Pre-Announcement 

The laser cut design for ROYAL CAROLINE structural model will soon be completed.

Chapter 1: Introduction

Under the theme of "Structural Models Even Beginners Can Make", I have devised new methods for several preparation and fabrication processes that have been hurdles to structural model making. They are represented by such items as follows.

   Establishment of the production drawing method

    * Establishment of accurate individual frame drawings and various parts drawings in a brief period using graphics software.

    * Establishment of drawing adjustment method for laser cutting.

   Machining of parts

    * Realization of short-term, highly accurate machining of parts through the introduction of personal laser cutting.

   Knowledge of structural models

    * Realization of skill acquisition through the implementation of seminars, course textbooks, procedure manuals, etc.

The exact individual frame drawings have already been published as frame drawings for several vessels, and their practicality has been verified by those who have used them. In recently, other structural and outfitting parts required for the model are also drawn for parts fabrication, establishing a method for creating the necessary design data as a requirement for scratch building.

For parts processing, we focused on the spread of personal use of laser cutting and established it as a fast and accurate processing method that can be used by individuals while devising various correction methods necessary for practical use.

For details on the above, please refer to the "Procedure Manual" that is available separately.

Regarding the acquisition of structural model knowledge, unfortunately we are unable to hold training sessions currently due to the Corona disaster, but we are working to share knowledge and expertise through the publication of texts and procedure manuals for the beginners' course on structural modeling. 

However, the question is whether the actual structural model constructed using these methods will be assembled correctly as intended. To verify it, I decided to design our own model and build it using processed parts. In the verification process, several members joined me in the actual machining of parts and made significant contributions by proposing measures to deal with the issues we found. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.

The model chosen was GRANADO of 1/64 scale. Anatomy illustrations were developed into detailed drawings, and the overall design was created as an integration of original part shapes, with conversion from inches to millimeters and consistency among parts based on scale. The result is a total of over 1,600 parts of over seven hundred distinct kinds, which shows the precision of the structural model. What is even more amazing is that all these parts were processed by laser cutting in only about five hours or so, including machine setup. If you assume the time required for conventional machining, you can see how parts machining time can be reduced.

In addition, the hull assembly jigs designed and fabricated at the same time reflected the accuracy of laser cutting and enabled assembly with slight variation in fabrication, and the effect exceeded our initial expectations. This has proven to be a significant help to those who are trying structural modeling for the first time.

Structural models are different from finished models in that the beauty of the curvilinear structure of the hull, realized with the best of the technology of the time, is an object of appreciation. However, due to its complexity, it has traditionally been the domain of only a few modelers. We are convinced that the establishment of this new method has made it possible for anyone to challenge structural modeling as easily as kit models. We hope that this production guide will help you experience the reality of this process.

This document serves as an assembly manual and records the assembly process of the prototype. The most of photos from the following page have been reduced in size but can be enlarged by clicking on the images.

We hope that this method will be used by as many people as possible.