Building a Ship Model Made of Wood (Part I): Choice of the Modeling Kit

The writing of this post is motivated to help new modelers. Building a ship model made of wood is what you will know, so we are going to introduce you on ship modeling. Of course, you can also clarify some concepts to modelers already initiated or provide other ideas that were still unknown. These two actions will be developed thanks to the fifty years of life and experience of the most important company in the world in naval modeling. Artesania Latina, present since 1970.

A built scale ship model represents the effort and perseverance of a modeler to achieve the final result. It will take you many hours, you will encounter conflicting emotions, being positive when successes or negatives when some part of the assembly presents greater difficulties.

In this sense, the best modeling tool that you can use is not made of metal or plastic or wood. It will be the dedication that the modeler gives to the modeler, the passion and perseverance you put. Here we will show you how to build step-by-step a ship miniature. What tools to choose, how to organize and adapt a workshop, what ship modeling kit to choose. Everything so that in the end you spend more hours showing the final product created, this is, the ship model you have built, than assembling it.

Building a ship model made of wood should be shared with the family, involving their partners in the project, whether women or men. It also can be used for encouraging children to help in any aspect of this wonderful hobby. The modeler can thus keep alive the art of assembling ship models for another generation.

CHOICE OF THE RIGHT WOODEN SHIP MODEL

The first thing that a future modeler must face – or one already with knowledge in naval modeling – is the choice of the ship model that you will built. How to choose the ideal kit and modeling tools for each of us? It is essential that you like a lot the ship scale model you choose, the decision must be based on your mood and the pleasure that you think it will report once the model is finished.

Of course, you should also ask yourself these questions. How much money do you want to spend? What experience do you have in naval modeling? Which workshop do you have or do you want to create? What types of ship attract you? How much time can you spend on your modeling workshop to assemble the miniature?

The modeler looks for a challenge, but not a huge frustration, so it is recommended that the beginner thinks about the simplest for your first assembly. We do not recommend very complicated scale models for those who intend to start on this hobby. Finally they will not finish building them, as can be the one in the image below, for advanced modelers.

CATALOG OF WOODEN SHIP MODELS FOR BEGINNERS

Therefore, we recommend simple, small and attractive ship models for beginners: a boat with a single deck, one or two masts and a rigging as simple as possible. Examples can be our model ships such as the Viking (19001-N), Swift (22110-N), Providence (19018), Elcano lifeboat (19019), Provençale (19017), the lifeboat of the Titanic (19016), the boat of the captain of the HMS Bounty (19004), the french doris Saint Malo (19010), the scallop fishing boat Bon Retour (19007) or captain’s boat of Santisima Trinidad (19014), among many other miniatures.

You can consult the complete catalog of naval scale models for beginner modelers here. For intermediate scale models, the following in terms of required skills, here.

As for the cost, no ship model for beginners should not cost more than € 100.00. Thus, Artesania Latina has the best offer in the market regarding to the quality / price ratio, with initiation models starting at € 59.99, a more than reasonable price, for example, for the scale model of the Captain’s Boat of HMS Endeavour (19005).

BUILDING A SHIP MODEL MADE OF WOOD: QUALITY OF COMPONENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS

What should you look for, then, in a naval modeling kit? Logically, you may not even be a scholar in the matter, but you don´t need it to choose a good one. Just check the quality of its contents once you have the box in your hands and that all the kit parts from the parts list are there.

If any part is missing, such as the Artesania Latina kits have a two-year warranty. Our warehouse will be immediately replenished once the purchase ticket has been submitted without any extra cost or shipping. Our parts are high quality, made of birch or lime wood, of stainless steel photo-etched and of die-cast.

The next thing to pay attention to when you are purchasing a naval modeling kit is to check how the plans and instructions are. The plans include all the drawings you need to assemble the naval model and the numerical correspondence so you can read the texts. On this aspect, the degree of precision and quality of these ones will mark the joy or impotence of the novice modeler.

The instructions explain the plans drawing, they are the textual clarifications or icons and keys of those drawings. They are numbered in relation to those plans. You can also find model ships that have an illustrated and clarifier step-by-step. On Artesania Latina web you can free download the plans and the instructions on each product file are the attached files, in case you want to check how they are.

BUILDING A SHIP MODEL MADE OF WOOD: WHAT KIND OF HULL TO CHOOSE

Speaking of the different hull types of the ship models, you will find three different. Firstly, the one piece solids – they don´t need to be built, the beginner does not acquire experience in the assembly of the hull-. Secondly, those that have a structure of frames to assemble and we must put the wooden strips on that structure from a pre-cut laser board – most of those manufactured by Artesania Latina, the one that provides the most knowledge and the most real-. Finally, those that, on the structure, are placed large parts to build the hull.

Read the second part of the post…