Ships, Towns and Net making...

It seems I've been a bit lax in recent weeks with my blog updates. I blame the bank holiday Monday for putting me out of routine. I also blame my lack of progress on the robotics side of things making me feel a bit down.
I'd gotten used to being able to show some sort of progress.

Regarding the robotics muscle fibre side of things; I ordered some crimps and do-daa's to further things along, but I only got a part order due to missing stock. The crimps I needed for the nickel chromium wire! :/
Can't do much till they arrive. Well...I could make more twisted nylon muscles...

Or...3D designing a ship...

Generated image of my rendition of the Newport ship.

As mentioned in my last blog a few weeks ago, I attended the Newport ship open day and I decided to recreate the ship in 3D. 

Using a drawing I purchased from the gift shop. As I heard no objections from the staff working there, I considered this okay to do.

All I've done is basic detailing, i.e. No individual planks, people, extensive roping and below decks.

As all I wanted was to have something floating on Lake Embogue. Hence the coat-of-arms on the centre sail.

Lake Embogue, complete with ships.

Here's the scene I added it into. Since the sails are in a fixed position on the model, I only used them in a set range of orientations.

Otherwise it would have looked a bit weird.

In Blender (my 3D design software) the ship was linked in as a group from the file it was designed in. This allowed multiple objects to be grouped together and linked all in one go.

It also allowed me to do a variation of the ship model really simply by assigning certain parts of the ship to a second group (with support planking) and setting it up a 'under construction' ship on the shore line.

It was fun designing the ship from a 'blueprint' style drawing. The only issue was getting the hull the right shape. Which it isn't. I only had pretty much one cross-section through the middle to work with and that was in the direct centre of the ship (by my estimate). I used the 'bridge' tool to join the edges together. It creates a really nice blending between two shaped edges.

Net making and weaving?...

My design of needle bobbin and a standard net-making needle.

For some reason I've gotten the urge to learn how to make nets. I don't know why, I just have. Perhaps it'll become apparent further down the line. But for now I've bought this book.

Which inspired me to design my own net making needle (which can also function as a shuttle bobbin for weaving) and recreate a needle shown in the book. Both are now available on my Shapeways shop.

The ones in the photograph where printed on my own 3D printer, although I have ordered one of the needle bobbin, so I can take nice photos of it.

I almost started making a net tonight, but found that I need a small thickness of rope to start with. The net needs to hangs from it (Well...at beginner level it's needed) and all I could find was a small combat staff. Which was too smooth and slidey for the string I was using to hold tight too. The book recommends a hemp rope, but for now I've only got string. I shall learn the hard way.

But that'll be for another day, for I will make a net!

Caerphilly castle...

Here's some photos from a reenactment event I attended last weekend. It was lots of fun and it was good see everyone from the group again. :)

Right, that's enough from me. My barely managed to get myself to write this Mondays blog. I need to get back into a proper routine again.