Anyone for Scratch Built Half Hulls?

[albergman]

Hi

Here are some half hull models I've made.

First up is one of our own boat ... 37' Alberg sloop (since sold). Hull carved from Renshape. 24" long model.

A true labour of love.

Next up is our previous boat ... a Thunderbird 26. These are plywood hulls built to a Canadian design. I removed the cabin and cockpit when I bought it and built a totally new cabin so if anyone thinks it doesn't look like a T-Bird ... that's why. I made this smaller model (13") for one of our sons who was very fond of the boat as a child.

Next are two identical Contessa 26's. Our friends who owned it had split up and they both wanted one. I made a fiberglass mould from the first hull to save same time. Both are 12" models.

Enjoy.

Frank

[ytareh]

Nice work , look well

[philtn]

Very well done. There's alot of work in that and it turned out wonderful. Maybe I should do that for my dad and build him his first one, it was a Leisure 23 I believe...

Tell me something about the process of building it?

Edited November 9, 2015 by philtn

[albergman]

Hi Philtn

Thanks for the compliments.

First thing you need are good drawings/plans from above and the side and after a quick look at Google images just now I see those are both available for your Leisure 23. I usually scan those and use a photo editor program to stretch them out to the exact size I want to build. Now I print them off and after cutting around the perimeters I glue them onto thin cardboard (cereal boxes are great) to use as templates.

Don't know if you are thinking of a full hull or just a half hull. Half hulls are nice because you can fasten them to a backboard and hang them on a wall while a full hull requires a cabinet top or shelf space to display ... very nice to see though.

Next is to decide what material you want to build from. I am fortunate that there's a pattern making company near me and I can have all the Renshape off cuts I can carry. I see you are in Germany and that's where it's made so maybe you can locate some. I have also used chunks of synthetic "wood" that's available here in Canada. It's a composite very much like Renshape and is not bad to work with too. Basswood is also a good choice for any carving.

I trace the deck shape onto my block and bandsaw the rough shape out. Then do the same with the profile (side) view and bandsaw those lines. Now you have a very rough approximation of the boundaries of the shape.

If it's a large model I might use an angle grinder to remove unwanted material (very crude I know) but a hand plane will do the same work just more slowly.

If you don't have the luxury of drawings that have what are called "station lines" ... the shape of the hull at regular intervals ... then you need a keen eye to determine what the correct curvature should be.

Here's a half hull at an early stage.

I'll try and insert an example of station lines here ... hope it comes through.

If you want to discuss this in more detail I'm happy to continue but I'll leave it for now.

Cheers

Frank

[Martian]

That is amazing work!

Martin

[wizard4]

Very nice work, congratulations

[albergman]

Very well done. There's alot of work in that and it turned out wonderful. Maybe I should do that for my dad and build him his first one, it was a Leisure 23 I believe...

Tell me something about the process of building it?

Philtn

Me again with a follow up.

If you decide to do a model it makes it easier if you do the cutout of the hull without all the attachments ... keel, rudder and even (sometimes) the cabin.

If the cabin extends out to the width of the hull include it but if there is deck space on each side I would do it as a separate piece.

Anyway, the rudder and keel are easier to do and attach as separate components. Sorry if this seems too evident.

Had a closer look at the Leisure 23 on Google and it would be a fairly easy shape to replicate.

Frank

[Shar2]

Very nice work indeed. Always fancied having some of our old boats done like this, but it's not so easy to do Catermarans.

[albergman]

Very nice work indeed. Always fancied having some of our old boats done like this, but it's not so easy to do Catermarans.

Hmmm ... what kind of cat was it .... do you remember?

[Shar2]

We had a couple, the one I remember was a Prout Ranger.

[Jessica]

That's some utterly delightful work!

albergman, on 08 Nov 2015 - 06:34 AM, said:

Next are two identical Contessa 26's. Our friends who owned it had split up and they both wanted one. I made a fiberglass mould from the first hull to save same time. Both are 12" models.

I would have been evil and given one the Port side and the other the Starboard...

[albergman]

That's some utterly delightful work!

I would have been evil and given one the Port side and the other the Starboard...

Here's Jessica again!! See what you've started after giving me all that help to post pictures??

Thanks for the kind words.

One port and one starboard huh? I was thoroughly fed up with these by the time I was done so there was no way I was going to scratch build a brand new hull for the second one.

The wife had all the pictures I needed to do it for the ex-husband and it was a condition ... you want the pictures, I want a model.

That reminds me though ... you're on the left coast and one of the models is in Parksville on the island.

Cheers

Frank

[albergman]

We had a couple, the one I remember was a Prout Ranger.

Certainly a cat would look a bit awkward done as a half hull. Looks like you'll need to do a full model then

Want some help?? LOL

Frank

[albergman]

That's some utterly delightful work!

I would have been evil and given one the Port side and the other the Starboard...

Don't know where you are on the coast but my TR6 model is in Tsawwassen. (always forget where all the W's and S's go)

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234991589-scratch-built-triumph-tr6/

[Jessica]

I work at Boundary Bay airport which isn't far away from Tsawwassen. I currently live in very North Burnaby (just steps away from rolling down the hillside and splashing into Burrard Inlet, but I'm in the process of moving to be closer to work.

[albergman]

I work at Boundary Bay airport which isn't far away from Tsawwassen. I currently live in very North Burnaby (just steps away from rolling down the hillside and splashing into Burrard Inlet, but I'm in the process of moving to be closer to work.

Yep, I know the airport. We often go down to Boundary Bay for walks. Lovely area when tide's in otherwise it's a mudbowl. The Triumph "lives" up at 54A Street in Tsssawwwwasssen.

[philtn]

Thanks very much Albergman, that was indeed helpful and I might give it a try after my first wooden boat kit

[albergman]

Time for a bit of an update.   Been busy with mostly car projects for the past couple of years but now returning to do some much needed updates  on the half hull model of our own Alberg 37 sloop (since sold).    I mentioned at the beginning of this thread that I wasn't happy with  the metal work on this model as it was done back in the days when I was using plain steel rod and ordinary solder.   This has now tarnished and blackened so it's time to replace all that with stainless steel and S/S solder.

 

Have taken the model out to my shed and have it mounted on a work board which itself is screwed to a cabinet near my workbench.  This lets me easily reach the model while reducing its handling.

It was pretty dirty after several years on the wall so after a wash down with Q-tips and soft, wetted rags I gave it a polish with the automotive stuff (Meguires polishing compound) I use on my car models.  Gave it a shine it never had.

 

 

I've glued a couple chunks of Renshape together to give me a surface on which to build the new bow and stern pulpits.    Drilled a few holes where needed and start bending stainless rod to the shapes.   This rod is actually sold as stainless steel welding rods and is lovely to work with.   

 

 

 

Solder in the extra rails then remove from the Ren.   File down the excess solder. wet sand it and finally polish with a metal polish.

 

Here's my 2 new rails ...

 

 

There are tiny tabs that need to be added to the rails where the lifelines will attach.   These I cut from a tin can lid and soldered in place.   I use a large piece for ease of holding then grind it to size with a Dremel grinding disk.   Tabs seen here on the bow pulpit.

 

That's about as far as I've got.   Need to make a few stanchions and the 2 special ones for the "gate".

 

Back later.

 

Frank

 

Other scratch Builds ... Ferrari TR in wood   Lancia D50   Sport Fishing Boat    Flying Scotsman A3     Lola T70 Mk 1     Dragon Sailboat

Edited August 19, 2017 by albergman

[longshanks]

Impressive .....

 

Good to see you back in the Maritime section

 

Kev

[albergman]

OK, this one's done (again).   Not much to show of the process but i did do the following:

 

Made all new stanchions, tapered ends with a ball (drilled for lifelines).   Wire used was salvaged from an old computer mouse cable ... remember, back before wireless mice.

 

New bow and stern pulpits with lifeline attachments (shown above).

 

Made a propeller from a brass toilet bolt and an old brass fixture (?)

 

Since it's a half hull model only 2 blades needed.

 

Last thing was to make a new backing board.   For this I bought an 8' plank of rough-cut teak ($$) which I dressed and cut it into 3 sections.   I also had a long strip of cocobolo wood that I planed down and placed strategically between 2 of the teak planks to create a "horizon" of sorts.    The whole thing was then screwed together with "pocket holes" (tapered down at a steep angle between 2 boards).   Sanded the whole thing flat and then routed a 45 around the edge.    The teak has much stronger figuring than I would have preferred and to date I have no finish on it.

 

(Not actually as dark as the photo shows) ...

 

From here I'm moving back to working on my Flying Scotsman ... more renovations!

 

Thanks for looking in.  

 

Frank

 

Other Scratch builds ... Lancia D50   Sport Fishing Boat      Flying Scotsman A3     Lola T70 Mk 1     Dragon Sailboat    Mahogany Ferrari    More wooden cars