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

[Chuck]

I just use a drop of glue....on both rear trucks.   Nothing fancy.  I dont pin them in position.  If they ever come loose it woulnt be hard to re-position them.

[Chuck]

Thank You.....I just finished making the winch.  This is a pretty straight forward fitting.  The pieces were cut taking the measurements from the plans.  Nothing was to difficult but care was taken to make the winch handles look more attractive than just using a piece of black wire.  So I cut some micro tube to slip over the end of the handle to give it some dimension.   

 

This is the last deck fitting before the rigging prep starts.  I will finish the rudder and tiller first however.

 

Then there is the bowsprit bitts up front which also contain the pawl for the windlass.   But I would like to have the bowsprit made while making that.   Once thats finished I will add the two long guns at the bow......

 

That is everything that is left before the rigging begins so I feel like I am getting into the home-stretch.

 

Chuck

 

 

 

[Ryland Craze]

Nice job on the winch.  Will this be made into a mini kit like your other deck fittings?  It has been a joy watching the Cheerful being built.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Ryland Craze

[Rustyj]

She's looking great and coming along quite nicely.

[GuntherMT]

Nice job on the winch.  Will this be made into a mini kit like your other deck fittings?  It has been a joy watching the Cheerful being built.

 

The winch has been a mini-kit for quite some time.  

[Chuck]

Thats the windlass.   The winch will be a mini-kit too.  Probably in a week or so.   Its easy to build from scratch but the small gears are better to have laser cut.   They are a pain to make by hand.  I will cut about a dozen of them sometime next week.

 

Chuck

[GuntherMT]

My bad, I confused the two.

[Maury S]

Chuck,

Beautiful detail on the winch!  The micro-tube is a neat idea.  What function do the gears play?  I don't see them meshed with any others that would provide leverage?

Maury

[Chuck]

Just like a windlass there were small pawls on the inside of the uprights that would engage the sprockets.   But they are rarely shown on models.  Its up to the builder to decide if they want to include them.  They are usually on the aft side of the uprights....BUT like everything else there are so many variations.  I just picked one from a contemporary model.  I believe it was a variation of the one shown on the Surly model in the Thompson Collection.  See below for a few including the Surly model.

 

 

 

Chuck

[Chuck]

Completed the rudder today.   As you see,  I created an alternative for fabricating metal gudgeons and pintels.  I dont have the tools to solder brass versions and I hate working in metal.   So I made mine from wood.  I also made a version using laserboard for the straps.  It worked just as well.  These are very sturdy rudder hinges. 

 

 

 

They are three pieces.  All laser cut.  The center is sanded to the width of the stern post and rudder.  Then the straps are added after being cut to length.  They are pre-cut with holes.  24 gauge wire was inserted into those holes after drilling them a bit deeper into the rudder.  Then the wire was pushed into the holes and snipped off.  It was snipped off so the end would stand proud of the straps by just a hair simulating the bolts.   These laser cut "cheat hinges" did a great job in my opinion and they are so easy to work with.  The straps are a bit thick originally but after gluing them on the rudder and hull they are sanded down to a really thin profile.  Then they are painted black after the wire is inserted into all of the holes.

 

For the "hinge pin"  a small length of 22 gauge wire was used.  It was glued into the hole in the center section of this mini-kit.  As a tip for those who will start fabricating theirs out of wood....paint the edges of the straps black ahead of time and you will have a nice neat edge.  You can see the ones on my hull which havent been completed yet.  I still have to add the simulated bolts with wire.   They are unpainted.   Once this is done I will create the tiller.

 

 

AND YES...before anyone asks these are now available as a stock item .   Not just for cheerful as they worked out so well I am sure others will want them.  The straps and center are 1/16" wide which is a typical size and could be used for many other models.  Both laserboard and boxwood straps will be included in each package.  Choose whatever you prefer.  Why havent these ever been made before???   They are wonderful if I dont mind saying myself.  And they are so simple.  Click Here to see them.

 

[alde]

You continue to amaze. Thanks for more inovation for the hobby.

[dvm27]

Very innovative, Chuck. Great job!

[mtaylor]

I just get done struggling with my rudder and then "bang!"  easy rudder straps...  I think I'll go outside and kick a shrubbery as I don't want to hurt the dog.

[Rustyj]

Fantastic!

[Stuntflyer]

Love it, Chuck!

 

That laser cutter of yours is turning out to be a jewel of a tool.

 

Mike

[Leo-zd]

Great solution that was behind all but we didn't seen it :im Not Worthy:
And that give me a perfect idea for small scale (we both have a same feeling for soldering ),  I will do it in styrene as in my scales it is to small even for plywood I use - 0,4mm aero , great :im Not Worthy: for idea and realization !!!

[Mirabell61]

Completed the rudder today.   As you see,  I created an alternative for fabricating metal gudgeons and pintels.  I dont have the tools to solder brass versions and I hate working in metal.   So I made mine from wood.  I also made a version using laserboard for the straps.  It worked just as well.  These are very sturdy rudder hinges. 

 

rudder.jpg

 

rudderdone.jpg

 

They are three pieces.  All laser cut.  The center is sanded to the width of the stern post and rudder.  Then the straps are added after being cut to length.  They are pre-cut with holes.  24 gauge wire was inserted into those holes after drilling them a bit deeper into the rudder.  Then the wire was pushed into the holes and snipped off.  It was snipped off so the end would stand proud of the straps by just a hair simulating the bolts.   These laser cut "cheat hinges" did a great job in my opinion and they are so easy to work with.  The straps are a bit thick originally but after gluing them on the rudder and hull they are sanded down to a really thin profile.  Then they are painted black after the wire is inserted into all of the holes.

 

For the "hinge pin"  a small length of 22 gauge wire was used.  It was glued into the hole in the center section of this mini-kit.  As a tip for those who will start fabricating theirs out of wood....paint the edges of the straps black ahead of time and you will have a nice neat edge.  You can see the ones on my hull which havent been completed yet.  I still have to add the simulated bolts with wire.   They are unpainted.   Once this is done I will create the tiller.

 

rudderdone1.jpg

 

AND YES...before anyone asks these will be available as a stock item soon.   Not just for cheerful as they worked out so well I am sure others will want them.  The straps and center are 1/16" wide which is a typical size and could be used for many other models.  Both laserboard and boxwood straps will be included in each package.  Choose whatever you prefer.  Why havent these ever been made before???   They are wonderful if I dont mind saying myself.  And they are so simple.

 

Hi Chuck,

 

love this pic, it presents the precision of a clean build, wonderful planking, sternpost and rudder in complete harmonie, and I feel the triangle framing timber on lower transom and side planking tops the sight, just lovely

 

Nils

[Canute]

Chuck, great pieces! That laserboard is very versatile.

[JDClark]

Sometimes it's hard to compliment someone without it sounding over the top, or as if you're in competition with others to create a better compliment than they did. However...

 

Chuck, I think you are this generation's Harold Hahn with your innovations and quality. This stuff is stunning.

[Chuck]

Just completed the tiller after mounting the rudder.  It was cut from a 1/8" thick sheet of boxwood.  Then it was carefully rounded off and shaped using files and sanding sticks.   I could have left it natural but it just looked to bright and "blah" looking.  So I painted it red and highlighted the parts of the handle on tiller.  I like this much better.   I am sure everyone has their preference but I have also seen the tiller painted black on contemporary models.   I dont think I would have liked it like that.

 

 

Next up I will be making the bowsprit.  Here are some overall shots with the deck almost completed except for the bowsprit bits and bow chasers.

 

 

 

Chuck

[Jim Lad]

Looking very spiffing, Chuck!  How about a couple of turks head knots on the tiller just to set it off?

 

John

[Sailor1234567890]

Coxcombing on that tiller handle? Is it even possible at this scale? I'd need fingers the size of a 2 year old's fingers to do that I think.

[Erebus and Terror]

My goodness, Chuck! Amazing idea for the gudgeons and pintles. I think you've started a new scratch-build trend, though why would we when we could just buy your kits!

And good call on painting the tiller. Brilliant work.

Edited June 12, 2016 by E&T

[archjofo]

Wonderful work!

[albert]

Very very nice.

[Mirabell61]

love this cutter under your hands work Chuck,....  

 

 

WOW ³     

 

Nils

[homer]

Chuck, I am always amazed looking at your work. You truly are talented. Thanks for everything you do!! 

[Chuck]

Thank You so much.....I will hopefully be back at it this weekend after I finish restocking blocks and rope. 

 

Chuck

[Chuck]

Funny Story.......

 

A very large black wasp flew into my shop today.   Seeing as I am such a genius   I started swatting the wasp with a dish towel.   Not being very precise with my weapon of choice,  I struck the overhead fluorescent light with two.... four foot long bulbs in it.  Both bulbs proceeded to fall in slow motion.  The Cheerful model was directly below them.  You know how the rest of the story goes.   The bulbs smashed into literally billions of tiny shards of glass.   A direct hit. Cheerful did take some considerable battle damage.  But nothing I cant fix in a day or two.  

 

I am very happy to also report, that the same blow that inflicted damage to my model actually did send that wasp to an early, untimely and hopefully quite unpleasant end.      I have ninja-like skills with a dish towel.  

 

Chuck

[alde]

At least the story had a happy ending. It's funny how we do things like that on pure instinct without even thinking ahead on what will happen.