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Water line help

N

Neckbone

Joined
Feb 2, 2025
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I'm just starting my first model which is going good. But something has been bothering me even though the task is a long ways off. I believe I can trace a water line on my hull without problem. What puzzles me is how the attitude of the hull is achieved or referenced from. Side to side is easy. The bow to stern needs to be at the attitude that the hull would normally sit in the water. Is there some method other than eye balling it?
Thanks
 
The method I use is something like this: make sure the ship is stably clamped in place with the correct amount of deadrise (in this case, I’m referring to the angle between the waterline and keel). I have an adjustable height pencil holder that clamps a pencil perpendicular to the workbench. Once I set the height of the pencil to match the location of the waterline, I just slide it around the workbench to trace the waterline onto the hull.
 
Namabiiru said:
The method I use is something like this: make sure the ship is stably clamped in place with the correct amount of deadrise (in this case, I’m referring to the angle between the waterline and keel). I have an adjustable height pencil holder that clamps a pencil perpendicular to the workbench. Once I set the height of the pencil to match the location of the waterline, I just slide it around the workbench to trace the waterline onto the hull.
Click to expand...
I think I can pull off the pencil line around the hull. My question is how to position the hull as it would sit in the water. The boat design may have the bow higher than the stern, but by how much? what is the reference point, or points?
 
Neckbone said:
I think I can pull off the pencil line around the hull. My question is how to position the hull as it would sit in the water. The boat design may have the bow higher than the stern, but by how much? what is the reference point, or points?
Click to expand...
On the plans, measure off two points on the keel. Find the distance between each point and its corresponding point on the waterline (by corresponding, I mean
Neckbone said:
I think I can pull off the pencil line around the hull. My question is how to position the hull as it would sit in the water. The boat design may have the bow higher than the stern, but by how much? what is the reference point, or points?
Click to expand...
first off, you will need a slipway capable of holding the ship at the correct angle, but you should find plenty of ideas for that on the internet.

Draw a line at the lowest point of the keel on the plans and parallel with the waterline, then measure the angle between that line and the keel. When you clamp the model into your slipway, place the keel at that angle. I used a long piece of veneer (cardstock will also work) cut to the correct angle to use as a gage.

Now just figure out how high above your work surface the model is by measuring the distance to the lowest point on the keel. Add that to the distance on the plans between the waterline and the parallel line you drew. That will tell you were to set the pencil holder.

Once you line up the pencil holder with the hull you can step back and compare with the plans to see if it looks right. If it does, mark your waterline on the hull. If not, go back through the steps to figure out what went wrong.

Hope this makes sense and is helpful.
 
Sorry guys. I found the water line drawn in on a blue print deeper in the pile. A lot of hand wringing for nothing. Impressed with the great responses. Thanks
 
Neckbone said:
Sorry guys. I found the water line drawn in on a blue print deeper in the pile. A lot of hand wringing for nothing. Impressed with the great responses. Thanks
Click to expand...
Oops. I guess I never figured out that your issue was that you couldn’t find the waterline on the plans. Would have had to use the TLAR method to resolve that. Glad you found it.
 
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To get to your question of how to get it level correctly, once you mark the WL location at stem and stern, and mount it, then use small ruler to measure that front and back are same height off of work surface that you will use to move marking pencil around.
 
I bought a water-line marker from Model Expo a few years ago, which works beautifully. It's adjustable, made of wood, & is simple to use. But I don't know if they still sell them.
Rick1011
 
rick robbins said:
I bought a water-line marker from Model Expo a few years ago, which works beautifully. It's adjustable, made of wood, & is simple to use. But I don't know if they still sell them.
Rick1011
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They still have them. I ordered one. Shipping was more the jig which was six and change. Thanks for the tip.
 
Do you happen to have a "thrid hand". I use mine for water lines. First secure the ship making sure it is leval, place the pencil in the two alligator clips at the right spot and draw the line. Here is mine but it is holding deadeyes for seizing right now,

20250108_133407.jpg
You can see that you just have to put the pencil in the jaws , make sure everything is tight before starting then just draw the line.
Of course this is just the way I do mine. I have seen a jig that was just a empty toilet paper roll pencil pushed through at the right spot, lol , but it worked. Just another idea.
Bobbyk
 
Namabiiru said:
I made mine out of some wood scraps and a screw from the random screw bin.
Click to expand...
Mine is from a couple of chunks of wood, a piece of an inexpensive pencil compass, a carriage bolt, and a wing nut. Looking at the photos reminds me that this was made from scraps of some nice, quarter-sawn fir that I used to construct the rudder, centerboard, and tiller of my full-size Sea Bright skiff. Fair winds!

WL marker 1.jpgWL marker 2.jpg
 
I was having trouble locating the waterline on my Corel Greyhound, and I don't see it referenced in any of their provided info. I just used what I saw in the HMS Blandford book, and guestimated with a wobbly pencil on a stick. My wife came up with an idea today, to locate a known point on the hull, level the ship appropriately, and use my hand held laser level! I think she is smarter than me!
 
Bobby K. said:
Do you happen to have a "thrid hand". I use mine for water lines. First secure the ship making sure it is leval, place the pencil in the two alligator clips at the right spot and draw the line. Here is mine but it is holding deadeyes for seizing right now,

View attachment 502862
You can see that you just have to put the pencil in the jaws , make sure everything is tight before starting then just draw the line.
Of course this is just the way I do mine. I have seen a jig that was just a empty toilet paper roll pencil pushed through at the right spot, lol , but it worked. Just another idea.
Bobbyk
Click to expand...
i see you caught your gremlins n sentenced them to hard labor.
 
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