ive always been intrigued by the world of wood ship modelling.. been working with plastic most of my years and have recently been drawn to the challenge of doing planking and such. ive set up an adjacent bench and am planning to start my first wood build on the side.. how many of you ship guys have delved in that world? i know the plane guys have probably done a balsa framed aircraft at some point. i found a whole new world of subject matter.. going to try my hand at a planked freighter, and solid hull liberty ship. been reading and watching vids for a while now...
who has dipped their foot in the world of wood ships?
- Thread starter domer94
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Not recently, but as a teenager I built the Bluenose II fishing schooner. It was a Billings Boats model.
Planked hull, teeny nails, sails, brass fittings, rope rigging, block and tackle, varnished masts... the whole shebang.
I sprung for the brass accessories, totally worth it. Dunno if that is how they still market it. I still have some of the rigging string leftover from the kit.
I remember nailing, shaping and sanding the hull, sewing the sails on my mum's sewing machine, tying a jilllion knots for the rigging!
I really enjoyed it... that was about 50 years ago!
It got damaged in a move some years later... so, long gone.
Lately, I've been thinking about doing a wooden ship again.
Those Liberty ships were quite something, I wonder if the kit build is modular as well!
Hope you post your build once decided and started, I'll be watching, for sure!
Jakko
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I tried one when I was young, largely because when visiting a distant relative, he had some wooden ship models so I asked my parents to buy me one too. It's still not finished 
I much prefer working with plastic to wood.
I much prefer working with plastic to wood.
BOATMAN
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HI Guys well ive sratchbuilt 4 big warships out of wood over the last 30 odd yrs an throughly enjoyed doin it an they are firstly the 1/64 SCALE models of 2 type 42 desroyers HMS YORK D98 an HMS EDINBUGH D97 For R/C sailin on NORWICH POND an then the big USS NIMITZ CVN 68 in I/144 SCALE as it was nr 9 ft long AN LASTLY i built HMS TIGER C20 in 1/72 SCALE an yes they were an are all big models an some pics of them if you like an the wife standin near an holdin my NIMITZ hull still under consrustrukion
papaof2
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I found two old kits at an antique store a few years ago factory sealed. Gave $25 for each. Opened one when I got home, closed it back up and subsequently gave them away. Very nice kits, lots of beautiful wood, but just estimating several thousand parts. Would have made excellent models but I knew I would never finish either of them.
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BOATMAN
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HI Papa2 thats a pity as the kits go an build a lot easyier than my ships which were just built from plans an i had to buy the wood well all i can say is you missed out on an excellent hobby by givin them wood kit away oh dear as this is the reason i got called BOATMAN LOL
chrisb
chrisb
I started on Artesania Latina's Swift 1805 several years ago, my first balsa ship, learned as I went along. Found it at a thrift shop for cheap. Someone had barely started it but the keel was broken in two. Scratch-built a new one and went from there. I petered out when I got to the masts...someday hopefully I'll get back to it. My mother-in-law even sewed me some sails! I really enjoyed building it. And it looks so cool!
Ya!
I'll be, watching you too!
I just remember thinking and feeling, I'm building a ship!!
I wonder how old wood kits compare to old styrene... after years of temperature and humidity fluctuations... would that be a factor to consider, especially if it's your first?
mcs1056
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I built a functional (as in "it was raced") Miss Atlas Van Lines from a Dumas kit in my 20s. Followed that with stick-built Miss Bud (same basic configuration) and a horrible version of the 1950's Miss Pepsi. I never got close to the two engines looking good.
Eventually, a future project will be stick-building a model of my full-size boat, a 1963 Century Resorter 17 (see pic). If I don't make a mess of that, I'll give Miss Pepsi another go.
Eventually, a future project will be stick-building a model of my full-size boat, a 1963 Century Resorter 17 (see pic). If I don't make a mess of that, I'll give Miss Pepsi another go.
wow is all i can say. i think i saw your nimitz in a book about warship modelling
BOATMAN
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Domer94 Qoute
wow is all i can say. i think i saw your nimitz in a book about warship modelling
HI Domer94 yes i should think it was the model boats magazine as a chap called Dave wolley see my big NIMITZ up at a show in scotland as my freind asked me if he could take it up to a big warship model exabishion there an Dave wolley see it an done a 4 page spread on the NIMITZ AN IVE STILL GOT THE MAGAZINE WITH IT IN AN SHE WON BEST VISITING MODEL SO I GOT A NICE FAIR SIZED TROPHY an i was very pleased
Chrisb
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wow is all i can say. i think i saw your nimitz in a book about warship modelling
HI Domer94 yes i should think it was the model boats magazine as a chap called Dave wolley see my big NIMITZ up at a show in scotland as my freind asked me if he could take it up to a big warship model exabishion there an Dave wolley see it an done a 4 page spread on the NIMITZ AN IVE STILL GOT THE MAGAZINE WITH IT IN AN SHE WON BEST VISITING MODEL SO I GOT A NICE FAIR SIZED TROPHY an i was very pleased
Chrisb
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hey tommergun... im almost wrapping up the hull on mine and i thought of this post. i wanted to ask you what you did for finishing... i have a few different bottles of stain from OCRE . did you use color or just a clear satin or gloss varnish?
@domer94 I liked the tone of the wood already, and I didn't want a high gloss finish so I just used a clear semi-gloss, fast-drying polyurethane, I think maybe 2-3 coats waiting for each coat to dry.
As a side note, I originally thought our kits were the same based on the length but I'm seeing some differences between yours and mine. Curious.
mine was a kit from the 80s on ebay... i know they updated it a couple of times over the years. so did you overspray the whole model with a rattle can? or selectively brush sections. that may be why the colors on yours look so rich and pronounced. when i get to the point you stopped, we should both finish the rigs .. cheer each other on
I used a small can of Minwax applied with a sponge brush. I did the hull first, then moved to the deck. Everything got covered. The brass deck parts I added after it was all dried. Mine could probably use another coat, the wood soaks it up pretty good.
Working our ships in tandem will be great, but I probably wont be able to until the Christmas break. My daughter and grandbaby are staying in the guest/hobby room right now and my temporary workspace is kinda cramped.
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