Plank On Frame Ship Model Kits? The 127 Detailed Answer

We are now approaching the finished model! This is the final step in this Instructable. In this step you will complete the last details of the model.

Wood needed for this step:

(1) .062″ x .350″ x 24″ boxwood – ducts

(1) .062″ x .113″ x 24″ boxwood – duct outer edge

(1) .250″ x .250″ x 6″ Swiss Pear – Bowsprit Bitts

(2) .219″ x .219″ x 24″ Boxwood – Rotating Gun Mounts

(1) .062″ x .262″ x 6″ boxwood – steps to aft deck

(1) .031″ x .262″ x 6″ boxwood – steps to aft deck

(1) .031″ x 3″ x 12″ boxwood – deck beam cover at forward end of quarterdeck

(1) .250″ x .250″ x 12 Boxwood – Catheads

(1) .250″ x 1″ x 12″ boxwood – rudder

(1) .186″ x .186″ boxwood – tiller handle

(10) swivel guns (Model Expo)

22 or 24 gauge brass wire (model Expo)

Brass or copper flat wire (Expo model)

Package of Small Brass Nails (Model Expo)

(12) Deadeyes (model fair)

(2) Anchor Kits (Model Expo)

Tools needed for this step:

Byrne’s miniature table saw

X acto knife

#22 Xacto Blade

#11 Xacto Blade

Pin vise with small drill bits

wire cutter

needle nose pliers

soldering iron

Lot

Jeweler files

sanding block

Sandpaper in different grits

Black construction paper or copper tape

scissors

CAUTION: PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED WITH ALL YOUR POWER TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY RULES RELATING TO THE USE OF EACH TOOL. USE EXTREME CAUTION AND EXERCISE CARE IN ALL MACHINES. SHIP MODELING IS A FUN HOBBY BUT SAFETY IN THE WORKSHOP IS RULE NUMBER ONE. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH HOBBY KNIVES. REMEMBER, A DULL BLADE IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN A SHARP BECAUSE YOU TEND TO USE MORE FORCE TO GET THE BLADE WORKING FOR YOU. A BLADE SLEEP COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. CHANGE BLADES FREQUENTLY, KEEP ALL EQUIPMENT CLEAN AND SHARP AND BE CAREFUL! KNOW YOUR TOOLS AND HOW TO USE THEM.

The first part to craft are the channels with chain plates. These structures were part of the ship’s rigging. Heavy lines ran from the top of the masts to the canals. Special blocks, so-called deadeyes, were attached to the end of these heavy ropes. Corresponding deadeyes were attached to the channels with metal straps. These stripped deadeyes were then attached to the side of the ship with chain plates. The two deadeyes were lashed together using the three holes in the deadeyes. This will make more sense to you when you look at the photos.

Brass wire bought at a craft store (I think 24 or 22 gauge) was used to make the strop. First, a piece of wire about 2.5 cm long was bent around the eyelet using needle nose pliers (eyes can also be obtained from Model Expo – http://www.modelexpo-online.com). After the wire has been bent around the eyelet, a small loop is formed at the bottom, which in turn is formed and bent using jewelers needle nose pliers (also available at most craft stores). The excess wire is trimmed and the strap is soldered in the middle leaving the small loop at the bottom open and exposed. Small jewelers files are used to file away the excess solder. Finally, the deadeye and strop are painted black. Photos two through five show these steps.

The chain plates are made of flat strips of brass or copper. Photo six shows some flat copper wires purchased from Model Expo. These are 1/64″ (0.015″) thick and 1/16″ (0.062″) wide. The wire is first cut to a length of 1/2 inch (0.500 inch). A small hole is drilled at one end and the other end bent at an angle. Small jeweler’s files were used to taper the curved end to fit the hole in the strop. The end where the hole was drilled was rounded off at the corners with a jeweler’s file and small notches were filed on each side to make that part of the chainring look more separated. This end was also bent slightly at an angle relative to the top end.

Finally they were painted black. Photos 5 through 7 show the chain plates and some flat copper wire, but brass wire can also be used as long as it’s flat (otherwise you won’t be able to drill the hole in the bottom end).

Now attach everything to the ship. The channel is made of 1/16″ (0.062″) thick wood. Their plans show form and location. Small notches are cut into the outer edges. A deadeye strop fits into each notch as shown in the 8th and 9th photos. A small strip of .113″ x .062″ wood is glued over the outside edge of the channel, securing the strop in place. Then the chainring is hooked into the strap eyelet. A small brass nail is used to attach the bottom end to the pole plank. These nails can also be purchased at Model Expo. First drill a small hole in the rib stick and then insert the nail into the hole with needle-nosed pliers. The fit should be snug and a touch of CA can be used to secure the nail in the hole.

There are two channels on each side of the ship, one for each mast. Their plan and elevation plans show their location and dimension.

At the front of the ship is a special post called the bowspritbitt. It is a rectangular post that is beveled on all four sides at the top. Use a piece of 1/4″ (.250″) square Swiss Pear wood to make it. A square groove is cut in the top end. This groove was used to allow the bowsprit peg to be snapped together to secure the bowsprit in place. A bowsprit is a special type of mast that sits on the stem and protrudes from the front of the ship.

First make the bowsprit. Then cut the rectangular opening in the deck where it will be inserted (see photo showing it just in front of the two forward hatches). Temporarily install the bitt in the hole you just cut. Then place a strip of scrap wood across the log and mark where it will cut the bitt. Remove the drill, drill a starter hole through the drill at the mark you made, then use a #11 Xacto to shape the hole into a square groove. Finally glue the bitt back into the hole.

In the 10th and 11th photos you can see that the timberheads have been formed. You will recall that when adding the DIN rails these got stuck over the rail. Using a #11 Xacto, shape them by beveling the top of each edge first. Then cut a small “V” shaped groove about 1/8″ below the top on all four sides.

In photo 12 you can see 10 pivoting gun mounts. These were mounted on the side of the hull and had a small swiveling cannon inserted into a hole in the top. These small cannons could be tilted up and down. They can also be purchased at Model Expo.

These brackets are made from .219 inch square boxwood. Their plans show the length to make them. Bevel the bottom end on one side as shown in Photos 16 and 18. Drill a small hole in the top.

Their side view maps show the location of each mount. You will need to trim the strips so the brackets are flush with the upper fuselage skin. Photo 19 shows a mounted cannon. This gun was purchased from Model Expo and is approximately 3/4 inch long not counting the twist grip.

In photo 20 and 21 you can see two more added details. A 1/16 inch thick strip of wood has been attached to the bow where the fairlead is located. This will also show up on your page view plans. The fairlead was an opening through which the anchor rope passed.

Drill a hole through the piece of wood and the hull skin after it has been glued in place. Of course, all of these parts go on both sides of the ship.

The second detail is some additional curved and tapered planks that cross the upper fuselage planking between the batten plank and the upper molding. These planks protected the upper hull when the anchor was raised. Photos 22 through 26 show the anchor construction if you want to make the anchor from scratch. However, you can purchase anchors from Model Expo that require minimal assembly. The Miscellaneous plan shows the scale anchors

The anchor itself was purchased by Model Expo. Most of their anchors come with the wooden part already cut out, but you can make your own if you’d like. Start but cut two pieces of 1/8″ x 1/4″ boxwood to a length of 1.709″. Shape the pieces as shown in the photo and your plans by slightly tapering or beveling the outer third of each piece Top or widest area This can be seen in the 22nd photo.

In the 23rd photo you can see that a small notch has been cut into the flat side of each piece so that when glued together there is a square hole for the anchor to be inserted. The 24th and 25th photos show that these assembled pieces have now been tapered again on their underside, making the outer end square. Copper band was wrapped around the pieces simulating the iron bands used to hold them together. Paint the tape black. (You can also use black construction paper instead of tape). If you use copper tape (which is used by glass artists) they don’t need to be glued as the tape has a sticky side that sticks to the wood.

Photos 26 and 27 show a model of Hannah built by a man named Harold Hahn. I took these pictures while visiting the Navy Museum in Washington, DC where his model is in a display case. The photos give a good overview of the anchors installed on his model.

The 28th photo shows the parts used to make the small ladder that leads from the main deck to the quarterdeck. The sides of the ladder are 1/16″ boxwood and the steps are 1/32″ boxwood. Your plans show the basic shape, but you should first measure the height from your main deck to your back deck.

After cutting the sides, cut two small rabbet joints or grooves on each side so the steps can be glued in place. Make sure you have a left side part and a right side part. Don’t make the mistake of cutting two pieces the same way. These are mirror images of themselves.

Now glue the steps with superglue in the notches of a side part. After the glue is dry, add the other side with super glue.

Before gluing the ladder on, make a piece of boxwood from 1/32 inch stock that will fit over the first deck joist of the quarterdeck. The piece should be flush with the top of the joist and sit on the joist of the man deck below. You have to step it over the deck planks but cut a big notch down the middle. The twenty-seventh photo shows the piece in place with the ladder installed. Also make another ladder for the other side. A strip of molding was added to the top of the rear part on the main deck where the notch was cut in the filler piece just to give the whole a finished look.

In the 30th photo you can see that the DIN rail has been cut. This notch is 1/4″ in front of the center wooden head. It is 1/4″ wide. The cat’s head fits into this notch. The cat’s head helped raise the anchor up to the side of the hull when the anchor was raised. It hung on the bow of the ship and had pulleys at the end through which ropes ran. A double block was hung under the cat head. The rope went down through a sheave at the end of the cat head to a block where it went through the sheave in the block and then came back up through a second sheave in the cat head. One end of the rope was permanently attached to an eyebolt on either the cat’s head or a frame top. The other end of the rope was used for hauling, which in turn helped lift the anchor to the side of the ship, where it could then be lashed to the rearmost wooden head protruding from the top-hat rail. All of this is shown in the photos of Hahn’s model.

The cat head is made from 1/4″ (.250″) square boxwood. There are two pieces to it. The upper part sits in the notch cut in the DIN rail. It hangs over the bow of the ship as shown in the 31st photo. At the end some holes are drilled to simulate the pulleys.

Another piece of 1/4 inch square boxwood is cut and joined to the back of the top piece. This second piece goes all the way to the deck as seen in this photo.

We are now nearing the end. Just a few more details to do. You must be excited when you see your model finally coming together. The next detail that needs to be addressed will be the rudder.

The rudder is cut from a piece of 1/4″ thick boxwood. Your plans show the shape of the rudder which can be used as a template. Typically the rudder was tapered top to bottom. The 32nd photo shows the rudder cut out The front, i.e. the side with the three incised notches is rounded.

The rudder is attached to the ship with special hinges called gudgeons and trunnions. Photo 33 shows how these are made. Using flat copper wire, I bent the wire around a drill bit to form the hole that the opposite piece’s pin fits in. Then the copper piece was formed into a “U” shape using needle nose pliers and soldered in the middle as shown in the photo. The opposite piece that goes on the rudder has a brass pin soldered into the hole.

The part that goes on the rudder (with the pin) fits into grooves cut into the surface shown in the 35th photo. You can see how the hinge works. Make three of these piston and trunnion assemblies as shown in the photos and on your plans. Use super glue to stick them to the rudder and model.

The trick is getting the positioning on the model so that you can insert the rudder into the top of the rudder hole and then lower it onto the gudgeons attached to the ship. By dry installing the assemblies first, you can mark where the pistons go on the transom. After marking their position, remove them from the rudder and superglue them to the stern post.

You’ll need to open the hole in the counter you planked early on to allow the oar tip to fit through the opening. It should come out just above the quarterdeck.

The top of the oar has a tiller handle that is attached with a mortise and tenon joint. Photos 36, 37 and 38 show how the tiller is made. Their plans have a drawing of the tiller made from 3/16 inch (.186 inch) square boxwood hand shaped with an Xacto knife. After mounting the rudder pivots on the pistons, install the tiller. If you don’t glue it, you can remove it and remove the rudder if necessary, e.g. B. when moving the model.

Photo 39 and 40 show a part called Kiel. It is made from 1/16″ x 1/8″ x 1″ boxwood in the shape shown. It will attach to the two frames opposite the companionway (one on each side). By now you should have enough scrap wood to make this part.

There is a decorative piece of 1/32″ boxwood on the transom. You can use a copy of your plans as a template to cut out the part. I painted mine black for contrast before gluing it to the transom as shown in 42nd, 43rd, 44th and 45th photos.

The last two photos show a simple base with two hardwood barrels for the base. You can find these at almost any craft store. Slots were cut in the top to allow the keel to be inserted into the slots. I glued them to the wooden base, which I also found at a craft store.

The last photo shows the finished model. Congratulations if you made it to the end! You now have a museum quality ship model to display in your home.

Wood for ship models

Wood for ship models has good reasons and boat model building is the number one material. Here are a few selected ones:

Inexpensive

Available almost everywhere

Carves easily

Bends well

Goes down well

Proven for centuries

etc. etc.

In my opinion, wood for ship models is a clear choice – especially for beginners. There are many types to choose from and they cover a wide range in terms of properties and suitability for a particular application or construction.

On this page we would like to give you an impression of which types of wood are popular for ship models and for which purposes they are best suited.

balsa

Balsa is sometimes worn down by skilled builders as wood for ship models, which you should eventually “graduate” from. I rather disagree. I still use it quite often.

Balsa is a great place to start if you’ve never built wooden model ships, regardless of construction. It is easy to carve and bend and is inexpensive compared to most other hobby materials.

Balsa creates a light and fine dust when sanded, which I don’t particularly like. It also has a “grain fuzz” that remains after sanding that requires extra attention when sanding and sealing. The most common method is tissue and dope, although fiberglass and epoxy sealing is gaining in popularity.

When using balsa wood for ship models, you can get by with a minimal arsenal of tools. An x-acto knife or single-edged razor blade and some sandpaper will get you far. Next, I’d recommend a small model airplane (one of those that needs a razor blade). Even a Dremel tool is often overkill.

The biggest problem with balsa wood for wooden ship models is that it absorbs large amounts of water if improperly sealed. When that happens, it will likely start to rot and deteriorate from within.

Wood for ship models: Balsa, Basswood and Lite-ply (from top to bottom).

linden tree

Very popular with wood carvers, basswood is one of the classic wooden ship models used for bread-and-butter museum models. It has a very fine-grained texture that makes it relatively easy to finish. Basswood can be purchased in the US at craft and hobby stores or online in stick, sheet, and block form.

Among dedicated plank-on-frame ship model builders, it is not considered a very demanding material. Perhaps due to its limited strength and relatively poor bending properties.

I find it comfortable to work with and a natural next step to balsa. It is relatively easy to work with hand tools.

Lite ply

Lite-ply, as the name suggests, is a plywood that is a lightweight poplar plywood. It looks very similar to the curved plywood you may be familiar with if you are a woodworker.

It feels much lighter than Baltic birch plywood, but not quite as light as basswood. It also cuts easily – a fresh blade in a utility knife will do.

While as a wooden model ship it can certainly score points against Baltic birch plywood in terms of handling and weight, it loses mechanical strength. Still, like Linde, it’s a good alternative if you feel like you’ve “outdated” balsa.

The main downside is that it rarely goes flat. I would avoid where flatness and/or straightness is important, such as keel and ribs.

I’ve seen it available in the US in 1/8″ and 1/4″ thickness.

poplar

Poplar of different sizes.

Poplar is probably the cheapest, readily available hardwood in the US. I suspect that goes for any place in the world where it grows domestically.

This is a good choice for bread-and-butter pods. It can be bought at most hardware stores in FAS quality at a very reasonable price. It’s relatively easy to work with as long as you keep your tools sharp. It is relatively light for a hardwood.

A word of caution: the dust can cause allergies in some individuals. As always when sanding or using power tools: wear a dust mask (and I should take my own advice 8^).

alder

Alder is my personal favorite for carving a bread-and-butter hull.

It has been gaining popularity lately and prices have been steadily increasing. Alder is most commonly found in the Northeastern United States. It looks much better than poplar and is easier to work with in my opinion.

Jaw

Pine lumber is an economical alternative for solid hulls and bread-and-butter model boats. The two biggest issues are yield and stability.

The price per foot of board may be less than poplar lumber, but chances are you’ll have to scrap a lot of lumber due to knots, cracks, twists and cracks.

Wood for ship models: spruce and pine (from top to bottom).

Construction grade pine is also not as well seasoned as most hardwoods, causing boards to warp and crack. I used pine for bread-and-butter pods, but in hindsight I think I would have saved money by using poplar due to the poor yield.

Spruce

Spruce is another of my favorite woods. I use it for masts and spars. It’s strong, stiff and light. Can also be turned well on the lathe. Spruce doesn’t bend that easily, so I wouldn’t recommend it for hull skinning.

Baltic birch plywood

Baltic birch plywood (sometimes Russian birch plywood) is fine-grained, light-colored, very strong, and relatively inexpensive.

You can find it locally at the hobby and craft stores in smaller pieces (usually 12″ x 36″ maximum). You’ll get a lot more bang for your buck by venturing into your local hardware store or lumberyard. There the sheets usually come in 5 by 5 foot sheets or sometimes in 4 by 8 foot sheets.

Some places are equipped and ready to cut the leaves into smaller pieces for you. Typically one or two cuts are “free”. Each additional cut is very cheap.

Note that plywood comes in different grades depending on quality and finish. The best balance between quality and price is “BB” quality in my opinion. Some solid knots, mineral streaks and spots in the face veneer are allowed in this quality. Both sides are sanded to a nice smooth finish.

I mainly use Baltic birch plywood for the internal structural components of the hull and sometimes also for the superstructure – components such as bulkheads, false keels, decks (with strip planking or painting). It is also used where extra support is needed, such as B. Motor mounts, servo bridges and rudders.

The thinner sizes can also be used to advantage for hull skinning, especially for hard chine hulls. But watch the weight.

maple

Maple wood is light in color, has a tight grain and is relatively hard. It finishes well and holds sharp edges well. It is suitable for deck and hull planking as well as general detailing.

From left: maple, cherry and walnut. These native hardwoods are ideal as a model building material.

This is how, for example, beautiful blocks for the rigging of historical sailing ship models are created. Maple is generally too hard and heavy for bread-and-butter hulls. I could see maple being used by experienced builders to make small solid hulls and waterline models.

It’s tough because of its hardness and I wouldn’t recommend maple for beginners.

cherry (or black cherry)

Another model ship wood I enjoy working with is cherry. It is fine-grained, medium red-brown to almost pink in hue. Carves and turns well. Smells fantastic when cut and ground. The color will darken with age as the wood oxidizes and will leave an amazing patina if you give it time.

The disadvantages: it’s expensive, has pitch pockets, has a significantly lighter sapwood that isn’t nearly as attractive as the darker heartwood.

However, cherry wood works well in ship models Wooden frames, keels and planking for plank-on-frame models, as well as various details, deck furniture, gunwales, hatches, figureheads, etc.

walnut

Walnut is another favorite of mine. It is one of the most beautiful domestic types of wood. It’s dark chocolate brown and carves, twists and bends like a dream. It is open grained so it needs to be sealed well compared to maple and cherry for example.

The downside is that it is highly sought after for interiors and furniture due to its favorable properties. High demand causes the price to rise.

Just like Cherry, it can be used for frames, keels and skins for plank-on-frame models, as well as various details, deck furniture, gunwales, hatches, figureheads, etc.

One area where walnut excels is in flexing, making it excellent for hull planking. As always, make sure the grain on the planks is straight or they will chip and break.

Oak

Oak is by far the most commonly used wood for full-size ships and boats over the centuries. It is only conditionally suitable for models. Its grain is very coarse and difficult to work with. It is best used in large boats where the coarse texture is less obvious.

Many experienced woodworkers like it and refer to it when trying their hand at model boats for the first time. If you like it and have experience with it, by all means – do it.

Where it excels is in flexing, so it has its place for plank-on-bulkhead model boats. I saw an impressive tugboat, planked and painted in oak. It looked great.

Wood for ship models: Exotic Lumber

mahogany

Mahogany used to be a prime material in boat model building. It’s lighter in color than walnut but can be just as stunning.

It is one of the strongest hardwoods for its weight. That is why it is widely used in classic boat building, regardless of whether it is a sailing yacht, speedboat or racer.

Due to the strong harvest in South America, real mahogany is becoming scarce and expensive. Since it comes from the rainforest, I prefer not to use it.

boxwood

There are several species, but the one you want is the European boxwood. Builders of historical ship models swear by almost everything. It carves well, holds an edge like no other, and flexes really well.

Boxwood is a small tree or shrub and extremely slow-growing. This is one of the reasons why you will hardly ever see boxwood planks, only small pieces and sticks. The wood is extremely fine-grained, hard and strong.

Most people have never heard of it and it’s a good thing because it’s almost impossible to get hold of. I personally leave that to the die-hard experts.

ebony

Ebony is almost black in color and is very heavy and hard. The most common element made of ebony is the black keys on old pianos. A little easier to find than boxwood, but increasingly scarce. It is also swarmed by historic ship builders for whales and strakes where its natural color is used.

Holly (or White Holly)

This is the evergreen tree with the red berries and prickly leaves that is so popular at Christmas time.

The wood is extremely finely grained and white, sometimes with a touch of green. It’s another modeling material that’s hard to find but adored by the shipbuilders of the age of sailing ships.

It is suitable wherever light wood is desired. Carves well and turns on the lathe with sharp detail. The grain can sometimes be a bit wavy. When strips are torn from such a board, bending them without breaking them will be a challenge.

Wood for ship models: bamboo skewers and popsicle sticks!

Various wood products

Sometimes you can find useful materials in the most unexpected places. When you’re walking around the hardware, craft, or even grocery store, it helps to keep an eye out for things that can be used for your model boats. For example, bamboo skewers and toothpicks are a great base for making tree nails.

A popsicle stick can be used for various reinforcements, e.g. B. to adjust the height of the stem for an installed fender on a model that is otherwise predominantly made of balsa wood.

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Why real mahogany is the best wood for boat building

Why real mahogany is the best wood for boat building

Choosing the right type of wood for homes and other construction projects is a mission in itself. But add in factors like relentless water stress, frequent exercise, and the harsh salty sea air, and you end up with a massive task.

It is important that wood used in shipbuilding is strong and durable. It must be neither too soft nor too brittle, and of course it must withstand deterioration over time. There are many choices, and some of the most common types of wood used for boats are cedar, ash, mahogany, oak, and pine. Today we look at why real mahogany is the best wood for boats.

Wear and tear on boat decks

First, it’s important to understand what you’re dealing with in terms of the elements. Of course, the most obvious is water damage – moisture can eat away at many materials, causing rot or erosion and shrinking the wood over time. Salt water can compound this damage, not to mention high winds and constant exposure to the sun. However, not only environmental factors need to be considered. Any wood used for boat decks or floors must withstand flexing and other movement, as well as the force generated from collisions with docks or anything lurking beneath the surface.

Mahogany is great against the elements

Thankfully, real mahogany can withstand anything nature can throw at it (okay, almost anything. No guarantees in the event of a tornado). Because mahogany is primarily heartwood, it is naturally dense and highly resistant to rot and rot. Mahogany’s reputation as a tough, quality wood for domestic use certainly extends to other applications, and boating is no exception. Additionally, real mahogany is highly resistant to shrinkage thanks to its nearly 1:1 ratio of radial to tangential shrinkage. Resistant to both physical abuse and natural elements, boat mahogany is a smart choice if you want to maintain the structure and quality of your boat deck for decades to come.

A classic, beautiful look

Practicality aside, the most exciting part of using mahogany wood for boats is the luxurious feel it creates. Let’s face it: your boat is your showpiece, made purely for leisure. The timeless elegance of real mahogany decking is guaranteed to impart a classic, sophisticated look that will cause envy and admiration on the waterways. After all, there’s a very good reason that real mahogany has a 500-year heritage as the wood of choice for furniture, boats, and decking. Additionally, mahogany picks up stains, finishes and oils easily – making it easy to customize to your preferred aesthetic.

Sustainable and easy to work with

Real mahogany wood is notoriously easy to work with, using both hand and machine tools. Not only is it easy to pickle and machine, but it is also easy to grind, pickle and turn. Because of this, mahogany is an ideal material to deal with the more delicate specifics of boat building. You can also rest assured that Green World Lumber’s real mahogany is sustainably and environmentally sourced.

Contact us today to discuss real mahogany wood solutions for your boat.

A Viking longship built of clinker brick, the overlapping planks of which form ‘strakes’.

Garboard-Strakes and related members near the keel

Diagram of a typical outer skin of a modern metal-hulled ship, with a single strut highlighted in red

On a ship’s hull, a strut is a length of planking or plating that runs from the boat’s stem (at the bow) to the stern post or transom (at the stern). The garboard strakes are the two immediately adjacent to the keel on each side.

The word derives[1][2] from traditional wooden boat building methods used in both carvel and clinker construction. In a metal ship, a strake is a coating.

construction [edit]

On small boats, struts can be single, continuous pieces of wood. On larger wooden ships, the gangways typically consist of several boards either peeled or butt-joined and reinforced with a butt block. Where the cross-sections of the ship form are fuller, the lanes are wider; they taper towards the ends.

In a riveted steel ship, the struts were usually lapped and jolted (one streak was given projections to match indentations in the adjacent one),[3] but if a smoother finish was desired they could be riveted to a shock strap, although this was weaker . In modern welded construction, plates are usually butt welded all around with continuous welds on adjacent plates within the strake and on adjacent strakes.

Terminology[edit]

In boat and ship building, strakes immediately adjacent either side of the keel are known as garboard strakes or A-strakes. The next two are the first broad or B stripe and the second broad or C stripe. Working upwards come the bottom strakes, lowers, bilge strakes, topside strakes, and uppers, also known in turn as D-strakes, E-strakes, and so on. The top one along the tops is called the sheer strake. Strakes are connected to the stem through their hood ends.[5]

A rub strip has traditionally been fitted directly beneath a clear strip of carvel. It was much less wide but thicker than other ledges, allowing it to stand out and endure any rubbing against piers or other boats when the boat was in use. On clinker boats, the rub strip was fitted to the outside of the bare strip. Many current recreational boats reflect this history by having a mechanically attached (and therefore replaceable) rubbing strake in the place formerly occupied by a rubbing strake, often doubled to cover the joint between a GRP hull and its inner skin. Inflatable boats and RIBs usually have a rubbing strake (typically a rubber tread bonded on) on the rim.[6]

A “stealer” is a short brace used to reduce the width of the plank needed as the hull’s girth increases, or to accommodate a bend in the mold. It is commonly used in carvel and iron/steel shipbuilding, but very few clinker ships use them.

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All parts of the ship are made of high quality wood and brass

Good value for money thanks to the extremely detailed ship model. CHECK THE LATEST PRICE

If you’re a big fan of building your own ship, you’re probably looking for the best wooden model ship kit to start with. Not only is this a great hobby for kids, but it’s also a great way to entertain and keep busy while you work on putting all the little pieces of a kit together. Being busy in a coordinative manner is one, as it can take many hours to complete a scale model, but enjoying the end result is another!

Many different variants are available. Some model kits are easier because they come with pre-cut parts and just need to be assembled. Others, for the more experienced model maker, are made from parts that you must cut yourself and that require careful and precise assembly.

To help you with your choice and to accompany you on your way, we have put together the best four wooden ship kits for you to choose from. In addition, we have provided you with a brief wooden ship model kit buying guide with things to consider before you buy. Hope you find your perfect choice, whether you are a beginner or an experienced model builder and hobbyist! Read on below to find our top picks for you.

Top Rated: The Best Wooden Model Boat Building Kits of 2021

We’ve checked the four wooden model ship kits below for a number of criteria and features – such as pricing, quality and completeness – to ensure you’re making the right choice from the available purchase options. There you are.

#1: Best Pick Overall: Model Shipways MS1460 18th Century Armed Longboat Kit

features

Materials: Laser-cut wooden parts, brass, cast metal cannon and ship fittings

Scale: 1:24

Assembled Size: Length 24″, Height 19″

Construction time: approx. 24-32 hours

Difficulty level: beginner, intermediate

Travel back in time with this 18th Century style longboat model kit. This type of boat was the most massive boat of the 18th century and was built in carvings, with the planks meeting flush at the seams rather than overlapping. The captain’s longboat usually carried a small cannon mounted on the ship’s bow and with pivoting cannons along the bulwarks. We’ve selected this ship model kit as our top pick because it’s the perfect middle ground for both beginners and extremely advanced hobbyists.

All included parts are of high quality and require precision in assembly. The model kit comes with a comprehensive instruction manual that is easy to follow and will guide you along with color pictures. Not only is this a great set to keep you busy for a while; The result of this can perfectly serve as a stylish and attractive decoration in your office or study or anywhere in the house.

advantages

Contains a detailed and clear description that will guide you through the entire building process

Suitable for beginners as well as advanced hobby builders

The kit contains high quality parts

Disadvantages

Some kits may be missing some parts

Relatively more expensive than other beginner model kits

#2: Best budget choice: AKDSteel ship model kit, wooden sailboat

features

Materials: wood and fabric

Scale: n/a

Size assembled: 15″ long, 5″ wide, 11″ tall

Construction time: approx. 5-10 hours

Difficulty level: beginners and children

This decorative wooden ship kit is the perfect option if you want to gift your (grand)children a model boat kit or just want to brighten up your interior! With a short build time and quality parts, this kit offers excellent value for money. Since AKDSteel has selected only environmentally friendly materials for the model boat, it is a safe choice for children.

Detailed building instructions are included to assist you and your children throughout the building process. The finished product looks accurate and realistic and is the perfect decoration for any room in the house. Perfect for the beginning, beginner or hobbyist who loves teaching their kids to build!

advantages

Made from high quality, environmentally friendly materials

Suitable for children alone, but also suitable for beginners in ship model making

Very budget friendly

Disadvantages

Some parts may not be the right size, which can slow down the build process

The color of the actual boat may vary slightly from the images shown

#3: Best choice for the experienced model boat builder: Model Shipways MS2260 Syren Wooden Ship Model Kit

features

Materials: basswood, metal, brass

Scale: 1:64

Size assembled: Length: 33″ Height: 27″

Construction time: approx. 15-20 hours

Difficulty level: medium, experienced

This wooden model ship kit from Model Shipways is a wonderful option for those experienced in ship building. As Model Shipways is a famous name in model kits, this boat kit is also of high, reliable quality. The model kit comes with extensive, detailed instructions of no less than 130 pages. Designed by famed model maker Chuck Passaro, this scale model is authentic and accurate down to the last detail.

Model Shipways included a brief history of the MS2260, a story that tells the history of this model ship in the 19th century that allows you to accentuate this ship and fully engage with it! Due to the somewhat time-consuming construction of this model and the previous experience in boat and ship model building, it is less suitable for model building beginners.

advantages

The operating instructions are very clear and easy to understand

The kit includes 8 complete full size plans and all the tools needed to assemble the ship

Good value for money

Disadvantages

Less suitable for prospective hobby model boat builders

#4: Best choice for the most appealing design model ship: Artesania Latina LAT22135, Virginia American Schooner Model Ship Kit

features

Materials: applewood, ramin, plywood, mahogany, brass

Scale: 1:41

Assembled Size: Length: 21 1/4″, Height: 19 11/16″

Construction time: approx. 100 hours

Difficulty: Intermediate

We love a good design ship. As much as assembling model kits is a great hobby, the reward for all the hours spent assembling each part of the boat is, of course, the ship itself when fully completed. This historic boat kit from Artesania comes with a range of different woods for a particularly realistic result. The kit includes all the tools and products you need to make this beautiful boat. Although the assembly time is quite long, it is definitely worth it.

Artesania is a well known brand of boat and ship kits and compared to the other model boats on the list each mast of the ship needs to be painted or stained giving the ship an extra dimension.

This is one of those boat kits that is less suitable for those with little or no experience and due to the many small parts it is strongly recommended that you take your time assembling this ship.

advantages

The operating instructions are very clear and easy to understand for advanced model builders

All parts of the ship are made of high quality wood and brass

Good value for money due to the extremely detailed ship model

Disadvantages

The included flag doesn’t look very realistic compared to the other parts of the ship kit

Some items in the pictures are not mentioned in the instruction manual

Our verdict: What is the best wooden ship kit?

We carefully selected the Model Shipways MS1460 18th Century Armed Longboat Kit as our top pick. Considering the skill, quality, assembly time and price, we can conclude that this kit is the perfect middle ground between all kits tested.

It’s a suitable choice for both beginners and intermediate builders, but it’s also a great choice for the whole family. More experienced hobbyists will probably complete the longboat a little faster, but with a construction time of approx. 25+ hours it will not get boring!

The Buyer’s Guide and Frequently Asked Questions

Are you looking for a little more information before choosing the model ship kit that suits your needs (and maybe you and your kids)? In our comprehensive buying guide we have collected all the points that you should consider before making a purchase and many other facts and tips that will be of great help to you in your search for such a model boat kit.

What you should consider before buying your wooden ship model kit

Skill Level: Determine what skill level you are at. This is extremely important when buying a model ship kit as it will save you a lot of frustration when the building process is too difficult or too easy!

Determine what skill level you are at. This is extremely important when buying a model ship kit as it will save you a lot of frustration when the building process is too difficult or too easy! Scale and Size: Size is of course important to the building process as well as the space you need to display your finished product. When it comes to scale, there’s a rule of thumb that goes like this: the bigger, the more detail. However, the scale of a ship model is not related to the difficulty of building the model. It only depends on the longer time required for detailed work when assembling your model boat.

Size is of course important to the building process as well as the space you need to display your finished product. When it comes to scale, there’s a rule of thumb that goes like this: the bigger, the more detail. However, the scale of a ship model is not related to the difficulty of building the model. It only depends on the longer time required for detailed work when assembling your model boat. Quality: There are already big differences in the type and quality of wood. In combination with the price, determine which quality is right for you. The most common type of wood used in ship model kits is balsa, but many modelers prefer woods in the oak, cherry, or mahogany range.

there are big differences in the type and quality of wood. In combination with the price, determine which quality is right for you. The most common type of wood used in ship model kits is balsa, but many modelers prefer woods in the oak, cherry, or mahogany range. Build Time and Instructions: Since this also has to do with skill, it is important to determine the time you will need for assembly. Most kits give an estimated assembly time, but some don’t. Otherwise, check that the kit comes with a clear instruction manual. In most cases they are included in the kit, with examples of the installation of pictures or illustrations.

Who makes the best wooden model kit?

Of course, this depends on your personal beliefs. However, there are many well-known brands that are known for supplying quality model boat ship kits. Some of them include:

Amati

Model boat trips

Artesania

Nordic class boats

panart

Kolderstok

Disar

Which wood is best suited for model ship construction?

The most commonly used type of wood in boat and ship model building, especially for beginners, is balsa. This type of wood is known for being pliable and easy to carve. It’s also an inexpensive choice; a great combination of facts for a beginner model boat builder.

In addition to balsa, cherry or mahogany is used for more proficient wooden ship kits.

What are the best model kits?

When it comes to ship kits, we encourage you to check out our best overall pick from Model Shipways. It’s an accessible kit with all the features you need as a beginner or advanced hobbyist. It is also a good choice for making models together with children.

Who makes the best plastic ship model kits?

A very common brand of plastic ship kits is Revell. Other brands that produce plastic model kits are as follows:

flight fax

trumpeter

Modelling

Hasegawa

However, plastic is often used for industrial ships and container ships. There are a few historic plastic “pirate” ships, but most of them are HMS boats and ships.

take that away

Building and assembling your own wooden model boat is so much fun whether you can do it with your kids or by yourself! The high quality wood used for this type of kits guarantees you a smooth assembly process but also a great result that can serve as a good decoration in any room of the house. There are many types of boats in different themes.

In order to find the best one for you, it is of course important to gather enough information, but also to look closely at the pictures of the finished model on the kit packaging or online. This will usually help you form your first impression. It will be a good indication of whether or not you are interested in the outcome of the ship model kit once you have fully assembled it.

While it may take some time to find the right wooden ship kit for you, your kids or the gift recipient, hopefully our review list above has given you a big step in the right direction. Are into model tugboat kits or model battleship kits instead

This article mainly deals with static models. For operating models, see Model Sailing and Remote Control Boat

Model of a 19th-century ship in the Bishop Museum, Hawaii

Model ship cross sections on display in a shop in Mauritius

Ship models or model ships are scale models of ships. Their sizes can range from 1:6000 scale wargaming miniatures to large ships that can hold people.[1]

Ship model making is a craft as old as shipbuilding itself, dating back to ancient times when water transport was first developed.

history [edit]

Models of boats and ships from the ancient Mediterranean [ edit ]

Ancient models of ships and boats have been discovered throughout the Mediterranean region, particularly from ancient Greece, Egypt and Phoenicia. These models provide archaeologists with valuable information on seafaring technology and the sociological and economic importance of seafaring. Although ancient boat and ship models are very useful to archaeologists, they are not always easy or accurate to interpret due to artist error, ambiguity in model design, and wear and tear over the centuries.

Ships “were among the most technically complex mechanisms of the ancient world.”[2] Ships made long-distance travel and trade more convenient and economical, and they added a whole new facet to warfare. Thus, ships were of great importance to the ancients, which is partly reflected in the creation of boat and ship models. Antique boat and ship models are made of a variety of materials and are intended for different purposes. The most common uses for model boats and ships are funerary objects, household items, art and toys. While archaeologists have found model ships and boats from societies around the Mediterranean, the three most prolific ship model building cultures were the Greeks, Phoenicians and Egyptians.

Archaeologists have found that ancient Greek ship models were used as funerary or votive offerings and as household items such as lamps or drinking vessels.[3] The types of ships depicted in ancient Greek models can be broadly classified as small trade, merchant, and warships.[4] Models were cast in a variety of materials, including wood, bronze, lead, and clay.

Greek warships were popular motifs for miniatures. A particular model acquired from the Staatliches Museum (Eng.: Landesmuseum) in Kassel, Germany, proves helpful to archaeologists and historians in understanding what a Hemiolian warship looked like. Archaeologists have tentatively dated the Kassel model to the 6th or 5th century BC based on iconographic and literary sources. Dated.[5] This model ship is made of clay and features a characteristic boar’s head prow described by Herodotus in The Story and depicted on pottery, coin seals and drinking cups.[6] The model is a miniature of a ship that would have been too small to be a typical warship. The presence of holes drilled in 8 thwarts in the ship suggests that the thwarts may have been seats for a dummy crew pegged in. If the holes drilled in the thwarts are indeed intended to accommodate a dummy crew, the crew seats would have been arranged with two men per bench amidships and one man per bench fore and aft where the ship narrows, leaving room for only one is male.[7] Alec Tilley (former officer in the Royal Navy and Navy of Oman)[8] suggests that a small ship with this type of seating arrangement would have been called the Hemiolie, or sesquila. The name indicates that two rowers sat on half of the benches and one on the other.[7] Until the discovery of this model ship, archaeologists, classical scholars, and historians could only speculate as to what the seating arrangement on a hemioli might have been based on its name.

Not all ancient Greek ship models are warships. A boat model from a house depot at Mochlos, Crete, dating from around 3000 BC. BC is considered too small for a warship. The Belgian maritime historian L.Basch posits that the boat “cannot have been propelled by more than four oarsmen … so it can hardly be anything but a fishing boat.”[9] In contrast to other Early Bronze Age ship and boat models, this model is was not found in a burial context. This model is considered more of a child’s toy or work of art than a burial object.[10] The model itself has an overhang of the keel over the stem at both ends. Despite appearances, these protrusions are not Aries. Since the model represents a fishing boat, rams would not be required.[9] This model in particular has helped archaeologists to understand that not all keel projections in depictions of boats from this period are necessarily rams. Instead, keel projections on representations of Bronze Age ships are explained as cutting water or as protection against stranding.[9]

Phoenician ship models also provide archaeologists with information about the technical aspects of seafaring and the cultural importance of seafaring to the ancient Phoenicians. However, some models offer enticing information that is difficult to interpret. Item number H-3134 in the Hecht Museum, a dark brown clay model of a 5th century BC rowing boat. B.C., is one such ship. The ship has no provenance other than the reported location of its discovery off the Phoenician coast, but scientists have been able to tentatively confirm the origin and authenticity of this model.[11] The model shows a rowing boat manned by three pairs of oars with “hands … raised to the chest at the last moment of pulling the oar in the water before lifting it for salvage.”[11] The secret of this Modeling is the purpose of the small holes – three on the starboard side and four on the port side – which were drilled into the ship’s sides with a sharp tool before the clay dried.[11] The holes are believed to be too small for an oar to pass through and therefore would not be used for rowing. However, this is difficult to prove as the poor state of preservation of the model and the amount of dirt deposited on the model make it difficult to definitively rule out this possibility.[11] Another theory as to the purpose of these holes is that “ropes used to hold oars were threaded through these holes”.[11]

Ship models are helpful to archaeologists because they allow archaeologists to make estimates of the size of the ship in real life. While this technique assumes that artists have scaled the models appropriately, it is useful to get a sense of how large these ships and boats might have been in real life. Archaeologists estimate the above Phoenician ship (H-3134) to be about 6 meters long and the beam about 2 meters.[12] Archaeologists are able to calculate these size estimates using a series of assumptions about the distance between benches, the lateral distance between oars, and a ship’s maximum draft.[12]

Egyptian model ships and boats are perhaps among the best preserved types of ship models available to archaeologists. Ancient Egyptian ship and boat models were most commonly placed in tombs of prominent figures as “magical substitutes for the actual objects which the deceased used in life and which he expected to use again in the next world”[13]. These boats have been classified into two types: model boats, which represent actual vessels used on the Nile, and model boats, which represent boats deemed necessary for religious purposes. The second type of models may or may not have been used in real life, but were purely magical boats.[14] The majority of boats found in tombs are carved from wood.[14]

Several models of boats and ships have been found in the Sixth Dynasty Tomb of Tutankhamun[15] and in the Tomb of Meketre (2061–2010 BC)[16]. The wide variety of ships represented by the models in these two tombs has provided archaeologists with new information about the types of boats used in Egypt.[14] In addition, the presence of boat and ship models in the tombs testifies to the paramount importance of boats and ships to the Egyptian Nile migrants.

The boat models discovered in Meketre’s tomb show various types of boats, including touring boats, pleasure boats, and several papyriform boats.[16] A trawl is stretched between two of the papyriform skiffs.[17] It is uncertain whether the net is intended to be depicted as lying underwater or being pulled out of the water by the fishermen. In case the artist intended the net to be in the water, it is upside down. Needless to say, the inverted net would not be suitable for catching fish.[18] This ambiguity raises questions about the artistic veracity of the craftsmen who make ship models. As evidenced by the ambiguity of the holes in the sides of the Phoenician model and the Meketre skiff, archaeologists must be aware of the possibility of artistic error in interpreting ancient ship models. While a mistake with an inverted trawl may seem trivial, the lesson is important. It is important for archaeologists to be aware of the possibility that ancient artists may not have been familiar with the finer details of ships and boats.

Despite some limitations in interpreting ancient Mediterranean ship models, archaeologists have been able to glean much information from these items. This information has been instrumental in filling gaps in knowledge about ancient seafaring technology and culture.

Europe [edit]

Church votive hanging in a church; The finishing is a bit rough but sufficient to identify it as mid 19th century

Model of a 19th century English frigate

Close up of the frigate’s quarterdeck showing the quality of the details.

Some of the oldest surviving European ship models were those of earlier vehicles such as galleys, galleons and possibly carracks, dating from the 12th to 15th centuries and have occasionally been found mounted in churches where they were used in ceremonies for the blessing of ships and those who sailed in them, [19] or as votive offerings for successful voyages or surviving dangers at sea, a practice common in Catholic countries well into the 19th century.

By the early 18th century, virtually all European small boats and many larger ships were being built without formal plans being drawn up. Shipbuilders constructed models to show potential customers what the full-size ship would look like and to demonstrate advanced construction techniques.[20] These were also useful to marine artists, and it is clear that artists used models extensively from the time of Dutch Golden Age painting.

Ship models built for the Royal Navy were known as Admiralty models and were built mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries to represent the proposed warship design. Although many of these models did not depict the actual truss or framework, they did show the shape of the hull and usually had great detail of deck fittings, masts, spars and general configuration. Some of these magnificent models were decorated with carvings of great beauty and were evidently made by teams of craftsmen.

Admiralty models served to train civilians involved in financing or some other aspect of the ship to avoid design flaws that may have developed as the ship itself took shape.

During the Napoleonic Wars, French and English sailors who were captured were sometimes imprisoned for many years, seeking relief from their boredom by building model ships from scraps of wood and bone.[20] This developed into something of an art form and the models were sold to the public,[21] who responded by providing prisoners with ivory to make the models more decorative. For the most part, the models had carved wooden hulls with rigging of human hair, horsehair, silk, or whatever other fine material was available. Bone or ivory was used for masts and spars and as a thin veneer over the hull.

A consequence of British naval supremacy in the 18th and 19th centuries was a wide public interest in ships and ship models. Numerous fairly crude models were built as children’s toys, leading to the creation of functional, as opposed to decorative, ship models. Britain was also a world leader in model ship sailing clubs – the Serpentine Sailing Society was founded in Hyde Park in 1838, followed by the first London Model Yacht Club in 1845.[23] In the 1880s there were three model sailing clubs sharing the Kensington Gardens Round Pond alone.[23]

modern times [edit]

In the early 20th century, amateur model ship kits became available from companies such as Bassett-Lowke in the UK[24][25] and Boucher’s in the United States[26]. Early 20th century models consisted of a combination of wooden hulls and cast lead for anchors, deadeyes and rigging blocks. These materials gradually gave way to plastic finished parts.

The development of tinplate and improvements in machine tools enabled significant advances in ship model making from 1900 onwards. Thin, workable sheets of iron could be coated with tin to prevent rusting and then mass-produced as parts of model ship kits. The process was developed by the French ship model maker Radiguet, who made a series of zinc boats with pressure steam engines, wooden decks, and brass fittings.[27] The speed of production for tinplate ships allowed a 1909 manufacturer to produce ship models of speedboats that had competed in Monaco that year.

Ship modeling in the United States experienced a boom in the late 1920s when Popular Science magazine published an extensive series of articles and blueprints for famous ships by model maker and former naval officer E. Armitage McCann.[28] McCann, who, according to Popular Science, was the “recognized leader of the ship model making hobby” of his day, founded the Ship Model Makers’ Club in 1929, with him as secretary and treasurer and naval artist and fellow ship model maker Gordon Grant as president.[29]

The world’s leading magazine for the hobby, Model Boat,[30] is published in the UK by MyTime Media and has been in print continuously since the 1950s. In recent years, widespread internet access has played an important role in promoting ship model making and offering enthusiasts the opportunity to show their work and share techniques. Websites such as Modelwarships.com, Steelnavy.com or Model Shipwrights cater to plastic model ship builders, while others such as Hyperscale focus largely on aircraft or other topics and may regularly offer plastic ship models as well.

Types of ship model making[edit]

The most commonly used materials for ship models are:

Wood – usually solid wood, two pieces of wood with a vertical seam, or wood panels laid one on top of the other.

Plastic – including injected styrene and cast resin models. At larger scales (1/192 and larger) fiberglass is often used for fuselage shells.

Metal – usually cast lead or other alloys. Steel, tinplate, and aluminum brass are less commonly used in hull construction, but are commonly used to add detail.

Paper – pre-printed paper kits are widely available in Europe and are available in a range of scales.

Wooden model ships[ edit ]

Wooden ship model hulls can be constructed in different ways. The simplest is a solid wood hull sawn and carved from a single block of wood. This method requires great skill to get accurate results.

A variation on this technique, sometimes referred to as bread-and-butter construction (the wood is the “bread” and the glue is the “butter”), is a hull constructed of thin blocks of wood joined with either a vertical seam or are glued together, which can be incorporated deck design or a horizontal seam. This reduces the amount of carving required but still requires skill and the use of templates to achieve an accurate hull shape.

Modeling precision and lightweight design can be achieved by creating a hollow fuselage. In the plank-on-bulkhead technique, a series of molded bulkheads are inserted along the keel to form a molded stage, which is covered with planks to form the model’s hull. Plank-on-frame designs build the model the same way the full-size wooden ship is built. The keel is laid so that it remains straight and true. The stern and stem are erected, deadwood and pieces of reinforcement are inserted, and a series of shaped frames are built and erected along the keel to form the internal framework of the model. The planks are then placed over the frame to form the outer covering.

A wooden hull can be used for operational models if properly sealed.

Plastic ship models[ edit ]

In the decades since World War II, ship models made from injection molded polystyrene plastic have become increasingly popular. Consisting of pre-formed plastic pieces that can be glued together with plastic cement, these models are much easier to construct than the more labor-intensive traditional wooden models. The inexpensive plastic kits were initially aimed at the post-war generation[31], who could glue them together and make passable replicas in a single afternoon. Plastic models are available in both full hull and waterline versions to suit a variety of vessels.

A more recent addition has been a variety of cold-curing resin kits marketed by various small companies as part of a cottage industry. These often cover darker topics than mainstream manufacturers.[32]

Scales also vary, with many kits from the early days being “box scale”; that is, scaled to fit in a uniformly sized box designed to fit comfortably on hobby store shelves. Scales have since become more standardized to allow modelers to create consistent collections of scales, but there are still many to choose from. In Europe, 1/400 scale remains popular, while in the United States and Japan the most popular scales are 1/700 (making a WWII aircraft carrier about a foot long) and 1/350 (twice as long as 1st World War I). /700) are. . Nonetheless, major plastic kit manufacturers continue to produce 1/1200 scale and 1/72 scale kits, some even larger.

Early plastic model kit manufacturers such as Airfix, Revell, Frog and Pyro have since been joined by Imai, Tamiya, Hasegawa, Skywave/Pit-Road, Trumpeter, Dragon Models Limited and many others in the production of a wide range of model themes. The plastic model kit market has shifted over the years to a focus on adult hobbyists who are willing to pay for more elaborate, higher quality kits.

Another recent development has been the advent of aftermarket parts to enhance base kits. Decals, special paints, and turned metal replacement gun barrels are available to make plastic models more accurate. The introduction of flat photo-etched metal kits, usually made of stainless steel or brass, also offers much more realistic lifelines, cranes and other details than is possible with the injection molded plastic kits.[32] These photo-etch kits have transformed the hobby, allowing the fine model maker to reproduce very fine detail with much less effort.

Live steam model ships [ edit ]

Enthusiasts build steam model ships of many types and in many scales. These range from simple pop-pop boats to model racing seaplanes.[33]

Scaling conversion factors[edit]

Table of scale conversion factors from to 1/8 to 3/16 to 1/4 1/16 2.0 3.0 4.0 1/12 1.5 2.25 3.0 3/32 1.33 2.0 2 .67 1/8 1.0 1.5 2.0 5/32 0.8 1.2 1.6 3/ 16 0.67 1.0 1.33 1.5 0.625 0.94 1.25 7/ 32 0.57 0.86 1.14 1/4 0.5 0.75 1.0

Rather than using plans created specifically for models, many ship modelers use the actual blueprints for the original ship. You can take drawings for the original ship to a blueprint service and have them blown up or downsized to bring them up to the new scale. For example, if the drawings are in 1/4″ scale and you intend to build in 3/16″ scale, tell the service to scale them down by 25%. You can use the conversion table below to determine the percentage of change. However, you can easily work directly with the original drawings by changing the scale with each measurement.

The equation for converting a measurement on one scale to another scale is D2 = D1 x F, where:

D1 = dimension in the “Ab scale”

D2 = dimension in “scale”

F = conversion factor between scales

Example: A yardarm is 6″ long on a 3/16″ scale. Find its length on a 1/8″ scale.

F = 0.67 (from table)

D2 = 6″ x 0.67 = 4.02 = 4″

It is easier to take measurements in the metric system and then multiply them by the conversion factor. Scales are expressed in fractions of an inch, but fractions themselves are more difficult to work with than metric measurements. For example, a draft hatch is 1 inch wide. They build in 3/16 inch scale. If you measure the hatch in metric, measure 25mm. The conversion factor for 1/4″ to 3/16′ according to the conversion table is 0.75. So 25mm x 0.75 = 18.75mm or about 19mm. This is the 3/16″ scale hatch size.

Conversion is a fairly easy task once you start measuring in metric and converting according to the scale.

There is a simple conversion factor that you can use to determine the approximate size of a model by taking the actual measurements of the full size ship and arriving at a scale factor. It’s a rough way of deciding whether you want to build a model that’s about two feet long, three feet long, or four feet long.

Here is an example of converting a ship model with a real ship, the Hancock. This is a frigate that appears in Chappelle’s “History of American Sailing Ships”. In this example we want to estimate its size as a model. We find that the length is listed as 136′ 7″ which rounds down to 137 feet.

Scale 1/8 foot divided by 8 Scale 3/16 foot divided by 5.33 Scale 1/4 foot divided by 4

To convert feet (of the actual ship) to the model’s length in inches, use the factors in the table at right.

To find the main dimensions (length, height, and width) of a (square-mounted) 1/8″ scale model, do the following:

Find the scaled length by dividing 137 by 8 = 17.125 inches. Find 50% of 17.125 and add it to 17.125 (8.56 + 17.125 = 25.685, about 25.5). Typically the height of this model is its length minus 10% or about 23.1/2″ Typically the beam of this model is its length divided by 4 or about 6 1/2″

Although this technique allows you to judge the approximate length of a proposed model based on its actual length, only square sailors adjust the approximate height and beam based on the factors above. To approximate these dimensions on other boats, scale the drawings from which you obtained the length and arrive at their mast height and beam.

Wargaming models [ edit ]

Model ships have been used in war games since ancient times, but the introduction of more elaborate rules made the practice more popular in the early 20th century. Small miniature ships, often at 1/1200 and 1/1250 scale, were maneuvered around large playing surfaces, either to recreate a historical battle or, in the case of governments, to plan future encounters. These models were basic representations of ship types with enough detail to make them recognizable. Bassett-Lowke marketed these to the public in England along with more detailed versions that appealed to collectors.

Before World War II, the German company Wiking became a leader in this field[34], but the war ended its dominance.

Large models[ edit ]

Akagi exhibited at Pearl Harbor Large commercial model of the IJNon exhibit at Pearl Harbor

Large scale model warships in San Diego

Larger ship models were used in museums to document historical ships, in companies for decoration and public relations. These are typically built by commercial firms or, in the past, by the model departments of large shipyards. A famous manufacturer of ship models for the United States Navy was Gibbs & Cox; A 1:48 scale model of the USS Missouri on display at the Washington Navy Yard Museum took an estimated 77,000 man-hours to build.[35] Commercial ship models are usually built to strict standards. For example, the US Navy has strict specifications for the use of materials and methods to ensure an exemplary “lifespan” of 100 years.[36]

Radio controlled model ships[ edit ]

Some hobbyists build and operate scale model ships that use radio control devices. These range from small models that can be operated in aquariums to ships that can navigate large bodies of water. Another extension of the concept is model warfare combat, where scale models fire projectiles at each other in combat.

Engineering models[ edit ]

Test model in a towing tank

Model ships are important in the field of engineering where analytical modeling of a new design needs to be verified. Similarity principles are used to apply measured data from a scaled model to the scale design. Models are often tested in special facilities called model tanks.

Manned models[ edit ]

Manned models are model ships that can be carried and operated by at least one person on an open water surface. They must behave like real ships and give the same sensations to the skipper. Physical conditions such as wind, currents, waves, water depths, fairways and berths must be realistically reproduced.

Manned model of a 250,000 dwt tanker

Manned models are used for research (e.g. ship behavior), engineering (e.g. port layout) and for ship management training (e.g. sea pilots, captains and officers). They are usually 1:25 scale.

The aim of manned model training is to enable seafarers to acquire or develop maneuvering skills by better understanding a ship’s behavior when operating at maneuvering speeds in restricted water conditions. Manned models are viewed by sea pilots as the next best thing to a scale prototype for understanding a ship’s behavior.[37] Those who have trained on both claim that scale models complement computer simulators. While maneuvers with currents, waves, tugboats, anchors, bank effects, etc. are more accurately reproduced on scale models, numerical simulators are more realistic in the bridge environment.

Port Revel Shiphandling Training Center is a French maritime pilotage school specializing in the training of pilots, captains and officers on large ships such as supertankers, container ships, LNG tankers and cruise ships. The facility uses 1:25 scale manned models on a man-made lake designed to simulate natural conditions in ports, canals and the open sea. It was the first such facility in the world. The center was originally founded in 1967 near Grenoble by the Laboratoire Dauphinois d’Hydraulique.

Model yachts[edit]

Modellyachten sind Betriebsfahrzeuge, die segel-, dampf-, motor- oder elektromotorbetrieben sein können und typischerweise Vergnügungsmotorbooten ähneln, obwohl das Hobby auch den Bau und Betrieb von Modellen von Arbeitsschiffen wie Schleppern und anderen in diesem Artikel gezeigten Fahrzeugen umfasst statische Modelle.

Modellschiffbauergilden [ bearbeiten ]

Gilden von Modellschiffbauern konzentrieren ihre Bemühungen in der Regel auf hochgenaue statische Modelle aller Arten von Wasserfahrzeugen und sind soziale Gruppierungen, die erfahreneren Schiffsmodellbauern die Möglichkeit geben sollen, ihr Wissen an neue Mitglieder weiterzugeben. Mitgliedern aller Fachrichtungen den Austausch neuer Ideen zu ermöglichen und als soziale Funktion zu dienen.

Einige Gilden von Modellschiffbauern sind in Regierungs- und Marineeinrichtungen integriert und erreichen einen halboffiziellen Status als Clearinghouse für Informationen zur Marinegeschichte, zum Schiffsdesign und zuweilen zum Unterrichten des Handwerks des Schiffsmodellbaus durch Modellbau, Restaurierung und Reparatur der Modelle der Einrichtung sowie Museumsdozentendienste. Das USS Constitution Museum betreibt eine Gilde für Modellschiffbauer von der Charlestown Navy Yard neben dem Liegeplatz für das Schiff selbst, ebenso wie der San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, indem er die Hyde Street Pier Model Shipwrights sponsert und ihnen Arbeit und Treffen an Bord bietet die Fähre Eureka legte am Hyde Street Pier an, wo sie als ehrenamtliche Mitarbeiter des Museums gelten.

Sammlungen [ bearbeiten ]

Zwei der größten bekannten Sammlungen gehören den Bastlern, die sie gebaut haben. Philip Warren aus England besitzt eine Sammlung von 432 Schiffsmodellen im Maßstab 1:300, die er alle selbst konstruiert hat. Erick Navas aus Peru hat eine Sammlung von 1005 Kriegsschiffen, von denen er einige von Grund auf neu gebaut hat.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Medien zu Schiffsmodellen bei Wikimedia Commons

Are you looking for a strong and durable wood for your boat deck that boasts stunning aesthetics and impressive resistance to decay and moisture? Well we got you covered!

Choosing a wood species for your boat building or repair projects can be a real headache. There are several factors to consider – durability, strength, moisture resistance, salt resistance, rot resistance, attractiveness, price, and so on.

To make things easier for you, in this post we’ve selected the 4 best woods for boat decks, what makes them great boat-friendly woods, and their downsides that might compel you to look at other options. Let’s start!

best wood for boat deck

1. Burmese teak

Burmese teak, also known as the king of woods, is one of the most popular types of wood for boat decks. Given the luxurious feel of the wood and the durability it offers, this species of wood is justifiably a favorite of many.

Below we will discuss four key characteristics of Burmese teak that make this wood a fantastic choice for boat decks.

Benefits of Burmese Teak

Longevity and an excellent return on investment:

Burmese teak is of the highest quality and is meant to last for decades. In general, the lifespan of Burmese teak decks is over 40 years.

Additionally, proper teak care and maintenance, including religious scrubbing and refinishing every decade or two, will ensure that you will not need to change the teak deck during the life of your boat. That’s a pretty big deal, isn’t it?

Stunning aesthetics

If we said we didn’t want a Burmese teak deck, most would definitely be lying! The aesthetics of the wood are undeniably eye-catching.

The golden copper color of Burmese teak deepens and darkens with age. The richness of the brown patinated ancient Burmese teak deck bestowed on your boat is unparalleled.

If you like the color of your teak deck prior to color change or graying, you can renovate it with a teak renovator to restore the golden brown color you prefer.

Easy maintenance:

Not all hardwoods are easy to care for. Fortunately, Burmese teak is fairly easy to maintain, clean and refinish. Gently scrub your teak deck with a boat cleaner annually and this routine will keep any dirt and stain problems on the deck at bay.

You can also clean your teak deck with a pressure hose with a gauge-mounted multi-nozzle nozzle. The recommended pressure to be set for this purpose is 6080 bar.

If you need to refinish the teak deck, sand and paint the deck yourself or get advice from an expert. Burmese teak is thick and strong which ensures that refinishing will make the deck as good as new.

You may also want to spray your teak deck with a teak protectant to provide some UV protection and prevent mold growth.

High oil content

The natural oil content in teak not only gives your teak desk a natural shine and suppleness but also protects your deck from moisture problems and rot.

Unlike some other woods that find it difficult to adapt to the salty and humid environment that seagoing vessels are exposed to, teak doesn’t struggle too much with these problems due to its high oil content. However, it is not recommended to oil your teak deck with manufactured teak oils.

Disadvantages of Burmese teak

Let’s point out the most noticeable disadvantage – teak is expensive. Secondly, teak is not usually available in large sizes. Finally, since these woods are hard and heavy, they require more effort to cut and manipulate.

2. Mahogany

When it comes to durability, mahogany ranks impressively high. Like oak, mahogany is heavy, strong and dense. Below are four amazing mahogany displays that make it a great candidate for marine use.

Benefits of Mahogany

Resistance to Shrinkage, Rot and Decay:

Salt water, harsh weather, sun, moisture, rot – mahogany wood stands up to all hardships. In addition, mahogany exhibits minimal volume and dimensional shrinkage compared to other natural woods.

Strength and Durability:

This hardwood is naturally dense and popular for its strength. Boat deck material must be strong enough to withstand all bending and other forces. And mahogany is a model wood species when it comes to strength and durability. With good care it will last over 40-50 years.

Classic Aesthetics:

There is no debate about how classic and elegant the mahogany deck looks. For many, their boat is the place to relax and enjoy. You definitely want your boating experience to be as luxurious as possible, right?

Easy to work with:

Mahogany wood is also popular because it can easily handle the tough demands of boat building. It’s easy to manipulate and rotate with tools. In addition, it is also easy to sand, pickle and finish.

Cons of Mahogany

While the high density of mahogany contributes to its strength and durability, it can result in the wood being quite heavy in weight.

Therefore, you may need an extra pair of hands when working with this wood. Another disadvantage of mahogany is its limited production and rising price.

Finally, although mahogany wood is originally a reddish-brown color, it comes in a wide range of colors, which is beneficial but can sometimes be a headache when you need color matching.

3. Oak wood

Oak timbers are prized for their rot resistance and strength, making them one of the best timbers for marine use. However, due to its weight, oak is not the typical and practical choice of wood for decks in small boats where low overall weight is imperative.

However, if your large boat is in need of a deck repair, here are two great qualities of oak that make it a great seawood for boats.

Advantages of oak wood

Strength and Durability:

According to TRADA, the Timber Research and Development Association, oak timbers are considered durable with a lifespan of around 15-25 years without chemical treatment.

Resistant to moisture and fungal attack:

Oak is a closed grain hardwood and is therefore incredibly water resistant. Therefore, it is an excellent choice as a decking material. In white oak, the pores of the heartwood are clogged with tyloses, membranous projections that do not let water through.

In addition, these tyloses do not allow hyphae to enter in the event of fungal attack, which makes the wood fungus resistant. A high tannin content in the wood also keeps fungi away as they are poisonous to fungi.

Easy to work with:

Once saturated with steam, oak wood is easily manipulated into the desired design. Like mahogany, this type of wood is also easy to work with.

Also, since oak woods have a straight grain despite minimal effort, the wood finish is quite impressive. Therefore, oak wood is also one of the most popular types of wood when it comes to boat decks.

Disadvantages of oak wood

Oak woods are known to discolour easily. Also, the stain will darken over time, destroying the aesthetics of the deck. This type of wood is also prone to swelling, cracking and shrinking if not properly cared for and protected. Oak wood therefore requires intensive care.

4. Marine plywood

Finally, let’s talk about plywood – probably the most common type of wood when it comes to DIY construction and repair projects.

Listed below are the two great qualities of plywood that make it a great candidate for decking materials, followed by some of the disadvantages of choosing this type of wood.

Benefits of marine plywood

Easy availability and cost-effective:

Unlike hardwoods like teak, plywoods are inexpensive. However, despite the lower price, these engineered woods offer equally stunning smooth and stunning finishes. In addition, plywoods are widely and conveniently available in the market.

Easy to work with:

Plywoods are much lighter than natural hardwoods. This property of plywoods makes them easy to cut, sand, and manipulate, making them a great species of wood for building boat decks.

Disadvantages of Marine Plywood

Plywood generally doesn’t last long. Plywoods contain voids in the wood that are known to trap moisture. This phenomenon significantly reduces the strength and durability of plywood.

Luckily, marine plywood has been proven to last 15 to 20 years. The variability in plywood’s moisture resistance and durability can be attributed to the differences in veneer thickness, glue type, and wood species.

Manufacturers use high-quality waterproof glue between the layers of veneer, which gives marine plywood more water-repellent properties.

Another disadvantage of plywood is that unlike other natural hardwoods, plywood requires a lot of care and maintenance.

summary

We hope we were able to help you clear your confusion about wood for your boat deck. If you have any other questions on this topic, please feel free to ask us any questions. We will do our best to help you build/repair your boat deck.

What else do you think of our decisions? Let us know if you agree or disagree with the list. And share your favorites with us! We’d love to interact with you in the comments section.