28 foot American cutter by druxey - FINISHED - 1:48 scale

[wefalck]

Imitating expensive woods (or marble) has been very much en vogue until the 1920s or and still seems to enjoy a certain tradition in some countries. Some 30 years ago I picked up this instruction manual:

 

Hemming, C. (1985): Paint Finishes.- 144 p., London (Macdonald & Co.).

 

that describes in detail how to do 'wood-graining', 'marbelling' and other techniques and what tools and materials to use.

 

[druxey]

So, the moldings I cut and ebonized yesterday have been assembled on the base and the acrylic pedestals installed. The model has been mounted on these using spots of epoxy. I now have to wait for the case to be made before I can mount the base on the much larger sub-base and attach the oars. Almost there!

 

[Chuck]

Beautiful!!!  That best describes it 😍

[rwiederrich]

Druxey...just wonderful.  She is so very clean and ship shape.

 

Very fine job indeed.

 

Rob

[shipman]

Looking FAB, druxey.

 

If it were mine (HA 🤣  HA) I'd consider cambering the base, in the same way a deck has. I reckon that would help 'lift' the model from what will be its flat surroundings. Just a thought.

[michael mott]

There is something very appealing about these smaller models, and it is a testament to your skill and ability to be able to create such a gem.

 

Michael

[giampieroricci]

excellent work!

[Bob Cleek]

I'm curious how the yoke control line would be run. The short yoke provides very little leverage and the rudder has a fair amount of area. Short as it is, for the yoke to function short of Herculean effort, the yoke sheets would have to be run as near to right angles to the yoke ends as possible. Might they be run through turning blocks attached to the back of the stern sheets backrest and from there to the sides of the hull inboard and thence through turning blocks inboard to another set in line with with the front of the after-most oarsman? Or with a shorter run so the control sheets were in front of a coxswain sitting in the stern sheets?

 

Will the model include a sailing rig, set up or stowed aboard?

[druxey]

Thanks to all who checked in and commented.

 

Bob: The yoke is based on ones seen on contemporary models (see example below, SLR 1820). None have long arms, so presumably the leverage was sufficient. None show the lines and/or how they were run, but it would be reasonable to assume some kind of leading blocks. There is no indication of any on the cutter in the Venetian museum, so we are left hanging. This model will not show sails or rigging, just oars deployed.

 

The case should be completed on Thursday, so no more can be done until then.

 

 

 

[Tony Hunt]

Interesting question on rigging the steering yoke. Standard Designs For Boats of The United States Navy by Philip Hichborn came good for the oars - perhaps it has something on this question too?

[Roger Pellett]

Yes,  by 1900, US Navy cutters could be steered with either a yoke or a short tiller.  The yoke was a fancy casting of Composition Metal, the Navy’s name for copper alloys (brass and bronze).  Hitchborn includes a detailed pattern in his book.  The two horns are longer than those that Druxey shows.

 

That being said Druxey is not modeling a 1900 US Navy Standard Cutter but a MidNineteenth Century Cutter built by a private shipyard for use by a foreign navy.  The rudder pattern itself is different from that for the U.S Navy Boat.

 

Roger

[bruce d]

5 hours ago, Roger Pellett said:

Druxey is not modeling a 1900 US Navy Standard Cutter but a MidNineteenth Century Cutter built by a private shipyard for use by a foreign navy.  

The cutter was from a USN ship and ended up in another navy. See ...

 

 

I don't know about the differences in rudder shape.

 

[druxey]

The acrylic case has arrived and the sub-base is boing constructed to fit. As soon as the casework is complete, I shall mount the base on the sub-base and set about deploying the oars. Stay tuned!

[Ab Hoving]

jealous making perfect

[flying_dutchman2]

Beautifully executed. Love the nails in the hull. 

 

Marcus 

[shipman]

Druxey, as the boat clearly has fittings to take a mast, what would your take be on how it was rigged?

I'm always dubious of the shroud fittings on the ubiquitous 'Meadway Longboat' so often seen here, indeed I seem to be the only person regularly questioning this detail.

As it is, the cutter you portray has no fittings to enable any kind of mast cordage (that I can see).

My contention has always been that these boats were rarely if ever fitted with shrouds, but must have had kevels belay pins or some other purchase points for mast and sail rigging.

[druxey]

Well, Shipman, there are ringbolts attached to the inwales as well as hooked cleats near the stern. These all must be for attaching rigging. There are two ringbolts a side forward and one on each side aft. In addition, there is an eyebolt on each side just forward of the mast step. An example of cutter rig from the period is:

 

 

This is ZAZ 7143, a 25 foot cutter in the RMG (NMM) collection. However, I'm unsure how a bowsprit (if present) was rigged on the 28 foot American cutter. This is one reason I'm not rigging the model.

[Louie da fly]

That's beautiful work, Druxey (as usual).

 

I've arrived late and only just seen this. Just amazing. Very impressed.

 

Steven

Edited June 19, 2021 by Louie da fly

[Sea Hoss]

Elegant!

[Roger Pellett]

Shipman,

 

In the Eighteenth Century, Royal Navy, Longboats were sloop (or rather Cutter)  rigged.  There is ample evidence to support this-  rigged models, contemporary paintings, and a detailed rigging drawing reproduced in May’s warship boats book.  Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge no one has made a detailed study of the provence of much of this information.   The painting of the rigged Longboat by Dominic Serres that appears on the cover of May’s book is, however, indisputable.  There is a spirited discussion elsewhere on the forum discussing this topic.

 

Roger

[Tim Murphy]

Please, who cares whether this is the correct rig or not! This is a damm fine model that I could never do. I admire Druxey’s skill that is the top of the hobby.

Lets not over analyze this model to death. It is a great piece of building!

Tim

[wefalck]

According to my 1878 textbook on naval (and other boats), the cutters in the Imperial German Navy, which were modelled after those of the RN according to a statement in this book, had a yawl-rig with lug-sails and a short running bow-sprit, very similar to the drawing David showed earlier. The driver-mast was bracketed to the transom.

 

Gigs and smaller boats had a single lug-sail.

 

I have no information on Italian naval boats, but it seems that they were quite similar all around the world at that time.

Edited June 19, 2021 by wefalck

[shipman]

Thank you druxey et al for your feedback and explanations, which I appreciate enormously.

This exceptional build is a fine addition to the legacy of other projects which this forum is so well known for.

[druxey]

Thank to all for the discussion and comments. Finally some progress to report!

 

The sub-base is complete to fit the acrylic case. For those curious, there is a central hole for air circulation with gauze meh to discourage insect infiltration. The two pieces of 1/64" ply act as an air gap between the sub-base and base of the model. Oars will be added tomorrow.

 

[AON]

Air gap and mesh!

What else us there to learn?

[FriedClams]

Splendid work Druxey - so delicate and well crafted.

 

I am curious - early on in the build you expressed regrets about selecting castello for the project instead of holly.  Since you found a way to work with the castello, would you choose it again or opt for a different species? 

 

Looking forward to the final glamour shots.  

 

Gary

 

[druxey]

Thank you, one and all. Almost complete now! The oars have been installed and all that remains are final touch-ups, dusting and adding the case over the model.

 

In the first photo you can see the second bank of oars going in, resting on a block of suitable height and shimmed with card. The retaining pins for the acrylic case are also done and temporarily inserted.

 

[AON]

Looking darned good.  If it were any of the sea cadets I knew the sweeps would be all wonkey!

 

Still waiting to see how the rudder yoke connects to the tiller.  I know how it worked on the whalers but they had a mizzen mast to pivot on.

[wefalck]

The question may be a bit too late, but weren't the oars not to have a metal band around the blade to prevent splitting ?

[Tigersteve]

Are the oars attached with wood glue?

Steve