Hello everyone, I thought my first post ought to be a brief intro. I've been reading mayhem for a long time without joining but have reached that stage where I may be needing your help. And you know what they say. A friend in need is a friend indeed!
My modelling experience is limited to kits as a child, in cardboard and plastic mostly and based around railway modelling but I have a strange desire to build a replica wooden cabin cruiser. I've been perfecting a design for quite literally years and think I am getting close to the finished product. And so, with virtually no useful experience my plan is to build a bespoke wooden model using methods as close as possible to those used in building full size boats.
Yes, I know it's crazy and before everyone posts in reply along the lines of "have you thought about trying a kit to start off with" the object of the exercise is not so much in the finished model, albeit I hope to produce something to be proud of, but more in gaining experience of the build process, getting to know the names of parts, the construction methods and order. Call it an apprentice piece in case I ever get the chance to work in 1:1 scale!
So what is the model?
I have drafted a scale plan of a Norfolk Broads Cruiser, though it does not relate to one particular boat but more to a design of my own incorporating my favourite bits from several traditional broads designs. It is 40' long and 10'6" wide and will be modelled at 1:12 scale providing a finished model of 40 inches length. It will have a carvel planked displacement hull with large aft cockpit, pram type canopy and forward cabin with a "lantern" style roof.
I have used freeware programming to test the hull design for bouyancy and efficiency so the shape looks good.
The next stage is to turn my scale line drawings into proper plans, and in doing so design the frame which will hold the hull planking. I know a little bit about boats so I know the general layout of the frame and have studied lots of photos of boats in various stages of restoration to get a good idea of what lies beneath the planking.
Now the questions start, and hopefully I can draw on the experience of those who have done this type of modelling before.
Any advice on drawing the plans. My only thoughts now are to "draw" cross sections through the boat at twelve inch intervals using the key measurements i know, and calculating those I don't either by smoothing curves or calculating them with a bit of basic trig.
At full scale the boat would almost certainly be mahogany plank over oak frame, but in scale is this still the best combination to use? Mahogany planking seems easy enough to find and the sizes available suit a 1:12 scale perfectly but the oak for the frame is a little more challenging. If anyone could recommend suppliers I would be most grateful.
The boat will be built in the traditional manner from the keel up. Normally the keel would have a stem and stern post attached to it, but in the interests of strength I am thinking of machining all three parts as one piece from a suitable plywood sheet. Any comments? Is plywood suitable for this and when properly finished and painted would it withstand the frequent wetting it will be subjected to? The aim is to fit motors and RC control to allow the model to be used. It's not a display case only project.
The option to sheath the hull in 30gsm glass sheet is under consideration, and comments?
As the project develops I am sure there will be many more questions, but any help on these would be great for now.
Many thanks, and best regards to everyone
Paul
