HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 by Erik W - 1:48 scale

[Erik W]

I reached a huge milestone on my Cheerful build yesterday.  With the completion of the winch, I'm now finished with the inboard details and fittings and ready to start with the bowsprit, mast, spars, and rigging.  It's taken 15 months of daily work to get from where I had finished the exterior planking to here.  So in celebration, after a morning of touch up, and careful dusting, here are a ton of photos.  Haha.  The top photo is roughly where I picked up 15 months ago after a 6 1/2 year break.  I've spent time since my last post making the winch from scratch, and the bowsprit step (which is not yet glued down) from Chuck's mini kit.  I built the bowsprit step first to get the shape of the top of the timber heads and then copied those on the winch, so they'd look the same.  The last photo is my humble little work area.  To all those contemplating a Cheerful build, all the tools I've used fit in about a 3rd of the pictured plastic tool box, so you don't really need much, besides time, to embark on this project.

 

Erik

Edited December 15, 2024 by Erik W

[Seventynet]

Absolutely gorgeous!  

[alde]

Erik, she looks fantastic. I'm really looking forward to watching her go vertical. I'm a little apprehensive about doing the masts and rigging on my Glad Tidings. I'll watch your masting and rigging with great interest. 

[Thukydides]

She really does look lovely Eric.

[Erik W]

Thanks for the kind words guys, and the likes.  Al, I'm also a bit apprehensive about the mast, spars, and rigging.  I'm currently sloooooowly making progress on the bowsprit.

 

Erik

[Nirvana]

Erik, that work of yours is so amazing.
I know I have experience with model building, but some of you guys are certainly taking it to another level.

Very nice work!

[Erik W]

I've been working on the bowsprit.  I'm done shaping it.  The plan was to shape what would be the round part into an octagon, which I did, and then turn it in my power drill.  I didn't think ahead though, so didn't leave  extra material on the square end to chuck into the drill.  So I wound up just clamping the square end onto a table and doing what I've seen referred to as the shoe-shine method with 150 grit and then 400 grit sandpaper.  Removing material and then re-clamping the bowsprit 1/4 turn and repeating.  I tapered the bowsprit to the dimensions taken from the plans (it's hard to tell in the photo since the tapered part is in the foreground of the photos).   I then used files to reduce the bow end to a smaller diameter and cut in the sheeve.  I used a #11 blade to make the round holes in the aft end square.  I dry fitted the bowsprit this morning.  This was a slow progress of slowly removing material from the hole in the bulwarks.  For a first attempt at something like this I think it turned out pretty well.

 

Erik

[Stuntflyer]

Nicely done, Erik.

[alde]

"Pretty well"? I think it looks fantastic. Mine is a complete hack job in comparison. 

[Erik W]

Thanks for the likes, and thanks for the kind word Mike and Al.  I have finished the bowsprit.  The aft end is painted black and I used a pencil to darken the sheeve at the fore end.  Following Chuck's instructions, I used black construction paper to simulate the metal band on the end of the bowsprit.  I had made the four eye bolts very small in diameter, but then read other build logs where folks were having problems attaching the seizings and hooks, particularly on the two side eye bolts.  So I redid all to a little bigger diameter that would handle the .018" rope and 24 gauge hooks in the loop of the eye bolts.  I've decided to make the rest of the spars before I permanently attach the bowsprit step, and attach and rig the bowsprit, so the eye bolts are not yet glued into the bowsprit end as it will have to be inserted in the bulwarks hole first.  It took quite a while of careful filing to get the hole in the bulwarks to the correct diameter with no gaps between it and the bowsprit.  I wound up purchasing a round file used to sharpen chainsaws for the task.  The round needle files I have on hand are too small in diameter to work well.  Once I was able to fit the bowsprit the way I wanted it, I then practiced fitting it with the bow cannons in place, and figured out how I would do the final mounting.  Once satisfied that I could glue the bowsprit and bowsprit step in place while the cannons were there, I went ahead and permanently attached the cannons.  I've spent the last couple of days preparing the mast for shaping.  It's hard to see on the photo below, but the 7/10/7 lines are drawn on the part that will be rounded, and the limit lines for the top part that will be square are there as well.  I also left some extra material at the top of the mast so I can chuck it in my power drill when the time comes to turn it.  I hand drilled the holes for the sheeve.  After measuring VERY carefully with my digital calipers, I stared with a .016" bit, drilling halfway through the 3/8" square mast stock.  I then did the same thing from the other side.  I was almost surprised that the holes actually lined up! I then widened the holes with a .026" drill bit.

 

Erik

 

 

Edited January 6 by Erik W

[Stuntflyer]

Nicely done, Erik.

[Erik W]

Thanks for the likes folks, and kind words Mike.  I finished shaping the mast over the last week.  I had planned on turning it using my power drill after sanding it to 8 sides.  I couldn't get it to not wobble when chucked in though.  I wound up just using the same "shoe-shine' hand sanding method that I did with the bowsprit.  This was time consuming, but admittedly I like the control with removing material by hand.  It's easier to not accidentally remove too much. After making the bowsprit, and now the mast, I'm getting the hang of how to do this by hand.  So I'll use the same methods for the remaining spars.  I filed the square tennon at the top of the mast, and lastly cut the sheeve in.  Surprisingly, the mast fit into the mast coat with barely any additional sanding.  It sits at the correct angle when compared to the plans.  Also, once I get to the point of attaching the mast and spars permanently, I have no idea how, or where, I'm going to be able to photograph the build in it's entirety!

 

Erik

[SaltyScot]

This is very precise work, the ship looks immaculate. Congrats on a great build thus far sir.

[glbarlow]

Nice work on the mast and bowsprit, not an easy task.  

[Erik W]

Thanks for the compliments guys.  Yeah Glenn, the bowsprit and mast are a bit finicky.  The spars are sort of the masters project in wood working on the build.

 

Erik

Edited January 13 by Erik W