Birth of a boat
 

For your education, a short thread about the modeling phase of boat design and construction.

In 4 years being in the industry, I have never made one component of a finished product nor have I ever even tightened a screw in a finished boat. I am a modeler. I build models and molds, from which the final product is made. I am more in research and development than actual construction. I will tell the story of the boat as it comes from the computer to reality. The finnal assembly is boring, like telling how 20 kids puting together very expensive LEGO pieces.

FIRST it begins with sketches, computer tests, 3D models and finally into CAD/CAM programs. It's all computer and programming mumbo jumbo so don't ask me much about it.

http://www.seaway.si/pictures/1conce...tches-bigp.jpg
http://www.seaway.si/pictures/CFD_L_2.jpg
http://www.seaway.si/pictures/3D_assembly_L_1.jpg

SECOND A mock up model is built. The mock up is used to show any design weaknes's, like to narrow corridors, too steep stairs or even if the sundeck might be uncomfortable. It's also a showcase for investor to see a rough design of the product. When everything is OK the programers start programing the CAM/CADs.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...0_627087_n.jpghttp://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2996951_n.jpg


THIRD the base. A base in a support for the modeling paste. We have an asortement of steel understructures prepared. On it we construct a wooden support and on that wooden support we glue the styrophoam or EPS, cut to shapes that will allow for easy milling. It's a messy operation.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2021014_n.jpg
(this was the model for the actual boat, used by the UK team in the 2008 olympics in Beijing, The white stuff is the EPS)

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3320831_n.jpg
EPS block prepared to be cut. The lines are drawn via a printed plan we receive. Cutting is done by hand with a hot wire (sorry, no picture)
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5078985_n.jpg
Here we see a model of a hull being built. Like building LEGO's

FOURTH the first milling. The rough model is then sent into the milling machine. A five axel CNC milling machine thats slowly mills away the EPS to the shape, the final product will have.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8156738_n.jpg
the prevous hull still being milled

to be continued...

FIFTH the modeling paste. The milled rough model is then coated with resin and the long and grueling process of aplying the modeling paste. The paste is a chemical miracle, two components after being mixed by a machine and aplied by hand via a laying nozzle.

the machine: http://www.dekumed.de/indexeng.html

A deck model being laid. At the beggining of the shift and after 12 hours
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._2872814_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._5790127_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...3_664796_n.jpg
the model paste applied

SIXTH again to the CNC. The modeling paste is then milled just like the EPS before. Only with a lot more love and accuracy.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3957185_n.jpg
The hull being milled

SEVENTH putty and sand paper. The most boring aspect of design begins. One needs to locate holes, dents or imperfections of the model and fill them with putty and then sand it down to perfection. A milimeter big dent takes 10 takes to make a perfect surface. Some final adjustments can be made at this stage.

EIGHTH making of the glass. After the model is perfect, it is sprayed with a special kind of surface putty. That putty is then sanded with increasingly fine sandpaper until it is as smooth as glass. Any imperfections here and it will show in the final product. A mistake here will mean a disaster.

This is it for the modeling phase of design. Next the mold is made with fiberglass reinforced palstic and that mold is used to create final components. I have made hull models of 50m long yachts to just half a meter models of hatches. It's a diverse job

That's quite interesting actually :hmmm:

Thats really cool.

I build model boats among other things and it's always fasinating to see how the BIG STUFF is designed and constructed :D

Cheers

Garion

This is really interesting, so many questions! :doh:

Like: How many designs are thought of, and how many actually make it beyond your involvement and become floating reality?

How many differing models (from hatches to hulls) do you make during a set period (one month, or one year...)?

Have the guys you work with seen your face? :O:

Any design that gets past the initial theroetical phase goes trough the model shop to the prototype

Here's a list of all the boats that the company designed (or help design) and anything from 2008 onwards I was involved

http://www.seaway.si/clients.php

PLUS: since 5 axle CNC machines as big as ours are extremly expensive to buy and operate, many worldwide companies hire us. We also did a lot of non-nautical projects. A system that works quite well. I did anything from front mask of buses to wind powerplant blades. And the biggest project I've ever worked on: models for turbine blades for the Three Gorges power plant China (yes, THE three gorges)

This is a cool post, Betonov - I always wanted to see this method of boat-building. One question, though. Why is that guy standing on the EPS block picture making rude gestures?:rotfl2:

He's Bosnian :DL they like to joke around in their own way :DL

Awesome job to have! :rock:

You sure you want to say that again ?? :DL

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6932626_n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6805242_n.jpg

Here's me cleaning the barrels after they've been emptied (they contained the modeling paste)

No job is ever all light and roses. I've had to do things like that in regular jobs, but I never got to design a boat. :)

Like I said in another thread, it comes with a certain prestige. Have you ever tried to pick up women with the line: I build luxury yachts :DL It almost worked, but the problem was they turned around and saw my face :nope:

Sounds a fun job. My grandfather was a draughtsman at Harland&Wolff, and that was back in the day using pencil and paper.

Indeed, very interesting, thanks for posting! :salute:

I've also got some questions:

- Why do you build your models from Elektroprivreda Srbije? ;)

- What is the modeling paste made of? - if that's no company secret

- In the CAD pic, what does CP mean? Is this the drag of the boot in the water? I'm a little confused, as I know Cw for the drag, which doesn't go under 0.