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

[Chuck]

absolutely.....it works like a charm.   But the results will vary depending on the thickness and type of tissue paper you use.   Its really strong stuff also once sprayed.

[popeye the sailor]

I have quite a bit of that material.......I'll have to give it a try.    my printer can handle it.........after all......it can handle sail cloth!       since I like to make my own decals and such,  I'm always on the look out for techniques like this........thank you!

[MEDDO]

Thanks for the explanation on the flag Chuck.  That is basically the same technique I used for the bow art on my kayak.  I used rice paper (for calligraphy) in my ink jet printer and it came out wonderfully.  

 

Now I just have to find a better way of remembering/recording the posts other than just writing down "Chuck's Cheerful post#983 how to make a flag" on a piece of paper.

 

 

[Alex M]

Hi Chuck,

 

what a wonderful Cherful!

 

Alex

[Elmer Cornish]

sweet!

[robnbill]

Thanks Chuck. I will be trying this technique if I ever actually finish my Eagle.

 

 

[AnobiumPunctatum]

absolut fantastic and stunning. I hope that my cutter will somedays looks also so nice. 

[michael mott]

Thanks for the information on the flag Chuck, I shall have to try this.

 

Michael

[Chuck]

Thank You for the kind words.

 

Here are some of the details for those folks that are building Cheerful too.

 

To finish the half of the sling that is on the yard,   I served a length of .035 dark brown rope.  Then I seized a thimble into one end.  I only made a few wraps of the thread when I seized it and then snipped off the loose end so it sticks out just a tiny bit as shown below.

 

 

The longer end was cut so the entire span was 2 3/4" long.  Then the long end was brought up to the thimble and glued into position.  The seam is hardly visible after it was glued.  The two ends were carefully butt against each other as well as the edges glue to each other.   Then I waited for it to dry thoroughly.  You can use Yellow  glue for this but use is straight because if you dilute it the joint wont be very strong....I suppose CA would work but I know that is frowned upon.

 

 

Once dry, I served the remaining area below the thimble so it strengthened the joint.  Then I carried the serving around the between the thimble and the split area as shown...just two wraps more as this also holds that splice joint together.   Then a thinned wash of yellow glue was brush all over the siezing and allowed to dry.  It was quite strong and did the trick nicely.

 

 

You can see this portion of the sling placed on the lower yard.  The same thing is done for the sling on the topsail yard but this time .025 dark brown rope was used.  and the length was much shorter.

 

 

This is an image of the lower yard fully set up with stirrups and horses.  The brace pendants were set up for the fore and aft braces and the clue line blocks hung from the center of the yard.  I used .025 dark brown rope for the stirrups and horses.  The stirrups were wrapped three times around the yard and then the end with the eye in hung down the aft side.  It was 11/16" below the yard and a simple eye seized on its end so I could run the horse through it.  The stirrups also hang on the outside of the yard as opposed to the inside of the three wraps.  Hope that makes sense.  Also attached is a PDF of the yards and all the rigging as it differs a bit from the earlier plans that we made.  All new plans have been updated to show this layout.  The yards were a bit too long on my original drafting for the project.  I have shortened them up based on some research but the diameter of each yard stays the same as it was noted originally.

 

yards for cheerful.pdf

 

 

And the completed topsail yard

 

[Stuntflyer]

Aha! Thanks for the update, Chuck.

 

Mike

[jbshan]

For anybody wanting to shape flags, go out and sit at the mall, Burger King, maybe a factory or other commercial concern, wherever there's a flag of the size you want to model.  Remember these things were huge.  The largest ensign for Constitution would have been about the size of the Star Spangled Banner at the Smithsonian which is 30 X 42 feet.  Watch your chosen subject in the breeze.  It may have a basic waviness with small ripples running over the surface as you sometimes see in old van de Veld paintings.  In any event, watch it for a while, take a few pics, try to 'get into' the movement.  There should be a general radialness to it from the upper corner where the halliard is.  Then use Chuck's paint brush handles.

[Chuck]

Assembling the anchors was kinda fun.  Rather than buy some commercially I decided to design and make my own mini kit.  I am never really happy with the usual castings commercially available.  The anchors were made to strict proportions and rather than try and fix a casting I buy somewhere I figured I would just make them from scratch out of boxwood.  My metal working skills are not up to par with some others and once completed the wood anchor will look just as good.  Its all about painting it properly.  I hope.

 

The image below is my design made based on Steeles info with a few added design elements to make assembly easier.

 

 

Once I had the design I made the individual parts from laser cut boxwood.

 

The assembly was quite self explanatory but I would note that the laser char was removed from each piece first and then the two main pieces glued together without the flukes/palms.  This made it easier to sand the bevels in according to the drawing above.  The shank is more or less an octagon and I used an emory board, files and sandpaper to shape it like the drawing.

 

 

 

Then the palms/flukes were added and shaped along with the very points which needed some attention.  I made sure all teh joints were tight and any cracks were filled.  But luckily the laser cutting was so precise there werent any gaps.  This should make painting them black and finishing them to look like metal easy.

 

The stock is composed of the usual two pieces. The slot is laser etched for the shank but isnt quite deep enough.  So I cleaned that up with some chisels.   Note that I did not remove any laser char yet.  Its best to remove it after the two halves are glued up.  The whole piece comes out better shaped that way.   I applied the glue only where you see the two circled areas in pencil.  I didnt want any glue in the center because once glued up I will slip it on the shank and the center will spread apart slightly which is what you want it to do.  This is an air gap and prevented rotting. Once the laser char was removed and the ends rounded off,  I also tapered the ends smaller.  The ends are gradually taper smaller when viewed from above.   Here is what the stock looks like when slid onto the shank for a test fit.  I will paint everything next and add the other details next. But for everyone that has made anchors the remaining tasks are of course pretty straight forward,  I will be back with additional photos when the anchors are all done.

 

 

 

 

 

Chuck

[bear]

Ahoy Chuck

 

When will they be for sale?  Using wood is a lot better than having to deal with white metal castings for these type of parts. You end up painting the anchors anyway. And who needs problems with blackening white metal,or paint not sticking to it!

 

Great work as usual Chuck. I have been working on my Cheerful since I finished the Mary Rose. 

 

Have you a date   when your Barge short kit will be for sale ? Please let us know. I have to plan ahead for the funding since Pickels  had to have his tail shortened about two weeks ago now. He's back to the same Pickels in the shipyard here helping me build,but doesn't take up as much space now with only a 2-1/2" long tail!

 

Here he is checking out the Cheerful,and my wales and filler blocks between the gun ports.

 

Thanks Chuck

 

 

 

 

 

[Chuck]

Keith

 

These anchor kits should be out in a week or so.   I have to finish them up for Cheerful first.  As far as the Barge kit,  That will sit waiting until I completely finish Cheerful now.  I am just about done as you can see.  Once completed I will resume work on the Barge.  

 

Here is what the anchors look like painted with the bands on the stock.  Th e metal bands are just tape.....painters tape which is smooth....I lay a strip on my cutting board and paint it black.  Then I cut the tape into strips the correct width.   I wrap the tape around the stock two or three times.  No more than that as it will look too clunky.  

 

 

I think its safe to say that unless someone picks up these anchors they would hardly know they were made from boxwood.   They were painted black with an airbrush and then some weathering powders...both a rusty brown and a grimy black were added.  That really does the trick and gives it a nice finish when buffed off lightly with a brush.

 

The bands were added to the anchor stock only after it was positioned on the shank.  This was because the stock opens up and putting the bands on ahead of time would have been problematic when the stock was closed.

 

Next up is to make the ring for the anchors and do the puddening with rope.  These anchors are 2 1/4" long or 58 mm.   That measurement is without the ring.

 

Chuck

[bear]

Thanks Chuck

 

I also have used tape for the iron straps. I use masking tape because it has some texture and is just the right thickness. One time in our building group I was asked how I got the brass strip around the stock so nicely? I then told Bill that I had used masking tape and painted it. He said that I was "cheating!" by not using brass strip material. 

I told him that if I had not told him what it was that he would have had thought that it was whatever he thought it was. And so it's just up to the builder as to what to use.

 

If it looks great,who cares . For me I would rather make it look as good as it can be with whatever works best. I have plastic models where I have used tape for straps that are over 40 years old now. And they still look the same,so any questions on if it will last or not,has been answered for me. I do use some thin CA on the overlap area of the ends.

 

Thanks Chuck for making such great little projects for the Cheerful. Will be watching for when they are for sale.

 

A Grateful Customer and Happy One!

 

Keith

 

[wyz]

From the photo you can't tell they are made from wood.  They look GREAT!  It's an interesting way to make anchors; a construction method I wouldn't have thought of using, but one I will certainly consider in the future.  Very nice!

 

Tom

[keelhauled]

Chuck,

Very nice anchors.  I'm sure that I couldn't tell that they were not metal.  The execution is the key to all of these illusions.

Very nice work on the sling.  Thanks for sharing your technique!

Marc

[dvm27]

Great job on the anchor, Chuck. What type of black paint (brand) do you use to paint them. 

[Chuck]

I used Badger black air brush paint.  But its nothing special.  What really gives it a smooth appearance is when you brush on some grimy ash black or even some dark brown weathering powders.  Then buff it off.   That is what gives it the texture and tone and reflective quality you see.

 

Chuck

[Chuck]

Forgot the picture.....the rings are done with their pudenning.   Wrapped with .008 dark brown rope.    Next will be the anchor buoys.  Then to rig them.

 

Chuck 

 

[kurtvd19]

I am sure it was the Badger Marine Paints - Wrought Iron Black (16-413) that Chuck used.  This is a slightly grayed version of Hull Black - that is pure flat black.

Kurt

[KenW]

Great workmanship. 

You brush on some weathering powder and then "buff it off."  What do you use to buff it?

Thanks.

[shipmodel]

Beautiful.  Absolutely realistic.

 

Dan

[Maury S]

What a great mini kit!!!

Maury

[BANYAN]

Nice work Chuck, those anchors sure looklike iron, and the puddening looks very neat!

 

cheers

 

Pat

[popeye the sailor]

very nice work on the anchors Chuck.......they look really sweet!

[Jim Lad]

Just catching up, Chuck - sweet work!

 

John

[Elmer Cornish]

those  anchors are  sweet  .  great  work  Chuck  thx.

[Chuck]

Having come home last night I wasnt much feeling like making blocks or rope.  So instead I am spending the day in the workshop.   To go along with the anchors I am making the nun buoys...or anchor buoys.  These are an optional detail and are not always presented on contemporary models.   But I thought it would make a detail.   

 

I sourced some special beads the appropriate size and shape.  The buoys should be about 1/4 to 1/3 of the length of the anchor, original sources are sketchy.   These buoys are 15mm long.   The beads have a hole through them already but it was too large.  So I filled it and then re-drilled for the eyebolts.  This is not how a real anchor buoy is fashioned but I have simulated the details for years and think it does a nice job of it with the eyebolts.   It makes rigging the buoys easier.  The eyebolts are not glued in all the way.  They are left about 1/32" from the buoy end so I can seize the loose ends of the rigging around them.

 

First the eye bolts are added and the buoy is touched up and painted.   Then I prepare two rope assemblies for each buoy.  Each assembly contains two lengths of .025 brown rope with an eye formed on one end.   Then they are slid onto another length of rope to complete the rope assembly.  Two are needed for each buoy.  One on each end.  Normally the rope is served for these but I just wasnt feeling it so I used the rope as is.

 

This rope is spliced around the buoy and the two loose ends brought down to the eyebolt.  Here is where I seize them around the bases of the eyebolt and snipped off the loose ends.  see the photo which shows the second buoy in this stage but I havent snipped off the excess rope yet after seizing the two loose ends.   I repeat this process on the other side but note how the two loose ends will now be run under the first assembly first as they work their way towards the eyebolt on the other side.    Its difficult to explain in writing but hopefully the photo does the trick.   

 

Then I touch up the black paint and apply some weathering powder.  I dont want them to be solid black.   Tomorrow I will rig them along with the anchors.  You can see the completed buoy in front (right).

 

The anchor mini-kits are now in stock and they do include the two buoys.  So you get the parts for the anchors and the buoy material.   

 

[Chuck]

Thanks Dirk.

 

Rigged the anchors today.

 

 

Also made the entry way stanchions.  These were made just like the belaying pins.  They were turned in my dremmel.  I started with a 1/16" strip.  I drilled the hole forst while it was square and then turned the four stanchions.   They were painted black and then made to look like metal.   I wont add the rope from them because they always lay funny.  They are not heavy enough to lay correctly and leaving them like this is much neater.  They werent glued in yet when I took the photo below.  

 

 

And that about does it folks.   After 3 years or so I have completed the Cheerful.  I enjoyed myself a great deal and learned so much with this project.   Here are some preliminary images of the completed model.   Hopefully I will find time to make the base and case soon.  But now its onto the barge.....