GUIDE FOR THE BEGINNER WOOD MODEL SHIPWRIGHT

By Al Bisasky

PART I: Tooling Up

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Somewhere in the world, there’s a guy who built a kit of the HMS Victory using only a Swiss Army knife, a few sheets of sandpaper and a tube of Crazy Glue. I’m not that guy and as a beginner to model shipbuilding, you probably aren’t either. If you are not yet “tooled up” to build your first wood ship kit, you’ve undoubtedly asked yourself the question, “What do I really need to get started?” The answer is of paramount importance if you are on a budget or simply do not want to spend a large bundle of cash until you have determined if this hobby is the one for you.
 
The beginner’s mind is often boggled by all of the gadgets and goodies available in the various hobby shops, catalogs, suppliers’ Internet websites and/or eBay. Add to this the sometimes contradictory information that you will find in the various how-to books and other sources and things get even more muddled. When I decided to take up model shipbuilding again after a hiatus of many years, I found myself almost right back at the neophyte level, facing the same situation that you, the beginner, faces now.
 
I have a workbench full of tools; both general purpose (pliers, X-Acto knives, drills, etc.) and tools that are used specifically for model shipbuilding. Some of tools that I have purchased specifically for model shipbuilding work very well, others work only fair, and still others are useless as far as I’m concerned. Much of what I have written here is my opinion, based upon what has and has not worked for me. I pull no punches as far as criticism of those tools that I have purchased and tried only to find out that they are a waste of money.
 
We’ll start out with a list of the very basic tools that I consider indispensable for your basic tool kit and follow with a look at other tools that will make building easier. However, keep in mind that each time you add a new tool to your inventory; you will have to spend some time learning the skills it takes to use the tool effectively and efficiently. This is especially true of power tools such as a Dremel or Proxxon multi-purpose motor tool, lathe, power saws and sanders, et al. A tool, any tool, is only as good as the craftsman who is using it. 
 
The Good Book:
 
Much of what I have learned (and I’m still learning) about model shipbuilding has come from building a couple of solid wood hull Marine Models kits back in the 70’s and railroad modeling on and off over the years. I began building wood ship models again about a year ago. I have managed to collect a small library of books on the subject. Some are good, while others aren’t worth the paper that they’re printed on. The three books that I have found to be invaluable are Ship Modeling Simplified by Frank Mastini, Period Ship Model Kit Builder’s Manual by Keith Julier, and Rigging Period Ship Models by Lennarth Petersson. I consider these books to be tools just like a hobby knife, a saw or a hammer.
 
These books will fill in much of information that you will need that you will not find in the kit building manuals. Mastini’s book is very good, but I have found some his techniques a bit difficult to follow. Julier’s book has a more laid back style and his techniques are a bit easier to digest. Which one would I recommend over the other? Buy both, study the way each author performs a particular task and then go with what works best for you.
 
Economics:
 
Among my many interests and great talents (of which model shipbuilding and writing are not two), I’m an Amateur Radio operator. They say that, “Hams spare no expense at being cheap.” Anyone that spends several hundreds of dollars for a little wooden boat kit (or thousands for Ham radio gear) can be called any number of things, but cheap usually ain’t one of ‘em. I love to make and spend money as much as the next guy. But, I try to get the most “bang for my buck” as well. In this article, I have tried to stress being economical, especially if you are just starting out. This doesn’t mean that you should cheat on quality, however. If you need a tool, buy the best quality one that you can. There is no substitute for a good, well made tool.
 
Before you buy anything, do your research and shop around. Surf the ‘Net, visit your local hobby stores, compare who has what for how much. Watch your hidden costs: shipping and handling from on-line vendors and credit card interest as opposed to sales tax if you buy locally. With the current prices for fuel, if you have to drive more than a gallon there and a gallon back to get to a hobby shop, you might come out better letting UPS pay for the gas. Learn to play let’s-make-a-deal with your local hobby shop owner. I’m not too proud to walk into a local store and say, “Hey there, Mr. Hobby Shop Owner Guy, here’s my shopping list worth a couple-few hundred Yankee greenbacks. Now I can get this stuff cheaper over the Internet from Sam Da Scam’s Model Shipbuilding and On-Line Gourmet Delicatessen, but I like to do business locally. Now, since I’m gonna be spending an Indiana bankroll now and more later, what kinda deal are ya’ willin’ to cut me, sport?” The worst that can happen is that the owner throws you out of his store.
 
Bottom line: shop around.
 
The Basic Tool Kit:
 
Note: I am going to assume that you have NO tools on hand and that you are starting out from square one to put together your first shipbuilding toolbox. If you have any or all of these tools, you’re that far ahead of the game and can channel some of your budget to the purchase of what we’ll refer to as intermediate tools.

The paragraphs below will have more detailed information on some of the tools on this list:
 
1 - Hobby knife and assortment of blades
2 - Saw and miter
3 - Needle nose pliers
4 - Tweezers
5 - Wire Cutters
6 - Small awl
7 - Pin vise or other drill bit holder and assorted drills
8 - Files
9 - Sandpaper and sanding block
10 - Adhesives (wood glue, ACC and epoxy)
11 - Clamps
12 - Nailing tool and nails
13 - Plank bending tool (if your model is a plank-on-bulkhead or plank-on-frame type construction)
14 - Metal ruler with inches and millimeters
15 - Small hobby hammer
16 - Dividers
17 - Square
18 - Cutting mat
19 - Vise
20 - Paints, stains & brushes
21 - Container to hold planks for soaking
 
You can save a bit of money by purchasing one of the ship modeling tool kits available from X-Acto or Excel as opposed to buying individual tools. Both of these manufacturers make various basic and “deluxe” tool kits. Some are simply basic hobby knife sets while others are geared more towards a specific type of modeling with the inclusion of certain tools. The prices of these kits vary from about $20 up to $50, depending on what’s in the box and where you buy it. Don’t get stuck on the idea that you have to have the tool kit specifically for model shipbuilding. For example, X-Acto offers a kit for model railroaders that, for a few dollars more, include some very handy extras quite usable for model shipwrights. A good source for a tool kit like this is the Internet and they are usually readily available (and cheap!), new-in-the-box from hobby supply overstock dealers.
 
Use good quality sandpaper in grit sizes of 100, 150, 220, 320 and 400. Fingernail emery boards are cheap and great for small sanding jobs. Sanding tools made by Perma-Grit are very good and worth the money. Very fine grit sanding pads are good for the final rub down of the hull and deck planking, masts, and spars.
 
Purchase a good set of hobby files that include flat, round, half-round, square and triangular. A set will usually include a handle to hold the files.
 
As far as adhesives go, you’ll need carpenter’s wood glue, ACC (cyanoacrylic) and 5 minute epoxy. After trying several wood glues, I’ve found that Elmer’s Probond works the best for me. It has a gel base and does not run like some of the others that I’ve tried. It’s also a bit thinner than the others and spreads easily. For ACC, I use Jet gap-filling that sets in 20 – 30 seconds. Jet is the only ACC (cyanoacrylic) that I have found that doesn’t clog up in the applicator tip.
 
The types and sizes of clamps that you’ll need are difficult to quantify. I use everything from metal C-clamps to clothes pins. I’m forever perusing the clamps in hobby shops, catalogs, and the local Home Depot. If a clamp looks like it will work for a particular situation, I’ll buy one or two, try them out and if they work well, go back and buy a few more. Clamps that I do not recommend are the hull planking clamps from Model Expo. They are a bummer to assemble, difficult to tighten up unless you add lock washers and just don’t want to hold fast. I don’t recommend their “Fair-A-Frame” either.  It doesn’t work worth a darn and you really don’t need it for squaring up bulkheads to keels. You can build your own keel holder from a section of board and a couple of strips of basswood
 
Along with clamps, I have a box full of odd sized scrap basswood strips and blocks. You can purchase them by-the-bag from various sources. I use this stuff to make shims for clamping, amongst other things. While I’m on the subject of scrap wood, save every piece that you have left over after cutting. At some point in time, you’ll need just that short little piece of whatever size to finish a job.
 
Contrary to what you might think; have read about or heard from others, planking a hull is not a Black Art. It isn’t even a craft nor does it require a lot of skill. It is a repetitive process. Once you have learned the process as it fits your abilities, you can plank the hell out of any wood ship model. Every model shipwright has his/her own little twist on planking: different tools, different adhesives, different ways to hold the planks until the glue sets up, etc. It is beyond the scope of this article to go into how I do it and why I do it that way. So, for planking I personally recommend the Amati Plank-Planker (nipper) and an Amati Nail-Nailer or other push type nailer. I have two: the Amati Nail-Nailer and one that is of heavier duty and made to nail model railroad track, but I find to be very useful for nailing hull planks to bulkheads until the glue sets up. The latter also has an adjustable depth gauge so that you can limit the distance that the nail goes into the plank and bulkhead.
 
For measuring a one-foot long, high quality metal ruler marked in inches and millimeters will do nicely. Draftsman’s dividers are a useful and inexpensive tool. Many modelers and authors recommend proportional dividers. However, good quality proportional dividers are expensive and you can probably get along without them. Check out the Mastini and Julier books and see how they do it.
 
A hobby sized carpenter’s square is an absolute must for aligning bulkheads and squaring corners of deck furniture, masts, etc. I have three because they come in three different sizes for any given situation: too big, too small and just right.
 
A self-healing cutting mat provides a base for cutting and trimming that will not quickly dull knife blades like a hard surface board will. Buy the BIG ONE (11” x 17”); you’ll thank me later. Your metal ruler will give you a pretty serviceable straight edge for cutting and trimming on the mat.
 
At some given point, you will need a vice to hold wood for sanding, cutting, drilling, etc. You don’t need a heavy duty one. I have found that the most versatile vice available is a Pana-Vice. While a bit expensive, it really is a handy gadget that will swivel and tilt to just about any angle. It can also be used to hold the carcass of the ship (keel & attached bulkheads) during planking.
 
A decent set of modeler’s paint brushes will last darned near forever if they are properly cleaned after use. Purchase brushes that are specifically for the type of paint that you decide to use: solvent-based or water-based, acrylic or enamel. Since I use water-based paint almost exclusively, I use synthetic fiber brushes that are optimum for acrylics. Clean up with soap and water and then a good soaking in Polly S airbrush thinner keeps them in good shape. I also have a cheap set of brushes that I use only to apply wood glue. Those I keep in a jar of water to keep the glue from setting. I just pull one out, wipe it off and off I go.
 
For soaking planks prior to bending, I use a cheap plastic wallpaper wetting tray that I purchased at my local Home Depot. As most of the stock basswood that you will find in ship model kits runs about 22” in length, any container that will hold water and allow the entire strip to soak at once will do.
 
This list should suffice in getting you started, but is by no means all inclusive. There are always incidentals that you will inevitably buy to make things easier as you go along. Things like glue, paint, nails, knife blades, et al, should be considered consumables and you will find yourself replacing these items frequently. Hobby knife blades wear out rather quickly and a dull blade is both dangerous and ineffective. While I keep a variety of blades, the two sizes that I most often use are X-Acto #2 and #11. These two sizes I buy in quantity. I used to use a sharpening stone, but nothing cuts as well as a brand-new-right-out-of-the-box-factory-sharp-blade.
 
Intermediate Tools:
 
Okay, so you’ve decided that being a model shipwright is your thing, but you see all of those neat tools that would make things a helluva lot easier and you want to start expanding your inventory. The following are what I would consider to be intermediate tools. These tools are going to be more expensive, but I consider them to be well worth the money. The key is to do your research and look for the best deal.
 
The three tools that I use most in this category are an Amati “Keel Klamper”, Amati Plank Trimmer and an Amati Master Cutter. As a matter of fact, I would consider any tool from Amati to be pretty darned good. The Keel Klamper consists of a 15” aluminum bar with two adjustable clamps that can be slid along the bar and clamp to keels up to ½” wide. The clamps can be turned perpendicular to the slide bar and clamped to two of the ships bulkheads allowing the modeler to turn the hull upside down. The bar has a center pivot assembly with a locking collar and can swivel and tilt the ships carcass to just about any position. The metal base can be screwed down to your workbench or clamped to the edge of the bench with the two supplied clamps. (Hint: Micro-Mark has the best price on the Amati Keel Klamper). This tool is very well constructed and easy to use. While there is a wooden version of a keel clamper available for around $30, I strongly recommend that you spend the extra money and go with the Amati. I’ve used the wooden one and it’s just not up to the task.
 
While I have yet to try it on anything longer than the Willie L. Bennett and HMS Beagle, it should be able to hold a model up to about three feet in length. I would not, however, use it to hold a REALLY BIG ship with the shear bulk of an HMS Victory or Santisima Trinidad. After I bought this thing, I wondered how I got along without it.
 
The Master Cutter (or others like the Northwestern Short Line Chopper) is used to cut angles and/or make repetitive cuts of the same length: deck planks for example. The Amati is adjustable to 45° and is constructed of heavy duty fiberglass reinforced plastic. Rugged and gets the job done. I have seen another lever type cutter called The Precision Miter Cutter that I plan to add to my collection. Similar to the Amati Master Cutter, but with a hardwood base, it has a cut fence that moves through a 90o arc. There is also a saw version of this tool.
 
Last, but not least, is the Amati Plank Trimmer. This is a vice like device with steel stock on the tops of the jaws. You simply measure, clamp the plank in at the required taper angle and run a hobby knife along the plank, shaving it down to the top of the jaws. It beats the heck out of the old ruler held by the fingers routine. If you’re gonna take some flesh off of a finger, this method is sure to do it unless you’re super careful.
 
There are many other tools that fit into the intermediate category that you may decide that you need like a micrometer, jeweler’s anvil, proportional dividers, jeweler’s draw plate for tapering masts and spares, an extra pair of hands, a new set of eyes that don’t require bi-focal lenses and dozens of other lovely little labor saving devices.
 
Advanced Tools:   
 
Advanced tools consist of items with two things in common: they plug into a wall outlet and they are expensive. By that, of course, I mean power tools: the labor savers of model shipbuilding. Or are they really? Power tools are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they can perform tasks that a hand tool just cannot do as well or not at all. On the other hand, they require a lot of practice and patience to learn to use properly. Power tools don’t necessarily make a task faster or easier, but their advantage is that for some work, they will do a better job.
 
The most important thing to consider when purchasing a power tool is to ask yourself if you really need it. How often will you use the particular tool versus the cost of the tool? Is having the tool really worth the money spent? And, most importantly, do you have the skill to use the tool or the patience and ability to learn?   You never really know until you’ve bought the thing and tried it out.
 
If you take a look at Frank Mastini’s book Ship Modeling Simplified, you might get the impression that you have to have a lathe, sander, scroll saw, table saw, etc. If you get into scratch building, you will undoubtedly want and need these power tools. If you intend to build kits only, save your money, hand tools will suffice.
 
The one power tool that I consider the most versatile and worth purchasing is the Dremel motor tool. While there are other manufacturers’ products available, the Dremel is the most common in the USA and has about the best selection of bits and accessories. I recommend the new XLR400. You can purchase this new model in various outfits that include bits and accessories. Get the one that includes a flexible shaft. A good accessory for the Dremel is their bench router attachment. I use one for sanding, shaping, routing, notching, etc.
 
One thought on power tools. While I have considered purchasing a wood lathe for tapering masts and spars from dowel or square wood stock, I think that I do just as well by clamping my variable speed drill to the workbench. Place the end of the dowel into the drills chuck and lock the drill on low speed. Then use a file or emery cloth to rough taper the mast or spar and finish by hand. This method takes some practice.
 
We can also turn to power tools for painting and include an airbrush. In my opinion, you just cannot get the finish with a bristle brush that you can with a good airbrush. With practice, you can even do very fine detail work with an airbrush. The drawback is that an airbrushing set up can be an expensive proposition. A good, double-action airbrush like a Paasche VL or a Badger Crescendo will cost you about $75 to $100 or more, depending on the accessories included. You will need a small compressor that will “shoot” up to at least 30 psi ($100 - $200) to supply the air and a regulator and moisture trap ($40 - $50). Yes, you can buy cans of airbrush propellant if you are not doing an awful lot of painting with the airbrush. If you plan to do a lot of building and airbrushing however, this method is not cost effective over the long haul.
 
In conclusion, please don’t take this advice as the end all and do all for ship modeling tools. There are many tools that I have not mentioned that I use to a greater or lesser extent that I have collected over the years, but have not mentioned herein. Every model shipwright will have his or her own favorite tools, techniques, and tricks. These are the things that just happen to work just fine for me. Always remember that when building your tool inventory, all tools fall into one of three categories:
1 - Ya’ gotta have it!
2 - It would be nice to have, but you can probably get along without it.
3 - Don’t need it, don’t want it, couldn’t afford it if I did.
 
A tool, any tool, is only as effective as the skill of the hands that wield it.
 
Happy modeling!, Al