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[section31]

Hello,

I want to model an 18th centry tallship and have become very interested in the HMS Surprise. I have Lavery & Hunts 'The Frigate Surprise' which is excellent but my complete lack of knowledge of this type of ship or its construction make it impossible to fill in the blanks on my own.
(For example great cabin is driving me to distraction right about now!)
(Also, when I say model I mean a 3d model in 3DS Max as opposed to an actual scale model like everyone else here - I would love to build the Surprise after reading about her but can't afford it just yet )

Could anyone recommened any books or sites (ideally with lots of diagrams and pictures) on the construction and inner structure of these ships?

I thought this would be a good place to ask since the 'from scratch' builds must use very similar resources to the ones I am after,

Thanks for any help!
SJ

[tonyH]

How far do you want to go?

Something like Rees's Naval Architecture (ISBN 0 7153 5030 7) is a very condensed version of Rees's Cyclopedia which ran to 39 volumes of text and 5 volumes of plates and could give you how the hull of the ship was built from the first line on the drawing board (Literally!!). The masting and rigging came from specialist 'bibles' such as Steel or Falconer, whilst the inner works could often be down to an individual shipwright and his interpretation of what was needed.

Depending on where you live, you could possibly get a library pass to one of the museums such as the NMM and with a good look at the models and contemporary paintings etc. you could get a fair idea.

However you do it be prepared for the long haul!

Best of Luck!

Tony

ps To read Rees you'll need to practice the 'f is an s except at the end of a word' bit!

[RickF]

Model Ship World is probably the best forum for builders of sailing ships. They have a section on 3D/CAD modelling

http://modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=57

Rick

[section31]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies tonyH and rickF,

I knew there had to be similar projects somewhere.

I live just outside London so ill definately visit the NMM (embarassingly I did not know it was there or I would have been much sooner!).
The good thing about virtual modelling is I can make a very simple but complete model (one I really understand what I am making) and slowly build up large amounts of detail over time so long as the sources don't run out so hopefully this one will go quite far. (Originally this was just meant to be a facade as part of a larger scene of a port but took on a life of its own when I started reading about the Suprise, now I really want to do it justice)

Thanks!
SJ

[plattypus-oz]

Thanks for all the reply's and would like add that the administrator said to say something about my self so if you guys would like to go to http://imagineering-engineering.blogspot.com/
There is a picture of my sit in tug there. Its a blast and the query was to find other like minded critters out there. Then theirs that fella who had the heart attack must have been the excitement as that's how I felt while building it. Hope you get well soon. The tug is safer than a open boat as you can not get to the side and turn it over and in big waves the water runs off the decks. I was in the tug on its maiden voyage that I meet this fella and he was watching me come across the bay and said to himself that bloke is going to run aground and he waited as the disaster unfolded and then realized it was small and was foiled of his impending disaster. cheers