HM Cutter Trial 1790 by AJohnson - Vanguard Models - 1:64th

[AJohnson]

Evening All,

 

I received a wonderful little package today - my next ship build! 😁

 

I'm starting a Build Log, more in wishful thinking as the house is still a bit upside down since our loft tank decided to spring a major leak back in May, but we are getting there and hope to have the house and workshop back to rights by September(ish.)

 

Time this evening to do a little box opening and have a look through the well packed box.  Lying on top a hefty instruction Manual and eleven sheet plans - much bigger than the "Nisha" ones of my last VM kit.  When I get chance I will be drooling over these items and reading the plans/instructions between wallpapering and painting (the house).

 

Won't replicate details of the Cutter itself, all explained in detail in Chris's Prototype build log:-

 

The contents.

Edited August 8, 2023 by AJohnson

[AJohnson]

As something of a goal to aim for, I do intend to add sails as I did with the "Nisha" using tissue/parchment paper.

 

The look I will be going for is something along the lines of these pictures.  It also has the added advantage that with the yards, at an angle, I won't be needing as deep a case/shelf to store the finished model - that's the plan anyway! 😉

Edited August 8, 2023 by AJohnson

[Oboship]

1 hour ago, AJohnson said:

Evening All,

 

I received a wonderful little package today - my next ship build! 😁

 

I'm starting a Build Log, more in wishful thinking as the house is still a bit upside down since our loft tank decided to spring a major leak back in May, but we are getting there and hope to have the house and workshop back to rights by September(ish.)

 

Time this evening to do a little box opening and have a look through the well packed box.  Lying on top a hefty instruction Manual and eleven sheet plans - much bigger than the "Nisha" ones of my last VM kit.  When I get chance I will be drooling over these items and reading the plans/instructions between wallpapering and painting (the house).

 

Won't replicate details of the Cutter itself, all explained in detail in Chris's Prototype build log:-

 

The contents.

Snap !

I am looking forward to your build log! The pictures alone are promising, and if you look at those PE sheets...

Waiting for the delivery ☺️

Uwe

 

 

 

[mugje]

Nice kit you bought there! Wish you all the fun with building this one!

[Nipper]

I will be following your log with great interest, especially as you plan to fit sails.  I fitted furled sails to Alert, which was my first build, not having the confidence or skills to create accurate and convincing full sails.  Since then, I've read some very helpful build logs such as Hollowneck's Sphinx (Camilla), and I'm pondering whether to add sails to my Sphinx.

 

Nipper

 

 

[AJohnson]

2 hours ago, Nipper said:

I will be following your log with great interest, especially as you plan to fit sails.  I fitted furled sails to Alert, which was my first build, not having the confidence or skills to create accurate and convincing full sails.  Since then, I've read some very helpful build logs such as Hollowneck's Sphinx (Camilla), and I'm pondering whether to add sails to my Sphinx.

 

Nipper

 

 

Glad to have you along, I used the same source for how to do sails and there are plenty of other posts on MSW show other builders techniques.

[Knocklouder]

Good luck on your journey 

[Dave_E]

I’m in! 🍿🥤👍😀

[Craigie65]

Pulling up a chair.

looking forward to the build Andrew

[DB789]

Very much looking forward to seeing you build Trial. I’m toying between her and Speedy for my next build after Grecian. Dan

[jpalmer1970]

Looking forward to seeing this come together 👍

[yvesvidal]

I am impressed by the contents of the box. Should be very interesting to follow your progress.

 

Yves

[javajohn]

I’m really looking forward to your build. I’m considering this kit for my next build.

[BobG]

I'll join into the watch party too!

[dunnock]

I'm thinking that this will be my next project after Diana and hope to start within a month so I'm following with interest.

David

[AJohnson]

Well another typical UK Bank-holiday weekend ☔!  So it means I make a start on Trial! 😁

 

And in one sitting, on a rainy afternoon I have, without rushing, made my way through steps 1 - 24 of the instructions.  First up, I think I am addicted to the smell of laser cut wood! 🤓

 

I don't want to go over the instruction line by line as Chris's Prototype build-log says it all, but there were a few things I found building it for myself I will comment on. 

 

I do a lot of modelling with a Swann-Morton Scalpel, but as mentioned in the instructions, you just sometimes can't beat a heavier knife with a new blade and this stage with the cutting out of the MDF frames is one of those times.  It was amazing how much the box emptied in the first hour of so of this, good fun.  The first job was making the keel base/supports, almost like having a keel clamp included in the kit!   The only messy bit for this first session was the pre-sanding of some of the bulkheads, so I did that in the garage with the Dremel and mask on.  One point to note if you are familiar with Vanguard's beginners kits like Nisha I built recently, there are no etched guild lines on the bulkheads to sand down to.  No problem, no other kits have that, so I was cautious and did what I thought matched the instructions, I can always do more later.

 

Stage #6 warns builders to make sure they don't get glue in the slot of bulkhead #13 (stern patterns)  I got around that by using a metal file to keep the PVA glue out of the slot that goes onto the  keel.

 

One slight warning note for other builders is that parts#14 that go on either side of the central keel (they form the three slots for the Trial's sliding keels) are a bit delicate once cut out of the former and through my own  roughness/clumsiness one of them started to break; it didn't actually come apart, but it was a close thing.  Once held in place by parts "K1" all was solid and no fear of it breaking.  The lower deck part #25 makes everything much more rigid.

 

Parts 26 and then parts 15/16 at the bow followed by the pear parts B-1 to B-6 form the false deck supports and these really brings things together; they are helpfully etched with which direction you need to face them.  The Stern platform supports #35 & #36 bring to a close this opening session.

 

This part of the build really did go together very easily, the tolerance on the slots was just right, snug, but not so tight you were worrying about braking anything pushing the parts together.  There will be a slight pause now for a short holiday and then a final session with the contractors to restore the house following the loft leak, so the garage will temporarily be full of "stuff"  hope to back on this soon! 

 

Thanks for looking in! 👓

Edited August 27, 2023 by AJohnson

[Mike_H]

I will follow with interest, Andrew.  We are both doing VM cutters and both intending to add sails!  Enjoy your holiday.

 

Mike

[Craigie65]

I love these kits. 

It is amazing how far you can get in an afternoon. 

Looking forward to see this one planked.

 

[Nipper]

Excellent photos Andrew, especially the inclusion of the modelling tools etc that you have used.

 

Nipper

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

It appears that the provision for the sliding keels makes the structure stronger rather than weaker, once built. 
 

You’ve made a good start to the build and the log. I like the lack of ‘waffle’ 😀

[dunnock]

A great start Andrew and no better way to spend a wet Bank Holiday.

 

David

[AJohnson]

Thanks all for the encouragement at the start of this build.  Last update for a bit, the Admiral wants me to do some suitcase packing!  And while I am away I am hoping David @dunnock will leapfrog me on his "Trial" build so I can shamelessly copy him!  Given his just brilliant HMS Diana he has recently finished, I will be in very good company. 😁

 

So, trying to keep "waffle" to a minimum @Jack-in-the-Blue 😉 - onwards!

 

I was keen to get the Stern parts on in order to protect the stern frames from my inevitable "accidents"  so I got the stern counter, Stern bulkheads, Transom and raised stern platform glued on as soon as I could after adding the stern filling patterns (most of these patterns get sanded off later.) - Phew all on and no broken bits! 😀

 

The false deck is also in place now and drying, but not until I had placed a "lucky" penny as close to the mast position as I could  (from 1999, they year the Admiral and me first met.)  The front end of the false deck I put in a few pins for good measure where I couldn't clamp it.

 

This is where things will sit and dry for a bit now while real life takes centre stage for a couple of weeks.  Over to you @dunnock to keep the campers entertained!  

[ccoyle]

Nice touch to include the coin -- though I expect that down the road it will only ever be seen if some serious harm befalls your model. 😳  For my wooden models, I typically write down some details in pencil on a piece of acid-free paper and then tuck that inside the hull.

[AJohnson]

Let’s hope our coins and messages do not see the light of day for a long time! 😉

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

52 minutes ago, ccoyle said:

some serious harm

 

I think a global catastrophe would be required to bust open that well-glued structure. That's ten out of ten for the foundations Mr Johnson. ✔️

[Nipper]

It's a lovely build and a lovely commentary.  I assumed that the penny was the lucky penny - the actual one in your pocket at the fateful moment - and surely you would not hide this for ever in the bowels of the boat!

 

Nipper

[AJohnson]

4 hours ago, Nipper said:

It's a lovely build and a lovely commentary.  I assumed that the penny was the lucky penny - the actual one in your pocket at the fateful moment - and surely you would not hide this for ever in the bowels of the boat!

 

Nipper

🤣 - we since got married and now have two "kids" at University, so every penny, included the ones down the back of the sofa, have been raided since 1999! 

 

This is just a penny we found recently, I have a little stash of pennies of various significant vintages for this purpose.

Edited August 30, 2023 by AJohnson

[Craigie65]

Sturdy little thing isn’t she. 

Enjoy your holiday and try not to think of your shipyard too much!

[AJohnson]

2 hours ago, Craigie65 said:

Sturdy little thing isn’t she. 

 

Yes, built like the proverbial "Brick Sh$*-house" as the crude old saying goes! 😆

 

Once all glued this is a very solid little model, it has been great fun so far and the hull form means I don't think planking will be too troublesome when we get to it.

[Jack-in-the-Blue]

28 minutes ago, AJohnson said:

I don't think planking will be too troublesome.

I’m going to remember that you said that. 😉😆