HMS Malaya

That's the kind on Malaya, yes.

 

Got some work done in the shop today, with Brian and the Bitondo Brothers in attendance. For me, I got the superstructure (as I have it done so far) assembled. The forward SS still has 2 more levels to go, and the stern one has one.

Actually, the SS in the pic above wasn't assembled, just stacked in order and put where it goes. Here is another view. Still waiting on the iphone to update the other pics... The empty middle section will have the Hangar section (which also has the smokestack). It is still being drawn up and it is totally mental.

Before the session ended for the night, I got the stern SS 01 level bolted to the deck. It's pretty cool.
EDIT! Photos just showed up! Here a close-up of the stern showing the 4 M3 screws that hold it to the deck, lightly recessed.

Here it is with the 02-04 levels on it. Still needs some cleaning up. But the building and the deck its on are one piece, and they literally snap in and out, no magnets nor hold downs needed. The pillars on top of the building were a test that I wasn't happy with, so the one I'm doing for Brian will have holes to insert 1/4" rods in. The building lifts off so that I can check my pump easily between sorties to make sure that it's not getting debris clogging the filter...

So I at last have a piece of printed SS installed on the boat!

 

Thanks guys

@AP - I'd thought about it, but printing hollow is tricky and there are tradeoffs that would have to be made. The forward SS was designed differently from the aft SS and is hollow (mostly because I could do it easily with the multiple layers) for lightness,a nd for putting lights in if someone wants to. The portholes are about 1/6" dia, so if someone wanted to, they could drill them out and put in LEDs.

 

Today was a banner day in the shop! Beyond 4 people here for the weekyl build session, I got presents from Brian K! Those being, the 4 assembled Tees for my cannons! Much merriment and cannon building followed, him having already put in the interrupters and springs. I added the uptubes, elbows, magazines, barrels, and tubing. The cannons in question have the breech bypass that I have liked since I got some old Port Polar Bear guns that had them.

In the pic above, you can see the stern deck, upside down, showing the twin sterns and the stern sidemount. The twin sterns will be about 12 degrees to starboard (can go to 15, just playing it safe). All the guns were tested out of the ship and they make Scary Noises(tm). Best sounding guns I can remember having on one of my ships.
I also helped David out with his drives, and Brian and I did some cleaning in the shop. Since I gave him an old Craftsman shaper that I had in one end of the shop, we've freed up a lot of room, resulting in another workbench materializing. We can comfortably fit 5 adults working on boats now, more once I finish the Rostock and get it off the table saw.
But the big upshot of today's build session is that I am REALLY happy with my guns, and I just have a little work to do getting the gas system complete. Only big thing after that is routing the pump discharge, and she'll be ready for the February battle in 2 weeks. The printer will be working overtime getting Brian's SS ready so that he doesn't need a cereal box SS

 

less than a pound, I'll measure it before it gets mounted. But it's light. ABS doesn't weight much, and it's hollow.

 

WEELLLLL.... Malaya won't make the February battle. She's close, but I don't think that it could be done RIGHT in 1 week, and I have a long and (in)glorious history of rushing ships at the last minute because I had to see them on the water in battle, usually (always) with less than satisfying results. So with 3 hours left in the build session, Malaya went on the wall rack and Lil Scharnie came down. We figured out the gun problems (one MAV needed oiled, and one gun lacked an interrupter spring), fixed them, and made shooty noises with the guns mounted in the ship. Radio is plugged in, battery connected, and all systems tested sat. Painted the hull, SS and smokestacks; deck will get a new coat of tan/brown this week. But it'll be a low-stress week leading up to the first battle of the year, and I'll have a month or so to finish Malaya properly with no kludges.

This provided me with reinforcement on a valuable lesson: It's good to have your old ship fully functional (and not cannibalized) even if your new one is fine. Tim Krakowski has repeated that to me many times, it's only taken about 10 years for it to sink in. (Or maybe 10 years of sinking for me to get it )
The computer running the 3D printer has been having issues for months, getting worse as time went on (winlogin errors, if anyone is interested), and I haven't been able to get the printer software to play on the Linux laptop (Pronterface can't find one of python's files). So I have sent the laptop to Brian K's son, Christopher (captain of the much-feared Bayern) who is a computer genius, with a promise of cash if he can troubleshoot it successfully.

 

That is really cool. There's no way that I'd sacrifice a printer for it, but it's an impressive feat of nerdism. I need to hurry up and finish Rostock and PipeDream so that I can add the next machine to my shop (CNC router that can handle large sizes of plywood, maybe pass for a planer in a pinch.) Not like the shed next to the shop is being used for anything anyway...

 

I love me some hand planes, did the mast for my sailboat that way. Made a LOT of wood shavings I actually have a heavy 12" planer, I think the wording I was looking for was Jointer, making one side of rough wood flat before feeding it to the planer. I only have a 6" jointer (hey, it was free) and I have some heavy 8" wide 2" thick white oak that would be nice to get taken care of. On the other hand, I did read a howto on screwing wood slats to the thin sides of the lumber (this, making a 'flat' side) and feeding it thru the planer. Just like trying new things and I've seen lots of router rigs that act as planers for large pieces. Seemed reasonable to try it with a CNC router.

That said, it would make cutting wood hulls easier by far Some have suggested using a laser instead, but I don't have the money for a laser setup, and I do already have a router that will do the job (that's not being used for other things).

 

Rob, one of our locals has a printer than cant print smooth as a baby's butt, sans diaper rash. Catch is, its not an extrusion printer and it costs a considerable amount more and has a smaller print volume available, but it prints so niiiiiice.