HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 by Chuck - FINISHED - 1:48 scale - kit prototype

[Engelmann]

Hi Chuck

 

I've just been thinking, those two videos that you posted in this log regarding the planking technique that you used on the Cheerful, you should put links to them on your web page next to the chapters of the Cheerful build.

 

Just a thought. Cheers

 

Deon

[Engelmann]

Hi

 

I've got a question on fairing the hull (bulkhead and false keel)

 

What is the pros and cons of fairing before attaching the keel and stem to the framework vs fairing after attaching them (as seems the normal thing to do)

 

It seems to me that fairing after might be more difficult as you can't sand past the keel/stem where if you fair first you can easily sand up to the rabbit strip.

Also there is no risk of damaging the keel/stem if you attach them after fairing.

 

Or am I missing something obvious?

 

Regards

 

Deon

[Chuck]

I dont think it really matters either way actually.   Both work.....

[Mirabell61]

The channels are in and I added the eyebolts to the exterior of the hull.  I also drilled the scuppers which was pretty straight forward.  Then I started to fabricate the plates for the backstays.   These were made using 1/64" x 3/32" brass strips.   The K&S strips are soft and can be filed easily to shape.  You can see the progression of steps used to make them.  There will be three chainplates on each side of the hull.

 

I started by drilling the hole at the bottom and rounding it off.

 

Then I used a round file to notch the strips on both sides as shown in step two.  This will be the top of the chain plate where it gets thinner.

 

In step three I used a flat file to extend that thinner portion on top so I could bend it into a loop like making an eyebolt.

 

Step four is where I cut off the top excess strip and tapered the bottom portion so it got slightly narrower as it worked its way to the top.

 

The last two examples show the chainplate completed with the thin portion of the brass on top bent into a loop.  This will get a hooked tackle when it comes time to rig the back stays.   I used small little brass pins....you know the ones...they come in every kit and I have a whole bunch of them.

 

Next its on to the deadeyes and chainplates for the channels.  Its really the same procedure to make those except we will add a stroped deadeye to the top of each.

 

The outboard details are almost all complete.  Once the deadeyes are completed there is only the rudder and fixed block on the stem.  Then we finish up inboard!!!!

 

bstayplates.jpg

 

bstayplates1.jpg

 

cheerfulwater.jpg

 

 

Chuck,

 

your "Cheerful" is so accurately built and a wonderful sight to look at...

 

Nils

[Redshirt]

Im currently starting with my own Cheerful (yay another one \o/ ) and ive got a question about the bevel at the centerplate's aft section. Is it feasable to sand it down with a rotary tool? I found my chisels to be somewhat ill suited to carve trough the plywood i use.

[Chuck]

That would be a bit risky.....i wouldnt do it...you would have more control just doing it by hand.

 

Chuck

[Redshirt]

Thanks for the quick answer. I will use sandpaper/a sanding block then.

[Chuck]

Just a small update.  I worked on the inboard stern details.  The seats are completed.  Card templates were made first using the plans as a guide.  Then they were tweaked to get a nice tight fit with the parts.

 

 

Cleats were added...these are all laser cut Syren cleats (5, 7, and 9mm).  All that was needed to do was sand them a bit to shape and then add a piece of wire as a pin.  Then they were glued into place.  I decided to paint these bulwark red also to match the many contemporary models I have seen.

 

 

Finally....the horse was added for the boom sheet.  This was just a small piece of wire bent to shape.  Two small washers laser cut from paper were added to finish it off nicely on each end.   They were painted to look like metal.  I should have dusted the model better before taking the pics....next time 

 

I will now continue my way forward along the bulwarks adding eyebolts, cleats, ladders and pin rails.

 

Chuck

[michael mott]

Really nice work Chuck.

 

Michael

[Engelmann]

Nice to see some progress here  That dust shows just how long we had to wait and endure withdrawal pains :D :D

 

Looks good. Question, should there not be two holes in the counter under those seats, or did they use buckets?

I've not seen any corresponding holes in any of the contemporery models, or was it gentlemanly omitted?

 

Really nice to see you back on this model.

 

Cheers

[Chuck]

Yes there would have been a discharge hole through the counter but it is rarely modeled.  You can absolutely choose to show it if you want.

 

Chuck

[druxey]

Endless: some contemporary models and plans do show the discharge tube exiting the counter. Looking great, Chuck!

[Engelmann]

Hi druxey.

 

I should have said "in any of the contemporary models that I have seen".

But it is good to know that they do show them on some of the models and plans.

I assume from your post that there is a tube (square?) from the seat to the counter.

Does this mean the discharge hole in the counter have the same shape as the tube?

[druxey]

The discharge holes are usually circular, not square.

[Chuck]

Making ladders now.  They are usually very annoying to make in any scale.  I quickly drafted some laser cut plans.  Makes it much easier.   I laser etched slots to take each step.  Note the angle to the completed ladder.  It follows the sheer of the deck fore and aft and therefore is askew.  Otherwise it would look funny.   These will be painted red.  

 

Chuck

 

[GLakie]

Hi Chuck! I'm guessing at some point you'll be drawing the line as to how many of these parts for your Cheerful will be made, and available as pre-made parts for her, but I have to ask if there will be "ladder-kits" down the road? 

[Chuck]

At some point it does get ridiculous.   Again I reiterate how I wanted this to be a scratch/semi-scratch project.  But it all depends on how much demand there is for the pesky parts nobody likes to build from scratch.  I have basically kept all of the laser cutting files for each element of the project just in case.  If a lot of folks want these to be available I will certainly add them to the list of parts available.  I use the laser cutter like anyone else would use any other tool.   So its easy enough to do.

 

Mike is in my local club for example...so I usually cut double the amount and I will give him some ladder kits tonight when I see him.

 

Chuck

[Rustyj]

Very nice Chuck!

 

As one who has enjoyed you making some of these laser parts available to us I thank you!  

[Erebus and Terror]

I love how clean and crisp your build is, Chuck. It's like a plan come directly to life (the truest aspiration of any ship modeler?). 

[Chuck]

Thank You....

 

Its just a matter of slowing down and taking your time.   Not rushing is a huge part of it.  I think everyone can do the same but I see so many folks running through their projects like they are in a race.  Should parts not fit correctly...throw them away and do it again.   It took me about 2 hours to paint the stern after making the seats and adding the cleats.  It took me about 1 hour to just paint one ladder after making it.  Many thin coats being careful not to get any dust on it.  Sanding carefully when imperfections and brush strokes take place.  The key in my mind is to just slow down....my best advice for any model builder.

 

Chuck

 

[dvm27]

This is precisely the reason that young people are not attracted to ship model making, Chuck. Instant gratification is the mantra for most people under 40 as well as the "good enough" philosophy.

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up, Chuck - beautiful work, as usual.

 

John

[mtaylor]

This is precisely the reason that young people are not attracted to ship model making, Chuck. Instant gratification is the mantra for most people under 40 as well as the "good enough" philosophy.

 

I think that's a very astute observation, Greg.

[tkay11]

This is precisely the reason that young people are not attracted to ship model making, Chuck. Instant gratification is the mantra for most people under 40 as well as the "good enough" philosophy.

 

Sorry, Greg, to be a curmudgeon and to divert from Chuck's wonderful build on this log, but I'd like to throw in an alternative view.

 

I know lots of people aged 15 upwards who devote their lives to improving their skills so as to achieve as perfect a result as they can (even if it's only to pass the endless exams that will take them to the next step). I certainly would include artists, musicians, engineers, a variety of scientists, amongst the many I know and have known who are like this. In the computing world they are often known as 'nerds' or 'geeks', in the musical world endless practice is regarded as the norm.

 

I don't know on what evidence the 'most' applies to the quoted statement except insofar as model ship building is not a mainstream hobby or profession. We have thousands of members as do the groups in other countries, and there are probably others who make ship models with various degrees of skill, attentiveness and interest; and it may well be that the majority are over 40.

 

Of course there are people old and young who are not going to be interested in ship model making with the degree of obsession, compulsion or mania that others may have. On this forum I have seen examples of the full range, and oft a time have I seen the comment that this hobby is for pleasure, not a competition, does not have a time scale, and is to match the skills and exactly those different degrees of obsession held by each one of us as individuals.

 

'Instant gratification' is hard to define. I have 'instant gratification' the moment I have found a way through a problem. Others have it for their own different reasons. Making love may well be included in the list. As for 'good enough', I have seen that phrase used many times on this forum, as in not bothering to fully frame a model because it won't be seen when the planking is on, or simply because no attempt at replication will ever be successful because it is not exactly the same as the real thing. I have also heard that phrase used by some people in commenting about their love-making.

 

A final aspect is that many young people face enormous pressures in their lives just to make ends meet -- most especially if they have young families to look after. They quite often will be working 12 or more hours a day. I was chatting to a call centre person the other day during a query about my phone account, and she told me she was at the end of a 12 hour shift at 7pm, and was going on to do her other job. To find the time to do something as demanding of concentration as ship modelling after that and before having some kind of mindless break from the pressure might well be a demand too much.

 

Note how many people on this forum have come back to modelling after breaking it off in their teens. I presume they broke it off not because of a sudden failure of their dedication to perfection.

 

In short, I am definitely highly respectful of the skills many on this forum have, and I learn a lot from them, but I'm wary of statements that could be taken to be elitist even though I know that intention was not there in making the statement and was made only as a kind of compliment in response to Chuck's obviously wonderful skills.

 

Chuck, I do apologise, and if you think this comment has no place on your log, I'll be happy to delete it or ask to have it moved to another topic.

 

Tony

[Engelmann]

Hi Tony

 

I completely agree with you. I'm one of the cases that broke off from modelling after leaving my parent's home and having to make a living for myself. It is only in recent years that I got to the point where I could indulge in my hobbies again to the extent that I want to. It is also only since 35..40 that I gained the patience needed to take on a long duration project like building a ship model.

 

 

PS. If I look at my son (now 22) and the amount of practice he puts into training at fighting in the games that he plays on the computer so that he can compete against his friends at LANs then I must say that a lot of the younger generation are as dedicated to what they want to acomplish and to the degree of skill that they want to build/gain. It is just that the things that interests them has changed.

 

Regards

 

Deon

Edited February 25, 2016 by Endlesshunt

[allanyed]

Just as there are no two faces that are exactly the same across the 7.4 billion of people on this earth, (even in identical twins), no two people have the same amount of patience for a given task.   Even as one person, I have varying amounts of patience, attention to detail, and different attitudes as to what is good enough.  I did not realize this until the Admiral asked how I have the patience to spend years on a model yet have less than 10 seconds of patience with the guy driving too slowly in the passing lane on the highway.  

 

Allan

[gerty]

Beautiful work Chuck   - I enjoy following along.

[Chuck]

Today I finished up the bulwark details.  All of the cleats and the pinrails have been added.  I also made the catheads.  These warrant special note.  These were made in two pieces.  They were shaped from a 3/16" x 3/16" strip.  Care was taken to shape the inboard leg of the cathead to fit snug against the bulwarks.  It had to be shaped to fit around the waterway and spirketting.   The top portion had its two sheaves simulated in the usual manner.   

 

 

The cap rail was then notched out to accept the cathead and the two sections of the catheads were fit together ahead of time.   After the notched cap rail was ready...the two parts were tweaked until they fit well.  Only then were they glued together and painted.

 

 

 

Hopefully sometime this week I will begin putting the gun carriages together or maybe make the belaying pins.  I dont need that many belaying pins for this model so why not make them from scratch as well.

 

Chuck

 

 

[Rustyj]

Great workmanship Chuck! She's.looking really good.

[GLakie]

Very nice, clean work Chuck!