It is a lot harder to convert to combat than to build for combat and use it as a duck chaser. Wood hulls are a crime of passion. Ive built one far enough to get in the water, another on my work bench about ¼ done, and another is just a skeleton. You either love the wood work or you build one long enough to hate it. They are really design-your-own. A fiberglass hull would be the best choice. Already shaped and water tight and a lot easier to build.
Im a lover for wood, id be up for a challenge im not looking to do all the tiny details maybe a dowel and some small blocks for the super structure
Eh, thats good enough for a combat model. Some people like the details, some people don’t really care. To build a wood hull you’re most likely going to need to design your own ribs. There are rules to follow with that. Proper spacing, rib thickness, stringers, deck thickness, all need to be taken in to account. Really, you need to figure out what you want to build first, then go from there.
I think im going to stick with ww1 they where much more bulky and thats something I take into liking, the Baden was cool but im still not sure.
Just know that the Bayern class has some interesting hull features. The stepped deck and casement guns could make for a difficult build. To be honest I love German ships, but their odd deck layouts can be frustrating to build and arm.
yeah there are a bunch of guys that are doing 3Dp boats now. @bsgkid117 is working on a Barham right now last I checked. So I've only built wooden boats. I started with a lasercut Texas. that helped me learn the basics of boat construction, then I went out and built an Idaho from scratch. I spent 19 months on Idaho. it took 6 months to build Texas. A decent set of plans will have you running in no time, but I would advise you to *get the first boat operational*. that puking dog trainwreck of a boat will get you out there and battling, and give you the luxury of time to get your woodworking magic in on the second boat.
wait couldn't I just make my own laser cut kit ? I know there's some laser cutters out there that ant that expensive
To cleanly cut ¼” 5ply you are looking at a glowforge or better. The cheap chinese K40’s will struggle to cut that thick. I used my cnc router to cut my ribs on my wood hull builds.
im honestly now thinking of a battlers connection ship kit not sure im still wanting a nice classic wood kit
If you really want a wooden hull "kit" but are worried about your ability to cut it out/assemble it yourself, @rcengr used to make really awesome laser cut kits. He had one of USS Texas. Not sure if he'd be willing to hook you up with a one off run, but you could ask him. I have a 36" x 54" CNC machine that I've used for carving plugs, cutting subdecks, etc. With the right manufacturing tolerances in mind, one could easily draw up ribs + keels + subdeck to then be cut on the CNC. My first Jean Bart was a hand built wooden hull. I 3d modeled the ribs and such but then just printed it out at Staples, glued it to wood, and cut it out with a Harbor Freight scroll saw. It's not a terrible job, just time consuming. Check out my build thread for some ideas in that regard.
My first wood hull was also cut on a cheap scroll saw I picked up off facebook market. My next two were done on my CNC router. My router is only 12x12 so ribs are no problem, but decking is going to be done in sections. Will does offer cnc service (you'd want to pm him about pricing and availability), so if you found a boat you really wanted to build and had the rib plans made, Im sure you could get the kit made. You have a lot of options, just need to decide on a boat
Yeh i need your help with that im wanting somthing chunky but really simple with the super i do like the gins inside the super or the frame if thats how you say it im thinking ww1
Ive seen $50-$100 price range for used ones so, $80 in good shape with extras, Id pick it up. Its not like your first boat will be your last. I usually like ships that have a history or cool story or just look easy to build. My first build was a Bismarck and my god what an absolute nightmare. After that I decided to look for something easier to build and battle. Heck, I picked my Derf because it was literally a slab sided boat. No hard to sheet bow sections, or what evers. It was only after I was initially interested in the boat that I started looking into it and made me fall in love with it.
