HM Cutter Alert by VTHokiEE - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[VTHokiEE]

20 minutes ago, BobG said:

Were you able to find it in the USA?

I was purchasing some fly tying line at the same time and used Essential Fly from the UK. I believe the manufacturer is from the UK so it may not be over here. The shipping was maybe $5 and took about a month to get here. Last time I looked I think I saw a store in Canada that had it, but if I couldn’t find it over here I wouldn’t hesitate to buy from them again. 

[Gazzarian]

Thank you! I'll give it a go.

[Gazzarian]

I hope you don't mind a pic from another build on your log. Also as I'm not in sync with a site devoted to historical authenticity (which i respect but don't follow). But I did want to get a weathered, battered look from my first attempt at this genre. Unfortunately my mental arithmetic was out, the depth markers should have been 5mm not 4mm apart. Oh well, even my ma never claimed I was bright ha ha!

[Gregory]

1 hour ago, VTHokiEE said:

Awesome, thank you!

Make sure you note, the example is looking from inboard..   This stuff can get complicated..

[glbarlow]

On 11/21/2020 at 1:39 PM, VTHokiEE said:

spider-sense is warning me of some frustration is ahead

Likely we’ll founded, this can be tricky. A wire jig as a spacer helps but it’s about care and balance tensioning. Resist the urge to over tighten, it’s not a guitar string.

 

I admire your going a level above on the rigging, nice work. Aside from rat lines I enjoy this stage. I have no idea how I got every historically standing and running rope installed on Pegasus, I’m hoping Cheerful proves a little easier, but I’m months from that.

 

I mentioned this somewhere recently, my most used rigging tools are two large and medium needles with the threading end cut off, leaving a fork, and the sharp in glued into 6 inch dowels. I can maneuver the rigging even tying off on belaying pens. That and another dental tool, long but small scissors. 

Edited November 25, 2020 by glbarlow

[VTHokiEE]

1 hour ago, Gazzarian said:

Unfortunately my mental arithmetic was out, the depth markers should have been 5mm not 4mm apart. Oh

I should keep this a secret, but I completely eyeballed my depth marker. I suppose I could have made dots to glue them on, but they looked right to me eye.

 

It’s a neat look you’re achieving. Eventually I’d like to learn some weathering techniques, but baby steps. 

[VTHokiEE]

49 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

my most used rigging tools are two large and medium needles with the threading end cut off, leaving a fork, and the sharp in glued into 6 inch dowels.

Thanks a lot Glenn - I’ve been putting off making a set of these for a little while but I’ll have to get on them. Your Cheerful is a work of art - I’m looking forward to watching you rig her.

[DelF]

Nice work on the shrouds Tim 🙂

 

Derek

[VTHokiEE]

Slow and steady progress, but the shrouds are up! I struggled to try to replicate tying off the lanyards as depicted above so I may simply wing it, but no decisions have been made yet 😄. Currently I'm doing what I do best when I can't figure out how I want to approach something (those lanyards) and adding shroud cleats (from Syren instead of the kit provided photo etch). After that I'll probably ty off those lanyards and start on the rate lines I suppose.

For anyone doing this build later I really wished that I had added this lower deadeye to the stay before attaching it to the hull. I think I would've tried to potentially fabricate a deadeye holder out of brass wire. There wasn't any direction in the instructions so I simply used some rope, which doesn't seem right but isn't visible from a normal viewing distance regardless.

[Gregory]

The lanyard rope really looks good..  Are you making your own rope?

 

( P.S. )  Just noticed upthread that you are making your own rope..  Looks really good.

Edited December 2, 2020 by Gregory

[Old Collingwood]

You are doing a really good job at a difficult and frustrating stage mate,  the deadeye stage really  got me going, as hard as I tried to keep them, all level  (I failed)    I took solace  in being told they would probably move slightly due to the different strains they were under over time.

 

OC.

[glbarlow]

May I suggest tying off the lanyard so that the half hitch is in board, as it likely was anyway, but for the model the cleaner look of the rope turns are facing to the more visible outward side. 
 

Ive already decided I will never do copper plates again, you’re. Welcome Vanguard.  However the thing I dislike most in my model building you have coming up soon, tying ratlines.  Of course not so bad on a cutter as a three masted frigate,, but still on so not fun. Can you say clove hitch...

 

Your dead eyes look great. Did you use a stiff wire jig in each one to establish a consistent height?

[Old Collingwood]

45 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

May I suggest tying off the lanyard so that the half hitch is in board, as it likely was anyway, but for the model the cleaner look of the rope turns are facing to the more visible outward side. 
 

Ive already decided I will never do copper plates again, you’re. Welcome Vanguard.  However the thing I dislike most in my model building you have coming up soon, tying ratlines.  Of course not so bad on a cutter as a three masted frigate,, but still on so not fun. Can you say clove hitch...

 

Your dead eyes look great. Did you use a stiff wire jig in each one to establish a consistent height?

Mine was a cheat   (loop round and glued  - loop round and glued  - repeat repeat etc)

 

OC.

[VTHokiEE]

Thanks @Gregory @Old Collingwood @glbarlow!

 

8 hours ago, glbarlow said:

May I suggest tying off the lanyard so that the half hitch is in board

I'd be upset if you didn't suggest it - of course that would look much cleaner (way too many "why didn't I think of that" moments building this model 🤔). I'm going to take a look at your Lady Nelson now that I think of it as well. I used a small wood sheet with a dowel (slightly smaller than the deadeye hole) glued in it. I then placed this contraption (pictured earlier) on the channel behind each deadeye and wrapped the shrouds to it. After, I slid a needle through the overlapping line to get a thread in place to start the seizing.

 

8 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

I took solace  in being told they would probably move slightly due to the different strains they were under over time

I saw this mentioned elsewhere and completely ran with it. I did have to redo a few - they were too far out of alignment for my liking, but I wasn't going to stress too much about perfection here. I think I may end up with the loop and glue if add a bunch of loops (they kept unwinding on me).

 

 

[glbarlow]

2 hours ago, VTHokiEE said:

the loop and glue if add a bunch of loops

Try an immediate half hitch to keep the tension, couple of winds, another half hitch, or clove hitch. Your not alone this can be a frustrating process getting them right and done.  At the end you stare at the shrouds and loudly declare “I won!” 🤣

[glbarlow]

2 hours ago, VTHokiEE said:

I'm going to take a look at your Lady Nelson

I wrote that on the “other” forum and got frustrated that no one engaged, so by the time I got to the rigging I just posted photos because I didn’t want to just abandon it.  I copied it over to MSW since I didn’t plan visiting that forum again, so sorry it won’t be much help on rigging. 

[VTHokiEE]

I "think" the point is to make me so happy that I completed it that I don't mind doing the ratlines 😂. I did print off some lined paper in the hopes this helps getting even ratlines - we shall see.

 

58 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

I just posted photos because I didn’t want to just abandon it

Along with the words above, pictures are all I need... well hopefully. I have one done but not trimmed yet, and I thought I had a second done, but once I completed the second one I decided the first one was not the right look so I get to undo that for the 5/6th time but who is counting (certainly not me... 😣)

[glbarlow]

4 minutes ago, VTHokiEE said:

print off some lined paper

Lined paper behind the shrouds is essential, as much for your eyes as the spacing, you just can’t see the rope after a while without it.

 

I determine the spacing between lines from the plans, then create a template in Excel with that spacing using format  cell height and single underline cell commands. Make it wide enough using format cell width to block out everything else and cut it tall enough to fit between the deadeyes and hull at the bottom and the mast and shroud lines at the top so it holds itself in place, not that it won’t keep falling but it helps. 
 

I’m just a fountain of useless information ...

[VTHokiEE]

1 hour ago, glbarlow said:

then create a template in Excel with that spacing using format

Is there nothing excel cannot do? 😂 I used Inkscape to make a grid following this tutorial: https://onceforpractice.com/make-your-own-graph-paper-with-inkscape/ I zoomed in so the grid would align with the measurements on the side and then adjusted the vertical grid size (why does this have to be in pixels?) to match my desired size and set the horizontal grid spacing to be larger than a standard piece of paper. I'll cut this down in order to fit as you mentioned.

Edited December 2, 2020 by VTHokiEE

[glbarlow]

I forgot that Chuck points out the need for vertical lines for alignment as well as horizontal ones.

 
Your’s is a better method, mine is just old school.  I will have to learn new tricks and will give Inkscape a try for Cheerful.  😁😳

Edited December 2, 2020 by glbarlow

[VTHokiEE]

On 12/2/2020 at 1:05 PM, glbarlow said:

I forgot that Chuck points out the need for vertical lines for alignment as well as horizontal ones.

Update on the ratlines and I wanted to highlight this advice. I really should have taken it to heart but I didn't fully comprehend it until I was done with my first side of ratlines and they are a touch squeezed in a lower section. I'm undecided if I'm going to redo them or allow my ship to have a "bad side" (which really isn't that bad so I'm of the inclination to leave them as they are but we'll see).

 

This is what I started with and you can see no "vertical" lines to show where the shrouds should naturally lay. 

After realizing my error you can see the outline of the shroud lines that I drew in on this sheet. I placed some dots at the top and some down by the deadeyes, then I removed the sheet and connected them with a steel ruler. It's still not perfect (it looks worse in the picture than in real life, especially with the paper removed), but it is closer than the first side and for my first time doing ratlines I'm satisfied so far.

Here is a small glimpse of the other "finished" side.

Edit: I also placed the ship in the stand to get the ratlines lined up with the waterline.

Edited December 6, 2020 by VTHokiEE

[Old Collingwood]

On 12/2/2020 at 3:25 PM, glbarlow said:

Try an immediate half hitch to keep the tension, couple of winds, another half hitch, or clove hitch. Your not alone this can be a frustrating process getting them right and done.  At the end you stare at the shrouds and loudly declare “I won!” 🤣

"Cockeyed"🙃

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Thats looking fine mate  - when both sides are fully done it will look a treat.

 

OC.

[DelF]

Good work on the ratlines Tim.

 

You mention the tendency for tension in the ratlines to pull the shrouds in. One tip I read in The Fully Framed Model, and which works for me,  is to carefully rig each fifth or sixth ratline first, making sure they don't pull the shrouds inwards. It then becomes much easier and quicker to rattle down the gaps. 

 

Derek

[VTHokiEE]

59 minutes ago, DelF said:

is to carefully rig each fifth or sixth ratline first, making sure they don't pull the shrouds inwards

I really need to pick up these books (and then actually read them), they seem to be a wealth of knowledge. I actually thought about this technique (why didn’t I do it, who knows?). I’ll have to keep it in mind for my next set. 
 

I’m starting tho think I’ll consider redoing some (hopefully not all 😬) of the first side or else I’ll stare at it later (even if it’s facing the wall).

[VTHokiEE]

Ratlines are finished (I think, just when I think they are done I find that I clipped a knot too short and a line came lose, but I'm pretty certain that I found all of those).

 

The bottom ratline I think was the final "loose end" as can be seen in this picture.

[Gregory]

For what it's worth, and maybe too late, I related a tip a while back about taking care of those nibs on the ends of ratlines.

 

If the rope is polyester, use an adjustable soldering iron, and find the lowest setting to melt the nibs down to nothing..

 

I use one like this:

 

Soldering Iron Kit

 

It has a needle-like point that is good for this..

 

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Gregory

[VTHokiEE]

7 minutes ago, Gregory said:

It has a needle-like point that is good for this

That’s a solid tip. I have a soldering iron but need to get a needle tip for it. I still have some nubs, so I’ll have to consider this. Thanks!

[VTHokiEE]

I started work on the back stays and am about halfway through. The kit instructions call for a small block and a large block to be attached together, I think this should probably be a fiddle block, but I don't have any so I decided to see what I could do following the directions. First, as seen below, I tried to seize a small block to the large block but the gap was too large and I needed to redo this.

 

I realized that I should do a false splice between the two blocks to reduce the space and ended up with the follow which looks much better (even if the picture shows a larger gap).

Satisfied with this block I completed one side of the back stays. The instructions do not call it out, but I believe the diagrams show a hook, so this is what I used as well.

 

I may have to go in with a small brush to touch up the blackening on the hook with a touch of paint though.

 

[Edwardkenway]

Remarkably nice work Tim, it's a joy to watch your Alert grow!😉