HM Cutter Trial 1790 by Dunnock - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[DaveBaxt]

Good Idea regarding making a jig for the carriages David and something I would like to try in the future . Nice work on those breaching Ropes and thanks for the info regarding 3 x the length of the barrel,  something for my note book. Cheers.  As usual  some great workmanship.

[AJohnson]

Those are good looking cannons David, I will be pinching your idea of spare belaying pins for quoin handles! 😉 

As a break from second planking I've also made a start on the Cannons, likewise I think 2mm blocks the smallest my eyes could cope with also! 🤓

[dunnock]

Quote

Good Idea regarding making a jig for the carriages David and something I would like to try in the future . Nice work on those breaching Ropes and thanks for the info regarding 3 x the length of the barrel,

Dave, the jig makes sure that the sides taper in at the correct angle and it's easier to fit the axles and sides together. However in this case only a simplified jig is possible because the barrel is fitted during the make up of the carriage rather than as an addition. Also Dave, beware the rule of 3x barrel length for breechings. Perhaps I've interpreted the rule wrongly but it hasn't worked for me in this case.

 

 

The guns and carronades have all been fitted, however when I offered up the first gun, I realised that the breechings on both guns and carronades were too long. I set them at 3 times the length of the barrel but at this length, they would all have been falling into the hatches when fired. (DaveB please note) I spent an unhappy few hours yesterday shortening and re-seizing them to the eyebolts.

A slight flat was sanded on the trucks of the guns to provide a bigger surface for the pva.

When making up the carronades, I used a blackened pin to connect the base to the truck and left it protruding by 2mm rather than cut it flush as directed. The pin is located into the deck and holds the carronade firmly in place.

The ropes require some further manipulation to make them lie more naturally.

I have also been making up most of the deck fittings over the last couple of weeks. Mostly they are made up as per the instructions but I have scratched the main and forward hatches using cut down 6x3mm pear strip. I prefer the look of hatches with a curved surface even if the plans and model of Trial in the RMG show them as flat. The laser-cut gratings make a curve easy to achieve wit ha short soak and drying around a suitable curved surface.

 

Thanks for looking in and for the likes and comments.

 

David

 

 

[chris watton]

That is looking very good, very neat!

[Thukydides]

56 minutes ago, dunnock said:

Also Dave, beware the rule of 3x barrel length for breechings.

I had the same problem. Goodwin gave a length for the breach ropes which was too long for the size of the ship. Though I discovered this after the first two so I had less to redo.

 

Great work

[dunnock]

36 minutes ago, Thukydides said:

I had the same problem. Goodwin gave a length for the breach ropes which was too long for the size of the ship. Though I discovered this after the first two so I had less to redo.

 

Great work

Thanks Thukydides, I thought it was just me. I'll check after the first gun next time!

[AJohnson]

Very neat work David. I have also been looking at the RMG plans of which there are a surprising number named “Trial”, though I suspect at least one is just a proposal of the sliding keel arrangement  by Captain Schank, a couple say they are copies of plans sent to the yard for building dated May 1790 but one (ZAZ6418) states it is the plan of the ship “built” dated 9th September 1790, so perhaps closest to the final layout?  Interesting most of the plans show an additional grating/companion way to the starboard of the forward sliding keel, providing access to the Boatswain, Carpenter & Gunner’s store rooms. That plan also shows a raised skylight over the Commander’s cabin and a cover over the companionway.
The contemporary model does not show these details and as Chris has mentioned in his prototype log, it deviates from the various plans in a number of ways, I suppose we shall never know the true relationship of the plans and model to the real vessel - all very interesting! 

[No Idea]

What a lovely clean build you are doing here - your ship looks fantastic 👍

[DaveBaxt]

Thank you again for the explanation regards the cannon carriages jig and breeching Ropes. I also agree regards the curvature of the hatch covers They look beautiful!

Edited November 20, 2023 by DaveBaxt

[dunnock]

23 hours ago, AJohnson said:

Very neat work David. I have also been looking at the RMG plans of which there are a surprising number named “Trial”, 

Thanks for kind comment Andrew. I noticed that extra forward hatch but thought it would look very cluttered at the front to add it and as you say, it's not shown on the model. I also noticed the skylight on the draft plan and did think about adding it but it doesn't appear on the RMG model either so stuck with the kit arrangement.

[dunnock]

Thanks Dave B and No Idea for your kind comments and encouragement

David

[dunnock]

I have been finishing off and fitting all the deck fittings, including the mast partner and the rings at the base of the elmtree pumps that I had missed. All pretty straightforward.

I have been looking at the catheads and was never happy with the way they had turned out. It is a simplified construction made from two pieces of 1.5mm laser-cut pear. The sheaves are added in two parts, upper and lower and finally an engraved cap is glued to the end. I wasn’t as careful as I should have been in removing the char from the sheaves which left them with a taper and the pre-cut sheave holes were made perpendicular to the cathead arm rather than at an angle to allow the anchor cables to fall vertically.

 

I had several attempts at remaking them from pearwood strip and boxwood sheet. The pearwood strip versions didn’t work out. My first try with boxwood ended in pieces because I had cut them with the grain but orienting the cuts cross grain gave a piece less prone to breaking. After cleaning them up with a flat file, I was happier with the result.

Pearwood and first boxwood attempt on the top row. The original version and final boxwood version are left and right on the bottom row.

 

I need to finish them off with final sanding and paint them in some suitable colours. I am assuming the catheads on cutters have similar cleats and eyebolts fitted to other larger ships of the period but I need to check before fitting them.

 

Thanks again for the likes and comments and for looking in

David

 

[Kevin]

you have made a lovely job of this build its a shame you made a mistake on the catheads, but im sure you will be able to correct it

[AJohnson]

That’s looking really nice David, I’m certainly hanging onto your coat tails for my build, looking for hints and tips as I get to the same stages. 

[dunnock]

On 11/23/2023 at 5:30 PM, Kevin said:

you have made a lovely job of this build its a shame you made a mistake on the catheads, but im sure you will be able to correct it

Thanks Kevin.  I'm happy with the final boxwood scratch catheads which are now painted and installed - pictures to follow in next log entry.

[dunnock]

On 11/23/2023 at 6:01 PM, AJohnson said:

That’s looking really nice David, I’m certainly hanging onto your coat tails for my build, looking for hints and tips as I get to the same stages. 

Thanks very much Andrew.

I really liked your idea of shading some of the planking before final painting off-white. It looks really effective.

David 

[dunnock]

 

 

I have painted and installed the catheads. The placement was lined up using a copy of the deck plan laid across the deck and the position marked on the plansheer. The cleats were made from 1mm section boxwood shaved and shaped using a scalpel.

The flat brass PE stanchions for the rail around the companionway didn’t look the part to me so I’ve replaced them with some I had from CMB – I think they are AL parts.

Wide angle distortion has made them look out of alignment in this shot.

 

I moved onto the anchors. The anchors are 3D printed and come with the pearwood stocks in two halves. The slots need some filing out for the shaft to fit comfortably into the stocks and I also spent some time tapering the face of the stocks to give an overall width at the ends of 3mm.
Tree nail and bolt positions were marked on the stocks and touched in with soft pencil and given a coat of matt varnish to seal.
It was putting on the hoops, cut from black card that led to disaster. I held the anchor stock gently in a vice but caught it as I was preparing another hoop and snapped the shaft. A small piece flew off and there was nothing left to glue back to. I also damaged the second anchor trying to insert the ring into the eye despite having carefully drilled the hole to take the 0.8mm wire ring I made to replace the PE ones.

As I have found out these 3D printed anchors are extremely brittle. Chris is kindly sending me some replacements but I shall have to be very careful with these and possibly rethink the sequence in which they are assembled.

 

Thanks again for looking in and for the likes and  encouraging comments

 

David

 

 

[dunnock]

Thanks all for the likes.

 

I’ve been wondering about drainage. I can’t imagine that water would be allowed to slosh around on the open deck, the only escape being through sweep or gun ports.

There is no provision for scuppers in the kit and they don’t show on the RMG plan ZAZ6418 but there are three visible on the contemporary RMG model SLR0150. I have decided to fit scuppers according to the model.
I use the same cut down 2mm electrical connectors that I have used before on Diana and Fly. The flanges are bent back further to lie flush with the sides of the hull and then cut to length.

I carefully drill holes in the sides of the hull at an angle to intersect the deck at the bulwarks and slide in the ‘scupper’. The scupper nearest the bow exits on the top edge of the wale which requires extra care.

 

With the sheave added at the bow and the main sheet bar to the fife rail, this completes work on the hull

 

[Thukydides]

Nice job. That is a detail I would have liked to add to alert, but I didn't feel confident enough at the time.

[dunnock]

Thanks Thukydides.

If you take it slowly you can feel the drill as it begins to come through to the inside bulwark. If it's not in the right position retract and drill from the inside out.

David

[AJohnson]

Really nice detailing David.  I had also noticed the contemporary models scuppers and was thinking about how I could add that.  I have some thin lead sheet I might try to use.  Your solution looks very effective though.  

[dunnock]

Many thanks Andrew.

I'm looking forward to seeing how you progress and your interpretation of the deck and fittings. Too late for me to steal your ideas unfortunately!

 

David

[AJohnson]

Hi David, yes I’m lagging behind now, but not for want of trying, just other thing get in the way at the moment. I think I have decided I will try and follow RMG Drgs. ZAZ6418 & 6422 as best as my skills will allow. The contemporary model is so confusing in some the deck details compared to the plans available. It would be fascinating to work out the chronological sequence of them all!

[dunnock]

15 hours ago, AJohnson said:

I think I have decided I will try and follow RMG Drgs. ZAZ6418 & 6422 as best as my skills will allow. 

Looking forward to seeing you mods to the kit. Your skills have shown that you will be more than up to it.

A(nother) thing that puzzles me is that there is no binnacle shown. Were they not present on cutters?

David

[dunnock]

Thanks to all for the likes and comments.

 

The replacement anchors have arrived – thanks Chris- snugly packaged in bubble wrap in a box. Knowing how fragile they are and how clumsy I am, I will leave them in the box and not make them up until it’s time to put them on the ship.

 

Lower Mast
I’ve been studying the plans, Lees, and Steel trying to make sense of it all. Lees hasn’t much, if anything to say about the masting of cutters.

 

Steel seems to suggest that cutters and other small vessels have lower masts and topmasts in one but was that always the case? The rigging plan in the kit and the RMG’s photos show that Trial’s lower mast is rigged conventionally with shrouds coming from the head.

Steel says that masts made of a single tree (as I presume cutters' masts were) are tapered as per made masts, between the partner and the head. He also says ‘Masts made of single trees and cheeked...tapered at the upper part as made masts, with the same number of hoops on the head. The cheeks below the hounds are either woolded or hooped…’. From this I take it that not all single-tree masts had cheeks fitted and being made from a single tree, would not require hoops or wooldings.

Later on in a section on cutters, Steel says that bolsters are only fastened to the mast if the lower and topmast are made in one piece. There also appear to be no battens or  hoops on the head of Trial's lower mast.

Trial as a cutter seems not to fit with any of these definitions but since it was an experimental ship, perhaps that is to be expected and maybe I'm over-thinking it anyway.

 

Comparing the kit plans and Steel based on his formula for cutters of deck length + beam + depth in hold multiplied by 3/4

 

                                         Kit                               Steel

                 Length             275mm                      295mm

                   Diam                8mm                          9mm

 

I will use the kit dimensions, they being close enough and the lower height will make it easier for display.

The kit plan shows no taper on the lower mast, it being 8mm all the way up to the lower head but I will taper according to Steel:

 

                                        Q1         Q2            Q3             Head

                                        7.9mm   7.5             6.8             6.0

 

The square section of the head is marked up made and filed to size. The cap tenon should be square rather than round as shown in the plan. It is an easy matter to square off the round hole in the cap.

The mast is next put in the lathe to develop the taper. Very little sanding is required to reduce the 8mm dowel to size.

I jumped the gun in adding the eyebolts aft of the head thinking that it would be easier now than later, forgetting that they wouldn’t allow the crosstrees to pass so had to be removed.

 

The area below the head is flattened at the sides to take the bibs which are sanded thinner on the inside face towards the lower end and rounded on the edges.

The trestle trees fit together nicely and are more robust than in previous kits that I have made. Despite Steel’s description, I think that bolsters would protect both ropes and trestle trees from wear and I will be adding adding them.
Trestle trees and cap sit at an angle fore and aft to allow for the rake of the mast

Now there will probably be a similar process of naval navel-gazing for the topmast!

 

David

 

[No Idea]

Lovely clean and detailed work - nice job.

[dunnock]

 

On 12/2/2023 at 1:16 PM, No Idea said:

Lovely clean and detailed work - nice job.

Many thanks for you kind comment

David

[dunnock]

Thank you to all for the likes and encouraging comments, they're much appreciated.

 

Topmast

I looked at the kit plan, Lees and Steel and decided that my topmast would be based on a mizen topmast with square block and heeling. Whether it’s historically accurate or not I don’t know but I like the way it looks. The use of stop cleats at the head may be a simplification for the kit and looked a little too fragile to me, so I will make octagonal hounds.

 

Because I am making a square heeling, the provided 6mm dowel is too small. I used 8mm and cut a square block and heel using chisel and file, initially to 6mm and then reduced the heel to 5mm and the fore and aft sides of the block to 4mm to fit the hole in the crosstrees. The heeling is 12mm: twice the length of the block. The hounds are 5mm long and were first filed 5mm square then finished octagonal after tapering the mast in the lathe.

 

A sheathe is cut fore and aft in the hounds and the fid-hole drilled out and made square.

The round hole in the cap needs to be sanded out to allow the cap to sit at the correct angle on the mast.

The cap and topmast are not glued and will be disassembled for rigging

Trial as she sits now. 

 

 

[tkay11]

Thanks for finding my photos of the NMM model of the Trial useful for the rigging, David. I often thought of building the Trial, and was delighted when the kit was produced as it is a lovely vessel. The rigging is indeed the most fun part of any build when trying to work it all out. I always take ages in planning what to do before and then after erecting the masts.

 

I just thought I'd take the opportunity of bringing up the question of the catheads, just as a throw in if anyone is interested in the question. Interestingly, the model in the NMM doesn't have any, while the kit has added them. It took me a little while, when the model kit came out, to realise why I thought it looked a bit odd. Three of the eight NMM plans that I found do show them, so I presume that they were left out of the museum model because it was an initial model of a concept - something that has been debated in this forum.

 

I see you have already been adding extra detail to the kit to be more accurate - at least in relation to what may have been just a concept model in the NMM. Thus the kit does not have the central boom crutch in the taffrail at the stern. Unfortunately I have not been following other builds of the Trial in the forum, so these and other differences between kit and NMM model may have already been discussed, so I apologise for bringing this up if they are already well researched and commented on.

 

Anyway, I'm enjoying your lovely build and look forward to the continuing updates!

 

Tony

[AJohnson]

29 minutes ago, tkay11 said:

Thanks for finding my photos of the NMM model of the Trial useful for the rigging, David. I often thought of building the Trial, and was delighted when the kit was produced as it is a lovely vessel. The rigging is indeed the most fun part of any build when trying to work it all out. I always take ages in planning what to do before and then after erecting the masts.

 

I just thought I'd take the opportunity of bringing up the question of the catheads, just as a throw in if anyone is interested in the question. Interestingly, the model in the NMM doesn't have any, while the kit has added them. It took me a little while, when the model kit came out, to realise why I thought it looked a bit odd. Three of the eight NMM plans that I found do show them, so I presume that they were left out of the museum model because it was an initial model of a concept - something that has been debated in this forum.

 

I see you have already been adding extra detail to the kit to be more accurate - at least in relation to what may have been just a concept model in the NMM. Thus the kit does not have the central boom crutch in the taffrail at the stern. Unfortunately I have not been following other builds of the Trial in the forum, so these and other differences between kit and NMM model may have already been discussed, so I apologise for bringing this up if they are already well researched and commented on.

 

Anyway, I'm enjoying your lovely build and look forward to the continuing updates!

 

Tony

Hi Tony, can I add my thanks for adding the Trial pictures of Trial and other cutters. These are going to be so useful to builders of this kit as David has said.
The differences between that contemporary model and the plans have been touched on by a few and Chris has pointed this out of his prototype build log. You could be right, maybe it was a “concept” model for the proposal, as I think one or two of the NMM plans could be, as the title wording is a bit ambiguous and does not state it “is” the Trial, though later plans do state that they are of the recent Trial cutter “built”. 
All interesting stuff, thanks for sharing.