Ship Modeling Simplified Part 2.pdf

PART II

Building the Hull

"The Topmast Studding Sail is bent to a Yard,

with Knittles and Earings, and frequently laced

to it. This Sail has sometimes a Reefband in it. It

is gored in the outer Leech, according to the

Length of the Boom, and the Squareness of the

Yard, and also at the Head from the outer to the

inner Earing."

—The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor, 1819

The language of the sea has a life of its

own, developed over hundreds of years.

Someone just learning English and a

Ph.D who's studied the language for 30

years are on an equal footing when they

begin their first models. At times it can

be intimidating: Just what the heck are

the instructions talking about?

Before we start assembling our first

model, here are some simple things to

visualize. We start with the keel, the ship's

main structural member. The keel runs

longitudinally down the ship's centerline,

from stem (or bow) — the front — to

stern — the rear. Everything is built up

and out from the keel.

Next we add other pieces at right

angles to the centerline formed by the

keel. These pieces will run athwartships

and will add strength and stability to the

hull. These are bulkheads, the bases of

which you're going to attach to the

keel. For the purposes of this book

we'll call them bulkhead frames. (On a

real ship, frames are rib-like girders that

run athwartships from the keel to the

deckline. They stabilize the hull and

provide shape and a base for planking.)

If you can picture this simple assem-

bly, you'll have no problem as we move

into our construction phase.

The trick to assembling plank-on-

bulkhead models is patience. You'll be

assembling a lot of often rough-cut

wooden pieces — frames, keel sections,

decks — into what is supposed to be a

very precise, symmetrical hull. One piece

out of kilter can throw the entire model

off. And then you can throw the entire

model out.

On your first run-through everything

should be assembled, piece by delicate

piece, without going near the glue. I have

developed several methods that will

teach you how to check symmetry, and

how to make sure that when you're fi-

nally ready to assemble everything, it will

fit.

Read through the following steps to

get an idea of how we'll proceed. The

approach I've outlined here has proven

its effectiveness over the years. The de-

tails for each step of the process are

covered more thoroughly later as we

make our way through the construction.

Let's get started.

SEQUENCE FOR

BUILDING THE HULL

PHOTO 18. Real-life construction techniques

may vary from those of models, but once the

hull is planked and decked the result looks

the same.

Step 1: Check your kit. Open the kit box

and look through the contents; get

an idea of what each part looks like.

Almost every kit contains an instruc-

tion booklet with a checklist of all

the parts. Make sure that all the parts

are there, that the wood strips are

intact, and that all the plastic enve-

lopes holding small, loose parts are

sealed. Also, check to make sure that

all the plans are in the kit. If they're

not, call your mail order house or

retailer immediately.

Step 2: Assemble the keel. Remove the

keel parts. (Some kits have a one-

piece keel, others may have more

than one piece.) Take the assembly

drawing and tack or hang it up over

your workbench. That way you'll be

able to see it easily while you're

assembling the framework.

Step 3: Fit the frames to the keel. Check

again that the frames are not broken

Keep your hands off the glue until

we're ready. I'll give you a nudge now

and then while we're checking things to

make sure you don't just say: "Well, it

looks good to me, let's glue it."

Don't.

In building any ship model it's es-

sential that the work follow a known,

logical pattern. Otherwise it's all too easy

to feel overwhelmed. And it's all that

much harder for beginners, who have not

yet developed a sense of procedure and

may make things much harder than they

have to.

or distorted and mark them for

symmetry. File all the inserting cuts

in the frames until they fit hand-tight

in the keel.

Do not glue the frames on the keel

until the assembly is completed.

Step 4: Check and fit the decks. This

operation is extremely important

because the decks will straighten the

keel and help align the frames.

Decks in kits are generally made in

two different patterns. The false

decks (like a subfloor in a house)

used on models of single-deck ships

such as schooners are generally

made all in one piece and have no

grooves to fit on the frame's bulwark

extensions; while the decks used on

multiple-deck ships do have precut

grooves along both sides to fit

around the bulwark extensions. Both

these types must be centered on the

keel and aligned with the frames.

Never force the deck into place

around the frames; that will buckle

the decks and distort the hull.

Step 5: Put in wood blocks for masts. The

method of installing masts varies

with the manufacturer and the

model. On some, wooden blocks are

installed below the deck to provide

a solid support for the masts. Other

plans will show how to insert the

mast through holes in the deck to

the keel. I prefer to install wooden

blocks on all models because it

provides a more stable mast footing.

Step 6: Tack in the deck. Once you've

fitted the decks, tack them in place

without gluing using the pins sup-

plied in the kit. If you need extra

pins, sequin pins from a sewing shop

are excellent; hobby shops will have

them too. Make sure that the center-

ing lines you have marked are

aligned with the keel and the frames.

Step 7: Assemble and fit the bow and

stern pieces. These solid wooden

pieces will help give the proper

shape to the model and provide a

solid base for the ends of the plank-

ing. Pay careful attention to shaping

these pieces; they must be symmet-

rical and follow the shape of the hull.

Step 8: Glue the frame assembly. After a

final check to assure yourself that

your framework is straight and your

decks are not twisted or buckled,

you can proceed to glue the frame-

work. Let it dry at least 24 hours.

Step 9: Taper the frames. Once the glue

is dry, you can begin to taper the

front and back frames. Use a plank-

ing strip to check that the planking

will sit flat against the bow and stern

frames. File the frames until the strip

rests flat against them.

Step 10: Install the gunport frames, if ne-

cessary.

Step 11: Plank the deck. If your model

has no bulwark frame extensions,

you can now plank the deck. If your

model does have frame extensions,

you will plank the deck when the

hull planking has been completed

and the extensions are removed

(Step 15).

Step 12: Plank the hull. You can now be-

gin the first layer of hull planking.

When you plank the bulwark exten-

sions be sure to install pieces of tape

on the outside of the frames above

the deck line so that the planks will

not be glued to the extensions,

which have to be removed later.

Step 13: Cut the gunports. If your model

has posts that support dummy guns,

you will have marked the position

of these posts on the planks as you

went along. If your model uses

gunport frames, these will have al-

ready been installed before planking.

This will enable you to locate the

gunport's position correctly in front

of the posts. When the first layer of

planking is done, cut the gunports

before sanding the hull so you don't

erase your markings. When the sec-

ond layer of planking is installed,

you can cut the gunports as you

plank over them. With other mod-

els, the gunports are cut into the

completed planking.

Step 14: Install the second layer of hull

planking, sand it smooth, and var-

nish.

Step 15; Plank the deck. If your model

has bulwark frame extensions, re-

move them with an X-Acto saw blade

and plank the deck. Varnish the

deck.

Step 16: Plank and varnish the bulwarks.

Step 17: Install the wales, the channels,

and the deadeyes.

Step 18: Put waterways and timberheads

into place, if required.

Step 19: Paint, apply copper plating, and

do ornamentation. If your model

calls for the hull to be painted or

coppered, you can do that now and

then set your hull on its permanent

base to avoid unwanted marks or

scratches. If your model requires

ornamentation of the bow and stern,

finish that before installing the hull

on its permanent base.

BULKHEAD - ON - KEEL

HULLS

Very often the precut bulkheads — the

solid athwartships pieces — found in

plank-on-bulkhead ship models are out

of symmetry and off center. If you as-

semble them without correcting the

imperfections, you end up with an un-

even hull profile. Figure 5 shows the

method I use to check the frames.

Place a bulkhead frame from your

kit on a sheet of thick paper (manila

folders work best) and trace its outline

(1). Remove the bulkhead frame from

the paper, and cut around the outline

with a pair of scissors to create an exact

paper pattern (2). Next, fold the paper

pattern (3), making sure that the upper

ASSEMBLING ______

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