Welcome to RatLines!
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Cast Your Anchor wishes all of our friends the best this Holiday SeasonWe continue to enjoy seeing and chatting with all of our friends here at Cast Your Anchor and hope that you are enjoying the hobby of model ship building.
Santa Specials: Just in time for Christmas: We would like to tell you about all of the specials that we have in our store but they’re too numerous to mention. Come on down and enjoy the sights and sound of Cast Your Anchor. We look forward to seeing you this coming year.
Web Site: Don’t forget to visit our website http://castyouranchorhobby.com/. We offer information directed solely for model ship builders. You’ll find useful tips, a wide variety of kits, tools & parts for all your shipbuilding needs. We even have a Scratch Builder’s section. What comes after the foghorn?
Articles: In our endeavour to make the building of a ship model a pleasure, we continue to produce articles on step by step procedures that provide lots of helpful tips to help you with the build. After all, your success is our success. So far the articles have been; How to Choose a Ship Model Kit; Ship Modeling Decisions; Ship Model Jigs; Building Ship Model Hulls and; Planking Ship Model Hulls. The next article will be on Ship Model Deck Planking. If you would like a copy of any of these articles just contact the store and we’ll email it to you.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Building Ship Model Hulls
Building Ship Model Hulls
In comparison with the intricate tasks involved in making some of the tiny detail components, the construction of the hull is just as important. You have to work to a high standard of accuracy ensuring that the hull is not crooked or planks are not buckled and wavy. In the building of a closed hull or plank-on-bulkhead model ship, by far the most popular type of construction, the false keel and bulkheads are the underpinning of both the structure and form of your model.
The three types of models are frame, admiralty and fully planked. The fully planked closed hull is the easiest to build but still requires great care. After removing any spurious material from the laser cut false keel and bulkheads, start at either end by applying the bulkheads. Very often the precut bulkheads - the solid anthwartships – found on plank on bulkhead ship model are out of symmetry and off centre. If you assemble them without correcting the imperfections, you end up with an uneven hull profile.
Place a bulkhead piece from your kit on a thick piece of paper and trace its outline. Cut around the outline, fold the paper in half making sure that the upper outer edges are matched and clipped together before you crease it in the middle. The crease will produce a true centerline and show if the lower outer edges are cut unevenly or if the keel slot in the frame is off centre. If the outer edges are misaligned, remove the excess on the pattern with scissors to even out the edges of the two halves. Return the folded pattern to the bulkhead frame, mark and file off the excess from the frame itself and draw the centerline. If the keel slot is out of centre with the pattern, mark it on the false keel. Repeat this on the other side of the frame by just turning the pattern over and aligning it on the previously drawn centerline.
Next correct the bulkhead frame’s outer profile by filing off any excess you have marked. If the center slot is out of alignment with the centerline, glue on thin strips of wood to fill one side and remove the excess on the other side. Finally, draw the centerline on the top edge of the bulkhead. This mark will help line up the frame with the keel during the actual assembly. If you repeat this procedure with every bulkhead, you will end up with a symmetrical hull profile.
When assembling the bulkheads to the false keel, make sure that the centre of each bulkhead is aligned with the keel, the tops of the frames are flush with the upper edge of the keel and that the frames are neither too tight nor too loose in the keel notches.
One trick is to use the false deck as an aligning method for the bulkhead frames. With a pencil, mark the centerline on both the top and bottom of the false deck. Place the keel on the deck and mark the outline of each of the frame slots on the deck line. With a square, mark the bulkhead lines on both sides and top and bottom of the false deck. Then you can begin the assembly process.
Place and pin the false deck on top of the false keel. Then make sure that every bulkhead frame is exactly on its line under the deck.
Each bulkhead has to be positioned at true right angles to the false keel. Attach the frame by means of wood glue and reinforce with pins. Glue has a tendency to distort the false keel so make sure that one bulkhead is put on at a time and continually check for warpage. Once all the bulkheads are in position and fastened firmly take a long piece of sandpaper wrapped wood or a rasp and gently sand the shape of the bulkheads ensuring clean lines from bow to stern and that the port side mirrors the starboard side without any concave or convex areas.
In order to avoid warpage over time, you can apply a coat of diluted glue or vanish to seal the wood cells.
There are various tools available to help make this job easy to deal with. A Fair-A Frame holds and aligns both the false keel and bulkheads during assembly. A Keel Klamp or a Timber Tapering Tool will help ensure that the false keel does not warp during construction. And a small square is an invaluable aid. Remember that no matter what tool you use, you are building the skeleton of your ship model. You must get this right to have your model looking its best when it is complete.
In comparison with the intricate tasks involved in making some of the tiny detail components, the construction of the hull is just as important. You have to work to a high standard of accuracy ensuring that the hull is not crooked or planks are not buckled and wavy. In the building of a closed hull or plank-on-bulkhead model ship, by far the most popular type of construction, the false keel and bulkheads are the underpinning of both the structure and form of your model.
The three types of models are frame, admiralty and fully planked. The fully planked closed hull is the easiest to build but still requires great care. After removing any spurious material from the laser cut false keel and bulkheads, start at either end by applying the bulkheads. Very often the precut bulkheads - the solid anthwartships – found on plank on bulkhead ship model are out of symmetry and off centre. If you assemble them without correcting the imperfections, you end up with an uneven hull profile.
Place a bulkhead piece from your kit on a thick piece of paper and trace its outline. Cut around the outline, fold the paper in half making sure that the upper outer edges are matched and clipped together before you crease it in the middle. The crease will produce a true centerline and show if the lower outer edges are cut unevenly or if the keel slot in the frame is off centre. If the outer edges are misaligned, remove the excess on the pattern with scissors to even out the edges of the two halves. Return the folded pattern to the bulkhead frame, mark and file off the excess from the frame itself and draw the centerline. If the keel slot is out of centre with the pattern, mark it on the false keel. Repeat this on the other side of the frame by just turning the pattern over and aligning it on the previously drawn centerline.
Next correct the bulkhead frame’s outer profile by filing off any excess you have marked. If the center slot is out of alignment with the centerline, glue on thin strips of wood to fill one side and remove the excess on the other side. Finally, draw the centerline on the top edge of the bulkhead. This mark will help line up the frame with the keel during the actual assembly. If you repeat this procedure with every bulkhead, you will end up with a symmetrical hull profile.
When assembling the bulkheads to the false keel, make sure that the centre of each bulkhead is aligned with the keel, the tops of the frames are flush with the upper edge of the keel and that the frames are neither too tight nor too loose in the keel notches.
One trick is to use the false deck as an aligning method for the bulkhead frames. With a pencil, mark the centerline on both the top and bottom of the false deck. Place the keel on the deck and mark the outline of each of the frame slots on the deck line. With a square, mark the bulkhead lines on both sides and top and bottom of the false deck. Then you can begin the assembly process.
Place and pin the false deck on top of the false keel. Then make sure that every bulkhead frame is exactly on its line under the deck.
Each bulkhead has to be positioned at true right angles to the false keel. Attach the frame by means of wood glue and reinforce with pins. Glue has a tendency to distort the false keel so make sure that one bulkhead is put on at a time and continually check for warpage. Once all the bulkheads are in position and fastened firmly take a long piece of sandpaper wrapped wood or a rasp and gently sand the shape of the bulkheads ensuring clean lines from bow to stern and that the port side mirrors the starboard side without any concave or convex areas.
In order to avoid warpage over time, you can apply a coat of diluted glue or vanish to seal the wood cells.
There are various tools available to help make this job easy to deal with. A Fair-A Frame holds and aligns both the false keel and bulkheads during assembly. A Keel Klamp or a Timber Tapering Tool will help ensure that the false keel does not warp during construction. And a small square is an invaluable aid. Remember that no matter what tool you use, you are building the skeleton of your ship model. You must get this right to have your model looking its best when it is complete.
November Newsletter
Welcome to RatLines!
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What’s New?
Celebrating our 7th Year in Business
Did you know that Cast Your Anchor is celebrating its 7th year in business this month? Oh how time flies when you’re building a ship model. It all started off with a visit to the Ontario Science Centre 40 years ago so in a virtual sense, Cast Your Anchor has been in existence for forty years. . We’re still having fun and hope to be around for many more years.
Ship Model Fittings Catalogue
Cast Your Anchor is continuing to work on our new ship model fittings catalogue. It will be available this month. For those of you who have indicated you want a copy, we will be mailing it out to you soon.
Make Ship Model Building Easier
Just in time for Christmas, Cast Your Anchor is offering a free How to Assemble a Wooden Model Ship DVD with every kit purchased over $200. This DVD explains in simple, easy to understand terms how to build a wooden ship model. A must have for both the novice and experienced ship model builder. Remember that in ship model building there are no “right” techniques. It’s always beneficial to understand the techniques that others use in assembling a wooden ship model.
When you place your order either on line or by phone just indicate that you would like a copy of the Best Ship Modeling Assembly Instructions DVD in the World!
Own a Piece of the Bluenose II
A new offering from Cast Your Anchor. The Bluenose II kit from Artesania Latina, assembly DVD, tool kit and the book Bluenose II Measured Drawings by L.B.Jenson all for the low price of $279.95. But wait – there’s more. Buy this set and we’ll throw in a piece of the hull of the Bluenose II – a $50 value. This historical piece is authenticated by the Bluenose Company Store in Lunenburg NS. What a great incentive to build the best know Canadian vessel ever! Need another incentive? If you have been thinking about building the Artesania Latina Bluenose II model ship, now is the time to act. The current kit has been discontinued but will be replaced with a revised edition. The good news is that the revised kit has better detailing. The bad news is that the price has substantially increased. The new price will be $299.95 just for the kit. Back to the good news - Cast Your Anchor has 7 of the discontinued kits left. So yes, it’s time to act.
Feature Kit of the Month
This month’s feature kit by Cast Your Anchor is the Victoria Radio Control Sailboat. Our kit includes the sail boat, 2 channel radio, tweezers, hobby knife, CA glue and the book, Basics of Ship Modeling for a price of $289.95.
What’s that – you want another great deal? Ok, how about this. All woodcarving tools and file sets at an incredible 25% off website listed prices. As an example, PROFESSIONAL QUALITY CABINETMAKER’S CHISEL SET - 12 PCS. Professional quality chisel set contains 12 different carving shapes ranging in size from 1/4" to 1/2". Steel blades with wooden handles. Overall length 7-1/2" to 8" for a price of only $22.46. Call us to receive the discount on your order.
≠
What’s New?
Celebrating our 7th Year in Business
Did you know that Cast Your Anchor is celebrating its 7th year in business this month? Oh how time flies when you’re building a ship model. It all started off with a visit to the Ontario Science Centre 40 years ago so in a virtual sense, Cast Your Anchor has been in existence for forty years. . We’re still having fun and hope to be around for many more years.
Ship Model Fittings Catalogue
Cast Your Anchor is continuing to work on our new ship model fittings catalogue. It will be available this month. For those of you who have indicated you want a copy, we will be mailing it out to you soon.
Make Ship Model Building Easier
Just in time for Christmas, Cast Your Anchor is offering a free How to Assemble a Wooden Model Ship DVD with every kit purchased over $200. This DVD explains in simple, easy to understand terms how to build a wooden ship model. A must have for both the novice and experienced ship model builder. Remember that in ship model building there are no “right” techniques. It’s always beneficial to understand the techniques that others use in assembling a wooden ship model.
When you place your order either on line or by phone just indicate that you would like a copy of the Best Ship Modeling Assembly Instructions DVD in the World!
Own a Piece of the Bluenose II
A new offering from Cast Your Anchor. The Bluenose II kit from Artesania Latina, assembly DVD, tool kit and the book Bluenose II Measured Drawings by L.B.Jenson all for the low price of $279.95. But wait – there’s more. Buy this set and we’ll throw in a piece of the hull of the Bluenose II – a $50 value. This historical piece is authenticated by the Bluenose Company Store in Lunenburg NS. What a great incentive to build the best know Canadian vessel ever! Need another incentive? If you have been thinking about building the Artesania Latina Bluenose II model ship, now is the time to act. The current kit has been discontinued but will be replaced with a revised edition. The good news is that the revised kit has better detailing. The bad news is that the price has substantially increased. The new price will be $299.95 just for the kit. Back to the good news - Cast Your Anchor has 7 of the discontinued kits left. So yes, it’s time to act.
Feature Kit of the Month
This month’s feature kit by Cast Your Anchor is the Victoria Radio Control Sailboat. Our kit includes the sail boat, 2 channel radio, tweezers, hobby knife, CA glue and the book, Basics of Ship Modeling for a price of $289.95.
What’s that – you want another great deal? Ok, how about this. All woodcarving tools and file sets at an incredible 25% off website listed prices. As an example, PROFESSIONAL QUALITY CABINETMAKER’S CHISEL SET - 12 PCS. Professional quality chisel set contains 12 different carving shapes ranging in size from 1/4" to 1/2". Steel blades with wooden handles. Overall length 7-1/2" to 8" for a price of only $22.46. Call us to receive the discount on your order.
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