For the past few weeks I've been working on a 24th (1/2") scale steam punk airship. The skeleton of the ship is made from balsa wood with foam board floors.
The outside has a skin of cardboard at the back (the front remaining open for viewing).
Over the cardboard is a layer of balsa wood strips overlaid like weather boards on a house.
The wood was bent around the curve at the front of the ship by spraying it first with Windex. I don't know the science behind this, but for whatever reason balsa wood soaked in Windex becomes more flexible.
Inside, the walls were covered in more balsa wood. All this wood is stained with a mix of walnut and mahogany wood stain gels.
At this point I decided the ship looked to unwieldy and cut the lower floor/deck off.
This means that the cargo area has moved up into the open air on the deck and the engine room has now been squeezed into a small area behind the kitchen.
The reduced area of the engine room has made building something that resembles and engine difficult. At the moment there is a "boiler" in the back corner, some pipework, a set of very unconvincing pistons and a few other bits and pieces back here but no real engine.
In the central area of the ship is the kitchen and mess.
The front section contains the crew's quarters complete with some colourful hammocks.
The captain's cabin is better appointed with a proper bed and a desk.
I like it. but I like Pirate Ships
ReplyDeleteWow, you've been busy, Alennka! I think you were right to make the ship smaller, as the proportions look more realistic. It does make the cabin space cramped... but that is the way it is on real ships! Every inch of space is carefully used... nothing wasted! I think your engine needs the connection to the propeller.... if there is going to be one? Or perhaps you need to show the boiler "fire" so it looks like it is "working" if you know what I mean! This looks like a fun project with lots of room for imagination!
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