HMS Bellona: Keel is twisted stem-to-stern

Hello Chris!

I'm no expert at wooden ships, but I have built a few of them and I don't think expecting a plywood part to be perfectly planar under all environmental conditions is a realistic requirement. Usually you assemble all the bulkheads on the keel and then you fix your assembly to a heavy board keel up, or glue the decks - and at this point you have to make sure everything lines up correctly. Then you proceed to put the planking on and as the glue sets the parts stiffen themselves up. As long as the alignment was OK at the specified point, it should stay this way, the glue holding everything straight.

Hope it helps, have a nice day

Paweł

Chris,

If you purchased the kit from a company like Model Expo or Ages of Sail, they could replace the part.  I did that years ago with the Mamoli HMS Surprise. Yes, I know that the Mamoli kit does not actually represent that ship. Model Expo was quick to replace the warped keel.  I wonder whether or not Corel would do the same.

I would be careful either wetting or steaming the plywood.  Mistakes happen and the plywood could come apart.  Another approach could be to trace the keel onto a sheet of basswood, cut it out, and use that.

Bill

Hi ;

 I would go with what Bill says . If not , wet the keel in very hot water and then place very heavy objects on it  ,til it cools and dries . Mainly bricks ! This method works for me .

These things can come back to kick you later. I'd either get or make a new one.

Chris,

I have the Bellona kit and would be happy to use the keel as a template for a new piece to send to you if you would like.

Bill 

Plywood, once bent, is loathe to return to planar.

This is handy in boat building, when plywood is used for planking.

Not so very helpful when used to create a skeleton upon which one wishes to create a symmetrical hull form.

Your best bet remains either getting a replacement piece, or using the existing one to make a template on suitably flat material.

even if you could get 90% of the twist/warp out, it would still be there in your mind.    So, cutting your own replacement is a way of making that self doubt "go away."  As would be getting a replacment bulkhead.

I often scan or copy the die-cut or laser-cut "frets" for wood models on my printer/scanner and save them. Later, they can be used a patterns to make duplicate parts when required by printing out that sheet. That way I can replace broken or warped parts or change materials from say, mahogany to basswood, or whatever.