HMS Winchelsea 1764 by Stuntflyer (Mike) - FINISHED - 1/4" scale

[Stuntflyer]

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

[albert]

Great start Mike, and  very good work.

[Seventynet]

I’m pulling up a chair if you don’t mind Mike. Love your work and this frigate is on my list once I finish the Cheerful and some other kits. Has Chuck made the book and other parts for it available yet?

Best regards,

Ian

[Mirabell61]

Hi Mike,

 

I wish you all the best with this build, its a beautiful ship....

 

Nils

[Stuntflyer]

Thanks, guys!

 

Nils: I agree that it is a very beautiful ship.

 

Ian: Check with Chuck on this as I have not spoken to him in the last week or so.

 

Mike

Edited November 18, 2017 by Stuntflyer

[KenW]

Looking good Mike.  I'm interested, maybe, in this kit as well.  I'll enjoy watching this build progressing.

Good luck.

[Old Collingwood]

Very interesting build, if you dont mind I will bring my chair and take a seat to follow this,  I am too building a period frigate in the Kit build section  HMS Greyhound  1721 sixth rate 20 gun frigate.

 

OC.

[wyz]

Oh yes, I have a thing for frigates of this period so I too will be pulling up a chair.  If the build quality of Winchelsea comes out as well as Cheerful or Hayling this should be one awesome model.  Mike, two models going at once?  Did you retire?  Why cherry wood and how did you get it laser cut?  Did you consider any other woods, like Castello boxwood or Swiss pear?  On Chuck's Syren website I didn't see any Winchelsea parts in the laser cut section.  Do you have a special arrangement with him to build a prototype of what he will offer in the future?

[Stuntflyer]

Thank you all!

 

Tom,

 

I'm semi-retired which gives me time to build almost every day. I considered boxwood which of course is great to work with, but I wouldn't be able to use Chuck's laser cut parts.

 

Chuck did not approach me with the idea to build a prototype. I have always liked the Winchelsea and when I mentioned my wanting to build her, he suggested that I wait until version II was finalized. He happened to have had the head knee parts available for me to try out.

 

Mike

Edited December 1, 2017 by Stuntflyer

[Tigersteve]

Looking forward to see this one take shape.

Steve

[Old Collingwood]

Mike  are you going to have to make your beak from scratch?   the reason I ask  - I would like to have a go at scratch building one for my 1/100 scale HMS Greyhound, as the one that comes in the box is a ruff metal one,  I just dont kno the first place to start as my scratch building experience is very limited.

 

OC.

[Stuntflyer]

Snowy nights are a perfect time to get back into the workshop.

 

The bulkhead former is now in one piece. These laser cut parts were joined with Elmer's Carpenter glue without any prior sanding on the joints.  A slab of flat marble was used to rest the parts on while the glue set.

The bearding line is laser etched into one side of the former. I traced the line and transferred its shape to the other side using graphite paper.

The rabbet is 1/16" x 3/32" strip which was cut from 3/32" boxwood sheet. The fore side was moistened and heat bent into shape with a blow dryer.

Since the former is rather long the rabbet strip was made in two pieces joined with an angle joint for strength. This joint also makes it easy to align the next section, simply by slipping it under the first section.

The completed rabbet with a small section also added to the aft area of the former.

Mike

[Chuck]

Looks good....but check those plans....the rabbet strip doesnt extend that far aft....

 

 

 

 

 

[Stuntflyer]

Yup! Got it. I will use the the additional length to guide me while shaping the bearding line and then remove it afterwards.

 

Mike

Edited February 18, 2018 by Stuntflyer

[Stuntflyer]

I managed to complete the bearding line today. The wood is easy to work with, using just a coarse file and some medium grit sandpaper. The rabbet will be shortened as Chuck described above when I attach the aft section of the four section keel.

Mike

Edited February 19, 2018 by Stuntflyer

[Stuntflyer]

I Added knee assembly to the bulkhead former. Some shaping was necessary in order to get a nice fit around the rabbet. Next I added the four section keel. You should be able to see where I removed a short section of the rabbet to accommodate the aft most keel section.

Mike

 

Edited February 21, 2018 by Stuntflyer

[Rustyj]

Very nice start Mike. Good tight fit.

[Stuntflyer]

In preparation for making the false keel, the keel bottom was sanded 90° to its adjacent edge and smooth across its bottom face. To do this, I first raised the bulkhead former/keel assembly off the flat surface with 1/4" flat sheet. I used a square sanding block, gliding along the flat surface of the board to sand the edge.

• The false keel was ripped on the table saw from some scrap Cheery that I had lying around. It's made in three sections joined with what I think is called a "Harris joint". As you can see, I located the joint far enough away from the keel joint.

In preparation for adding the bulkheads I made the build board that will hold everything upright and straight.

Mike

Edited February 21, 2018 by Stuntflyer

[druxey]

Cheery wood?I like that! Seriously, the backbone looks good. And yes, those are 'Harris cut' joints on the false keel.

[Maury S]

The Fair American (Lauck Street) kit used cherry for the frames.  It's been about 7 years since I finished it and the wood has aged beautifully. 

Maury

[Stuntflyer]

Made a bit more progress today by simulating the lower stem and keel bolts. Holes were drilled with a #76 bit and filled with .017 black monofilament and PVA glue. I'm not a big fan of CA as it has a tendency to discolor the wood.

 

I anxious to see what the Cherry will look like after a coat of W-O-P. I should know soon enough.

Mike

Edited February 22, 2018 by Stuntflyer

[Chuck]

Nicely done Mike.

 

Chuck

[dvm27]

Lovely work, Mike.  There's something about this hull that has always appealed to me.  Lot's of planking ahead!

[Stuntflyer]

Hello everyone! Since my last post I have been contemplating whether or not my using Cherry as the primary wood was the right choice for me. No doubt some beautiful ships have been built from Cherry, but I really prefer the look of boxwood. I thought about removing just the knee and keel assembly, but quickly ruled that out. The problem being that it would be difficult aligning those new parts to the already assembled bulkhead former/bulkhead assembly. This meant that I would have to start over from the beginning. So, over the last few weeks I have managed to re-build her with boxwood.

 

Right now, 3/16" laser cut boxwood kits are not being offered for the Winnie. The nine pieces making up the knee parts were scratched from 3/16" boxwood sheet. The mill came in handy for making the bobstay holes and gammon slot.

I'm going with copper bolts this time. Blackening will be done later.

Large blocks were used to handle any slight twists in the bulkheads while at the same time keeping the structure straight.

The two lower platforms were added as well.

Mike

Edited March 12, 2018 by Stuntflyer

[Tigersteve]

Oh well, Mike, I was looking forward to seeing the cherry version of this, but I am still happy to follow the construction of your boxwood version.

Steve

[Stuntflyer]

Well, Steve, I certainly wouldn't discourage anyone from using Cherry. Of course, one would get all those great mini-kits from Chuck too.

 

Mike

[Rustyj]

Hi Mike. Having done her in boxwood I understand your change.

 

Great job on the joints on the Knee of the Head too.

[dvm27]

Looks terrific, Mike. I also prefer the boxwood but understand the economics of offering the kit in cherry.

[SJSoane]

Very nice joinery on the stem, Mike.

[ChrisLBren]

Really nice work on the stem  Mike ! I would encourage you to experiment with finishes other than Wipe On Poly - it's easy to apply - but there are better finishes available in my opinion.

 

Im looking forward to following your progress ! 

Edited March 12, 2018 by ChrisLBren