ziled68

Hello everyone, I realize it’s been a while since my last post so let’ me see if I can bring you all up to speed. I last left off adding the strakes and batten seams to the form. I continued this process until getting to strakes 5 and 6 where these strakes need to be cupped to follow the contour of each section mold. The process is pretty simple in which you can either wet or steam these strakes attach it to a 5/8” x 5/8” quarter round molding and clamp in place until dry. Once dry, you add these strakes to your form. After the sixth strake the strakes no longer butt up against each other but start to lap. This can be seen when it is time to work on the sheer strake that needs to be completely beveled with the last inch heading towards the bow. Once the sheer stake is glued in place it is time to start working on the gunwale strake. You will notice that the gunwale strake is 1” shorter that the sheer strake due to the fact that gunwale strake will be placed 1” from the bow.
Once your strakes have been given enough time to dry, it is time to pin the temporary retaining batten to the cap strip to protect your gunwale from harm. Once the retaining batten is in place, you can now remove the hull from the horses. Removal is really simple. All you do is pry off the gluing tab that holds the jig to the bow and stern horses. Once done, you score along jig and the amidships horse to separate it.
Once the hull is separated, you can now go through the process of using the mold forms and a compass to draw your lines for your frames. You will get your measurements from the “Plan Views – Inboard Construction” on sheet 2 of your plans. The laminated frames are a simple process of steaming your frames, pinning it in place until dry, and finally gluing them in place.
I’ve also had enough time to carve up a scaled man to show relative size of the whaleboat. I my carving of a man to be 5’ – 8” tall and at this scale he came out to be 4 ¼” tall. I also could not help but notice that he had a barrel chest making him look like a tank hence being dubbed “Hank”. The following photos will show you how everything is coming along.
 
 

Hello everyone, I realize it’s been a while since my last post so let’ me see if I can bring you all up to speed. I last left off adding the strakes and batten seams to the form. I continued this process until getting to strakes 5 and 6 where these strakes need to be cupped to follow the contour of each section mold. The process is pretty simple in which you can either wet or steam these strakes attach it to a 5/8” x 5/8” quarter round molding and clamp in place until dry. Once dry, you add these strakes to your form. After the sixth strake the strakes no longer butt up against each other but start to lap. This can be seen when it is time to work on the sheer strake that needs to be completely beveled with the last inch heading towards the bow. Once the sheer stake is glued in place it is time to start working on the gunwale strake. You will notice that the gunwale strake is 1” shorter that the sheer strake due to the fact that gunwale strake will be placed 1” from the bow.
Once your strakes have been given enough time to dry, it is time to pin the temporary retaining batten to the cap strip to protect your gunwale from harm. Once the retaining batten is in place, you can now remove the hull from the horses. Removal is really simple. All you do is pry off the gluing tab that holds the jig to the bow and stern horses. Once done, you score along jig and the amidships horse to separate it.
Once the hull is separated, you can now go through the process of using the mold forms and a compass to draw your lines for your frames. You will get your measurements from the “Plan Views – Inboard Construction” on sheet 2 of your plans. The laminated frames are a simple process of steaming your frames, pinning it in place until dry, and finally gluing them in place.
I’ve also had enough time to carve up a scaled man to show relative size of the whaleboat. I my carving of a man to be 5’ – 8” tall and at this scale he came out to be 4 ¼” tall. I also could not help but notice that he had a barrel chest making him look like a tank hence being dubbed “Hank”. The following photos will show you how everything is coming along.
 
 

Greetings to all,
Upon completion of the bow post, stern post, and keel it was time to add the garboards along the keel. Care must be taken into account when dealing with the garboards. First you will have to bevel the garboard section that rests along the keel. It is crucial to properly support the garboard on a thicker board when beveling so as not to accidently snap your garboard. Once you are happy with the bevel along the keel it is time to bevel the opposite edge of said garboard to accept the first strake which must overlap the garboard by 1/16”. Once the bevels are done, it is time to dry fit the garboard along the keel to ensure you are happy with the seam. If not, now is the time to tweak the bevel so as to get a tighter fit. When you are finally satisfied, it is time to glue the garboard in place. This is where my wife’s fabric steamer comes into play again. The garboard will rest flatly along the section molds but will drastically bend almost 90 degrees along the bow and stern posts. I steamed these sections for approximately 40 seconds, placed the garboard back on the form and held it in place with rubber bands until dry. Once the bow side of the garboard was done I tackled the stern side and repeated the same procedure. Afterwards, it’s just a matter of time to allow it to dry and glue onto the form.
The first strake is the first one you will need to bevel until you get to the sixth strake which I’ve not come to yet. After the first strake has been added to the model, subsequent strakes are joined to it with a seam batten beneath. In the event you are not comfortable gluing these sections over the section molds, it is recommended to use paraffin wax on the section molds to avoid accidently gluing your model to it. The book actually states that once the strake has been glued down, it is time to add the seam batten by lifting the strake slightly to accommodate the seam batten. I found it easier to pin the seam batten on the section mold and glue the strake to the previous seam batten and the new one. I’ll continue this process until I get to the gunwales. The following three photos will show what I have thus far.
 
 

Greetings to all,
Please excuse the fact that I have been away from the ship yards for a while. It’s been pretty busy over here with the move and having to fix a leak under the sink that I could not find until after I broke under the concrete slab.
Well as most of you know, I had the New Bedford Whaleboat kit a friend of mine gave me for the assistance I provided him on the back porch of his house. For starters let me give you a brief history lesson of the New Bedford Whaleboat.
“From 1720 to 1920, nearly 60,000 whaleboats were consumed by the American whaling industry. With a useful life of no more than three years, whaleboats were discarded on the spot throughout the costal U.S. and around the world. Remarkably, only a dozen or two have survived to become part of today’s museum collection.
In 1916, the Dartmouth Historical Society commissioned the building of a half-sized model of the bark LAGODA. Local whaleboat builder Joshua Delano was retained to build seven half-sized model whaleboats needed for the project. Delano built these models according to the design of the full-sized boats he had built for the whaling industry for more than 40 years.”
Now that I have brought you up to speed, let us begin into my journey of the New Bedford Whaleboat. Well the first thing one should do is inventory all supplies within the Model Shipway’s kit. I did so and realized that there were a few missing items that I was able to acquire at my local Hobby lobby.
After that was done, I looked over the plans and read, “To Build A Whaleboat, Historical Notes And A Modelmaker’s Guide” by Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr. I must say that this item is invaluable to the person who wants to tackle the whaleboat. After reviewing and reading everything, I tackled the whaleboat’s form by assembling the profile and section molds. Before you begin gluing the section molds to the profile mold, it is best to make your bevel for the battens and planks to section molds 1, 2, 4, and 5. Once complete, mark the areas on the section molds were the battens will be placed and the water lines that will coincide with the profile’s waterlines. Keep in mind that these marked areas are just a rough guide that will assist your placement of the battens.
Upon completion of the form, I tackled the horses that will have the form mounted upon. I must say that Model Shipways tries to do their best by these models but there are certain places that need to be tweaked just so for a proper fit of the form upon the horses. I made a construction board in order to glue down my workhorses. First you will have to establish the centerline down the length of the board and place the midship horse, widthwise for form section 3, as carefully as you can due to the fact that the bow and stern horses will take their measurements from this one. Upon the proper alignment of all 3 workhorses, I placed and glued my form on top and let it dry. The following three photos will show you what I have thus far. Until the next episode, here’s wishing you and yours a happy voyage home.
 
 

Greetings to all,
Please excuse the fact that I have been away from the ship yards for a while. It’s been pretty busy over here with the move and having to fix a leak under the sink that I could not find until after I broke under the concrete slab.
Well as most of you know, I had the New Bedford Whaleboat kit a friend of mine gave me for the assistance I provided him on the back porch of his house. For starters let me give you a brief history lesson of the New Bedford Whaleboat.
“From 1720 to 1920, nearly 60,000 whaleboats were consumed by the American whaling industry. With a useful life of no more than three years, whaleboats were discarded on the spot throughout the costal U.S. and around the world. Remarkably, only a dozen or two have survived to become part of today’s museum collection.
In 1916, the Dartmouth Historical Society commissioned the building of a half-sized model of the bark LAGODA. Local whaleboat builder Joshua Delano was retained to build seven half-sized model whaleboats needed for the project. Delano built these models according to the design of the full-sized boats he had built for the whaling industry for more than 40 years.”
Now that I have brought you up to speed, let us begin into my journey of the New Bedford Whaleboat. Well the first thing one should do is inventory all supplies within the Model Shipway’s kit. I did so and realized that there were a few missing items that I was able to acquire at my local Hobby lobby.
After that was done, I looked over the plans and read, “To Build A Whaleboat, Historical Notes And A Modelmaker’s Guide” by Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr. I must say that this item is invaluable to the person who wants to tackle the whaleboat. After reviewing and reading everything, I tackled the whaleboat’s form by assembling the profile and section molds. Before you begin gluing the section molds to the profile mold, it is best to make your bevel for the battens and planks to section molds 1, 2, 4, and 5. Once complete, mark the areas on the section molds were the battens will be placed and the water lines that will coincide with the profile’s waterlines. Keep in mind that these marked areas are just a rough guide that will assist your placement of the battens.
Upon completion of the form, I tackled the horses that will have the form mounted upon. I must say that Model Shipways tries to do their best by these models but there are certain places that need to be tweaked just so for a proper fit of the form upon the horses. I made a construction board in order to glue down my workhorses. First you will have to establish the centerline down the length of the board and place the midship horse, widthwise for form section 3, as carefully as you can due to the fact that the bow and stern horses will take their measurements from this one. Upon the proper alignment of all 3 workhorses, I placed and glued my form on top and let it dry. The following three photos will show you what I have thus far. Until the next episode, here’s wishing you and yours a happy voyage home.
 
 

Greetings to all,
Please excuse the fact that I have been away from the ship yards for a while. It’s been pretty busy over here with the move and having to fix a leak under the sink that I could not find until after I broke under the concrete slab.
Well as most of you know, I had the New Bedford Whaleboat kit a friend of mine gave me for the assistance I provided him on the back porch of his house. For starters let me give you a brief history lesson of the New Bedford Whaleboat.
“From 1720 to 1920, nearly 60,000 whaleboats were consumed by the American whaling industry. With a useful life of no more than three years, whaleboats were discarded on the spot throughout the costal U.S. and around the world. Remarkably, only a dozen or two have survived to become part of today’s museum collection.
In 1916, the Dartmouth Historical Society commissioned the building of a half-sized model of the bark LAGODA. Local whaleboat builder Joshua Delano was retained to build seven half-sized model whaleboats needed for the project. Delano built these models according to the design of the full-sized boats he had built for the whaling industry for more than 40 years.”
Now that I have brought you up to speed, let us begin into my journey of the New Bedford Whaleboat. Well the first thing one should do is inventory all supplies within the Model Shipway’s kit. I did so and realized that there were a few missing items that I was able to acquire at my local Hobby lobby.
After that was done, I looked over the plans and read, “To Build A Whaleboat, Historical Notes And A Modelmaker’s Guide” by Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr. I must say that this item is invaluable to the person who wants to tackle the whaleboat. After reviewing and reading everything, I tackled the whaleboat’s form by assembling the profile and section molds. Before you begin gluing the section molds to the profile mold, it is best to make your bevel for the battens and planks to section molds 1, 2, 4, and 5. Once complete, mark the areas on the section molds were the battens will be placed and the water lines that will coincide with the profile’s waterlines. Keep in mind that these marked areas are just a rough guide that will assist your placement of the battens.
Upon completion of the form, I tackled the horses that will have the form mounted upon. I must say that Model Shipways tries to do their best by these models but there are certain places that need to be tweaked just so for a proper fit of the form upon the horses. I made a construction board in order to glue down my workhorses. First you will have to establish the centerline down the length of the board and place the midship horse, widthwise for form section 3, as carefully as you can due to the fact that the bow and stern horses will take their measurements from this one. Upon the proper alignment of all 3 workhorses, I placed and glued my form on top and let it dry. The following three photos will show you what I have thus far. Until the next episode, here’s wishing you and yours a happy voyage home.
 
 

Greetings to all,
Well like the old adage says, “All good things must come to an end”, I am here to report that after four fun months of working on my H.M.S. Triton, I have finally completed her. Today I have placed my Triton in her permanent home as the following pictures will show. Please enjoy (as much as I do) and I sincerely hope that a few of my fellow model ship builders will be able to take something away from my experience on my Triton.
I would like to thank everyone who has looked in on my progress and have given me words of encouragement and or likes and I would also like to thank the nay-sayers who have graciously kept their comments to themselves.  

Greetings to all,
I’ve finally completed the standing and running rigging for my Triton. I added the truss pendant, nave line, and another pin rail on the QD rail and the top’s rail. I still have to dress up the lines a bit. I also have to add the other components together in order to say my build is complete. These items include, ballast, barrels, ½ boat, crates, spare timber, and lines. Upon completion of my Triton I’ll move ahead and construct a display case for it. The following photos will show you how she looks so far.   

Hello Gabe,
I am glad that I've given you insight at the possiblilities these marvelous models can provide. I must confess that the Triton was my first scratch built POF model I've ever built. On Facebook I see a lot of people that go to the gym with the mentality of, "Go big or go home". That being said, I brought that same mentality to my build and have never regretted a moment of it. Dare to dream big. Here's to breaking the barriers set in place by your own imagination.
 
Warm Regards,
Ray
 
P.S. Woody also says hi. 

Hello Gabe,
I am glad that I've given you insight at the possiblilities these marvelous models can provide. I must confess that the Triton was my first scratch built POF model I've ever built. On Facebook I see a lot of people that go to the gym with the mentality of, "Go big or go home". That being said, I brought that same mentality to my build and have never regretted a moment of it. Dare to dream big. Here's to breaking the barriers set in place by your own imagination.
 
Warm Regards,
Ray
 
P.S. Woody also says hi. 

Hello Gabe,
I am glad that I've given you insight at the possiblilities these marvelous models can provide. I must confess that the Triton was my first scratch built POF model I've ever built. On Facebook I see a lot of people that go to the gym with the mentality of, "Go big or go home". That being said, I brought that same mentality to my build and have never regretted a moment of it. Dare to dream big. Here's to breaking the barriers set in place by your own imagination.
 
Warm Regards,
Ray
 
P.S. Woody also says hi. 

Thanks for the comment, Ray. Many of the things I've been thinking of doing for this build I see in your impressive and incredibly quickly-built Triton! I even contemplated extending the model to include the mast, like you did...but I decided to go simple for my first scratch build. Looking at the AotS Pandora book I saw how the cross-section diagrams showed the outlines of the boats on the skids. In the back of my mind I thought it would be interesting to add them to my Triton and I could envision the cross section of the boats..and I see that you did it! Very, very cool. You have also given me a whole lot of new ideas I hope I can manage at this scale.
 
Regards,
Gabe
 
PS. Give my regards to Woody!

I sincerely wish no one takes it to heart what I think necessary to get off my chest. When I first came across MSW, I thought it would be great to join a community that shared the love of model ship building like I do. When I came across the H.M.S. Triton I thought it would be fun and decided to give it a whirl, not so much for other people’s approval, but for the love of model ship building.
As the adage goes, “There is more than one way to skin a cat”. Keeping this in mind, I decided to build my model the way I felt comfortable doing it and decided to share my work with people that had similar interests as I do. No sooner had I posted my day’s work, when someone decided to judge me (and my methods) and leave me feeling disappointed, angry, and a sense that people were looking down their noses at me.
I decided that I would not finish the Triton, but the love of model ship building was too great and it overcame my anger and disappointment. Seeing how she was coming to life before my eyes, I thought, “I’ll build you the way I want” all the while singing Elvis Presley’s, “I did it my way”.
Now that being said, I was able to get five more frames done and upon dry fitting them to the keel, I was not able to help but smile to myself at how great she was starting to look. I still have to get more timber in order to complete the last six frames necessary in order to get started on the inside. I’ve downloaded, “Anatomy of the Ship, The 74-gun ship Bellona” and am currently referencing the items I want to incorporate into my build such as the mast step, shot lockers, pump well, pumps, and quarterdeck rail just to mention a few items. Since I will soon get the other frames completed, I will start on the jig that will support my build.  Below are a few photos showing what I have so far.
 

Hey Gabe,
I was just checking in to see fellow Triton builder's progress and I take mt hat off to you Sir. Your level of dedication at this scale is truly amazing. I can't wait to see where you may go from here.
 
Warm regards,
Ray

Greetings to all,
Well like the old adage says, “All good things must come to an end”, I am here to report that after four fun months of working on my H.M.S. Triton, I have finally completed her. Today I have placed my Triton in her permanent home as the following pictures will show. Please enjoy (as much as I do) and I sincerely hope that a few of my fellow model ship builders will be able to take something away from my experience on my Triton.
I would like to thank everyone who has looked in on my progress and have given me words of encouragement and or likes and I would also like to thank the nay-sayers who have graciously kept their comments to themselves.  

Greetings to all,
I’ve finally completed the standing and running rigging for my Triton. I added the truss pendant, nave line, and another pin rail on the QD rail and the top’s rail. I still have to dress up the lines a bit. I also have to add the other components together in order to say my build is complete. These items include, ballast, barrels, ½ boat, crates, spare timber, and lines. Upon completion of my Triton I’ll move ahead and construct a display case for it. The following photos will show you how she looks so far.   

Greetings to all,
Tim,
No spiders Buddy unless you mean me going at it like a Spider-Monkey on a banana. Actually, Woody and I are tag teaming the heck out of the ratlines.
Al,
I have to keep you on your toes Buddy now that you’ve literally brought out the “Big Guns”. LOL. Joking aside, from the very beginning of this build I had planned on making a cross section with mast and sails but I like the aspect of her without the sails. What do you think?
To All,
Now that I’ve completed all the shrouds (to include all of the ratlines) I turned my attention to the main yard. I first added the stirrups ensuring that they were ¾” from the spar and proceeded to add the footropes. As I was looking at the spar with footropes, I placed it upon the mast and visualized how it would be held in place via blocks and secured to the belaying pin when it finally slapped me in the face. I had the belaying pin rack but it was not drilled to accommodate the belaying pins. So I had a quick Pow-Wow with Woody and he suggested I use a drill bit on an Xacto and carefully twist the new hand powered drill until all the holes were made for the belaying pins. It worked like charm. I then worked on the triple blocks that are attached to the hooks on the head just above the top but below the cap. I then added the double blocks to the spar and also added the truss pendants. The following pictures will show you how she looks thus far.

Greetings to all,
During this Memorial Day weekend I’ve been working on my Triton and enjoying the heck out of it. This past Friday I finally received the blocks and deadeyes I’d ordered and decided to tackle the dead eyes. I have successfully added the deadeyes and installed the main mast shrouds with ratlines tying clove hitches every 5/16” to represent 15” in height. Upon completing the main shrouds I went ahead and installed the top shrouds with the exception of tying the ratlines due to the fact that my butt was starting to hurt from all the sitting. After I rest awhile, I’ll tackle the top shroud ratlines followed by the topgallant shrouds. The following photos will show you what I have thus far.

Greetings to all,
Wouter,
Thanks for your comment about liking the way My Triton is coming along. Hopefully soon I’ll be on the sidelines admiring your Triton.
Tim,
I really appreciate your words. Out of everyone that has “Liked” and/or made comments on my forum, you are by far the most motivated person who actually looks forward to my updates. Once again, thank you.
Bindy,
I totally agree with you in that the mast and spars have significantly changed my Triton’s overall appearance. With the base I’ve made for her today, she stands at 29” high (736.6 mm). As for Woody, what can I say other than he wants to take our act out on the road. LOL.
To All,
While I was waiting for my deadeyes and blocks to arrive, I decided to finish the main topgallant yard which I was avoiding due to the fact that the components were much too small for my hands. Happily I can say that I was able to complete it. I also went ahead and painted the trestle trees and top plus the yards (with the exception of the stuns’l yards) black to give my Triton more personality. The following photos will show you how she looks.

Greetings to all,
Many thanks to everyone who’s looked in on my build and have given me inspiration to constantly push myself into this great hobby.
Here’s a quick update on my Triton in order to keep everyone abreast on what is going on in my neck of the woods. When last I posted, I had incorporated the lower main mast with trestle tree and top. I have since then added the following items and I’ll tell you that this beast is getting quite large. I’ve added the top and topgallant mast along with its trestle tree; the main, topsail, and topgallant yards; and I’ve also incorporated the stud sail booms for each yard. I’ve lashed the main and topsail yards temporarily to the mast until the blocks and deadeyes I’ve ordered come in. Once they arrive I’ll start permanently lashing and securing items to its perspective area.

Greetings to all,
Since I started on the main mast, I had to go about making the trestle trees and top for the mast. The trestle tree wasn’t really rocket science but the top was a different matter due to the fact that I had to make rabbet joints where the boards met. I’ve already mentioned that I have huge mitts for certain aspects of the build that makes me feel like I’m all thumbs and I don’t have a Byrnes table saw that most people already have. So what I did was cut 1/32” basswood down to size and overlapped the corners of the top. Once dry, I came back and added more strips to fill in the gaps between the overlaps. Upon completion of the top I gave it its shape, added the battens and ring, and finally added the top’s rail. I must point out that on the mast itself; I’ve also added wooldings on every other painter’s tape simulated iron hoop. The following photos will show how my Triton is coming along.

Greetings to all,
Well it’s that time to get started on the mast and spar for my Triton. I went ahead and made and installed the bibbs for the mast followed by iron loops that were simulated with painter’s tape that was blackened with a sharpie and cut into 1/16 inch strips. After the loops were completed, I made and added the hounds followed by more iron hoops. I finished the mast by adding the rubbing paunch and finished that off with simulated treenails.
 

Greetings to all,
Another minor update to my Triton but update just the same. I know that it’s been a while since my last update due to the fact that I went on vacation to Puerto Rico (which I might I add I enjoyed immensely).  Upon returning, I decided to tackle the starboard side gangway with its wooden brackets. Upon completion of the gangways, I then made and added the ladders to each gangway and finished it off the gangway with simulated treenails. If you note, there is a height on the aft QD from the gangway that I find to be too high for a man’s natural step. I will add one step at the base of the QD’s beam in order for a man to step naturally from gangway to QD. I have also finished the entry steps to both sides of the Triton, added each side’s fenders, and also added the brakes to the ship’s cistern system.
The next thing on my agenda is to make and install the QD rails, add the skid beams, work on the mast, make and install the lower hold’s platform ladder, and add barrels and ballast. I know that there is still quite a few items left to work on but I figure that if I make a temporary checklist in order to be sure that I tackle the main items, I won’t get to the end and realize that I missed something.  

Greetings to all,
Mark, Tim, Pete, and Bindy thanks for looking in on my build and for the advice, motivation, and/or kudos. You all inspire me to continue giving my best and looking for ways to improve myself.
I thought Woody blended in too well (like a ninja), into the surrounding ship and decided to paint him so that he could stand out a bit. I decided to also get started on the aft quarterdeck and framed the QD beam by adding the carlings and ledges, and planking the port side of it. I’ve managed to start on the entry steps but still have to get started on the fenders. I also started on the gangway in order to best determine how I would go about making the brackets. I will be honest with all of you and confess that soldering the brackets was not my cup of tea and I did a little research on line and came across a web site (http://model-ship-plans.com/Campbell/Deck%20furniture.html ) and it explained that gangway brackets were made with either iron or wood. Since I am not too savvy on soldering and I have already incorporated plenty of wooden knees on my Triton, I decided to make wooden brackets for my gangway. The following photos will show how she is starting to look.
On a side note, whenever I place Woody on board the Triton, I tend to forget he’s there and move my ship from place to place, hence Woody falling to the ground a lot (I believe he may be a little suicidal, what do you think?).

Greetings to all,
I went ahead and added the ladder to the lower deck and made and installed the platform for the port side lower hold area. The next step is to make the ladder in order to have access to the platform where the fresh water barrels will be stored. So far, everything has been constructed in terms of inches and/or millimeters. While everything was made according to measurements, one cannot truly appreciate scale. Keeping this in mind, I decided to make a wooden man in order to get a better feel as to the size of the Triton. At 1:48 scale, a 6 foot tall man would be 1.5 inches in height. I went on line and searched for male dimensions to make certain that my effigy of a man would be at the correct proportion, hence the birth of “Woody”. I’ve placed Woody at different areas on the Triton and I am truly surprised at how large these ships really were. The following photos will show you Woody standing near certain elements on the Triton as a means of seeing how everything compares to a 6 foot tall man.