NMBROOK

Thank you very much indeed Michael for your kind words Knowing my log has been your breakfast companion makes me smile even more The nail detail is not written off just yet Just need to up my game tool wise.As I now have to fit the fastenings inside a 1mm square box,I am going to opt for one fixing per joint(I know of one Russian master who went for just the one on his model of Le Requin).The cobalt PCB drill has the issue of only having 1mm of drilling section.I am going for a 0.2mm hole with 0.18mm copper wire.Two fixings are theoretically possible,but we are bordering brain surgery .Either way,this will have to be drilled on the mill table for accuracy and the curved profile of the top face added beforehand due to the limited drill depth.At present,I am giving this much further thought as to whether the grating should be fitted into it's combing first or later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hey Nigel,
Beautiful work ...again. Hopefully the last practice run.
 
Is the Russian Master your referring to Roma's Le Requin as its gun deck gratings are single pinned. His build is the reason I purchase the ANCRE monography. I also love that he nailed the inside of the gun port doors, such a beautiful touch. It definitely deserves it's gold and Roma's passing was a great lose to this hobby.
 
You spoke of shaping, how do you plan to achieve the curvature? I think the single pin/nails is attractive, two is boarder line crazy, but we already know that    
 
 
By the way here is Roma's work, may he RIP.
 
gunports
 
 
gun deck grating
 
 
Look at this - 4 pinned masterpiece
 

A small update,besides cutting and shaping up some more deck beams(not taken any pics as they are well,beams  ) I have milled two more grating 'bases' but have also built up the first one.This has to be cut to size and the top shaped.I have given it a thin coat of polyurethane to stiffen it up a little and hopefully stop me loosing the crisp edges through chipping.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Nigel: I finally figured out how this was accomplished.  But, how do you 'cut' it off the "base."?  (  the above grating has the 'ledges' placed
horizontally, correct?  Cheers, Bill Palmer

Hi
here are photos of the progress before the long break.
 
You can see the first attempt at the first photo based on the MSW drawings. Afterwards it was clear to me that the Frame-Drawings were not suitable for a single frame build.

Here the next photos. There you can see the Ballard-Timbers.

If I fit the transoms I had a big trouble. The reason was a wrong angle at the top-view plan.
On the following photo you can see the correct angle and the discrepancy.

 
If I know that it was possible to fit transoms.







 

Hello guy's
 
I will start my build of the Triton again.
Christian (AnobiumPunctatum) and I are started our builds in 2009. But we built the hull in single frame and not in double frame based of the original drawings (Christians idea). It was originally planned to use the MSW frame drawings. But I realized during the build of the fore cant frames that the MSW frame drawings were not suitable for a single frame build. That's why I had a break for about 4 years. Now I pencilled all the frames new and would like to continue the build of the frames. After the frame build I'll use the MSW drawings for the remaining build.
Now there are some photos from The keel, stern apron etc.
 







 
More photos are following soon

Hello Guys
 
Here's a little update of my build. I install the aft Cant-Frames at the moment. You can see my practice of the following photos. I hate it to do the same for several hours. That's why I decided to produce a Frame, install it and than produce the next Frame and so on. At this way I had a bit of change.
 

 
To saw out the parts I use a band-saw with a special saw band for slightly curves.

 



 
I hope that the next update is showing the finish of the frame build.

Hi,
here the photos of the current progress. It's halftime of the frame build

Hi Guys
 
It's done, all the frames are fitted and even the starboard side is a bit sanded.
 

 
The next step is sanding, sanding sanding,..........oh I hate it.
 

A small update,besides cutting and shaping up some more deck beams(not taken any pics as they are well,beams  ) I have milled two more grating 'bases' but have also built up the first one.This has to be cut to size and the top shaped.I have given it a thin coat of polyurethane to stiffen it up a little and hopefully stop me loosing the crisp edges through chipping.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

A small update,besides cutting and shaping up some more deck beams(not taken any pics as they are well,beams  ) I have milled two more grating 'bases' but have also built up the first one.This has to be cut to size and the top shaped.I have given it a thin coat of polyurethane to stiffen it up a little and hopefully stop me loosing the crisp edges through chipping.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Thank you very much indeed Michael for your kind words Knowing my log has been your breakfast companion makes me smile even more The nail detail is not written off just yet Just need to up my game tool wise.As I now have to fit the fastenings inside a 1mm square box,I am going to opt for one fixing per joint(I know of one Russian master who went for just the one on his model of Le Requin).The cobalt PCB drill has the issue of only having 1mm of drilling section.I am going for a 0.2mm hole with 0.18mm copper wire.Two fixings are theoretically possible,but we are bordering brain surgery .Either way,this will have to be drilled on the mill table for accuracy and the curved profile of the top face added beforehand due to the limited drill depth.At present,I am giving this much further thought as to whether the grating should be fitted into it's combing first or later.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Hi Mates,
 
Moving along, now starting on the cannon doors. Wanted to replicate the example from the original, so thought that the pics below were an acceptable solution. Pics are self-explanatory so I’ll remain brief J
 
So after 100 of these I should be done except for the hinge pins and installation.
 
The last pic is just a demo, need to square and make adjustments. I know that in the original the insert planks are vertical, and that mine are attached horizontally. A compromise, but so it has been going with this build  - hmmmm..
 
As usual thanks so much for visiting, “likes”, very kind and encouraging comments, and just dropping in for a look….
 
Regards,
 
Michael

To be honest Kevin,my scroll saw work looks the same.I cut well away from the line and sand back to shape.I feel I have more control and this method I find twenty times quicker than trying to get perfection from the machine.I enclose a pic of my 'secret weapon' cheap sanding drum in the bench top pillar drill.For mass sanding sessions I have a piece of wood slightly larger than the drum that I clamp to the table.A disc sander is useful for the outside profile,but I have yet to purchase one of those.I use this set up for rough sanding of everything I cut out on the scroll saw
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Nigel,
 
With my apologies from across the pond, I've been falling behind with-well-everything...Certainly your build as well.
 
OMG what excellent updates, tutoring and a crash fix..Your grating issue has been beautifully resolved, certainly (though as you know those nails were such an amazing detail bit, but as I often say, "oh well"). Pear wood is beautiful. I need to explore that particular wood.
 
Your full views along with those awesome curves are a delight. Thanks I enjoyed my entire morning breakfast catching up with you. Even had a second latè to stretch my time here. Gorgeous !!
 
Cheers,
 
Michael

To be honest Kevin,my scroll saw work looks the same.I cut well away from the line and sand back to shape.I feel I have more control and this method I find twenty times quicker than trying to get perfection from the machine.I enclose a pic of my 'secret weapon' cheap sanding drum in the bench top pillar drill.For mass sanding sessions I have a piece of wood slightly larger than the drum that I clamp to the table.A disc sander is useful for the outside profile,but I have yet to purchase one of those.I use this set up for rough sanding of everything I cut out on the scroll saw
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Photos of the Gas Soldering Iron.. (especially for Stergios..  )
 
It is a straightforward bit of kit, a tad 'plastic-ey' in some of its bits, notably the largish red Gas On-Off button on the side of the Iron itself.. otherwise solid and easy to use.. again if I can do it.. well, you all know the rest   
I picked up the 1mm head for it too, this is the one attached, the rest in the box are 2mm head, Blow Torch Head (possibly for Brazing ?) Hot Air Head and a Rope Cutter (it seals the ends as it melts through, sort of lines/rope you'd see on yachts) and finally a little sponge in a container to clean the head's etc.
 
I threw in a photo of a test piece I did earlier today.. it was filed down to tidy it a bit, admittedly didn't need much work, and it is a rather strong join, I was quiet surprised !! (I'm sure perfectly adequate for much higher than our rigging tensions.. I mean we're not 'stringing a bow' here when we put the shrouds in     )
 
Hope this is what you had in mind Stergios ..    Oh and the price delivered was around the €40 mark, not cheap but I've gone through 2 or 3 ' relatively cheaper' electrical versions !
 
All The Best Folks
 
EDIT  OOOOPS Forgot to Add the Flippin Photos...          Here Goes !!
 
Eamonn
 

You are very wise Kevin doing some experimentation with your tools before starting 'proper'.One thing to keep in mind is that I doubt there is a builder in existence that makes every piece perfect first time.Don't be discouraged if you find yourself 'feeding' the scrap bin.Making mistakes helps you learn more than doing everything right first time.The beauty of scratchbuilding is it is only another piece of wood,as opposed to a kit part which isn't so easy to replace.
I find using homemade sanding sticks to produce bevels on planks gives you far more control than using a normal sanding block.After trying nearly all the varnishes available in the UK(yes we cannot get half the products mentioned on this forum),I have settled on what Chris Watton uses,Ronseal Ultra tough matt coat.It is very versatile and can also be thinned and sprayed for exceptional results(however you would need something with a decent nozzle size for this,rather than a small airbrush nozzle).
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

A small,but possibly useful update Work has stopped on my deck 'treenailing' as I have now been waiting a week for some more drillbits to arrive
I have decided to start producing the deck clamps 'in the rough'.These are made from 3mm thick pear sheet and spiled,profiled and prebent where necessary to conform to the inside of the hull.This is not helped by the fact that the tumblehome changes direction right in the middle of these pieces.My plan is to make and bend the sections overlength and add the hooked scarph joints to the ends a little later.
I have started at the bow,a paper template was made for the shape and pieces cut to suit oversize in height and length.The top edge cannot be accurately established until the deck beams are dry fitted and the hull cutouts used as a reference.The angle of cut of the top edge also changes massively at the bow as the profile is in effect twisted.
I soaked the piece to be bent for three hours in water,then this was placed in the kettle and boiled up.The strip was first worked in my fingers to ease the bending process.The strip was then clamped to the inside of the hull and left for 3 days!!!!.Upon removal absolutely no spring back was experienced.The final job for now was to dish the matting face to suit the tumblehome.
The second one is now clamped in place and is resting for it's 3 days I will continue with something else for the rest of the weekend
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Now as promised,a picture walkthrough of the steps involved milling the 'grating' with backing spacer.
 
First a safepark position was created with the mill,a slot around 2mm to 3mm wide 5mm deep(the sheet is 6mm thick)All work is done with a 1mm milling cutter

 
Step two was to machine 1.5mm slots 1.5mm deep that will form the grouves for the battens to lay in.

 
Step three was to mill 1.5mm slots 5mm deep perpendicular to the batten slots.These are the gaps between the ledges.All slots had 1.5mm of material inbetween them i.e. the centre to centre distance is 3mm.

 
Finally the sections at each end were cut off to enable easy fitting of the overlength battens.Now also in this pic,because I was determined to have a go with this method to produce a finer pattern grating,is one with 1mm holes and 1mm ledges and battens.This was a complete success,not one chip to any of the nibs,although removing the sawdust was a very careful job with a soft brush.I think this is the way forward for Mordaunt's gratings although 1mm pear sheet for the battens will have to wait as my supplier of this is currently on their holidays


 
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

As I am not working this weekend for a change,I have decided to concentrate on big structural stuff and leave the gratings for the limited time I have on weeknights.
After a thorough rub down of the poly on deck spirketing and gunports I have made a start on the deck beams.Incidentally,the varnished areas have now had nine coats of poly,'knocked back' every three coats.There will be another coat applied before using whichever treenailing method I employ,if any,flatted again and then the final coat.
For the deck beams,I have borrowed a method from Russian master Dimitry Shevelev.The beams slot through the sides of the hull.This allows the beams to be adjusted by shimming to ensure perfect deck alignment in relation to the gunports.Any adjustments become invisible when the final covering is applied inside and out.In addition to this,the deck structure can be built inside the hull and fine adjustment can be carried out to the hull sides before the beams are glued to the hull sides.
The plan is that all the plain beams are dry fitted,then removed to allow the deck clamps to be fitted inside the hull.The beam slots are then extended through the deck clamps to allow refitting of the beams.I know this joint will be historically incorrect,but would look identical from the outside although this area will be nigh on invisible on the assembled model.
I do anticipate that these beams will be fitted dry and removed several times,to allow the joints to be cut in them and to allow varnishing of the undersides before finally gluing in place.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Gratings Mk 4 part 2
 
1.5mm wide battens were glued into the grouves and allowed to dry.I used alaphatic applied with a cocktail stick and excess was vigilently removed with a wet brush.When dry,the back was sanded off and the battens flushed off.I used a small disc in the Proxxon IBE to do this.Before final trimming and profiling I am going to apply two coats of heavily thinned matt poly to prevent any splintering.Mr Frolich does mention this in his book and seems like a good insurance policy.
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel

Ok then,hopefully a more positive post.After trying the table saw route and more failures(the little nibs kept breaking of)I think I have it sussed.When in doubt,consult a book.After studying Frolich's method,it made a lot of sense when working with the problematic pear.Just a couple of tweaks to use the mill instead of a tablesaw.
 
So here we have Gratings mark 4?Part one.
 
A solid block 6mm thick was machined to follow the same pattern as what Frolich does.Basically the ledges are machined in the top face leaving some material acting as a backer holding them the correct distance apart.When the battens are glued and set,the rear face is sanded away leaving a complete grating.The important factor was the order of doing things to prevent the 'nibs' from being chipped.The block was placed in the mill so that the grain followed the ledges i.e.athwartships.1.5mm wide by 1.5mm deep grouves were then cut the right distance apart for the run of the battens.4mm deep by 1.5mm grouves were then machined perpendicular to these.These are the gaps between ledges.I have changed the gap despite what I said earlier to 1.5mm.This then matches the contemporary model,so should not look out of place.This process leaves the ledges attached to a backer which holds everything true while the battens are fitted.The fact that the final cut runs inline with the grain results in crisp 'nibs' with not chipping.I will take photos of the machining process for the next post,I didn't bother while making this until I was sure it would work
 
Kind Regards
 
Nigel