Grid:
Before we start to draw curves, we need to construct grid. The grid consists of several straight lines, including FP, AP, Stations, Waterlines in the profile and Buttocks in the half breadth. LWL is the first line to be drawn, then the CL, the the FP. When it comes to stations, trammel arms are used to draw these perpendicular lines. We first drew one station of every three, then we can use these stations as reference to construct the rest and to check whether our measurements and drawings are correct.
After finish the grid, it is time to draw those curves. The standard process is:
1. Measure the intersects of the curve and stations in profile according to the table of offsets, and mark them out.
2. Find a good batten, and use nails to bend it to the right curve (in this case, it will be the sheer). Then use nails to fix the batten
3. Draw the curve.
4. Pull nails out, and put away the batten.
Sheer in profile:
Sheer comes after the grid according to the lofting schedule. So it will be the first curve to be drawn on the cut board. Sheer is not a tricky curve, so just follow the standard process.
Deck line in half breadth:
Deck line in half breadth is the same line called sheer in profile. Just follow the standard process. But I had a problem when I was drawing this line: the segment between FP and station 0 is not fair. It should not be. I checked my measurements, saw other guys got a beautiful curve for the their deck line using the same measurements and methods. That was really annoying. I tried several times, but failed to fix the error. The batten just tells me that this is wrong. I even started to doubt that may be my grid is wrong, that will be a disaster. Finally I got it. The deck line starts from the CL, but I made a mistake and my deck line starts from butt 50. This explains why I can not get it fair. When you are marking intersects, make sure you measure them from the right line (LWL in profile and CL in half breadth).
Chine in profile and Canoe body in profile:
Just follow the standard process, and with all the experience and skills I got from first two curves, these two curves seemed much easier.
Chine in half breadth:
Buttocks in profile:
I started to draw butt 400 in profile after finished the Chine in half breadth. Use the same technique and follow the standard process. One thing needs to be put special attention is the start of the butt 400. It is the intersect of butt 400 and the cheer. The coordination of this intersect can not be found in the table of offsets, but in the half breadth, you can find it. All you need to do is to draw a perpendicular line from the intersect of butt 400 and deck line in half breadth. The intersect of this perpendicular line and the cheer in profile, is the start of the butt 400. (see picture below)
The second crucial part of butt 400 is that this curve has a kink between station 6 and station 5. It starts at the intersect where the but 400 came across Chine. But I did not notice this (actually, I have no idea about this), so I just used the batten to draw a curve. Chris saw that and made a laugh at me (well, I am not the only one who had been laughed by Chris for this mistake, almost everyone made this mistake). Ben explained this to us by showing us a real dinghy in the workshop. So what should I do? Erase the segment of the kink, measure the kink in AutoCAD, and draw it again.
There is a kink at the front part of the butt 400 (it is located at the intersect of butt 400 and chine) as well. From the kink to the intersect of the butt 400 and the Cheer, it is not a curve, but a segment which consists of three straight lines.
Body plan (Monday, 23/08/2010)
This is the second week of our lofting training. I continued to draw waterlines in half breadth and buttocks in profile. I would say it went quite smooth despite some minor problems. The profile and half breadth were finished before lunch time.
I started the body plan after lunch.Thanks for Eran and Vaughn showed me the technique for body plan. There is no need for measurement of those intersects as we can get all the information from the profile and the half breadth which are already done. The technique is not complicated, or once you understand it, you would say it is quite easy. But it may take you days to figure out how to do this without introductions or explanations from an expert. Boatbuilding knowledge, experience and skills that handed down from generation to generation are high valued assets.
The first to do is to construct the grid for the body plan. With center line in the middle, butt 50, butt 200 and butt 400 on both sides of the center line. Waterlines are the same as those in profile.
The method to draw the body plan is to use a paper tape. At every station, you mark the height of every intersect in profile on one side of the paper tape and the width of every intersect in half breadth on the other side of the paper tape. Then you can just use these marks to locate these intersects in the body plan. After you draw these intersects, use batten to draw lines in body plan.
I finished several lines in body plan today, and still have four lines to go. I will finish them tomorrow.
Some guys have already finished body plan. James was the first (see picture below: James and his finished work). Good job!
Lines are finished on 25/08/2010. :) Picture below: finished body plan
Wei, Very good reflections on your loft of the sheer and deckline curves. Yes at times mistakes happen, good to see that you have found the error and worked out on your own how to fix it. From these errors we gain experience. This makes us stronger people.Did you use the loft sequence in the order while constructing your lofting? This helps get it right earlier.I'm really looking forward to reading your blog as you progress through this first lofting task.Keep up with the very good work.Cheers
Posted by: clovegro | 08/20/2010 at 09:36 AM
Good stuff Wei!!!
Posted by: Vickel Narayan | 08/24/2010 at 04:35 PM