Hank, your post is a big help, and I thank you much for it.
My first calling is railroading, and in an odd scale there, no less. 1:120 (one inch = 10 feet is appealing to me, just the 'right' size). During my journalism days, I wrote dozens of stories about Iowa's 1984 return to active duty, beginning in 1980 with a visit to Philadelphia and the reserve fleet. Our tour guides were a couple of eager ensigns, iirc, and we prowled Iowa at will. Great experience. Also, visited her at Pascagoula, Miss., during renovation and returned there for her re-commissioning (Adm. McCrea and wife were there!) So, here I am, attempting to combine two of my interests, railroading and Iowa, in one scale.
I'm part of a tiny modeler's group hoping to allow TT scale survive, and, with some luck, thrive. I'm attempting to create a retirement business based on the scale, and it occurred to me that Iowa, docked and served by rail, would be a great way to attract interest to TT scale at model railroad shows. Although, I'm guessing the dockside rail action would have to be fictional – I haven't found photos depicting such.
I've begun taking notes (copy/paste) here:
1 - Song's build of 1:200 Missouri
2 - This thread, all 167 pages of "Calling all USS Iowa class . . ." (gulp)
And, I'll go find Big Jim Slade's project as soon as I post this note.
POB/POF model? Would you elaborate, I don't know those acronyms? With drawing in 3D (are frame and bulkhead synonymous?) cutting the bulkheads to fit the taper of the hull should be pretty easy. I'm going to try to apply 'skin' in the drawing to the hull frames in several large sections. 3D at command will unwrap these sections in flat 2D plan view and the shapes can then be cut from styrene. . . . Anyway, we'll see what develops.
My CNC mill table is 4 in. x 12 in. I'll have to cut the bulkheads in two pieces: [[ (with the long axis horizontal) and epoxy them together, in this way a mid-deck is created. I'll notch the bottom piece to fit and secure the keel.
Two measurements on my mind to discover:
1 - The width and height of the keel. From photos it appears to be something like 6 feet wide. Or, in model form, likely it should be arbitrarily oversize to create strength? Maybe cut one similar to Song's?
2 - The hull plates rise a certain distance above the main deck and the teak overlay . . . maybe 8 inches?
When I've got something to show drawing-wise, I'll start a build log to include drawings and subsequent actual fabricated parts and their assembly, hoping someone here will have enough interest to correct me as I go along.
I'm going to learn a ton from this project. I've never used my CNC lathe, and I've not quite finished assembling and testing a DLP/SLP 3D printer. I have created double-sided photo etching artwork before, so that might be a help down the road. I've switched to a new software package, Autodesk Fusion 360, which includes CAD, CAM, 3D Printing and more all in one. I'll struggle along and hope to get up and running with it. Yeah, I better learn a lot or I'm in deep trouble.
I'm sure thankful I found The Model Ship Forum and the Iowa Class thread!
Brian Chapman
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
P.S. – I don't have a creek nearby to test Iowa . . . but the Cedar River isn't far away
P.P.S. – Just discovered a couple of Randy M's 3D drawings in the middle of this thread, can't wait until I get there with my note-taking.