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I received my kit in the mail yesterday and am about to embark on my build. On opening the kit it was discovered that the aft section of the build board had the end tab broken off. No doubt this happened in shipping. I have attempted a fix and will know tomorrow if it worked, and will then reinforce that area somehow. I have started on the keel and discovered that an hour in the shop seems like 5 minutes. Enjoying myself on my first ever build -
After a false start in which I snapped off the bow extension when removing the bulkhead former from the sheet! Things seem to be going well now. The two sections of the bulkhead former were glued together and the rabbet strip glued in place. The stem pieces and the keel were sanded on their faces to remove laser car but the edges were left unsanded. The treenails were simulated as described by chuck using a 0.5 mm drill and filling with neutral filler. After a coat of wipe-on-polly they were glued to the bulkhead former and fitted well with out the need for fettling. As recommended by Chuck no laser char was remove from the bulkheads and all fitted firmly. Care was taken to retain each one square in all directions. The bow and port filler blocks are added. Next comes, for me, the challenging process of fairing the hull correctly I think I have a way to go yet but trial battens are beginning to look close. I am taking a rest now. I think patience is the key here I am a little concerned about taking too much of the stern as others report it getting too narrow here. John
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Thanks to all of you for your patience over the Holidays. I was busy with family and fun for the last two weeks or so and barely stepped into the workshop. But now I am back at it. I know many of you have contacted me about some some items not in stock but rest assured that over the next two weeks or so they should be ready. I apologize for the delay. I have several sizes of rope and blocks being made as we speak and should be fully stocked very soon. I just finished up a bunch of 3/16" and 1/8" blocks as shown above....1800 of them in the last two days and the image shows them fresh out of the oven. Thanks again for understanding as I was relaxing with some much needed rest and family time. 2016 should be a banner year for us and I will even have a few new products coming out throughout the year. Thanks for your patience..... and thank you for your business..... Serving machines are also now back in stock for those who have asked over the last few weeks. Chuck Syren Ship Model Company www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com -
After seeing Chucks Queen Anne Barge at the NRG conference in St Petersburg (2017) I knew that I wanted to build this one. I have always been drawn to the so called dockyard or admiralty style models. I really like the exposed frames and the ability to see into the ship/boat to see the architectural details. After learning quite a bit on the last build I am moving on to this more complicated kit. The kit was packaged well and has 2 pages of plans and pdf instructions form the website. I do like having paper instructions so printed the pdf's (now I know why Chuck doesn't include them) for a cost yikes. The instructions seem very nice and comprehensive. I also have a few books which talk about this type of craft The Boats of Men of War by W E May, as well as the 17th and 18th Century Ship Models from the Kriegstein Collection. One of the things I thought was interesting was the size of this model. The Pinnace is also 1:24 scale and is much smaller. Now on to sanding the char. Remarkable little on the face so that was a nice find.
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Welcome to the Winnie project. Yes I am starting over again. Many of you might wonder why I would do such a thing. There are several good reasons actually. Let me explain. - About 3 years ago during a flood in my workshop, the 1st Winnie was severely damaged. Although not submerged the humidty and moisture cause the planking at the bow to open up like a banana being peeled back. I did fix it as best I could but I will never be as happy with it now. - It has been a long time since I first designed the project and I have learned a great deal since then. In fact, I have already made numerous adjustments to the design which will make this model easier to build this time around. After watching so many folks build the Confederacy kit, the Syren and yes even watching Rusty build the Winnie alongside me....I was able to identify several key areas as trouble spots. I have since developed new design concepts to make constructing these areas less troublesome and easier all around. - Over the past several years...5 or 6 actually, I have discovered more info and facts about the Winnies appearance appearance. This includes finding the original draft of the Winnie herself. I originally used the drafts of her sisters to make the design. Although very very close, there are differences and I have made all of the required updates. I found this plan in Sweden of all places. I probably could have just continued and nobody would have noticed....but I would have known what the differences were. Better to do it right!!! - Lastly, as all of you know, this will be a commercial project of some sort. Probably like Cheerful with a starter package and many mini-kits. This project is so much larger than Cheerful and a frigate of this size would be very expensive to model. I wanted to ensure that as many folks who want to build her can give it a try. To use Boxwood or Pear for a project of this size would run into the thousands possibly and be very costly to manufacture as laser cut parts. I still do really want to. But some close friends talked me out of it for good reason. Anyway....the new version will NOT be made of Boxwood or Swiss pear. Instead it will be made out of less expensive materials where I could write about the techniques to finish the wood etc. I think it would benefit others to see a scratch model built from something other than costly boxwood and with some care it can look wonderful.
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Bit late to the party but I've taken plunge and ordered laser cut parts for chapters 1 and 2. Plans downloaded and ready to print. Looking at scrollsaws now as costs for laser cut bulkheads plus international shipping would virtually pay for saw (and its a good excuse for a new toy 🙂 ). This is very much a long term project so don't expect fast progress. Have a vanguard models HMS Alert on the go at the moment with a Medway Longboat in early stages too. Cutting bulkheads for Winnie will be a filler project when I want a break from smaller scale stuff. I don't expect to seriously start building until the summer. -
Hi all, I'm starting my build log for the new and improved Winchelsea. I'm looking forward to building her here with everyone. I have yet to decide what woods I will build her in but most likely it will be pear or boxwood. I won't be able to start any real work on her until late September as work intrudes on my shop time this time of year. What little free time I will have I'll be printing and reviewing the plans and monograph and ordering up what supplies I may need. I'll also have the pleasure of living vicariously through all the builds that start before me. -
After much research I am ready to build Chuck Passaro’s @Chuck Revenue Cutter Cheerful 1806. And so it begins... After completing nine kits over the years I am making my first attempt at scratch building. Well, I say scratch building but Chuck’s Cheerful plans, starter kit, wood package, and sub-assemblies along with his instructions and always gracious guidance make it a much easier transition. While I’m a decent kit modeler I’m hesitant to post a build log for Cheerful. There are several outstanding logs already on MSW, some from builders I’ve admired, some I’ve just discovered in searching Cheerful, and of course the master himself, Chuck. I don’t know how I can add anything to what they’ve already done. They do say however every model is unique, I’m pretty sure I’ll prove that... One thing is for sure, I’m going to learn a lot along the way. A good reason for a build log is having the council and support of the MSW community. I’m going to build it to the best of my ability, and I’m certain at the end of the build my ability will be a bit better than when I started. I’ll ask questions and share how I do things, hoping there is something useful for the next builder. I’d like to think my log will be a Cheerful read and not a Surly one (see what I did there…). For proper motivation I ordered a copy of the British NMM plan for Cheerful. I plan to hang it in my shop (next to the NMM plan of Pegasus) once frame shops are open again, whenever that is (Covid shut down for future readers). These plans are wonderful to look at - the fact these drawings turned into a ship and stood the test of time to become today’s model … very cool. We custom built our house, from the very first drawing I had the intent to include room for my model building. The architect didn’t quite get it initially, but the final blueprint has the notation “Ship Room.” We don’t have basements here in Texas due to the soil condition, so it’s fitted into the architecture tucked away on the lower of the three levels. The upside is it’s a nice sized well lit room for building, the down side is that there isn’t a lot of room for machinery, which I don’t have anyway other than the Byrnes saw and sander, so Cheerful, hand tools it is. The tub on the back right is loaded with my Cheerful collection of wood, sub-assemblies, blocks, and rope - ready to become a ship. The first thing was to print off Chuck’s instructions from the website and have them bound in a spiral notebook, something that will always be by my side along with my iPad to cross check what I’m doing with other build logs, So thanks in advance for the good ideas and experiences I’ll find and happily steal, I mean learn from. Next I laid out the frame and keel parts from the starter package and thought wow, there are a lot of bulkheads, and felt just a touch better about my first attempt at single planking. Then I remembered fairing and thought, wow, there are a lot of bulkheads… The starter package didn’t include the rabbet strip (as Chuck says, welcome to scratch building). For some reason I had the perfect 1/8 x 1/16 boxwood strip in my stock, one of the few remaining bits I had from our retired friend Jeff of HobbyMill fame. Then I wasted no time in stealing a good idea, so from BE’s log I used the waste from the hull billet to shape the rabbet strip at the bow, making it easier to install. With the two hull parts joined I glued on the rabbet strip using Tite Bond yellow wood glue, it sets up fast! I pre-positioned my rubber bands but I had to move quickly to center the strip. I have some brass gauges, the 1/16th size allowed me to quickly run the edges to get it centered. Next up, the bearding line, the keel and stem... Looking forward to comments and feedback. My log has begun.
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As my first planking on my Armed Virginia Sloop build fill my time since two weeks, I decided to begin a new build. It allow me to practice a new type of work during this repetitive phase on the AVS build. When I began in this hobby, I was attracted at once by barges. Quickly, my choice was reduced to three models: the 18th Century Longboat from Model Shipways, the english pinnace, an another Model Shipways model and the Queen Anne Barge from Syren Ship Model Company. You will notice that this three models were designed by the same developer : the great master Chuck Passaro. It quickly seemed that the most appropriate choice lived in the Queen Anne Barge. And this for many reasons. At first, this model seem more suited to a modeler having not many experience. Chuck has designed a wonderful kit which contains all the elements necessary to simplify the work of the builder. The barge has only three strakes of planking. Furthermore, all oft he outboard planking has been pre-spiled and two sheets of laser cut planks are supplied, one fort he port and the second fort he starboard side. The second reason form y choice, is the quality of the manual of instructions. Chuck must have been teacher and writer in a previous life… The manual is read as a novel and numerous photos illustrate the very precise explanations. You have only to follow the instructions and all will be fine. The last reason is the quality oft he model. As with his previous model, the Cheerful cutter, Chuck has again designed a ´must to have´ kit. The quality of the laser cut is one of the best currently and the concept of the kit is innovative. Everything is thought to simplify the work of the modelist. The Syren Ship Model Company is, for me, one of the leader in this market and I look forward to the next model… It will be mine too. I have the great fortune to be connected on this forum when Chuck announced the release of the first set of eleven Barge kits. I was lucky because within half an hour everything was sold… One week later, my precious was at home. Another indication of the seriousness of the Syren Ship Model Company. But now it's time for the build You just notice that I used a piece of scrap 1/32" basswood to help me to center the two pieces on the top of the keel. So I have better luck that these two pieces have a regular 1/32" lip on both sides. For the rest, I just follow carefully the Chuck instructions... It will be time to prepare the frames.
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Hi So I'm going to go ahead and start a build log of the Winchelsea, It will based off Chuck's designs with a few modifications of my own. My main reason for building her is because she was once captained by Pellew and I intend in the future to build another of his ships, a 1:48 fully framed model of the 44 gun Razee Indefatigable and it would be great to have both models together in the same scale. I will not be planking in AYC as I have a goodly stock of Castello Boxwood and prefer it on a model of this size, also stem/stern framing and keel will be of Swiss Pear with other wood highlights, maybe I will use the cedar on things that wont be seen easily and use the fruitwood gel stain that Chuck has discovered to blend it with the boxwood to minimize usage. I did purchase the Bulkheads and starter packages from Chuck and will certainly be buying his cast resin set when they are available. The first job I have started while waiting for planking to dry on Pegasus is to make a new build board for this "BIG" ship, it will be approx 38" long without rigging and will need good support while framing, planking and finishing, so I decided to go and buy another 'cheap' 5foot workbench from Harbor Freight for $100 and modify it to suit. First it was put together and lift casters added so that I can quickly move and spin the bench whichever way I need it. Second was to add 4-foot T-tracks and a nice large 1/2" MDF buildboad to the top. Third was to install the keel and bulkhead former holders ready for the backbone. The 4 drawers are great for holding parts/tools and the bottom shelf for materials which keeps an entire build together on one table instead of being spread about my workshop. Here is looking forward to an interesting build and I should start on the bulkheads later this week. ben -
I have been catching up wit the group build. I discovered moths after it went life. I have been following your progress and has been quite useful. So far I have not manage to get my self in trouble thanks to your posts. I put to good use my coping saw and got a slay from Hobby Tools to ensure the structure will be straight. -
Hi everybody, after finishing the Queen Anne-barge, I am quite excited to join in the Winchelsea project. Yesterday I got started, printing all the plans and cutting the first plywood peaces for the bulkheads. I use 6 mm birch plywood (the heavy one) and made the main part out of one Peace (not 3 peaces like the laser-cut Version) Matthias -
Took my time deciding whether or not to attempt a build log but for better or for worse here goes. When I first came across the Winchelsea on Chuck’s website I thought it to be well above my skill level but after reading the logs and being encouraged by the helpful attitude of folk on this forum I decided to “give it a go”. Being a couple of months away from finishing my current project, it gives me time to start squirreling away some of the items that will be required. At the moment I have two parcels on their way from Chuck and Jim Bynes is in the process of building one of his table saws for me hopefully it should be here by Christmas. Thats it for now, I will keep you posted on progress as I know I will need all the help I can get. -
Hello everyone, I've gone and done it.!! Bought the plans, set up the build log, printed the bulkhead patterns. Just don't know where I'm going to find the time or space for this one though. Thanks for having me 👍😀 -
Hi all, just got my first parts from Chuck/Syren, and excited to find this group build for a transition towards ‘all scratch’! cheers- Scott -
I actually started this build in April 2018 having had a few sidetracks along the way. Fortunately I had taken some build progress photos at various stages, as I am currently at the point of finishing the deck fittings, but that will be for a future post. This is my first attempt at a plank on frame model having only built solid hull kits from either Model Shipways or Bluejacket in the past. I consider myself a novice, at best, but I am extremely fortunate to be a member of the Ship Model Society of New Jersey and have had much help and guidance from the members along the way. Special thanks to Stuntflyer, TomShipModel, Kurt Johnson, and Chuck for there everlasting patience with a novice. With that said, here goes nothing ... Using the laser cut out as a template for the bend, I have a glass sheet that I use for insuring things are flat, the log wedges were the heaviest thing I had around at the time. You can't have enough of these small bar clamps in my opinion The peg board above was made to help with bends. The pegs are removable and can be positioned in various positions to get a desired bend. (I ended up using a very different method when it came to making plank bends.) I stole this cradle design from Kurt J. who was also building Cheerful. His is much cleaner and precise. -
I have never attempted a build log, but I think I will attempt one for Chuck’s Cheerful project. After partially completing 7 kits none of which are finished I found this opportunity to get away from the constraints of the kit building process. I also can avoid the rigging process that I must eventually tackle … but that for another day. The kit builds that are on hold are Kate Cory whaling brig, New Bedford whale boat, Bounty, Cutty Sark, Bounty Launch, Glad Tidings Pinky schooner, and Niagara Brig, Some are to the point of my dreaded rigging process. I am certain I’ll finish them if I live that long (72 years now). I recently received Chuck’s Keel and Bulkhead kit. Incredible quality! Five sheets of 1/4 inch plywood perfectly flat and skillfully cut. I could not be more pleased. I also received the plans Choosing to attempt scratch building the Cheerful Cutter I can work in a larger scale and attempt a simpler rigging. So on to the Cheerful build…… -
Welcome to my Winchelsea build which will be done alongside Hayling. It will be based on Chuck's version II design. I have chosen to build the ship mainly from Cherry. It will be a P.O.B. model, using the laser cut parts and mini-kits that Chuck will offer. This will be a fun build for me and I'm looking forward to the many challenges that are ahead. The build starts with making the Knee of the Head from Chuck's laser cut kit. Cherry, being a softer wood than Boxwood, cuts somewhat cleaner and the pieces fit together quite nicely. Only a gentle scraping with a #11 blade was needed to remove the loose char. I used a #2b pencil to darken all the joints (optional) which were then joined with Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Glue. No clamping was necessary. The upper area from the stem down to the forward edge of the bobstay piece was gradually tapered from 3/16" to 3/32". The bobstay holes and gammon slot edges were softened as well. Mike -
Yes! I am excited about this. I am fairly new to the ship model scene and have only completed one ship to date, the HMS Victory - my first model. Although I paid a premium for the model, it did come with exceptional instructions, which were a life saver. Thankfully, I found the hobby to be 100% relaxing and enjoyable. When laying the billion copper tiles one by one on the Victory I would find myself entranced and awake hours later having cut, shaped, attached a hundred or so in one sitting. Did not expect it to have this effect on me. Although it took me the better part of two years, I did complete the HMS Victory and have had it on display...it may not be professional grade, but it sure is a show piece and I get excited whenever a visitor walks up to it and I see how hard it is for them to resist touching the thing. Well, I have since been working on the USS Constitution and this time around I find myself modifying, upgrading, adapting the model as often as my knowledge and skills allow. Now that I am nearing the rigging stage on the Constitution I figured it was time to look for a new challenge when...what do you know...I found the HMS Winchelsea. I started buying rigging and blocks from Syrene for the Constitution so it was inevitable that I come across this. Although I can not start into it for another few weeks, I am eager to get going and am going to try to scratch build as much as possible. I will be lurking around everyone's builds and asking lots and lots of questions. Of course, always here to offer what little that I have experienced and know as well as keeping this build log up to date as best as possible. -
This is the first time I’ve ever blogged and I’m new to the MSW forum and model boat building so I ask for your patience. I’m sure I’ll screw something up! Considering the incredible work I see from so many members, I’m sure I’ll get more out of this than those reading my notes. Where to begin. I was born in NYC. Lived there and in the Bronx in my early years. After college I married and my wife and I moved to New Rochelle in Westchester County. Yes, that New Rochelle. First epicenter for COVID! Seventeen years ago we decided after a lifetime we had enough of city living and moved 3 ½ hours north of NYC to Cambridge, NY, a small farming community in Washington Cty. We are half way between Saratoga Springs and Manchester, Vt. about 6 miles from the Vermont border. I come from a family of journalists. Father, uncles, cousins. My dad was a foreign correspondent for Italian TV and magazines. At 15 I picked up a camera and began shooting sporting events with him. He covered auto racing extensively which was my passion and over the years I specialize in that subject. I worked my way through college with my photography and the day I graduated I was hired as head photographer for a union in NYC. For the next 12 years I traveled extensively shooting film and photo assignments for the union as well as freelancing. But I started to get burned out from the traveling. While in Phoenix covering an Indy car race I went to see an exhibit of the Cowboy Artists of America at the Heard Museum. That was the moment I decided to put down the camera and try my hand at painting. It was a totally insane thing to. We had a house (re: mortgage!), a young son and no experience or training in painting. So what could go wrong!? The wife gave me her blessing and years later I’m still painting. If anyone is curious about my paintings visit www.adriano-art.com I’ve always been fascinated with miniatures. I remember many years ago drooling over a Fabergé egg collection at the Forbes building in NY. I can still see the Gerald Wingrove model car at the home of a collector. Needless to say model ships were the thing I enjoyed the most. We’d visit Mystic Seaport quite often and I’d spent time admiring the collection. I’d stock up on back issues of Ships n’ Scale and read them cover to cover. My wife is from Italy and during a trip to visit her family and my relatives many years ago I bought an enormous model kit of the HMS Victory. Had no clue. What did I know!? I managed to get the bulkheads together. Even though I read and speak Italian the nautical terminology made it very difficult. Then work got in the way and it sat for years. I eventually tossed it in the fireplace. Big mistake! But I did keep all the parts that came with the kit. I finally decided to get a subscription to S n’ S and was disappointed to find out it had just gone out of business. But I discovered the Nautical Research Guild and became a member. My first kit two years ago was a Chesapeake Skipjack followed by a kit of the Sultana. As I’m sure many of us do while we are building a boat we are already dreaming about the next one. Whenever I went onto the forum, I’d end up looking at the vendor section. I was intrigued by Syren and Chuck Passaro boats. One in particular seemed like a fun challenge and so I went ahead and started the Cheerful. A friend says it takes chutzpah to go from a simple kit to the Cheerful. Last year I went for the first time to the model ship show in New London, Ct.. Wow! I met Chuck, got to see his latest creation and drooled over the models. And wouldn’t you know it there was a finished Cheerful gem on display! It was breathtaking. Sorry I didn’t get the name of the builder. I think Chuck’s practicum is excellent. And he’s always there to answer my stupid questions. The thing I love is he gives you just enough info so you have to think it through to solve the problem yourself. When I heard about plans for the HMS Winchelsea I knew I had to try and build it. When the plans became available I downloaded them. The Cheerful is coming along and I’ve posted 2 photos of it. I was anxious to see how the treenail process Chuck described would work. It was outstanding! I discovered in my box of pencils and pens that a BIC 0.7mm HB#2 pencil was the perfect size to darken the drilled hole which made the process go quickly. I did go through a few #78 drill bits at first though till I got the hang of it. So while working on Cheerful I started the Winny. I dug up a 5/4” cherry board I had in the barn and had a friend run it through his wood planer till it was perfectly flat. I put the cherry on top of a ¼” thick piece of glass and clamped them to the table. This gave me what I hope is a nice flat surface to build on. Chuck recommends light plywood for the bulkhead former and bulkheads. It was frustrating to find flat, decent, light ply so out of desperation I bought a few sheets of birch plywood from Lowes. Spent some time to find the best sheets and bought a few extra to make sure I had enough. I downloaded and printed the bulkheads at 100%. A few times I did forget to set print scale at 100% and ended up having to re-cut a few bulkheads which were obviously the wrong size. I cut them out on my band saw, sanded them and hit the edges lightly to get rid of the rough edges. Yes, it is definitely a harder wood and it will require more work to sand but I just gave up trying to find decent light ply that wouldn’t bankrupt the project. I’ll look around for a small electric sander and maybe sand some edges of the fore and aft bulkheads before I glue them. Since I was also working on the Cheerful (and I did have to spend some time in the studio working!) I knew the pieces of ply would be sitting around for some time. I had 2 more sheets of ¼” glass so I evenly spaced the pieces in between the pieces of glass and placed some weights on the top. This kept them flat and when I took a few out to cut they were perfectly flat. The surprise came when I cut, sanded and joined the bulkhead formers! Holy c@#p! This was one large model. My wife had a good laugh when she saw it. She looked at the Cheerful and the Winny and was sure I had gone crazy. But it didn’t seem so big on Chuck’s table at the show! Who knows if I’ll live long enough to finish it! I haven’t glued the bulkheads on yet since I have to attach the rabbet strips first. I also have to figure out the best way to make sure the bulkheads are perfectly aligned. I did have a few issues in the very beginning when I started gluing bulkheads of the Cheerful. I decided to build both the Cheerful and Winny out of Yellow Cedar and love the finish after a few coats of Minwax Wipe-on-Poly. I acquired the knee of the head set from Syren and assembled it. I learned to go back and re-read a few chapters ahead to know what’s coming and to make sure that I won’t be surprised by something. I’m taking my time and do things right. No rushing. Patience has never been my strong suit and my wife is surprised how the builds have pushed me to be more patient. If there’s a problem I take my time to work through it. The wonderful plans and directions from Chuck help. Building these boats really got the juices flowing so last year I decided to build a real boat. Always wanted to try it. So I built a 12’ skiff. What do I know about building a boat? Ha! What a dumb question. It’s that chutzpah thing again. I admit I had some guidance from a friend who grew up on the north shore of Long Island, NY and has been building and restoring duck boats and sail boats since he was a kid. He’s a retired DEC biologist and lives ten minutes away and was really helpful. I’m waiting for a trailer to be finished and look forward to getting out to do some fly-fishing on the lakes in the area. That boat got done a whole lot sooner than the little ones! -
Current status of the long boat is “under the unfinished Swift”. Made some progress this weekend with the other cabin and bulwarks but I am reminded of how far I have come in hull building, and how far I need to go for rigging. The swift uses “torture the wood and do a second planking” technique and I am really looking forward to the better way to plan on the longboat. -
I'm on board too. This is the first message of my log on the Medway Longboat build. Impatient to learn new techniques. Sure it will be very rewarding. -
After several months collecting parts and tools and finishing other projects, I’ve started my Winchelsea. There are some truly stunning build logs here that I’ve been following closely, and I must admit that I’m a bit intimidated. Between these logs, Chucks tutorials, and members help and suggestions I’m pretty excited to get underway and give it a go. Anyway, off to the races............ Don -
I have started my Winnie journey. Guys looking at pictures don’t really get how big this girl is. WOW! I ordered Chuck’s Laser cut bulkheads, former and Chapter One and Two components. Here is a shot of the bulkheads. -
If I press this button will I, I wonder, open a new build log
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