So a few months ago, after "thinking about it", I have set out on one more try to build Titanic.. in 1/90th scale. At least I "think" it's 1/90th. It's not built to any specific scale. It's just over 9.7 feet long, that's around 3 meters for the metric people, I think..
Here are the pictures, as well as some descriptions of the first steps...
The first steps involved drawing out templates of the different sections of the frame from plans of the Titanic, which I got from "Titanic: A model maker's manual," by Peter Davies Garner, who himself had built a large 18 foot model of Titanic, and which is the experience which his book is about.
Once the templates were drawn and cut, I placed them on many sheets of foam board, and proceeded to trace and cut the new sections...
...Once I completed the process of cutting out the sections of the frame from foam board, I cut slits in the top of the keel plate that runs along the middle of the model, and I also cut slits on the bottoms of each frame that runs the width of the model. I proceeded to slide the frames into their respective positions along the keel plate, and when that was finished, the model really looked like it was taking shape. And, so far, this is my most accurate try at building the Titanic in a large scale.
After trying out the pieces to see how they fit, I glued the entire skeleton together using hot glue. The keel plate and frame was not perfectly straight, so it has required a bit of adjusting while placing the side and bottom strips of foam board between the frames. I admit, it's a fairly crude way to perform such a job...
...This here is simply a view of the top as it appears at the moment. I had originally drawn the basic plans for the top down view of the model, and have not yet finished them. I do, however, need the full size plan place on the top of the model to ensure that it is as straight as I can possibly get it. When you're working with a bendable material, and with no really reliable base to work on, and on such a scale, things began to deviate off the center line a bit. I will also be making plans for the side profiles of the deckhouses and such, in order to get the walls made and installed properly on the slanted decks...
Just another shot of the model frame...
...This shot shows the bottom being reinforced with foam board strips between the frames. Each strip is approx. 1 inch wide. It is a VERY repetitive and tedious process of drawing, cutting, placing, snipping, and gluing these strips to the model.
However, it is nothing compared to how long and tedious the process of creating the hull, or "shell" plating will be. In Peter Davies Garner's book, he mentioned that it took him approx. 4 months to complete the hull plating, and that was on an 18 foot model with much more detail put into it. It should take me a similar amount of time to complete that process, once the filler/reinforcement strips are in place over the entire model frame...
...Just a closer shot of the plating between the frames...
This is one of the most recent photos. Since then I have began to mark the locations of strakes A-W on the hull, with A starting on the bottom at the keel, and W at C-deck, with strakes J and K at the bilge keel...
A shot of the stern here.. It's very tricky to get those foam board strips between the frames in the area near the fantail. I wrapped card paper around the propeller shaft wings, with foam board reinforcement inside them. I still have to cut out the area where the center propeller will be, as well as figure out how I'm building the fantail its self (not to mention the props!)... (oh, by the way, that's my dad sitting in the chair in the background, in case anyone was wondering if that was me or something...)
And finally, a view of both propeller wings, with only the starboard one completed. I'm hoping that this looks much better with regular shell plating, and paint. I'm also going to try and reinforce the inside with a much stronger glue...
Well, that's it for now!
I'll try to post updates on here as I go. It's going to be a long ride yet...
