HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 by Fred Healey - FINISHED - 1:48

[jfhealey]

I'm taking a break from HMS Winchelsea. For those yet to start the Winnie it's a monster requiring real dedication and stamina. And, of course, for the relatively inexperienced model maker you look back at things you've done and think: "If I did that again I think it I'd do it so much better" ( do you, I wonder ever shake off that feeling?). Aan I so want to make the Winnie really well - so a break and a re-set are in order.

 

I've decided to have a go at Chuck's ever so pretty little cutter Cheerful. I have the advantage coming late to the Cheerful of so many superb build logs to follow. This is where I am at the moment.

 

All the best everyone

Fred

 

 

 

 

[Chuck]

Looks great Fred.

[jfhealey]

Thank you Chuck and for the likes.

 

I bought Syren's pre cut bulkheads. They go  together as simply as Lego bricks. I don't have sufficient confidence in my planking skills to single plank - so I opted for balsa fillets between the bulkheads. I made a schoolboy error along the way: I should have taken my measurements against the bulkhead former and filled up between the bulkheads one piece of balsa per side. I didn't: I took the measurements from the outer edge of the bulkhead and filled up a complete section on one side before turning to the other. As a result I got a bit of a wiggle on - but I spotted it in time and before the wiggle got bigger than faring the bulkheads could cope with. A lesson learned.

 

 

I intend to build Cheerful with the hatchway doors open. This is a test to see what can be seen through open doors. Answer: not much. But worth creating at least a small false deck.

 

 

I purchased the Cheerful boxwood set from Hobbymill EU. Its beautiful stuff - wonderfully accurately cut with no saw marks in sight. Highly recommended.

I oversanded the last couple of bulkheads and didn't realise until I tried fitting the piece that form the back of the square tuck. I had to re-form with wood filler.

 

The first planks go on.

 

I took a lot of care with the port openings. On my Winnie these were scruffy because of expelled glue.  I can see I should have blown away the dust before taking the picture.

Planking progress and the inner bulkheads sanded back. I used 1mm thick "planks" glued to the inside of the strakes as a sanding guide.

 

The flat sheet on top was intended to guide installing the top row of strakes for an even and flowing sheer.

 

The false deck came next. I'm building a bit out of order but I like to see those ugly interior bulkheads gone.

 

 

 

 

Planking above the wales finished.

 

 

 

The cap rails are on.

 

There is a bit of a bump above the first port opening. I later removed the cap rails and sanded that out.

 

And now the fancy mouldings and wales

Which is about where I am now!

 

All the best everyone

Fred

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Paul Le Wol]

Fred, your Cheerful is looking great. It will look really nice in boxwood.

[Chuck]

Looking good....dont forget to simulate the caulking between deck planks.   You are well on your way.

[glbarlow]

I throughly enjoyed building Cheerful, it gave me the confidence and some new skills to build Winchelsea. I completely understand your taking a pause on Winchelsea to build Cheerful

 

It’s a great model, yours is off to a excellent start. I’ll enjoy following along as you continue.  

[jfhealey]

Thank you Paul and Chuck. I forgot the caulking between the deck planks on my Winnie and shall forever regret it. I won't forget this time around!

And, though I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times and more, thank you Chuck for sharing your wonderful creations and making access to the craft of model ship making so much more enjoyable than I think it would be if we had only the mass market kits to make. Is  your next project  - plank on frame! - yet anything more than a twinkle in your eye?

Fred

[jfhealey]

Thanks Glen. Your post came in as I was typing. Your log is bookmarked and regularly consulted  - that's the advantage of coming fairly late to Cheerful. 

Fred

[glbarlow]

1 hour ago, jfhealey said:

our log is bookmarked and regularly consulted 

I hope it proves helpful - I feel the same about Winchelsea, lots of logs to consult.

[CiscoH]

Looking really good Fred.  Cheerful is my next planned project, assuming finishing the AVS doesn’t do me in.   I will follow with interest and thanks for posting

[scrubbyj427]

I’ve been wondering where you went, Fred. I’ve patiently been watching for an update on your winnie. Glad to see you building again, your cheerful is looking great. 

[jfhealey]

Thank you CiscoH, JJ and Glenn and for the likes.

 

I started the square tuck with a problem. I had no underhang below the counter. I'm unsure how I achieved that. It meant some cutting away.

 

I decided to make the square tuck frame in one piece. That seemed easier with not much backing wood to glue to. These are trial pieces.

 

Here is another trial piece with the infill area cut away  and the one piece frame split to form the joint in the top corner. I later abandoned splitting the frame - forsaking the joint, which I doubted I could form very well, for a tidy outcome.

These are the pieces I will use. 

Here I've formed the cut out and I'm trial fitting the infills. At this stage I was going to leave the infill a little lower than the surrounding frame. I later abandoned that idea and went for flush.

 

 

An important "line" is the first plank below the square tuck. The incoming plank must flow smoothly through. Here I'm making ready.   

Both sides done.

 

The stern post resting in position.

Flush fitting the infills.

 

And here is where I am now.

 

Ready for a bit of a repaint and the treenailing the hull - which fills me with dread!

 

All the best everyone

Fred

 

 

[Chuck]

Very nice save.  That is a very tricky part of the build.  A square tuck is always a challenge and yours looks really good.

[glbarlow]

Nice square tuck. Well done. 
 

I thought long and hard about tree nailing, and decided not to.  It just seemed like it would be too dominating a feature, at least in my mind. Not to mention. The actual doing of it. Good luck with that😊

[scrubbyj427]

Looks great Fred.. that boxwood kit was an excellent choice, your planking looks spot on.

[jfhealey]

Thank you Chuck, Glenn and JJ and for the likes.

 

Progress here is slow not least because I've had cataract surgery on both eyes. Its a miracle operation: I can see long distances with sparkling clarity and detail and without specs for the first time in 50 plus years. But reading and model work is all to pot. Over the counter reading specs are OK for reading but not adequate for model work. I have to wait a few weeks for everything to settle down before getting some prescription readers - and then with any luck I shall be up and running again.

 

In the meantime I've done those little shaped pieces at  the bow, The margin planks (too wide, I think, but I'm hoping the waterway, cannons and deck clutter will disguise that) with scarf joints ( practice required!), the companionway housing ( a bit dollshouse-ish possibly. I'm still thinking about it) and some preparation for the deck planking. I was very unhappy with my deck planking of the Winnie - all down I can see now to a lack of preparation. There is no substitute in this hobby for experience and I don't have much. But I'm learning!

 

 

There is a gentle bend in the deck planking though it does not really show in the pictures. The planking was cut in Imperial sizes by Hobbymill EU. In metric the planks I will use are a smidge over 5mm and I will sand them down to 3.5mm at bow and stern remaining 5mm at the centre. I wonder about the central planks remining un-sanded -5mm straight through as Chuck shows them and as, no doubt, is authentic. I think I prefer all of them gently curved. 

 

My deck furniture bits and pieces are winging their way across the pond from Syren as I write so I'll put those together and have a play around before deciding.

 

At the moment the only finish on the planking is sanding sealer. At some point I will have a jolly good clean up and apply a permanent finish Matt varnish I guess.

 

All the best everyone

Fred

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scrubbyj427]

Your cheerful is looking good Fred. The decking and furniture are coming together very well. Now take care of those eyes so you can get back to work!!

JJ

[glbarlow]

The curved planking is tricky, but so worth the effort once sorted out. Your Cheerful is looking great. 

[jfhealey]

Thank you JJ and Glenn and for all the likes.

 

I have started work on the deck. I just have the tricky hooked joints still to do. They did not come out too well on my Winchelsea but I am better prepared this time, I think.

 

I have purchased the Syren mini-kits available for the Cheerful and started putting those together. Nothing is yet fixed to the deck. Therein lies a conundrum: Is it simpler, and likely to lead to a better outcome, if all the deck fittings aare left off so the deck can be more easily sanded or should the fittings be fixed to the false deck before planking? I went for the former first because I intend to treenail the deck (in the approved Chuck fashion with a small drill, very sharp pencil and wood filler) and I want real ease of access to sand away the filler and secondly because, as I discovered with Winchelsea I am nothing like as good as I should be (and I hope I am better at it now than I was) at cutting planks to length. The downside is you necessarily omit that very fine detail where the grating coamings are rounded above deck level and left square at deck level so it is a balancing exercise.

 

Here are some photographs.

 

This is the super Syren windlass kit. I cannot bring myself to cover it in paint.

The seats of ease are not yet finished of course and will be painted in due course.

 

Have a good day everyone.

Fred

 

 

[scrubbyj427]

Well done Fred, she’s looking great. I wouldn’t paint that windlass either!

[glbarlow]

I like the open companionway, wish I’d done that. Excellent job on the windlass, the mini-kits are all so much fun. I came up with a way to do the hook planks, hopefully that might give you a few ideas on doing yours. 
 

You have a great looking Cheerful. 

[allanyed]

Your model looks REALLY good!!   I know it is still only part way through the build, but did Cheerful and/or other similar cutters have any gun port lids? 

Thanks!

Allan

[jfhealey]

Thanks chaps.

Allan - no port lids on the Cheerful save the stern chasers which have lids.

Glenn - I have read your log and all the other Cheerful logs several times over. Another really good log, well worth a read, is Cutter Alert  1777 by Dali: a fantastic build. What a incredibly useful club - is that what it is?  - Model Ship World is.

Fred

[glbarlow]

3 hours ago, allanyed said:

did Cheerful and/or other similar cutters have any gun port lids? 

Thanks!

They did not, I have the NMM plan

[mtaylor]

To answer your question about deck fittings and sanding... I'd open the deck as needed coamings, etc. but not put them on until after it's sanded.  

[allanyed]

Thanks re: the port lids.  This is what I expected, but the reason I asked is that there are port lid stops in the ports.  I understand their use when there are lids, but why are they there when there are no lids?   This may have been normal but common sense usually prevailed so why not just have the frames and sills as the lining as seen on a number of contemporary models where no lids were used?  Looking at photos of models at Preble Hall and RMG, there are a few models with stops in the waist area even though there are no lids, but most do not have stops.  With all the exactitude in the RN, this inconsistency surprises me a bit.

Thanks again

Allan

[glbarlow]

Look closely, the top of the port is no more than the cap rail, lids have nothing to hinge to. 
 

As I recall there was discussion in Chucks original Cheerful log on this topic. Some speculated there may have been separate stoppers stored below deck that could be secured by rope in the port in heavy weather. Nothing supported that beyond guessing.  Or maybe it is simply a design feature to fortify the port.

 

Again at any rate none are shown on the plans or Chuck would have included them. 

[allanyed]

1 hour ago, glbarlow said:

Look closely, the top of the port is no more than the cap rail, lids have nothing to hinge to.

Hi Glenn,

I am not questioning the presence of port lids as their presence would be very unusual, but rather why are there port lid stops when there are no lids to seat against them.   Can't get my head around this🤪

Allan  

[jfhealey]

I have no idea what the answer is to your  question Allan but its a Chuck Passaro kit and I have no doubt therefore immaculately and exhaustively researched. Perhaps someone with far more knowledge than me can explain because its an intriguing question.

Best wishes

Fred

[mtaylor]

7 hours ago, allanyed said:

Hi Glenn,

I am not questioning the presence of port lids as their presence would be very unusual, but rather why are there port lid stops when there are no lids to seat against them.   Can't get my head around this🤪

Allan  

Possibly they used bucklers on those ports in bad weather?