HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 by JpR62 - 1:48 scale

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.

 

Installation of the wales

 

Inspired by the method used by Blue Ensign, I decide to leave in place the batten strip that determines the position of the wales.
To prevent it from sticking to the bulkheads, I stick a strip of self-adhesive transparent paper on its inside and apply two good coats of acrylic varnish on its edge.

 

When I am satisfied with the positioning of the 2 reference batten (they follow the reference marks quite precisely with a few adjustments), I can rely on them to set up the first planking strip. I use 5/32" wide cherry strips with a thickness of 3/64" (luckily I was able to get them mill to the right size).

 

 

I start gluing from the bow and move forward slowly gluing the strip on 4 to 5 bulkheads at a time.

 

 

The first strake is glued. I had to shorten the reference batten strip to facilitate the gluing at the stern and to be able to position precisely the first strake at the break of the counter and square tuck.

 

 

I also had to do an additional sanding of the outer frame at the stern (about 1/32") because I noticed that I had a dip appearing.

 

 

The second strake is then glued in the same way: gluing on 4 to 5 bulkheads at a time. It should be noted that at the bow, the strip has been preformed by folding it after having moistened it and using a heat source to keep its shape.

 

 

I then remove the reference batten strip and don't encounter any problems. The plasticized sheet and the varnish fulfill their role perfectly.

 

 

 I just had a little varnish that remained stuck on some bulkheads by the excess of glue. But this can be removed without any problem. The batten strip could be removed without any problem.

 

 

 

 

I will now glue the first layer of the molding strip.

 

 

 

 

[glbarlow]

Steady work,nice!  I’m looking forward to seeing Cheerful decked out in pear wood.

[Blue Ensign]

Nice progress Jean-Paul, if Cheerful turns out as did your Royal Barge build, she will be a beauty.

I too dabbled with a ‘below decks’ element on Cheerful, but perhaps not to the degree you are doing.

I am a serial ‘basher’ but in the case of Cheerful that was the only modification I made.

I do like a view below decks and with the likes of Skylights and companions I think it gives a more realistic impression of space that should be there.

I also open up beneath gratings which I usually have as removeable items.

In practice all that can be seen thro’ the Skylight is the painted sailcloth flooring and a little section of panelling, but I know it’s there.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[glbarlow]

Yes, I put decking below the skylight, which can barely be seen but a glimpse is better than just painted black.

[JpR62]

Thank you Glenn and B.E. for your kind words and thank you to all the 'Likes'.

Glenn, indeed I chose cherry wood for the hull. The deck will be made of boxwood.

Blue Ensign, I do not claim authorship of my modification because it is indeed while browsing through your superb build log that I came up with the idea of this addition. I really liked the idea of seeing the space under the skylight.

 

I continue in parallel to finalize the two rooms that we will see from the openings of the deck.
I just finished the 2 side walls of the room that is under the companionway.

 

 

I am now going to make the wall that will separate the 2 rooms.

Edited March 7, 2021 by JpR62

[glbarlow]

Cherry... even better. I wish I had a steady source for boxwood. I used Cherry on both Fair American and Pegasus, it’s really a beautiful wood. 

[Mike_In_RI]

Jean-Paul, I have just now seen your project. You are off to such a great, well thought out and crisp start. Not only that, you seem to be having a lot of fun!

 

Mike

[JpR62]

Thank you Glenn and Mike for your kind words and thanks to all the 'Likes'.

Glenn, cherry is really a beautiful wood and the quality provided by Wood Project Source is really excellent. Too bad they are out of business.

Mike, this project is really interesting and indeed a lot of fun.

 

Just a little progress this week with the installation of the first layer of the molding just under the gunports.
They had to be positioned just 1/64" below the edge of the gunports. It's really a small rabbet... I again used a temporary batten strip to try to be as precise as possible.

 

 

 

I started dividing the open space between the wales and the molding in half so I could prepare the planking.

 

[JpR62]

Thanks to all the 'Likes'.

 

This week, I put the planking between the wales and the first layer of the molding.

For this I used the method described by Chuck and proceeded to shape the planks using a small travel iron and a hair dryer.

I have to say that this method works pretty well and makes it easier to get the planks in place.

 

I found that the second strake, the one that fills the space, was still difficult because the width of the planks must be really precise.

 

 

The next strake should be easier as it will consist of a constant 5/32" width, although here it will be the length that needs to be precise to leave a 1/64" gap around each gun port.

 

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.

 

The strakes above the molding have been glued, so take your time and measure the length of each segment precisely.

 

I marked one edge of each plank with an HB pencil to simulate the tarred seems between each strake. I also glued the edges with a dark wood glue.

 

 

You will notice that the two outer frames of the stern have been reduced to a thickness of 1/16". Most of the work was done with a sanding drum mounted on my proxxon flexishaft and then the last few millimeters were carefully removed with various sanding sticks.

 

 

At the stern, the last row is slightly below the top of the outer frame, but this has been noted in several build logs and I don't think it should be a problem.

 

Next step: planking the stern and always so much fun !

[Ryland Craze]

Nice work Jean-Paul.  You are making good progress.

[JpR62]

Thank you Ryland for your kind words and thank you to all the 'Likes'.

 

I started working on the stern.

I started by planking the counter. I first determined with the help of the plan the curvature to give to my planks.

 

Then I have to admit that with the travel iron it's really easy to shape the planks. You just have to moisten the wood with your finger and bend it while passing the hot iron. And the plank keeps its curvature.

 

For gluing, although no pressure is really needed, I still hold the planks in place with clamps while the glue dries. I can't master gluing with CA, it sticks my fingers more often than the planks... So I use good Titebond wood glue which requires 30 minutes of holding time for the glue to set.

 

Once the whole counter is covered, as this part will be painted red, I allow myself to fill all the micro-cracks between the boards. Often, they are not even visible to the naked eye but with a magnifying glass or by observing against the light you can see them.  I use acrylic wood filler (Jubin Akrilin) that I tint with a drop of acrylic paint and add a little white glue.
I mark the areas to be filled with protective tape and use a toothpick to push the filler in.

 

The over-lengths are first shortened with my proxxon and then refined with sandpaper.

 

The whole thing is then carefully sanded.

 

 

The interior has been lightly cleaned of a few small traces of glue. I don't know yet if I'll fill the inside joints between the planks perfectly or if I'll leave them like that. I don't mind that you can guess the joints between the planks...

It's time to move on to the upper part of the stern.

 

 

 

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really nice progress

[glbarlow]

Nice work.  Brings back memories. 

[JpR62]

Thank you Christian and Glenn for your kind words and thank you to all the 'Likes'.

 

In the end, I decided to opt for a cleaner finish on the inside because I felt that the joints between the planks were too visible. So I fill in all the joints and sand the whole thing to prepare the surface for the painting phase.

 

You will notice that in the meantime the transom has been completed.

 

I realized after the first layer of the bottom molding was installed that the rabbet at the bottom of the port opening was twice as wide. So I decided not to leave a rabbet on the upper part to respect the height of the port opening. As we will install the port lids later, we should not notice this small mistake...

 

I then traced the upper curve of the stern with reference to a copy of the plan and gently sanded the top plank. In the picture above, the starboard curve is finished.

 

And finally an exterior and interior view once the sanding is completed.

 

 

Since I have a week's vacation for Easter, I'm taking advantage of it to make progress on this superb model.
I now have to move on to a more delicate phase with the fashion pieces... I will first consult a lot of existing logs

and reread carefully the manual.

 

[Chuck]

That is looking fantastic...nicely done...

[JpR62]

Thank you Chuck for your kind words. But when you have a model of this quality, so well designed, it is easier to get a good result. A lot of the credit goes to the designer...

And thank you to all the 'Likes'.

 

Setting up the fashion pieces.

I decided to choose Alaskan Yellow Cedar as my wood for the fashion pieces. This wood has many advantages: it is easy to cut (I was able to use my cutter to cut the 1/16" thick pieces), it is easy to shape, and you get clean angles. Really a great wood!

 

 

First, I cut my pieces into perfect replicas of the plan. But then I realized that it was difficult to position them correctly... So I got inspired by the method used by Stuntflyer (Mike). I traced on the model the front location of the parts with a pencil. I cut my pieces with the back part slightly wider. Once glued precisely to the line, I simply sanded the back part. Be careful not to forget to leave a space of 1/32" along the transom while in the part that runs along the counter you have to sand level.

I glued the pieces with Titebond wood glue, which means that the preformed pieces must be held in place while drying.

 

 

The pieces are then sanded on the back side and reduced to a thickness of 3/64".

 

 

To finish, I simulated the reinforcement dowels by drilling 4 holes with reference to the plan. A sharpened pencil tip is inserted in the holes to round them perfectly and toothpick tips are glued. The whole is then finely sanded. I know that you won't see much once the fashion pieces are painted black but I hope that you will be able to see them under the layer of paint.

 

 

 

 

I will now proceed as many modelers have done to lay the first two strakes of planks directly under the wales before adding the second layer of the wales.

 

I have several questions that come to mind:
- Is it time to paint the outside of the counter red?
- I purposely left my fashion pieces slightly longer (they extend slightly past the bottom of the wales). Should I wait until I have installed my first 2 rows of planks before sanding them to the right length?
- If the manual contains precise indications on how to tapered the first 2 strakes of planks at the bow, nothing is indicated on the width of the planks at the stern. Should I keep them at their 3/16" width or should they also be tapered?

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

 

[glbarlow]

5 hours ago, JpR62 said:

width of the planks at the stern

I didn’t taper any planks at the stern. The model is so well designed I had a perfect fit with using the standard width around the tricky curve there. 
 

5 hours ago, JpR62 said:

paint the outside of the counter

I did, but I don’t think anything drives you to at this point. The key is to have the back end flush with the counter before painting either the counter or the fashion pieces, since they are painted a different color. 

 

5 hours ago, JpR62 said:

wait until I have installed my first 2 rows of planks before sanding them

I think my log discussed how the fashion pieces, square tuck, counter, and planking all come together, and ultimately a trim piece later. Up to you though how to make that happen. Matching them to the wales is critical. 

 

5 hours ago, JpR62 said:

perfect replicas of the plan.

I had to improvise to get a fit I was happy with. It becomes what works for you. 

[JpR62]

Thank you Glenn for the answers and thank you to all the 'Likes'.

Glenn, I will reread your log carefully to study the interaction between the different parts (fashion pieces, square tuck, counter and planking).

 

[Blue Ensign]

You're making excellent progress Jean-Paul,  Gunport linings look good, and very clean work overall. 👍

 

B.E.

[JpR62]

Thank you Blue Ensign for your kind words and thank you to all the 'Likes'.

As I have resumed my work on the longboat, I move slowly on the Cheerful.

I set up the separation between the two rooms. I still have to place the door between the two rooms.

 

The door will remain open so that light can pass between the two rooms.

 

The two side walls of the captain's room are ready to be glued.

Just need to add a few micro details on the hinges and I can glue them inside the ship. And blacken the door handles.

 

 

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.

The two side panels have been glued.

 

I then closed the small triangular space on the back of the captain's room with 3 small pearwood boards.

 

They were glued from the outside.

I still have to order the necessary material to set up a small lighting in these 2 rooms so that we can still see these details.

 

[JpR62]

Thank you to all the 'Likes'.

Following the method used by Rusty in his excellent log, I decided to lay the first two rows of hull planking first before proceeding to lay the second layer of wales.

 

For the installation of the drop planks, I proceeded in the classic way.
First of all I glued some protective tape on the hull which allowed me to draw the shape of my drop planks.

 

The tape is then glued to a sheet of cardboard and a template is cut out. Once the shape is validated, it is transferred to a cherry sheet.

 

The drop plank is cut with a safety gap. The final shape is then produced by cutting gently with a cutter and finishing with sandpaper.

 

All that remains is to glue the drop plank.

I will now be able to apply the second layer of wales.

 

 

 

[JpR62]

Thank You to all the 'Likes'.

The second layer of wales is added.

 

In order to make the painting easier, I decided to test a wood used by Russian modelers: black hornbeam.

 I was lucky enough to find a Russian supplier who was able to provide me with some (the same supplier who sold me the pear wood and the american maple used for my bases).

 

 

 

 

So no more worries about paint on the edges... 😁

I'll be able to start planking the hull, starting with its lining.

 

 

[PRS]

Wow that looks great with the black wood.

[Blue Ensign]

I like the way she's coming together Jean-Paul, very smart, and those wales look excellent.

Your below deck cabins will look great with subtle lighting showing thro' the skylight, I look forward to seeing that in the future.

 

B.E.

[glbarlow]

The pear is looking very nice, I like the black wood for the wales, well done. 

[captain_hook]

The Interieur build-out it a nice idea and turned out beautiful.

[JpR62]

Thanks Paul, Blue Ensign, Glenn, CaptainHook for your interest in this build log and thanks to all the 'Likes'.

I realize that time is running out, but since I only work with wood glue, it takes some time to plank the first belt of the hull. Indeed, I don't know why, but using cyanolyte is impossible for me. It glues everything (including my fingers) except what should be... 😏

 

This step ended with the work on the square tuck. I was a bit afraid of its construction, but finally by following the method described in the manual, everything went pretty well. I was even surprised how logically everything fell into place.

 

Everything is wonderfully thought out and described.

For the vertical planking, I chose to use the same width of planks as those used for the hull, that is to say a width of 3/16".

 

A light sanding and a first coat of teak oil bring out the beauty of the cherry.

 

The part above the wales will be varnished only after the mouldings are glued.

 

For the planking, I followed the method Chuck described for his Winnie frigate: I used an travel iron to shape the planks. Not everything is perfect, but the craft is coming along nicely. I hope to further improve my work method for the second belt.

 

 

 

 

 

I will now finish lining the second belt and begin planking it. But before I do, I still need to install the lighting for both rooms. Luckily, the ordered lighting material has arrived...

 

 

[Chuck]

That looks really good.  Its nice to see a cheerful in the darker woods.  It looks great.  You did a nice tidy job of the square tuck!!!!