Model Shipbuilding

Basics of Ship Modeling: Tools for Model Ship Building

Essential tools for model ship building

Basics of Ship Modeling: Tweezers Useful To A Model Ship Builder

Tweezers useful to a model ship builder.

Types of Ship Model Kits

Types of Ship Model Kits

Creating a Solid Hull Ship Model

Building a Solid Hull Ship Model

Building a Bread and Butter Solid Hull

Building a Bread-and-Butter Solid Hull Ship Model

Scratch Building a Plank on Bulkhead Ship Model

Building a Plank-on-Bulkhead Ship Model

Kit Building: The Midwest Chesapeake Flattie

Building Midwest’s Chesapeake Bay Flattie kit

Kit Building: The Dumas US Coast Guard 41′ Utility Boat

Dumas USCG 41 Utility Boat

Model Shipbuilding Videos

6 comments

  1. Hello! Thanks for your wonderful website – what a great resource. I am looking to get into model building with my friend, who has a background in shipbuilding (trained at a wooden boat school in New England). Neither of us have model experience, though we’d like to build models from real plans that we’d eventually like to build full size some day. What do you think is the best place to start learning how to build models, beginning with existing plans for a full size craft?

    We have considered starting with a half hull, and have purchase Davis’s Ship Models: How to Build Them as a jumping off point, but would love to hear about any other relevant resources!

    • Thanks for the feedback! Davis is the perfect place to start for the scratch builder. To work in the building skills you will need, you may want to try a basic kit first. Although Midwest Products Success Series kits are out of production, they are often listed on the auction sites, and are an awesome starting point. The wood parts are very accurately cut and the directions are the best I’ve seen. Model Shipways kits are still in the market, and also have great laser-cut parts and fantastic directions.

  2. Great site doing research on fishing schooners want to build a replica of a 1750 one. Just learned that the boards where put on with tree nails. But the frame prints you show will help in making the frame.
    Thanks for posting the info
    Borden

  3. What a GREAT and helpful site!!! – thank you. This is the “:mother load” for my research on the Lumber Schooner Wawona which I want to model some day.

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