Archive-name: ship-models-faq/part02
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Expires: Fri, 2 February 1996 00:00:00 GMT
Last-modified: 28 December 1995

This is the Frequently Asked Questions FAQ (part 2) on ship modeling.

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The questions being addressed are listed in part I of the FAQ.


        ###############################################

                        THE HULL
                        ========


9.      I have some plans I bought from Floating Drydock a few years
        ago of the Montana-class battleship and Alaska-class cruiser.
        I'd really love to scratchbuild these guys in the future, which
        leads me to my inquiry...
        None of the articles in the modelling mags show how people have
        scratchbuilt their ship hulls.  I'm wondering what experiences
        others have had in doing it, especially what techniques work
        the best for them.
     A. A lot depends on the scale you're using, and on the intended
        purpose.  The best method for a 1:1200 waterline model is
        probably carving from the solid;  for a large model either
        bread-and-butter, planked bulkhead, or some combination of the
        two will probably serve best. <John O. Kopf>
         ***If you are considering building a hull for display on a
        fairly large scale check the these references: Scale Ship
        Modeler, June 1995, Mike Winters has an article on building a
        cruiser (USS Memphis) using bread and butter method using
        styrofoam insulation panel instead of wood. I have been working
        on a liner at 1:192 and found this material easy to work with
        and am quite satisfied with result. I modified Winters
        technique, though. Try Scale Ship Modeler March/April 1995
        where Jack Melody describes building the battleship USS IOWA
        (1896 vintage) at 1/20, 1 inch=20 ft. using a hull made partly
        of solid balsa block below waterline and bulkheads above with
        balsa sheathing. <Al Rauber>
         ***Mine is not the approved method, but here's how I always did
        it.
        1) Take appropriate size chunk of wood.
        2) Using saber saw, band saw, whateversaround, cut out the
        basic outline of the ship.
        3) Make templates from the hull sections on your plans.
        4) Carve/file/sand the hull until it conforms to the templates.
         OK, that's a gross oversimplification, but the basic technique
        is there.
         I freely admit that I did not use the bread-and-butter method.
        The reason is that I worked in relatively small scales,
        (1/500-1/600) and big-enough wood was readily available.
        <David R. Wells>
         ***I seem to recall that the Nov/Dec '94 issue of Model Ship
        Builder magazine had an article about scratch-building a hull
        of the type you are referring to.  I believe the author was a
        long-time builder of static-display wooden sailing ship models
        (I'm working from memory, here) and he decided to build a model
        of a more modern ship as a change of pace.  Some scratch builders
        construct their hulls with plastic sheet, but his approach was
        much like building a sailing ship model, with plywood bulkheads
        and wooden strip planking.  If you can find a current issue of
        MSB, you can probably back-order that issue for about $6.25 or
        so. <Brett Denner>
         ***OK, I'll chime in on this.  First and foremost, you're in
        real good shape with those plans.  In looking at the listings
        in The Floating Drydock's catalog, your Alaska plans will have
        the hull sections you need for building the hull.  As for the
        Montana, go out and fing a copy of Dulin & Garzke's "U.S.
        Battleships" (ISBN:1-55750-174-2).  In the section on the
        Montana's you'll find a set of hull lines for her.
         Now the fun (?) part.  Hull sections (HS) look like a funny
        drawing of the hull with one half looking aft and one half
        looking forward.  On each of these halfs, there are curves
        lines that are labeled with either numbers or letters. These
        lines are frame references, and they'll correspond to marks
        below the outboard profile (OP) view.  These marks show where
        each of the lines on the HS drawing are located according to
        the OP.
         To build from these, I use the plank on frame method.  What you
        want to do is to set out a keel dimensioned to the length of
        the bottom of the hull on the OP.  It doesn't matter the shape
        right now.  Next, use the HS drawing to make each of the
        bulkheads shown.  Now remember, you're looking at half of it,
        so duplicate the left (or right) side for each bulkhead.
        Number each bulkhead as you make them so that you can keep
        track of them.  Next.  mark the positions of the bulkheads from
        the OP on to the keel piece.  Attach the bulkheads to the keel
        at the proper places, and you'll have the frame of the ship.
         Once you have the frame, the next thing to do is to start
        placing planking on the outside of it.  Use relatively small
        pieces to do this, and don't worry about making them fit
        exactly since you'll eventually sand them smooth.  Once all of
        the planking is in place, sand out the rough parts and joints,
        and you'll have your scratch hull.
         Two words of warning.  First, when you're at the point of
        attaching the bulkheads to the keel, it'll be very delicate.
        But if you break off one of the bulkheads, just glue it back.
        Second, make sure that you allow for the width on material
        you're using.  I use .06" plastic for my hulls, so when I
        measure out a bulkhead, I've got my calculator programmed to
        automatically subtract .12" from the overall calculation.
        <REDBOZO6>
         ***I can't say which works best, but a long time ship modeller
        locally builds his hulls from 1/2" basswood planks. The planks
        are first cut to shape to match the widest part of the hull
        section, and once all of the layers are glued together the hull
        is sanded to shape by removing the "steps" in the planks.  He
        notes you have to be quite careful not to create convex/concave
        surfaces doing this...
         ***Since many modern ships have a relatively square cross-
        section for much of their length, a combination of bread-and-
        butter for the ends and planked bulkheads for the center work
        relatively well.  When I've done this, I start with a plank
        cut to the shape of the lowest waterline.  The severely curved
        ends are build up as bread-and-butter sub-assemblies.  The
        "central" portion of each is rabbeted for the ends of the
        planks.  These ends are fastened to the bottom plank.  The
        intermediate stations are drawn onto plywood, allowing for the
        thickness of the planking (I don't use a central "backbone",
        although I have seen others use a "box-beam" here - that's
        simply a long plywood box that the bulkheads slid onto -- very
        rigid and torsion-resistant!).
         Also allow for a thick strip at the sheer (and, if the curving
        of the bilge is extensive, I also allow for a block there).
        The bulkheads are glued to the bottom plank in the appropriate
        locations, and the shear strip (and  bilge blocks, if used)
        are installed. Planking the remainder is now easy, as the planks
        will all be relatively straight. <John O. Kopf>



10.     How do I bend wood for a ship model?
   A:   The best method to use depends upon the dimensions of the stock,
        and on the degree of bending required.  In general, wood
        *should* be pre-bent; if it is simply "wrapped" onto the model
        the resulting tension can easily tear the model apart after a
        few years.  Instead, use one the methods listed below to pre-
        shape the wood; fasten it after it has "set" and holds the
        shape by itself.
         First of all, you'll have better luck if you chose your stock
        so that the grain runs lengthwise (I've frequently found
        commercial strips to be severly cross-grained at some point,
        perhaps with the grain running as much as 45 degrees to the
        length -- this is often because the strip was cut from a board
        near a knot).
         A thick or complicated shape may be easiest to form by carving
        it from the solid -- perhaps laminating the solid from a number
        of pieces so the grain tends to follow the final curve (I use
        this technique for sailing ship head-rails, which can be a half-
        circle in some cases).
         You can also laminate a piece from a number of thinner pieces
        bent to a former -- the thinner the individual wood pieces, the
        easier they are to bend, an the necesary thickness is achieved
        by gluing these side-to-side over a form...the result will hold
        it's shape when it's removed from the form.  (This method is
        frequently used to make "mast hoops" by wrapping a glue-coated
        plane-shaving around a waxed dowel and then slicing off the
        hoops when it has dried.)
         Wood can also be bent more easily if it is wet or hot or both.
        Simply soaking a strip in water will make it more pliable. If
        you then bend it to shape, and let it dry out it will "spring"
        back only a small amount. Hot water works better than cold.
        Wood is a "plastic" material, and thus can be deformed under
        heat or as a result of chemical softening.
         Many people use household ammonia for this purpose (instead of
        soaking in water) -- if you can bear the smell.  It may also
        discolor some woods.
         You can also hold the strip over a kettle and steam it.  The
        trouble with this is that thin strips cool off so fast that
        you'll end up working with cold, wet wood by the time you get
        it in place.
         For reasonably thick work, such as deck beams, I've had some
        success either wrapping the stock in wet rags, or floating it
        in a dish of water, and then microwaving it for about a minute.
         It's relatively easy to wrap planks around a hull. it's much
        harder to bend them sideways (i.e., give them an "edge-set").
         For some places where I need a plank bent edge-wise (e.g.,
        railings), I find it easier to take a WIDE piece of stock whose
        thickness is the final width, and bend this piece to shape.  I
        then saw curved planks from the edge.
         Do not use these methods on multi-layer board (e.g., plywood).
        Water soaks the glue and causes the board to warp or split.
        The best way to bend boards is to score the "inside" curve and
        build a jig.
         You can also get a good job with the plank-forming pliers and
        bending jig from Micro-Mark.  Jig is adjustable. Using a plank
        bender without heating or soaking the wood will likely just
        fracture the wood.
         (This includes suggestions from: Chris Maxfield, Clayton A.
        Feldman, Rich Gortatowsky, Ron Ginger, Trevor Farrell,
        PKAeronaut, Jack Silvia, and Keath Wong.)
        MORE---
        ***In bending planks, I use an old soldering iron I got over
        twenty years ago.
         It no longer has a label, so I don't know what the wattage is,
        but the barrel that holds the nib is about 3/4 of an inch in
        diameter and the nib is about 1/2 inch, and I suspect it runs
        about 40 watts.  I think it might have been used for automotive
        body work, but don't know for sure.  Scrounge the yard sales
        and flea markets...
         I find it works better than a plank bender, because a plank
        bender, at least the ones I've seen, works the arc in the plank
        while holding the plane of the width of the plank constant.
        This gives you a nice curve for a plank that would lie on the
        hull all in a horizontal plane, but hull planks usually sweep
        up in addition to curving toward the bow and stern.  With the
        soldering iron, I can form both curves at the same time.
         Here's the steps I go through:
        1 - Cut the bow and stern taper in 4 planks, leaving them about
        4 inches (2 on each end) longer than they need to be on the
        hull.  You use the extra to give you something to hold onto
        while you bend them and install them.  Cut them in pairs, one
        for each side of the hull.
        2 - Float them in a soaking tray, (a piece of 4" or 6" pvc
        capped on both ends, then cut longitudinally in half works
        well for this) for about a half hour.  Flip the planks over
        and soak for about 15 minutes more.  Pay attention to which
        planks form a pair.  Plain, warm water works fine.  For some
        woods adding ammonia helps, for others it makes them more
        brittle.
        3 - While you're waiting, cut two more planks and set them
        aside, clamp the soldering iron in a bench vice (by the handle)
        so its sticking straight up, and plug it in to heat.
        4 - Work the flat of a plank against the side of the nib holder
        of the soldering iron, stretching it and pulling it into shape.
        For one side of the hull, use the side of the iron opposite to
        you and pull the bend toward you and up, for the other, use the
        side nearest you and work the bend away from you and up.
         Remember that the bends need to be mirror images of one
        another.  Work fairly quickly, and pay attention to how dry
        the wood is getting.  If it dries out completely, it will
        discolor or burn.  Feel free to dunk it into the water if it
        does begin to dry out too much.  What you're doing is making
        steam that penetrates the wood, pulling it into shape, and
        cooking the water back out again.
        5 - Once you have it close to shape, you can install it on
        the hull.
        6 - Between installing the first and second planks, put two
        more into the soaking tray, and cut two more and set them
        aside.  Installing two planks, while two planks are new in
        the soak tray, seems to work well relative to the timing of
        the soak.  Just keep track of which are new.  You should
        have 4 in the tray all the time you're working.
        7 - I've been using a cryo based glue (Krazy glue, wood &
        leather) as my working glue, and it doesn't seem to care if
        there is still a little moisture in the wood.  A day later, I
        reinforce the joints between the bulkheads and planks with
        carpenters (elmer's yellow) for as many strakes as I can reach
        before the sides meet the deck.  I've got two hulls I did
        in 1986 that don't show any signs of separating, even at the
        strakes that are held only by cryo, but who knows how they'll
        look 100 years from now. I also 'nail' my hulls though, so
        that may also be helping to hold them together.
        8 - Keep repeating the process from step 4 until you get bored
        or tired.  Then call it quits.  When you do, clamp the keel
        into a keel clamp to make sure it doesn't bend while the wood
        finishes drying.
         Note:  The important message here is work one plank on each
        side of the hull at a time, even if you're doing the second
        layer of a double planked hull.  Once the planks are fastened
        to the bulkheads or inner hull, their environment is different
        from wherever you were storing them.  They change shape and
        try to straighten back out.  Wood is an imperfect medium, so
        you can't control the shape change.  Working port, then
        starboard, with the help of a keel clamp, tends to average
        the stresses out by the time you reach the gunnels.  You can
        hide a slightly bent keel, when the distortion is side to side,
        when you mount the model, but if you hog the hull, there's no
        way to hide it.
         Note 2 (for beginners):  A keel clamp is fairly easy to make.
        Get some oak flooring, 2" wide and longer then your hull
        length, and drill holes about 1/2 of an inch from one edge, so
        you can put 1/4-20 bolts through and clamp the boards together.
        Slip your keel in along the oposite edge, between the oak
        boards.  Tighten the nuts down and let it sit overnight.  If
        you want to get fancy, and have a much easier time rigging,
        you can rig a stand to one side of the clamp so you can hold
        the finished hull in a bench vice while you're doing the deck
        houses and rigging.
*NEW*   ***Another easy way is to heat up an old style electric
        soldering iron, clamp it vertically in a vise, and bend your
        hot water soaked planking strips around  it, moving the strip
        slowly into the curve you need with  second or two of contact
        at each mm along the way. Experiment with a bit of scrap to
        determine the correct contact time for bending and before
        scorching.  <mailto:clayfeld@best.com (Clayton A. Feldman, MD)>
*NEW*   ***This method can certainly be used - but you had better not
        try to use the soldering iron for soldering afterwards! I found
        that my iron was covered with a sooty residue after bending
        planks (of course, the iron may have been too hot. An iron on
        which you could regulate the temperature would be the best for
        the purpose.)
         Anyway, the point is that wood can be bent using heat, and
        water will keep it from scorching. You can also use live steam
        to bend planks, as a lot of modellers do, but it would involve
        a bit of gear (heater, water container etc) and I guess you
        could easily get burnt. What I like about the water/candle
        method is that it doesn't involve a lot of equipment - and you
        don't have to have an electrical outlet within arm's reach.
        <mailto:sstale@oslonett.no>
*NEW*   ***I just use the 100w light bulb on my bench lamp...it's
        plenty hot for stripwood. <mailto:kopfj@aimnet.com>
*NEW*   ***I used to attend the very active Alberta Ship Modellers'
        Society meetings and the modellers have two methods.
        1.  Use a (.5in or .75in dia) copper pipe to contain the plank
         strips and run live steam from a kettle through the pipe.  Pin
         planks to hull formers until dry then glue.
        2. Soak the planks in laundry ammonia to soften them.  You will
        have to do this in the garage or outdoors on account of the
        stink. <mailto:pmok@nyquist.ee.ualberta.ca (Peng F. Mok)>
*NEW*   ***I find that the candle-and-water technique I have mentioned
        earlier on this group works well - I basically first bend the
        planks one way for sheer and then bend it the other way to lie
        against the frames - it takes time, though:)
         I would guess that any bending technique can be applied in
        this manner: First sheer, and then the other way. If you use
        steam, I guess the whole plank will become wet and flexible -
        pin it in place while it dries and it should fit pretty well
        when it dries! Anyway. the important thing is to make the
        plank fit naturally in place, so the pins and glue don't have
        to force it to keep in place!
         Different woods behave differently, too. I used obeche for
        wales on my Neptunus model (80 guns, 1789) and I found that it
        was much easier to bend and handle than pine, not to mention
        balsa. If the planks on the Golden Hind won't behave, you might
        consider bying planks of a different wood and using them
        instead - it is available if you know where to look.
        <mailto:sstale@sn.no (Staale Sannerud)>
*NEW*   ***Several years ago Philips made a travel steamer; a small
        hand held container which you fill with water.  Plug it in and
        steam comes out of a row of small holes.  The steam issued at a
        high temperature and with a bit of pressure.  The purpose of
        the device was to steam the wrinkles out of clothing when
        traveling.
         I found that the row of steam holes was just right for ship
        model planks.  A few moments in front of the device and you can
        bend a plank to fit any stern curve.  Hold the curve until the
        wood cools, let the plank dry, and then glue it in.
         There must be similar units on the market now.
        <mailto:Dan.Johnston@nrc.ca>

11.     I am building a solid hull ship; the kit comes with paper
        cut-out templates to check the hull shape.
        Will these paper templates suffice to check out the shape or
        is it intended that one should use the templates to cut out
        balsa templates?
    A:  Typically, the paper templates are too flimsy to use to
        accurately verify the shape of the hull. It is better to copy
        their pattern to a stiffer cardboard or poster board. You can
        also use these patterns to make a stand to keep your model in
        while you work on it, and also to make a nice permanent stand
        for the finished model.
         Ideally, getting a copy of the original ships plans, and
        creating patterns from the ships lines is the best. Many people
        abandon the solid hull that came with the kit, and create their
        own plank-on-frame/plank-on-bulkhead hull (deviating from the
        kit in an attempt to create a more accurate/appealing model is
        quite a common practice among ship modelers). <Monica Chaban>
         ***I usually mount paper templates on some sort of card stock,
        adding stripwood as needed to stiffen the body. <Kurt (Seaphoto)>
         ***IMHO stiff white cardboard has the minimal stiffness and
        durability for hull templates. Mattboard found in art supply
        shops for matting pictures would be ideal.
         You would, for example, fix the printed template patterns to
        the mattboard with rubber cement (not water-based glue) and
        cut as close to the line as you dare with a fine fretsaw or
        power jigsaw, then clean it up with sandpaper to the line.
        Some hull section diagrams are printed in such a way that you
        might need the additional step of tracing them with high
        quality tracing paper (also from your art supply shop) and
        then cementing the traced pattern onto cardboard. <Septimus>
         ***...good quality card (file folder stock, etc.) stock (or
        thin sheet styrene, or even metal, such as stock from aluminum
        soda cans), and trim that to shape.
         A good idea is to block up the hull so the waterline *or* keel
        is level, and then cut a "tab" on the pattern so it can sit
        using the table as a reference plane...that's more work, but
        it's also more accurate than trying to fit the pattern to the
        hull at the keel and shear line only. <John Kopf>
         ***Even better for templates is 1/64" thick aircraft ply. The
        rubber cement and cut-pout process is just as described above.
        It's very durable. <Clay Feldman>
         ***Regardless, Use something with a bit more stiffness than
        paper. Even 'shirt cardboard' works.  The pointer about adding
        'tabs' which would permit setting all to a horizontal waterline
        is very useful.  Try to keep the working edge of the template
        as thin as possible while retaining the necessary rigidity.
        <RAIcorn824>
         ***...The plywood works great as it is strong and stiff.  The
        balsa has a tendancy to be soft when pressed against the hull
        to check on dimensions. <David Loseke>
         ***If you're transferring the pattern to thim aircraft plywood,
        make a Xerox, lay it face down on the wood and wipe the back
        with gasoline or another serious thinner in a rag. (Don't
        smoke while you're doing this.)  The right amount of soaking
        and pressure will transfer the Xerox powder to the wood. <Burl
        Burlingame>
         ***don't use gasoline for anything except motor fuel.  A
        friend of my sons was burned to death while cleaning dirt bike
        parts in a can of gasoline. The spark that ignited the vapor
        was over 20 feet away.
         A safer method is to heat transfer it. Place the paper on the
        wood, with the toner against the wood and iron it with a normal
        clothes iron, set to a high temp. Hold the iron on for a few
        seconds, then peel the paper off.
         Sometimes this will cause the wood to develop a curve - if you
        heat only  one side of it, so also iron the back side of the
        wood and it will flatten out.
         There are special toners made to transfer eaisly, but the
        standard stuff of a copy machine or laser printer works fine.
        <Ron Ginger>
         ***Actually, ball-point pen works well too...put your drawing
        ink-side down onto the wood and iron the ink into it.
        <John O. Kopf>



12.     I'm a little mystified by the process of cutting the bevel(s)
        on a bulkhead  or frame of a wooden ship model?
    A:  Good plans will have three views -- the "plan" (top view),
        profile (side), and "section" (slices through the hull
        perpendicular to the other two).
         From the section view, trace the horizontal and vertical lines
        that correspond to the water- and "buttock" lines.
         On the plan and profile views, draw a pair of lines that
        correspond to the front and back edge of the bulkhead or frame.
         Using dividers, transfer each intersection between the drawn
        lines and the water lines and buttock lines to the drawing;
        fair these up with a smooth curve.  You'll now have a single
        drawing of the bulkhead showing BOTH the front and back edges.
         Glue this to the wood, and saw to the outside line. Now bevel
        from the back (*outside*) to the front at the *inner* line --
        the bevels are now complete, and it can be put into place.
        <John O. Kopf>
         ***Yes, several methods are available..  First, obtain a copy
        of Underhill's book "Plank on Frame Models", volume 1.
         Second, get / buy / make about a dozen 'battens' approximately
        10% or even 15% longer than the hull oength. Take the first
        batten (actually a pair) tack one end to the stem and the other
        to the stern,  "wherever it fits", providing the midships
        section was parallel to your datum line.  Take note of the
        difference in contact with the 'frame' (actually bulkhead).
         Now divide the spaces and insert additional battens.  In a very
        short time, you will see a pattern developing - the side of the
        frame closest to the maximum hull dimension will show maximum
        contact with the batten, and there will be a gap fore or aft.
         At this point you have a couple of choices: shave down the high
        spots on the bulkheads or build up the low spots. (Either will
        be a compromise!)  What you are shooting for is a batten (or
        fairing strip, or whatever you choose to call it) making *solid
        contact* along the 'face' of each bulkhead the entire length of
        the vessel.  In any case, with the exception of the 'dead flat'
        (read more about lofting if the term is unknown), the edge
        surfaces of the bulkheads should never be parallel to the
        longitudinal axis of the vessel (unless you are building a coal
        or garbage barge).  Repeating myself, but Underhill's book
        provides probably the most lucid description ever written for
        modellers on how to cope with the thickness of frames/bulkheads.
        <RAIcorn824>



13.     How do you drill the mast holes in a solid-hull ship model?
    A:  There are several ways you can try.
         For the mast holes, you could jig up the hull so it's
        perpendicular side-wise and inclined to the mast angle, and
        drill the holes using drill-press (assuming you have access to
        one).
         A second possibility is to recognize that a drill will tend to
        follow a smaller hole, and a small hole is easier to drill and
        align -- make one template with short "legs" that will sit on
        the deck and has a center-line drawn on it;  make a second
        "triangle" for the angle between the mast and the deck (NOT the
        base).  Use these to drill the "Pilot hole" for the mast, and
        then drill it out to size using successively larger drills.
         A third possibility recognizes that the real ship did not have a
        "tight" hole for the mast to go through - they made the hole
        over-size and then used wedges between the sides of the hole and
        the mast to move the mast into position.  You can do the same
        thing by drilling a small hole and making a "stub peg" on the
        bottom of the mast, and then enlarging the upper portion of the
        hole so that the mast is a "rattling" fit to it.  The peg will
        then locate the bottom of the mast, and wedges can be used to
        bring the mast - at the deck level - to the correct position.
         The "mast coat" will hide these.  The bowsprite is a different
        problem.  Much depends on whether the bowsprite heel is "buried"
        in the hull, or rests on the deck.  If the latter, simply drill
        a small hole and enlarge it with a rat-tail file.  If the
        former, you might want to consider either drilling a series of
        increasingly larger holes as in method 2 for the mast, or making
        the final hole undersize, and then trimming the heel of the
        bowsprit to fit.