AnobiumPunctatum

All deck canopy sections now completely planked:

Hawse pipes installed:

The planking is looking great.

Do not to much work on one side. An old modeller told me that it is better to work symmetrical on both side to avoid torsion of the hull.

Fcastle planking is completed.  I also added the mast coat as you can see in the photo.  This is also the same as the earlier ones we built.  The open areas of the decking reveal plenty of the gun deck.  Just remember,  you can add more deck planks if you prefer.  You can also plank one side completely and leave the other side just showing the deck beams and knees.  Its up to you.
 
Now its onto either the belfry rail or jump over and start working on the qdeck coamings.  I havent decided yet.   There is also a large knee at the bow to make.
 
Chuck
 

 

Hey Dan,  These were photo-etch pieces.  I’ll show you what I mean at our ZOOM meeting on Tuesday.
 
Leading into Labor Day Weekend, I realized that I would need to cram-in a ton of hours, if I had any hope of getting where I wanted before the Joint Clubs meeting.  And so, my wife and kids went off to CT to stay poolside, with family, and I got to work.
 
The primary objective of the weekend was to erect the forward bulwarks.  I gave the lapping joint of each bulwark piece a third going-over to ensure absolutely the best fit possible.  Unfortunately, it cannot be avoided that the part will always be under tension, as it must bend significantly to conform to the run of the hull.
 
Anticipating this, I had affixed a styrene tab at the point where tension is greatest.  My glue plan was to cement a welded bond along the rabbet with liquid styrene cement, but also to apply CA to the additional tab for a contact bond that would assist the tweezer spring-clamps that I bought for this purpose.
 
Where the bulwark joins the beakhead bulkhead, I similarly used styrene cement below the forecastle deck ledge, and a spot of CA above the ledge.  There was simply no good way to clamp this corner, owing to its extreme tumblehome, so I used a tape clamp to assist during drying.
 
First, I put some blue tape down to protect the deck from any errant glue drops:
 

 
I also applied two layers of blue tape to the clamp jaws, as these particular spring clamps apply a really strong bite onto the material; I was hoping not to mar my paint.
 


 
For better leverage with the smaller clamps, I made up small styrene clamping cauls that hooked beneath the wales to which they were taped in-place.  As with any significant glue-up, a dry-run really helps steer you away from potential pit-falls; before making the cauls, I found that the small clamps only had a tenuous grip on what is really a very shallow lap-joint.
 
With only a few small gaps that touch-up paint will fill, I ended up with really tight-fitting joints and enough small squeeze-out to convince me that there is a strong welded bond along the part’s entire length:
 


 
The relative mass of the model is becoming apparent now:
 


 
I will say that while the skid segments lined up near perfectly, I will still have to fill a few gaps, here and there, with sanded shims of styrene strip.  This is not a big deal, and I prefer to use plastic, rather than putty, wherever possible.  Also, the squeeze-out is not a major chore to clean away.  I have a purpose-ground #11 blade that works like a semi-sharp glue chisel to scrape away the excess.
 
Now that the bulwarks were up, I could install the gusset pieces that serve a dual purpose: they re-enforce the lap-joint by increasing glue surface area between the deck and the bulwarks.  Also, they will eventually serve as mounting points for my deck beams.  After scribing-in and glueing, the bulwarks became notably stiffer:
 

 
Unlike the lower decks, this time I thought to black-out these gusset pieces, as more light will penetrate below these upper decks.
 
Next, I wanted to final fit the open sheaves I made for the top corners of the beakhead bulkhead rail.  I also wanted to make knees for these corners.  While the sheaves are a contrivance, on my part, to cover for the height discrepancy between the bulwark top rails, these knees were an actual feature of real practice.  Just as they do on a real ship, the knees I made increase surface area and do quite a lot to strengthen the area.  Frankly, I just don’t trust CA to do the hevy lifting of holding these corners together, over time:
 

 
Although it is not readily apparent in the picture above, I simulated the bolt heads that hold these knees in place.  Also, above, I am holding in-place the forward beam ledge for the forecastle deck.
 
So, finally, I’m approaching the finish-line for painting of the aft port bulwark piece.  There is still some gold work to do on the siren figures, as well as the quarter piece, but now the full color scheme comes into clear focus:
 

 
My objective with the paintwork, because I have chosen such a vivid scheme, is to identify areas where I can replicate the same colors and techniques, in order to create a sense of continuity.  All throughout the ship, anything with a fishtail gets painted first with a grey enamel under-wash, and then top-coated with the ver-de-gris wash.
 

 
I also really liked the use of silver metallic beneath a more natural green wash, that I used for the female Four Seasons figures, on the stern.  The siren on the aft end of the amortisement received this particular treatment for her dress, and the wash-coat really highlights the sculpted folds of the dress very nicely.
 
For the face and neck of the quarter piece, I decided to use the same enamel grey wash and wipe-away technique that I applied to the horse-head of the figurehead.  It’s subtle, but it really brings out the small facial features of these sculptures. The four Continental figures will also receive this treatment.  I think it lends these statues a sense of aged neo-classicism.
 
So, soon I will make and fit the gusset pieces for the aft bulwark piece, and hopefully get the whole assembly glued-up and touched-up in time for the show.  Thank you all for the likes, comments and for looking in! 

I have finally finished. A long learning process, new techniques, mistakes and new friends. I thank my teacher Hugo Lizama infinitely for all his advice and unconditional support. Thank you my friends, we will see you in the HMS Winchelsea project and yes, the HMS Triton deserved to be finished.
 

Whow, I didn't realize how the last year flew by.
 
I actually wanted to start with my model much earlier, but due to the Corona crisis and a project change, I gave up my second home in Amsterdam and moved back home. I now have to use my shipyard as my home office, so scratch building isn't really a good option. At Christmas I found the offer of ir3 at MSW and considered using the small lasercut kits from Chuck to pursue my hobby. In the meantime, the decision has been made and I am waiting for a package with the components. After Chuck reopens his store I need to buy some yellow ceddar and then I will start my build.
 
I dream to fully rig WInchelsea later.  Frigates are in my opinion some of the most beautyful shipmodels with a rig.

I didn't Preorder the book for that reason. Last week I got my copy from Amazon without any problems and I don't need to think about tax I have to pay if I order the book in the UK.
 
It's a wonderful book and makes a lot of pleasure to read.

It is good that you are able to deal with them.  WE have a problem in Australia with Amazon , Google and Facebook.  They refuse to pay our income tax for business they do here and will not pay our media companies for the news that they use.  So most of us use alternatives which in the case of Amazon are not so extensive.
 
John

Good morning.

Good morning.

Bonjour à vous amis modélistes, voilà déjà quelques temps passé depuis mon dernier contact.
Ma Belle Poule avance doucement, mais j’y prends toujours le même plaisir à faire avancer ce chantier. La poupe sans encore ses sculptures est aujourd’hui  terminée et l’aménagement de la batterie est la priorité qui s’impose avant la fermeture du pont supérieur. Pour imager l’avancement des travaux je poste les quelques images  ci-dessous.amitiés à tous les passionné de navires aciens.
 
 
Hello to you model-maker friends, it's already been some time since my last contact.
Ma Belle Poule is moving slowly, but I still take the same pleasure in moving this project forward. The stern without its sculptures is now complete and the arrangement of the battery is the priority before the closure of the upper deck. To illustrate the progress of the work, I am posting the few images below. Regards to all those who are passionate about ancient ships.

Really nice progress. The color of the ivory looks fantastic.

Your model is looking really beautyful.

The construction of the frames is finished. The next shape they get during assembly to the keel. ...and the 6000 bolts as well.

HI everyone,
 
I stopped drawing long enough to share some of the things I have learned about the Bellona, and mid 18th century British ships generally, while following the 18th century drawing process. I will do this in a couple of posts, to keep to a topic at a time. And I will title these, Drawing Lessons from the Bellona, in the spirit of what lessons I have drawn while drawing!
 
Drawing Lessons from the Bellona, Part 1.
 
First of all, I want to acknowledge the essential help of David Antscherl's article in the Nautical Research Journal, Vol. 53, NO 2 Summer 2008, titled "Understanding Eighteenth-Century Admiralty Drafts: Making Contemporary Drawings Useful for the Modelmaker." This really helped me understand the principles and processes of these drawings. With this help, I turned to my facimile copy of David Steele's "The Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture" and followed the instructions given starting on page 234, Chapter III, Instructions for Delineating the Several Draughts and Plans of a Ship.
 
The first thing I learned is that Steele does not explain how to design a ship, only how to draw one from "Given Dimensions" already set down by the ship's designer. How the designer determined a number of key design elements, like ratio of length to width, or heights of various elements from the baseline, or even the diameters of various geometrical elements making up a frame, remains a mysterious art.
 
As an example, let's look at the cross section in the body plan. At first glance, this seems like a very straightforward geometrical process:
 

A number of arcs are formed to create the frame shape. One of the most important, stressed in the instructions, is the "floor sweep" shown here in green. You can see here at midships that it forms the lower curve of the frame. The height of the centers of all of these arcs are shown in the sheer diagram as a line curving up from midships to fore and aft. The distance of these centers from the hull centerline are shown as a curving line in the half breadth plan, widest at midships and curving towards the center line fore and aft. The radius is a constant along the entire ship, 11'-0" in the case of the Bellona. So imagine a 22' diameter cylinder touching the lower surface of the hull, and then bending upward and inwards as it progresses fore and aft to help shape the hull form.
 
Seems straightforward, plot the center on the body plan, and draw the frame. Until you start looking at frames moving away from midships. Then we discover that the radius of the floor sweep starts to leave the frame, as seen here at frames 18 and N. The floor sweep gives no guidance to the shape of the hull at this point, and suddenly we are at the mercy of "art", as the lower body shape now has no obvious geometry guiding its form.
 

Indeed, if we look at the rising line (the curved line below the wales which gives the height of the center for the floor sweep) on the Bellona sheer, the rising line only shapes the hull in the middle third of the hull. everything fore and aft is presumably shaped by eye, using waterlines to ensure smooth fairing. This would have had a great influence on the sailing qualities of the hull, I imagine, but no obvious geometry to help.

 
I read somewhere that the line fore and aft of the midships still had some "theoretical" value to the ship designer, but what value this is remains a mystery to me.
 
I would love to learn how the ship designers were making these decisions, but alas, not to be found in Steele!
 
All for now,
 
Mark
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Cargo finished - at least the bit that will be visible. Both large and small barrels.
 

 

 
Cargo arranged in position. In the real world they'd have been wedged tightly together - with wedges.
 

 

 
And a start on the main decking.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Main deck planking complete. And starting to add the removable planks to go above the hold.
 

 
 
 

 

 
All the removable planks glued in place except the ones left off to show the cargo, stacked off to one side. I think I'll make an extra crewman and show him putting the last of them in place. 
 

 
 
 

 
And the mast and yard dry fitted to give an idea of proportions. 
 

 
Next to make the windlass, then the steering oar and the castles for the bow and stern. 
 
Coming along nicely.
 
Steven
 
 

Completed stern fairing shown alongside the relief carved beside the steps leading to the Acropolis in Athens,  John Coate's interpretation (extract from his drawing No 12  © Estate of John F. Coates, reproduced with permission) and a picture of the full size reconstruction. John Coates drew his reconstruction from a number of sources (there is surprisingly little, given the impact of the trireme on Athenian civilization, and how well they documented other aspects of their life...) and managed to come up with something that actually worked and also looked (I think) very elegant. Not a trivial task given that the Athenians invested a huge effort in developing these ships over a number of generations...
The geometry of the stern is quite complex, involving a number of curves in 3 dimensions coming together. Precise offsets for these curves are not provided in the design definition that Coates provided (in fact the form of the stern is shown slightly differently in each of his drawings) and so some hands on setting out and fairing is involved. So my model, inevitably, will differ from Coate's drawings (and from the full size reconstruction). The photo of my model is also difficult to compare directly with the drawing due to perspective effects.

 
 

Kris,
 
it is a qustion of the result you like to have, the scale and your skills. There is in my opinion nobody than you who can answer these questions. I know from my own experience hoe dfficult and sometimes really frustrating it is to find this out.
If you like to buy some tools buy only good quality tools and check if the mones is an good investement.
Take an small project like the MSW capstan project to practice. If you than think, that you need more experience take another small project.
If you think it's enough start with your dream model. But be sure that you make in the beginning every part two of three times until the result satisfies you.

I installed the capstan barrel and drum head, which completes the capstan project.
 

 

 

 
This was a fun project and I especially enjoyed the scratch build aspect. I am not sure I am ready to tackle a whole ship as a scratch build project but it is not out of the question in the future. Thanks to the NRG and especially Toni Levine for her great instructions and plans, and her help during this build.

You're right. For the Bremer cog you can use one of the replica's  for teh mast design. In my opinion the Kieler cog is the best.
Do you know, that there is a wonderful book over the excavation with beautyful drawings of the IJssel cog?
"De opgraving en lichting van de 15e- eeuwse IJsselkogge" onder redactie van W.B.Waldus.
 
 

I know the work which is in the reconstruction and drawing. Last month I did the frame design of my Triton a second time  to become more satisfied with the results.

You're right. For the Bremer cog you can use one of the replica's  for teh mast design. In my opinion the Kieler cog is the best.
Do you know, that there is a wonderful book over the excavation with beautyful drawings of the IJssel cog?
"De opgraving en lichting van de 15e- eeuwse IJsselkogge" onder redactie van W.B.Waldus.
 
 

I know the work which is in the reconstruction and drawing. Last month I did the frame design of my Triton a second time  to become more satisfied with the results.