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I was wondering if some one could tell me where I could buy plans for scratch building ships please. I live in Canada and want to scratch build a ship. Thanks.
scratch building
- Thread starter BluestreekCustoms
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The range of subjects and sources is so huge as to make it impossible to answer your question. Subjects range from small boats to sailing ships, warships, or various steamships. Since you live in Canada, Great Lakes vessels might interest you.
Choice of sources is also vast, ranging from pre-packaged plan sets for ship modelers to original builders plans.
I have been scratch building ship models for over 40 years and would be pleased to help if you can focus on the ship, boat, or ship type that interests you. Some idea of your skill level and workshop situation would also be helpful.
Roger
Choice of sources is also vast, ranging from pre-packaged plan sets for ship modelers to original builders plans.
I have been scratch building ship models for over 40 years and would be pleased to help if you can focus on the ship, boat, or ship type that interests you. Some idea of your skill level and workshop situation would also be helpful.
Roger
What Roger said...... There are about 800 high resolution plans on the Wiki Commons website, thousands in low resolution on the RMG Collections site that can also be purchased in high res, more in the Danish Archives. The Library of Congress, and list goes on. There are volumes for building at Seawatch Books such as Euryalus, Young America, and Naiad, that explain everything from start to finish and include plans based on contemporary sources as well as every frame drawing and other details.
As Roger says, if you could specify a nation, era, type, etc. I have no doubt you will get a lot of valid information from the membership here. A key for many scratchers is using contemporary plans, contracts, and scantlings, and/or plans that are known to be based on these contemporary sources.
Allan
As Roger says, if you could specify a nation, era, type, etc. I have no doubt you will get a lot of valid information from the membership here. A key for many scratchers is using contemporary plans, contracts, and scantlings, and/or plans that are known to be based on these contemporary sources.
Allan
40 years ago, I got mine plans for HMS Serapis (Roebuck plans) fro the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. She was an English ship, so I wrote to them snail mail and over a period of a few months we determined they could send plans if I provided a "cheque" for the appropriate amount.
Now, if you have a ship in mind, the internet is a powerful tool.
Finally, there are also several "how to scratch build XYZ ship". Here is an example for the HMS Warrior on Amazon that will walk a builder through all the steps to build a scratch model of the HMS Warrior. IMHO these are for experienced craftsman, with lathes/CNC equipment and skills in using them.
Warrior Practicum
Finally, a scratch build is very difficult to execute well, if you have no experience!! There are many kit makers that, if you take your time, invest in the tools and learn the techniques, will produce a nice model you can display and be proud of. I did not try a scratch build until I had completed 3 kits from the company in the link below. See signature for the ships I built before going scratch.
Artesania Latina Catalog
Now, if you have a ship in mind, the internet is a powerful tool.
Finally, there are also several "how to scratch build XYZ ship". Here is an example for the HMS Warrior on Amazon that will walk a builder through all the steps to build a scratch model of the HMS Warrior. IMHO these are for experienced craftsman, with lathes/CNC equipment and skills in using them.
Warrior Practicum
Finally, a scratch build is very difficult to execute well, if you have no experience!! There are many kit makers that, if you take your time, invest in the tools and learn the techniques, will produce a nice model you can display and be proud of. I did not try a scratch build until I had completed 3 kits from the company in the link below. See signature for the ships I built before going scratch.
Artesania Latina Catalog
Look at the lumberyard for model shipwrights. The link is in the vendors section of our forum.
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Ship Design Drawings https://archive.org/details/ship-design-drawings
I repectfully disagree. It is FRUSTRATING at times but not difficult. My first two wooden ship builds were in the 1970s. I chose stupidly (HMS Victory both times) but with the help of Longridge and basic old tools that I had, I got through it. They are both still on display with their owners. If I could choose to do it over I would start with something simpler like a schooner or a 5th rate or 6th rate but it worked out.
Allan
Do you have a link to the Wiki commons site with the plans? Thanks.
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Dr. Poly ???
Attached. It is alphabetical, but for some reason goes for a couple pages, then starts from A to Z again with a lot more pages. There are about 3000, but only 800 are high resolution. Also, looking at RMG, some drawings for a given ship are missing on the Wiki site. For example there may be 4 or 5 high res on the Wiki site, but then it is a good idea to do a search of that ship on the RMG Collections site to see if there are more. On the Wiki site, those in high res can also be downloaded in medium or low resolution as well as high res. I did a set up with all the high res and fill ins with low res by number of guns plus ships' boats so it is easy to find them I would love to make this available to anyone that wants them here at SoS but it is 50 gB so not possible as far as I know.
Allan
commons.wikimedia.org
Attached. It is alphabetical, but for some reason goes for a couple pages, then starts from A to Z again with a lot more pages. There are about 3000, but only 800 are high resolution. Also, looking at RMG, some drawings for a given ship are missing on the Wiki site. For example there may be 4 or 5 high res on the Wiki site, but then it is a good idea to do a search of that ship on the RMG Collections site to see if there are more. On the Wiki site, those in high res can also be downloaded in medium or low resolution as well as high res. I did a set up with all the high res and fill ins with low res by number of guns plus ships' boats so it is easy to find them I would love to make this available to anyone that wants them here at SoS but it is 50 gB so not possible as far as I know.
Allan
Category:Ship plans of the Royal Museums Greenwich - Wikimedia Commons
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Hello, I would be interested.FrankDr. Poly ???
Attached. It is alphabetical, but for some reason goes for a couple pages, then starts from A to Z again with a lot more pages. There are about 3000, but only 800 are high resolution. Also, looking at RMG, some drawings for a given ship are missing on the Wiki site. For example there may be 4 or 5 high res on the Wiki site, but then it is a good idea to do a search of that ship on the RMG Collections site to see if there are more. On the Wiki site, those in high res can also be downloaded in medium or low resolution as well as high res. I did a set up with all the high res and fill ins with low res by number of guns plus ships' boats so it is easy to find them I would love to make this available to anyone that wants them here at SoS but it is 50 gB so not possible as far as I know.
Allan
Category:Ship plans of the Royal Museums Greenwich - Wikimedia Commons
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the plans you get from museum archives are not modeling plans so you would need to do a lot of drawing work to convert them to usable plans to build a model.
I also depends on what ship and the type of model plank on frame or plank on bulkhead
Harold Hahn has a collection of modeling plans that are POF but you can easily convert them to POB.
I also depends on what ship and the type of model plank on frame or plank on bulkhead
Harold Hahn has a collection of modeling plans that are POF but you can easily convert them to POB.
Please tell me how to correctly decipher POF and POB.
Photos of scratch builds in POF and POB from plans at RMG are below.
POF --> Plank on frame
POB --> plank on bulkhead
Drawing the POB bulkheads werejust must a matter of using the body plan drawing from RMG.
I totally agree with Dave regarding POF. It requires hand drawn or CAD renditions of every frame with appropriate futtocks and floors. The body plan was the starting point, but it took hundreds of hours to complete all of the drawings for the plank on frame build.
The Hahn drawings Dave mentions are quite good, and if you wish to build a different ship in POB, it is really pretty easy as long as you have the body plan to get the hull shape.
Allan
POF --> Plank on frame
POB --> plank on bulkhead
Drawing the POB bulkheads werejust must a matter of using the body plan drawing from RMG.
I totally agree with Dave regarding POF. It requires hand drawn or CAD renditions of every frame with appropriate futtocks and floors. The body plan was the starting point, but it took hundreds of hours to complete all of the drawings for the plank on frame build.
The Hahn drawings Dave mentions are quite good, and if you wish to build a different ship in POB, it is really pretty easy as long as you have the body plan to get the hull shape.
Allan
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This YouTube video may be worth watching.....Please tell me how to correctly decipher POF and POB.
Thanks. It is an interesting collection for sure.Dr. Poly ???
Attached. It is alphabetical, but for some reason goes for a couple pages, then starts from A to Z again with a lot more pages. There are about 3000, but only 800 are high resolution. Also, looking at RMG, some drawings for a given ship are missing on the Wiki site. For example there may be 4 or 5 high res on the Wiki site, but then it is a good idea to do a search of that ship on the RMG Collections site to see if there are more. On the Wiki site, those in high res can also be downloaded in medium or low resolution as well as high res. I did a set up with all the high res and fill ins with low res by number of guns plus ships' boats so it is easy to find them I would love to make this available to anyone that wants them here at SoS but it is 50 gB so not possible as far as I know.
Allan
Category:Ship plans of the Royal Museums Greenwich - Wikimedia Commons
I have a partial scratch build project upcoming and would appreciate suggestions about my planned strategy.
I bought the USF Essex kit without realizing it was an "admiralty" version, without full masts and spars. Without any sort of American jingoism, I'm not interested in the admiralty approach. Essex is almost ready for masts and spars. Happily the plans include partial masts. Also happily the kit is the same scale as my completed HMS Surprise and almost exactly the same size.
I've done some arithmetic and figured out the dimensions of the masts and spars needed for Essex. Between dowels, leftovers from other kits, and chopsticks, I've collected enough material for masts and spars and cut them to size. I've also figured out the dimensions of various platforms and connectors.
As with other projects, I plan to build each mast off the ship, then dry fit each before gluing in place. Then it's the rigging that needs to be designed and manufactured.
Suggestions, comments, and criticisms are welcomed.
I bought the USF Essex kit without realizing it was an "admiralty" version, without full masts and spars. Without any sort of American jingoism, I'm not interested in the admiralty approach. Essex is almost ready for masts and spars. Happily the plans include partial masts. Also happily the kit is the same scale as my completed HMS Surprise and almost exactly the same size.
I've done some arithmetic and figured out the dimensions of the masts and spars needed for Essex. Between dowels, leftovers from other kits, and chopsticks, I've collected enough material for masts and spars and cut them to size. I've also figured out the dimensions of various platforms and connectors.
As with other projects, I plan to build each mast off the ship, then dry fit each before gluing in place. Then it's the rigging that needs to be designed and manufactured.
Suggestions, comments, and criticisms are welcomed.
Is the Essex also available as a full model? If so, could you get the plans for it?
Philski,
Thanks for the suggestion. I will research and report to the forum if anything turns up.
Thanks for the suggestion. I will research and report to the forum if anything turns up.