[TML] Molding Ships, was Re: Honor 'Just call me Horatio' Harrington was Re:Environmental domes

[Richard Aiken]

On 9/9/07, Jerry W Barrington <jursamaj at yahoo.com> wrote:
> On 9/8/07 11:37 PM, "Joshua Stockwell" wrote:
>
> > Injection molded nickel-iron. My word, that's one hell of a mold press!
>
> Nah, not that bad.  Unlike injection molded plastic, you don't need high
> pressure.  In fact, it's just simple casting.  Now the mold itself has to be
> *huge*, but it's technology we've had for 1000's of years.

I figure two molds for a Sulieman - one for the bow from the needle
nose back to the widest point of the arrowhead and another for the
stern.  The cockpit windows and other major openings are stub-outs
(don't know the technical term) on the inside of each mold.  To make
the steel, you put the proper amounts of additives into holes drilled
into the chunk-o-asteroid and then start heating with your solar
mirror array.  Not sure if even heating is important, but if it is you
can move the array focus around to keep the heating even.

Once you have a ball of molten material, you manuever the outer mold
into place around it and then turn on the grav generator that's
attached just outside the mold's deepest point.  The steel falls in
and fills up the now-bottommost point.  Then you engage the inner mold
and press the two together.

Once it all cools down, you pull the molds apart and x-ray to make
sure there aren't any voids.  Then you machine out the openings (which
should be covered with only a very thin layer of steel, if that).
Then you install your standardized internal components and lastly weld
the two hull sections together.

Voila!  One standard ship, ready for service.  :-)

-- 
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein