davyboy

That looks very nice indeed Christian 👍

The step - by - step...
 
The capstan is built almost exactly like the one for the Winnie.  The main difference is the center drum.  That added a bit of tedium to this task.  With the 3D printer however it can be made in one piece and perfectly shaped.  The benefit is that it saves so much time and it is so precise.  It will also not be seen at all when the capstan is completed.
 
You need to cut a 3/32" x 3/32" strip to use as the registration for the other layers.  Its a little big initially by design.  You need to sand it so the pieces are a nice press fit when you slide them on.   But dont force the layers onto the strip because you could break the thinner layers.  You can see some of the layers in the photo below.  The two at the top have had the laser char cleaned from the sides.  I used a sanding stick.  Dont worry about the three at the bottom yet.
 

Those are next...slide them onto the strip (or use an entirely different strip) gluing the three layers together.  But dont glue it to the strip as you will want to remove it.

See below
 

To make it easier to remove the char from these assemblies, you can place them onto a 3/32" strip as long as its a tight fit...otherwise it will fly off.  But then chock it in your hand drill and have at it.  Use a fine grit sanding stick.  Its soft wood so be careful.  This is a later process when most of the drum is  glued up in layers and being sanded. But I wanted to show you that you didnt have to sand them by hand.
 

You need to do that to the three center layers with the square holes first.  Then glue that on top of the slightly larger disc with the square etched onto it for reference. Then glue the top on and sand it as shown in the photo above with the drill.  I also sanded a slight dome shape into the top side of the drum while on the drill.   This makes the sides a bit thinner and gives the top a nice shape.  But keep the center area flat for the last small top layer.  I thinned the top this way until the side edge was 3/64" thick or close to it.
 

I am not sure if you can see the top shaped like a dome or rounded off but now that last small disc can be added.   But first go ahead and glue the drum assembly to the 3D printed center first.  Then snip off any excess 3/32" strip sticking out above the center and sand it flush.

Then glue the little disc on top and center it with the etched circle that should help you do just that.  Then its time for the whelps.   There are plenty of extra provided.  But sand them free of laser char and glue them to each face of the 3D printed center.   Make sure you but them flush against the bottom edge of the drum.  Note the laser etched mortices on both side of each whelp.  These are for the chocks.  Take a look at them before you glue them in position and flatten them out if need be with a small file.  Sometimes the etched surface isnt perfect and needs a little cleaning up.  A few swipes with a file should do the trick.

With the whelps all finished...start adding the chocks.  These will take some time.  The thicker chocks are the bottom row.  You will most likely have to sand both sides of the pie pieces and test them in position.  Make sure they fit tight in the mortices of the whelps.  Dont rush this as a clean tight fit is what makes the capstan look so good.   The sand the outside edge concave or convex with a curve depending on if it is the top or bottom row of chocks.
 
The chocks are over-sized so you will be shaping and testing and repeating the process.  Plan on spending an entire day building this capstan with care.

Then add the simulated bolts with some 20lb blk fishing line.  There are also bolts on the top of the drum.  The holes along the outside of the drum are for the pins that hold the capstan bars.  They are not for bolts and should remain as holes.  All the other laser cut holes around the center of the drum were places there for your simulated bolts.  So add those as well.
 

 
Thats it...it will take some time to do a decent job.  But remember that there are fewer deck fittings on this little sloop and therefor it is even more important to do a respectable job on them.  They will all be front and center and a focus point when anyone views the model.  You can pint it red or leave natural.  The contemporary model is painted red.   I havent decided yet.  What do you guys think?
 
There are also two pawls that were used to stop the capstan from turning.  Only one side was engaged at a time.  One goes to port and the other to starboard.  See the plans.  These were made from scrap 1/16" x 1/16" strips and glued into position.
 

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Speaking of simulated bolts...someone was asking about them.
 
Here is the capstan which I am literally finishing up this afternoon.  So I figured its a good time to show the bolts in progress. It is all yellow cedar.  It has many bolts which add so much to its look when finished.   In this case I am using 20lb blk fishing line.  I just cut some sort lengths and stick them into some pre drilled holes.  Nothing difficult here.  They need to be a press fit so no glue is needed.  I am using a #73 bit for the holes.  Then just slice them off so they are slightly proud of the surface.  That is it.
 

 
I will have a step - by - step for the capstan later today hopefully.  The capstan is painted red on the contemporary model....sooo  I have yet another decision.  
 
But it turned out well.
 

 
Chuck

Not very easy, but interesting work :


 

The supports for the first quarter-gallery  are ready, and the planking  of the Guard rail goes at beginning :

Hello,
the sail is set. But at least not completly rigged.



 

The upper parrel rope, I think, I must also make in 0,4 mm Ø rope like the lower rope. But that is something for tommorow.

Moving right along...
 
The elm pumps and mast coats were completed.  The mast coats were straight forward.  They were made by gluing three lasercut layers together.  The same as on the Winnie and other projects.  These are interesting however as the are octagonal.  So are the masts partly up their length.   The laser char was removed and the top edges were beveled or rounded off.   Then they were glued together and painted as on the contemporary model.   
 
The pumps were a whole different story.   On the contemporary model these pumps are quite elegant and light.  They are shown with very thin parts and slightly different than others I have seen or built.  There is a long slender metal post that supports the handle.  The handle is also very thin and long.  How these builders achieved this detail at 1/4" scale just amazes me.  They are also painted red on the contemporary model.  Just look at how thin and delicate the pumps are on the model below.  Note the small carved panel detail on each face of the pump.  I really wanted to see if I could replicate this same delicate look on my model at 3/8" scale.  Although less worn and dusty, LOL.
 


 
Anyhow...I decided to try my hand at 3D printing this.  Not only to make construction easier but maybe I can incorporate some of those more delicate details this way.  The photo below also shows the mast coats completed and painted.   For the pumps I had to create a left and right matching pair.   The body and its long slender metal post is all designed as one piece.  My attempt at those very subtle carved panels can hopefully be seen in my poor photographs.  You can leave the pumps natural and just paint the metalwork or go red as I have done.  Its up to you and they are printed with a tan/boxwood color resin for this purpose.  
 
The handle is laser cut from actual boxwood since it will be left natural and ties in an actual wood element to help pull off the realistic look.  I added a piece of 24 gauge black wire to the handle before gluing the handle onto the pump.   There is a hole in the bottom of the pump hole for this but I did drill it out larger for the wire.   I glued the handle in position trying to establish the same height and angle for them port and starboard.
 

Here is what they look like on the model.   There were holes in the deck where the pumps will go to help with placement so you can kind of match them to the pump tubes below deck.  Its not very difficult to do.
 

While not a perfect match to the contemporary model I think the slender and delicate look has been faithfully recreated.  I also decide what the hay...and painted the bsprit step red as well as I complete more deck fittings.  Oh and the mast coats are not glued in position yet.  That will be left for later when we step the masts.
 

 
One last fitting remains on the gun deck.  That is the capstan and I will build that next.   Then its onto the poop deck rail and details.
 
Chuck
 

Its really easy...simply drill a small hole just big enough to accept whatever size fishing line you are using.  Then insert the fishing line into the hole.  It should be a press fit if you drilled the correct size hole.  No glue is needed.  Then take a sharp straight razor or even a #11 blade and slice it off.  But dont make it flush to the wood.  Slice it so it stands proud just a little bit.
 
Here are some various examples on the coamings and on the keelson. 
 



 
 I also use this method for treenailing but in that case I do slice it off flush with the planking. See below.  You can select black fishing line or even a dark brown for treenails.   The trick is just not going too large.  I believe the treenails below are 10lb or 15lb....I have to look back.  The bolts can be larger at 25lb...30lb...or even 40lb for larger keel bolts.  For example look at all the bolts in the frames.   They are I believe 30lb black fishing line.
 
 
 


 

The final balcon railing has been successfully glued, now, I've a precise reference point for all rear elements : 


 

Today, I was preparing planking of quarter-galleries and rail, with the numerous and necessary support points :

Hello,
the summer is back 😀 We will see how long it last and we have here 19°C again.
Today I finished the sail and the next days I hope it will be at the ship.
The front side

and the back side

I've worked quite quickly here, so I thought I'd bring you totally up to date with work on this.
 
This does mean my next updates will be in real time, with some work on furniture and fittings while the hull sits on my shelf. I'm also aware that because so much of the skeleton is built at once, that you may need to look closely at the photos for the changed. I'll eventually add some arrows on a good number of these pics, so it's evidently clear as to what you're looking at. This photo shows the hull with all the cannon ports installed. A total breeze to do this. Just remember that every vertical port piece is unique to its position. 
 

 
I now focus on the stern. These parts are very obvious. Note the inner, middle, and outer engravings, and all will be fine.

 
The blank panels can now be removed from the stern bulkhead, allowing the previous parts to be fitted. Just take care with the strips protruding at the rear. These are quite strong, but exercise caution. 

 
These parts are now slotted into their respective positions and glued. 

 
Another two horizontal strips now sit atop the previous ones (slotted into the bulwark ears), from bow to stern. You can see the deck beam positions engraved on them.


 
The quarter gallery doorways are now installed.

 
Note another horizontal strip fitted to the outside of the rear bulwark ears, strengthening that area.

 
NOW....we can glue! Your keel should be 100% straight by now, so it's time to solidify the hull by painting in some slightly dilute wood glue into the various joints and seams. I now leave this to set for a number of hours, while I edit the photos and do this update.

 
Here is HMS Surprise as she currently looks. She's sleek and very impressive!


 
 
More, when I've created the content 🤪
 

More progress from the Shipyard - Thursday 7th August 2025.
A bit of a push over last week to get all the 1st layer planks onto the hull has been reached.
I spent a few hours fairing(sanding) the planks today.
I did carry the upper planks too far down the side.
However, for the first layer it's been a good refresher on planking before the 2nd layer of planks.
I'm pretty happy with the outcome so far.

Port Bow

Port Stern_Side

Port Stern

Starboard Bow

Starboard Stern_Side

Starboard side
 
I'll be marking out the Wales & thickstuff's, Sheer Strake, and the Channels next 
 
 
 

A few small accessories:
 

Evening lights in grazing lighting, the model supports spotlight effects :

After an easy convert of the figure 7 of plan 10 into an usefull pattern, I've installed the rail on rear balcon :

Ship's boats. The two cutters (18ft and 22ft) are very similar, with printed hulls and pear fittings, shown in the photo below. Note that the hulls have already been painted, but more on that in a minute.
There is a difference in the rudders. That for the 22ft has the tiller and the blade as one piece whereas that for the 18ft has a seperate, very delicate, tiller, and also has "cheek" pieces either side of the upper blade. I decided to add similar pieces either side of the blade for the 22ft rudder. The two rudders are shown below (the 18ft tiller is on the wrong side). 
Painting of the hulls. I used an ochre colour for the interiors, then decided to add a darker wash to improve the bland appearance of an all-ochre interior. I copied what Blue Ensign did in his build, but whereas his application was successful, mine was a total failure 😬. I've never used a wash before and unfortunately chose one that was far too dark. So, I let the boats dry thoroughly then went over everything with the ochre again, but this time using an almost-dry brush. Success 😁. The wash is still apparent but much toned down. The outside was painted a slightly off-white colour and black trim was applied inside and out.


Pintles and gudgeons were added to each boat/rudder, though the rudders won't be shipped, just lying in the boats.
Care had to taken with the pear fittings as some (the gratings) were very fragile, and I actually broke one of the ones for the 18ft cutter. I glued the halves together with some reinforcements, and the break is barely noticeable. The bow thwart for the 18ft had to be cut into three as it was far too big to go into place. The thwart itself was then glued, and the other two pieces trimmed so the they would fit. When building the 22ft cutter, the first piece to be fitted should be the grating in the bow, then the first thwart. This then allows the centre floor piece (which has two mast steps) to be accurately located, using a dowel to position the forward mast step immediately under the thwart. The rearmost thwart in this cutter, while shown on the plan, was missing from the pear sheet, easily fixed with one cut from the fret. Mast clamps, made out of black card, and ringbolts (for lifting) were added to each cutter.

Some attempt was made to round off the shafts and handles of the oars, and to thin the tips of the blades, but this quickly came to a stop when the blade of one oar started to split.


Finally, a trial fit of the 22ft cutter on Harpy. Notice that the bow of the cutter almost completely blocks access to the ladder (this is also shown in photos in the manual).

Cheers
 
 

On YouTube:
 
 
 

just start to fit  internal part , challenging time ...
 

after three months , finally I  completed the framing , and started with transom,  and now pairing... 
 

Before starting on the gun deck (again) I decided to install the wales.  Per the contract the wales are hook and butt and a photo of a model of the Bellona shows this quite clearly.

I drew some 20 foot long hook and butt planks at 1:64 scale using DraftSight to make a straight plank template.
(The pattern drawing that was here has been removed. You can find the updated drawing posted  on 6 Sept 2025)
 
I measure off the NMM plan and converted the measurements from 1:48 to 1:64 scale. These were transferred to my timbers.

I then attached sheets of tracing paper to the model and transferred these marks to it along with some other details (gun port openings, hawse pipes holes, butt to stem post and end at the aft).

This curvature was then transposed to transparent graph paper. The printed straight plank template was cut out and slipped below and my curved templates were traced onto the graph paper.

I will be using black walnut for the wales. This stock will be cut and sanded to thickness and then two sheets rubber cemented together to allow me to cut both individual identical port and starboard planks at one time. I cannot use my black carbon paper to trace these shapes as it will be difficult to see the outline on black walnut so I’ve ordered a package of white carbon paper for the job!

Safety note: Black walnut sawdust may be toxic to some, so proper precautions must be taken when cutting and sanding. Some individuals may experience respiratory irritation if exposed to large amounts of black walnut sawdust
 
Like everything else on this build... this will be my first attempt, so wish me well.
 

I completed my rebuild of the orlop deck… or so I thought.

The grating runs along both sides and at the bow. The lodging or (horizontal) deck beam knees are installed as are the standard (vertically upwards) knees.
I decided to add the top end of the futtock riders… faux riders. To hide the missing detail I installed the flush orlop deck planking over the area. Planking either rested in a notch cut into the beams or on a separate support ledge. I decided on the latter as it was easier then cutting more notches.

I was able to re-use the three stairs I had built, two at the bow and one at the stern.

The one detail I need to remake is the very last aft grating on both sides. I had decided to keep the support ledgers fore and aft and the battens port/starboard… but for some unknown reason I skewed the last aft set. These will be torn out and made over.
 

Today work :

I have done the deck furniture for the forecastle deck except for the capstan which I will make once the forecastle deck is permanently attached. Similarly the catheads.
I will now turn my attention to the main deck armament. 
Cheers
Dick

My main goal now is to construct the stern balcony enough to get drawings to Chuck for the fretwork. But before that I have to build a stub deck at the end of the quarterdeck. But before I can do that, I had to build the stern of the upper deck with the rudder cover and benches, since they will be covered up once I install the stub deck above. And before I could build the rudder cover, I needed to mock up the rudder head to ensure it will turn freely in the rudder cover. And on it goes.....
 
So, here is the mocked up rudder head, checking clearances:

And then the rudder cover itself. Note in the first photo, I somehow built it too wide. The second photo below shows the trimmed down version. I had to selectively deconstruct the cover, then slice out the excess, and reassemble. It reminded me of chopping tops for hot rod models when I was a kid!
 
 

I discovered that if the rudder cover top surface stays below the level of the stern lights, there is not enough room under it to ship the rudder. It will have to be removed and then reinstalled after the rudder is in place.
 
So when I built the benches on either side, I made all of this a slide fit so the rudder cover can be taken out later to ship the rudder when I get around to building it.
 
The benches proved to be unexpectedly difficult to build. They had to accommodate different curves at different levels, since this is all sitting on the fore side of a convex upper counter whose curves are different from the upper deck upon which the benches sit. It was a lot of tedious trim and test, trim and test, for several days. But now it is done, ready to be covered up by the quarterdeck stub deck above. At least I could get some sense of the standard of living for the officers. Not bad, sitting on the bench, elbow on the window sill, looking out at the sea through the wall of windows....
 
Mark