My First Tramp Steamer Project

[Alfrik]

Finding myself rushed for a Tramp Steamer for a game scenario and only 8 hours to build it out came the foam core, hot glue, contact cement, card stock, floor tilies and hair dryer to speed drying time. I did not want to fall back on using a paper shipboard diagram!

http://armoredink.blogspot.com/2009/02/tramp-steamer.html

One fellow at the game commented to a blatant oversight on my part"you didn't paint in water" to which I told him "have another beer".

My next steamer will be larger and better laid out with an above decks superstructure that will accomidate more passenger rooms and a better cargo bay layout.

I will do a lot of photos when I start it this time

[fastolfrus]

Awesome.
It would take me more like 8 weeks than 8 hours to manage that.

[Wirelizard]

Your first ship, and built in 8 hours? Very impressive!

I like the modularity of it - having it come apart for storage & transport is a great idea, and having flexible superstructure options is also great.

[Wolf 359]

Damn, Alfrik, are you hyper-kinetic? Knocked that out in 8 hours.... former DOD contractor..... hmmmm, access to alien technology. Time machine help you?
  Nice job, very impressive.

[Mr. Peabody]

This is why Alfrik's blog is garnering quite a following. Good ideas, well executed and simple enough to be playable sometime later this afternoon.

Thanks for the good stuff Alfrik!

Thomas

[Burgundavia]

Nice looking ship. I have a question about where the door to the hold is. I don't see any such opening. It is very difficult to load your giant ape or dinosaur into the hold without such a door.

You inspire me to actually finish my tramp steamer. I have the hull and main deck cut out, just not the hull and the whole assembly and finishing bit.

[Alfrik]

I forgot to put the grating on the top deck for the picture , it's made out of the same material that the floor gratings are. Over those, there "should" be the water spill covers for storms when you "batten down the hatches" to avoid the water spilling into the cargo holds.

I poped down to the craft store and got more foam core board, just have to sketch out my deck plan and start cutting. Oh, and the port holes were just paper punch outs from a standard hole punch.

[dodge]

That is a great model, I fancy doing a ship for some sailors I was bought a while back,

What thickness did you use for hull and Interior walls, the whole effect is great and inspiring

well done

dodge

[gamer Mac]

Great ship.
Like the storage idea.
How did you manage to cut out the oval doorways so neatly.

[Alfrik]

Hatchways were cut via: I made a master door template and traced around it with a sharp tip pencil, then using a new exacto blade cut the first side of the foam board. Having cut the first side I used the exacto blade to punch thru like a sewing machine needle into the back side of the foam board. This gave me an exact guide to follow to cut the other side easily.  Sharpe new blades, I used perhaps 4 for all the doors so that they would not tear the paper of the foam core. A touch of caulking to smooth the inside edge of the door hatchways, though I confess I had the wife, with her much tinier fingers do that for me as it was much neater. You could use a stylus to do it also but she's usually watching over my shoulder and a "would you mind helping a bit?" sometimes gets me elbowed out of the way

[~ Tom Teriffic]

"Oh, and the port holes were just paper punch outs from a standard hole punch."

_That_, and this whole project, is just too sweet!

Seriously, your attitude and techniques _nail it_ !

Thanks!
 ~ TT

[Schweizer]

Needle Point Plastic Backing?  Brilliant!  I've racked my brains trying to find something of a similar texture, and the closest I could think of was plastic shelf liners, which weren't good enough to use.  Thanks for the excellent tip!  And congrats on such a nice ship - those interiors are great.