ChadB

Just catching up... everything looks to be coming along nicely! I think you did a great job on your treenails, and the gun deck and gun carriages look good! You can totally make your own gun barrels if you'd like if you have a lathe! I made my own, but just like everything else it took some practice and I ended up with six or seven before I had four I liked. There's definitely no shame in buying some, though- Chuck's barrels (and every other product of his) are about as high quality you can get if you are looking for a vendor. Keep up the great work!!
 
Chad 

I admire you fast builders! 😉

My two cents on treenails... if done right they really add to a model. If done wrong it looks like a tiny, drunk shipwright got loose and had a good time. If you consider this model practice (which personally I think the Triton cross section should be about learning and trying new things) then I would say go for it since if you are having a good time and move on to a full ship you'll most likely end up doing it anyway and you'll have the experience.
 
Two keys (in my personal opinion) if you do it.... whether you use bamboo or hardwood, stay in or close to scale. If you go too big you may regret it as it will make things look a bit clownish. Second, make sure they are in straight lines (tiny, drunk shipwrights!). Draw out the straight lines across the planking in pencil with a straightedge or draw straight lines on tape, put down the tape, and drill through it along the lines. Yeah, it adds some time to the process but it just makes for better results. The other option is to take a bit of scrap planking and mock up a small piece of deck and try out treenailing and see what you think before jumping in with both feet. I am constantly amazed by some of the French modelers around here and over on the French forums who mock up entire gunports just to try everything out. 

Whatever you decide- it's going great so far! Hope you've had some rainless days to start bringing in the money!

Chad

I admire you fast builders! 😉

My two cents on treenails... if done right they really add to a model. If done wrong it looks like a tiny, drunk shipwright got loose and had a good time. If you consider this model practice (which personally I think the Triton cross section should be about learning and trying new things) then I would say go for it since if you are having a good time and move on to a full ship you'll most likely end up doing it anyway and you'll have the experience.
 
Two keys (in my personal opinion) if you do it.... whether you use bamboo or hardwood, stay in or close to scale. If you go too big you may regret it as it will make things look a bit clownish. Second, make sure they are in straight lines (tiny, drunk shipwrights!). Draw out the straight lines across the planking in pencil with a straightedge or draw straight lines on tape, put down the tape, and drill through it along the lines. Yeah, it adds some time to the process but it just makes for better results. The other option is to take a bit of scrap planking and mock up a small piece of deck and try out treenailing and see what you think before jumping in with both feet. I am constantly amazed by some of the French modelers around here and over on the French forums who mock up entire gunports just to try everything out. 

Whatever you decide- it's going great so far! Hope you've had some rainless days to start bringing in the money!

Chad

Thank you Mark, this is my first ship/Xsection scratch build. I used to scratch build wargaming scenery,  rivers,hills, bridges and buildings.
So maybe that has helped me with this build  as alot of the skills are similar. 
Cheers 

They are similar it seems.  I did much the same back when I played AD&D.  We'd do the walls, furniture, etc. for the maze but only show the immediate area we were in.  Great fun.

What a lot of do is drill small holes well inside the line for the port opening.  Then use either an X-acto knife or the micro saw. Finish it up with files or sanding sticks.

Hay Barge 
W/C 10” X 8”
Jim

Avengers of 849 Squadron from HMS Victorious taking part in Operation Meridian, part of a series of British air attacks directed at Japanese-held oil refineries on Sumatra. Meridian had two phases: Meridian One on 24 January 1945 and Meridian Two on 29 January. As a result, the critical aviation fuel output of the plants at Palembang was reduced by seventy-five percent.
Jim
WC 13” x 9”

RFA Grey Rover
Yesterday’s little 'adventure' (goes with the local weather) Grey Rover punching on.
W/C 15” X 11”
Jim

Beautiful work so far! I really like your way of displaying cutaways in the planking!
 
Chad

Beautiful work so far! I really like your way of displaying cutaways in the planking!
 
Chad

Your hatch looks grate! (BA-DA-CHING!). Looking at the oiled coamings vs the deck you are working on I think you made the right choice with the oil. I personally don't thing walnut looks very good when left natural and needs something to make it pop. Everything looks nice and clean- good work so far!
 
Chad

Thank you guys,
little progress. Now I am ready to start the wotk inside the hull.

Your hatch looks grate! (BA-DA-CHING!). Looking at the oiled coamings vs the deck you are working on I think you made the right choice with the oil. I personally don't thing walnut looks very good when left natural and needs something to make it pop. Everything looks nice and clean- good work so far!
 
Chad

Work has been progressing a little faster (compared to MY normal building speed!) now that the kids are back in school. I ended up adding a bunch more berth deck beams and completed the planking. I had a tough time finding the balance between how much to plank and how much to leave open for viewing of the keelson/frames/beams. I'm not 100% happy with the decision I came up with but the draft of the Eagle is so small that once the main deck beams, carlings, and planking is in the viewing is going to be pretty limited anyway.  The middle open spot is for viewing the keelson and the opening near the aft mast step is where the well will be. The small hole aft is where the capstan will seat.

I spent more time than I like to admit researching the mast steps. The steps were missing from the wreck and the bolt patterns were the only clues that were left as to what it looked like. The pattern didn't match up with that of a standard English mast step, so a bit of digging brought me to the wreck of the brig Linnet, another ship built on Lake Champlain. The Linnet's step was still partially in place and the patterns were identical, so it was what I went with. I am by no means an expert when it comes to ship construction so for me to say this would be a standard setup of the time is a stretch, but it at least lets me sleep at night! We do know that the step would be very simple based on build time so this fit the bill.
 Since most gluing is done below decks I've finished with danish oil and a coat of minwax floor paste to give it a bit of a glow.
 




 
 
Chad

Well, that makes sense then... definitely not laying bricks in the rain! The final knees look great- it's almost always worth the little bit of time to retry something if you are not happy with the final product. Now you get to do it all over again on the gun deck- fun times!
 
Chad

Work has been progressing a little faster (compared to MY normal building speed!) now that the kids are back in school. I ended up adding a bunch more berth deck beams and completed the planking. I had a tough time finding the balance between how much to plank and how much to leave open for viewing of the keelson/frames/beams. I'm not 100% happy with the decision I came up with but the draft of the Eagle is so small that once the main deck beams, carlings, and planking is in the viewing is going to be pretty limited anyway.  The middle open spot is for viewing the keelson and the opening near the aft mast step is where the well will be. The small hole aft is where the capstan will seat.

I spent more time than I like to admit researching the mast steps. The steps were missing from the wreck and the bolt patterns were the only clues that were left as to what it looked like. The pattern didn't match up with that of a standard English mast step, so a bit of digging brought me to the wreck of the brig Linnet, another ship built on Lake Champlain. The Linnet's step was still partially in place and the patterns were identical, so it was what I went with. I am by no means an expert when it comes to ship construction so for me to say this would be a standard setup of the time is a stretch, but it at least lets me sleep at night! We do know that the step would be very simple based on build time so this fit the bill.
 Since most gluing is done below decks I've finished with danish oil and a coat of minwax floor paste to give it a bit of a glow.
 




 
 
Chad

Well, that makes sense then... definitely not laying bricks in the rain! The final knees look great- it's almost always worth the little bit of time to retry something if you are not happy with the final product. Now you get to do it all over again on the gun deck- fun times!
 
Chad

Beautiful work Patrick! I am extremely jealous of your work space... did you have those windows to make the enclosure installed yourself? I feel like here in the US no landlord or HOA would allow that!
 
 
Chad

Same time- yes, same builders- no. The Linnet was British and not built under such a time crunch so the practices were probably a bit difference. I'm still assuming that this type of step was a somewhat standard construction.... if you find information otherwise don't tell me or I'll be forced to rip them out and redo them!!
 
 
Chad

Beautiful work Chad,
 
all looks very pleasant to the eye, I love to see more...
 
Nils

Hi Chad !

It was not easy to install these windows : it took me almost 3 years to get all the permissions and be able to bring a company for installation.
Have a good day.
Patrick

Work has been progressing a little faster (compared to MY normal building speed!) now that the kids are back in school. I ended up adding a bunch more berth deck beams and completed the planking. I had a tough time finding the balance between how much to plank and how much to leave open for viewing of the keelson/frames/beams. I'm not 100% happy with the decision I came up with but the draft of the Eagle is so small that once the main deck beams, carlings, and planking is in the viewing is going to be pretty limited anyway.  The middle open spot is for viewing the keelson and the opening near the aft mast step is where the well will be. The small hole aft is where the capstan will seat.

I spent more time than I like to admit researching the mast steps. The steps were missing from the wreck and the bolt patterns were the only clues that were left as to what it looked like. The pattern didn't match up with that of a standard English mast step, so a bit of digging brought me to the wreck of the brig Linnet, another ship built on Lake Champlain. The Linnet's step was still partially in place and the patterns were identical, so it was what I went with. I am by no means an expert when it comes to ship construction so for me to say this would be a standard setup of the time is a stretch, but it at least lets me sleep at night! We do know that the step would be very simple based on build time so this fit the bill.
 Since most gluing is done below decks I've finished with danish oil and a coat of minwax floor paste to give it a bit of a glow.
 




 
 
Chad

Same time- yes, same builders- no. The Linnet was British and not built under such a time crunch so the practices were probably a bit difference. I'm still assuming that this type of step was a somewhat standard construction.... if you find information otherwise don't tell me or I'll be forced to rip them out and redo them!!
 
 
Chad

Same time- yes, same builders- no. The Linnet was British and not built under such a time crunch so the practices were probably a bit difference. I'm still assuming that this type of step was a somewhat standard construction.... if you find information otherwise don't tell me or I'll be forced to rip them out and redo them!!
 
 
Chad