Sections in this brief guide.
- Hull planking tips
- Rigging tips
- Painting & finishing tips
Choose the right kit
Size of finished kit:
Some of the kits can be very large. Do you have the room to display the one you have chosen? This may seem like an obvious point, but it is one that many beginners fail to take into account.
How long will it take to build?
On average a £50.00 to £100.00 kit will take up to 6 months to complete. A £100.00 to £250.00 kit up to 12 months and a £250.00 to £400.00 one up to 18 months. £400.00+ kits may take 24 or more months.
Skill required:
Just how good are you at fine delicate work? Building a period ship model involves very delicate woodworking, working with fine threads and small parts, and most of all, requires lots of concentration and patience. We have rated each kit on a skill level range of from 1 to 6 to enable you to gauge how difficult a kit is to build. A more detailed explanation of the skill ratings is given on the Ship Kits page.
Beginners:
Be careful to choose a kit that you feel that you will be able to complete. While you might like to build H.M.S.Victory or something similar, you need to acquire the skills necessary to build such a kit. Start with something simple and work your way up to something like the Victory for perhaps your third kit. We have found that people that have not built a period ship before do not appreciate the amount of work involved.
Finally:
If you have made a short list of kits that you would like to build and are still not sure which is the right one for you, contact us and ask us for our free advice. We have found that it is in our own best interests to help you to choose the right kit, as you are then likely to keep coming back to us year after year ( as most of our customers do ).
Hull Planking Tips
1st Step
Looking at the side profile of the hull framing, mark a line level with the main deck from bow to stern on the bulkheads. Placing a planking strip along the hull at this level will help you to establish this line. Next measure the distance between this line and the keel along the edge of the center bulkhead using a flexible rule. Divide this measurement by the width of the planking strips. This gives you the number of strips ( - any fraction ) required for the side of the hull. For example if your measurement was 141mm divided by 6mm = 23.5 then you would require 23 strips. You would now draw a new line across the side of the bulkheads 1/2 of the width of a strip down from the line you had drawn earlier. Now pin and glue your first planking strip onto the hull using the new line..
2nd Step
On the outside edge of the first bulkhead back from the bow, measure the distance between the planking strip you have applied and the point where the bulkhead meets the keel. Divide this measurement by the number of planking strips for the side of the hull that you determined in the first step. For example if this number was 23 then you would divide the measurement into 23 equal amounts. Mark these down the edge of the bulkhead. Repeat this procedure for every bulkhead all the way to the stern. You can now apply your second planking strip about halfway down the side of the hull using the marks now on the bulkheads.
3rd Step
Now you can start applying the rest of the planking, working downwards from the second planking strip to the keel. Only apply two strips to one side of the hull and then switch to the other side and keep alternating as you go. You will have to bevel the top edge of the planks and also taper them to fit. Remember to glue the edges of the planks together as you go. Next you can either work up from the second strip or down from the first strip, depending on the shape of the hull. After this work up from the first strip to the top of the hull. Now remove any planking pins and sand out any bumps or irregularities and use a little soft wood filler in necessary to get a smooth finish.
4th Step
Now is the time to mark out any gunports or other openings on the first layer of planking and cut them out. You can now apply the finish layer of planking using a similar procedure to the first layer but making sure to start 1/2 of a plank width up or down from the first layer. This is to make sure that you overlap the seams of the first layer. If you have cut any openings in the hull make sure that you don't cover them completely with the second layer, let the planks overhang the openings a little bit and then trim out with a scalpel when finished. You may either leave any pins in place or remove as you wish. Either way is considered correct.
Rigging Tips
Tip 1
Make sure that you store the rigging cord indoors where the finished model will be displayed. This is necessary to stabilize the cord so that it will not stretch or tighten too much. You might also want to pre-stretch the cord by suspending lengths of it from a high point and weighting the ends. Please note that Amati brand cord it is pre-stretched.
Tip 2
Start with the standing rigging and work from the center of the model outwards. If you leave out some rigging in the middle you may not be able to reach it later through the running rigging.
Tip 3
Using a small drill clean out any holes in deadeyes and blocks to enable the rigging cord to pass through easily. Tip 4
Applying a small amount of superglue to the end of the cord lets you thread it much more easily through blocks, etc. Tip 5 Always do the shrouds and ratlines on the model. While it might be tempting to make a jig and do them off the model this actually makes the job much harder as trying to then fit them to the model causes more problems than it solves and actually ends up taking more time as well as ending up with a second rate job. Put the shroud lines in place first and then take a piece of stiff card and draw a grid on it and trim it to fit between the mast and deadeyes. This makes it easy to keep the ratlines even and results in a much neater job. Tip 6
Applying some PVA to the finished rigging removes the "hairiness" from the cord and also helps to stabilize it. Rub the PVA into the cord with your fingers and then wipe it of with a cloth.
Painting & Finishing Tips
Natural Finish:
For a natural finish we recommend brushing on a clear matt varnish. This may be found in almost any DIY shop. The most suitable one is a thin interior acrylic. This should be done before any rigging is applied.
Colouring:
If you wish to add colour to your model we suggest the following:
- Bottom of hull - grey/white
- Hull lines - red
- Decorations - gold
- Inside of bulwarks - bright red
- Masts - natural or white
- Gun barrels, Chains, Anchor - bronze
Preparation:
Before any painting or varnishing you should clean the surface thoroughly and wipe with turpentine or white spirits. Then wipe with a "tack" or "after sand" cloth to remove any dust. Use a good artists brush to apply the finish. Many an otherwise good model has been ruined by an over heavy application of paint or varnish so take care to apply any finish sparingly.
