Ship Models from the Age of Sail: Building and Enhancing Commercial Kits

1: The Fun of Ship Models

‘Would all the boys and girls aged 8 years old please come up to the front of the stage and get your present from Santa!’ was the beginning of my interest in sailing ship models. In the late 1960s our family went to the annual Christmas pageant held by my father’s labour union where hundreds of families gathered for a day of holiday cheer with magicians and sing-alongs accompanied with plenty of sugary drinks, candy and high sodium snacks. That year all the boys my age received a plastic model of the Sovereign of the Seas by the Aurora Plastics Corporation (Figure 1). I was mesmerized by the box top painting, and to my sugar addled mind it captured all the majesty and grace of King Charles I’s most decorated vessel. I was fascinated by the instruction sheet’s potted history and the strange words that was said to be inscribed on both sides of her rudder:

’Qui mare, qui fluctus, ventos, navesque, gubernat, Sospitet Hanc arcen, Carole magne tuam.’

It turns out these words were Latin and translated to ‘May He whom sea, land and tides obey, and the winds that blow the ships, Guard this, great Charles, thy man-of-war with sustenance Divine…’ and the history ended with, ‘…she was never defeated in battle although she saw a great deal of action. Then, in 1696 an overturned candle caused her to go up in flames, an ignominious end to a glorious ship.’

What were these sailing ships that on the one hand epitomized power and strength, but on the other hand were so fragile? From that day on I was hooked and scoured the local library shelves for books about sailing ships and the famous naval exploits of their crews both real and fictional.

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Aurora’s 1967 Sovereign of the Seas plastic kit began my fascination with sailing ships. That spark must still be burning strong to make me purchase the kit again over 50 years later at an over-inflated collector’s price.

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Plastic sailing ship models come in many different scales. Pictured are Airfix’s 1/180 HMS Victory and in 1/130 the clipper Cutty Sark. From Heller is the magnificent 1/75 scale galley La Reale de France and the 1/200 La Belle Poule made famous for bringing home to France Napoleon’s ashes from Saint Helena, and the 1/200 scale model of King Louis XV’s 116-gun Royal Louis. The 1/350 Chinese Junk is from Imai and Rod Langton’s 1/300 scale 32-gun Amazon class frigate Juno is cast in resin for use in naval wargaming or display. Sailing ships of all types and nationalities can be found as plastic and card kits ready for assembly.

The Sovereign of Seas model occupied a place of honour on our fireplace mantle. For years afterwards my parents and doting relatives gifted several plastic sailing ship kits. Soon Airfix’s Victory, Cutty Sark, and Endeavour joined the fireplace mantle fleet. Pride of place – my Mum’s sideboard – was reserved for Revell’s 1/96 scale Thermopylae built with a full set of billowing vacformed plastic sails and rigged with sewing thread. Plastic kits hit their zenith with Heller’s large and detailed offerings of Le Soleil Royal, Victory, Pamir, Passat and my favourite, the galley Reale de France. Building these kits taught me the basic anatomy of sailing ships, introduced basic nautical vocabulary, and taught the practical aspects of rigging in which every line had a definite purpose (Figure 2).

At some point in the late 1980s I came to the realization that models of sailing ships should be made of wood just like the real thing. I started to subscribe to Model Shipwright and Ships in Scale, magazines that provided in-depth articles on how models were built from plans or how to modify a wooden kit to be more accurate. Being a university student with very limited means meant that a small kit was the best option for me. All of the wood, plans, fittings and instructions would be conveniently contained in one box. The local model shop carried several kits from the Danish company Billings and the Spanish makers Artesania Latina and Dikar. I purchased the Dikar kit of the Canadian fishing schooner Bluenose given its modest price and the box top claim it contained easy to follow instructions.

Quite a shock awaited me upon opening the box. Bundles of wood strips labelled as ‘tanganyika’, ‘sapele’ and ‘mazonia’ – what the heck is that? Several walnut dowels, some die-cut plywood hull formers, and a couple of bundles of string. Only the bag of white metal fittings was something that resembled the plastic models I was used to. Instructions were multilingual in something resembling English (though I imagine the Spanish instructions were perfect) and a set of 1:1 scale drawings to show how the wood was to be cut, shaped and worked to get the model together. Despite my best attempt the model was a disaster. I didn’t really know how to bend wood or shape a plank to fit the curved shape of a hull properly. The exotic woods defied bending, especially the mazonia that snapped before it bent. Moreover, the model was clearly designed to be a decorative item that instructed you to polish the brass fittings, gild any carvings in gold paint, and to varnish all of the natural woodwork despite the fact that Bluenose was painted black with a red lead bottom. In total frustration the model was thrown away and the cast metal parts and a few fittings remain in my scrap box over 30 years later (Figure 3).

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All that remains of my first attempt at a wooden model ship, Dikar’s 1/88 scale kit of the Canadian fishing schooner Bluenose, are a few untouched cast metal fittings and now rusted wire. I abandoned the model over 30 years ago because I neither had the skills nor knowledge to successfully complete the model.

Several years passed before I took another look at wooden ships again when I turned to scratch-building scenic waterline models after being inspired by the no nonsense approach of the famed miniaturist Donald McNarry. He built magnificent models using little more than scraps of wood and items scavenged around the house (Figure 4). In the past decade, I have had a second look at kits because a revolution was taking place in wooden ship kit design. Talented designers who were model makers themselves began creating kits that took advantage of computer aided design (CAD) and 3D modelling to ensure more accurate and realistic models. The wooden parts were now precisely cut with a laser, chemical milling or ‘photoetching’ created delicate fittings and fully round CNC carved parts such as figureheads and bas relief decoration that just a few years earlier were unheard of in wooden ship kits. Recently, new highs have been achieved with fully shaped hull planks, assembly jigs and aids to ensure all of the thousands of parts that comprises a sailing ship are constructed accurately. The gap between what a model kit and a scratch-builder can produce is shrinking rapidly. The kit builder is only limited by what ships are kitted, while the scratch- builder is free to build whatever ship is desired.

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A miniature (1/192) scenic model of the French schooner La Jacinthe built to the drawings by Jean Boudriot. The model was constructed using the methods described in Donald McNarry’s Ship Models in Miniature (background). The hull and ship’s boat were carved from scrap pieces of wood and the deck planking was cut from a piece of holly salvaged from a cabinet making shop. The sails are typing paper and the rigging painted copper wire stripped from old loudspeaker cables. The seascape was the most expensive item being a textured plastic sheet designed to resemble water. A few N scale figures taken from my model railway layout (that never seems to get finished) populate the deck and were painted to resemble French matelots.

Does this mean that wooden ship kits can be easily assembled like a plastic kit? Does this mean that traditional woodworking skills aren’t required? The answer is a definite no! Despite extensive prefabrication these models still require you to learn how wood – a natural material – behaves. It’s not a matter of sticking part #32 to part #33: you still have to learn how to bend, taper and bevel a plank so it lies properly on a curved surface. The parts are not assembled but fitted. Beyond the hull there is the matter of rigging and sails and it is not good enough to string a line between two points and call it done. At the very least the correct scale weight of line must be used and when the rigging is completed, anyone should be able to a pick out a line and understand its purpose by tracing its run. Sail making is yet another skill to master. In addition to learning how to stitch and sew, there is the additional challenge of making sails that look like sails and not over-scale baggy pieces of cloth hung on a yardarm.

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Most solid hull kits available today are manufactured in the United States and provide the hull as a roughly shaped block of wood. The pilot boat Phantom by Model Shipways is a popular introductory model (bottom left). The hull of the Bounty (top) is from the now defunct Model Ship Company whose kits are readily found from online retailers and auction sites. In some kits the block covers the hull to the level of the main deck. In contrast, as shown on the two hulls pictured, the hull including the bulwarks are pre-carved as part of the block. John McKay’s ‘Anatomy of the Ship’ book on the Bounty will provide a lot of information to fully detail the model.

Building a sailing ship model is a satisfying experience. Understanding how a real ship is built and the materials used in its construction is key to creating a realistic model that breathes life. The purpose of this book is to help you gain this experience whether you are building one of the latest kits, a second-hand one found at a jumble sale, or thinking about scratch-building. There are a multitude of ways a model can be built, and understanding some basic kit designs and the techniques to get the best from them will ensure that the model gets finished – and proudly displayed on your Mum’s sideboard!

THE SOLID HULL MODEL

The solid hull model is the oldest way to make a model ship. In its simplest form the hull is carved from a block of wood. With the help of templates that give the shape of the hull at points along its length (called station lines) the hull is shaped using gouges and rasps. The wood can be a single block, or the hull can be carved from two blocks that are joined together after carving. Another variation is that the block of wood is made up of several horizontal slices of wood (called lifts) that represents the horizontal cross sections of the ship’s hull (called waterlines). Each lift is cut to shape and glued on top each other (known as the bread and butter method) and the edges are smoothed down to produce the hull. Virtually all solid hull kits provide a roughly shaped block of wood to be worked down to the final hull shape (Figure 5).

Carving wood and making the chips fly is a deeply satisfying activity as something beautiful slowly emerges from a formless block of wood. Solid hull models are typically full hull models and the interior of a ship cannot be shown unless the block of wood is hollowed out. Solid hull models are usually painted and do not require any hull planking, making them easier to build. However, a solid hull can be planked over with your own wood stock if the hull has a varnished natural wood finish (called bright finished). If you go this route it is important to adjust your templates so that the carved hull’s dimensions are slightly smaller to accommodate the thickness of the planks. Solid hull models are perfectly suited for miniature and waterline model ships because there is no need to find or glue up large blocks of wood. How to build a solid hull model is shown in Chapter 4 with the brig USS Perry from the American company Bluejacket Shipcrafters of Maine.

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False keel and bulkheads characteristic of plank-on-bulkhead kits. Pictured are laser-cut parts from Vanguard Models 1/64 scale Speedy kit. Scratch-builders using this method will use plans obtained from a museum to trace out the ship’s profile to create a false keel with the bulkheads traced from the ‘body plan’.

PLANK-ON-BULKHEAD

Plank-on-bulkhead construction is the most common method found in kits and extensively used by scratch-builders as well. This method creates a skeleton of the hull that is planked over with strips of wood to sheath the framework like a skin. The backbone of the ship is called the false keel that represents the side profile of the ship that is slotted to take the bulkheads that form the ribs of the ship. The bulkheads are vertical cross sections that correspond to the shape of the ship at specific points along its length. A typical false keel and bulkhead system is shown in Figure 6.

There are many variations of this design. For example, if we look at the false keel, this part may incorporate the ship’s stem, keel, and rudder post as one unit. Alternatively, the stem, keel and rudder post can be added as separate parts after the hull is planked, and each variation has implications for how the hull framework is planked over. The number of bulkheads also varies across kits with some providing relatively few widely spaced bulkheads whilst others provide several that are set closely together. Some designs only provide closely spaced bulkheads in strategic areas like the bow and stern to provide support for planks that have to go around extreme curves. A careful examination of the spacing and hull curves often suggests areas where filling the space between bulkheads with scrap wood is a wise precaution to support the planking. This is important because how the hull framework is planked also differs between kits. Some are ‘single planked’, meaning that only one layer of planks is applied to the framework, whereas others are ‘double planked’ in which the hull framework is planked twice – the first time with a softer wood, such as lime or basswood with the aim of getting the hull shape established in all three dimensions. None of this first layer of planking will be visible because it is covered by the second layer of planking that now has a firm base to adhere to. Unlike a double planked hull, a single planked model has to be done perfectly (or painted over) because there are no second chances – everything will show.

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The stern timbers of the bomb vessel Le Salamandre to 1/48 scale. The framing is based on the drawings by Jean Boudriot and Hubert Berti. Each of the frame timbers was cut from pear wood planks that had been seasoned for a year. A band saw fitted with a fine blade roughly cut out each of the ship’s timbers with the final shape worked in using a bench mounted power disc and spindle sanders, and finished with fine cut needle files powered by a lot of elbow grease. All the proper scarf joins were used and mistakes were plenty. In some cases it took three or four attempts to get the shapes correct. I started this model over 20 years ago and it remains unfinished.

It is possible to turn a single planked hull into a double planked one by using the kit-supplied wood for the first layer and planking over that with your own wood stock. This will incur extra expense, and the finished hull will be oversized by the thickness of the second layer multiplied by two. You can reduce the thickness of the first planking by the thickness of the second, but that will mean finding a thickness sander or buying all new wood for the first planking.

Alternatively, the dimensions of the bulkheads themselves can be reduced but that’s risky because it is very easy to inadvertently change the shape of the bulkhead. The variations of plank-on-bulkhead design and the techniques to tackle them are demonstrated with the build of the single planked clipper Cutty Sark (Chapter 5); the double planked with separate stem, keel, and rudder post design of the brig Speedy (Chapter 6); and the double planked integrated stem, keel and rudder post model of the 74-gun Vanguard (Chapter 7).

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CAF Models has produced an impressive kit of the 28-gun frigate Enterprize (1774) in 1/48 scale. Every timber is laser- or CNC-cut and features laser etched markings to guide the bevelling of the frames after assembly. Pictured are just a few of the frame parts (futtocks and floors) and drawings. The kit is produced in North American cherry wood and weighed in at over 10 kgs.

FRAMED MODELS

Framed models are the epitome of the model ship art. It is a form of model that seeks to represent if not reproduce exactly the way actual ships were built. A keel is laid, typically composed of many parts, followed by erecting the stem and rudder posts whose parts are all properly joined together with the correct scarphs or scarfs (eg, plain scarfs, hook scarfs, lock scarfs, etc). The ship’s ribs are exact representations of a ship’s frame, again made up of specific pieces of wood called futtocks, floors, and top timbers (Figure 7). The frames are built to reflect the national differences, such as French or English practice in how the futtocks are cut, shaped and scarfed together. All of the planking applied to the inside (ceiling planks) and outside the hull are made to scale lengths and widths and fixed to the frames using the correct shift of the butts to ensure that the plank ends between rows are properly staggered. Each plank is fastened with miniature pegs or bolts called trennels. The same attention to detail is applied to all aspects of the model, from the laying of decks to all the fittings, masting, and rigging. No detail is too small to reproduce in miniature.

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Harold Hahn’s stylized method of building ship’s frames and building jig. Pictured are the frame blanks and jig for the schooner Le Chaleur. The Hahn method is described in his book Ships of the American Revolution and their Models.

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The frame and keel under construction for the 16-gun brig-sloop Pelican using the Hahn method. Note how the tops of the frames have been extended so that the model lies in a perfect horizontal plane. The model is made from boxwood that has a creamy yellow colour.

Framed models are often built from copies of the actual ship’s draughts purchased from a museum. It is quite a thrill to build your model from the actual plans used to build the actual ship. With the plan in hand, the modeller would have to plot and draw (called lofting) out each frame and then apply the practice of the time to determine how large each futtock should be and what scarf joint to use to put them all together. There are several sets of commercially available plan sets that have done all the lofting for you and serve as the true scale patterns to cut your wood. Framed models permit the interior of the ship to be shown by leaving some or all of the planking off. Just like a dockyard administrator, supplies of wood would have to be procured and models in frame must use tight grained hardwoods such as box, pear, holly, and cherry. The models are built in purpose-made jigs that resemble a dockyard slipway to erect each part onto the keel. Thanks to 3D modelling and CAD design, fully detailed framed model kits cut from fine hardwoods are now available (Figure 8).

There are other types of framed model that show all of the ship’s frames but in a more stylized and modeller-friendly way. One popular method is called the ‘Hahn Method’ after Mr Harold Hahn who developed the technique. Instead of piecing together each frame from individual futtocks and floor timbers, each frame is cut out of a generic ‘frame blank’ (Figure 9). The frame blank is made up of lengths of wood that are pieced together to approximate the shape of the frames. The joins between the lengths of wood do not correspond to the location of scarfs found on a real ship, but are an approximation to show the viewer that the frames are made up of several pieces of wood. Although the keel, stem, and rudder post are assembled together from individual parts, these parts incorporate several smaller constituent pieces that normally would have been shaped and pieced together individually. A second innovation is that the tops of the frames are extended so that the hull, when placed upside down on a flat surface is perfectly horizontal. In this way, the ability to mark the waterline, gunports, and decks is simplified because the flat surface serves as a consistent datum to take all measurements along the length of the hull. A third innovation is that the hull frames are fitted into a jig that holds the frames in the correct position and spacing, and that the jig has a hole cut out of its bottom to allow access into the interior. Hahn developed a large range of plans for British, French, and American ships from the American War of Independence. Each plan set provides the frame blank patterns and jig (Figure 10). Although the frames are simplified the finished product is impressive.

NAVY BOARD OR ADMIRALTY FRAMING

Navy Board framing is the most stylized of all frames and was developed by model makers in Britain working to official Admiralty or Navy Board commissions. Such models were not designed to accurately show how a ship was built per se, but to illustrate the shape and volume of the hulls being built or proposed for the Navy. These models were essentially display pieces and the style of framing was more of an art form, evolving into a model making convention that makes use of ‘single foothooks’ [or ‘futtocks’] for the frames. A real ship’s frame is typically made of two layers of wood. The joins between the futtocks making up each slice are staggered so the joins do not overlap. The single foothook design leaves a few futtocks out on one of the slices, and where they are left out is carefully planned so that the gaps correspond to the sweep of the hull lines (Figure 11). An Admiralty style model is beautiful but, in reality, it is a model of a period model.

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Admiralty style framing on a 1/60 model of the Royal William being scratch-built by Mr Katsuji Tsuchiya. (Photo courtesy of Mr Katsuji Tsuchiya)

This short sampling of the different types of sailing ship models illustrates the wide variety of models that can be built. There are, of course, models that incorporate constructional and design elements from across the spectrum that is only limited by the ingenuity of the designer or the whim, skills, inclination, and resources of the builder. Beautiful model ships can be built from kits that have incorporated all of the latest innovations or from the meanest and most humble materials found around the house. All one really needs is a good set of plans to work from, a knowledge of how real ships were built, a few basic tools, some wood, and – most of all – the right attitude.

2: Resources

Research, Kits, Semi-kits, Timbering Sets and More

It is tempting to head out and buy a ship model kit after seeing an exciting new advertisement or review. It looks on paper to be just what you are looking for – the subject appeals, the construction appears straightforward, and the price is right. After that first flush of excitement and exchange of money, you have a closer look and more often than not experience a little buyer’s remorse. The model may not get started or, as I have learned the hard way, started and then discarded or put away. A little research can save you a lot of heartache and this chapter is to point you to key references on how ships were built and some classic model making treatises to help you along the way. We will also have a look at some kits, semi-kits, and timbering sets to suit your skill and inclination. In this way, you will be well armed to spend your money and time not only wisely, but in a way to get the most enjoyment and satisfaction out of model shipbuilding.

THE RESEARCH PATHWAY

When picking a ship to model, there is a sequence of unconscious considerations that influences the ultimate decision. The first step is the type of ship. Did you want to build a ship of the line, a dashing little brig, maybe a gunboat or an exotic xebec? Were you were taken by Henry VIII’s Mary Rose after a visit to Portsmouth or an elegant tea clipper? A little pilot boat perhaps, a lugger like Le Coureur or a rotund collier like Captain Cook’s Endeavour in which Australia, New Zealand and much of the south Pacific was first charted. After a few candidates are selected, it is time to consider the nationality of the ships on the short list. Nationality is important because shipbuilding practices differ between countries. Part of the reason why is that a country’s resources place limits on what and how a ship is made in order to get the best use of timber and cordage supplies. For example, the size and shape of futtocks differ between France and England in part due to the availability of large pieces of oak for frames. English construction made extensive use of wood offcuts, used to make angled chocks to help fasten the shorter pieces of wood together that are much less common in France (Figure 12). If you were considering a fully framed model, these constructional differences are centrally important. Such national differences are quite visible even on the fully planked hull. For example, take the main wale – a thick plank of wood fastened to the side of the ship to provide longitudinal stiffness to the hull. English practice was to plank the wale out of angled pieces of wood whereas the French used straight planks (Figure 13).

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Differences in French and English frame construction are highlighted when comparing Jean Boudriot’s The Seventy Four Gun Ship and Peter Goodwin’s The Construction and Fitting of the English Man of War 1650-1850.

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English and French differences in how the main wale is planked are shown in Goodwin’s The