An Introduction to the Art of Homemade Wooden Model Ships
Homemade wooden model ships go far beyond your traditional model built from a factory packaged kit. These models are painstakingly crafted from raw materials and take an extensive amount of time and effort to design and build. They are more labor intensive and require more supplies and tools. Many people sell their completed ships to collectors who are often willing to pay a tidy sum for a high quality model ship of this type. Others enjoy the pursuit as a hobby and display their ships around their home or give them as gifts.
Before beginning any sort of homemade ship project, education and research is in order. The Internet is an amazing resource with lots of helpful information you can review. There are websites devoted to this craft, online groups, specialty hobby supply shops and more that can assist you. There are also quite a few books that have been published on the subject of wooden model shipbuilding. Planking Techniques for Model Ship Builders by Donald Dressel is on such title. Or, check out Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern by Milton Roth. Both of these books contain plenty of in-depth information about wood models.
Then, you’ll need some plans. You can find the plans in books like those mentioned above, or sometimes purchase and download them from the Internet. There are all kinds of wooden ships that can be built, including sailing vessels, pirate ships, Viking ships, historic ships and many more. Some model ships crafted from wood will require paint or stain, while others can be left natural. When it comes to your tools, basic woodworking tools will be needed. Because you will be working on a small scale, small tools are in order.
Homemade wooden model ships are difficult to build, especially for beginners. However, skills can be learned and this hobby can be extremely rewarding and even profitable as previously mentioned. If building model ships is your life’s passion, sell your work at craft shows or via the Internet. Ebay is a great place to buy and sell models and model making supplies. Or, check out some specialty online retailers if Ebay doesn’t suit your needs. At the least, you’ll end up with a model ship that you’re extremely proud of to display in your home or office.
