The Ship Model Forum

Is there an article somewhere that helps us newbies turn plans into actual parts? Specifically, I cannot make a clear connection between the two dimensional plan and a three dimensional superstructure. I have many ship building books(Coker, Brian King, etc.) and all of the Scale Ship Modeler magazines and have never found any really helpful techniques that address this issue. My plans of the Bismarck have numerous details covering up the sides of the superstructure and I have difficulty deciphering what is important. The plans have clear top views of each deck and numerous front views but the side view is one full size sheet of the 1/100 ship with every gun, boat, railing, fitting, etc. Should there be a side view without anything obscuring the decks and bulkheads or does everyone see past these distractions with out hindrance?

For example, this side view show the forward superstructure of a 1/100 Bismarck. I am confused as to which dimensions should be used to determine the height of each deck as there appears to be multiple reference points that could be utilized but only one would be correct. I would certainly like to duplicate Norberto's fine ship as seen here:

How would you explain to new modeler how to get the critical dimensions from a set of plans?
Thank you for your assistance,

The dashed lines are lines that aren't visible.
For example, if there is a bulwark with behind it a wheelhouse, the bottom of the wheelhouse (and also the deck) will be drawn as a dashed line.

The distance between arrow A and arrow B in your picture is the thickness of the deck.

Greetings Josse

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Making a complete new Well Enhancer, again scale 1:75.

It also helps to have good photo,s.

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Simple but effective.

Hello,

ARH is definately right. If you look around the scratch building topics, there are tons of photos and then the modellers build of that area. The photos are the key to putting a third dimention to the plans. Also, the plans may not be correct as things may have changed on the ship. The Bismarck has tons of ref material avail but from what I have read, not all is correct. Getting the right data is half the battle of scratch building. I know on my build (HMCS Assiniboine), I built parts to the plans only to find photos that indicated that the plans were not right.

I had the same problem with the deck lines when I started. I talked with a friend of mine who was an engineer and he explained the way to interpret the drawings. You do need to be careful with the dashed lines as one drawing I have, the dashed line was also there to represent the crown at the center of the deck (and thus the camber of the deck when taken to a 3 view drawing).

Another way to go is to ask those building the Bismarck. There are several builds of her(him) going on currently and the builders here are very helpful in passing along tips, thoughts etc to help each other on their respective projects.

Good luck and keep up posted in the build board.

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James W.

Dry docked:
1/72 HMCS Assiniboine DDE 234-1960
1/72 HMCS Ottawa DDE 229-1960
1/72 HMCS St. Catharines-River Class Frigate-1944
On the slipway:
1/72 HMCS Camrose-Flower Class Corvette-1943
1/72 HMCS Trillium-Flower Class Corvette-1942

WELL the distance of lines in your drawing are few exagerate.
seeing the plan i have the distance is about 1mm.
follow the straight line who mean the piece finished
the height of decks is represented in the image bellow

I have been following all the Bismarck builds that I can find, but even there I notice a divergence of what I see on pictures of the ship vs what is being modeled or maybe it is just the modellers have different interpretations of what they are seeing.
My foremost difficulty is that the sideviews that I have are not very precise(I have two 1/100 sets, both in German that only has one full length side view of the ship, the picture I submitted above is a section of that drawing)and it seems that the drawings should be more precise to render an accurate model.
So, who does have an accurate side view of the Bismarck? Are their different drawings to choose from?
Thank you all for your assistance.

you can follow the height of i show in image. this are extremely correcr. 2.4 meters in the original Bismarck.
about the side view i am putting one picture for you see.
some divergences can occur drawing by drawing
but the drawings you have in hands(i redraw) are correct - are compilations of the two german plans and the third myself redraw.
i am following this totally. i know interpret plans are sometimes very difficult not for you but all modellers.
if you have pictures of Bismarck you need be a eagle eye observer to find your answers and when possible i can helping you.
Regards

Norberto, I am now going through all of the Bismarck plans that I have, including yours and these are the only drawings I have for the side views of the Bismarck.

Is it possible to construct an accurate superstructure from these 6 drawings?

This is the only drawing I have of the funnel in 1/100 scale. That's why I was interested in your drawing and knowledge of the funnel dimensions and details as I do not have a clear side view other than the full length starboard side view of the ship.

This image here is about 1/300th scale I guess and I think it is supposed to give me an overall port side view easier to look at than unrolling the 9 foot plan. It also shows that the funnel is obscured for most of its size.
Since these drawings represent the only side views of the Bismarck that I have, from following the other builds here and elsewhere, I am attempting to figure out what else is needed to get on with my ship.

Had all the pictures when I previewed, not sure why they are deleted.

yes is possible to build using it.
i would like to know if is missing some part of drawing i sent you.
maibe missing or not? that's incomplete?

The pictures represent all of the side views that I received from you. The only other view I have is the full length one of the ship. It appears that the small illustration of the ship is supposed to indicate all of the 1/100 drawings that should overlap and complete the whole ship but the large drawings in the picture look as though there should be 8 or 10 in number but I only have these 5.


Should there have been more?
Thank you,

dAVE, yes the small leaf is a guide to show how you can mount that.
well when i sent you i have certain to send all leafs.
i don't know what happend sincerely.
i am senting you a jpg file of this part.
just print in a copy shop and the drawing i am senting is 1:100 ok?
i wait this help you

i sent you the files
just print and enjoy

Thanks. In order to get a 1/100 size from a smaller print, is there a technique to use to get proper sizing? I read somewhere that you should put an accurate square on the small print and then check the enlargement for proper size. Have you heard of this method of enlargement?
Thanks again,

That's one way to do it, to ensure that both X and Y axes were scaled up correctly. Alternatively, you can just figure out the theoretical overall dimensions in the length and height of the enlarged drawing and then compare those numbers to what you measure from the actual printed plan.

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Norbert indicates that they are in 1/100. A print shop should be able to print 1:1 and they should come out 1/100, no enlargement req'd. Unless I misunderstand him/you. Of course checking after is always wise.

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Darren (Admiral Hawk)
In the not so tropical climate of the Great White North.

Norberto sent me a side view of the front half of the ship in an e-mail. so, I want to enlarge this into a working sheet at 1/100 size. I can manipulate Windows Picture Viewer to enlarge the image but can't seem to be able to print the image to the right size on my home printer.

It would be great if you could convert every picture in a book or magazine or from wherever to the scale that you are working in, whether 1/100, 1/350, or other, and then print that out from your home printer! What a time saver.

You need this Program:

http://www.bravaviewer.com/downloadreader.htm

Bravia Reader, You can print in any scale.

Bob Wescott

the plan view is in 1:100 scale no need enlarge.

Thank you, I am getting more educated about printing and copying, I thought nthat when I printed the image on my home printer, that was the size of the picture(small). but I have since taken it to a Staples copy center and had the full size picture done. So many things to learn...