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

[albert]

Very beautiful work.

[Mike40]

Amazing work Chuck with details so accurate and crisp at this scale. 

[allanyed]

Chuck

 

It is the little things that I keep noticing and going back to on your model.  The hatch coamings and head ledges' joints are  really well done, the belaying pins look to be at scale, not the bulbous pins seen on so many models, rings and bolts look to be at scale.  She is a beauty!

 

Allan

[Chuck]

Thank You so much guys.   Today I finished the topmast.  Its all painted and the entire mast is now completed.

 

 

Rather than start on the standing rigging with the pendants, shrouds and stays....I will be building the boom and gaff first.  On this model it will be much easier to rig the finished gaff and boom first before tackling the shrouds and stays.  This way I wont have to reach behind the standing rigging to rig them.  Especially the where the rigging is close to the lower mast at deck level.

 

 

 

[samueljr]

Chuck

 

Maybe I missed sometime ago but when you're spinning the stock in the drill what's holding the drill and what's stabalizing the wild end of the stock?

 

Sam

[Chuck]

One hand holding the drill.....the other has sand paper curled up and thats the hand you use to stabilize it.  As you are running the folded paper back and forth you are keeping the stick from vibrating.

 

Its much easier to do than it is to visualize.

[michael mott]

Beautiful work on the mast Chuck, what paint are you using for the black?

 

Michael

[Chuck]

Michael,  I am using Grumbacher acrylic paints in a tube.  Specifically Mars Black.

 

I finished the boom today and its all rigged.  It was shaped the same way as the mast.  I started with square stock and used the 7/10/7 ratio to convert to an octagon.   Then I used my drill to round it off and put the taper on it.   The jaws were added after I flattened the sides to accept them.

 

The blocks were prepared in advance, meaning some were added to the boom ahead of time.   Other blocks were secured to the mast and horse for sheets.   Then it was just a matter of rigging it in place.  I have only tightened the ropes around the cleats without any glue.  I will leave it this way until after the standing rigging is completed in case I have to re-tension the lines.  But from the way it looks I think it will be OK.

 

For the trucks on the jaws to secure the boom to the mast,  I used what I found in the shop.  I had some boxwood beads laying around that were the perfect size....I might even have enough left over to give the remainder to Mike for his model.   

 

Here are some pics.  Next up will be the gaff.

 

 

 

[albert]

Great fantastic work.

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Fantastic work, Chuck

[allanyed]

Chuck,

I may have missed it in an earlier post, but is the red paint also a Grumbacher acrylic?  If so, which red, or is it a custom made shade?  Are they straight out of the tube or thinned at all?  I do like Grumbacher acrylics having used them for years back in the day when I tried my hand at painting on canvas and they are certainly easy to find.

 

I don't have any desire to move back to NJ :>) , but I would have liked to be there to see the model up close and personal at a NJ club meeting.

 

Allan

[Chuck]

In this instance its Windsor and Newton Galleria acrylic paint.  Yes it is thinned down quite a bit and put on in many layers like watercolor.  The color is Crimson straight out of the tube.   I have used dozens of coats of very thin washes until it becomes opaque.    That helps me keep the paint very flat and without paint brush stokes using a round brush.

 

Chuck

[Stuntflyer]

I had some boxwood beads laying around that were the perfect size....I might even have enough left over to give the remainder to Mike for his model.   

Wow! That would be greatly appreciated, Chuck. I have some leftover brass ones from MS, probably the wrong size anyway. I can't wait to see the model. Can we move the next meeting up by a few weeks? . Seriously, it looks fantastic.

 

Mike

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up, Chuck.  She's looking brilliant!

 

John

[John Cheevers]

Best hull planking i've seen in a very long time. It's an absolute joy to study your build--thanks!

[Chuck]

Thank you so much guys....

[Chuck]

Finished rigging the gaff today.  Nothing unusual or interesting about doing this.  It was fun and I basically created the gaff just like the boom.  One interesting feature to point out might be how the blocks are hooked to thimbles/bullseyes on the gaff.  The blocks were not just seized to the gaff.  This follows a method I saw on another cutter from the time period.  Just seemed more interesting than doing it the other way.

 

It has gotten harder to photograph now.  Its a much bigger subject to get in frame.

 

Next up will be the pendant tackles and shrouds....none of the falls or loose ends have been glued to their belaying points yet.  You can see them left a bit long on deck.  They are just made fast to each belying point and can be undone easily.  I did this just in case they have to be retensioned after the shrouds and stays are completed.  Some lines have a tendency to go slack as rigging progresses.

 

Chuck

 

 

 

[albert]

Hi Chuck, Very wonderful work.

[Maury S]

Chuck, VERY nicely done.  Re:  "One interesting feature to point out might be how the blocks are hooked to thimbles/bullseyes on the gaff.  "  Could you provide an enlargement of the thimbles / bullseyes?

Maury

[usedtosail]

Very nice. And can you show how you made them, please.

Edited November 21, 2016 by usedtosail

[Chuck]

Thank You guys.

 

The thimbles are made from thin wall brass tube.  In this case 1.5 mm brass tube.  I tap them with a blunt point as shown in this image.  Not to hard.  The brass is soft and the thimbles will tear.  They will also stretch larger in dia. and become thinner than you cut the original length.

 

Here are some close ups of my thimbles thus far in use on the model.  Also note the thimble not yet punched to flare its ends in that first photo.  See how much longer and smaller it is.  Hooks are shaped from 26 gauge black wire.

 

Chuck

 

 

 

 

[Jim Lad]

Delightful work (as usual), Chuck.

 

John

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Chuck, it's always a pleasure to follow your logs.

[mtaylor]

I've had to come back several times and have a re-look at this... just amazing.

[phyla]

From The Navy and Army Illustrated, Volume 7, Issue 119 (April 22, 1899), "April 24, 1810.--The 10-gun cutter "Surly," and "Firm," gun brig, chased ashore the French privateer "Alcide," at the mouth of a river on the coast of France, sent in their boats and brought the ship out a prize." The action, which actually occurred on 20 April, was apparently recorded in Boat Service Actions Roll ADM 171/3 and took place in Granville Bay, Grenada. There was a letter included in the Gazette from Lt. Welsh, commanding Surly, to Rear-admiral D'Auvergne, describing the action, but Welsh does not describe Surly's armament. The 1899 report must therefore have taken Surly's armament from a different source. Given that some 89 years had passed since the 1899 recital, perhaps the source material drawn on was misquoted or incorrect, or perhaps the long guns were omitted in the count. Winfield, in British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817, cites 2x4-Pounders and 10x12-Pound Carronades, although I don't happen to know the source. Winfield further states that Surly was reduced to 8 guns after 1818(?). Perhaps of value...

[Rustyj]

Hi Chuck,

 

It's was great getting caught up on all you've done while I was gone.

 

Wonderful workmanship and can't wait to get back to it myself!

[lionfish]

despite my inablity to do any modeling right now, chuck your work serves as a source of inspiration for me.  if i can get my HMS bounty built the Cheerful is on my list.

[Chuck]

Thank You very much, and happy Thanksgiving.   

 

I rigged the Burton Pendants and started the shrouds.  The Burton Pendants (.035 dark brown) are served the entire length with a 1/4" single block seized on it end.   It hangs down from the trees a bit more than we are used to with a typical frigate.   Then  a tackle was set up to the pendant.  The tackle is only shown on a few contemporary models and I thought it was interesting so I decided to show it.  This particular version is based on the cutter model in the London Science museum and Peterson's book.

 

The Shrouds are pretty standard,  I used .045 dark brown rope.  The forward shroud is served its entire length.  The serving was all done on the "Serv-o-matic".  The remainder of the shrouds will only have the portion around the mast head served down to just below the cheeks.  

 

Below you can see my shroud gang taking shape with this first pair of shrouds done.

 

 

The deadeyes were turned in and set-up with the usual methods.  I dont particularly care for this aspect of rigging.  Especially getting that first seizing done just above the deadeye.  Its an awkward one as its oriented differently but it is important because it creates that shape of the shroud doubling you strive for.  The lanyard was rigged with .018 light brown rope and not glued permanently.  This was done once again so I can easily re-tension the shrouds after all the standing rigging is completed.

 

 

Now to finish up the three remaining pairs. 

[dgbot]

Are you working to scale Chuck or full size?  The detail is great.  You must have a workforce of Lilliputians on your payroll.

David B

[Chuck]

Thanks...I will say this this, its a joy working in 1/4" scale.  You dont have to fight with such tiny parts and you get more detail.  But you have to have the room to work and display it.  Luckily this model is not that large since its just a cutter.   I will have to find a good home for it once its done though...not much room to display the finished cased model.