Full size patterns or 'lofting' for steel boat?

Discussion in 'Metal Boat Building' started by Luc N, Apr 6, 2005.

  1. Luc N
    Joined: Apr 2005
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    Location: Belgium

    Luc N New Member

    I am considering building a steel displacement motorboat.
    The 'Mackerel 29' pleasure trawler version from www.bodenboatplans.com looks very interesting to me. I am a welder/metalworker and can work from a decent drawing but this boat needs to be 'lofted', does not have full size patterns. I have never built a boat before and I am somewhat afraid of this 'lofting' thing. I'm not a rich man and the possibility of expensive mistakes is definitely there!

    Boden says on their website : 'a simplified table of offsets such that the only full size drawing or lofting that is required is for the transverse sections and stem profile'.
    Is it that simple?

    I can't find a similar design (under 30 feet), with (or without) full size patterns, anywhere.
    This is an economical displacement boat, fairly heavy, and an all-steel(!) vessel.

    Some advice would be welcome.

    Thank you.
     
  2. SplineWeights
    Joined: Apr 2005
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    SplineWeights Junior Member

    Don't be afraid of lofting... It is not that hard to do at all. Recommend reading a book on lofting. It is really nothing more than placing dots out in reference to a line and then connecting the dots by use of splines and spline weights inoreder to get a fair line,

    Hope this helps :D
     
  3. yago
    Joined: Aug 2004
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    yago __

     
  4. Thunderhead19
    Joined: Sep 2003
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    Thunderhead19 Senior Member

    There are some great books dedicate to this subject. Ship and aircraft lofting and plate development might be useful to you. www.metalboatkits.com has some good options for you. They require no lofting at all, even though you supply the materials.
     
  5. Wynand N
    Joined: Oct 2004
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    Wynand N Retired Steelboatbuilder

    Rather loft...
     
  6. ARGO
    Joined: May 2005
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    ARGO Junior Member

    I loft out my frames on the computer and get them water cut. It saves my back and knees.
     
  7. FAST FRED
    Joined: Oct 2002
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    Location: Conn in summers , Ortona FL in winter , with big d

    FAST FRED Senior Member

    "loft out my frames on the computer and get them water cut. It saves my back and knees.
    __________________
    Jason

    If the designer can provide a good set of plans many times having a steel supplier do all the cutting , costs no more than doing it yourself.

    Their sheets are very large , and the computer places all the cuts very efficently , and they can recycle any scrap .Accurate too!

    Might be worth a look.

    FAST FRED
     
  8. hoagey
    Joined: Dec 2003
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    hoagey Junior Member

    I am going to purchase plans for a small aluminum boat and try my hand at building. The CNC files are not available, but the designer has said I may develop the files if I want to. I think it would be exciting and fun to learn how this is done.

    My question is how I go about transfering the the plans to CNC files.

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Thanks, Hoagey
     

  9. ARGO
    Joined: May 2005
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    Location: Victoria ,British Columbia

    ARGO Junior Member

    It just so happens that this is part of what i do. Send me a line
     
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