HM Cutter Alert by Thukydides - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - first build

[Nipper]

I see that you've been referring to Blue Ensign's build log in which he goes into a great deal of care to create an authentic rig for Alert.  Like you, I wanted to make my Alert as realistic as I could, and I used all the usual reference books to check what is correct.  After a great deal of (very enjoyable) time researching, I concluded that I could do no better than follow Blue Ensign's lead.

[Blue Ensign]

Thank you Nipper for your kind words, I sympathise with the confusions, I spent a lot time and head scratching to reach my conclusions on cutter rigging, there are a lot of inconsistencies in the Alert Book, and I certainly don’t put forward my efforts as the definitive arrangement.

For what it’s worth I detailed my approach to each aspect of the rigging in my log, and I don’t think I can add to that.

Whatever you decide Thuky, I doubt anyone will gainsay you, there was a lot of variation in cutter rigging.

 

B.E.

[Thukydides]

Thanks @Gregory for the suggestions to look at cheerful. I did find it helped clarify some things in my mind.

 

@Blue Ensign I appreciate the encouragement. I do consider your log the gold standard when it comes to rigging alert and the care and detail you put into your explanations is fantastic. That is why whenever I am not sure I am arriving at the same conclusions as you or I can’t figure out why you decided to do things the way you did it gives me pause. I am hesitant to deviate from what is so clearly meticulously researched :).

 

I think after much consideration I have a potential plan (see the picture below).

Basically I have made a compromise between what the kit says (partially due to the blocks I have on hand), @Blue Ensign’s log and my own musings on Goodwin and the Steel tables. The running part of the rigging I still need to give more thought to, but I think this is a reasonable plan for the standing part of the rigging.

[Thukydides]

Log #54: The Mainstay and Preventer Stay

Having settled on a plan of action (see previous post) I realized that I didn’t have the correct sizes of rope and so while I wait for another rope order to arrive, I started work on the stays.

 

The mainstay is listed by steel at 13 inches circumference which works out to 1.6mm at our scale. As noted by BE in his log, this seems a bit on the chunky side, but after some thought I decided to stick with the steel tables. As the cable laid rope has larger gaps between the threads I decided in this case to worm it first. This helps the served portion to look rounder and particularly on this large rope I think it helped. I used beige thread as it is very hard to see what you are doing with the darker thread.

For the mouses I decided to copy the example of @DelF in his speedy log where he turned them using a piece of dowel. Not having a lathe I had to use my drill.

I marked off the length with tape and then used sandpaper and a file to get the right shape. The diameter of the mouse should be 3x the diameter of the rope so in this case this worked out to 4.8mm for the mainstay and 2.4mm for the preventer stay. I then drilled holes in them starting with a smaller bit size and then slowly increasing the size until it was correct.

Then I covered them in watered down p a and stretched some tights over them holding them tight with clamps.

The excess was then cut away and a spot of super glue was used to secure them in place on the stays.

I then painted them with a very watered down (2 parts water to 1 part paint) 50-50 mix of citadel rhinox hide and VMC flat black.

Edited October 8, 2023 by Thukydides

[Blue Ensign]

Good looking mouses 👍

 

B.E.

[Thukydides]

Log #55: Preparing the Mainmast

While I am waiting on more rope arriving I have been doing the final preparations to the mainmast so it is ready to have the shrouds attached to it. First up was to create an iron hoop to serve as a stop for the shrouds. Based on the goodwin drawings I estimated this to be around 2mm thick. My previous tests had told me that tension alone mostly holds the shrouds in place so I decided to use the shrink tube held in place by epoxy.

I placed the shrouds and stays on the mast to determine how much space I needed (leaving a bit of extra room for the 4 thinner ropes that still need to be served around the mast). I then marked the location and used epoxy to hold it in place and a hairdryer to shrink it. Note it looks closer to the top of the mast than it is as I had to paint my black line around 1.5 mm lower than desired due to an unfortunate accident with paint running. As this will all be covered with rope anyways it doesn’t really matter.

I did not take a picture of this next step, but I coated it in a mix of flat black and metal colour dark aluminum as I did in the past on metal parts to give it a slight sheen. I then turned my attention to the bottom of the mast. I didn’t really like the PE ring provided in the kit to hold belaying pins (too thin), so I decided to follow BE’s method of using cleats instead. The problem is I had none so I decided to improvise. I had already decided to replace the PE shroud cleats provided by the kit with some pearwood ones and I discovered with a bit of modification these were just the right size for the base of the mainmast.

However like many PE parts they were too thin so I glued them together in pairs to form thicker versions. I then filed them down to get them to look less like metal and more like shaped wood. I have discovered that PE in most cases need a lot of filing to make it look correct to scale. You can see the comparison of before and after below.

I then prepared the mast by drilling two side by side holes to make a notch for the cleats. I determined the correct location by taking some masking tape, marking the place I wanted the first cleat to go and then spreading it out and marking the spacing for the remaining six. I then put the tape back on the mast and drilled just above it and just on the tape to make the notches.

Meanwhile I primed and added several layers of paint and varnish to the cleated to try and make them look more rounded. I then attached them to the mast using epoxy resin.

Then on to painting. I will not go into detail here as I have covered this in the past, but I used the same principles and colours I did for the red and black parts on the deck.

Though some of this detail will likely be covered up, it is always safer to paint it all carefully and then any that is exposed will look right as it will be much harder to touch it up once it is on the model.

 

 

[jpalmer1970]

Looking very good. Top work!

[Thukydides]

Log #56: The Boom and the Gaff

Despite the lack of updates, I have been making progress on the model. I am currently in the process of trying to get everything associated with the mainmast that I can done off the model to make things easier. This however means that despite doing lots, I don’t have many things complete and ready to show. Much of what I will discuss in this log has been in progress for several weeks and I have many other things done, that I have not yet mentioned as they are not in a finished enough state to show. I say this mostly for the benefit of any other first time builders as the order I present stuff in my log is not necessarily the same as the order I worked on them.

 

A significant amount of my time lately has been spent on the boom and the gaff. For the shape and length of them I followed the excellent directions in BE’s log. You can find them here. I achieved this by turning them on my drill much the same as with the mainmast. I also decided to adjust the kit arrangement for the jaws as I felt that with a little bit of effort they could be made more historically accurate.

 

First I cut the two halves of the jaws in two and for the boom I doubled the thickness by gluing them to another piece of off cut and carefully shaping them.

The gaff I left the same thickness. I then attached them to the boom and gaff and proceeded to give them a coat of black paint.

I also took this opportunity to taper the edge of the gaff to let it sit more naturally. This taper is clearly marked in both Lees and Goodwin.

After giving it a coat of black and sanding it back I decided to relocate the holes to more accurately reflect the diagrams in Lees. The old holes were filled with putty.

Painting was a long slow process. I first coated them in black then sanded it smooth then coated then sanded and so on. Once I had a solid base I highlighted with one reflection point similar to how I have previously described.

As a stylistic note I decided to leave all the cleats natural pear coloured with just a bit of WOP. I like the contrast this produces and also that it highlights the details. As a final touch I also made some changes to the end of the boom to simulate the pulley in it and also to make the end of the boom and gaff reflect what Lees said the practice at the time was (metal plate and eyebolt).

 

For the gaff I used a leftover top of one of the extra stantion tops as the plate and one of my amati eyebolts. For the boom I used one of the leftover chain plates for the shrouds and one of the extra hoops that the running backstays attach to as the eyebolt.

I still need to add the iron hoops that hold the jaws to the spars, but I needed to let everything dry completely before I start messing with that.

 

And here are the two of them on Alert.

 

[Thukydides]

Minor update, I got the iron bands on the gaff and the boom as well as added the eyebolt to the gaff. Both Goodwin and the kit plans have the eyebolt further from the jaws, but Lees seems to suggest that this was only the practice after 1818 and so I went with him. I also painted the bands to try and help them stand out and give the illusion of metal. One of the challenges with close up photos is that the transitions for the colours look very abrupt when in real life they blend together much better.

[Theodosius]

With all this great progress, I want to ask you, if there is allready a thinking process started for a "next project" after Alert? 😉 

[Thukydides]

13 minutes ago, Theodosius said:

With all this great progress, I want to ask you, if there is allready a thinking process started for a "next project" after Alert? 😉 

I do have a tentative plan, but I don't want to say anything until I have the major parts of it figured out and I am sure what I am going to do. This was always planned to be my test run in the hobby and I have largely tried to stay pretty close to the kit arrangement. I want my next one to really push the limits of what I think I can do with a kit. I am doing some research in the background, but there are enough unanswered questions yet that I have not absolutely decided. Realistically even at my current pace I won't have alert finished until mid to late 2024 so lots of time yet to change my mind.

[glbarlow]

Your painting skills are exceptional, it brings such character to the model. 

[Thukydides]

Log #57: The Shrouds Part II

Work has slowed down a bunch mostly due to difficulties with the rigging. I have made at least four attempts at the pendents for the spar halliards and though I think I now have a acceptable solution, I don’t have much yet to show for the work.

 

Despite this I have also been making slow progress on the shrouds. This represents work that has been going on in the background for the last month or more.

 

First step was to make a jig to correctly space the deadeyes based on the plans.

I used a fair bit of tension for this step to ensure that when I come to attaching the deadeyes I have wiggle room without pulling them too close together. A small bit of super glue was used to hold the deadeye in the correct position. As a note of caution I used it in too many spots and it caused some issues later when it came time to seize them. I would recommend just a small drop at the bottom, this is not for securing them, rather is just to hold it in the correct position until the seizing can be added.

 

After doing this I labled each of the shrouds (as now the order they go on matters since I have set the lengths) and removed them from the model. Using my knockoff quad hands I got of amazon I held the deadeye in place and then pulled the two ends of the shroud tight.

I then seized them together using a sewing needle and some 0.2mm thread I got @BenD to custom make for me.

As a note I turned my deadeyes right handed as I used cable laid rope for the shrouds. If I had used shroud laid rope the correct method would be to turn them left handed.

 

With the seizing done I made the decision to also add the canvas caps to the end of the ropes. To do this I took some tissue paper (the kind you put in gift bags) and painted it an off white to look like canvas. In case anyone wants the specific colours I first painted it with citadel’s palid witch flesh and then with karak stone. I did this in a haphazard fashion to not fully cover the previous layer to give colour variation to it. I cut out a small ‘L’ shape to form the cover.

This was carefully folded over the top of the rope end using a very small drop of super glue to hold the center in place and then watered down matt varnish to adhere it to the model. I then did a quick whipping with 0.25mm rope and covered the whole thing with another layer of matt varnish and left it to dry (note: the picture below shows the state of affairs right before whipping).

Once dry I cut the ends and then again added another watered down layer of varnish.

 

At this point I also decided to make some modifications to the shroud cleats to make them look more like the diagram in Lees. This was a slow process of sanding and carefully cutting notches with my craft knife and then filing the grooves with a triangle file.

Once complete I used a small spot of super glue to attach them to the shrouds. Once the fully dry I can remove the shrouds from the model and add rope to attach them as well.

As a final note I also attached the plates for the running backstay. At this point I only attached the bottom bolt as I want to be able to adjust their angle depending on what exactly I do with the running backstay.

Edited November 4, 2023 by Thukydides

[Thukydides]

Log #58: Revisiting the Rudder and the Windlass

I seem to have a bad habit of deciding not to do something and then some time later, when it is much harder to accomplish the task, decide I want to do it after all. Inspired by @dunnock’s excellent job with the rudder cover, the more I looked at Alert the more the omission bothered me. And so I found myself attempting to install a cover on the tiller and the rudder.

 

I sketched out the rough shape for the horseshoe on an off cut of 1mm pear and then carefully cut it out and sanded it till it was approximately 0.5mm thick.

I then attached a bit of the same material I previously used for the mouses (a bowling alley sock similar to tights). This ultimately proved to have too pronounced a weave which I had to correct for later with many layers of varnish and paint.

I then glued it to the lower counter and folded over the excess to tuck inside to give it bulk. This ended up not being quite enough and so I slipped an extra bit into it as well.

I then glued it in place with wood glue and manipulated it to get the appropriate shape.

Then came many layers of paint and varnish to give it a sort of tarred look. I also painted the horseshoe with a bit of a metalic look to give the impression of metal. This is a similar process to how I have previously described, just for metal you make your transitions much more dramatic and the reflection points more pronounced. The only thing on this I will note is when painting reflections it is important to make sure they all line up and so the reflection points match where the highlights on the counter background are.

I also made a quick tiller cover using the same tissue paper I used for the rope ends. This time I just painted it the mix of black and dark brown that I used for the mouse to give it the impression of being tarred.

I have long been looking at the windlass as the kit arrangement (though much easier) does not look quite as nice as the Iron bars laid out in the Goodwin drawings. So after looking at it for a while I decided to attempt to modify it.

This involved very careful sawing and then sanding and painting the area. The painting did not take long and most of this area will be covered up and not be visible once the bowsprit is in. I mostly painted it a darker red to accentuate the shadow the area will be in.

I do think the effect of these two changes really adds to the look and I am pleased I went back. Also I am pleased that nothing broke of fell off when I flipped it over :).

Edited November 5, 2023 by Thukydides

[jpalmer1970]

Well done - you are a brave man to flip the model over to work on the rudder at this stage of the build ! Micropore medical tape can be used as a cloth type material too - I used some of that for the tiller cover.

I'm looking forward to seeing the next steps in your build.

[mugje]

Outstanding work! 

[Thukydides]

Thanks @mugje and @jpalmer1970 and everyone else for all the likes and encouragement.

 

I am still plugging away on the lower mast and hopefully will have more to show soon. In the meantime see below for a preview of coming attractions.

[AJohnson]

37 minutes ago, Thukydides said:

Thanks @mugje and @jpalmer1970 and everyone else for all the likes and encouragement.

 

I am still plugging away on the lower mast and hopefully will have more to show soon. In the meantime see below for a preview of coming attractions.

I shall be interested to see how the figures come out with your painting skills! 😲

[Nearshore]

What an amazing build. You skills are very impressive!!  You have given me some ideas to use on my build.

 

Nearshore

[Thukydides]

14 minutes ago, Nearshore said:

What an amazing build. You skills are very impressive!!  You have given me some ideas to use on my build.

 

Nearshore

Thank you very much. It is always nice to hear that people have found the log helpful.

[Thukydides]

Log #59: Finishing the Mainmast

As noted in log #57 I have been working on finishing up the shrouds in preparation for attaching them to the model. The final thing that needed to be done before I could begin putting everything in place was to finish the Mainmast.

 

First up was to attach the boom and the gaff. The kit provided parell beads seemed a bit small for my upsized boom jaws so I ordered some matt black beads form amazon. In theory they were meant to be all the same size, but in practice they came in a fairly wide variety of sizes. Using my calipers I measured and categorized them using the smallest fore the gaff and the largest for the boom.

Then I removed the mast from the model for the last time to finish the painting. This could be done on model, but it is much easier when you are able to move it around to get the best angle. The process was similar to previous painting explanations. I will note that it is important to make sure all of the highlights are consistent and any reflection points match all over the model. So for example I made sure the reflection points on the round part matched those on the pumps.

With that all done it was time to attach the first of the shrouds. These are only loosely in place for the moment with just enough tension to hold the lines straight so they start to get used to the position they will be in. I will be going through and retensioning everything once all the stays and shrouds for the lower mast are in place.

I have not previously shown this, but I did size the cleats to the shrouds before fastening the shrouds to the ship.

 

The two first shrouds are now done and I will be sequentially adding the remaining ones.

Edited November 11, 2023 by Thukydides

[allanyed]

Your work is astounding. 😀

Question, hope you don't mind.   Were the forward shrouds set up like this on the cutters rather than the common sequence, ie:  pair on the starboard then pair on the port, etc. with a swifter being the aftmost rigged with an eye splice if an odd number of shrouds?   

Allan

Edited November 11, 2023 by allanyed

[Thukydides]

22 minutes ago, allanyed said:

Your work is astounding. 😀

Question, hope you don't mind.   Were the forward shrouds set up like this on the cutters rather than the common sequence, ie:  pair on the starboard then pair on the port, etc. with a swifter being the aft most rigged with an eye splice if an odd number of shrouds?   

Allan

Thanks coming from such an accomplished builder that is a real compliment :).

 

For the shrouds I relied primarily on the Goodwin Alert book. In it he arranges them as follows:

What makes it complicated is in other parts of the book he refers to the 5th shroud (#s 12 and 10) as the standing backstay. Here he refers to 6 and 7 as the standing backstays and then also has single eye splices for the running backstays as well.

 

I ultimately have decided to dispense with the extra standing backstays and will just be rigging a running backstay. So I will have 4 shrouds and 1 standing backstay and 1 running backstay. Since the running backstay has to be an individual eye splice (due to the angle), I thought going with the Goodwin arrangement of having the first shrouds be done individually since they are seized all the way down made the most sense.

 

In general for better or for worse as this is my first build I have relied heavily on Goodwin. If I was doing the whole thing over again I might question this a bit more.

[allanyed]

Goodwin is one of my favorites in general.  His research has saved many of us countless hours of our own research.   This layout was a new one for me so a good day of learning 😀.  Before seeing this sequence I was relying on that given by Lees but I am not so sure he was including the idiosyncrasies of cutters in The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War.  This brings up a question, for me at least, would cutters fit within the meaning of his title or were they of their category for some things such as rigging?

Allan 

 

 

[Thukydides]

@allanyed I have noticed that Lees at times makes reference to cutters as if they are different, but never clarifies if his general statements applied to them. One of the shortcomings of the Alert book is that Goodwin rarely clarifies (particularly in the drawings section) why he is arranging things the way he is. Another great example of this is our previous discussion on the rigging of the cannons. So it is hard to tell if he is just making an assumption or if he read some tibit at some point which indicated that Cutters had their shrouds rigged in this fassion.

[mgatrost]

 

Looking great, will you be putting the sails on?

[Thukydides]

1 hour ago, mgatrost said:

 

Looking great, will you be putting the sails on?

Thanks, I have not decided yet. When I first started this build I was aiming for a more realistic depiction and had planned to add sails. However, as things have progressed I have moved in a more stylistic, artistic direction and so I don’t think sails as I had originally planned would fit. So basically I am trying to decide between no sails or furled sails. I have seen some examples of furled sails that I think would fit with the current theme, but I am unsure if (1) it would look that much better than no sails and (2) if I could do a good enough job not to “spoil” the model.

 

I think I am going to do some more research and make a decision at a later date, but at this point I am leaning towards no sails as my depiction is thematically trying to look like a contemporary model and very few of those had sails. That being said I am open to suggestions of models with a similar artistic style I could look at which did indeed use sails.

[Gregory]

FWIW I found a contemporary model in the Gallery that shows shrouds in pairs:

There are several other models but I couldn't really tell.

I can't tell on the Cheerful model, but Chuck chose to go with pairs, and I think he saw the model in person.

 

Petersson. shows pairs.

 

I trust Goodwin had good reason to go with single.

 

P.S.

Sails

 

The cutter models I have seen with full sails looked somewhat clunky to me, and really detracted from the over-all look.

In your case, I think they would really detract from all of your fine work.

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by Gregory

[allanyed]

The eyes, hooked blocks and stropped blocks are marvels.   Great pics, thanks for posting.

Allan

[Thukydides]

Minor update, I now have three shrouds rigged on each side.