Foam model of a boat

Hello once again!
Ive decided to postpone my boatbuilding plans for several year forward, right now i am planning to buy an old fg hull to practice sailing and working with composites on, currently im in the process of accumulating finds preparing to leave country and searching for sensible prices for a boat i want, in the meantime ive decided to build its 1:10 model to have a more physical manifestation of modifications i want to implement, but i need your assistance.
i have some documents about the model i want but they are lacking hull lines, there is a profile, top view of fthe deck and interior, what would be the best way to scale those drawings to the print them on paper so i can glue them to foam sheets and cut?
TLDR: whats the best way to make a model of a boat

 

Print or draw the lines as close to full scale as you can. If you don't have a plotter, you can probably find someone near you, a print shop, etc., with a plotter that can print larger drawings.

 

is there any website or software where i can put a line, put in a know lenght of that line and scale the image to size?

 

Your CAD program should be able to do it.

 

Scaling is easy once you have a set of lines plans.

Scaling photographs can be done on any simple imaging software, even like PC Paintbrush. But, the original photos from the different angles, will be super inaccurate.
You will find it easier and way more accurate once you have converted the images to actual measurements.

Depending on your preferences, you could manually plot sizes of each of the Plan, Side, Front of the boat, and work out a lines plan, but you couldn't guarantee to get fair lines.
The most efficient way is to use the images to form the basis of a CAD drawing.
You start by tracing the photos with actual CAD lines and measurements. You can automatically FAIR the Lines as you go.



That way, you can assemble an accurate 3d plan of the craft, which can then be scaled to any size at the click of a button.
You can either use a CAD package yourself, or hire someone to do the work.

In the end, converting images to CAD Drawings is going to be the only way to develop an accurate lines plan.

 

You can build the model a couple different ways.

1. balsa and model glue or hot glue

2. a block of insulating foam can be glued and shaped

 

The free version of QCAD will allow a user to insert an image and scale it. Many other software packages will do this too.

Here is a Westsail 32 with a LWL: 27.50 ft / 8.38 m scaled down 1:10 to 33".

Once the image was inserted, I drew in the red water line. I took a horizontal dimensions and did the math, then scaled all to get image, line and dimension to the value needed.

This is similar to what RWatson posted above.

 

I went with the second option

 

It is no small task to create a set of complete and accurate lines from a scale image.It is a good way to learn the basics of lofting,while sitting down.One piece of advice-learn about layers and use a different layer for each of the sections in the body plan,even better use a different colour for each layer as well.Turn off the layers you aren't using when you need greater clarity.

 

Now, you just have to figure out what size for the shape will be, and make all your lines smooth and fair, on both sides.
Call it a "learning experience"

 

yeah it will be 1to10 so 104.6cm, its a manageable size and big enough fo mess around with

 

If you use XPS or EPS (both polystyrene foams), then you could use a hot wire bow and pairs of templates to rough out the main plan and profile shape. Don't use a hot wire on PU foams as the burning releases toxic compounds.

 

Length is one thing. How high will the chine at 15 mm, 150 mm and 350 mm from the stern be ?
How far from the Keel line ? etc etc
You will soon appreciate the trickiness of making an accurate copy from inaccurate images is.

 

i would use a knife anyways, because guying or making a boam cutter for just one 100cm ish model seems quite excessive

 

yeah