HMS Triton cross section - FINISHED - by G.L. Scale 1:24

[G.L.]

The finished gangways

[G.L.]

Before placing the brackets and gangways, I want to color the inner bulwarks. For the color I let me inspire by HMS Victory, one of the rare still existing examples of period men of war. On HMS Victory the bulwarks are in ocher. I paint mine also in light ocher. I use oil paint for it, the kind of paint artists use to paint on canvas. My wife is going to the art school, so I find the color that I need in her paint box. I dilute the paint strongly with turpentine and add some drips of siccative oil, otherwise it takes weeks before the paint dries. Before the paint is dry I rub it up with a soft cotton. The result is that the wood colors in ocher, but the wood grain remains visible. The inside of the portholes are painted in red just like on HMS Victory.

[Derek C]

Very nice work my friend, she’s looking great 

[G.L.]

I am not an expert in occupational safety, but the forward hatch seems to me as extremely dangerous. At one side a ladder and at three sides an open hole, and that on the deck of a sometimes swinging ship. The risk to step into the hatch at the wrong side is too big for me. In the gallery of contemporary models, I find examples of a railing around hatches, so I decide to place one around my hatch as well.

[G.L.]

I make the stanchions from three brass tubes of different diameters which fit one in the other.

[G.L.]

I put the tubes together and solder them.

[G.L.]

After soldering and filing.

[G.L.]

I make the railing of oak.

[G.L.]

After staining it dark, I drill a hole of 1mm at each corner and glue a brass nail in it. The nails fit in the stanchion tubes.

[G.L.]

The stanchions fit in four 2 mm holes at each corner of the hatch.

[MEDDO]

34 minutes ago, G.L. said:

I am not an expert in occupational safety, but the forward hatch seems to me as extremely dangerous. At one side a ladder and at three sides an open hole, and that on the deck of a sometimes swinging ship. The risk to step into the hatch at the wrong side is too big for me. In the gallery of contemporary models, I find examples of a railing around hatches, so I decide to place one around my hatch as well.

 

 

Just the thought of a modern OSHA inspector walking the decks of the time and having his/her head explode brings a smile to my face 

 

Just the food storage, prep, sanitation issues alone, not to mention upper yard work sleep/wake cycles etc..... bwahahaha

[G.L.]

Yes Michael, at least my stairs will cause no broken legs and becks (on condition the sailors are not too drunk when they use it).

 

G.L.

[G.L.]

The brackets and gangways in place

[G.L.]

Now I can make the gangway ladders. The making process is as in my post of December 3.

[G.L.]

The main top sail sheet bitts still have to be finished. The round parts are turned on the lathe.

[G.L.]

All the parts assembled.

[G.L.]

When the ladders and the top sail sheet bitts are stained dark, they are glued into position. A wooden stick laying over both gangways is giving support to the top sail sheet bitts until the glue is dry.

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Really nice progress. Your x-section looks very good.

[G.L.]

Thank you Christian. Yes she is looking good, except for one thing: Between some planks gaps are appearing. While planking, the planks fitted together nicely, but now here and there they opened from each other. I think that the reason is that my workshop is not heated and I planked during winter in a rather cold and sometimes a bit dank workshop. After planking I kept my cross section in house where it is warm and dry so .... Some seams are a bit too wide (the frames are visual between the planks) to leave it as it is.

[G.L.]

I thought about some solutions. Making a wood paste with sanding dust and varnish, etc... but I think it is better to fill the gaps with solid wood. So I make some thin planks in oak of which I sand a sharp side. I put some wood glue on the sharp side and knock it gently in the seams with a light hammer.
When the glue is dry I cut the excess of the planks away with a sharp chisel and sand it flush with the hull. There are still some gaps, but trust on it that they will fill with sanding dust when sanding between the varnish layers.

[WBlakeny]

Nicely corrected!

And what a superb cross section you are building.

[G.L.]

Thanks Chris!

 

Time to give a bit color to my model. I make the wales dark, using the same method  as for the inner bulwark. Now I am using a mixture of lamp black 2/3 and kraplack red 1/3. Again diluted with turpentine and rubbed up with a soft rag before it is fully dry.

[G.L.]

Above the gun ports, between the two trim mouldings I want to paint a decoration molding like it can be seen on some contemporary models.

[G.L.]

I make first a design on paper. First in pencil to sketch a more simplified decoration than in the picture above.
Then I paint in oil paint to find the correct colors. The blue background in particular needs some experimenting before it is acceptable. I scan my design and print it in mirror image to have a layout for both sides.

[G.L.]

My wife, who knows a lot more about painting then I do, advises me to paint the molding in white first. The blue background will come out better, she says. Obediently as I am, I follow her advice.

[Derek C]

Looking real good G.L. 

[James H]

Definitely a shrinkage/expansion issue, and you saved it nicely. 

[G.L.]

Thanks Derek and James,

 

Over the white comes my blue of which I studiously notes the mixing ratios. Two layers are needed. It takes also some days for each layer to dry.

[G.L.]

Now comes the most difficult part, the decorations. I am not an experienced painter. Painting the molding on a flat paper is not so difficult, but reproducing it on the model which has obstacles as fenders and ladder steps is a whole other story. With blood, sweat and tears and of course with yellow paint I can produce something that looks a bit like ornamental garlands. It still has to be finished with white light spots and darker yellow shadows.

On the second picture you can see that the gaps between the planks were not yet filled when I was painting the moldings.

[Derek C]

Nice work ,me and paint don't get along ,the less painting i do the better off the model is lol