HM Cutter Alert by Glenn-UK - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale - by Glenn Shelton

[Glenn-UK]

I have had a good day in the shipyard today and I finally completed the 2nd planking. The 2nd planking has been trimmed around the stern area.

 

I then applied a thin diluted coat of pva over the hull and gave it a light sanding in order for some of the sawdust to fill any gaps between the planks. The hull will require more a bit more sanding (and filling where necessary) before I can move on to the next phase of the build.

 

Here are some pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PRS]

Looking good!

[Glenn-UK]

Today I have started the process of sanding the hull.

 

After the initial sanding all over (using 320 grit) I was pleased with how the hull looked. I will need to complete the hull sanding processes with a finer grit (600 or 800 grit) at a later stage. Before I do this as the hull is to be painted white (below the water line) it is very important to fill in any dips to get a nice smooth paint finish.

 

My first step in this regard is to fill any areas which are clearly visible to the naked eye. To do this I used my Gimour TPK-PT014 (a cheaper version of the standard Dremel) on some left over planks to collect some sawdust.

 

I then mixed some of the sawdust with a diluted pva solution in order to create a wood filler paste. The following photo shows the remnants of a paste mix and the brush used to apply the paste.

 

I apply plenty of the wood filler paste to the dips. It does not look to pretty (as can be seen in the photo below) but once the paste has dried it can be sanded smooth and any remaining dips can filled with more past.

 

The whole hull coated with areas coated with sawdust wood filler paste

 

I will post some more photos of the sanded hull to show the end result in the next day or two.

 

Once I happy with how the hull looks to the naked eye I will spray a thin coat of white primer paint (below the water line) which will highlight possible imperfections which are not visible to the naked eye. These imperfections will be sanded smooth or filled as necessary.  I will probably use a diluted Ronseal wood filler /pva mix when I get to this stage to fill any remaining dips.

 

Hopefully the Vanguard Models waterline marker I have ordered will arrive in the next day or two 🤞😀 as I do not really like the Amati waterline I currently use.

Edited May 25, 2021 by glennard2523

[Glenn-UK]

When assembling the stand for the Cutter Alert I managed snap some of the support brackets 😪 as I was trying to slot the parts together. I was gutted but thankfully I had enough unbroken bits to make a usable stand. As can be seen in the following photo both name plate brackets are beyond repair as it one of the long support strips and are therefore deemed to be missing in action.

 

 

I also received the waterline marker I ordered from Vanguard Models at lunchtime today.😀

 

I will be honest I was not overly impressed with the quality of the materials of the waterline marker as a couple of parts suffered a bit of delamination which was an easy fix with some watered down pva. I also had to file some of the slots in order for the parts to fit together. I did change my mind on the tool however as I did find the tool easy to use when adding the waterline to the hull.

 

After I marked the waterline I applied tape to the hull in readiness for the painting.

 

 

 

I decided to use the Plasti-kote 3100SE Super Matt White Spray paint. I have now given the hull a light spray coat of white paint which is now drying. Once dry It will be a case of more sanding and filling (where necessary). I will then spray another light coat of white paint which will be followed with more sanding (600 to 800 grit) and light spray painting until I have an overall smooth white finish.

 

[James H]

The laser cutting on the waterline marker is very fine and really needs cutting though from both sides on the tabs to make sure you don't break anything. Just takes a little extra time.

 

Are you trying an acrylic filler with a little wood glue in, diluted of course? I apply this before any paint, and rub back and fill again. There's always more filler needed when the paint goes on though....never any luck with me in avoiding that 😆

[Glenn-UK]

24 minutes ago, James H said:

Are you trying an acrylic filler with a little wood glue in, diluted of course? I apply this before any paint, and rub back and fill again. There's always more filler needed when the paint goes on though....never any luck with me in avoiding that 😆

I did start by filling and sanding back the obvious dips in the hull using a sawdust and diluted titebond paste mix.  I then like to add a thin coat of paint as I find this highlights the less obvious areas that requires a bit of additional filler. For this I will use a diluted 50 / 50 titebond and Ronseal wood filler mix.

 

I did cut the waterline parts from both sides when removing them. Part 5 started to delaminate as it was being cut and was due to a fault in the material sheet.

Edited May 25, 2021 by glennard2523

[Glenn-UK]

I am currently painting the hull white (below the waterline). After each paint coat the hull is sanded and filled as necessary. Hopefully the painting of the hull phase is now nearly complete. As there is quite of bit of dead time as each paint coat dries I thought I would use the time to build the 12 x 6 pounder cannons.

 

Stage 1 - Preparing the Axles

The first task was to file the edges of the front and rear axles so that the wheels would fit. As each axle was sanded I did test fit the wheels, as shown in the photo below. I also removed the laser char from the 24 front and 24 rear wheel rims.

 

Stage 2 - Building the basic cannon frames

This was a simple task of gluing the left and right gun carriage cheeks to the front and rear axles. I applied a drop of Titebond original to the slots in the axles. I fixed both gun carriage cheeks to the front axle and I then added the rear axle.

 

Once the assembly was completed the frames were painted red ochre. I also painted the gun carriage beds black.

 

6 down and 6 to go

 

All 12 completed

 

The gun carriage beds have been painted black

 

Gun Carriages painted red ochre

 

Stage 3 - Adding the PE parts

Each 6 pound cannon requires 1 x carriage transverse bolt, 2 x cap square and 4 x eyebolts. These are PE parts and need to be blackened. These parts were cleaned in acetone and then warm soapy water. Once they were cleaned and dried they were blackened using a burnishing solution.

 

Parts ready to be fitted

 

I started with fitting the carriage transverse bolt. Once these were in place I was able secure the carriage bed's. Next the four wheels were added to each gun carriage.

 

Picture with the cannon dry fitted

 

All 12 cannon frame assemblies completed

 

Stage 5 - Adding the cannons and cap squares

I used a touch of Titebond to secure the each cannon to the gun carriage. I ensured each cannon was correctly positioned with the crest and firing hole upmost. Once all the cannons were glued in place I added the cap squares.

 

Picture of 1 completed cannon, the crest and firing hole can be seen on the cannon

 

Completed cannon from a different angle

 

All 12 completed cannons

 

[Glenn-UK]

I now believe I have completed the painting the hull white below the waterline. When I look closely at the hull there are still some very small "potholes" visible . I know I could continue to fill, sand and paint the hull to eliminate these few remaining "potholes" but I am not sure if it will be worth the time and effort required as I think these "potholes" actually add some character to the build therefore I am tempted to leave them.

 

I have attached a couple of pictures which shows how the hull now looks. Once I have finally decided to move on with the build with the hull as is I will remove the tape. Hopefully there will not have been too much paint bled.

 

Starboard Side

 

Port Side

 

Arial view

 

Arial View

Edited May 29, 2021 by glennard2523

[Theodosius]

Realy nice work ont the guns! 

 

I also like your white painting of the underwater part of the ship. And I would also prefer a not so perfect job on this. I mean, this is not a piano :-).

 

And, but I'm not 100% sure about that, I think that the white for the underwatership was a mix with different chemicals for fouling protection, and in the end, it was not a straight white, so any imperfection on this, is realy perfect :-).

 

And I'm a little bit jealous about your white. I mean, it was the the admiral who decided for Speedy and not for Flirt, because of the coppering. Bling bling, you know, lol :-). Hope it was not a mistake...

[Glenn-UK]

3 minutes ago, Theodosius said:

And I'm a little bit jealous about your white. I mean, it was the the admiral who decided for Speedy and not for Flirt, because of the coppering. Bling bling, you know, lol :-). Hope it was not a mistake...

Thanks for you kind comments. I liked the coppering finish on my Speedy and Victory, the do look great when done. I liked the grey paint in my Yamato and white paint on my Duchess of Kingston. 

[Glenn-UK]

As I finally decided I was happy with how the white painted hull (below the waterline) looked I took the plunge this evening (while watching tv) to remove the masking tape.

 

As the upper tape layers were being removed I was a tad anxious to see if there would be any paint bled.😬

 

As the final waterline tape layer was removed I was very relieved to note there was no bled. I really like the sharp lines along the waterline and I am very pleased with the end result. 😁

 

I plan to give the hull a very light sanding above the waterline to remove some unwanted pencil marks as I did initially make a positional error with the initial waterline marking attempt.

 

A nice side picture of the painted hull

 

There is a little bit of work required on a plank half way up the stern counter pattern. I do have plenty of sawdust left over to fill the gap.

 

Bow area

 

 

[James H]

This one is moving along quickly. You're putting me to shame.

[Glenn-UK]

9 minutes ago, James H said:

This one is moving along quickly. You're putting me to shame.

That is praise indeed😁. However I am still in awe of your skills and speed.

[Glenn-UK]

It has been an interesting morning in the shipyard today.

 

I started by giving the unpainted part of the hull a very light sanding in a few areas to remove some unwanted pencil marks. I am really pleased with how the hull now looks, after adding the white paint below the waterline.

 

Forging ahead I then removed the bulkhead tabs and filed the stubs flush with the deck. I also sanded the inner bulwarks smooth removing any residual glue. In the photo below the 6 x stern tabs are still to be removed

 

With all the tabs removed I then proceeded to test fit the two laser cut deck parts. They were both almost a perfect fit. I just had to sand a couple of edges to ensure the decks would lay flat on their respective false decks.

 

The next task will be to fit and paint the inner bulwark planks, however before doing this I thought it would be fun to add the previously built deck items. The deck pumps are sitting very proud as I did wish to force them in position as the pump shafts will require a little bit of sanding. I will also paint the rear hatch red ochre to match the rest of the deck fittings.

 

I quite like the black and white version

[DelF]

Wow. Just catching up - that paint line is really neat. Great job!

[Glenn-UK]

1 minute ago, DelF said:

Wow. Just catching up - that paint line is really neat. Great job!

Thanks Derek, I took my time with plenty of sanding (and filling) between paint layers. I am really pleased with the end result.

[Glenn-UK]

I have made more progress this afternoon and evening with adding the inner bulwark planking.

 

The left and right lower planks were dipped in water for a few seconds then they were clamped in position.

 

I then clamped the second upper dampened plank in position. Finally I added the tapered bow and stern third planks.

 

Once the planks had dried, retaining the curve, I applied a very thin coat of polyurethane varnish to each plank and then, once that coating had dried, I painted the planks with two coats of red ochre.

 

Once the paint had dried, using Titebond Original, the planks were glued in place. I now just need to trim away any excess plank material along the top edge and to plank the front face of the step between the lower and upper deck.

 

 

The next job will be to cut the gun port openings

Edited May 31, 2021 by glennard2523

[Oboship]

Great job on the hull and planking! I'm curious about your doing the gun ports. I've seen this part in the manual already and I'm not quite sure yet how to deal with it (will start with Alert in a month or two after Jalouse is completed).

Best regards
Uwe

[Glenn-UK]

7 minutes ago, Oboship said:

Great job on the hull and planking! I'm curious about your doing the gun ports. I've seen this part in the manual already and I'm not quite sure yet how to deal with it (will start with Alert in a month or two after Jalouse is completed).

Best regards
Uwe

Thanks Uwe for your kind comments. With regard to the gun ports I plan to use my razor saw to cut the depth. I will probably then use a craft knife to remove the material. With the exception of the first gun port which is 6mm deep all the others are 4mm deep which is same depth as the top plank so it should be an easy task.

[Glenn-UK]

Sometimes when building these models you get a nice surprise. Today I added the gun port cut-outs. This was a task I was dreading for many reasons but it turned out to be a very simple and trouble free task.

 

The gunwales were marked with the position of the gun ports. It did not take me long to mark these positions on the hull. Next the gun wales were cut to size. I then marked out the position of the gun port using some tape. The gun wales were used to double check the position of the taped area. Once I was happy I used a razor saw to make both vertical cuts. With the exception of the bow cut-out, all gun ports were cut to a depth of 4mm, which matched the width of the top plank (both for inner and outer bulwarks). I used a craft knife to make the vertical cut along the joint line between the first two planks. Therefore it took very little effort to make a clean cut and the resultant gun port opening required very little sanding.

 

The picture below shows a taped gun port during the cutting process.

 

Once all the gun ports had been cut out I painted all the edges ochre red. I thought it would be good to dry fit all the deck items for the photoshoot.

 

This is a close up of a gun port

 

I like this picture of the deck items

 

A different view of the deck items

 

I have also painted the gunwales black so they are ready to be glued in position in the morning.

[Oboship]

Glenn,

thanks for the clear description. To utilize tape for the gunports is a good idea. Looking at the (latest) pictures I'm certain this will become a very nice cutter!

Uwe

[James H]

Very neat! You should be real proud of that 🥰

[Glenn-UK]

2 minutes ago, Oboship said:

Glenn,

thanks for the clear description. To utilize tape for the gunports is a good idea. Looking at the (latest) pictures I'm certain this will become a very nice cutter!

Uwe

Uwe

Many thanks. It turned out to be a much easier job than I was expecting. The key I have always found is preparation.

[Glenn-UK]

3 minutes ago, James H said:

Very neat! You should be real proud of that 🥰

Thanks, I think the tape guidelines really helped with this task to get the neat finish.

[Glenn-UK]

Time for a quick update on my progress to date.

 

I started by taping and and painted the upper outer bulwarks blue.

 

As can be seen in the next photo I also painted the lower stern counter blue

 

The gunwales had been cut to size and painted black.

 

I used Titebond original to secure the gunwales. I applied a thin coat of Titebond to the top edge of the bulwarks. I also brushed a thin coat on the underside of the gunwales. Each gunwale was fitted in turn and I did my best to ensure they sat centrally with a slight overhang on both the inner and outer bulwark edges.

 

 

Next I pained the stern transom pattern, blue on the outer edge and red / black on the inner edge.

 

Outer edge

 

Inner edge

 

Moving swiftly on the hull decorations were cleaned in acetone and then soapy water. I then sprayed two thin coats of etch primer  (Jenolite)

 

Once the primer had dried I painted the parts. I used copper paint for the horseshoe, fishplate and draught markings and gold paint for the hull decorations as I think it will look better the yellow ochre.

 

PE parts painted and left to dry

 

Fishplate and horseshoe painted copper

 

Finally I painted all the other hull parts, such as the catheads and timber heads.

 

 

 

[Theodosius]

The colours add a lot of 'life' to this model. I like that! 🙂

[Glenn-UK]

7 minutes ago, Theodosius said:

The colours add a lot of 'life' to this model. I like that! 🙂

I totally agree. It will look even better when the decorations have been fitted 

[Glenn-UK]

Today I have added the hull decorations, lower 1mm hull rails and upper stern counter pattern.

 

I started by adding the PE patterns. When I did a test fit of the lower stern counter pattern decorations there seemed to be a problem with the PE parts as can be seen in the photo below. Thankfully when I showed Chris the picture he quickly pointed out that I had positioned the PE parts upside down. I sometimes wonder I how manage to get through the day unscathed.😂

 

 

I decided to use the method recommended by James Hatch for securing the PE hull decoration parts, which is to use Klear polish.

 

 

I had tried and failed with this method when building the Duchess Of Kingston. Thanks to James for taking the time to explain the method to me yesterday once again and this time I had no problem using the Klear method. The PE part was positioned on the hull and then, using a small paint brush, the edges of the PE part were coated with the polish. The brushed on polish will then work its way under the PE part. Once all the PE parts were fitted and the polish had fully dried a second coat of polish was added over the top and allowed to dry.

 

Next I added the 1mm rails which sits below the hull decorations. I painted the rails black before they were fitted. I used Titebond Original to secure the rails to the hull with a series of clamps to hold the rails in place until the glue had gripped and started to cure.

 

I then added the transom rails to the lower and upper stern counter panels. After that I secured the PE decorations to both the lower and upper stern counter patterns, using the Klear method. Once everything had dried I glued the upper stern counter pattern to the hull using Titebond Original.

 

The lower and upper stern counter patterns. The two lower transom parts needs some more yellow ochre on the upper edges.

 

The upper stern counter pattern. The paint work needs a tidy up in a couple of places. There is some additional wooden parts to add.

 

Bow section hull decoration

 

Stern area hull decorations

 

Midships hull decorations

 

Midships hull decorations

 

Rear Midships hull decorations

Edited June 3, 2021 by glennard2523

[Glenn-UK]

I have made some good progress over the last couple of days.

 

Wales

These consist of 2 x 3mm wide planks per side. I pre bent the planks so they followed the curve of the hull using my heated plank bender. I added a taped line along the hull to show the required position of the wale.  The planks were painted black (2 coats). I was undecided weather to use ca gel or Titebond original to secure the planks to the hull, or a combination of both. In the end I opted for using the Titebond original. I gave the inner surface of the plank to be fitted a thin coating of the Titebond and placed it in position. The glue has a very quick grip action and within a minute or two I was happy the plank was attached to the hull. I repeated the process for the other wale planks. Once this was complete I painted the upper part of the stem post black and also added the 2 x horseshoe and 2 x fish plates using the Klear polish method. I have not, as yet, added the PE draught markings.

 

 

Upper Stern Counter

I added the inner details to the inner face of the upper stern counter namely the 2 x stern transom knees and the 4 x inner supports. I did ensure the cleat would fit in the slot provided on two of the inner supports prior to gluing them in place.

 

I also fitted the 2 x step blocks for the mizzen mast.

 

 

Rough Tree Rail

The rough tree rail sits above the stern capping rail. There are slots in both the stern capping and rough tree rails for the supports and timber heads. I also fitted the stern counter timber.

 

 

Main Sail Boom Cradles

The 2 cradles were fitted either side of the upper stern counter pattern.

 

 

Catheads and Hawse Hole Post

I added the PE parts to the catheads, using the Klear polish method. The cappings were trimmed to allow both catheads top sit flush with the inner bulwarks. Once I was reasonably happy with the fit they were glued in place. I then glued the 2 x hawse hole post in place. Finally the cathead knees were added to the bottom of each cathead.

 

The cathead knee leading edge needs painting yellow orche

 

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by glennard2523

[Glenn-UK]

Today I started by adding the draught markings to the hull, using the klear polish method to secure the PE parts in place. I also painted the leading edge of the cathead knees ochre yellow.

 

 

Next I moved on to the cannon ball racks. I gave each of the 10 x racks a thin coat of polyurethane  varnish and then painted them ochre red. They need to be position 3mm above the deck so as the paint was drying I made some 3mm high support blocks. I applied a thin coating of Titebond original along the edge each cannon ball rack and using the support racks as a guide they were added to the bulwarks.

 

Cannon ball racks have been glued in place and can be seen sitting on top of the support blocks.

 

Empty cannon ball racks after the support blocks have been removed

 

Next I placed a small drop of Titebond original in the cannon ball location holes and then using my small reverse action tweezers dropped the cannon balls in position.

 

Completed cannon ball racks

 

Close up of the cannon ball racks

 

Finally I cleaned all the remaining PE parts in acetone and then soapy water and they are now ready to be blacked / painted as necessary.

 

 

The remaining tasks to be completed include:

a) Add channels, anchor chocks and step steps

b) Add the deck deck eyebolts, rings, cleats and rigging eyebolts

c)  Add the mast base

d) Assembly and fit the rudder, braces and tiller arm

e) Fit the deck furniture, I have already assembled all these items

f) Fit the  bowsprit iron hoop

g) assembly the anchors but they will not be fitted until after the rigging is complete

 

Once the above tasks have been completed I can move on to making all the masts, bowsprit, yards and booms.