New Member Rock Harris: An Introduction

[rock harris]

Hi, I'm Rock.

 

Trying to figure out what to say after that. So I'll just start rambling.

 

I come from a nautical family. Grandfather was USMC and Navy (and he LOVED the Navy). Dad was Air Force (but we don't talk about that) and Navy, and he loved the Navy. I was Navy (for college) and then USMC. I went Corps because I actually existed on a ship and realized it is a miserable life. My GF and father both loved it. I don't get it. However, I was also an offshore sailor in college, and grew up in CA, so the sea is in my blood. Which is why I live in St Louis (haha, joke, in reality. like much of life, it's a long story).

 

I've long wanted to get into this hobby, but waited until the right time. I don't know if this is it, but it's time to dip my toe into the waters.

 

I am a hobbyist woodworker, so ironically, one of the biggest hurdles of moving from plastic to wood I don't think will be as much of a problem. I can shape wood and bend and deal with its idiosyncrasies. I have other things that will pose problems for me.

 

I got a big burning question (regarding starting solid body as opposed to bulkhead and plank), but I'll search the archives and post the question in the relevant space.

 

So ... Hi!

Edited December 17, 2021 by rock harris
Typo

[Edwardkenway]

Welcome to MSW 

[JeffT]

Hi Rock. Welcome to the forum.

[Ryland Craze]

Hi Rock and welcome to Model Ship World. I have never built a solid hull ship model so I cannot answer your question which is best to start with, a solid hull or plank on bulkhead/frame ship model.

[Jim Lad]

Hello Rock, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'.

 

John

[Dave_E]

Welcome aboard Rock. Ex-Navy man here. You’ve picked the best place to come to jump into this hobby!

[mtaylor]

Welcome to MSW, Rock.

[Jaager]

Rock,

As you have observed there are four major methods for forming a basic hull - at least as far as wooden hulled vessels are concerned.

Iron and steel hulls have their own methods and are outside my focus.

Solid hull - usually a softer wood like White Pine or Basswood.   Some kits still are this.  They use a machine that duplicates a pattern.  There is no looking at a block of wood while holding a hand full of patterns.   A intimidating  prospect for a one off model.   The Navy wants any models that they would buy to be hollowed out - to reduce the force caused by environment changes.   Traditionally, the outside is sealed and painted.  If the lines used are to the outside of the planking, the hull could still duplicate planking using a thin veneer of an appropriate species of hardwood.  If the lines are inside the planking, planking should match the scantlings.

Semi-solid  made up of layers . lift method -  with the horizontal lift method - the usual way is to duplicate the waterlines - the waterline intervals determine the thickness of the layers.  The bulk of the interior is usually removed. ( As with the above:  Traditionally, the outside is sealed and painted.  If the lines used are to the outside of the planking, the hull could still duplicate planking using a thin veneer of an appropriate species of hardwood.  If the lines are inside the planking, planking should match the scantlings. )

Old how to books list the possibility of a vertical lift method using the buttock lines and their intervals for layer thickness.  I cannot recall ever seeing a model built in this way.

The third lift possibility is the bread and butter method -  the stations and their intervals -  I have never seen this done using wood layers that are the thickness of the station intervals.

POB -  actually plank on mold  -  the transverse members are in no way frames  and only the Chinese built wooden vessels with actual bulkheads.  The longitudinal vertical support - something often complained about for being curved laterally is a spine.  It is not the keel.  Depending on the mold intervals and the mold thickness,  either one or two layers of planking are required.  This method is the dominant way both scratch and kit models hulls are fabricated now per my observation.   ( I first saw this method in a small book from Aeropiccola.     At the time their models had ridiculously wide intervals between molds.  I think they were the first of the kits from European (Italian) manufacturers.  My reaction then and now is the same.  The method looks ugly,  is hideous, and is a total insult to the ship that it is used to duplicate. )

POF  -  Plank on frame - constructing a hull using either framing that attempts to replicate actual practice as exactly possible ( currently a strong fad here )  or an artistic version or a stylized version of actual framing practice.   Following current techniques the time required can be considerable.  The worst part as far as time required is lofting timber patterns.  The published methods are tedious at best.   Two popular ways to avoid this are to only use published monographs that provide patterns for all of the frames in them  or for those who have previous CAD experience or an affinity for it, to enter plans data into a 3D CAD program, obtain a virtual hull and eventually extract frame patterns to use on wood.   I suspect that 3D CAD is not much of a time saver over doing it 2D on a drawing board.   Also, someone who knows would have to show where this was actually used by an individual  to frame a wooden hull.  The 3D CAD mostly seems to be an end in itself.

 

These are not necessarily the only choices.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Jaager

[Nirvana]

From another location in the PNW a warm welcome to ModelShipWorld.

 

[LaurenS]

From one newbe to another welcome aboard matey!

[Baker]

[allanyed]

Welcome Rock,

 

Your introduction was great and quite entertaining!!!  Thanks for that!!

 

Looking forward to seeing more of you here at MSW

 

Allan