HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 by Blue Ensign - FINISHED - Syren Ship Model Company - 1:48 scale

[Dowmer]

Nicely done BE.  A bit tedious but I’m glad it worked out. At least you figured out the internal planking meets the stem in time.  I would have noticed it “afterl I completed the task improperly. 😥 😁

[lmagna]

2 hours ago, Blue Ensign said:

and the use of all the kitchen weights I could get my hands on.

OMG! What is all that stuff used for when it is not holding down decks?

 

Fantastic work B.E.

[Martin W]

One of those weights looks like a small shoulder plane.  Have you been cutting tenons?

 

Nice work as always, BE.

 

Martin

[Ferit]

Very fine work as always B.E.

and thanks to your extensive knowledge I am sure of its accuracy... 🙂

[Blue Ensign]

Cheers Guys,

@ Dowmer - Well I had planked it but fortunately they were only short lengths, and pva is quite easily removed with the careful application of water.

@ Martin -  No tenons, and a little over size for this scale, but it does make for a decent weight.

@  Lou -  I borrowed them from the Galley, we use two weight systems over here and they are representatives of both imperial and metric systems. 🙂

@ Ferit - Thank you Ferit,  Chuck has  excelled with this model altho'  there are always  questions around boats of this era.😉

 

Post 42

Port lids -  an interesting exercise.

 As a small diversion I turn my attention to the stern port lids.

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The first very necessary job is to make a card template onto which the plank lines can be marked.

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Three boards are glued together onto which the template is transferred - then cut out and fine sanded to fit.

 

Gunport lids of Warships of this period consisted of two layers of board. An inboard vertical layer fitted within the port area, and a horizontal layer which fitted into the port rabbet.

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This the approach I have taken, as shown on these reject lids.

 

During the initial versions I noticed that the port side lid looked a tad smaller than the Starboard side. Much as I tried to ignore this it was sufficiently noticeable  to irk my eye, and I couldn't let it go.

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Rectifying the matter entailed enlarging the rabbet on the port side, very carefully using a scalpel and micro chisel.

A case of some earlier error coming back to haunt me.

 

 It took me three goes to get the lids right with the board lines matching those of the transom, and that fitted snugly within the rabbet.

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Fairly content with the end result.

 

For the lid straps and hinges I used Chuck's  little kit rather than thin brass strip which would entail a spot of silver soldering and blackening, an even more fiddly job that may have no better result.

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A bit of a test for my tired old eyes.

To represent the bolt heads on the straps I use a spot of pva on a needle point.

They were then painted with Admiralty Metal black paint.

The 28 gauge wire indicated for the hull mount seemed very flimsy to me and I scouted around for something a little more robust, and slightly more authentic.

 An alternative came in the form of  brass etched hammock crane arms left over from my Pegasus build.

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 0.7mm ø brass tubing was ca'd  into the ring and filed flush and a short length of the 28 gauge wire ca'd  into the tube.

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This gave a solid right angle onto which to hang the strap rings.

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This is quite a strong arrangement but in fitting the lids to the transom the tiny tube sections attached to the laser board straps gave way several times much to my irritation.

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What started as small diversion turned out to be a time consuming and somewhat frustrating exercise in fiddliness, at least there are only two lids and not a full set along the broadside.

 

Whilst on the subject of stern ports, I have puzzled just what are they for on Cheerful ? They are positioned far too high for any normal carriage gun to use.

On some cutter models I have seen there is a platform, which in the case of Cheerful would also cover the area between the seats of ease, allowing a gun to be sited at the correct level.

This is the arrangement shown on the deck plan of The Naval Cutter Alert by Peter Goodwin, described as 'platform deck over counter'.

 

Time to move on....

 

B.E.

01/10/2018

 

[Gahm]

Gun port lids along with working hinges can be very fiddly. But as usual your end result looks great!

 

Thomas

[Dowmer]

Well done BE.  Looks like the fiddly time spent was worth it.

 

 

[Thunder]

Snap

 

was there week ending 19th of September.

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks for looking in guys and for the 'likes'

Post 43

Cap rails

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With the inboard painting of the bulwarks completed (at least for the moment) I turn my attention to the Capping rails.

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Starting with the tafferal rail I shaped to size from a card template, and cut out from some 1/16" sheet.

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The moulding strip was made in the same manner as the other mouldings, and some curve imparted to follow the line of the tafferal.

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Applying heat to form the curve removes a lot of the stress of holding in place during gluing.

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The completed rail in place.

Turning to the rails along the bulwarks a card template was made and glued to a 1/16" boxwood sheet for cutting out.

That in turn provided a template for the other side.

Before  gluing the rails to the bulwarks a final check on the level of the bulwark tops so the rail will sit flat.

I decided to cut the rails in complete length each side rather than split them into sections, and I allowed myself a margin for error, but which also involved extra sanding down to  finish.

Some toll taken on the inboard painting.

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To reduce the width down to finished size I used a combination of scalpel blades and sanding sticks.

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The Hawse plates and the final upper moulding strips at the bow were added.

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I decided to drill the holes for the Bowsprit and anchor cables before I added the edging moulding to the cap rail.

The hole is not at present the full size and final enlargement will be done later.

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 Final action of this section, to add the fancy moulding along the cap rail edge.

 

B.E.

05/10/2018.

 

[davyboy]

Very nice job B.E. I would advise cutting the fashion pieces flush with the top rail now,I didn't on my model and broke one of them off needless to say  

 

I'm currently finishing off the lower mast rigging. I'm seriously thinking of moving the bow guns aft one gunport. Apart from the fact that the port gun would smash into the bowsprit and/or the post knee on recoil,both guns would have to be moved when dropping or raising the anchors. They both obstruct the run of the anchor cables to the windlass. The three Cutter models on the NMM website have these ports empty as does the one that was in the Science Museum of which I've a photo that I took 11 years ago.

 

Kind regards,

 

Dave   

Edited October 4, 2018 by davyboy

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Dave,

I read the discussion on Chuck's log about the seemingly awkward position of the Bow chaser long guns. 

Some contemporary models do show guns in that position, and there is a written note on the Cheerful plans  concerning moving the  windlass a little aft to accommodate the working of the guns, which gives credence to  the use of those ports for bow chasers.

There are several other puzzlements I have around the layout and  fittings of Cheerful.

 

As I mentioned in my previous post - why have stern chaser ports when the guns can't use them?

 

No apparent provision for half pounder swivel guns, which I'm sure she would have. I think I will add four of these.

 

Where would the ships boat be stowed - there is not enough room between the Jeer Bitts and the pumps for a centre line position even for a modest 16' cutter.

 

There are always more questions than answers in the world of period ship modelling.🙄

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[Beef Wellington]

Really nice result on the cap rail edge molding, really seems to finish things off and all the detail blends in beautifully.  I similarly ponder the rear ports, I'm not convinced .they would be workable on the Snake/Cruiser class either but they are there.  I can only envisage them being used for rope work, mooring etc similar to the ubiquitous lower ports seen on larger ships when clearly there are also more practical, better positioned true stern gun ports - in any event they look great.

 

 

[davyboy]

Good evening B.E.

The problem with moving the windlass aft slightly is that you only have around 1/8" to play with. To move it any further aft requires also repositioning the fwd grating further aft. In any case,with the height of the Bowchaser Guns and Carriages the breech of the Port Gun Barrel would still impact on the bowsprit (it does,just proved that) which cannot be raised. I'm moving mine aft to the next port. Jeer Bitts ? Did you mean the hand winch  

 

In reality I expect they towed the Ships Boat.

 

I agree about swivels,would almost certainly have been fitted. Looks like I may have some retrofitting to do 

 

Regards,

 

Dave 

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

Thanks Jason and Dave,

Those stern ports are  a mystery, cutters were amongst the fastest vessels afloat and the need for  stern guns doesn't seem great, but those models fitted with them do seem to have a continuous platform across the stern over the rudder head.

I presume that any adjustment made to the  windlass position is already reflected in the layout we have, I've certainly no intention of fiddling about with it at this stage 🙂 Yes I was referring to the hand winch Dave,  - it fits between the jeer bitts 😉

 I've plenty of time to fret about the gun positions, before I have to make a decision, but seeing something that doesn't really seem to fit is annoying. Perhaps I'll think about siting one on the Starboard side  forward port only.

Regarding the ships boat I think  they were generally stowed on board unless action was imminent when they would be towed to allow more space to work the guns and reduce damage risk to the boat.

I've looked at all the contemporary cutter models I could find online, some show the boat stowed on the port side of the deck which is a practical option; the deck space on the centre line of Cheerful would only allow for a boat of 10' 6" length. My own view is that a 14' - 18' cutter would be appropriate. I do rather fancy having a cutter on the cutter, we shall see 🤔

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I have obtained some swivels from RB Models in Poland, they are 20mm long which is spot on for scale for a 3' swivel gun.

 

Cheers,

 

B.E.

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

Post 44

 A milestone of sorts.

The basic hull is now complete, which is not to say that I won't be fussing and fiddling with the paintwork for some time yet.

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I'm a lot happier now with how she's looking than a few weeks ago.

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On the other hand my assistant seems far more sniffy about progress.

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Can't quite make my mind up whether to paint the fashion pieces black or leave them natural.

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So after some ten months I can set the hull aside and start looking at the deck fittings.

 

B.E.

07/10/2018

 

[davyboy]

Lovely job B.E. she looks splendid  Just my opinion but I think painting the fashion pieces would enhance her appearance.

 

Moved the long guns to the second gunports,I like it. A minor problem is how to disguise the holes where the guns were pinned to the deck,I've got a couple of ideas on that. I now have space to fit a pair of swivels each side fwd which I'll likely do.

 

Regards and I look forward to the next phase of your build

 

Dave  

[Martin W]

My word BE, I look away for just a short while and you're leaping ahead.  The capping rails really do seem to polish her off nicely.  And there are lots of nice details to look at throughout.  And it's great to see the man and dog behind the build.  

 

Cheers,

 

Martin

[Gahm]

As expected your Cheerful turns into another beautiful addition to your fleet! I am really looking forward to seeing the deck fittings!

 

Thomas

[Blue Ensign]

Cheers Guys for the 'likes' and comments.

Post 45

Faffing with fittings.

A while ago I decided that the Holly decking planks I had originally ordered were just too pale for my taste, so  I ordered replacement Boxwood strips.

Pity I forgot to include a sheet of 3/64 thick stuff in the order to cut out the bow area of the Margin planks.

I have put a further supplementary order for some 3/64" Boxwood sheet and strip, but in the meantime I will have a go at the gratings.

Chuck's little gratings kits work a treat, and result in a nicely curved fine grating that reflects the shape of the originals.

Starting with the Bread Room scuttle I continued to complete the set of three.

Gratings are one thing, the coamings and head ledges entirely another.

These are scratch built from 3/32" sheet.

The only size reference for the height of the coamings is on the plan I worked on a 6mm depth from the false deck.  The Head ledges I made slightly higher to allow for forming the round.

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As suggested by Chuck I formed the frame around the grating to get a good fit. Once formed I inserted 1/16" strip around the inside to support the grating. This also has the effect of stiffening up the fame and reduces the risk of pulling it out of square.

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Even so during final finishing I glued a grating sized block to my jig board to hold the framing in place.

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Sanding the Head Ledges.

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The finished coamings sit 5mm above the false deck.

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Same procedure for the Fore Hatch.

Galley Flue scuttle

I cut the base from some 3/32"  Castello sheet. From the plans  I calculated a base 12 x 16mm.

For the coamings I cut a 3.5mm width strip from a 1/16th thick sheet.

I cut the hole for the flue out and boarded around it with some thin Boxwood planking.

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The Flue pipe was then added.

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Next up the Companionway and the Skylight.

B.E.

13/10/2018

 

ps. Thank you Chuck, received my 3/64"  Boxwood sheet, and 1/4" wide strips for the margin planks this morning, - six days order to door, excellent service.👍

 

Edited October 13, 2018 by Blue Ensign
update

[Martin W]

Sooo, is the galley flue part of the kit, or did you solder it together?

 

 

[davyboy]

Looking excellent as usual B.E.

 

What is your opinion about cutting out the 2 fwd corner sections on  the main grating which I'm thinking of doing. They were used to pass the Anchor Cable/s below when weighing or up onto the deck when preparing to drop Anchor. I've seen this on almost all period models. Perhaps of course this may not have been so on Cutters  but I don't see why not. I still have access to this area as the Boom (fitted) can be swung out and the lower Mast backstays slackened off and moved also,hmmm. Anyway,onwards and upwards.

 

Have a good weekend.

 

Dave 

[Blue Ensign]

Hi Martin, the answer is neither.☺️

The Flue was constructed using 0.6mm  Boxwood strip, edge glued, and then covered with a very fine 0.1mm 'Lead' foil to represent a metal finish. I would have otherwise used thin brass, chemically blackened, but this method saved me some fiddly silver soldering.

Thanks Dave, this feature is indeed shown on the contemporary cutter models and plans shown in The Naval Cutter Alert  book by Peter Goodwin. I will include the cut outs on my model as I like to rig the anchor cables along the deck.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[Blue Ensign]

Post 46

Faffing with fittings part 2.

I now turn my attention to the Companionway.

This is an interesting little project particularly when choosing to try and make the doors open and the lid hinge back to reveal something of the interior.

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A jig was necessary to keep the sections square and in place during gluing.

For construction I used 1/32" x 3/16" strips for the boarding, and 5/32" strips for the coamings.

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 Internal framing was added to stiffen the construction. The rear half of the lid was glued in place and the forward half hinged to fold back.

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It proved a testy business to make tiny hinges that would both work and have at least a nod towards looking like the real thing.

Of course all of this makes not one jot of real difference to the model, but I derive a small personal pleasure from it, even if just knowing it's there. ☺️

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Completing the arrangement also required a ladder down to the lower deck.

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Mildly curious why the access doors are facing aft, most of the examples I've seen  they are either facing forward or to Starboard.

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I haven't made my mind up yet whether to paint or poly wipe so for the present I will leave it in its  bare wood state.

Either way  it will need some final finishing before gluing into place.

 

Onto the Skylight.

 

B.E.

17/10/2018

 

[Mirabell61]

beautiful work on the companionway B.E.

 

and the cutter`s hull and its planking is looking wonderful.....

 

Nils

[Beef Wellington]

Yes, very nice companion cover BE, the subtle plank edge highlighting looks just right - if I had a vote, I'd vote to keep it natural, but could be swayed either way depending on how you are planning to finish the coamings to get a nice contrast.  

[davyboy]

A very nice Companionway BE,I take my hat off to you making working hinges for it.

 

I managed to cut out the fwd corner bits on my main hatch grating without doing any damage. Took quite a while after drilling 3/64" holes right  through the decking then filing out the pieces,luckily I have some very small square tapered Jewelers files 1mm x 80mm long to do this. 

 

regards,

 

Dave 

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you Nils, Jason, and Dave 🙂

@ Jason - My inclination is to leave the deck fittings natural, I rather like the look Bob achieved on his Cheerful build, but we shall see once the deck is down.

@ Dave -  Good result with your gratings Dave, always a tricky business cutting into gratings they are so delicate. Fortunately my gratings are not glued to the coamings so I will be able to

                 remove them  for 'surgery'.

                Now I've established a working hinge method I think I could improve on it, but it will involve getting my silver soldering kit out - a little  exercise for a wet afternoon perhaps.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[Gahm]

The companionway looks fantastic! I love these little projects!

 

Thomas

[Martin W]

Very impressive, BE!  Opening up to the ladderway is a delightful touch.

 

Martin

[paulsutcliffe]

Very nicely done BE

Regards

Paul