Free model longship designs?

[HambleTurtle]

I've 2 children who are studying vikings and are meant to build a model viking longship next week.

Now I could just let them bodge a vague box out of cornflakes packets, but that offends me.

So does anyone know of any free longship designs about?
Possibly something similar to the Viking Longship – Drakkar Amati kit's keel, bulkheads, and "pre-shaped planks", that could be printed and cut (or cut directly on a vinyl cutter). Decent 3d models for a 3d printer might be ok too - but I'd rather something more hands on so it's still their work.

I'm playing seeing what I can create in freeship from the Gokstad plans* but if someone's already got something that'd be even better - thanks.

* Gokstad Viking Longship https://www.themodelshipwright.com/high-resolution-ship-plans/oar-powered-vessels/free-ship-plan-viking-longship/

 

[bajansailor]

Welcome to the Forum HT.

What a wonderful project your children have, re building a model viking longship!
It is definitely worthy of something much more elaborate than cornflake packets.

Can you post on here any copies of your Freeship sketches so far?

Re the lines plan in your link above - that is very high resolution.
I would be inclined to print it, and then create a beer crate or egg box type of model, with a longitudinal backbone (based on the side elevation drawing) and transverse frames slotted into this backbone at the stations shown.

And then get your children to start cutting the planks - you could calculate how much wider the planks have to be amidships, compared to at the ends (using a ratio of the frame section girths), so that all of the planks are full length.

It might be easier to do this by cutting out the stations at the scale you want, and then spiling the planks manually by eye on the model, rather than trying to work it out in a CAD program?
It would be a lot more satisfying as well for your children if you do it this way.

How long do you want your model to be?

Changing tack slightly, I am sure you have researched the Draken expedition?
Draken Harald Hårfagre https://www.drakenhh.com/
If you contact them, they might be amenable to supplying you with some suitable plans for building a model?

Edit - just an additional thought - have a look at the Norwegian Hardanger Faerings designed by Iain Oughtred -
http://www.oughtredboats.com/
Scroll down to the Faerings in the Catalogue Index on the right.

 

[Squidly-Diddly]

Viking Long Ship seems rather complex shape and construction for quick project.
Depending on tools, workspace and kids, you might do scaled down stitch and glue out of 1/8" plywood to build skills for real stitch and glue boat in future. IIRC stitch and glue is pretty close match to what everyday Viking small boats looked like. Double ended with a few fairly large planks/chines.Norwegian Gunning Dory Plans PDF https://duckworks.com/norwegian-gunning-dory-plans/
Now you just need to find a free set of panel layouts to scale down. Could even by made of heavy-weight "construction paper" with some trial and error, and tape. I recommend Blue "painter's tape" for first set of positioning (and re-positioning) bonds.

 

[gonzo]

I understand what you would like your children to do, but developing the shapes of each plank is quite hard. These ships require a very high level of skills. There is no way they can be ready next week. Shipwrights have patterns for the planks and the hull is built by riveting the planks and shaping the hull from the garboard up. The frames are then fitted. In some ways it is similar to stitch and glue. The shape of planks pre-determines the final shape of the hull. I think the children will end up frustrated and overwhelmed by the complication of the construction. I would say that an experienced ship modeler would take at least two months working full time to build the boat.
Regia Anglorum https://regia.org/research/ships/Ships1.htm

 

[HJS]

Attachment is a Delftship file. Download Delftship Free and you can read the file.
JS

 

[baeckmo]

Nice Jürgen, that fbm-file makes the hull "doable" for a junior with its panel development! I'll copy it for two of my grandkids, thx Hamble for bringing up the subject!

 

[HambleTurtle]

Thanks all.
I've seen the amount of skill involved for making display wooden models like the Drakar, I'm not aiming for something worthy of museum display - just something a tad more boat shaped.

Something like the Gunning Dory but with a keel + stem / stern might work well thanks. ~25cm in construction card.

If I get anything presentable with freeship I'll let you know.

For reference, so they know how it should be done, as well as the Regia Anglorum site (thanks), I found a couple of stunning "walkaround" views of the Osberg and Gokstad ships here A digital visit to Bygdøy https://www.visitoslo.com/en/activities-and-attractions/boroughs/bygdoy/digital-visit-to-bygdoy/ - the prow & stern planking on the Osbeg is just boggling - makes the Gokstad look ... ok still insane.

Also found a nice full size recreation of the Gokstad boat - showing nice details about the rudder and general construction The Gokstad Boat https://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/professions/boatyard/building-projects/the-gokstad-boat

 

[HambleTurtle]

Thanks JS - that may well be what I'm looking for .

 

[Kayakmarathon]

Instead of using panels, consider 1/8 " x 1/4" x 48" balsa sticks. They can be glued to cross sections and held in place with rubber bands. Sticks can be cut to length and sanded to fit. It took me 3 days to build a 30" model kayak, and that was AFTER cutting the cross sections out of balsa. Once dried, I sanded the bumps out and covered the outer hull with 2 oz fiberglass and epoxy resin. A couple of layers of paint might work just as well to fill the cracks between sticks. Building a simple model from scratch will take more than a week.

 

[gonzo]

If a kayak took you 3 days, consider what a hull that has over 20 panels would take. I think that maybe the kid would be better off carving a foam block to make the hull.

 

[KJL38]

If a faering is suitable Flo-mo has plans for the Gokstad faering including plank shapes at Design studies of classic small craft and modern classics http://flo-mo.weebly.com/design-studies-of-classic-small-craft-and-modern-classics.html

 

[alan craig]

My son had the same project at primary school many years ago, I mostly built it and he mostly finished it - in cardboard. The strangely high quality of the boats delivered to the school made me think that all the dads became boatbuilders for the weekend!

 

[HambleTurtle]

We ended up going with the Gokstad faering from Design studies of classic small craft and modern classics http://flo-mo.weebly.com/design-studies-of-classic-small-craft-and-modern-classics.html - thanks KJL38.
I think it's pretty much the same model as the Delftship model posted by HJS - but I struggled working out how to export the sheets from it.
(I've not got windows so was remote desktopping to a windows machine and the lag dampened my enthusiasm for exploring)

I printed an A4 version and 9year-old cut that out and tapped it together with masking tape as a prototype.


Having made that and understood the concept she wanted to do a more solid version and make it into a "longship".
So I converted flo-mo's design to SVG - cleaned it up, and set it to cut on the Cricut*, and the card failed to cut fully and delaminated when peeling off the cutting mat.
Back to normal printer - I printed on 2 pages she taped the pages together and cut the shapes out - having extended the stern and prow. She then glued the cut panels onto a cereal packet, and the keel and frames to stiffer card.
This proved harder to cut by small hands (that had already lost 1 knuckle to the Selotape dispenser) so I use a craft knife.

Small girl then assembled with the occasional helping hand when she'd run out of paws / clue.


While the glue dried on the "skeleton" she constructed the detachable figurehead & the sail.


Meanwhile her brother had chosen to use the Hobbycraft designs suggested by their teachers - and also needed the occasional extra hand.


They both liked the shape of hers - but his was bigger so he was happy too.

We did "learn" that making one side of the boat and then trying to connect the other side was not ideal. (It was meant to be her project so I let her run with it - a little)
It's also really fiddly joining card like that.

I'm now tempted as we're getting more used to the Cricut, to try again and also see if I can get the cutter to make holes so I can stitch it together rather than tape it.

Anyway thanks everyone for the files and suggestions - small people had a couple of fun afternoons in their last week of home schooling (for now) as did I.

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*yes I know Cricut are introducing an upload limit for new users at the end of the year :-( Silhouette / Brother make good alternatives.