November 12, 2020

Steam Launch Blog #40

Early February 2019

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Boat is ready for sanding fair.

Have been watching Maynard Bray's Off Center Harbor series interview in the Museum's exhibit of half hulls and NGH's shop. Interesting in so many aspects that intersect with our project.

1. Use of batten to mark sheer line results in a sheer plank that will also naturally follow the sheer line

2. Use of batten to fair the hull while carving also results in strakes that will also naturally lie fair against the ribs

3. With accuracy of hull carving and use of very accurate three axis coordinate measuring machine HMCo could go directly from Table of Offsets to lofting ribs. We certainly found that almost all measurements were spot on; only a few were 1/16" off and I'm not sure that wasn't error of our team!

4. The HMCo process is really a manual application of same principles of computer modeling and optimization, 3-D Printing of prototypes, and CADCAM. As an aside for those of us who grew up in a 3D object visualization environment:

It is much easier process to conceptualize the end result - rather than a flat screen depiction. During the Reliance project I came to realize there were certain volunteers who just couldn't translate a two-dimensional picture into a three dimensional object; not a matter of intelligence, they just weren't wired to do so.

The manual process provides physical waypoints for evaluation and reflection, while a CADCAM process is on automatic

A CAD system has built-in reasoning to fair curves and adjust points that may not agree to NGH and batten curves.

5. Seems to me that use of batten in the hull shaping process, results in almost Shaker furniture-like simplicity of form and beauty to which we naturally gravitate. It when combined with the measuring machine certainly expedites production, eliminates errors, and improves profitability.