The Ship Model Forum

I am attempting to build a model of the USS Midway as she appeared about 1954. This model is being built using the plans found in Popular Mechanics 1954. I am keeping to the notion that it will be in the style of the WWII era ID or Teacher models. This allows me to not think that I have to super detail it. If I get wrapped around the details I will never get it built. It's my walk before I run phase. The scale is about 1/500 and I am building it from wood salvaged from projects in my garage. Right now that is all pine. Since this is the 1st time I have posted a project let me see if I can include some pictures. Rich

Why no comments on this build? Guess it got lost amidst all the other large scale builds. Fabulous work so far, can't wait to see more of it! I think getting to wrapped up in the little stuff is a real danger for all of us and I applaud your effort to look at the big picture, if you will. I think we should all try and do builds like that once in a while (or all the time if it really strikes your fancy!)

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"It is best to remain silent and let others assume you are dumb than to speak up and remove all doubt"

http://nssavannah.wordpress.com/

I've always been amazed at peoples abilities to carve a bow out of a piece of wood. This is an art. I can't wait to see more!

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God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless.
~ Chester W. Nimitz ~
My Builds ~ http://ussnorthcaroilna.shutterfly.com/

pics look good rich,building a hull out of wood is not an easy task.yours looks very precise and true, looking forward to more progress

I have just picked up on this build and once again timber is the material of choise . Question what type of timber is the hull made from ? How do you ensure the continuity of the lines , Do you use a former ? As the shape looks superb .
Dave Wooley

Popular Mechanics 1954 .Did you buy it in 1954 ? I was only eight .Realy is good to see the art of carving hulls has not died .I have built them in the past .This is the Civil War Blockade Runner Banshee I made a few years ago .

She was alot simpler than a aircraft carrier .
Thanks for your post ,I will be watching .

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If you are not living on the edge then you are taking up to much space

I thank everyone for their kind words. The plan was published in four issues of Popular Mechanics in 1954. No I did not get these issues off the newsstand myself. I got them from ebay but then I found them at Google Books. I enlarged the plans several times until they were full size. Then cut and tape. The wood is pine boards about 13 years old. What you can't really see in the pics are the lines drawn on the hull. I cut out a set of body plan templates and went to work with a few carving tools and sand paper, Once I get enough done to show progress I will post more pics.

Rich

Running kind of slow right now. Have had to do a few things around the house and of course go to work. Task that I am working on right now is making two decks out of 1/16 basswood. A lot of notches along the edges, some which have broke off along the grain. Band saw is way to aggressive to use. Scroll saw is working pretty good but I am staying away from the line (or trying) and will clean up to the line. A good sharp hobby knife also comes in handy. Well back in to the dry dock.

Rich

Well I got the two decks cut out, the gallery and flight decks. That's strange, why do they seem to be short, shorter than the underlying structure? Did I mis-cut the templates? Some checking with the original plans (on the pages of the magazine) and a ruler on my enlargements reveals the problem. My deck enlargements, the one inch grid was not quite one inch. Enough to cause my decks to be over an inch short. Now I will have to check the hobby store tomorrow and see if they have any wood the size I need. Seems that bass wood around here is non-existent at the big-box hobby stores. Now to work on those enlargements.

Rich

That's coming along nicely - looks great!