Jaager

I attach a lot of patterns.  I need the patterns to stand up to abuse.  I use BestTest rubber cement - because I get it in pints or quarts, I also have Bestine (n-heptane) to keep it at brushing consistency.
The main trick is to use a liberal coat on both surfaces - let the thinner evaporate - then place the pattern.  It is a "get it right the first time" situation.  There is no fine tuning of the position.  Any brand name rubber cement should serve your need.  It is false economy to go generic though.
 
Long ago, before the Internet, before there was help, I used PVA for a model.  I did not know about isopropanol  being the reverse agent.  I used sandpaper to remove the pattern.  That was a serious amount of work.  But there was no problem with the pattern moving or popping up.
 

I guess I am just unlucky, but my Brother unit requires anything scanned to be scaled up 102.5%.
I used a transparent metric ruler as a scan object and print out check.
I also had to set a canvas size in Painter that does not give or entice Windows Photo Viewer to "adjust" the size of a document to be printed.  Having the border thing checked by default is an extra click that I have to always pay attention to.

Home scanners have a scale distortion factor - my guess - to make copying paper currency more difficult.
ANYWAY, if you wish a scan to print out an exact copy of the original, the scale distortion factor for your specific machine needs to be determined.  It is a constant, so determining it once is enough.  Just be sure to document it.
 
Guys here write that commercial blueprint operations provide an exact 1:1 copy.  I used a company for a NMM print color scan.  They do signs and advertising.  The color PDF - while good, also needed to be reduced to 70% to match the original.
 
There is also a "maybe" method - it did not work well enough for me - inkjet(?) print on a sheet of paper with wax/plastic coating on one side and iron that directly onto the wood.  Probably works better for scroll cutting cartoons - something without a lot of detail.

I attach a lot of patterns.  I need the patterns to stand up to abuse.  I use BestTest rubber cement - because I get it in pints or quarts, I also have Bestine (n-heptane) to keep it at brushing consistency.
The main trick is to use a liberal coat on both surfaces - let the thinner evaporate - then place the pattern.  It is a "get it right the first time" situation.  There is no fine tuning of the position.  Any brand name rubber cement should serve your need.  It is false economy to go generic though.
 
Long ago, before the Internet, before there was help, I used PVA for a model.  I did not know about isopropanol  being the reverse agent.  I used sandpaper to remove the pattern.  That was a serious amount of work.  But there was no problem with the pattern moving or popping up.
 

Home scanners have a scale distortion factor - my guess - to make copying paper currency more difficult.
ANYWAY, if you wish a scan to print out an exact copy of the original, the scale distortion factor for your specific machine needs to be determined.  It is a constant, so determining it once is enough.  Just be sure to document it.
 
Guys here write that commercial blueprint operations provide an exact 1:1 copy.  I used a company for a NMM print color scan.  They do signs and advertising.  The color PDF - while good, also needed to be reduced to 70% to match the original.
 
There is also a "maybe" method - it did not work well enough for me - inkjet(?) print on a sheet of paper with wax/plastic coating on one side and iron that directly onto the wood.  Probably works better for scroll cutting cartoons - something without a lot of detail.

I attach a lot of patterns.  I need the patterns to stand up to abuse.  I use BestTest rubber cement - because I get it in pints or quarts, I also have Bestine (n-heptane) to keep it at brushing consistency.
The main trick is to use a liberal coat on both surfaces - let the thinner evaporate - then place the pattern.  It is a "get it right the first time" situation.  There is no fine tuning of the position.  Any brand name rubber cement should serve your need.  It is false economy to go generic though.
 
Long ago, before the Internet, before there was help, I used PVA for a model.  I did not know about isopropanol  being the reverse agent.  I used sandpaper to remove the pattern.  That was a serious amount of work.  But there was no problem with the pattern moving or popping up.
 

For context: I'm still building my first model ship (Artesania's viking ship) and I'm designing my first unambitious original model ... but I know a thing or two about laser cutters. Just a thing or two, mind -- I make no claims at expertise. I'm a teacher and have an Emblaser 2 in my classroom. The (primary) students and I use InkScape to design things, and then cut them out of laser-grade plywood.

Some thoughts:
 
- Everything everyone else said is true;
- I think InkScape (open source/free) will do the job, but be prepared to learn it -- and the cutting process itself -- through trial and error;
- Cardstock is a nice way to trial cuts without wasting expensive plywood;
- Desktop units, including my Emblaser, have limitations (the thicknesses of materials, the kinds of materials, etc) you'll need to work within;
- The very young students and I learnt through play, and you'll need to do the same -- as with kits, at some point you need to stop reading advice and just get stuck in.
 
In short, it's a commitment unto itself, above and beyond designing and assembling the model. If you're into that kind of thing -- and I am -- it's an enjoyable journey. If computers are a means to an end, you may be better off buying a scroll saw.
 
EDIT
 
In addition to the above, I think the best way to learn about laser cutters is trial and error. I encourage children to learn that way, as it's how I learn. For instance, in the past few days I cut some pieces for the model I've designed. I learnt a few things: the order in which you cut pieces matters a great deal. I mean, on some level that's obvious ... but for what I was doing, it wasn't obvious to my inexperienced brain. I also made the pieces a bit too thin. That's probably less to do with laser cutting and more to do with my lack of experience using store-bought kits ... but, still, the measurements on screen seemed okay, but the finished product was more fragile than what I hoped for. These mistakes are easy to correct in InkScape, but nonetheless chewed up a few sheets of plywood.
 
You'll also want to think about ventilation. The Emblaser comes with a hose you poke out the window, but if you're in some high-rise apartment building or somewhere bitterly cold you might need to pay for a filtration unit. I'm unfamiliar with other laser cutters, but I can't imagine they'd work any differently. 
 
One other thing that's cool, I guess, is you can cut other materials. For context, the model I'm making is a replica of my brother-in-law's fishing boat (an unambitious subject, but accessible ... and if it turns out half-way decent I'll pass the model onto him). The actual boat has carpeted flooring. The Emblaser is very happy to cut out felt. Now, a pair of scissors can do that, but there's no way my scissor-work will match the accuracy and low-effort-to-reward ratio of what the laser cutter can do in about two minutes. I can use the same image I made of the 'upper deck' (or whatever it'd be called on such a small craft) to cut out a 'carpet' that's precisely the same size. 

Is your type of PVA - yellow - which I prefer for wood to wood - or white PVA. 
The white seems the be water clear when it polymerizes.  The yellow is clear amber.
If you are using white - the darker color may match the wood when wet - which is the color it will be when a clear coat finish is applied.  (shellac for me). 
If you do a test - same wood - plus a patch with white PVA - and use you final clear coat on it, is the filler still darker than the wood?

I suspect that a private yard would use the stock that was available.  If they wasted material,  they would not stay in business.  In a model - it is ultimately a work of art - even if the goal is the focus on an exact replication of the micro level assembly.  I think the eye/mind craves symmetry.  An actual ship would probably be too large for a lack of bilateral symmetry to be observed.  The size of a model makes a lack of symmetry sort of stand out.
 
Going to school on the actual methods and techniques in extreme detail at the primary learning stage is wise and probably necessary.  But ultimately with a model, Art also has its demands.  Sturgeon's Law certainly applies to our efforts, but we should try for the ten percent.

Is your type of PVA - yellow - which I prefer for wood to wood - or white PVA. 
The white seems the be water clear when it polymerizes.  The yellow is clear amber.
If you are using white - the darker color may match the wood when wet - which is the color it will be when a clear coat finish is applied.  (shellac for me). 
If you do a test - same wood - plus a patch with white PVA - and use you final clear coat on it, is the filler still darker than the wood?

I suspect that a private yard would use the stock that was available.  If they wasted material,  they would not stay in business.  In a model - it is ultimately a work of art - even if the goal is the focus on an exact replication of the micro level assembly.  I think the eye/mind craves symmetry.  An actual ship would probably be too large for a lack of bilateral symmetry to be observed.  The size of a model makes a lack of symmetry sort of stand out.
 
Going to school on the actual methods and techniques in extreme detail at the primary learning stage is wise and probably necessary.  But ultimately with a model, Art also has its demands.  Sturgeon's Law certainly applies to our efforts, but we should try for the ten percent.

Neither species is one to use if there are other options.
The Ramin may actually be something else since it is on the endangered species list.
Basswood is just too soft and prone to splintering and rolling fibers - (friable?).
Its much better European brother ( Lime - Linden ) is still not that good a choice for planking.
 
The primary difficulty is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to source wood of suitable species that is in dimensions needed by an end user.
 
You live in a region with ready access to lumber of species that are excellent for our uses:
readily available:  Hard Maple, Black Cherry, Yellow Poplar
hit or miss: Beech, Birch
If you can be your own sawyer - most any fruit wood: Apple (the king), Peach, Pear (street planting ornamental too), Crab Apple, Plum.  Dogwood, Holly, Hornbeam, Hophornbeam, Hawthorn.
 
Avoid most any nut tree species - open pores and out of scale grain:  Walnut, Oak, Ash, Hickory.
 
It is the heat that allows bending.  The wood fiber glue (lignin) is not affected by water. The water raises the grain.  A bit of water as steam may transfer heat to the interior more quickly, but the time difference is probably of no practical significance.  The heat source must not be hot enough to char or even cook the wood.
 
Ships, and even larger boats, required more than one plank per strake, which avoids having a single plank having an opposite twist at each end.  Lateral bending ( thru the thick dimension ) is best solved by spilling the plank instead.
 

You may find it convenient to get a Rogers drill bit stand to start with.  Then restock using bulk single size in 10's of the numbers that are getting use.

You may find it convenient to get a Rogers drill bit stand to start with.  Then restock using bulk single size in 10's of the numbers that are getting use.

Neither species is one to use if there are other options.
The Ramin may actually be something else since it is on the endangered species list.
Basswood is just too soft and prone to splintering and rolling fibers - (friable?).
Its much better European brother ( Lime - Linden ) is still not that good a choice for planking.
 
The primary difficulty is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to source wood of suitable species that is in dimensions needed by an end user.
 
You live in a region with ready access to lumber of species that are excellent for our uses:
readily available:  Hard Maple, Black Cherry, Yellow Poplar
hit or miss: Beech, Birch
If you can be your own sawyer - most any fruit wood: Apple (the king), Peach, Pear (street planting ornamental too), Crab Apple, Plum.  Dogwood, Holly, Hornbeam, Hophornbeam, Hawthorn.
 
Avoid most any nut tree species - open pores and out of scale grain:  Walnut, Oak, Ash, Hickory.
 
It is the heat that allows bending.  The wood fiber glue (lignin) is not affected by water. The water raises the grain.  A bit of water as steam may transfer heat to the interior more quickly, but the time difference is probably of no practical significance.  The heat source must not be hot enough to char or even cook the wood.
 
Ships, and even larger boats, required more than one plank per strake, which avoids having a single plank having an opposite twist at each end.  Lateral bending ( thru the thick dimension ) is best solved by spilling the plank instead.
 

You may find it convenient to get a Rogers drill bit stand to start with.  Then restock using bulk single size in 10's of the numbers that are getting use.

Neither species is one to use if there are other options.
The Ramin may actually be something else since it is on the endangered species list.
Basswood is just too soft and prone to splintering and rolling fibers - (friable?).
Its much better European brother ( Lime - Linden ) is still not that good a choice for planking.
 
The primary difficulty is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to source wood of suitable species that is in dimensions needed by an end user.
 
You live in a region with ready access to lumber of species that are excellent for our uses:
readily available:  Hard Maple, Black Cherry, Yellow Poplar
hit or miss: Beech, Birch
If you can be your own sawyer - most any fruit wood: Apple (the king), Peach, Pear (street planting ornamental too), Crab Apple, Plum.  Dogwood, Holly, Hornbeam, Hophornbeam, Hawthorn.
 
Avoid most any nut tree species - open pores and out of scale grain:  Walnut, Oak, Ash, Hickory.
 
It is the heat that allows bending.  The wood fiber glue (lignin) is not affected by water. The water raises the grain.  A bit of water as steam may transfer heat to the interior more quickly, but the time difference is probably of no practical significance.  The heat source must not be hot enough to char or even cook the wood.
 
Ships, and even larger boats, required more than one plank per strake, which avoids having a single plank having an opposite twist at each end.  Lateral bending ( thru the thick dimension ) is best solved by spilling the plank instead.
 

You may find it convenient to get a Rogers drill bit stand to start with.  Then restock using bulk single size in 10's of the numbers that are getting use.

Certainly! That's how Van Gogh and Bob Ross did it. (Well, maybe Van Gogh still mulled his own paint. I'm not sure when it started being packaged in tubes like toothpaste.  ) It's about the consistency of toothpaste, but as it dries slowly unless a dryer is added, it can be spread very thinly if desired.
A FAQ, for sure. "Boiled linseed oil" is not boiled at all. It designates linseed oil which has been packaged with a drying agent added prior to packaging. This is usually Japan drier, which contains manganese in a linseed oil and mineral spirits base. This added drier makes "boiled linseed oil" dry (i.e. polymerize) much faster than "raw linseed oil, which is pure untreated linseed oil. If it is difficult to source linseed oil in your area (usually due to environmental regulations,) it can also be purchased in health food stores labeled as "flax seed oil," this being "food grade" linseed oil. Linseed oil and Japan drier can be purchased anywhere oil paints are sold (i.e. art and craft stores,) but it will be packaged in small amounts and priced at twice the cost of the very same product purchased in a paint or hardware store, so caveat emptor.  Smaller quantities in "artists' packaging" are permitted where regulations prohibit sales of pints, quarts, and gallons in paint and hardware stores and the manufacturers are happy to accommodate the new regulations at twice the profit. Also, a paint conditioning product made by Flood called "Penetrol" is an excellent linseed oil based conditioner for achieving good leveling with oil paints. This is also readily available at paint and hardware stores, although in some areas environmental air quality regulations now also prohibit its sale. (Arrrgh!  Sale is prohibited, but not possession. Sourcing now may involve travel across state lines.)
 
 

Bob,
Some questions about tube artist's oil paints.
Can they be applied straight from the tube?
By linseed oil, do you mean the "Boiled linseed oil" - like what I saw at my local hardware store.
Can Tung oil (pure) be used like linseed oil?  Or the Sutherland-Wells polymerized Tung oil?
From where is obtained Japan drier?
What about the powdered pigments?  Can they be mixed with Tung or linseed oil?
What are flattening additives - the names of them?
 
My bias tells me to use the primary color aniline dyes instead of paint and cover with shellac - which can be made egg shell by using 0000 steel wool on the final coat.  A dye is not as in your face as paint and with paint, the scale effect runs the danger of it looking like a toy.

Bob,
Some questions about tube artist's oil paints.
Can they be applied straight from the tube?
By linseed oil, do you mean the "Boiled linseed oil" - like what I saw at my local hardware store.
Can Tung oil (pure) be used like linseed oil?  Or the Sutherland-Wells polymerized Tung oil?
From where is obtained Japan drier?
What about the powdered pigments?  Can they be mixed with Tung or linseed oil?
What are flattening additives - the names of them?
 
My bias tells me to use the primary color aniline dyes instead of paint and cover with shellac - which can be made egg shell by using 0000 steel wool on the final coat.  A dye is not as in your face as paint and with paint, the scale effect runs the danger of it looking like a toy.

George.
 
Before the current system of modular construction, ships were built in two phases.  Construction before launch, and Outfitting after launch.  Construction was done by shipwrights.  Outfitting was done by joiners.  Building ladders, cabin partitions deck furniture etc. was the job of joiners.  My guess is that you are correct.  In doing their job, the joiners would build their structures level and square to the ship afloat.
 
The disposition of frames is a different matter, as they determine the shape of the hull.   If the frames were not arranged parallel to the body plan sections on the draught,  the entire draught would have to be redrawn to shift the orientation of the body plan sections to match that of the frame orientation.  Otherwise the shape of the hull would change.

I found this when exploring an email special at StewMac:
It comes in 2" 3/4" and 1/4" rolls

I also found this seam separation knife and have it in my "tool looking for a function" category"
 

I found this when exploring an email special at StewMac:
It comes in 2" 3/4" and 1/4" rolls

I also found this seam separation knife and have it in my "tool looking for a function" category"
 

I found this when exploring an email special at StewMac:
It comes in 2" 3/4" and 1/4" rolls

I also found this seam separation knife and have it in my "tool looking for a function" category"