerful is below the wales planking, with a single planked hull and scale length planks I’m in for an all new adventure.

My post included the link for Lady Nelson,, just click on the ‘here’ hyperlink. It and my other build logs are also linked in my signature line below. However the.pdf I’m referring to is the one created by Chuck on lining the hull which is linked at the beginning of this thread. Clicking Here should also get you there. Welcome to MSW. One suggestion is to select, by click, hold, and drag, text and then on the quote selection block that appears to generate a reply for things you want to comment on as I’ve done with your reply. It keeps from repeating to much text but also generates a notice to the person you’re asking something of and helps them to follow the question. I use it all the time, easy and quick way to get your questions and comments before the forum. There are lots of great people here ready to help you out. If you haven’t selected your first model I highly recommend Vanguard Models which you can find Here @chris watton is an active member of this site he maintains a thread on MSW with his latest product news Here Chuck Passaro also has great models, they are a bit more advanced, but great to visit and follow Here Find some build logs you like and follow them. I’ve learned a lot of what I know from those logs the rest I learned by doing, screwing it up, re-doing, and doing it again. Hope all this helps, again welcome.

With the .pdf in hand I think this video was especially helpful for me too.

Lou, I’m sorry, just seeing this now. I ported over my Lady Nelson log Here I explained in a little detail about how Chuck’s method worked for me there. I’m about to start below the Wales planking on Cheerful Here (which I started instead of Speedy) so I’ll be using it again soon. Hope you’ve found what you were looking for

If it doesn’t go well that plane can do a few strafing runs.

Incredible work Rusty, the level of detail is amazing.

Thank you! I just try to pass on what I’ve learned from so many on this forum and as a small tribute to my friend Dana that got me started In this hobby years ago 😊

Here we are...just sitting and waiting...money in hand...just need James to finish... just sitting and waiting...😂🤣😂

Hi Bob, I have and use both, my Lady Nelson has satin on the exterior and matte on the interior, for no real reason than that’s what I did. I prefer the matte as a painting base, but I doubt there is any significant difference between the two, I’ve also painted over the satin in the past. My little experiment did prove, at least to me, that water based poly is my preferred base. Yes I do also apply steam but have the iron on the lowest heat level for steam. Here again I’d do it without steam but the little travel iron produces it and I figure it can’t hurt. I let the board sit in the clamps for about a minute after heating and sometimes it takes two heating runs to get the curve I want. I only started this method with my last build, but it makes such a huge difference in my planking I’m only sorry I didn’t find Chuck’s tutorials sooner.

The water based poly effectively is my primer, I don’t think it would cover any char though. I’ve only painted cannon and etched parts with my air brush. I wouldn’t be confident using it on the model or wood in general. Not that you can’t... I think it varies by types and color of paint.

Every stern on every model I’ve ever done has been an adventure, they rarely come out the way the plans show, I have to improvise and adapt to make them work, and have fun doing it. I expected the challenge of the scratch built Cheerful to be no different - but I was wrong. This is probably the first stern that came together just the way it’s supposed to. Not that it was easy and I still had a few challenges, but Chuck’s design, for lack of a more elaborate description, - works as planned. But to be fair I haven’t figured out the square tuck yet, 😂 Reducing the frames in the last post was hold my breath time but wasn’t that hard with the process I described. Then it’s just a matter of planking up the counter. The first plank is a challenge because the counter is curved both in and down. But thanks to my Chuck Passaro plank bending station it’s a problem quickly solved. No way that plank was bending with out some help. The benefit of Chuck’s method is there is no soaking or its potential for warping. Rub a wet finger along the board and the steam travel iron and clamps do the work heating the bent board into shape. If you haven’t tried this method I highly recommend you search out the instructional videos here on MSW and give it a try. I gave a little more information and detail on using this technique in my Lady Nelson log if you’re interested. I’m a CA planking guy, no clamps to hold PVA for me. With the bent plank (and the lower side of each beveled for a tighter fit), a little CA, and 30 seconds of finger pressure… plank complete, on to the next. In no time I was up to the transom and doing some sanding. Here’s a thing to remember - the inward side of the counter is also a final product, it won't be covered, so be neat with the glue. The reverse side result of the beveling looks like Shiplap and adds a little character. It’s a good time to use some sanding sticks on the counter, much easier to get at it than after transom is on. The transom is a little more fun than the counter, having to fit the planks around the stern ports. Since I plan to have these closed I left a little larger rabbit for the port lids to grab onto, I may leave them, or one of them, open - I still have the option later to decide. The third row is fun since it has to be cut to fit over the top fourth of the ports. I elected to use a 7/32nds plank on the top instead of a fourth 3/16ths one. I liked the look better and it gave a little more clearance above the top fo the frames inside. Back to the inside of the transom to sand a little to remove any excess glue. Unlike the natural transom outboard, the inside will be painted red eventually so it doesn’t require extensive effort. I’m glad I sanded and shaped up the stern frames before they were installed, I’d hate to be removing laser char at this stage. I have already learned from building the winch my Cadium Red won’t hide laser char. Eventually I’ll be cutting a hole in here for the rudder, which should provide another hold my breath moment. Now to cut some fashion pieces having only a #11 blade, maybe the jewelers saw to do it. Anyone want to hazard a guess how many I’ll do before I get two I can use? On another note, I ordered a Proxxon MF70 micro mill today - I think Cheerful will provide me some opportunities to learn how to use it since I haven’t the slightest clue, though thanks to Delf for giving me some pointers. MSW is certainly a worldwide resource of talented people.