An idea for making a cheap model

[Kazzer]

Take a look at this site and you'll see this company selling a paper model of a couple of submarines.

http://ecardmodels.com/product_info.php?products_id=1415

I first spotted someone making a model from paper over at the SC site . However, I wasn't too impressed with the way he was doing the job.

Here's what I think should happen.

1. Buy the plans.
2. Take them to Office Max and get them blown up to scale at 1:72 (They are currently 1:200). The HMS Astute model will be 53" long.
3. Mix up some epoxy (slow cure) and add 50% lacquer thinner to it, then dip the paper in it, let it soak through, then hang it up to drip dry and cure overnight. The paper should then be fairly stiff but still flexible.
4. Cut out the parts and build the model.
5. Cut it along the waterline, Z bend, whatever your preference.
6. Lay up some thin fiberglass cloth inside the hull, then continue to build up layers of chopped strand matt to a satisfactory thickness.
7. Sand down the exterior and fill voids, lines etc with Bondo etc.

Anyone game? (I'm too busy!)

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

The idea is to wind up with a GRP outer and inner skin? Neat. Wish I had the time as well.

[Kazzer]

The idea is to wind up with a GRP outer and inner skin? Neat. Wish I had the time as well.

The paper, being soaked in epoxy, is the outer skin, and the fiberglass is built up on the inside.

[Scott T]

Do you need the glass? Let the paper replace it and see how strong it is.
Make two sheets then lay one in the curved mold of a half pipe. Spread some
epoxy and lay the second sheet on top of that. See if you can stand on it or not when it
cures. How about using felt laid in a mold soaked with epoxy.... Felt and paper are probably
less expensive than glass matt.

[redboat219]

Can't you build the paper model then brush on the epoxy resin on the outside? You then pour resin through a small hole and twirl the model around to coat the inside with resin too.

[CaptainNemo12]

I guess that depends on the viscosity of the epoxy used, might not get an even inner coat depending on the way you "twirl" the model.

[redboat219]

What about "pre-impregnated" fiberglass or carbon fiber sheets?

[Subculture]

You can get G10 epoxy glass sheets down to 0.25mm thickness, which cuts just like thick paper. Use the card model as templates, tack it together with cyano, then a layer of thin glass tissue and epoxy on the inside, and you should have a very strong model.

Another alternative is using the card templates to make a metal hull. Tin plate is plentiful (old oil cans etc.) and very thin, so low displacement and small ballast tanks, just be mindful of weight distribution. Hull could be soldered together, or glued with epoxy.

[Von Hilde]

I have built several paper ships one being a type VII, to go with the 1/48 Fletcher that I have been piddiling with for the last ten years. built a 1/48 "Hawaian Pilot" Frieghter. For the hulls, I use wood a keel, with wood luan door skin, bulkheads using the ships scale drawings as to compartments placement. Then I sheet the framework with construction paper. The Frieghter's hull was sprayed with acrylac enamal primer, inside and out then polyurathane. The USS Kimberly's hull was laid up with the wood/ paper, Urathaned, then primer. It will be covered with sections of sheet aluminium, when finished.

[Slats]

I am finding with age, lack of time, and young kids, there is no such thing as a cheap model.
Cheap cost - add it all up - and I mean every bit of the construction. The marginal cost (sorry me being an Economist kicking in), is rarely saving, especially if you have a taste for museum quality as your end product.


Now add in the biggest cost of all - time. I have built 5 large scale ship hulls over the years, and yeah whilst my skill base improved these were the most frustrating and boring process I have undertaken. I'd rather start with the hull and semi kit - semi scratch build my way home.

Guys I have 5 hulls under construction by 2 professionals (Ships and subs). My time away from paid work is worth to me around 10 times my rate of pay. Its a no brainier to pay for the hull you want which will be even, if its a one off a large outlay over a kit in production.

Hull construction, whilst satisfying - I'd be prepared to bet is largely fatiguing and tiresome for the amateur builder. I'd rather get my boats running, spend the time with a minimum of scratch building. My2CW.

J

[Slats]

PS.....

There is a perfectly good 1/72 Astute kit coming from Joel Stadnick at HMK.
This will be another step up from the Seawolf. We know he delivers what he sets out to do.

J

[Kazzer]

My time away from paid work is worth to me around 10 times my rate of pay.
J

THIS says it all! I never, ever thought of my 'spare time' as being valuable in this respect, probably because working for oneself is more self inflicted bondage than a proper job. Even though I'm retired now (gawd - that sounds 'old') I really get John's point because I don't enjoy fiddling around botching up models that aren't supposed to be swimmers, and fiddling with half-arsed fiberglass stuff that needs so much skilled work to make it look the part.

To take John's 'premium time' point a little further, if you have an 8 hour job, take an hour to travel, and hour to eat, and 8 hours sleep, there's two hours left in your working day. I can think of better things to do, frankly.

I've messed around with numerous plastic boats, but mainly to see what problems there are in the build, and then reporting back to His Eminence. Their carcasses clutter a corner of my workshop. They have to go!

[redboat219]

I've messed around with numerous plastic boats, Their carcasses clutter a corner of my workshop. They have to go!

I'd be happy to get them out of your hair. Even the partially built kits...

[Slats]

THIS says it all! I never, ever thought of my 'spare time' as being valuable in this respect, probably because working for oneself is more self inflicted bondage than a proper job. Even though I'm retired now (gawd - that sounds 'old') I really get John's point because I don't enjoy fiddling around botching up models that aren't supposed to be swimmers, and fiddling with half-arsed fiberglass stuff that needs so much skilled work to make it look the part.

To take John's 'premium time' point a little further, if you have an 8 hour job, take an hour to travel, and hour to eat, and 8 hours sleep, there's two hours left in your working day. I can think of better things to do, frankly.

I've messed around with numerous plastic boats, but mainly to see what problems there are in the build, and then reporting back to His Eminence. Their carcasses clutter a corner of my workshop. They have to go!

Exactly - economics is purely at its core about two things - exchange of goods / and the division of labour that leads to that exchange. If more people assessed their preferences in terms of time trade off of their own labour versus exchange for cash for the end product there would be far less half arsed / started and never completed models in the world.

J

[oztruck]

Mike flick me a list of what you don't want. PLEASE!!!!!!