HM Armed Cutter Sherbourne by Dan Poirier - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[Dan Poirier]

I'm starting on Vanguard Models' HM Armed Cutter Sherbourne.  It's described as a Novice level kit, but it looks significantly more involved than my prior models, the three Model Shipways starter models.

 

I took a few unboxing photos. The box has some nice photos of the completed model on the outside.

 

 

Inside, by far the nicest set of instructions I've seen is right on top.

 

 

 

There are what appear to be diagrams of the laser-cut parts sheets, as well as rigging guides.

 

 

Fittings, "rope", etc.

 

 

Long thin pieces and flat pieces 🙂

 

 

 

I'm looking forward to getting started.

[Knocklouder]

Good luck on your journey,   Going to follow along    if you don't mind. 

[jpalmer1970]

Have fun, the Vanguard Models are excellent.

[Ronald-V]

Wish you a lot of fun with your new journey!

[Dan Poirier]

I'm assembling the skeleton of the ship (is there a naval term for this?) and it's really clever how all the flat pieces of wood are designed to slot together in different orientations until the whole thing is rock solid. 

 

One minor problem: bulkhead #17 seems to have wandered off sometime between when I installed it yesterday and after I'd been working on the model for a while today. It's not on the desk, under anything on the desk, under the desk, under other furniture, in the laundry, in the Roomba's dirt bag... just gone. I'm working on making a replacement from scrap wood but it's a challenge. All these pieces have lots of slots to fit together with other pieces, and that leaves some narrow weak points where things keep breaking. I'll keep at it, but it'll be a lot easier if the original piece finally turns up.

[Thukydides]

Good luck. Cutters make great projects. There are a number of sherbourne build logs on MSW you should take a look at to help guide you through the process. You may find that Trial, Alert or Cheerful build logs might also be useful. Lots of collective wisdom to draw on to learn from everyone else’s mistakes.

[Jim M]

@Dan Poirier i am very eager to see your build log in this. 

 

jim

[Dan Poirier]

Bulkhead #17 has appeared again, between the pages of the model instruction book. Phew!

[Stuka]

Good luck on the build

[Dan Poirier]

I've finished the framework/skeleton that the outside of the hull will be built onto.

 

Here are a few photos, but honestly, they look about the same as the (copious) photos in the instructions.

 

    

 

One thing the instructions didn't mention or show was how easy it was to accidentally snap off the top tab from one of the bulkheads while installing the false deck. I glued the tab back on. (I had seen other build logs and knew I'd be snapping them all off eventually, so I didn't sweat it much.)

 

 

The stern counter and transom glued in place.

 

 

Next up: fairing the bulkheads, prow, keel, and two bulwarks.

[AJohnson]

On 9/18/2024 at 1:03 AM, Dan Poirier said:

One minor problem: bulkhead #17 seems to have wandered off sometime between when I installed it yesterday and after I'd been working on the model for a while today. It's not on the desk, under anything on the desk, under the desk, under other furniture, in the laundry, in the Roomba's dirt bag... just gone. I'm working on making a replacement from scrap wood but it's a challenge. All these pieces have lots of slots to fit together with other pieces, and that leaves some narrow weak points where things keep breaking. I'll keep at it, but it'll be a lot easier if the original piece finally turns up.

Don't worry Dan you are in very good company! (We even have a whole thread dedicated to the phenomenon!)

 

You are making excellent progress! 👍

[Jim M]

Looking good Dan!!!

[Dan Poirier]

After fairing the bulkheads, it was time to add the prow and keel:

 

 

Then two inner bulwarks were glued around the false deck. I first shaped them with an electric plank bender.

 

  

 

The bulwarks were slightly longer than needed at the stern, and so needed to be trimmed down even with it.

 

 

One comment about the instructions here. I knew from other build logs that I'd be snapping off the tops of the bulkheads later (p. 25 of the instructions), so I didn't want to glue them to the bulwarks. As far as I could see, the instructions here (pp. 10-11) didn't mention it. So, thanks again for the build logs!

[Dan Poirier]

I've installed the final plank of the first planking. I wish it looked better, but sanding and the second planking should hide a lot of things, right?  🙂 

 

I did some reading at the Model Ship World framing and planking articles before starting, but still had a hard time shaping the planks to lie flat along the bulkheads near the bow.

 

A technique I saw in another build log worked really well for me, though, using tape to transfer the shape of the final gap to trim a plank to fit.  

 

   

 

Here's how things look now.

 

  

 

I still need to trim the stern ends of the planks and sand thoroughly.  

[Dan Poirier]

I've changed my mind. I want to learn to plank better and redo all or most of the planking for Sherbourne, so I can feel proud of the work.

 

To that end, I've put Sherbourne's planking on hold for now, and ordered the NRG's 18th-Century Merchantman Half-Hull Planking Kit to improve my planking. After I've finished that, I'll reconsider Sherbourne's planking.

 

Meanwhile, I will probably jump ahead to some tasks that don't require the planking to be done, like assembling things that will eventually go on deck.

[Ronald-V]

I think that's a good choice, you will definitely learn from the experience  

[AJohnson]

Hi Dan, 

Planking can be frustrating, but if you are not happy then I really respect your decision to call a halt and try something else. You could still “learn” on Sherbourne, redoing the 1st planking on it can be as good tutorial if you treat it as  “dress rehearsal” for the 2nd layer. I’m just starting the 1st planking on my latest project “Sparkler” a very bluff bowed beast, managed four planks in as many hours!  🤣. Hopefully adding to the building log this weekend. 

[Dan Poirier]

I'm skipping ahead to some tasks that don't require the planking to have been done, and cannot get over how tiny things are. Like the cannons.

 

[Dan Poirier]

Working on the anchors, I'm seeing a small problem.  Maybe I'm looking at the wrong rings or the wrong holes, but it doesn't seem that the provided anchor rings are going to fit through the holes in the anchors. I can probably make up some rings with wire. It just seems odd.

 

[AJohnson]

You could easily use wire, bent to the same diameter.  That way you can add "puddening" to the ring if you want.  Put "puddening" or anchor rings into the search and you will find hundreds of posts of people making wire anchor rings.