Ship hulls and formers PLEASE Help me loose the bumps

[agparry]

Hi folks,

My son has found some models of tall ships on the net and as they are studying the first fleet at school right now he wants me to purchase and build him the “HMS Bounty”.

I want to do this for him as well as for the challenge but I still have nightmares about the last time I tried to deal with skinning over a former and that is how these models are made.

What the model requires is the hull planking to be glued horizontally along the model crossing several vertical formers. I always seem to end up with a series of bumps along the hull where the formers are.

PLEASE can someone tell me how to do this without the formers showing through the finished model?

Also dose anyone know of any free ship downloads using the same construction that I can practice on?

George

[John Wagenseil]

See if you can find the Isolda sailing ship download.

Gunnar Sillen's Bildrum web site might have the link. It is nice free model and has simple rigging.

Make the frames wider by using foam core to make the keel and frames or put stiff paper strip on edge of paper bulkhead. Cut frames slightly undersize, after applying first layer of horizontal strips of stiff card that will hold contour, build up layers of vertical strips between frames, then add layer of horizontal strips, then more vertical strips where hull contour is flat, until ship hull is nicely rounded. Some people get rounded hull contour by building up hull with gesso or plaster, but same can be done be building up low spots with strips of glue dipped paper, like a pinata shell. When you have good hull shape apply final layer of paper planking. It would be good idea to have scanned planking so you will be able to print out extra strips to fill in the inevitable gaps.

Adding more bulkheads or formers helps reduce flats.

You can find inexpensive MalyModelArz sailing ships at PaperModelStore.com to practice on before you take the plunge and build a Shipyard kit. If you are really gung ho you could build both Maly and Shipyard Bounties. May ModelArz makes some Medieval sailing ships which would be a good second build. They are single masted, and good together well, and have a nice result. Get a recent post communist print, the older ones were printed on poor quality paper.

Look at build threads at this site and Zealot and Kartonbau.de to see how hulls are made.

On this site krivukov has a couple of good threads on building sailing ships.

Look the wood ship model sites, too, since they have the same issues getting good hull contour, as will as how to do masting and rigging.

Decide if you want to make paper simulations of blocks and dead eyes, if you want to buy them, or make your own out of wood. It is best to pick a simple one or two masted model for your first so you will not be overwhelmed by the amount of rigging.

Go slow, think before each cutting each part, and think again before glueing. Most wood ship builders say they have to make at least two often three models before they get something they are somewhat satisfied with.

Remember, you are doing it because it is fun, so take breaks from building when fun factor lessens.

[doctormax]

I think there is a great post on how to do what you want somewhere on here. I think someone just makes a thin skin over the formers then puts the real skin over that making sure to start near the deck and downwards that seems to be the big rule i have seen on here on ship building and when on the skins work from deck down to the keel not up from keel

[krivukov]

Wow, I never expected to be mentioned as a reference
As John pointed out, you can look at my threads on building Croatian bracera and HMS Hunter, maybe you'll get a few ideas on how to solve your problem.

Basically, I use thicker paper (even 1mm thick cardboard) for planking.
On the bracera I used only one layer of horizontal planking, which was not such a good idea, in retrospect.

Building HMS Hunter, I decided od double-layer planking - first layer vertical, second horizontal. This way I coul'd sand down the bumps on the first layer, and get a smoother surface (also a bigger surface for gluing) for the horizontal planking.

[agparry]

Thanks guys. Some great info there for me now to see if I am any good at putting it all into practice.

The Hunter build thread definatly has some ideas I am going to try. I also like the idea of the foam core, got some of that left over from the last set of photos I framed so will give that a go as well.

My son has changed his mind from the Bounty to the HM Bark Endevour by Shipyard. I have ordered the model already so dont feel guilty in saying that I have downloaded some scans of the model for practice.

One other question, when it comes to the tiny little fidly bits, what kind of glue do you prefer to use? CA would be my choice IF I could get it in something bigger than 3 or 4 ml with a brush.

Thanks again for the help guys, I have some hope that my son's ambitions for my modeling skills might not be the death of me after all.