Newbie needing help on Plans

[jimguk2000]

Hi, so I’ve built a couple of ships from kits (Polaris and HMS Victory) and wanted to try my hand at a self-build, I.e. no kit.

I asked ChatGPT (don’t groan please) and it appeared very helpful pointing me to a site where I could download a Russian tugboat plan. It then told me to scale it based on the original length of the boat, but I can’t see how. I’m told to take the length of the boat and apply a scale of 1:96 then when printing you apply the scale to get the length of the plan to use as a template.

But, I can’t find a reference to the length of the actual boat to be able to apply a scale!?

Anyone here able to offer some guideline please, or point me to a good starter plan?

 

[fourseas]

Welcome to the SOS Group. 1st of all I would search for an actual vessel with specifications listed of the type that you want to build, and then work your scale calculations for your model size. Your calculations are going to effect every single component of that build, not just hull size. 2nd be very cautious of a set of internet plans that are asking you to scale and build this way. Since this is your first scratch build you need to start out with an excellent set of drawings that details every component. I am not saying that you can't rescale a set of drawings to the size of ship that you want, but give yourself a fighting chance of success with a good set of plans to begin with.

 

[Dave Stevens (Lumberyard)]

first lets start with what you want to build
go here to get an idea of what is available

PLANS

Every once in a while, there will be a post where do i get ships plans? good question but to general to answer, Ship plans come in a variety of forms like original shipyard drawings, modeling plans, plank on frame plans, plank on bulkhead plans, plans from kits and plans out of books. Here is a...

shipsofscale.com

then we can walk you through the process of plans how to use them

 

[jimguk2000]

Oh wow! Thanks very h for the pointers but I can’t a reference clearly see that I’m a bit over ambitious, I need to get a couple or more kits under my belt first! Still, great pointers!thank you.

 

[Greg Davis]

Oh wow! Thanks very h for the pointers but I can’t a reference clearly see that I’m a bit over ambitious, I need to get a couple or more kits under my belt first! Still, great pointers!thank you.

Don’t underestimate your abilities / overestimate the work involved in scratch building a model ship.

Successfully, completing Victory is no small task! There are scratch building opportunities that are not as difficult as what you have already accomplished.

 

[Dave Stevens (Lumberyard)]

you do not need more kits as Greg is telling you. Scratch building is not difficult and sometimes building a kit is harder to do. Kits teach you how to build kits scratch building is a different approach to the hobby, not harder just different.

 

[Dave Stevens (Lumberyard)]

if your interested in a tug boat check this topic out, it takes you from original plans to converting them to modeling plans, research, and a build.

as far as modeling plans go they are free and available

tug boat ALVA B

The Alva B had a 22" bore x 24" stroke, 425 hp 2 120 rpm, HPNC (High Pressure Non-Condensing) engine built by Whitman Co., Buffalo, NY and a 8'2" x 15", 140 psi, firebox boiler, built by Lake Erie Boiler Works, Buffalo, NY. Of the 11 tugs built between 1888 & 1893, 10 had HPNC engines of which...

shipsofscale.com

 

[Roger Pellett]

This is a marathon, not a sprint and there are probably well over 1000 ships that are well enough documented for constructing a model. So! what interest you? Building something for which you have a compelling interest will keep you interested over the long haul.

Your interest should determine your model’s category:

Ancient era vessels
Nelson era navy
Merchant sail
Merchant Powered vessels
Fishing vessels
And many more..

Within each category are many choices. For example, let’s say that you have an interest in Nelson era navy. It’s not necessary to build a model of HMS Victory. There are many smaller sailing warships that in my humble opinion are candidates for much more interesting models and built to a reasonable scale will not compete for space in a modern home.

Do some thinking, decide what you want to build, then there are SOS members who can give you advise on sources for plans.

Roger

 

[DAWarden-(Jaager)]

This is my personal take on what you are asking .
Scratch is a different world from kits. It is similar to finding yourself on a different planet. The climate is different. The predators are different. To survive requires that you have a serious prior in depth briefing.
This means reading. Books that explain and demonstrate the different choices for scratch building. It appears that your exposure so far has been the absolute worst build method. Books are best for this. I leave it to others for useful title suggestions. The relevant journals have essentially long ago abandoned scratch as their focus. Even when it was a major focus, lessons in HOW to do it were rare. What you are asking suggests that you are attempting to skip some necessary introductory steps. There is no faculty to fail you. There are no boards. There are no committees to pass judgment. You are alone on this new planet. If you go in without a map, without a firm predetermined objective and destination you will fail you. Gentle slopes will seem to be insurmountable walls.

To be sure, there are those who can bull their way into scratch and thrive. Those who can do this do not ask for advice. They would probably be insulted by the thought that they would need to ask for advice. They probably seldom if ever visit on-line forums. They probably never post, even if they visit.

Watercraft that are possible subjects for modeling encompasses a broad spectrum of possibilities and types. Unless you are in your 20's - a drastic narrowing of type and era is a survival step for doing scratch. You can bounce around all over the field if you stick with kits. Someone else has done all of the design and planning work. Although there is much opportunity to add it, there is not much intellectual effort required You can just DO. You do not need to KNOW. Proper scratch requires a serious intellectual component.

Polaris is a relatively simple wooden two masted schooner. I am not sure that it was even an actual vessel. It looks to be an effective introduction to being able to build using the odious POB method.
Victory 1765 is at the other extreme. A historically accurate scratch build of one its many versions would be a magnum opus. For wooden sail it does not get more complicated. If you have completed kits of both, there is nothing more that a POB kit can teach you.

A near modern tugboat has very little in common with what you have already built. A proper scratch build would involve techniques and engineering that has little in common with vessels from the Golden Age of sail. However - If you build using POB, I guess your prior experience would be enough help. POB has almost zero relevance to how actual ships were built. It is a waste of possibilities involved with scratch to build using POB. It is a way of getting quickly past what should be an interesting part of the build. The swimming body is the scientific part of what makes a ship a ship. The rest of it could just as well be sitting on a floating barge.

A tug is a different category from stick and string. Being that you are new, I advise picking a narrow focus at least when beginning all this. You need to do your homework to discover just what are the possibilities. You can then focus down on a manageable fraction of it.