$5k to digitize a mold?

We're recreating the hull of the Key West #1. Among commercial fisherman (and all the drug runners from the 70s and 80s that are still alive!), this boat design was mostly highly regarded. With a fine entry, low dead-rise and very wide beam, it was a great rough-water boat. With a little luck, sportfisherman will understand how great this design is as well. For example, a guy I know used to make a run from Miami to Venezuela and back with a gov't payload says he used to slow down a bit in 20 footers so his coffee wouldn't spill....and that's in only a 45 foot boat!

The ol' salt I have making the mold is nearing completion. So, I called a friend of mine with a reputable marine design firm to see if he would have someone take all the measurements and get this design on the computer. Well, he said he'd be glad to do so for about $5,000!

This is very important and not that much money in the grand scheme of things. But does that seem like a lot of $$ for a couple days of data entry to you??

Please advise....and thanks for your input.

Tony in Fort Myers, FL

 

It doesn't seem all that outrageous. What is the data being taken from, and what format are you expecting it in. Usually doing it by hand requires a fair amount of measuring work and cpu time. If you want a 3d model from it or 2d lines it takes time to get it right.

I have seen quotes in the 18k range for scanning hulls in the 150ft range so 5k seems not bad. Be sure to really communicate what you expect the end product to be....

-Fair1

 

The ol' salt I have making the mold is nearing completion. So, I called a friend of mine with a reputable marine design firm to see if he would have someone take all the measurements and get this design on the computer. Well, he said he'd be glad to do so for about $5,000!

If you can block the hull very well, a good home depot leveling builders lazer will allow an amateur to create a table of offsets , in a couple of hours., with a tape measure and plumb bob.

Skeens "Elements of yacht design " will give all the info required. Once you have the table of offsets , sticking it on a disc is not a big deal.

FF

 

excellent

Thanks for the tips. When we took what seemed like thousands of measurements from existing #1s, we used the lazer to make it easy. Had I recorded those measurements properly, I'd have nothing to worry about. Rookie mistakes.
I'll read about "offsets" this weekend and git 'er done! A few potential buyers are ready with deposits. Well, one will want a head boat with a full walk-around design...another wants a flybridge sportfish...etc. So, this just has to be digitized to save time and effort.

Tony in Fort Myers, FL

 

By the way

By the way, for this type of vessel and project what software would you suggest. I see "free!ship" is well recommended by users of this site...but don't know if that program is appropriate.

Tony

 

Using lasers and a plum bob would be fine but I doubt you could get the accuracy you are looking for with out a scan. Getting a table of offsets into a program like rhino3d would work well but to get an exact computer model the scan is the best, all you need is a program that can read mesh files.

Its unfortunate that the scans cost so much but if you find a company that does a good job its usually worth it.

 

If the boat is to be used as a head boat , and may carry over 6 passengers, you will need to construct it to USCG Sub chapter "T" .

This will require the build to use fire retardant resin , and have a collision bulkhead forward.

Not a big deal, the FR is a good idea on EVERY boat , just the CG needs to inspect the plans and the boats under construction.

Good insurance , and added value for your customers , esp for a new unknown builder.

FF

 

TouchCad will work very well for this. After the plotted points are made into a curve or surface, there is a command to reduce the number of points. By doing this the digital hull will be fair.

 

Researcing "TouchCad" now

That's a great tip....TouchCad.

and Fred, we've already gone throught the USCG specs for that head boat. The fireproof resin and other design qualifications are a piece of cake. There are so many little things, like 2" s.s. railings, that will cost the customer a pretty penny extra.

 

Not sure there is any spec as to WHAT the rails need be built from , , only a hight 42 inches ??? seems to stick in my mind.

Galv 2 inch pipe should do if your'e on a budget,

There are a few foolers , they need any secondary bonding to be ground to 75%+ glass , and prefer an electric grinder to an air unit , to avoid oil contamination from the air tool exhaust. So get a HUGE crew and lay the hull up in one session.

FF

 

a liitle twist

WHAT IF, you perform all of the measurements and hand them over for Data entry.. I work with Autocad quite a bit and if someone does all the site measures it saves me a ton of time

 

Seems to me if the general outer hull shape is all you want, you should be able to have a local designer look at the hull out of the water and draw one from scratch for about the same price.

 

CAD: Rhino or Alibre

Hell, I'll digitize it for $2500. I use Alibre and Rhino. You can buy a Digitizer for 2500 if you want one.

 

IF you already have the hull, why not just Splash it?

Splashing is creating a mold from an existing hull, and banging out copies.

FF

 

We have a mold, not a hull. Well, we're almost done with the mold anyway:

http://www.boatdesign.net/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/22690

It would have been nice to have Rhino Cad designs that we could show the buyer and easily move things around, create walkarounds, different bridge layouts, etc etc. We don't need it for construction...but more for illustration. But it turned out to be such a big, hairy deal that we decided to just stick with paper sketches and have our regular graphic artist (not naval) color them for presentation.
I guess if you start a project on computer it's great to design everything that way. But we already started this project the ol' fashioned way. So, it appears that's the way the renderings will stay as well.

Tony in Sw FL