gluing sailing ship hulls

can anyone tell me the best way to glue sailing ship hulls together reason Im asking is Im modeling the Academy 1/150 Cutty Sark and it has detail on the keel as well and I want to do right any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thank you

Ronald

If you can find a copy of it I would recomend HOW TO BUILD PLASTIC SHIP MODELS by Les Wilkins. The publishers of DSM printed this in 1980 so it may or may not be out of print. The best way to glue the hull together will be with battery clamps or some other strong clamp along the keel. After you have the keel clamped, run liquid cement along the insde of the hull. You may or may not reinforce the inside with epoxy. That is your choice. Hope this helps.

I tryed to get the book but it got lost in the mail never recieved it but did get my money back I wanted the book bad I found a few but the sellers want $75 or more for a used book anyway thank you for the informantion

can ytou explain more about reinforceing the inside of the hull with epoxy is that epoxy putty or glue thank you

Ronald

According to the book, Wilkins was using epoxy glue and letting it cure. That is after you have hull glued togther. The epoxy is to streghten the joint. W ho would have ever thought any one would ask $75 dollars for a book that went for $6.95 in 1980?

Larry

thank you tell me about , I acturly found one for $55 and im thinking about getting I wish I could find someone who ahs the book and down send it to me in pdf format

Ronald

I find the liquid cement dries slow enough that I paint both halves with the stuff before sticking the hull sides together and clamping. Sailing ships are actually easier in that the keels provide a good clamping surface. After the cement has set, I then inspect the seam to find any weak areas which I then touch up with CA. While I have heard of folks having to use epoxy, I have never had to resort to that myself. Be careful what you clamp with, but clothespins or plastic clamps seldom damage fine detail. Metal clamps may, though.

In order to use wooden clothspins, I cut the ends off so that the remaining pin clamps right at the mouth.

I would’nt know how to convert it to a PDF file plus I usually don’t have that much time. The one thing I do know is that it would be a large file. Also to be considered are the legal issues of “publishing” the book.

thanks for your information

Ronald

ok thanks

I went looking all over the internet for Les Wilkins’s book “How to build plastic ship models” and what I found really suprised. The lowest price I could find for the book was $50 !!! I was very lucky to find a copy at my local libary, and while it is a wealth of information in it’s 64 pages I can’t see why it’s going for $50 bucks and more. If you are looking for the book I would suggest starting with your local libary, you might get lucky!!!

With those prices I’m hanging on to my copy, and I may to place it a saety deposit box if it gets any higher in price.

forgive me for saying this but the book is not worth $50 Im sorry it may be a very good book but not that book that is silly Im going to try and find at the libary thanks

Hay Ron. Bud again - from the questions on knots. On mine I did as Don had had mentioned. I clipped the hulls together and then hung it by its bow, and glued (supper glue -{thin}) at the top of the bow and allowed the thin glue to run down the full of the hull. Don’t over glue as it can run clear to the rudder drip through. If done right you probably will have to glue the aft and rudder lastly.

Good luck Budd