CaptMorgan

Although time has been limited for me for working on the model, I have been making progress.   I have finalized the way I will do the deadeye strops and chainplates.   These are all laser cut and makes life a lot easier.  Once designed the actual construction time was non-existent.   It took seconds to add the strops.  
 
This was just a test run but an improved version of those I developed for the Winnie.  They really do just slip right on.
 

There will be two sizes of deadeyes and strops.  The chainplates will all be the same more or less.  They are laser cut and 1/16" wide and about the thickness of was brass straps would have been.  You must do a little bit of work on the straps but not much.  The hole for the little brass pin must be drilled through the bottom of the strap.  I used a "67 drill bit.  Its acrylic so this was so much easier than drilling through brass.  At the top of the strap there is a little "hook" shaped on the end.  This will fit into the bottom of the strop after the deadeye is placed on the channel.  The width is 1/16" as I mentioned which is a tad wide for the hook to fit in the strop bottom.  So this was filed narrower on both sides.  This was done just at the "hooked" part of the strap which fits into the strop which you can see above.  They are cut from black acrylic so no need to blacken but you may want to weather them a bit to "metalize" them in appearance.
 
This is what they will ultimately look like on this sectional model which was really fun to make of the Speedwell.  The deadeyes are my new resin 3D printed ones.  These are the color of Swiss Pear.  I will be using these on my model.  You can see how nicely the straps and strops worked out. Also have a look at those molding strips on this sectional model.   The fancy molding.  This was a new test and also laser cut.  I will be using them on the sectional model projects.


The inboard side.   The entire sectional test is completed.  I just have to add and rig one cannon.  That was the whole purpose of this mini-model.  It is to be used to help teach building techniques for cannon carriages and the their rigging.   My local club members in NJ will be using it as a quick and hopefully fun group build as a tech session taught by me.  It should be fun.  There will also be some gun crew figures added.   

This is a close up of the molding test.  I know how some guys hate creating scrapers to make their own molding.  This will save the guys a lot of time.  I am thinking about offering these as stand along optional moldings for the big project as well.  Or for any model really.  There are three profiles.   1/16", 3/32" and 1/8" wide.   All three are 1/32" thick.   They are laser cut on Syrenite.  They can be used as is but I do recommend sanding the top and bottom edges to soften them and round them off.  Although the color as is looks great.  I like to enhance it by wiping some Gel Stain on them and then wiping it off.   It settles into the grooves and help highlight the profile.  It deepened the color a bit as well.  You know...just like I handle making the carved resin figurehead and stern figures look like boxwood.   It takes about 2 minutes to do.  Then wipe off the excess.   The more coats the deeper the color depending on your preference.  I think folks might like the option to buy these molding strips regardless of the project.  So expect soon.   But let me know if you are interested as I wont waste material and time if there is little interest.  Volutes and scrolls should be easy to add to this line of products as well although every model uses a different size scroll-work.  So maybe I have to thing about that.  It can also be painted and as I said sanded easily.  

 

Another small update,
although the manual shows stern framing first,
but since bulkhead extensions are critical
and fragile, I decided to start framing the gun ports first.
The longitudinal pieces are cut full length, which
should make for a nice smooth run, assuming all the bulkheads are properly aligned.
I started at main gundeck level with STBD 1 UP.
Each port also has its own template.
So I'll use them to check the height before gluing the top piece STBD 2.
 
 

When chapter 5 comes out.  All of you guys building the model will get a complimentary figure to show scale.  I will randomly select one of these and include it in your order for that chapter.
 

Except for rigging the anchors and stowing the ship's boats on their davits, all the running rigging I will be doing is done on the United States. Here I have finished the braces, and the fore and main yard clue and sheet lines. The ship's boats are next.

Last elements before starting with the masting: the nets of the gangways.
I used a cardboard holder of a suitable size, threading very thin cotton thread diagonally between the cuts and then using another thread in the opposite direction by tying knots in it
 

I've temporarily placed all the QD beams except the one on the transom. They've been numbered for removal as and when required 
Need to double check for a smooth run with a plank
Time is limited because of work but I manage to work on Winnie now and then, so please bear with me.
Cheers

@jdbondy
Yes, the Paasch is really very helpful for translating old nautical terms.
I can therefore recommend it.
 
Continued: Fore yard – Bowlines / Boulines
Since I don't equip my corvette with sails, the question inevitably arose as to how the bowlines are attached. Originally, I intended to simply tie the bowlines around the yard, like on the original Paris model, without bridles. Since I was naturally interested in how bridles work, the next question arose: What happens to the bowline bridles when the sails are taken down?
I found the answer to this question in K. Schrage's book – Rundhölzer, Tauwerk und Segel – on page 144. There, you can see an illustration of how the bridle legs are attached to the yard with timber hitches when the sails are taken down.

Source: K. Schrage – Rundhölzer, Tauwerk und Segel – p. 144
 
Since I find this arrangement very logical, I decided to show it this way for my model. Regarding the number of bridle shanks, I'm guided by the monograph, as diverse variations can be found in relevant contemporary illustrations.
I intend to implement the bowline bridles as in the original, using real eye splices. The bowline bridles in the foreyard had a diameter of 19 mm (1:48: ø 0.35 mm – 2 x 3 Kimono Japanese silk yarn). Splicing the thin ropes is now very easy.

In order to finally attach the bowline, I still had to tie the guide blocks to the bowsprit, as shown in the next picture.

I'm also currently working on the correct mooring of the running rigging.
But more on that soon.
To be continued...

Fancy Molding and the Frieze - Starboard Side
 
Work on the starboard side is completed.  I tried to keep a good symmetry between port and starboard. Here are some pictures:
 

 
 

Anchor Lining
 

 
I found that using individual planks worked better for me.  It allows more accurate positioning with respect to the hull planking and it is easier to conform with the hull curvature. Here use of CA glue helped a lot to maintain individual planks in position while being slightly bent to follow the hull curvature. 
 
This completes chapter 3.  While waiting for future chapters, I plan to do a bit more work that requires no laser cut parts (transom and some framing) to keep the project going.  
 
 

Update for the past week is that I completed the first layer of the Wales on both sides.  I'm pretty satisfied with how they turned out.  I started with the port side and made some mistakes especially up by the bow.  Starboard side turned out better but not perfect, I'm happy the instructions had me start with the Wales and that they are double-layered to allow me to make some small mistakes that I'll be able to cover up. 
 
I started off placing the battens again to double check the line,  I also created some gauges out of card stock to represent the total width of all the strakes at various points along the hull so I could see if the run of the battens was even from side to side.
 

 
Again, I found that using the least number of pins produced a nice smooth run for the batten.
 

 
I'm following Chuck's method of planking for this model based on the video he did including the way that he deals with shaping the planks for an edge set.  I picked up a little hobby iron that's only about 2" x 3" and tried it out on a scrap piece before starting with the lowest strake of the Wales.
 

 
I used this technique to edge-set the lower strake around the bow and it worked well.  The first mistake I made was doing the same thing for the 2nd and 3rd strakes on the port side and over-compensated for the needed curve.  This caused some problems in getting these strakes to fit.  On the starboard side, I used the lower strake to act as a guide and used a little water and heat from the iron while holding the strake in place on the hull.  This seems to work better for less aggressive curves.
 
Port side, the light showing through the strakes at the bow is in fact a very thin spot after sanding.  The changes in levels of the strakes is now no more than 1/64 of an inch and I stopped sanding before I completely broke through the strake.  I'll likely back up these areas with some scrap on the inboard side and the second layer of the Wales will cover it up.
 

 
Starboard side turned out a little better.  On average, got the stakes about 1/64 inch closer to fair prior to sanding.
 

 
I'm pleased with where the run of the Wales landed against the lower counter.  I over-faired the lower corners of the lowest strake of the counter.  Pretty sure this will be covered later on.
 

 

 
I'm going to paint the gun ports prior to adding the 5th 7/32 strake (black stake) above the Wales.
 
I'm really loving working with the yellow cedar.  All my past experience has been using basswood for planking, the yellow cedar is much easier to work with.  It's just a little more durable but still very forgiving.
 
I'm at a stand-still tonight.  Some how my paint brushes have moved themselves and I cannot locate them.  I'm sure they are in a perfectly obvious place once I find them...
 
Steve

The Stern Lights
 
The build continues. There was no particular issues with the stern lights. The fit is very tight and it cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to use the blanks provided when building the transom. The image below shows the result. (A good dusting of the windows will be needed).
 

 
Inboard Sheer Planking and Final Cap
 
Inboard planking is straightforward using the pre-cut planks provided. Before gluing them on I had to do a light inboard sanding to insure a final width of 1/4" of the hull at the sheer. With the inboard planking in place, a light sanding of the sheer line using the long sanding stick described in the instructions was done to insure that the final cap was horizontal.  Once in place, I sanded the final cap to get nice joints and no irregularities. I found important to reduce the width of the cap in the waist section as much as possible so that the last 1/8" fancy molding is flush to the cap. 
 
Fancy moldings and the frieze
 
The fancy moldings were scraped using a razor blade. For the lower molding I chose a very simple profile that mimics that of the quarter badge as shown here. 
 

For the upper molding I used a slightly more detailed profile. As discussed above and in the instructions , it is important that this upper molding meets the final cap at the waist. This requires making slight adjustments to the frieze width to account for the cap thickness and width of your final strakes. In my case I printed the frieze at a 110% magnification to get a nice fit. 


 

The above photos also show the fancy moldings at the drifts. I found the char marks on those can be lightened slightly by soaking in water and brushing. The anchor lining was then added. I found I got a nicer fit using individual strakes rather than the one laser piece provided. 
 
Need to complete the starboard side now in anticipation of chapter 4.
 
 
 

I finished the figurehead:
 










 

After a break, I started to prepare and set up the figurehead; everything is still provisional, I don't like it very much, I had to remove some details to make room for the bowsprit, but I'm going ahead and I hope it will be more presentable.
 

Main studding sail booms:
 






 
 
 

more pictures:
 









 

The billboard, bolster and lining:
 










 

Hey guys, I’ve been working on the wing transoms today and I have both sides complete, a few revisions were required but it all went together pretty well except for the vertical fillers, they are a pain but they turned out decent.
 
first we start with the inner post as seen below. It should fit nice and tight up to the deadwood, keel and the top of the bulkhead former. Note that it is .25” and is supposed to be thinner than the keel

next is the second inner post piece, again same deal as the first one but also double check that it aligns with the wing transom cut outs on the former. Production model kits will be different than mine at the top of this piece as I revised that uppermost wing transom to have receivers for the post and the former. 

you can now start with the upper most wing transom which is .1875” and requires a slight bend, so use a heat gun and give it a little arc. Please pay attention when you glue it, that it’s not glued to the transom jig, there are receivers in the jig to hold this piece in place but only glue it to frames 52 and the inner post slots.  Also note that you will need to bevel the transoms to run parallel with the angle of the inner post

above you can see one of them in place before i beveled it. Also note that I dry fit them all before glueing and actually installed from the bottom up that way I could see the fit from the top.

after they are all dry fit and in place you can begin glueing.
once they are all solid you can work on the vertical fillers. I’ve given you an angle indicator line but there’s also the angle of the deadwood. This is a big sand and test and sand and test again job until you get them right.

after this is all dry we are going to sand the bejesus out of this part so fair everything up. There’s a ton of extra material on those wings so you have room to work. 



the 5 lower wings are all parallel but the upper three, two have a bend in the top and the third one down (#6) angles down. This is shown in the painting and the framing plan. You can see it in this last photo. 

Now that the stern frames all work I can move on and finish the port forward frames, from there I can begin fairing up the hull which will be a monumental task, pear certainly doesn’t sand like AYC. Once the hull is faired I will run two strakes from the garboard up and two from the main wale down. Once the ports are framed and the planking from the wales up are complete this will pretty much conclude the first chapter of the build.

JJ
 
  Quote Quote selection
 

Placeholder for the kit instructions of the Speedwell Battle station.  The kit will be given away at the Joint Clubs show this Saturday.  But I will be heading up a group build at out local club in New Jersey.  The goal for our small club was to create a teaching mini kit to help describe one method for doing three things.   I will also be distributing a bunch of these small kits here on MSW.
 
-Building a cannon carriage with a jig
 
-Rigging a cannon with a simplified approach
 
-Painting small figures for your ship models.
 
The last tech group tech session will require a separate set of instructions for the group to be made later.
 
Mono
SpeedBattleStationInstructions.pdf
Plan sheet
joint clubs.pdf
Material list
list materials.pdf
 
I have been asked by so many people to NOT make this a limited edition kit at all.... and because it would be a great opportunity for other local clubs to also use it as a group build.   I havent decided yet.  Same is true with doing a group project here at MSW because this is something that wont take several years to finish and it is a very quick project.   Plus it has three main points of teaching that is commonly asked about by new and intermediate builders.  Granted this is just one approach to doing them all.  But it would be interesting to see some of the other approaches.  The instructions attached contain a very detailed step by step for rigging the cannon because that was one of the main focuses for my club group build.   The kit also contains a jig for making the gun carriage.
 

 
 

A quick update.  Yesterday I received the brass name plates I had custom made for me.  They're not permanently fixed to the base yet.  The small one gives a shout out to my dad who got me into modeling as a kid, and always has been my biggest cheerleader when I showed him what I was building.  The name plates are a little hard to see in the photos with the Cheerful mounted.  The photos are taken in front of a window, so are backlit.  The ship will be displayed on the opposite wall, so the base won't be shaded, and the plates will be easy to read.  My next steps now are to get the shelf and mounting hardware, and get that built.
 
Erik
 

Treenailing
 
This step was faster than anticipated. I used a no. 78 bit and 10 lb. monofilament. The fishing line used is burnt orange, which softens the contrast with the yellow cedar planking. I found that for this repetitive task it is better to work in short sessions. After a half hour of marking, drilling, etc. it easy to loose concentration and make mistakes. Better to stop and return to it later...I inserted the fishing line directly into the drilled hole. It was a tight fit and no glue needed. 
 
Completing the Planking
 
The final two strakes and drifts were added next.  This is again fairly straightforward. The only tricky step here is to cut holes in the planks where the sheaves are positioned. Shaping and gluing the drift at the bow is also a bit tricky since it is above the rabbet. Here are a couple of views. 
 

 

in these shots you can see that WOP was applied up to the 1/8" stakes and that the second layer of the wales was completed. I decided to paint the wales before gluing them on. I used Admiralty Matt (Metal) Black, which I always use for wales, spars, etc. Applied in several dilute coats it produces a superb finish. Finally, I dare to show a front view of the bow. 
 

The overall result is not too bad. The strakes are slightly pointing upwards at the bow, which suggests insufficient fairing close to the stem. There are small strake height variations from starboard to port. Fortunately, a lot of this will be hidden when additional elements are added at later stage of the build. 
 
Preparing the qbadges and fancy moldings
 
For these, I used the fruitwood gel stain method. 

I am more or less happy with the result. The staining is not uniform and a showing too much orange shades and build up in some areas (stain too old?).  I will experiment with IPA to see if the coloring and uniformity can be improved before I glue those on the model. I welcome suggestions here.
 

I’ve completed the aft frames 44-52, these frames are not perpendicular to the bulkhead former and require tapering at the bottom and a slight angle that progressively increases as the frames get closer to the stern.

First the laser cut deadwood needs to be tapered. this can be achieved by attaching a 1/4” scrap piece to the stern of the bulkhead former 

this will establish where the inner stern post will sit on the deadwood so you know where to sand to.
The same is done where the deadwood meets the keel and frame 43B. Except you will need to sand it slightly below the line at the keel so you have a rabbet for a plank to land on

I sanded it down to shape but left material for final fairing of the hull once completely framed 

once attached you can begin the frames. Two frames will fit on each step and require tapering at the bottom, the taper will be provided in the instructions, try to get the as close as possible 

Begin framing aft at frame 44A, all the full frames are A’s and the short ones B. I installed all the A frames first and then completed the B frames afterward, it’s much easier to correctly fit them in this order.

you can see above, frame 46B going in, once the bottom is correctly tapered it’s just a matter of sanding and test fitting until the B frame fits snug.

Once all the aft frames are complete it’s time to move to the wing transoms. Frames 52 A and B have landings for the wings etched into them

The wing transoms range from 3/16 to 9/32 in thickness and they are all numbered from 7 at the top down to 1 At the lowest .
A quick test fit  of the #6 wing transoms appears to fit well. Keep in mind there will be a ton of sanding in this area once these are all installed, especially around 52B.

Next up is the completing all the wing transoms and the vertical timbers above the deadwood.
Thanks for looking in
JJ

Just  a small update.
 Today I redesigned the cant frames and installed them, I’m pretty happy with the results, although more sanding is required, the initial sanding just revealed it’s not a complete disaster and I can move on lol.
 
now I’ll continue aft towards the stern where the real fun begins. 
 

Back to work on Portland prototype 2.0. The framing continues on  the port side. Sand char, glue and repeat. Should have all the perpendicular frames done this evening. More updates to come soon!
 
JJ

Here's on update on the first stage of the gun port framing.
 
Spent a few hours comparing the run of the batten on port vs. starboard and got the two sides as equal as possible. 
 

 
I got the best results (smoothest run) by using the least number of pins possible and allowing the batten to do the work.  In most cases it wanted to follow the marks on the bulkheads in a fair curve.
 

The image above shows the largest mismatch I have with the mark on the second to last bulkhead.  Not sure where this came from. 
 

 
Working on adding the port sills.  I've found that small spring clips make good temporary supports for the sills.  I can take my time getting the height exactly where I want it and then rely on the clips to control the position when gluing.  Looks like I have at least a week of work remaining to complete the gun port framing.
 

 
Steve

I hit what I consider a major milestone.  I finished all the woodwork on my Cheerful today!  A big accomplishment considering I started work on this model over 9 years ago!  Admittedly with a 6 1/2 year hiatus . . .  After my years long break, I started working on Cheerful daily again in August 2023. 
 
The last wooden bits to finish were the entryway stanchions and the anchors.  The stanchions were turned on my Dremel from 1/16" square stock.  These were straight forward, and very similar to turning the belaying pins in the Dremel.  All 4 are close to identical, but later on when I mount them I'll use pairs on each side that match one another the most closely.  The anchors were made from Chuck's mini kit.  These were pretty straight forward as well.  Since wood is representing the iron of the anchors, I used 1000 grit sand paper to finish the surface to remove any trace of wood grain before painting.  I carefully sanded any sharp edges slightly to give a realistic cast iron look.  I thinned the paint more than I usually do to avoid any hint of brush strokes.  The pudenning on the rings at the top of the anchors was a real pain in the rear to do!   I didn't have any .008" brown rope on hand (since it's not listed on the Cheerful rope list, I hadn't bought any).  I did have some brown thread I had bought at a craft store for seizings way back when I built my Longboat, that turned out to be too big for that use.  It measures in at around .007" diameter, so it's the right size.  Once the pudenning was done the thread was a bit fuzzy so I wet it with thinned white glue and pressed it tight with my fingers.  That did the trick.  The pudenning isn't my best work, but the anchor rings turned out acceptable, all things considered.   Lastly I lightly applied dark rust weathering powders to the stanchions and painted parts of the anchors to enhance the iron look.
 
The last photo below shows all the woodwork completed.  I realize it's not the norm to complete all the woodwork before starting any of the rigging.  One of the main reasons I did this is the ship is still compact in size at this point, before adding the bowsprit, mast, etc.  My space is very limited, so rather than start the rigging now, my next steps are actually to figure out what I'm going to do for a shelf.  I know the location in my house of where the Cheerful will live.  I just need to actually get the shelf acquired/built first, so I have somewhere off my desk to put a partially rigged ship if need be.  While I'm at it, I also want to figure out what I'm going to do for a permanent display base, and get that built too.  The ship is already fragile enough, so I don't want to be trying to fit a base to the ship when it's fully rigged.
 
Erik