el cid

Interesting topic-- one that hits home. I took mechanical drafting and architectural drafting in high school (2 years of each; 1984-1988) right before they got CAD.  I enjoyed it plenty, and found it challenging.  ...Then went on to study art and English at college.  In 1998, I found myself documenting small watercraft and the skills from high school all came back . . . or rather were 'necessary,' as it took awhile for the skills to actually return. CAD is a wondrous tool (never used it myself) with so many more aspects attached (calculations, rotations, etc.), but to strike a line by hand on a fairing batten is to truly see and feel the curves of a vessel.  Not much I love more than inking the lines of a unique vessel whose form has not been recorded on paper in 3-view before. Right up there is my love for looking at others' hand-drawn lines. 

My Father was furious with me especially since it was his money I spent.  But even though he disagreed with my career choice he always supported me in my endeavors. 
Plus I think he enjoyed the fact he got some return on his investment in free auto maintenance for 30 years.
 
As far as CAD goes I'm sure I could learn to use the program.  I am into photography and  video editing and have built my own personal computers for years in order to keep up with the best editing software.  You need a lot of CPU power and RAM plus a bunch of storage,  so I found it better to build my own with hardware I had researched for my needs then to settle with what the computer companies were offering . I know a CAD software would preform well on my desktop or laptops. 
I did purchase a CAD software back in 07 to see what it offered but ended up giving it to a buddy. I had even purchased a Home Design software around the same time but just could not get into really learning it and putting it to use and it too was given away.
 
I enjoy my Drafting Board more then anything.  Years back I felt I needed a bigger board so I designed and built my own. I went to a board size of 7'x5' out of 1" marine grade ply and Red Oak. I needed to be able to mount a Drafting Machine along with a Parallel Slide Bar.  I designed it so I can easily adjust it to any angle I desire and attached two floating adjustable "Full Spectrum " lights so I don't get any shadowing along the edges of my straight edges. I built a cabinet that fits under with large slide out flat drawers for paper and drawing storage. I designed a device much like a paper towel holder which mounts to the underside so I can attach a bulk roll of drawing paper which allows me to pull out and slice of a 24"x36" piece.
I have almost every drafting tool you can think of but from time to time I'll need a replacement or want for another template   I have been surprised at how cheap drafting tools have become especially on eBay.  When I was in school I used a certain brand of .05 mechanical pencil that I protected with my life because they cost $25.00  each and in the early 1970's that was a lot of money for a pencil.  I found a better feeling and better made mechanical pencil a few years back that not only comes in .05 but also .03 and .09 for only $30.00 for all three..  I am shocked how inexpensive these drafting tools have become compared to back in the day. The only thing I found to have held if not gained in cost is Vellum or Mylar drawing stock which is surprising. 
 
But I agree, I cannot see anything to write home about when viewing a CAD drawing. 
 

Engineering drawings are a means of communicating; a language.  As such there are certain conventions that must be learned, orthogonal views, isometric views, etc.  There are also spatial relationships that must be learned and understood.  Laying out the head rails on a sailing ship is nothing more than learning how to project a “true view.”  It is also necessary to fully understand the mathematical concept of scale.  These skills are independent of the techniques used.
 
By taking a basic drafting course, these skills can be learned independent of computer jargon, file management, etc.  I also believe that manual drafting is a better way to learn and understand spatial relationships.  
 
A number of years ago I was appointed to the industry advisory committee for the engineering program at our local branch of the University of Minnesota, known locally and in hockey circles as UMD.  The first question being considered was what CAD program did local employers want their graduates to learn?  I explained that their graduates that we hired could quickly learn our CAD programs in a few days, and that my son who had graduated from Purdue had taken a one semester computer course; Spreadsheet, CAD, Data Base and that had been sufficient when he began his first engineering job.  I also pointed out that many of their graduates would benefit by improving their written communication skills.  Shortly thereafter I was disinvited from attending future meetings.
 
Roger

Tim:
I too frustrated my Father after becoming a ME and doing drafting by hand long before CAD, I left the field to go onto the Fire Dept.  Actually followed after my Father and Maternal Grandfather going the FD route though they were volunteers. 
My education sure did help down the road when I became a Division Chief in charge of Fire Prevention and part of the job was to review drawings for commercial buildings.  All hand drafted and I was right at home.  Then we got our first high rise building - 9 stories tall and they were CAD plans.  I became a convert instantly.  I am still so many years later trying to learn CAD and resort to the drawing board because I can do it quickly.  Those first CAD drawings were so different in their presentation and I haven't seen this method used by any other firm since then but the electrical, HVAC, plumbing, sprinkler and other systems were duplicated on transparent sheets that could be laid over the floor plan one at a time or combined - one could see how one system crossed over another or couldn't because it was blocked completely.
Now the CAD programs can check for interference's, etc. that just can't be done by hand drafting.
But I have never sat down and looked at a set of CAD plans and marveled at their beauty like I have with hand done drawings.  Looking at ship plans done in CAD cannot compare to studying plans done in the late 1800s up to the 1930s where draftsmen showed wood grain, coal in the bunkers, etc. Some of these hand drawn plans are worthy of framing.  And I actually do have a large ink on linen drawing of a small sloop designed and drawn by Fred Martin dated 1903.  I see new stuff all the time - or maybe I forgot I saw it before - age can do that.
Kurt
 

I'm just curious,  does anyone still sit at a drafting board and design and draw anymore?
 
What feels like a thousand years ago, I went to school to be an architect. To my Fathers dismay after graduation I chose to go into a unrelated profession.  But I have used those skills I learned throughout my life.  When I went to school CAD or computer technology was far off into the future. When CAD came into its own over time I never had any desire to take a class or had any use for it to be honest.  IMHO I feel it is not a true form of drafting in the sense it is digital to where actual drafting to me is a form of art.  I'm sure many will disagree with me and I know it is needed in today's digital world with CNC use and with digital 3D perspectives being the norm now for any form of construction or presentation. Maybe I'm just a dinosaur and set in my ways but I cannot see myself having the same sense of personal pride of of accomplishment showing off a digital design viewed from a computer screen or printed on a printer vs. something hand drawn on quality sheet of drafting film.
I worked for a public school district and over the years I watched as they discontinued and dismantled the Middle and High School Drafting Classes along with the Wood and Metal Shop programs. THe teaching done today is focused in how to design in a digital world and how to program machines to do the actual work of construction.
I watched as they gutted those rooms and shops, removing all the tools and machines and drafting tables. Those rooms today are carpeted and air conditioned and full of computers. Students are glued to computer screens all day never learning to take their own idea make a scaled drawing of it, to  build it using their hands and machines and tools like their fathers and grandfathers.  But in today's world of manufacturing this is what is needed to become employed. Its a shame that we no longer teach students to use their hands to design and create.
Today your able to take a CAD design and using a CNC machine produce carvings in wood just as well as a craftsman had done by hand in the past. I guess in time craftsman will be a thing of the past.
Sorry for the rant, I have searched through the forum and I'm just curious if anyone still sits at a Drafting Table and draws by hand anymore. If so, I would like to hear from you.
Thanks,
Tim
 

I am following.  The first truck I ever drove (1965) was a 1956 American LaFrance Suburban Pumper - the Suburban model had the pump panel on the right (curb) side for the protection of the Engineer.  I got on the local volunteer FD the day I tuned 18 and the next Friday night I took part in driver training.  The truck we had was of course much different than this model - more rounded front end and the jump seats behind the driver and officer were single back facing seats w/o doors on the side just open to the rear.  Nice and toasty warm returning from fires in cold weather but pretty darn hot when the seasons were reversed.  The big V12 engine put out a lot of heat.  Dual spark plugs from dual magnetos.  I was told they used a old Packard engine.  The American Lafrance Fire Apparatus Museum is filled with various types and years of American LaFrance apparatus at Charleston, SC.  It was about 1/4 mile from the NRG Conference hotel when we met there in 2013. If you are in the area it's worth seeing.  There is even one truck there I have ridden to fires on - the old Snorkel Squad One from the Chicago FD was built by ALF on a GMC chassis - we used to ride with Chicago for training and SS1 was the busiest CFD unit. http://www.northcharlestonfiremuseum.org/
 
Back in 1956 when they got this pumper American LaFrance presented my Father with a custom built Tonka Toy version of the pumper (made strictly for American LaFrance) that had a plunger type of pump with a coiled Booster Hose that squirted water from a small tank.  I wish I had the foresight to put it on a shelf back then  but what 9 year old kid isn't going to play with it instead?  I used to put on my leather Kairns fire helmet (we each got one when the FD got new helmets) a rain coat and play fireman - I even used the helmet to carry water to the play area in the back yard - at this stage I don't remember what the water was for but I have vivid memories of carrying the water in the helmet and how that eventually ruined the helmet - there are also collector items but not as much as the truck.
 
I have two of the leather helmets that made a comeback (pre-OSHA applying to FDs) exactly as they were originally made that I wore during my career.  One is real nice condition the other has the metal piece that holds the shield with the Dept. Name and ID number on the front smashed down distorting the leather shield a bit - a floor above came down on a couple of us w/o injuries other than minor burns we didn't even notice until later.  Adrenalin is wonderful - at times.
 
The photo shows my helmets from my career.  The leather helmet I got when I first joined the FD where I spent the next 27.5 years - is at the right.  The helmet they issued me when promoted to Engineer (the driver and pump operator though I spent most of my time as an Engineer driving the ladder truck) is at the left.  The white helmet is my last helmet when I was promoted to Division Chief.  Just noticed the cobwebs - this is above the man door in the garage at the bottom of the stairs from my shop.  Will get to them someday....
 
Sorry to have hijacked the thread but get an old fireman feeling nostalgic and I am surprised I didn't go longer.
 

Another mini pic. (5.75” X 4”) HMS Clematis leaving harbour.

Two small paintings this afternoon. Postcard size 5.75” X 3.75”
I04 HMCS Annapolis and K113 HMCS Arvida , most enjoyable at this size, watch out for more.

Craig, looks like a good base, a suggestion?
 
Add some blue washes to it, starting with a lighter blue over most of it and deepening to a very dark blue in the deep crevices, this will give the effect of deep water and the high point crinkles in blue green would give the idea of storm tossed water.... you can then top the crests with white to give greater attention to the wind driven nature of a chaotic seaway....
 
Wartime subs always seem to be surfacing in chaotic seas for some reason.....
 
Just my opinion but it looks way too green for deep seas.....

The only gun drill on film I know that is quite true is on Master and Commander , especially on the bonus disc. All other ones are not very trustable, the idle members just standing around "bored", also having all the space in the world, as the neighbor crews are missing ...
 
I tried some time ago to give a better impressen onto this topic here:
 
XXXDAn

Unfortunately, the gun drill, as performed by the USS Constitution crew, is not very accurately portrayed.
 
Regards,

Schooner iced up. A particular danger in sailing vessels, not just extra top hamper, but running rigging tends to seize up so sails become unmanageable. W/C 16.5” X 11.75”

Thanks very much, folks. My FIL and I were not only close, but ludicrously similar (both Northerners who ended up as freelance editors on rural Southern homesteads with large gardens, both deeply interested in the full spread of natural science and human history, both married to strong, intelligent women who love the outdoors, etc.). We even shared some of the same faults, which he certainly had but which I won't go into here (nor the differences). But it was enough for a strong affinity, especially as I lost my own father in high school.
 
Brian, right now I like the hull as it is, but may reconsider a bit more weathering when I'm done with the internal details. I might want to blend the visual style together more when I see what I've done to the interior.

I think I've finished upgrading my hull. Both sides now have drilled and sanded oar ports:

 
There was more tearout than I expected when drilling, even using a backing plank, but it's mostly cosmetic and I don't think it will be visible when painted.
 
I didn't like the abrupt way the upper strake terminated against the stem and stern, so added something to blend them together. This matches the reconstruction, though for the life of me I can't find the photo I used for reference.
 

 

 
These give the hull's lines a more pleasing flow in my opinion. I made them from very thin stock, which I held against the hull to trace an outline, then carefully cut out with a sharp knife. Took a couple tries as they broke easily, but when the end result was glued in I carved and sanded them to blend into the existing wood. If you can't tell from the photo, the added pieces stop right at the V-shaped frames within the hull.
 
So here are a few more photos showing the hull at this stage. The raw wood helps you see what I've added. Next step is to paint these to blend them into the rest of the hull.
 

 

 

 
On a more personal note, a very difficult stretch of life has just concluded. My father-in-law passed away in mid-November. I was very close to him and his loss is felt keenly by all of us. Without going into unnecessary details, the past 9 months or so have been particularly difficult as we attempted to move him and my mother-in-law closer to us to help with care as he declined, and to help both of them manage, all with the pandemic making things far more difficult and risky. I wrote a remembrance for him that I hope you'll consider reading; he was a very diverse and interesting person (including an academic background in Old English) and I believe that one way we stay with our loved ones is to be known and remembered.
 
Thanksgiving occurring not long after his passing was especially difficult, but also especially meaningful, as we were able to host my mother-in-law at our farm for the first time in several years (they were very reluctant to leave home as his health worsened). We enjoyed a sunny, warm day taking walks in the woods, working in the garden, watching birds, and making good food, all things the four of us valued and we could do while remembering him. 
 
We fired up our wood oven and baked sourdough rolls and apple-cranberry bread, then grilled beef & onion kebabs over the coals. Mashed potatoes, cabbage & carrot slaw, apple-cranberry crisp, and homemade blackberry wine rounded out the meal. All the produce and some of the fruit came from our farm, the meat and most of the rest from nearby farms of friends.
 


 
My father-in-law's interest in the Anglo-Saxon period makes the current project all the more meaningful to me now. I think I've gotten past the worst of the kit and now have a fairly clear way forward toward what should be at least a reasonably attractive final model that will always connect me with his memory.
 

There’s a new Flower on the market. I haven’t seen the kit yet, but other products and kits from this manufacturer get rave reviews...
 
https://blackcatmodels.eu/en/royal-navy/223-flower-class-corvette-short-forecastle.html

There’s a new Flower on the market. I haven’t seen the kit yet, but other products and kits from this manufacturer get rave reviews...
 
https://blackcatmodels.eu/en/royal-navy/223-flower-class-corvette-short-forecastle.html

There’s a new Flower on the market. I haven’t seen the kit yet, but other products and kits from this manufacturer get rave reviews...
 
https://blackcatmodels.eu/en/royal-navy/223-flower-class-corvette-short-forecastle.html

Balloon Man 2 Convoy assembly area off Southend. Balloons being delivered to ships W/C 16,5” X 10.75”

IoW Brig, Schooner & Cutter off the Needles. Out looking for trouble  16.5” X 10.75”

Today I've been having a go at making the sidesteps from scratch, just for the fun of it. It would almost certainly be cheaper to buy some from Daniel but I want to see how much I can do myself first, fat fingers and all. So I spent a pleasant morning in a model shop and came home with more Plastruct sizes than I'll ever need and, of course, some additional tools, equally un-needed! After quite a lot of experimentation trying to build the profile from flat shapes, I've settled on 3.2mm x 0.8mm for the top plank and 1.2mm angle for underneath. I've made a simple jig to set the offset depth at 0.8mm, which looked about right, plus I now have plenty of 0.8mm thick with which to set a depth in the jig....
 
This is my prototype; not too bad, but I think I need another 0.5mm depth for the bulge, put a more round edge on the flat and experiment with using milliput, which I've never used, to create a radius inside the angle.
 
Along the way I had another look through my photoset from a visit to Portsmouth back in 2013 and realised the ports in the model must be wrongly aligned, as here the lower deck is offset from the top deck by maybe 12 inches. Not that I plan to do anything about that.
 

It was a lot of fun, but it's time to call this 1970 Camaro finished. 
 

Another vote for Lego blocks.

Lego works well as well.
 
John