"..... EezEbilts are all relatively easy to make even if there are a few minor errors which are so easily correctable......."

Since they are intended for beginners, ANY problem needs to be looked at. If it's a problem with the plan then I need to correct it - if it's a problem with the user not understanding something or getting it wrong, then I need to change the instructions or some other aspect of the plan to avoid the problem in the future.

The boats are intended to encourage modellers by helping them get a boat right first time. It says a lot for GMan's perseverance that he is still looking for a model to build after some initial frustration, no matter how it was caused...

"I know this isn't a good help to the beginner, but, like everything else in life - we must learn from mistakes and we do all make mistakes no matter how good we are" from John.
How right you are - been running the laser for commercial purposes for 10years (models are my hobby that I sneak in when I can) and still make mistakes. Life seems to be one long learning curve. Even my wife still makes mistakes and she's been using her laser since 1993! There is no substitute for experience and Dodgy's EezEbilts are all relatively easy to make even if there are a few minor errors which are so easily correctable.

Look like a nice boat.

I've actually made two of these, but gave the second away. Here are some pics of it with the better bow - you will see that it also has operating fire hoses....

"........If you notice there is a mistake on the bow and I am sure Dodgy will notice it straight away........."

If that's an early plan, then I put the mistake there. And then tried to correct it with an 'error' sheet, and then got so confused that I just hung lots of warnings around it and planned to update it at some point. I'm waiting for a good reason to build another one and produce a better plan...

That was the first 50+ Eezebilt I made, and I only had web photos to work off - so I wasn't sure what the bow should look like anyway. I should really take it down - but John has produced a great little boat from what's up there, and it's a classic shape for only about £10 worth of balsa...

The point of the EezEbilts is to introduce people to boat building. If the Curlew has done that, then it's done its job, and Gman can go on to bigger and better things with a bit of experience, acquired as cheaply as possible....

Thanks for all the input I will check these out as time allows😊

Thanks

hi there
this is a build from Dodgy Geezers website - I did this a few year ago - its the fireboat obviously - I have yet to sail this. Its been bath tested but not tested on the lake.

While we are on discussing about inaccuracy in plans I think it must be borne in mind that its part of the modeller's skill to learn. To take a plan as a basic thing and work from that at adjusting the measurements & etc all the time.

There are very few plans that I have worked from where I can take direct measurements and transfer it to the material I am working on and knowing that they are going to be right. Even, to the plans we can get from the National Museums.

I know this isn't a good help to the beginner, but, like everything else in life - we must learn from mistakes and we do all make mistakes no matter how good we are.

If you notice there is a mistake on the bow and I am sure Dodgy will notice it straight away - as I made a mistake on the bow of the model.

That's life :-) John

"........I have found that most old hand drawn plans are inaccurate......."

I bow to your experience, of course! My rather more limited exposure to vintage model plans is that they are indeed inaccurate. Your points are all true, and on top of that wood and paper can shrink and warp over the years. I handled that on the initial EeZeBilts by providing a copy of the die-cut sheets as well as the 'improved' cutting lines, which were 'what I thought the designer meant'.

It was still hard to be sure that I had got things right, because manual cutting from plans introduces more errors - but now that I have a cutting machine that source of errors should be minimised.

I originally thought that PDF format was a good one to use for distribution, since it was meant to be a 'facsimile image' - but I didn't realise that people can set their printers up to do all sorts of default formatting, which can alter sizes...

Having owned a laser cutter for nearly 10 years , I have found that most old hand drawn plans are inaccurate and a lot of the old die cut kit parts are not only inaccurate but in most cases the bulkheads for instance are asymmetrical.
When making a model you have to first correct the bulkheads etc (not difficult using Corel) and then cut a prototype to determine what further errors there are. Back to the drawing board to correct those, and then a further test cut etc. In the early days it would take about 6 versions to correct all the errors , but with experience have now whittled it down to about 3 as areas likely to have errors can be anticipated. There is also the difficulty of for instance "3mm" thick material that can vary from about 2.7mm to 3.4mm and that can mean parts don't fit.

Having said that I have cut most of the EezEbilt models from the site and the errors are minor besides being balsa they are easy to correct especially using water-resistant quick drying PVA glue. With enlarged versions you have to correct the slots etc so its easy enough to check on Corel for any inaccuracies. (That is one of the beauties of digital plans - you can produce a model at any size you choose). Most Lasers use dxf CAD files which Corel converts for you either way importing or exporting. One of the drawbacks my partner and I see is that in CAD drawings a curve is represented by a large number of straight lines which makes for a very large file. In Corel a curve is simply a curve and hence a much smaller file.

PDF files are very problematic for most modellers as for instance two files imported from the same source can vary in size dramatically and you then have parts that don't match. The same applies to printing pdf plans in parts on an A4 printer - the pages very often don't line up. JPG files are much less of a problem as sizes go.

My personal feeling is that the mismatch of parts is probably due to the use of pdf files with their associated problems. Some printers unfortunately do not allow you to adjust sizes other than in a rudimentary fashion.

Am I correct in assuming that the front deck was too small in all dimensions - not long enough and not wide enough? Can you remember about how small it was?

Quite a lot of people have downloaded the Curlew with no issues, including people who have made 'double sized' versions (which would magnify any error), so I am very interested in seeing where the problem lies.

It may be that there is some arrangement of the files that lets printing happen at different scales?

@DodgyGeezer this was a while ago over a year, though I still have the boat.

Let us identify the problem first. It could be an error from many sources.

I drew these plans up by asking people to scan die-cut kits in their collections, then I used a CAD package to draw over the lines and put them out as .PDFs. There could be errors with the original scan, with my drawing, with my conversion to PDF or with your final printout. And no doubt there are other possibilities as well, such as the deck being the right size, and the hull structure too large....

You state that most of the hull structure went together ok, but that the front part of the deck was not long enough?

I believe that the front deck should be 6.5" long. That is made from a front part of 2.8" and a side part of 3.7". What length is yours? And if you have any of the original paper print left, you could check whether the inch marker really is one inch...

Top deck, It could be my mistake then but the rest fit.?

Hi there, Glynn Guest is a gent who does a lot of plans and articles in Model Boats Magazine - and - if you have a look at this month's issue (May 2019) you will see he has done a little RIB model - using an inexpensive waterjet unit. If you have a look at Sarik plans you will see there are a few of his designs that crop up and they are fairly simple.

Another good idea is to look on EBAY for model boat mags for sale (make sure they have the plans included).

The two models I have mentioned HMS Penelope and MTB are both designed by Glynn.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-MODEL-BOAT-PLAN-HMS-VULCAN-WW2-BIG-GUN-MONITOR-MM-20859-30-5-LONG-ORIGINAL/163488240343?hash=item2610a892d7:g:8ZwAAOSwe09ZmBYm
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-MODEL-BOAT-PLAN-VIVACE-MM-2104-PATROL-LAUNCH-FOR-NDQ-WATER-JET-ORIGINAL/153340585748?hash=item23b3cfa714:g:pM8AAOSwz71ZPpm9

John

"....Curlew, the top was short...."

That's very surprising. It's an original KK, and I would have measured directly from an image of the die-cut parts. Are you sure that you printed the plans out correctly, with no 'scale' or 'fit to page' on your printer? That can alter the scale at which things are printed, which is why there is an inch scale on each page. Perhaps you could provide me with some measurements so that I can trace any error?

That boat is a very small one - too small for standard R/C unless you want to perform some complicated modelling. It is a good starter boat to teach the rudiments of making a hull, and perhaps sailing on a pond. At only 10 3/4 inches it's not really suitable for a big lake.

The Curlew has a push-in two-roof cabin superstructure. By 'top' do you mean the forward cabin roof, the rear cabin roof, or the complete superstructure? Or do you mean the two deck parts? I would like to correct any problems.

gman3000, the rescue launch is the best for a first time build, and lots of room for motor and RC gear

@JOHN sorry what are you reffering to "Glyn Guest build"?

thanks

@HAKits

I will take a look.

is there one in particular that is easier?

Thanks

@DodgyGeezer

Curlew, the top was short.

Hi there, have you thought about a Glyn Guest build as he does a lot of free plans in Model Boats magazine and if you cant get them from model boats mag - Sarik hobbies sell the plans - and have a good list to choose from. If you have a look at my harbour - you will see an MTB made from balsa wood which I made from his plan.plus warships aswell

You could have a look at at my kits, not balsa but quality liteply. accurate laser cut parts and step by step instructions. The other good thing is they are economically priced to try and encourage people in to the hobby, (cheap as chips!) if you are interested email me. or go to HAKITS.CO.UK (boat page).

Try this https://www.building-model-boats.com/model-boat-plans.html

"......the plan was off, which for my first build was a pain......"

Sorry. Which one was it?

Thanks for your quick reply. Yes I built one from eezebilt, the plan was off, which for my first build was a pain.

I will try the other site you have mentioned.
Cheers

Had to add another reply to add two websites...

The obvious place is the EeZeBilt site, or perhaps the Marinecraft site. But I would say that, wouldn't I! Perhaps you have already used it - the earlier plans are less accurate than the later ones.

Any particular type of boat, any specific size?