Is it possible to 'complete' the Hull of a Waterline Model?

ViperPilot

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Happy Holidays!

I'm wondering if it's feasible to take a Waterline ship Model, and modify it so one would end up with a 'completed' Hull?

I presume some sort of 'skeleton' of formers & ribs would need to be made, then basically laying the horizontal strips down to make up the rest of the Hull?

Hmmm...

Thanks for looking!

Alan :cool:
 
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zathros

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Yes, what is needed is an accurate lofting of the ships hull. This is when you find out that the waterline model is often inaccurate. I have lofted many a ships hull. If you could give me the drawing, I could see if I could loft it. Whether it matches the waterline model is another issue though. Usually this means just creating new decks, but often depending on the ship, it shows the disproportionate errors of the housing on the ship. It's always better to make a model with a full hull ( in design) then cut the waterline, so the builder has both options. I have not found many people who can loft a hull properly, virtually, or in real life. I'll help you if you can give me more info.
 

zathros

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Rocket's ship is a representation of the ship, "Surprise", which is really the "H.M.S. Rose, which I donated time in restoring. There is no way of using Rockets's model and these plans together. I could loft this Hull , but nothing could be used from the waterline model you refer too. It would take a lot of work too. Do you have much experience in Hull lofting? You could do this with translucent paper, trace the formers, and loft it that way. It's too big job though. Rocket makes representations of ships, and they are fun, but not accurate. This would be designing a model from scratch, and that's a lot to ask. It would be easier on a modern hull, but what is also needed is an accurate layout of how the planks where fastened, the lengths, splices, etc.. Just placing them willy nilly would not do. Tons of research.

It's bad luck to rename a ship, they should have returned her to her previous name, H.M.S. Rose. IMHO :)
 
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ViperPilot

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zathros,

Thanks so much for taking a look at The Rose for me. I'll just build Rocket's Model as it's laid out, and look for a full hull Model out there somewhere.

Cheers!

Alan thumbsup
 
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zathros

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Ship models are hard to make, that is and look like the real thing. Tall ships, sailboats and the like are the hardest. If you want to make a ship because you liked a movie a lot (I liked that movie a lot too!), but aren't necessarily interested in shipbuilding, then Rocket"s ship is the way to go. Otherwise, you have to start small and simple, and work your way up. The research is also important. The ship that this movie was based on comes from a novel, was much bigger than the "Surprise" and had different lines, and more guns. That's the kind of problems you run into with Hollywood. Getting into model ship building takes a lot of commitment. There are excellent laser cut kits out there you can buy, but they are not easy to build, though they are already cut up, and the research is done. Good luck with whatever you choose.

I would start with a Sharpie hull. I actually have a tutorial/thread, on lofting a Sharpie Hull on this forum. The people following it didn't keep up so I did not finish it, but would if someone became interested. You need CAD software to design your own stuff. You can do it the original way, but that is an art form and takes years to master.
 
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zathros

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Maybe if I get time I'll loft the "Surprise" based on the H.M.S. Rose's plans, as that is the real name of the ship (well, when it was reproduced, the cannons are from the original H.M.S. Rose). The State of Connecticut would not take it, even when it was offered for free because in the American Revolutionary war, Cannon fire from that ship killed a Connecticut farmer, so the State would not take it. As a lifelong Connecticut resident I think that was of the stupidest things this state did. They could have honored the ship as war booty and made a memorial to the farmer! When she was being finished off again, after a few years of use, I volunteered time, doing minor repairs on the ship. I was on a 10 meter Pearson Yacht, anchored within 200 feet of her, as the radio played the 1812 overture, and she fired her Cannons in beat to the music. It was absolutely an awesome sight to see. :)
 
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ViperPilot

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I found your Thread on Lofting the Sharpie hull; it looks like the design of the bottom half is quite an undertaking!

:)
 

zathros

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Not really, not on that model. On something like the "Surprise", that is a month's long project. The picture below is how it ended up. I didn't think anyone would find it interesting. :)

Sharpie Ketch.jpg
 
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Famous Dave

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I actually had the same question rolling arou d in my head last week. I had become interested in the ironclad battleship designs of the early 1900's and found many of those models but most I saw were waterline designs. Zathros, I had no idea how involved designing ships were. Incredible is all I can say.
You may contact Rocket-man and see if he has some of the work done for you. He may be able to help. Just a thought.
Dave
 

zathros

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Accurate ship models are indeed difficult. If you can get the lofting lines, and have a good CAD program, or know how to read lofts, and scale to what size you need, it becomes easier, but is time consuming. :)
 

Revell-Fan

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However, that really pays off. If you do it right, you'll end up with a fine model - that may actually swim (after you have sealed the surface, of course ;) ).
 

zathros

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You aren't kidding. I made my sister a Catboat out of paper, painted with Crazy Glue, and the deck was made out of water bent Popsicle sticks, and I made the Spars out of Chopsticks. 35 years later, she has that model. It is water tight and actually sailed really nicely. I had it in a massive tank of water with a light breeze, going through a cardboard grid to make the wind linear. The model up above is built off of 24' foot sharpie plans, and is a classic design that sails with many different sail configures, from a Ketch, Yawl, Marconi Rig, Gaff Rigging, Cat Ketch, Wishbone, you name it. ;)
 
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Revell-Fan

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It is just plain physics: What works at a large scale also works at a small scale. Cool nonetheless! :)
 

Gandolf50

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zathros,

Many thanks for your Reply! Here's a Link to the Paper Model that inspired my Question:

http://rocketmantan.deviantart.com/art/HMS-Surprise-Paper-Model-378020706

And I've also included some Drawings I found on the Web.

Please let me know what you think...

Cheers!

Alan :)View attachment 156081 View attachment 156082

You might be interested in this link... https://sdmaritime.org/visit/the-ships/san-salvador/ under downloads/not quite the same being a sixteenth-century Spanish galleon, but a free detailed model none the less!
 

zathros

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That's a great ship, except for the way they split the hull planking, they botched that up. I have in the Resource section a better set of planking for it, that I made. ;)
 

subnuke

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Couldn't find the planks, Zathros. Also checked the thread on the San Salvador and none of those links worked. Maybe you could re-upload them?
 

zathros

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I don't have the final file, but do have the file I used to cut the planks individually. You build the model, and add these afterwards, so there isn't a seam going down the center half of the hull. This would be printed on normal paper, and lightly glued on. Send me a P.M. if you want it and we will go from there. I'll try to get to it when the ability to uploads models is fixed. :)