Liberty ship build

Of the several ships I have 3D modeled, I am going to build this ship as my first design and it is not overly complicated to it's functionality.
I had ordered 5 sheets of 12X24 by 1/8 wide polystyrene sheets to build this ship. I hope I ordered enough to do the job...

 

I went to use my Craftsman electric scroll saw to cut the 1/8 Poleystirene, it did not work so well. The plastic seemed like it was cutting well but was actually melting and re sealing the cut in the gap behind the cutting head. I was looking online and found that there is a plastic cutting blade that is sold. Dose any one have a good way to cut this stuff, watching Adam Savage during his one day builds he says to score and bend but in this case it is too thick to do that.

 

Use 1/4” ply

 

Why did you chose poly instead of wood?

 

I wanted to choose something I was familiar with but I had not used something that thick before. And that there is no issue with water.

 

I think you want a blade with fewer TPI and/or to move it faster along the line you're cutting.

 

Ok, hook tooth 7 tpi on median speed works great. And I am trying some Oatey abs to PVC green transition cement on a few pieces to see how well it works.
I'm going to get to cutting parts out...

 

I glued up the sides of the box with the green PVC glue doubling the 1/8 to 1/4 thick, the issue is the electric scroll saw blade is heating up causing it to stick to the melted plastic it just cut. I'm going to get a fish air pump and hook it up to the air nozzle and take a generous bunch of air hose and stick it in to a large cup of ice water and hook it up to the air spray nozzle on the craftsman jig saw that is supposed to blow air at the blade that dose not work... the 1/8 works well with the saw blade cuts just like wood.
I will post some pictures later.

 

I built the box of the ship, I will start to cut out the ribs next. I put the fore and aft spines on to measure the over all length and I found out the only mistake so far, there is a extra inch in the front spine that I will need to remove.

these should line up for this one rib location. The frame should be just under 37 inches and it came out to 38.

 

Nice! What's her overall length going to be?
Been a while since I've seen the Photobucket logo.

 

It should be 36 in. and 7/8 by the plans, but around 37 inches, she is not as far out wack as I thought it would be with parts alignment. I have no idea how to remove the logo...

 

I am very much building to plans, I have the mid section of the ship finished and the outer side plates to the main wheel house to be finished with that part.

 

She is going to be a beauty. What craftsmanship

 

Yes very cool looking and great work! Will the the plastic hold up to combat is my only concern. I would hate to see you do all this great work only to have to repeat it over and over.

 

I am planning on buying a BB gun next paycheck to test it out. Essentially it is the same plastic model cars, planes, Gundam models are made of. My impression of the material it should take hits nicely it flexes but takes allot to try to break or cut, but I've been wrong before...

 

This ship will be the Jeremiah O'Brien when it is finished.

 

I went to Lowe's and bought a 1/4 X4 in. brass threaded nipple, some thick brass sheet from Hobby lobby. I cut off the threded ends, torch soddered the ends closed, drilled 1/8 holes on each end and incerted a pice of 1/8 of brass rod. That was my idea instead of a stuffing tube. What kind of greace would you all recumend using?

I cleaned off the ends and I almost can't tell it was soddered together.

I had tested this design quite some time ago. I casted a plastic one with a pice of welding rod, glued it inside of a plastic cup and played with it in the sink with O-rings on each end and it seemed to hold out the water. I used vacilene at the time as what I had on hand at the time .

 

This last weekend i cut out the front end, dry fitted it and then glued it all together. This next weekend i will cut out the aft ribs.

 

Glad to see some progress! Will she be done by winters end?

 

The good thing is I have most of what i need to finish the frame, I bought 5 sheets of 12X24 sheets of polystyrene to build the ship with, I will have one sheet left over. I also have fiberglass cloth and resoun to cover the bottom of the ship and build end caps for the front and back of the ship. Really only thing i need to buy is stuff for the top deck and sheeting supplies to sheet the sides in balsa wood. I am trying to get it finished by early to mid January as $$$ allowes.