DD 886 u.s.s. Orleck design process

[Siwi]

Indeed, we can immediately see the complexity of the structure and imagine all the considerations involved in turning into flat form that can be constructed into a 3D replica. How much to simplify, how to keep track of the parts, what if any glue tabs will be added...

[FRD]

So the gun mounts are now in place to be rotated and secured to your preferences and the Sides were added.

However, that is the entire purpose of this process, to "perfect the mechanics" of assembly, the problem being that all of the "marks" are currently in my head, for example, when assembling, there was a question as to whether the sides were flush with the hull of slightly inward as is the railing, what marks there are were a little confusing and I obviously got it wrong.


These are not current photo's as I am well beyond this stage.


NOTE TO SELF: sides are flush with hull.

[FRD]

For those of you who served our country proudly, YOU are what it's "all about" at the Jacksonville Naval Museum, the ship is only a small part of a much broader, collective effort.

I personally would and do advocate that the News publication alone is well worth the price of membership.

[FRD]

And of course, another thing Lou instructed me to do is to position the transparent straight edge directly OVER the part being cut to essentially "protect it" from the blade...

[FRD]

Before I can add the second level, I first have to complete the first deck railing.


It's pretty simple, the blank is scored and folded center line, the two halves being adhered or bonded together creates a double thickness railing printed on both sides.


Once cured, the openings in the railings are first removed before removing the railing from the blank, this is where precision die cutting and scoring would really be useful, it can be done but it isn't cheap by any means but it does still remain an option should the Museum choose to pursue it.


Removing these openings would be well beyond the abilities of the novice and in that instance the openings would merely be "2D depictions" of openings (less favorable)



The second deck is a pretty simple assembly, currently sub-assembling the ASROC, Hanger and any other sub-assembly to the second deck PRIOR to placing the second deck assembly onto the superstructure below.



(these photos are not current)



The parts fit "impeccably" any error you see is "human" in nature as my eyes are bad and I've got "a case of the shakes", much better at designing than assembling.


The process "perfecting the mechanics" of assembly is that I will assemble as many prototypes as necessary to find the best methods for "ease of assembly" (priority), this is to be used in plotting the best course for the assembly illustrations to come (also done by hand) so, I'm not just "test fitting" parts, I'm also "collecting information" required for adequate instruction to facilitate assembly. (pretty simple)

[FRD]

So, I asked Lou when he was instructing me to be "light-handed" and to use a transparent straight edge I asked: "Lou, if you are light-handed and using a plastic straight edge, how can you possibly cut heavier stock?"


He told me "with a light hand, make a light, initial cut, FEEL the fibrous resistance at the tip of your blade, lightly repeat the light cut until you no longer feel the resistance but the smoothness of the cutting surface, when you feel no more resistance, the part is thoroughly cut"


The reason that I remember this so distinctly is because remember thinking "Wow!, that's like ZEN cutting!" essentially cutting by "sense of feel" through the blade tip to a light, sensitive hand.


So my question would be for all of the expert card model enthusiast: HAVE YOU EVER CUT BY SENSE OF FEEL?... (or is it just me?)

[FRD]

So basically, Instead of cutting heavy stock with one single pass, he would instead cut the same trace lightly and repeatedly until he felt no more fibrous resistance at the tip of his blade... (It was a valuable lesson for me back then that I still use it today)

[FRD]

Okay, I'm procrastinating a little on the first deck railing, it is essentially divided into four parts, port and starboard, fore and aft.


The Port side aft railing has 15 openings to cut!


So I've been assembling all of the second deck components such as the ASROC, Hanger and the ASROC Control structure to the second deck prior to it's fitting on the existing model.

[FRD]

I got the ASROC down to 7 parts, the STEM model will only have 4 parts..

[FRD]

Okay, cutting the first deck railing today so that I can then apply this second deck sub-assembly, only now, simply placed in these photos for purpose of illustration.