How do I make a 1:18 scale freighter?

[ender098]

First off, did I spell that right? Oh well...Freighter...a BIG cargo ship. Ok, I don't need to make the whole thing, just the deck and maybe a side. I want to be able to have a bunch of SEALS to climb up one side and take the freighter over. I know if I build the whole thing it would be bigger than my garage is long! So, any Ideas? The hardest part in my mind is how to make it look curved ? I made boats out of Cardboard boxes as a kid, but the look like a cardboard box...I want to make this thing look believable! Anyone got ship building experience?

[Outrider]

The only ships I ever built were model kits when I was a kid. :) Frank, one thing that might work for the for the hull is a large piece of thin gauge metal - I have a piece around one metre by a half metre that I use as a floor in some dio shots, and it's very easy to bend and curve. I got it for a few dollars from a hardware store. As for the deck, maybe foam core board?

[lardman]

I've been thinking of doing the very same thing.

No reason not to use cardboard, just not corrugated (as yep that does look like cardboard), I was thinking of something more like the card backing you get on A4 pads of paper. After a few washes with PVA glue and some paint it shouldn't look like cardboard any more.

Let us know how you get on, I've not got the space atm to start what with some other dios I'm in the process of building.

Cheers,

Simon

[Death_at_Midnight]

Use poster board, they sell them at Walmarts and more choices at craft and hobby stores (various thickness, surface texture, colors.)

Use a jig saw to cut a bit of wood into the contour you're looking for.

Staple or nail poster board to the wood.

If nails or staples are obvious, cover them up with paint or other substance, or make them look like rivets.

[vespapilot79]

You could use some luan door skin. It can take a cuve quite well as long as there is a good structure behind it to shape it to. I was thinking thin corregauted posterboard as well. Its easy to work with and is cheap. Dont forget the shipping containers that was avail on here to place on the deck!! If you need some i have the files!!

[Scarrviper]

I have no idea if this is in scale enough, but there's a playmobil freighter

http://cgi.ebay.com/Playmobil-4472-Cargo-Ship-NEW_W0QQitemZ270379235768QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef3dbb9b8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

[Sonneilon]

What, you dont' remember the aircraft carrier I was building for Cobra for THE ISLAND dio??? :P It was level after level. Total headache and ended up looking not as nice as I wanted.

[Flatline]

[QUOTE=Sonneilon]What, you dont' remember the aircraft carrier I was building for Cobra for THE ISLAND dio??? :P It was level after level. Total headache and ended up looking not as nice as I wanted.[/QUOTE]
YOU HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF SUCH AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER? I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.

[Scuba Steve]

Once again this is something I myself must face in the future! My Dio story needs a cargo ship (The Tieralla) for a few scenes. So anything you try let me know how it works. I have not put alot of thought into this yet because the scenes are still a ways down the road but I will need to face it eventually!

[Goldbug]

You could try using wood as a base then covering it with plastic. Don't hardware stores like Home Depot or Lowes have leftover bits?