Starting to get bored with modeling so I decided to branch out a little and try out wooden ship modeling. I figure since I’ve been modeling for over 20 years and I used to be a woodworker, I thought this would be a good next step. So after doing some Googling I headed over to Model-Expo and picked up Model Shipways three kit beginners package.
The first one out of the gate is the Grand Banks Dory. This is in 1/24 scale. I run into a problem right at the start when I find out they sent me the instructions in Spanish. So while I wait for a new set to come in the mail, I’m working off of the instructions on their website. So far I’ve built the frames and now I’m finishing up gluing up the bottom to the frames. Waiting for glue to dry is boring as all get out but it’s good to get my hands back into woodworking, even if it is just balsa wood. Here’s where I am so far.
Check out the nice folks over at Ships of Scale (https://shipsofscale.com/sosforums/). They are primarily wooden ship builders and a quick search turned up several threads about that same exact kit. Lots of good advice and techniques to be gleaned there. Good luck with your build!
Those kits are okay for sure. Mine allowed me to turn to Acrylic Sheet. Yup! I got sheet thin as I could, and built according to their plans and even R.Cd a few.
I had a seemingly inexhaustibla supply of the stuff, cause when I did my Last Court Use Commission, it had to be large ,R.C.d and to get the materials sized right I had to buy in bulk!
I built the Wood ones later and they were a blast!
Welcome aboard. You are taking the right approach, working on larger scale models. Interested to hear what the other kits are that you have on the list. The skipjack is a nice kit.
I like solid hull kits as the level of difficulty of assembly is a lot less than p-o-b.
I’m a little confused by the glue discussion and not sure if Don was clear. I don’t think he meant model airplane glue for styrene models. Don does build wooden model airplanes too, I think he might have meant a glue like Ambroid.
I use CA a lot. If you’ll be painting the wood it works well’ but if you are planning on a clear stain it can be too visible.
Tip on the wood- your kit it made of basswood. It’s a hardwood such as linden, with little to no discernable grain. It’s easy to get from either online sources, or many hardware stores. I’ve even found it at CVS. Quality varies of course.
Balsa, which you aren’t using, is to be avoided. It cuts, sands and paints poorly.
I look foward to progress of the dory.Mmmm, fish n’ chips!
That makes sense about the glue. I was thinking Testors red tube, but I also know of Ambroid so thanks for clearing that up.
As far as what’s next, I bought a three kit set that takes you step by step from the easiest boat to the hardest so that you learn as you go. Besides the dory, the other two kits are a sailing pram and a lobster smack. All three by Model Shipways.
As for glue, I’ve built all kinds of wooden ship models. I almost exclusively use Elmer’s glue, the stuff we all used in school. It’s water-based, so it can be disassembled easily. it dries fast. And it dries clear. And it bonds wood stronger than the wood itself.
I have friends who swear by Titebond, but that can only be debonded with alcohol, which I think is a pain to work with. Everything else about it is the same as the white (PVA) glue.
If you are getting into wooden ships, the NRG sells a half-hull planking practicum that takes you through all the steps needed to do planking on wooden ships. You can also join their growing ranks by visiting their website. They are the largest “club” in IPMS.
Amazon now is offering some very cheap small wood ship kits at very reasonable prices. I bought a Chinese junk for 13 bucks. Still building it, but am satisfied. Based on that I bought a larger shooner for 20 bucks. Haven’t sarted it yet but looking at the kit it looks about the same quality as the junk.
These kits come in plastic bags and the instructions are very sparse. The junk instructions were all in some Asian font, but the drawings were clear enough to build the model. The neat thing about the junk is that the planks were laser cut so no spiling was needed. In the schooner the planks are just stripwood, so spiling will be required. But at that price if you end up throwing the kit out before finishing, you will have learned a lot. The kits are plank on bulkhead.
The most popular brand is gawegm, but there are several. They seem to be much alike- maybe made in some common shops with a good laser machine.
There are now a few youtube video builds of those kits. One is the kit I am working on, the Chinese Junk. The builder is doing a lot more mods, while mine will be pretty much out-of-box (0r, in this case out of bag, a charactoristict of these kits.)
