The Ship Model Forum

Last time I looked there was no place on the National Archives (NARA) web site to search for ship and submarine plans.

Here is the NARA search page:
https://www.archives.gov/research/catalog

It isn't very useful for searching for ship plans.

You can go to the "Contact Us" page and send an email request for information about a specific ship or ship class.

Archivists are not ship modelers, and they can't read you mind. There are about 17,000 ship plans in the Archives and they will not search them all to try to find what you want. So you have to be pretty specific and give as much information as you can, such as ship name, hull number, ship class, etc. Tell them you want plans, drawings or blueprints. They have always answered my questions, but expect a delay of up to six weeks before receiving an answer. You aren't the only one asking questions and there are a limited number of Archivists.

The Historic Naval Ships Association (HSNA) has a web page for finding information at the National Archives:

http://www.hnsa.org/resources/manuals-d ... s-at-nara/

HSNA also has a page for searching for ship plans at NARA:

http://archive.hnsa.org/doc/nara/searchplans/index.php

Phil

well I just ordered DVD with 6 reels of Elco drawings for future use. I was wondering its been so long does anyone have a link to which national archives site I can go to to find microfilm of ships and subs?

in this shot you can see the stringers. this is a typical cross section. am now trying to find the various deck locations as they are staggered

The stringers are for the bottom of the hull

ok off tomorrow so going to work more. tonight I drew the Bottom edge of Inter Stringer

looking at the sheets in more detail at work today I have somewhat of an idea where they all go

Joe,

"LL" means long length. Longer than stock lengths.

"Bottom Plating" is that part of the shell plating that is below the water line. The immersed plating from bilge to bilge. "Bilge" is the rounded portion of a vessel's shell which connects the bottom with side.

I would guess the "bottom curve" is the curvature of the hull bottom plating from keel to knuckle, from frames 1 to 7. Aft of that the buttock lines set the curvature.

A "stringer" is a fore and aft girder running along the side of the ship. It makes up the framing of the ship along with the vertical frames. Hull plating is attached to this framing.

The "bottom stringer" rests on the top of the keel. The top of it is straight and probably supported the lowest deck.

A "wing" is the outboard part of a ship. Looks like the "wing stringer" was at the knuckle between the bottom and sides of the boat.

****

I came across an invaluable little book years ago at a used book store - "Ship Structure and Blueprint Reading" by H. L. Heed, printed by the Cornell Maritime Press, New York 1942, 258 pages.

The inner dust cover says "This book is written for the sole purpose of teaching the men who are building the ships to read the prints."

It has chapters describing the parts of ships and how they are drawn in blueprints, a list of abbreviations, and a glossary. It looks like it was the draftsman's bible for ship building in the 1940s. It is small enough (5 1/4" x 7 1/2") to be carried in a large coat pocket.

On many occasions it has helped me to decipher the hieroglyphics embedded in ships blueprints. I keep it on my work desk.

No, I won't consider selling it!

Phil

ok looked keel says 5 1/2 x 11 1/2 LL. YP.

so I an reading 5 1/2" wide 11 1/2" Tall Yellow Pine not sure what the LL is though

Drew Top edge of main stringer (above Base)

still not sure what for but will get them drawn first then sort through the other drawings see if they show something

drew bottom edge of main stringer (above keel) used bottom of keel now rereading it it should be top of keel however I still dont know how tall the keel should be

and here is the lines the table made. it says bottom wing but i dont have a clue what a wing is on a ship and dont see a top wing listed.

Easier to read Stringer sheets http://www.proflooney.net/stringers.rar

here is the table info

Ok a Closeup of the table box saying what they are. i still dont understand what they talking about but did the Bottom Wing First and it looks like the Bottom part of the drawing

Ok have the stringer sheet need to try and figure out what everything means next

well some frames. they arent correct I just whipped them up for some visual

Ok guys I dont get what this drawing is or what it means. it is on the same sheet as the layouts and the offsets. can someone fill me in?

Ok got the transom set and the top deck so now I have a completed shell for all my stations. need to try and find info on how the keel was fabricated and that the station bulkheads looked like. I am guessing Higgins kept most of his boats very similar for cost control and efficiency. if that was the case it would be lamination of oak and mahogany for the bulkhead stations.

right now I am just trying to figure out the transom set up. I re lofted the hull as i was doing it backwards was why i had several different short lofts. then once i get the transom finished I need to see if I can find how the keel and frames were built

One of these days when I am in Portland I want to visit the boat.

Phil

The Boat I am Modelling http://www.savetheptboatinc.com/new_page_9.htm

yea i been sorting through them there are abt 4 different vessels in that collection