Hull shaping solid basswood

[JKC27]

Making slow progress on my first model. It's the Edmund Fitzgerald. 1/16" = 1ft scale.

 

Having a hard time figuring how to shape the stern properly. I do have limited tools by the way. Have a belt sander that i borrowed and an oscillating tool with sander attachment...also have a dremel with attachments.

 

Here is where I am at (first 2 pics) and then a pic of what it is supposed to look like...

 

 

[Roger Pellett]

Hand tools!  You need a plane, a spoke shave and some chisels. A gouge is also very useful for heavy material removal to shape the stern.  You also need sharpening materials.  These can be as simple as 600-1000 grit wet dry sandpaper fixed to a dead flat surface.  A glass sheet will do.  A good craftsman uses a mallet to drive his chisels and gouge, not a hammer.  A homemade mallet works fine.  A coping saw with a package of wood blades will also be required.  With the possible exception of the gouge all of these tools should be available from a hardware store.

 

Presumably you have a “lines drawing” showing the contours of the hull; like a topographic map except in three views, a top view, called a plan view, a side view called a sheer plan, and an end view, called a body plan.  The body plan can be confusing as one side of the plan is viewed from the bow and one from the stern.

 

You will use the sheer plan and the body plan to cut templates.  You will need a template for the bow profile and the stern profile.  You will also need a template for each body plan station and you need to mark the corresponding stations on the hull.

 

A hint-  look on a body plan section within the vessel’s parallel midbody- that long straight hull section.  It should indicate the bilge radius.  If to scale, it is an even fractional radius; 1/4in, 3/8in, etc you’re in luck if you have a friend who owns a router as this is easily cut using the correctly sized router bit.

 

To shape the stern, I would project vertical lines representing the sternpost on each side of the hull block. These vertical lines are also vertical projections of the point where the two lines that you have drawn on the bottom of the hull come together.  Also draw a horizontal line around the stern at the level where the vertical sternpost intersects with the curved stern.  Now, using the coping saw, carefully cut along these lines.  Your hull will now have a rectangular notch cut out.  Now using carving tools start removing material checking often with your templates.

 

And remember- Bondo is your friend!

 

Roger