[]Ok just to let you know I started VDT today. Once I get it marked out I will post the pics just like the others...tks. []
I need help with VDT'S markings of the hull. What are the impenetrable areas. I have a good idea but I want to be sure I got it right.
There is no such thing as "right" for a VDT. [] Look at: Visit this site That should help some. That is my fiberglass VDT, the casemates are cut out a little different on my wooden one in a manner that I think makes more sense by the rules. At MWCI NATS this year there were 4 VDTs and none of them had the same cutouts for the casemates, not because people were trying to cheat or get around the rules but because the rules aren't very clear when it comes to casemates and different people read and build to them differently. No matter how you cut them out don't be surprised if someone complains, people like to do that after all.
The easy fix IMHO, is to modify the rules so that all ships have 85% penetrable area. If you have impenetrable casemates, stringers, or other impenetrable area, that should come out of the "authorized" impenetrable area at the bow or stern, fewer or thinner ribs, or deeper windows. 85% should be 85%, not 85% - any stringers, casemates, armored belts you can justify in your mind fitting in. I don't think a single club out there is getting the use of impenetrable area right...there are just too many shades of grey.
I disagree, finding the surface area of a 3D curved surface isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, much less trying to check it on other boats. Horizontal features don't work well with the current 15% length of the boat is allowed to be solid which is what the stringer and casemate rules are for. Plus if you allow people to deepen the windows I think youd see more deep and narrow windows since I think the added hard area from the added ribs would make up for the small amount of damage you would take more than an inch below the waterline, but thats just speculation. I think expanding the casemate rules with some examples/pictures and better definitions of things would go a long way to cleaning them up.
Yeah the idea of using templates seems to have been around a long time, ive heard it from a number of people, but aside from a couple of ships I've never seen or heard of anyone doing them all. Its a pretty daunting task due to the number of ships involved and you still need everyone doing it(assuming a group is doing it and not just one guy) to agree on how to interperate the rules to begin with. Having a huge database with all the different ships and being able to look at it and it would tell you what is casemate/stringer/bulge/etc.. would be pretty handy. While it is probably one of the best/most complete solutions its a ton of work for relativly little return which is probably why it hasn't been done. I mean most of the differences in casemates add up to maybe a couple square inches above the waterline being to peneratable or not peneratable enough. That and I think a lot of people kinda like the rules being cloudy cause it lets you do it how you think they should be done.
Ok I will go with what I think is correct and post the pics before I cut the hull. That way those guys with the online pencils can mark over the pic and make the corrections on it so I can correct it myself. Tks guys. THis has been very very helpful.
I have 16 ribs per side using 1/4 inch ribs. Most of the Casemates there is barely enough clearance for a Copperhead bb. A perfect shot might get a bb through but the odds are so great it is not worth cutting. Some Casemates I measured and there is a little more clearance however again a perfect shot may get a bb through. Not worth cutting out unless I shave down the Gunwale to less than 3/8 in. I guess the question is in my intrepretation there should be reasonable clearance for a bb to pass through. If a bb cannot pass through an opening larger than the Dia of a bb that area will be considered impenterable. I seen areas like this as impenetrable on small and even larger ships where the area between the lower edge of a gunwall and the top edge of a armor belt(stringer)is too tight for a bb to pass through reasonably no matter how remote the shot is. I will remeasure again to be sure but so far it's looking to be impenterable in a lot of areas. Pics will be posted so I can show you what I am encountering here.
Is it possible that a bb could be deflected(by anything, water, another ship, ect) and be deformed, allowing it do fit through? But it really doesnt matter to the integrity of the ship, but the holes it would count. Dont know what to tell ya.
I know what you mean Curt, if the ribs are placed in the "right" locations you can make many areas that are very tight fits for bbs. If you were to say not cut out anything smaller than like 1/8" or 5/32" I dont think it would be much of an issue, or the people you play with are a little to anal, you know them better than I do. However if its even questionable that a bb could go through it I would cut it out and sheet it as normal, I have a couple areas on my VDTs where I never thought I would have to patch and sure enough a bb can find and make its way through a bb sized hole from time to time. Then again if you sit behind an NC or something and they throw trips into your casemates they are bound to find the open spots sooner or later. Its probably better to err on the side of being too penetrable in cases like that.
That works Chris, better safe then sorry. I would love to see your VDT, i guess i have to wait until Saturday though.
That's what I was thinking too.I know well from my own experinece how a bb can fit in to the most unlikely areas. It does happen. Well measure twice cut once. Those areas that seem like a bb can fit through I will cut open. Others I won't. I think that is reasonable.
Some pics here . THese are also posted in the A.R.C.C section. http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff65/runabout1/NAGATO/222-1.jpg[/IMG [IMG]http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff65/runabout1/NAGATO/221-1.jpg
I posted it twice for those guys who don't check out the local sites and for those on the local sites who don't normally go outside of the local site to check out the forum. I have had questions regarding why I don't post on either or so I will post to both. More work for me but if it helps out both types of browsers than that's fine with me. Adm Stokomoto
"More work for me but if it helps out both types of browsers than that's fine with me. " It does and a BIG thanks from me! I'm really looking forward to following your progress on this build and if it helps to encourage you to post pics then think of it this way, at least I'm not standing next to you asking a thousand questions. See, I win by getting the pics I want and you win by not having to put up with me! Heh. ;*)
