Author Topic: Wooden decks  (Read 13002 times)

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Offline Rokket

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Wooden decks
« on: 24 Aug , 2011, 03:33 »
Way back we had plans hopeless dreams to lasercut wood or plastic for decking. That idea has been sunk.

But... I did find a good off-the-shelf workaround. (There's always Pat's idea, and a few others, who have laid decking strip by strip. I felt the strips are too small for my skill -I had visions of clumpy stringy half-solvented/melted plastic goo everywhere).

The alt: There's an Evergreen sheet plastic product that seems to work. 

"2020 Car Siding" N-scale 3-1/4" spacing
.020" thick (0.5mm)
Euro 8.40 a sheet (approx 150 x 280mm)

The dwgs Ive seen say the deck strips were 1.5 x 2.0", and other sources say a bit narrower at 1.75 (so probably both at various yards). In 1:72 that works out to .021 x .027", or .50 x .70mm. This siding is .50 x XXX, the pattern is hard to measure. I would guess .5-.6, so maybe a little bit undersize. But my logic is, a tad under will just be finer detail!

I haven't started cutting, just planning. So far I am optimistic, especially because my boat, GROUPER, did not have any metal except the tiniest, tiniest bit at the bow. (This is less than the "mix" boats that had a wood deck center and metal on the ends.)

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Mike K

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #1 on: 24 Aug , 2011, 13:31 »
HI Wink. If you really want a wooden deck, take a look at the ones James has, over at Nautilus. These are really nice, and he has them for all three (Gato, Balao and Tench) classes.

Mike

Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #2 on: 24 Aug , 2011, 21:52 »
Where exactly? I can see the Cobia deck, which I'm going to get to modify for my USS Hardhead, but I don't see any others.

Thanks,

Robert

Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #3 on: 24 Aug , 2011, 22:00 »
By the way, I'm looking at another option, but I'll need some dimensions. If I can get the dimensions and spacings of the stringers that the deck slats were attached to, it should be a fairly simple thing to use a CAD program to create the stringers, and then just overlay the slats atop them, with the proper spacings. A good 3D printer could then print out very simple generic deck pieces that the modeler could cut or trim to the desired shape, and detail as he saw fit. A good enough 3D printer might even be able to create prototypical spaces between the slats, just like on the real boats, although that would cost a fair amount. I've got the slat dimensions from the Floating Drydock's Plan Book, but the stringer information eludes me.

Any help?

Robert

Offline Rokket

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #4 on: 26 Aug , 2011, 22:25 »
Hi Robert,

I really, honestly think the size is too small in scale for much detail. The .75" space between slats is only .010" (.26mm, or a quarter of a millimeter). That's pretty small for so many repetitions of it.

The 3D printers have pretty lousy surface smoothness. My mate bought a $100,000 one to setup a new biz (which sadly failed and he was trying to sell the machine for pennies). The samples were very complex and most excellent, but they all needed serious sanding. At 1:72  for deck bits, there just wouldn't be anything to sand... I looked at a $1,500 printer, but the resolution is worse. Years ago I had some styrene laser cut, and it was interesting, but very "perforated". PE would have been better.

You could use a feeler gauge as the jig for spacing, I'm sure there's a .010" one out there at the hardware store/tool shop, or even some PE scrap.

Stringers - I took a couple under the deck of SILVERSIDES. They were inline with the frames (just not every frame obviously), and it was just "L" channel stock, nothing too fancy. I'm sure there is suitable strip plastic out there.
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Offline Rokket

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #5 on: 26 Aug , 2011, 22:25 »
Here's one pic
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Offline Rokket

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #6 on: 26 Aug , 2011, 22:27 »
and #2 of deck spacing...I can email you these as large (3mb) pix
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Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #7 on: 27 Aug , 2011, 17:53 »
Sure, but detail isn't the idea. I'm just thinking of a generic deck piece, say the boats' max deck width amidships. The builder could then attach multiple 3-3 printed deck pieces together and cur and contour them himself into the proper shape for a particular boat. Things like hatches and chocks could be added by the modeler, perhaps sourced from H-R Parts, the kit, or scribed on his own, and so on.  

The 3D parts I've had printed for my sci-fi models have been okay. There is a roughness to their textures, true, but an extremely light sanding and priming tends to eliminate that.

All I need are the spacings between the stringers. Anyone?  
« Last Edit: 28 Aug , 2011, 01:41 by aptivaboy »

Offline Rokket

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #8 on: 28 Aug , 2011, 02:28 »
They are the same as frames mostly (see pix above). The BOOKS/Library section of AMP has a couple frame guides. The stringers look to be L channel, about 2 - 2.5" wide, at each frame.
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Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #9 on: 01 Sep , 2011, 23:19 »
Okay, who wants a deck hatch? Shapeways says its printable. We'll see. I'll need to order a couple and play with them.

This is sort of what I'm talking about. I'll have to see if the bolt holes can be added and still be printable. There are limits to the detail, but if this is decently printable, than why not more? I also chamfered the slats like on the real thing, too. 
« Last Edit: 01 Sep , 2011, 23:22 by aptivaboy »

Offline Rokket

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #10 on: 02 Sep , 2011, 16:56 »
Looks pretty cool. How much?
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Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #11 on: 02 Sep , 2011, 17:14 »
Shapeways says under $5 USD for most mediums. I have noticed a degradation in their products, though. When I first began ordering SLR's parts from them very early in the year, everything looked great, very smooth and crisp. My most recent parts look like someone took some course sandpaper to them. I may try to order a few parts in a higher, slightly more expensive medium to see of there's a difference in part quality.

This is still very early in the process. This rough draft deck hatch is really just an experiment to see if deck parts that small are even printable. I need to try to add bolt holes to the part and then see if its still printable, and maybe some faux metal to replicate hinge flanges. I also forgot one metal stringer piece, but that shouldn't be a problem to add. The dimensions mostly came from the Floating Drydock's Plan Book, but a few things I had to guesstimate on, so I can't guarantee its 100% accurate.

Robert
« Last Edit: 02 Sep , 2011, 17:19 by aptivaboy »

Offline Rokket

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #12 on: 04 Sep , 2011, 02:52 »
With so many variations and some photos just being teasing, I'm happy with 'close." It will be better and more accurate than oob. I'll go to $15 and can paypal, so just do what you have to do and I'm behind you.

Glued my main hull together, after4+ years I'm in a "do it now and move along" mode, sooo much to do. Would love to have had the bow limbers in PE, a resin escape hatch, and more, but...
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Offline aptivaboy

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #13 on: 04 Sep , 2011, 16:21 »
Are you doing an EB boat? If so, I may be able to run you some limber holes. I made Hardhead's awhile back.

Spectre

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Re: Wooden decks
« Reply #14 on: 05 Sep , 2011, 21:11 »
A generic deck piece would be just fine with me.  I am building two boats, and the thought of laying individual strips leaves me weak in the knees.  I like the hatch, too.