Gabek

Beautiful work!  And I completely agree with your decision about treenails.  Excellent work that a caulker would be hard-pressed to find any gaps!  
- Clear skies! 
Gabe

Beautiful work!  And I completely agree with your decision about treenails.  Excellent work that a caulker would be hard-pressed to find any gaps!  
- Clear skies! 
Gabe

I forgot to mention that i don,t think i will use treenails , unless they are done very well even at this scale i feel they can look unrealistic ,, only my opinion . You will also notice the planks are continuous ,again sinply to save time ,, lazy bugger ain,t i ???? I used a pencil for caulking .. 

Just a quick update on progress so far , i don,t need to go into to much detail as others have covered pretty much everthing thankfully . Decided to continue with the frames i have and with a lot of sanding they will do the job , lesson learned is spend time getting the frames as well constructed as possible . have planked one sid up to the wales with cherry , i,m happy although i did miss a few flaws in the wood which only show after varnish ,perhaps in future i should number them as i cut them of the sheet to be sure to be sure . Be cause i was to lazy to use a proper build board there is a difference of about 2mm in the distance from side to side , can be easy remied now i know it,s there . Work on the lower deck continues , i hope to complete it of ship and then build it in which means i can make the last beam struts to suit if there is any variation . I find most problems can be overcome if found in time ,,, fortunately ..I may not "joint " the fine struts under the side of the deck which will be planked ,i can learn enough of one side to maybe do a better job on the gun deck ..

I i had taken a bit more care with makin the frames it would have made things easier later on ,but i still had it in my head that i would start from scatch again . All i can say at this atage is i have learned quite a bit in a short time and know i will need to learn a lot more before i finish . While waiting for planking to dry i started the bottom deck and as the pic shows it will need some parts replaced to square it . I hope to be able to work with the frames as they are ,with a lot of sanding and a few alterations . The deck frames and keel are the only pear wood i have used and must say it,s a pleasure to work with besides the oak ,plus the tight grain is a lot more realistic looking . The planking and thick stuff are from old stock rather than waste better woods 

finally decided ti mill out the fram base to give me something accurate to work from and then used a very high teck building board to fix them to the keel .

Carriages 
 
Carriages were cut from bloodwood and wheels turned from boxwood I believe. It was pretty straightforward using the plans, although you can see where I needed to wrap the front axles with black construction paper because I sanded it down too much. This actually helped keep them from rolling around. Once they were assembled the blackened cannons were mounted.
 


 
After that they were installed on the model and rigged!
 

-Chad

...and with that it was done. I then ventured into my first somewhat -bigger woodworking foray and making a case. I was surprised (and have continually been) at how robust the Byrnes table saw is at cutting bigger stock. I made the case out of Peruvian Walnut which is a fairly soft for a hardwood (and very porous) and finished it with a french polish which is a total pain in the *** but looks beautiful. The base is curly maple with an ebony and rosewood inlay, and the model was mounted on two turned brass pedestals. As i just mentioned in my comment to Derek I really wish I had the forethought like him to install mounting hardware way back in the beginning, the problem being that my cross section kept listing because of the cannons on one side. It ended up taking epoxy to get it to sit right and now the Triton will never be leaving it's stand!



 
And that's that! It was a fun (and glacially slow) build, but I couldn't be happier with the final product. Every day for the last couple years my wife and kids walk by my Triton cross section, stop, stare in awe, and never fail to exclaim something like "Wow, Dad- that is amazing!"  Just kidding- none of them care and the only time they mention it is when we need to move it to put up the Christmas Tree.... but to me it was the journey. Everyone is going to have their own outlook on modeling, but I hope if you are starting this project that you don't take the mindset of this being a throwaway project that leads to something bigger- enjoy the ride and do the best you can. Personally, when I'm old and my hands don't work anymore I'd like to look back on this hobby and have built maybe a handful of incredible models that I know I put all my effort into and will be kept in the family than a houseful of models that I blew through and my kids toss in the trash the day after I die. Enjoy the ride and make sawdust!   -Chad

I am building this now , thanks for the posts your log has been very helpful and your cross section is beautiful 
Derek

Bitts, Mast, and Pump Installation
Alright-the "well, mast, and pump mod" is essentially complete.It turned out take more time researching and planning than to actually make everything, but I'm pretty happy with the results. The mast and pumps will be set aside until the deck is planked and the chance for destroying anything has been minimized, but they all fit nicely together. The bitts have been installed and hopefully will stay in one piece while my fat fingers work around them. Here's a photo of them installed (and dusty...)

The mast was turned from hard maple and the front fish and fillings were made from the same and finished with wipe-on poly. The woolding hoops were made from boxwood and finished the same way. I tried to make them out of cherry for a bit more color contrast, but boxwood turned out to be the only wood I had on hand that would allow me to sand the rings down that thin and not break in my hand The bands are all blackened metal and covered with a clear enamel and the woolding is line that has been rubbed with flat black paint. The pumps are made of indian laurel and finished with tung oil, and the plans for them came from TFFM. The handles are made of apple for a bit of color difference, which apparently didn't happen since they look identical. The metal band around the top is blackened metal and were an absolute pain in the butt to attach. I'm just hoping they'll stay on...

It's tough to see in the above photo, but there's a small dowel between the wedges on the mast that will keep it in place. I may do the same thing to the pumps, but haven't decided yet. The gun deck planking should keep the port-side one in place, but I'll need something if I don't plank around the "open sided" one. Anyway-here's the "finished" product...

Well Mod Pt 2
 
OK, so I finished the upper well and Greg was right-fitting louvers was definitely not a breeze. That being said, it wasn't TOO incredibly hard-just took a lot of thinking thru and the problems I did run into were all self-inflicted. My two main sources for this were TFFM (again..) and Gary's Alfred build (again...). The upper well consists of essentially a room that is fitted with louvers on all sides (ventilation?), stanchions on the corners, and a door for access. The first and hardest step was making the stanchions, which included the slits that the louvers would sit in. If all the slits didn't match up, then the louvers would be crooked and probably look bad-so that was the first fear to conquer. This was overcome by cutting all the slits at one time into stock that was cut purposely long. The stock was all put together with the ends glued to scrap to keep it together thru the process..

I then set up the tablesaw, which is just setting the angle and using some scrap as an extension. The fence was used to keep the scrap extension from sliding around...

Now the slit cutting can be done essentially the same way as most how-to's on making grating, but for some reason that totally slipped my mind until I was all done (this seems to happen a lot to me..). I just lined up the stock for the first cut (with the blade set to about 1mm height), then moved the stock fort he next cut by lining up the previous cut to a mark on the tablesaw. Essentially I eyeballed it. I got lucky, but I don't think I'd try my luck multiple times...

After the first cuts, it was necessary to turn the stock pieces to the proper alignment for the next cuts if needed. I'm not the sharpest tool in the toolbox, so a good diagram came in handy for this step. Matter of fact, one of the best things I've started doing is keeping a notebook with notes on stuff I come across or ideas...

Once I decided what direction everything needed to go and that the cuts would be correct (I honestly sat there for about 20 mins trying to figure this out..) things were aligned and put together the same way..

That finished all the cuts. The effort put into making things were aligned payed off when the louvers all fit nicely. Fitting them was fairly easy, although the thickness took some playing around with. Too thick and they won't fit, too thin and the whole thing loses any semblance of sturdiness..

Next up was the door. I figured I'd try to make an actual working scale door, so I started with a sheet of really thin brass and cut the pieces needed. A pin was put through smaller pieces and glued in, so the whole thing kind of works like the pintles and gudgeons of the rudder. I wish I could explain better, but I'm not really up on my door hardware lingo. I think the photos will explain it best..

The door itself was pretty standard and both sides can be seen in the following photos of it installed. It's a bit different than what was explained in TFFM, but I'll admit a bit of artistic licence here (pay no attention to my terrible blackening skills)..

Everything installed (sorry for the yellowness-I'm still frustrated by these damn energy saving flourescent lighbulbs..)


 
And now into the doldrums of knees, beam arms, carlings, and ledges...ugh. -Chad

Gun Deck Beams and Stanchions
Ok-time for an update. I'm actually falling behind in my updates, which is a welcome feeling since it means things have been picking up steam. I tackled the lower deck stanchions, which was my first time using a lathe. I actually bought a Taig lathe bit by bit between 6-12 months ago and it just sat waiting for it's first cameo, which ended up being later than expected .
Before I got into the stanchions, I decided to tackle the upper deck beams. I noticed after making the first deck beams that there was a bit of discoloration from the soaking-nothing terrible and only noticeable if you are looking for it-but I thought I'd avoid that and cut them out with the camber. For whatever reason I was scared to death to do this but It was much easier than I expected and my now preferred way of doing it. My first step was to create a jig that would would give me 4 uniform deck beams. The first step was to create two pieces of wood that would have the top camber of the beam.
Before sanding....

Then they were lined up so the bottoms would be even and holes were drilled in each side. I used bamboo dowels to keep them even while I sanded down the top camber. I actually did one piece first, then the second, but it would have made more sense to do them at the same time.
Dowelled, one side sanded...
xxpicxx
I then used one of the jig sides made above to trace and cut "blanks" for the deck beams.
Blanks...


 
Then back to the jig. One of the two cambered sides is glued to a base, and two screws are used to tighten the sides together with a blank in between. If all goes well the blanks should be pretty close to what's needed and only a bit needs to be sanded down.

Jig with a blank

Once the top camber was done, I drew out the bottom camber. I made this little job because I am to cheap to spend 15 bucks on a decent compass

I then cut out most of the extra and made this little jig on the drill press to get the bottom camber. A piece of wood was set the correct distance from the sanding drum and the deck beams were run thru.

This little process gave me some great deck beams. A quick look at the leveling and they were all spot on, so I think I'll be sticking with this process in the future. As for the stanchions, I wish I could explain it well, but I definitely don't feel qualified enough to accurately describe anything that went on with my lathe-I just know I spent most of the first few hours bracing for the inevitable splintered piece of wood to hurtle thru face and disfigure me for life. Luckily that never happened. The only real advice on making stanchions I can give is that the Dockyard chisels I bought to do the notches in the deck beams were priceless. The center column was done easily with the lathe tooling, but the rounded ends were all done by hand. The only photo I took of the process shows how I marked the important divisions in the stanchion-where it goes from straight to donut-shaped, and where it goes from donut-shaped to the chambered of square ends. This helped keep everything the same size. I cut them from longer stock and cut the ends on both sides to the right sides afterwards.

The stanchions were doweled into the deck beams and the deck to keep them secure, and had small pieces of deck planking placed under them on the "open" side for correct height..

The last deck beam is just dry fitted at this point, as the upper well has to be added and supports the beam.

THE GREAT PLANKING OF 2017 (Part 1)
 
Special attention was paid to HMS Terror’s planking; originally, to protect her from the recoil of her massive mortars within, and later to protect her from the immense force of polar ice without. These combined pressures resulted in the construction of perhaps the toughest wooden sailing vessel the world has ever seen. She was, in her way, the pinnacle of the wooden shipwright’s art - embodied in a squat, slab-sided bomb, with the lines and dull sailing qualities of a merchantman. How can you not love HMS Terror?
 

My reconstruction of Terror's 1845 planking plan.
 
Please visit my blog for the complete description of Terror's planking desgn and history. 
 
I made two fundamental mistakes when planning to plank Terror’s hull in 2013. The first of these was deciding to double-plank her hull, just like the real ship. I began planking my model in the fall of 2016. In a previous post, I showed how I planked Terror’s topside weatherworks above the chocks. I followed a similar methodology for the hull, but rather than edge-bending planks, I had to carefully spile them, as this was necessary to plank the bluffer parts of Terror’s bow. 
 

The first strake added to the hull. The white line was my first inadequate
 attempt to line off the bottom of the wales. I fixed the run shortly after this picture was taken. 
 

The first strake at the bow. This image reveals how bluff Terror was just above the waterline.
Again, this was taken before I adjusted the reference line on the hull. 
 
Spiling greatly slowed my progress, and I was only able to complete one or two strakes in an evening. With 120 strakes necessary for both layers of hull planking, not including the ice chocks, stern, and upper deck, I rapidly realized that I was facing a crisis. The deadline to deliver my model for the Death in the Ice exhibition was in June of 2017, and it quickly became apparent that I would not make that deadline if I did not increase my output. Thus, I began the great planking of 2017.
 
It began with a compromise. To speed up the first layer of planking, I decided to double the width of each of the lower hull strakes and to not follow the accurate plank shift pattern (which requires more cutting). While this layer will never be visible, I regret not having completed it to scale; in addition, not having a photograph of Terror’s original planking configuration remains a sincere source of dissatisfaction for me.  
 
My second mistake was to plank the second layer of my model using accurate scale plank thicknesses. Some of the planks on Terror’s wales are 8 inches thick, representing a daunting task at 1:48th scale. While the three and four-inch scale planks could easily be bent with a crimping tool and some heat from a blow dryer, this technique simply would not work on planks thicker than five scale inches. Every thick plank had to be soaked in near-boiling water for 20 minutes, carefully crimped with a plank bender, and then pressed into shape using a bending iron and a curved jig. On top of that, each plank had to be carefully spiled before bending, and the distortion caused by swelling wood and heat treatment caused no end of difficulty. An added complication was that the thickest strakes, at the wales, had to be laid top and butt fashion, which further complicated the spiling process.
 
The second layer of planking in progress. You can see here where I made the decision to
widen each strake on the first layer (about January 2017).
 
 

Detail showing the transition to 8" strakes at wales. The upper two 8" stakes were sanded 
to provide a smooth run to the 6" planks above them.    
 
 
 

The third strake of  8" top and butt planking at the bow. Notice the
 drop strake below it in the first layer of planking. 
 

Top and butt planking in progress. The tape protects
the wood at the stern and bow during planking.
 

Detail of the completed top and butt planking. 
 

Adding the absurdly wide garboard strake on the second layer.
 

Close up of the garboard strake at midships. According to contemporary plans,
the garboard strake of the second layer was not rabbeted into the keel.
Interestingly, it was on later polar vessels, like HMS Investigator. 
 

The final garboard planks at the stern, after bending them into shape. 
 

Bottom planking in progress. This photo shows how I lined off the second layer of planking. 
 
The most difficult part of the hull planking occurred with the stern. The first layer of planking was relatively simple as it abutted the rabbet on the original stern post (hence this layer was planked like every other ship). However, Lang’s 1845 conversion of Erebus and Terror to steam locomotion required that the second layer of planking form the walls of the propeller well. This meant that the second layer extended over the original stern post and propeller well and was rabbeted into the new rudder post. I’ve known for some time what shape this configuration would take, but implementing it required a lot of trial and error, despite Lang’s detailed plans and a block model for guidance. The most difficult chore was bending and spilling the planks into the proper shape, especially the strake forming the lower margin of the well. It also required the use of two “stealers” to accommodate the increased area of the stern. However, once installed, I’m convinced the model respects Lang’s design, the 1845 block model, and the practical reality faced by the shipwrights who had to plank this unusual ship.

I use masking tape to make spiling templates. This shows the extreme shape of the
first stern plank above the propeller opening at the stern. Lang didn't make the
shipwright's task easy!
 

The resulting pearwood plank. 
 

To achieve the complex bend in the plank, I soaked it in hot
water, then clamped it in place until it dried.
 

One of the stealer planks in the stern, after it had been bent to shape. 
 

Terror's unusual stern, prior to sanding and finish. Oliver Lang designed only one stealer
in this area , but I found it impossible to plank without a second.  I'll discuss the
planking of the transom and chock channel in Part 2.
 

The completed second layer at the bow prior to sanding and finish. Note the drop planks below the wales. 
On the finished model this is completely covered by a third layer of wood and "iron" plating.
I didn't need to spend such care at the bow, but a modeler can only accept so much
compromise. I'll discuss the planking of the chock channel "ice bumper" in Part 2.
 
The completed planking prior to sanding, bow plating, and finish. I'll discuss the planking of the chock
channel "ice bumper" in Part 2 .
 
Part 2 of my post details the planking of Terror’s chock channels (or “ice bumper”), her transom, and her upper deck. Stay tuned!
 

Thanks, Eddie.
 
Milestone!  The first frame is glued up.  I'll finish all nine before rough sanding them.

I finally finished "Swift".  I renamed her "Lucy.B." after our beloved golden retriever (my AVS was named after my wife!).  I made a lot of changes to the stock kit.  I've enclosed photos of the build, as well as a shot of the stock kit box to point out the differences.  Here's a list of the changes I made:
- Switched out wood, using boxwood, cherry, rosewood, maple and blood wood.
- Eliminated the bitt over the bowsprit
- Fitted the sprit to the deck with a metal bracket (more authentic)
- Gammoned the sprit to the stem
- Added knightheads and catheads to the bow
- Added a scuttle to stow the anchor lines below deck
- Scratch-built a windlass
- Made deeper channels for the chain plates so the lanyards didn't rub against the top rail
- Fabricated tubular brass vents for the holds
- Add metal grab bars and ports to the deck cabins
-Scratch built the elm tree pump
- reworked the tiller to bring it to scale
- Redid the knee bracing in the cockpit with beefier cherry
- Replaced all cleats with scale cleats (the supplied AL cleats are 2 scale feet across!)
- Redid the rudder.
- Switched all blocks to Syren blocks
 
Here are some photos.  I hope you enjoy them!
 
 

I finished up the bow area on "Swift" by adding knightheads and catheads, installing a scuttle for stowing anchor cable, and gammoning the sprit to the stem.  Ready to start rigging.  The kit is odd in that the supplied channels are sized so the deadeye lanyards rub against the main rail when rigged.  I redid them, making them wider so they start out further outboard to avoid rubbing.
 
Dave

I redid much of the bow portion of the kit.  I eliminated the bit, whose only function was to support (inaccurately) the bowsprit.  I fastened the sprit to the deck and held it with an iron fitting...much more accurate.  I also scratch-built a windlass to weigh the anchors, and a hatch to lead the anchor line below decks. Notice the boxwood timber supporting the pawl that engages the center gear on the windlass cylinder.   Almost ready to rig.
 
BTW, the hawse pipes are actually fairly symmetrical.  The photo introduces an optical illusion!
 
Dave

Treenails of course come down to personal opinion, but my opinion is I like your opinion 🙂  I hope one day to be able to admire your completed Terror in person!

HMS TERROR TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC ONCE AGAIN
 
My build log has been silent for nearly five months, but I have an excellent excuse. Since December, I’ve been working night and day on HMS Terror. Why the rush?
 
This week, my model is carefully being packaged for transport to Greenwich. In one month, it will be displayed in a new exhibition on the Franklin tragedy at the National Maritime Museum.
 

Mini-Crozier stands at his taffrail. 
 
 
Created by the Canadian Museum of History, Parks Canada, and the National Maritime Museum, the exhibition will open in Greenwich on July 14th.  In January, the model will travel back across the Atlantic with the exhibition, where it will be displayed at Canada’s national museum beginning on March 1st, 2018.  
 

A view from the bow. 
 

Port side planking. It took nearly six months of work to double
(and in some cases tipple) plank this hull with scale timber. 
Some strakes are 8 scale inches thick. 
 
 
What does this mean for my project?
 
First and foremost, it is a sincere honour to have been asked to display my model alongside iconic artifacts related to the Franklin Expedition. I jumped at the chance to loan it when it was presented to me, despite the short time frame involved. Due to time constraints, progress on my model has now far outpaced my build log. I’ll be playing catch up for the next several months. My model is not finished. Currently, it most closely resembles a shipwright’s “builder’s model” which typically only show the design and major fittings of a ship. The reason for this will become clear when you see the model in its position in the exhibition. I admit that I couldn’t help but add a few extra details, but it’s essentially just a builder’s model right now.  When the model is returned to me, I’ll complete all the finer details; I estimate it’s about ¾ complete.
Missing details can be seen in this view; the tiller, deck houses
and conning (ice) plank are all absent.
 

 
Mini-Crozier keeps watch on the voyage. 
 

Mini-Crozier keeps watch on the voyage. 
 
I won’t show all the details of the model in this post; I intend to catch up over time while it is away from my workbench. I hope to have much more time to be an active member of the forums again in the coming months. 
 

The bow plating is made from 100 chemically blackend brass plates. 
 
Post Script: It is very apparent I didn’t add treenails to the planking of my model. For some ship modelers, I know this is sacrilege. My rationale is simple; on real ships treenails and plugs are nearly invisible, and consequently I often find they don’t look realistic on a scale model. Also, I don’t like marring beautiful wood with hundreds of tiny holes. It’s a personal opinion and choice, and I’ve certainly seen many superb models with beautifully rendered treenails.  I’ve never been satisfied with it on my models, so I chose not to do it here.

I agree with Christian that there wouldn't be caulk between the frame timbers.  Caulk was to prevent water from entering the hull - so it would only be on the deck and hull planking.  (I read somewhere that when a new ship was launched, the head caulker would have to drink all the water that came into the hull! )
 
I wouldn't worry about remaking your frames - they look excellent.  The paper is showing off your excellent construction of the frames!  
 
Clear skies,
Gabe

Hello there Anguirel,
I decided to put in chocks on frames 5 and C, which would be visible in the final model:
http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/5761-hms-triton-cross-section-by-gabe-k-196/?p=218064
http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/5761-hms-triton-cross-section-by-gabe-k-196/?p=221134
I also had the problem of not finding a formula and ended up just picking between two reference sources I had and scaling down.
 
Good luck in your build! Looking forward to reading more.
Clear skies,
Gabe

Great topic...and one I am going to address on my Triton cross-section. At 1/96 scale I am not even going to attempt a nail pattern! I am using a book and photos of HMS Trincomalee a lot as reference. Here's a decent shot of the copper showing different colours and the visibility of the nails.

 
Clear skies,
Gabe

To the Naysayers 
 
These two  photos belong to the New Bedford Whaling museum.   If you have never been I can tell you that it is an excellent museum and it is world class.  You all should go, you will thank me later. 
 
These two pictures are of the Ship James Arnold being hove down to receive its copper plating.   I found these photo's in the NRG's Shop Notes II, Chapter 13, Coppering.   I went to the Museum web site and transferred them to here.   The following are the excerpts are from shop notes II.
 
"Ship James Arnold.  Here the starboard bottom has been completely sheathed with felt and wood, and the coppering gang has begun to metal the keel.  Like the courses of copper whose widths are uniform, the run of the sheathing boards is suited to economy, rather than looks. They are fitted with a minimum of tapering and there is an un-nibbed stealer six planks up the the stem."
 

 
 
 
"Ship James Arnold.  This view is a sequel to the preceding photograph.  The upper belt is complete, save for the plates which will finish the cutwater. The lower edge of the bottom course of the upper belt has not been nailed down; the gore ends of the lower belt must be fitted underneath prior to fastening. The rudder, lying on the work float at the keel, is finished and new load marks of sheet lead have been nailed to its trailing edge. The new copper plates, with varying amounts of surface oxidation  show a patchwork of tones which must have been striking."
 

 
The author of the article is  Erik A. R. Ronneberg Jr.
 
It would seem that the variegated color scheme produced by the heat treatment I posted above is within the realm of possibilities.

Great topic...and one I am going to address on my Triton cross-section. At 1/96 scale I am not even going to attempt a nail pattern! I am using a book and photos of HMS Trincomalee a lot as reference. Here's a decent shot of the copper showing different colours and the visibility of the nails.

 
Clear skies,
Gabe

I have now completed this project and this my last log see you with the next model King of Mississippi.
Thank you all for your help and some amazing posts I have followed on this journey.