Scratchbuilding from Balsa

[PetrOs]

Hey

I finally decided to go for my first full scratchbuilding project, and for that I selected a french coastal 1300 ton freighter Golo in 1/350, waterline, using the free plans from the french museum. I thought about using balsa boards to form the hull, however as I never built one, I have a question how to do it? Or better, how to orient the boards?

Its decks are rather curved, and my original plan of making it from the boards oriented horizontally is probably complex, as I will need to carve the wood to get the "bent" middle deck portion.

I have thought about 2 possible ways: One - boards (a mix of 5 and 10 mm balsa) are oriented longitudinally, vertical, using side profiles of the ship for the basic form, then sanding them to form the curves fore and aft, then giving it a coat of a liquid putty. As the ship has vertical sides and is square in section for the most of its length, it probably should work...

Alternatively I thought of using the latitudinal wooden boards to form the ends, and longitudinally oriented boards in the "boxy" section.

Can anyone help me to select the way?

[Mike Reading]

Hi and first of all good luck in building your first scratch built.

Balsa is okay but lime is better. If using balsa you need to select the hardest - certainly none of the soft stuff as it is all to easily dented or otherwise damaged.

I prefer the side profile method of putting the "planks" together. By cutting the central one to conform as accurately as possible to the vertical centre line of the vessel makes the shaping of the hull a whole lot easier.

I also like to have "horizontal" planks at the ship's waterline. With those and the centre line plank put together, you get a very good idea of how the model will take shape, and should help to even out any distortions.

When I've done balsa hulls, I like to cover them with printers litho. This is thin aluminium. It can be easily cut and shaped to represent the actual "steel" plates of the real ship. It also saves all that work of umpteen sealing coats and sanding in between associated with painting on the bare wood. Also the litho being metal it takes the paint very realistically as compared to the actual ship.

By the by, as I work up the hull, I like to mark (and re-mark as needed) some of the key "station" lines.

Hope these notes give you a few pointers/ideas. Do let me know if anything else comes to mind.

Once again, good luck
Regards
Michael Reading

[PetrOs]

Hey, thanks!

Well, this hull was done using the "classic" way with plastic framing in the ends, balsa framing, waterline plate, decks and some surface plating, and CA-paper backed with resin plating in the ends. Check my build report thread Mainly from the reason that I wanted as little sanding as possible... However, it is probable that the next ship would likely have the balsa hull.

You can check my build progress here:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=38368