HMS Triton

Scratch-built, 1:96 cross-section model

of a 1773 28-gun Royal Navy frigate

My attempt as part of a group-build project featured on Model Ship World.

View my detailed build log and leave comments at...

Check out the current progress of the model in this livestream...

NOTE: The live stream shuts down periodically but I restart it daily.

When I'm actually working on the model I will post a sign. Once the glue has dried I'll put it back on the turntable. Below is a recent screen recording...

Builder's log

Keel laid: February 23, 2014

Keel and keelson cut from chechen. Here I'm cutting in the rabbet (notch) for future planks

Current progress

February 2025: Most of the mess deck beams installed. Some carlings and ledges (cross supports) started.

Building the frames

The shapes of all the inner frames were printed out and glued to solid birch. Once cut out roughly they were sanded to the correct shape.

To give the viewer a sense of how they would have been in the shipyard. the frames on the ends of the cross section were built up with jointed pieces called futtocks and held together by triangular blocks called chocks.

Assembling the frames

Internal planking of the hold

Details: Well and Shot Locker

Resin Bits - designed and printed by me

Figures and casks...

These are figures and casks that I designed and printed.

1:48 on the left, 1:96 on the right.

Iron Ballast

(aka kentledge, iron pigs)

I have seen very few models of this period that depict this very crucial ballast.

Lanterns

1:48 in black, 1:96 in white

Cannonballs

Clusters printed for fitting into the shot locker

Designing an historically accurate lantern...

A lantern from the HMS Victory came up for auction at Sotheby's and it was the photo they published that I used to create the 3d designs and then print them in resin.

Large casks in the hold with the supplies for a voyage: water, salt pork, salt beef, flour, oatmeal, etc. These casks were designed and printed in resin by me. On the left, you can see the iron pigs (aka kentledge) that provided ballast on Royal Navy ships. Each pig weighed approximately 250 lbs (~110 kg) and were cast with the British "broad arrow" indicating that these were government property. Shingle gravel was used on top of the iron pigs as more ballast and to keep the cargo from moving around.

To give these photos a scale perspective, meet "No.1" - a 1:96 figure I created in HeroForge.com and printed in resin.

Where is this?

The model and camera are currently set up in my little workshop in a photo booth that is actually a repurposed spray paint booth! The camera is being run and streamed to YouTube using a Raspberry Pi Zero W 2 and PiCamera.

email: GKfromCanada@gmail.com