The Ship Model Forum

Hi!

Building my first dry dock soon (in 1/700 and in 1/350).

Question is - are there any good dry dock keels around for me to buy? Or what do you think would be the best thing to build them out of from?

I know one can be a long sprue in square shape but the issue is the cutting - how to cut them so perfectly and achieve vertical walls on each side. I dont know.

May be there are some preset thingies in variuos sizes that I could use? Wood matches also hard to cut without distorting one edges I suppose...

Do you have something like Northwest Shortline's Chopper? I use one to help cut consistent blocks out of a length of Evergreen square stock styrene. Authentic keel blocks are more elaborate than just a simple rectangular shape though, but I'm willing to forgo that since I don't bother making a full dry dock anyway.

Not sure what sizes are needed, but one can find hard wood in many different dimensions in hobby shops. It can be easily cut to size with a fret-saw and then sanded square. So making keel blocks form stock should be easy.

Timmy C wrote:Do you have something like Northwest Shortline's Chopper? I use one to help cut consistent blocks out of a length of Evergreen square stock styrene. Authentic keel blocks are more elaborate than just a simple rectangular shape though, but I'm willing to forgo that since I don't bother making a full dry dock anyway.

I might invest into this cutting tool - it seems like it would be useful often (for cable reels also) and so on. Thanks for the tip!

I am sure that keel blocks vary. The ones that I have seen are made from concrete, about 4' on a side. On top there are lifting eyes, Then on top of the block is a timber cribbing such that the hull plates rest on the softer wood.

DavidP wrote:I have both the Chopper 2 from the 1st link & the Chop-It XL from the 2nd link which is similar to the Chopper 3 in the 1st link. I use the Chopper 2 most of the time til I modify the Chop-It XL to use the same screw threads as what the Chopper 2 so can inter-change parts between the 2 Choppers.
http://nebula.wsimg.com/b9cf661ddc0e6ab ... oworigin=1
https://www.micromark.com/Chop-It-XL

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I've bought the Chop-it XL based on the tip... I have rarely been so disappointed by quality of a product. Sitting at the table, looking at the poorly built chopper hand that wobbles a lot, that fails to cut straight, very cheap looking guides - my only feeling is that the only tool there is me, who bought it! This Chopit XL is not a tool, its a disaster. Look elsewhere.

I've used a miter box similar to this for many years. This particular one is plastic or resin. An aluminium one from X-Acto is better.
https://www.micromark.com/Easy-Miter-Box-Deluxe.