Charter33

Superb detail and craftsmanship, Jens - as always! Great to see you back. I'm looking forward to following your build through to completion. Graham

Thank's for your generous comments, Michael and Nigel - much appreciated. With the plating complete I've moved onto the gratings. I found that a sharp chisel and a cutting mat was my most successful method of cutting the individual components to length. A simple assembly aid held the pieces in place while the watered down PVA glue dried. Gratings removed ... ...and sanded. Coamings next. I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the 4 x 3 strip provided. It had a more pronounced open grain and is a much more red colour compared with the other walnut in the kit. I made the decision to convert the remnants of the 5mm sheet that held the rudder etc. into a suitable alternative. The original strips are at the top of the picture. Inspired by having seen Paul B's recent posts and his photographs of these gratings I'm tempted to try his method of dealing with the joints rather than the mitres shown on the plans. Time to 'play' Graham.

Outstanding work, Paul. Your build log has become one of my first 'ports of call' when the need for inspiration arises. So much detail to take on board - keep up the great work! Graham

I have a feeling that was the method this industrious and illustrious colleague used, Mark. i just dropped if off in her 'in tray' and she did her magic. She's usually rushed off her feet - must have been a quiet day, it was delivered to my classroom / workshop by hand, and the scale measured up true. Graham

Hi Ben, Thank's for dropping in, and I'm pleased that you are enjoying the work so far. You're right - the Hawse timbers are proving an interesting challenge! I had been trying to figure out how to get an accurate reversed image of the various components for the opposite side of the hull. I used to oil model aircraft plans so that the lines could be seen through the back of the paper if the need arose. Not much help here with the paper needing to be cut and glued to the wood as a template. Almost had to dig out the old light box. However, two of the most important members of staff at my place of work are the caretaker and the lady who runs the reprographics support - the latter came to the rescue. It seems that these all singing and dancing photocopiers have a 'mirror' setting Modern technology is a wonderful thing, and this old dog has learnt another new trick. Cheers, Graham.

Sorry - but that's way beyond any knowledge that I have. Any one else able to help out here? I could be wrong, but I thought the model built by Longridge, the basis for his book 'Anatomy of Nelson's Ships' is regarded as a very authoritative and accurate representation.

Hi, Just finished the copper cladding! I was struggling to see and apply some of the smaller cut plates needed to fill in gaps along the keel and waterline on the first side of the hull so I decided to invest in an illuminated head loupe. I wish I'd bought one earlier as using it for the first time resulted in me having to re-work several areas as I was not happy with the gaps between some of the plates already in place. Also in this picture is the most useful tool I found to hold plates in position for marking out and then positioning whole and cut plates when gluing - Blue Tack on the end of a short length of brass tube. Even the tiniest pieces could be located accurately although the tip of a scalpel blade was needed occasionally to apply final pressure until the c.a. glue had dried. I followed the kits instruction's and the guidance in The New Period Ship Handbook for the layout rather than more historically correct patterns. I also went with Keith Julien's advice in this book about getting a cleaner looking edge at the waterline by adding 0.05 x 1.09 mm polystyrene strip pre-painted black. The rudder, made from oak from Victory, was the last piece to be tackled. Rather than paint the top, unclad, section I 'ebonised' it using the wire wool and white vinegar technique I described on another thread. This was followed by a couple of coats of satin varnish. The result is a black finish that still allows the grain of the oak to be seen. The three 'Victory' copper plates on each side, just under the entry ports, can be seen in these two views although they are actually less conspicuous than the pictures suggest. There is a little c.a. residue still to be carefully removed with acetone and cotton buds. Fears that I'd run out of plates proved unfounded - just. Mistakes, re-worked sections and experiments with forming plates to fit around the keel took their toll. Got to the end with about half a dozen whole plates left! I'm happy to have completed this aspect of this model - but you can have too much of a good thing and at this moment in time I can safely say that any kit I attempt in the future will be copper plate free, probably cannon free too. This site is full of pearls of wisdom and two of them that are lodged in my mind at present are: 'Buy your toys before you retire' and 'it's probably best to seek forgiveness than permission' ... just maybe there's room in the 'stash' for a different type of vessel, possibly one rarely found 'outside the Straights of Otranto' ..... waiting for the day when Victory is finished - no rush! Cheers, Graham.

Hi Robert, Superb planking like yours needs to be celebrated, not hidden. Any mileage in considering plating just a small area? ..... probably not... I do know that if I had achieved this level of craftsmanship on my own model the planks would stay fully exposed - and I'm speaking as a fellow builder who completed copper plating just under an hour ago! Cheers, Graham.

Hi, I managed to find a local supplier of 0.5 mm brass wire and my first attempt at a frame now has the pins I mentioned earlier. I decided to focus on the stern and to this end I've worked on the transom pieces. I made the lowest filling transom first and to be honest it was a bit of a disaster. Subsequent attempts were more successful. The filling, deck and wing transoms have been cut to profile and the joints adjusted to ensure a good fit with the inner post. They have not yet been glued into place. Inner surfaces have been given an initial fairing but I'm thinking of leaving the outside faces and the ends until the appropriate frames are ready. This way I can refine the fit to the frames and they will be better supported and stronger to withstand shaping. Next task will be the bow - once I've worked out which version of the Hawse to use. There seem to be two versions: 'Hawse, 1 - 5' and 'Hawsetimbers 1 - 6'. I think it's the latter ..... Cheers, Graham.

Hi Alan, I thought that hull looked familiar. I'm just putting the final touches to the copper plating on my own identical one, also a present from my Admiral, and also held up for a time by significant health issues. Hope you find a way to solve those problems you've described. I am following your Triton build with interest. I'm focusing on the stern section at the moment and hope to up-date my log in the near future. Cheers, Graham.

Just stunning! Congratulations - it's been a real pleasure following your progress. Such incredible detail ...... Graham

Hi and a big welcome - it's great to see another 'complete' model of Triton get under way. That's a really impressive set up you have there in your workshop. Is that a Caldercraft HMS Victory I see resting on that shelf in the background? I look forward to following your progress. Good luck, Graham

A truly stunning build, Don. Craftsmanship of the highest order and impressive attention to detail - congratulations on your inspirational work. I really like your choice of colours for the hull - are they based on a particular full size example? Graham.

Hi Jim, Your talents seem to have no limit. Love your latest post - my father worked on the electronics in Shackletons when serving in the RAF - he used to refer to them as 10,000 rivets flying in loose formation ...... Cheers, Graham

Thank's for starting this thread, Derek, and for re-posting the link to your own design, Steve. I was contemplating having a go at making a rope walk and this has given me the final nudge to get started. I recently put together my own serving machine based on modified Lego gears as little diversion from copper cladding the hull of my Victory build. There's a real sense of achievement when it all comes together and works ...... Cheers, Graham.

Superb work Jim. I love the detail and the 'atmosphere' you instill in your work. I particularly appreciate your depiction of Bucklers Hard - one of my most favorite places in the New Forest. Thank's for sharing them. Graham.

Hi and a big welcome! I was not familiar with your choice for a first build so I've just looked it up on Google. I'm sure you will find that it will be a rewarding and satisfying project, especially with your previous modelling experience. I was in a similar position to you and convinced myself that I'd taken on a project far beyond my abilities. I then learned two essential lessons: firstly you never know what you can achieve unless you have a go, and secondly that this site is in a class of it's own when it comes to the support and guidance available. Best advice is to start your own build log - and if a challenge arises just ask. There are so many talented builders here keen to help others succeed. Good luck! Graham.

Hi, The workshop is a school workshop. On a typical day I can share it with approximately a hundred students, in groups of about twenty, ranging in age from 11 - 18. This particular corner I claim as my own, the bench is mine and will be leaving the school with me when I eventually retire, as will my Poolewood wood turning lathe which also graces the room. I will, however, need to sort out a workshop of my own, when that day comes, that will be big enough to accommodate this equipment and all the other bits and pieces that have accumulated over the years! My other project, HMS Victory, is being constructed in the 'spare' bedroom at home, much smaller and 'cosy', to put it politely. I get to work very early to avoid travel congestion - the workshop is quiet, there are no students around, for almost an hour my time is my own ........... is there a better way to start a working day? .... and at the other end of the day, when they've gone home, planning and marking is up to date and any meetings are finished ........... Thanks for the comments and 'likes', the feedback is much appreciated. Cheers, Graham

A quick up-date........ After a bit or re-organisation the workshop now has an area dedicated to the Triton build. The first frame has now been completed. I'm thinking about adding some pegs (tree nails?) Assuming that these would have been about an inch in diameter on the original my calculations come out at a gnats whisker over 0.5 mm diameter. I'll try and source some brass wire and see how it goes. I played safe and worked on a frame from the centre of the hull (0). It currently has excess material at the top which will be trimmed later, but in the meantime this provides support for the acrylic brace that I hope will prevent any movement in the wood. I've also had a go at making a height gauge for transferring vertical measurements from the plan to the model. Cheers for now, Graham.

Pleased to have been of some help. I'll be heading over there myself sometime in the near future...... but be warned - so much beautiful timber, so much temptation ....... enjoy!

No apology necessary, Pav - sharing knowledge and experience is what this site is all about. I just wish I was in a position to be able to provide a fully informed answer! My initial thought when considering what to say in reply was that although I've seen it mentioned by other builders I have never come across a piece of basswood, yet alone used it. A quick 'google', however, has revealed that basswood is another name for lime (which just goes to prove that you never stop learning, even in my profession and at my advanced years!), a timber I have used in the dim and distant past for carving. Luckily we are blessed with members on this site who do know their stuff so a respectful nod to Dan and thanks for fielding your question. I am in full agreement with his reply. I'm using cherry for the first time on this model and have found it relatively easy to work and shape. I made the decision to use it based on the advice of other builders. It finishes nicely but a little care is needed when using power sanding tools, such as disc sanders, to avoid scorching and darkening especially on end grain. The same advice is true for many of the denser hardwoods. As for sourcing it - have a look at Surrey Timbers Ltd on-line site. I have mentioned them before in the 'UK Timber Suppliers' pages in the 'Wood Discussion'section. Hope this helps - and I look forward to seeing progress with your build. Cheers, Graham.

Hi, Now that the dust has settled on the start of a new school year I've managed devote a bit of time again to this project and have made some more progress ...... Shaping the fore and aft deadwoods was holding me up a bit as I tried to make sense of the various sectional profile drawings. My inexperience was evident as I tried to juggle the various profiles and much time was spent working through the other build logs in this section. They certainly helped, and then I came across and followed the link that Dan Vad mentioned in a post referring to his HMS Vulture build. This proved to be a great help and I can see myself visiting this regularly as my build continues - thank's Dan! In the end you just have to dive in and have a go... Using a combination of thin brass sheet and acrylic templates pinned to the aft deadwood the sides were reduced to the required shape. My first attempt at tapering the lower end of the inner post was not as successful as I had hoped so a second had to be made. The rebates were then cut in the stern post with a scalpel and lower area worked to match the ajoining components prior to being glued together. A carving knife proved an effective way to cut the curving rebate in the stem and subsequent shaping of the fore deadwood. I expect there will be a bit more work ahead on these later. At last we have a keel! ... and work begins on the frames ...... Cheers, Graham.

Hi Paul - welcome back! I look forward to seeing the progress you are making. I too have given up on PB. I did find that I could download photographs from my PB 'library' onto a memory stick and then upload them from there into my build log. I did it this way originally as I was under the miss-conception that the photo files would be too big to add directly and that by putting them through the hosting site reduced the size. IT is not a strength of mine! These days I simply save the pictures straight from my camera onto my laptop and upload from there using this site's software. All very straight forward, although my aging DSLR has about half the megapixels of today's modern wonders .... Good luck! Graham.

Hi, Other commitments and the odd curve ball that life can throw at you sometimes has slowed progress recently. I have, however, made a little more progress so here's an update. The starboard stern plating has now been completed and the bow is close to completion. I must admit that there have been some sessions where I seemed to be picking more plates off than I was putting on but I'm fairly happy with the result so far. Finishing along the waterline and adding the 'stealers'(?) into the pattern was challenging at times as well as time consuming. As bit of a break from this section of the build I decided to have a go at working out how to produce some of the rigging on the gun carriages. Following David's (ShipyardSid) advice to Robert(22564) I threaded the appropriate eyelets etc. onto the rope before these are later fitted to the carriage and ceiling. The ends of the rope were then bound with thread. Right ...... back to plating ..... Cheers, Graham.

Beautifully crisp and accurate craftsmanship as always, Robert. A genuine source of inspiration! Keep up the good work - a pleasure to follow the progress you are making. Graham