Scratch building

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Aug 4, 2018
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Location
Baltimore, Maryland USA
I scratch build all my ships in bottles, But I have yet to do a full size ship. For bottle ships the tools aren't vast as I carve them from solid block or use the stacked wood method using thin veneer I cut to shape with a sharp #11 blade. I have built ships from kits POB and POF I would really like to move into Scratch building from Plans first then progress to building from known measurements of actual ships that I scale down. I have CAD exp. and I own a laser cutter and 3D printer, but Id like to make every part myself shaped by my hands not files plugged into a laser cutter. So today I bought a scroll saw I have a full size 10" Delta table saw, but I don't think it would be good to use for this application lol so I'm looking at a Proxxon table saw. I have a Micro Mill I bought years ago for RC parts and it has been stout enough that I have cut and completed 4 80% lower AR15 builds with it. I have a full size Mill and Lathe but those are to large for this scale stuff, so today I bought got my Micro Lathe back from a friend I sold it to when I bought a full size Atlas. so my power tools list is below
Micro Mill
Micro Lathe
Scroll saw
Drill Press
Band Saw
Small micro Chop saw
Small bench belt sander
Drum sander
4 dremel tools
Larger 72" belt sander/Grinder doubt I'll need this its mostly for Knife making
Proxxon Table saw?
Hand tools are way to many to list but I can get just about any task done be it with metal, plastic or wood. I do have a home foundry and can pour aluminum, brass and Bronze in any size up to 2 pound pours. I have extensive Foundry Exp.

So should I get the Proxxon table saw?
What would be a good First ship from Plans preferably POF? I want to get fully involved in this Project so POF is the way to go. I do have good joinery skills as I worked as a carpenter and did a ton of Finish work. I am a precision minded person 6 years Manual Machine shop exp.
I need a good set of plans for a first time scratch builder and a place I can get those plans.
Anything else you think I would benefit from having?


Thank you for any and all help
 
Hi epicdoom,
I have owned a Proxxon table for many years and have not had any problems with it. we have a group build here on site the Blandford Cross Section, it was designed as an introduction to scratch building a POF model. The drawings are free, and the group will help with any questions or problem you may have. If you would prefer something a little more advanced Ancre has some very good monographies.
Mike
 
Hi Mike I have the plans for the Blandford I was trying to get to office depot today to print them. just didn't happen with the Grandson here and a childhood friend stopped by. Hopefully tomorrow I al looking for a whole ship POF. I did 2 kits maybe 6 years ago and they were a blast to build. I loved doing the framing. I'm gonna do the Blandford while I look for plans of something I'd like to build. I want to build the Constellation. but I really don't want to drop $400 on a latina kit and I haven't found anyone else who makes it. I figured build scratch with plans first then without I just need some more POF experience and I think doing a POF from plans making every part of the ship would be a good learning exp. Thanx for the info on the Proxxon I'm looking at a couple different ones but I like the proxxon a lot. I could probably install a 10" trim saw blade on my Delta and cut some small timbers but its not a safe practice. I will use it to saw boards into 5x60mm slats and then figured the Proxxon to reduce that to 2X5 mm planking and smaller trim pieces.
 
Hi Joe,
The only other tool I would recommend is a thickness sander, Byrnes makes a good one it is very accurate, I use mine a lot for planking. The Blandford will give you a basic idea about what is involved in a POF build. Being able to build any ship you want at the scale you want for less money is a big advantage over building kits, in my opinion.
Mike
 
Thank you Brother Ill have a look at some thickness sanders. It was my hope that building my own from scratch would be less pricey. I'm not nor have I ever been good with money. My mentality is if I want it and the money is there to get it I'm gonna buy it. However my chief Financial Advisor (WIFE) is an accountant for a living so she watches every dollar. in fact she's so tight with a buck if I slip a dollar bill in her butt cheeks she can squeeze a booger outta old Georges nose. She knows I like my hobbies and it keeps me home and not in a bar so she will let me tool up to make things less costly to build what I want. I scratch build Ships in bottles and Airplanes from Balsa, foam and carbon Fiber the ships in bottles are usually hand carved ships, but I also do the stacked veneer method of building them as once its sanded down it gives the look of planking. I have a ship in a bottle to build for a friend so when I'm done with the Black pearl build Ill make a build log for folks interested in that stuff. I build just about everything through the bottle neck with special tools I made.
 
Hi Joe,
I think I married your wife’s sister, I get the same story when I talk about buying tools.
I haven’t tried building a ship in a bottle and would be interested in watching a build log on one.
Mike
 
lol My Hunting buddy says the same thing. He said we should leave our wives and buy a house in the woods where we can do what we want whenever we want and spend our money on whatever we want. I told him That all sounds well and good till you start looking at me in a strange sort of way then were gonna have some problems lol I'll keep the wife thank you very much.
 
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