Well since I am just about done with the plug I thought a good point to start a thread on creating the final stages of a plug and preparing to create a mold. The ship in Question will be a Kaiser class Dreadnought.
At Request since I have no current photos to post, but a few older ones I will discuss the creation of the plug which still has work to be done on it. the plug started life as a battleable wooden ship that Tim had picked up from somewhere. I did not ask him many questions as he was allready in the process of making her into a plug, but had been stalled with other things. He had tried to use the expanding foam from like Home Deopt or Lowes but did not like it and cuts it all out pretty good. By the time I had got my hands on the Plug he had allready started adding to the gaps between the ribs the pink Insulation foam and had the bow area sealed with a wood filler putty. I took over the work on the plug for Tim and well myself at that point. I finished filling all the rib gaps with the pink insulation foam. and then made sure I trimmed it up to actually not be flush with the ribs. Then I took just regular old bondo and started layering and building it up. After doing two layers to each side I then sanded it till I got to the wood on the ribs and deck area. I have been since adding a layer here and there to build up all the low spots and get everything smoothed out. This is the long part of the process as it is easy to build up and then sand away too much. I tend to use different primer colors in a guide coat each time so I can get things smoother each time. At this point I am down to working on the bottom and making the Skeg on the Plug wide enough to support a stuffing tube and shaft inside it. I am also working on the stern point and a section about the bow that is a pain. The Kaiser in the first stages of sanding. The Bow area The Plug at Midship The Plug at the Stern section The Port side of the Plug The Plug's Starboard side The Plans I have for Reference of the Kaiser Class
Well I am on the last of days off for this week and got some more progress on the plug done and a few shots. Here is the current state plug. She has been Primered once good before looking for the low spots and other flaws I need to work out yet. once those are all circled and marked I came back and started to go over each of them with more bondo. When all the Bondo work and Sanding is done I will place the main deck and then make sure the line is smooth there before painting the hull in many coast of paint and clear. But for now here are the shots. This first shot is of the stern and the work getting done to her. I am trying to build up the Skeg area enough to fit in a stuffing tube and shaft so a running single prop can be used even if I only plan to run the outer shafts myself. This is a good shot of the bottom and the starboard bow area. Well here is a close up of the Stern A real good close shot of the starboard bow. This is a spot I am trying to still work out the cracks and flaws in. Last is a shot I took of the hull sitting up right. I took this as it shows how the areas between each rib was filled with the pink insulation foam from a hardware store. I will be soon mounting the deck over this and sealing it all up so I can get the final sanding done.
