AON

My print settings are mostly default. I change the wall thickness to 4 layers, and 20% infill (Grid pattern). This means the inside is not hollow nor is it solid. Saves on material, cost and time. Print temperature is 210°C, bed temperature is 60°C. I always use a build raft and reduce the margin to 10mm outside the object. I use a raft because somehow that always sticks to the bed and the object always sticks to it. If I don't use a raft a successful print is a complete gamble. Here you can see the base printed, the raft is under it, on top of the glass bed. You can also see the 20% infill. At the top is a shamrock shaped outline. It is filled with a "support" that I will remove when cleaning up. The support is what the top face prints over to close this rear access pocket. This is where the coins will go.

My 3D printer is a JGAURORA A5 as seen below. If interested you can google it and see the specs for the unit. I have the option to connect it directly to my computer but I choose to use a Thumb Drive (USB Stick)

I should mention the costs are for material only, not electricity nor design time. I also want to mention my adornments on the ballast face side. I added the year in Roman numerals (2022) and the dots are not braille. It is a star map of the Little Dipper with the north star and the Southern Cross and the three others used to find the south pole.

I use the free Ultimaker Cura version 4.13.1 to create my g-code to print. I will post pics of the printed parts tomorrow. I am using a PLA/wood filler filament. It can be easily sanded with regular wood sand paper. Here is the data I've collected so far. PART EST`D ACT. WT. LG. COST 1. body 15h 3m ???? 127g 42.47m $3.80 2. Pointer 2h 19m 2h 41m 20g 6.6m $0.59 3. Plug 19m 22m 2g 0.79m $0.07 4. Swivel 27m 34m 4g 1.23m $0.11 5. Ring 1h 27m 1h 43m 12g 4.11m $0.37 6. Cover 1h 15m 1h 18m 8g 2.71m $0.24 Total 173g 57.91m $5.18

This is my 3D model (created in Fusion 360 - free hobbist version). Front and back view. There will be six printed parts and two copper wire pins. The body, pointer, plug (on the post over the pointer), lower swivel joint, upper swivel ring, and a back ballast cover. I need the ballast cover to cover the cavity I've created to place a number of coins to create ballast weight as the 3D printed version only weighs in at about about 173 grams. My weight will be a number of 1 cent Canadian coins... not in use, not accepted as currency anymore.

This figure was the basis of my model. An astrolabe retrieved from a Spanish wreck.

I seem to be getting more done on her outside on the patio then when down in the dungeon.

YES! That is my height gauge.

here are the stages

Just opened this log. Will start posting here once some items are organized. I was reading about maps and charts and once again they alluded to navigators using special instruments. After having researched how it was done with different instruments I decided to create a 3D model of a working mariners Astrolabe. At this moment I am printing the last part... well my printer's doing the work... I'm outside basking in the summer sun ☀️.

Gundeck done. Upperdeck started with the plugs in lieu of the upper cill at the eight (4 per side) midships gun ports. I will post a photo of that later today. I made my top timbers thicker then needed because they are quite thin at 5-1/4, 5-1/2, and 6" deep (about 3/32" at 1:64 scale). I was concerned I might damage them as they seemed fragile to me, so I now have some additional sanding to do. Presently I am into hour 6 of 15 to 3D print the last part of my working mariners astrolabe. I'll likely create a build log in the 3D section for it.

Wonderful use of the width jig and centering template.

He states that he scratched it with a thin file. There is no mention of any other steps. If there were any I would certainly like to read about them!

Looks like a real challenge. I'll bet standing back 2 feet it looks pretty darn good.

I like how you did the window panes.... I think I may be copying that.

On this day in 1815 Napoleon surrendered to Capt. Maitland on board the Bellerophon.

Nice job! Now for me to remember it all. I was concerned about the metal end of your clamp maring the plank when turned to tighten and was imagining various ways to avoid it ... and then you showed the simple soft wooden nose piece add on solution. Simple and effective... like everything you show us. Thank you.

Thanks. Sitting in the office waiting now. It was scary at first but, like everything else, after I managed the first one or two I felt better about it all.

Gun Deck upper cills done. One lower cill done... and I am quite happy with it. It is not sanded flush yet and will have to wait a few days as I'm off to the eye doctor for my 9 week visit.

There seems to be as many ways to cut a gunport as there are ways to make mistakes. I had to find a method I was comfortable with... this after all is my first time and I honestly wasn't looking forward to cutting holes into all this work I just got done. After having tooled around long enough trying my hand at various methods of cutting the gunports I finally brought the ship outside and started cutting. I decided to use a rotary combination drill-saw bit in the flex-cable of my dremel. The bit has a drill cutter point and rotary cutting notches on the shaft. It was plunged through at the centre of the square outline, holding a level and square as I could I cut up to within about 1/16" of my upper cut line (top of the upper cill) then changed direction left, then back to the right to free the top of the frames, then back to the middle, then down to within 1/16" of the bottom cut line (bottom of the lower cill) then cut across to pop them off. So far I've only been working on upper cills. I wrapped sand paper over my 1/2" wide flat file and holding it level, I sanded to the upper and lower lines. I then marked the thickness (height) of my upper cill onto the edge of the frames at each side so I knew where the notch had to stop. I used my mini triangular file to sideways shape the upper cill notch. This was cleaned up a bit with a sharp X-acto knife. In the photo below you will see the sides need to be opened to get the proper opening width. I then took my cill timber and cut it to a bit more than 1/8" the required length. This was held to the opening and I pencil marked off the bottom distance of the notch to cut away. This was cut away in bites with a chisel. Fitted to the opening and sanded to look right on a piece of sand paper laying flat on the table top. The far side was then cut and shaped to fit likewise. Below you will see it dry fitted.... almost there. Then after some more fiddling about it slid into place. Apply some glue. Assemble. Let sit 20 minutes to grip. Sand flush. Done. On to the next one. I will post my lower cill installation when I've get around to having a few done and I can (of course) pick out a better looking effort. (and yes... the aft gunports are a wee bit skewed as they should be! 🤪 )

I completed the other two lower mast tops (fore and mizzen). Below are all three side by side with swivel guns temporarily installed on the main and fore tops. Then I clamped them down onto my storage board with the rails protected against a secure upright block. Put this into the cardboard box and put that into the box with my mast storage rack. All safely tucked away.

Looking very good! 😊

As it was nice out today I relocated to the patio. Working on the lower fore and mizzen mast tops. Also finished reading A History of Canada in Ten Maps by Adam Shoalts and was surprised by the last chapter describing John Franklin's three assignments to map the coastlines and islands of Canada's arctic. He was a midshipman on the Bellerophon at Trafalgar. The first was a disaster where many died and he and those few survivors almost starved to death. If it weren't for the kindness of the local indigenous people he wouldn't be a footnote to history. He managed his second assignment four years later (1825), but hadn't learnt his lesson from the first, how to be a team leader and listen to those who had survived the rigours of the wilderness of Canada. Everyone knows how the last assignment (HMS Erebus and Terror 1845-47) ended, stuck in the ice, once again resulting in some resorting to cannibalism and starving and freezing to death. The late great John Franklin was described by the survivor's of his first expedition as incompetent! Interesting.

You might avoid some scale problems by assembling your piecing in the 3D program and seeing the fit before you print. I admit sometimes the file size can be large, but the parts can be "shrink wrapped" so they are just one block/shell placed on another block/shell to reduce the size of the overall assembly file. On the other side of that coin, this did offer you an opportunity to tweak it up some!

I like the framed photo on the wall of the last one