USS Enterprise CV-6 Beginning Model

This is an instructable for the USS Enterprise CV-6 WW2 model. This instruction is for people who know how to use a laser cutter and a 3d printer. In instruction I will show you how to build the aircraft carrier like i did.

Hardware needed:

3d printer

lazer cutter

soldering iron

electric drill

Parts you will need:

- 3V engine

- 3V battery

- button

- sheet of 3mm triplex wood

- 3d printer fillenment

- glue

- toothpick (engine shaft)

Step 1: Design 3d Hull and Control Hub

First of all a Design has to be made. I tried to make the ships hull myself but the program i used wasn't really fit for these odd shapes (tinkercad). So I dicided to take a battleship hull from the thingiverse and use that as the main shape off the hull with some minor adjustments. Also the control hub of the ship which is later glued on the deck.

The complete hull and control hub I came up with looked like the picture. You can see that there are some weird shapes at the front of the ship. I created these to be sanded later to get a better shape to the hull.

But the hull in this picture is about 25 cm long and cant be 3d printed as a one hole peace. Therfore the hull had to be broken up in 3 sections as shown in the other picture. Now the hull and the control hub are both printable so we can go and do taht

Step 2: 3d Printing of the Ship

When the 3d design is done we can go to printing these are the files I used to print my ship. When you are done printing, glue them together using super glue. If you want to put an engine in your ship which I am going to do. I suggest to drill a hole in the stern of the ship to prevent that you will have to do that later.

Step 3: Design Deck

I had found an image on pinterest.com. That picture shows a few of the deck of the ship. I than used this picture on adobe illustrator and made a design in which the outline of the picture will be cut and all the black tones would be engraved in the wood.

Step 4: Lazer Cutting the Deck

I used this file to make the deck of the ship. Use a 3mm triplex board to laser cut. When you are done laser cutting glue the control hub on the deck as shown in the picture. Drill a hole in the deck for your button ,used for operating the engine, if you want an engine. The hole can be drilled wherever you want, but try not to drill it to close to the edge of the deck. Or you could have trouble with the final assembly.

Step 5: Circuit and the Connection

For the circuit for the engine you will need some wire an 3v engine and a button. These will be connected as shown in the picture. When one has connected the circuit glue the button to the hole in the deck you have made earlier.

Step 6: Final Assambly

When you are done with all the steps spray paint them army gray for the real aircraft carrier look. Than glue the engine on the bottom of the ship and connect you engine shaft (toothpick) to it. I than used a piece of cardboard to make a propeller. then afterwords glue the deck and the hull together. The results will be as in the picture.