alross2

The original mylar for MGB75 is in 1/32 scale on a 24" x 36" sheet. We have a scanner at work that will take 36" wide sheets, so I might scan it some day. This is sheet 2.

I went to a Catholic high school 61-65 and had the same problem. While we didn't have any shop courses and were tracked, the college group wasn't allowed to take typing (business track). I had to fight with them to allow me to take typing, arguing that college term papers had to be typed. Took awhile, but they relented.

The MGB in my original post was drawn with 3x0 and 4x0 Rapidograph pens. That particular print of the MTB drawing used .5 line weight, The "hairline" weight is much nicer, but is very light, making it hard to see in a book. The line weights are scalable and you can get an even finer line than "hairline" and mix line weights on the drawing. Using a different drawing (1/96 original), in order: hairline, color, and .5, all with black outline.

I drew with pens on mylar from the late 1970s up to a couple years ago. Never had any classes and I'm sure some of the things I did would horrify a true draftsperson, but I got by. Now, I use Corel Draw, which is the program used by our laser at BJ. Before, I would draw up the parts by hand, then Bill would have to draw them in Corel, which was not an efficient way to do things. I bit the bullet and learned Corel, which made my design work much more efficient and saved us a lot of time (and sometimes guesswork). Now, I use it exclusively. Perhaps the feature I appreciate most about a computer drawing program is it's repeatability. I'm working on a book which involves a lot of boat plans and the ability to draw a single detailed item which can be scaled and applied in multiples is great. From a kit design standpoint, the ability to layer objects greatly improves one's ability to ensure that parts are going to fit. On the downside, as many of you have mentioned, is the loss of identity of the draftsperson. Used to be you could identify the drafter by the line work and lettering. My late friend John Lambert's drawings were easily recognized by his style. With the computer images, one usually has to include a constant within the drawing. On my book drawings, I use color in the windows, even on a black and white image. I still have all of my pens, templates, ducks, curves, and an unused roll of mylar, though, ... just in case. The MGB drawing is ink on mylar from 1980. The MTB459 drawing is computer-generated and from 2020.

At the moment, I'm developing three new kits for BlueJacket: USS OREGON (BB3), NS SAVANNAH, and the schooner WYOMING. Each has its own Facebook Group: OREGON https://www.facebook.com/groups/2345449125727256 ; SAVANNAH https://www.facebook.com/groups/415003942865004 ; WYOMING WYOMING 6-MASTED SCHOONER | Facebook . Please visit and see how our kits are created from beginning to end. For those not on Facebook, I will be doing a development and build log here.

If you want to build an accurate model of PT 10, you might want to hold off on building the old MM kit - it isn't even close. This is what the 70' ELCO PTs actually looked like: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i204/alross2/pt18_0001_zps4a976847.jpg Al Ross