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10 Compass360
This mo nth’sh ob by -related news ro un d- up
12 Ahands -onHumbr ol review
Th elates tp ro du ct stried & te sted by mo de ll er Nick Brow n
16 Material matter s, Part 1
Co li nB is ho pb eg in sa co mp re he nsiveg uide to mo de l boat bu il di ng ma te rial s(wi th a li ttle he lp from fe llow co ntri bu to r
As hl ey Ne ed ha m)
26 Save moneywit ha subscription
Checkout ourlates tdeals andget your favouritemagazinefor less
28 MTB74
Da ve Wo ol ey ex pl ai ns ho wh e co nver te dI ta le ri ’s 1:35 sc al ek it in to as tr ik ing ra di o- co nt ro ll ed tri um ph
38 Wattsun:t he solar- poweredmodel tug
Ro be rt Ye owells ha re sa brig ht id ea
42 ‘Anglia’ appeal
Ha vi ng pu tm uc hT LC in to th e re stor atio no fa no ld ho sp it al sh ip mo de lo fu nk no wn or ig in ,A la nPoo le is no wl oo ki ng fo ra ns we rs
46 Flot sam&Jet sam: Makerspace
Sh h! Jo hn Pa rker is ab ou ttorep or t ba ck on ac ut ti ng -e dg en ew initia ti ve at hi sloc al li brar y
50 Manannan pr opulsion Mk 2
RoyChe er sd oc um en ts th ew hysa nd wh erefores of an ex pe ri me ntal de sign fo rs te erab le reve rsin gn oz zl es
59 Boiler Room
RichardSim pson co ntin ue shis acco un to fthe reason stha tl ed to a mid- bu il dc ha ng eo fm in d 12
6 4 Memory Lane
Dave Wigg in smakes aforay in to vin ta ge an dcolle ctab le ma ri ne stea m
66 Your Models
Mo re charmi ng bu il ds sh owca se d
68 Your Letter s
Op en fo ru mfor allmat te rs mo de lb oa t re la te d
74 Next mont h…
Ju st th re eo fthe reason syou wo n’t wa nt to mi ss th eJan ua ry 2025 is su eo f Mod el Boat s
The re’s no doub ta llow ingyou rsel fto be presen ti nthe mo me nt is ag oo d an dh ea lthy mi nd se t. That ’s ea sier sa id than do ne,thou gh,w he nyou wo rk in pu blis hi ng an da re pu ttingtog ethe r an is su etha t’scover da te dD ecem be r ye tg oe so nsal ei nNovem be rb efore Oc to be riseve nove r! It ’s asitua tion fu rthe rcom plic ated by th efac ttha t, de pe nd ingo nw he re youlivei nthe wo rld, so me of youw illreceive th eJanua ry 2025 (o nsal efro mD ecem be r20, 2024)a head of th eholidays, whil eo th er smay no t. So,Is hou ld probably than kthose of you livi ng anyw he re th emag ta ke sa li ttle lo ng er to reac hfor allyou rsup po rt over th ecou rseof2024now,a nd ta ke this as my op po rtunit ytow is hyou aver yHap py NewYea r. Eq ua lly, thou gh,for thoseof youtha tbuy at news stan drathe rtha n su bscrib e, it ’s wo rthrei te ra ti ng that De c 20,2024, on sa le da te fo rthe Ja n2025 is su esotha tyou do n’tforge ttopic ku p your co py du ri ng what fo rmanyislikelyto be afai rlyc haotic we ek.
Trus tm e, youwon’t wa nt to miss it,a s th en ex tissue is alread ys ha pi ng up to be area lc ra cker
Fo ras ta rt,the re will be afre epla na nd bu ildg uide fo rMS Oldenburg.A lthoug h th epas se ng er fe rr ythism od el is ba se d on wa so rigi na llybuilt in Ge rmany, sh e nowser ve sa stra ns po rtatio ntoa nd from Lu nd yIslan d(in th eB ristol Chan ne l), havi ng re placed th ePolar Bear in 1986 I’ve neve rb ee ntoL un dy (s till on my bu cket list), bu tIc an re me mb er as a smallc hild livi ng in No rthD evon stan di ng on th eb ea ch staringout to seaa tthe mysterious is la nd visi bl e(if it wa sa cl ea r day) on th ehorizon.
We’lla lsob eb ri ng ingyou anothe r exci ti ng an dexc lu sive prized raw, ap ho tole drepor tfro mthisyea r’sB la ck pool
Mo de lS how, an dafasci na ti ng,a nd beau ti fu llyillus trated,a rtic le on sq ua rerigg er sa iling. Id on’t know abou tyou,but I’ve of te nwon de re dhow th esem od el s aresaile dw ithou tthe aidofam otor/ prop elle r. Allw illb erevea le d!
Icou ld go on an do n, as th ere’sso mu ch to look fo rwardto, bu trig ht he re, righ tnow,we’ve go ta grea tlin eu pof co nten tfor youo nthe pa ge sa head,so enjoyyou rrea d!
Li nd sey
Compass360
If you have anews story for these pages,please contact the Editor,Lindsey Amrani, via e-mail ateditor@modelboats.co.uk
RNLI Christmas shopping
RN Christmasshop
Onceagain, as well as having a great selectionofChristmas cards and gift wrap, thereare some terrificstocking fillersavailable to order online at theRNLI shop (https://shop.rnli org/) this year.Below arejust afew of the goodies you can purchase from the comfort of yourown armchair without having to brave the busy high street…
lifesavers
lifesa
2025? Then why not mark the dates on this handy,slimline, RNLI Lifeboats in Action calendar, priced at £7.
£8.
OcCre’smighty Missouri ssouri
A1:200 scale kit for the USS Missouri has been added OcCre’shigh spec range. The kit comprises 6,096 individual pieces (although glues and paints arenot supplied and must be purchased separately),accompanied by plans, acomprehensiveinstruction manual, and step-by-step video tutorials. Aimed at the ‘Advanced’ modeller,carrying an RRP of £674.00, the approximatebuild timeof 1,400 hours promises toresult in an extremelydetailed reproduction of this famous World WarII battleship, measuring 1355 in length.
The USS Missouri BB-63, knownas ‘Mighty Mo’,was the last battleship commissioned by the US Navy Construction began in 1941, and
she was launched in 1944 duringthe most critical period of World War II. The Missouri playeda key role in several Pacific battles, including Iwo Jima and Okinawa, before, on September 2, 1945,she served to host Japan’sofficial surrender, marking the end of the conflict. She was also active duringthe Korean War, providing support with her powerful 16-inch guns. Although decommissioned in 1955, she was modernisedinthe 1980saspart of theNavy’sstrategy to reactivate its large battleships. Duringthis period, the USS Missouri was deployedin the Persian Gulf War, showcasing her combat capabilitiesdecades after her original launch. Finally,in1992,she
was retired from active service. She is currently located in PearlHarbor, Hawaii, whereshe is preserved as amuseum ship.
Send love and save lives: check out the great selection of cards and wrapping paper that can be ordered online from https://shop.rnli.org/.
Agreat gift to give or receive: the RNLI Lifeboat Station biscuit tin, filled with yummy mini chocolate chip cookies, priced at £8.
Whoever said socks are boring! Check out these perfect pondside Port and Starboard men’s socks, priced at £4 apair
Fun for all the family: learn how to tie over 20 different knots and test yourself against the clock with this RNLI Knots Game, priced at £13.
Enjoy some piece and quiet with this 1,000-piece House of Puzzles Rescue Jigsaw,priced at £16.
Who’sdoing the washing up? Learn while you earn (some brownie points) with this International Flag Code TeaTowel, priced at £7.50.
Already making plans for
Don’t forget the dog! Why not treat him/her to this ideal for winter walks RNLI Reflective Dog Bandana, priced at
OUTAND ABOUT OUTA BUYTHE BOOK HE
GAFFER–Impressions from a FFER–Impre ions
Loch Fyne Skif f ch Sk
Now openand running through until February 2, 2025, at the Scottish Maritime Museum, The Linthouse, Harbour Road, Ayrshire KA12 8BT,isthe
*GAFFERExhibition: ACentury of Maritime Heritage Through Art. This exhibition, presented by the Law family,features aunique multimedia celebration of the centenary of Kirsty,one of thelast surviving Loch Fyne skiffs. Kirsty,built in 1921 and preservedfor over 25 years by the Law family,isbeshowcased through acaptivating blend of art forms.
*‘GAFFER’ comes from ‘old gaffers’, the traditionalterm for boats with agaffsailing rig like Kirsty’s Highlights of the exhibitioninclude an opportunity to discover the rich maritime heritage of Scotland’sWestCoast, explorethe artistry of traditional boatbuilding,experiencethe intersection of art and maritime history,and uncoverthe stories hidden in Kirsty’s timbers.
The museum is open from 10am to5pm daily (although closed on Dec 25/26 and Jan1/2, 2025), with admission chargeat£9for adults(with concessions).For furtherdetails,visithttps://www scottishmaritimemuseum.org/irvine-museum/
WHAT ASCOOP! HumbrolPrize Draw winner
del , we fered you
In the October issue of Model Boats,we offeredyou the chance to win abumper selectionofHumbrol products valued at amassive £250. We arenow delighted to announce the lucky winner as: Deryk JacksonofBishopsteignton, Devon. Congratulations, Deryk!
BritishNaval GunMountings
In his latest book, naval architect IanBuxton documents the larger British naval gun mountings from 1890 through to the 1950s. Although these existed in many variants, there wereonly about 40 basic mountings, from 4.5in to 18in calibre, fitted to themajority ofthe Royal Navy’s larger ships. The massively engineered ‘nontransferable’ mountings, whose complexities and associated magazinestook up ahuge volume of the ship could weigh over 1000 tons, take two yearstobuild and make up aquarter of the cost of abattleship. Foreach,well-illustrated official handbooks with colouredplateswereproduced, and about 50 of these highly detailed drawings arereproduced at large scale. In addition, the authorprovides an expert accountofthe design, construction and installation of such mountings, supported by arange of internal and close-up photographs, as well as comprehensive tables listing their individual characteristics.
Published in hardback format under ISBN 97813 9905 9961 and carrying an RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of £45, the website www.pen-and-sword.co.uk is currently offering a20% introductory discount, reducing the cover price of this book down to £36.
Battle of theAtlantic(1):The U-Boat Campaign against Britain, 1939-41
This new titlefromnaval historian Mark Stille is the first in what will be a series of illustrated books exploring the longest and best-known naval campaign of WorldWar II. Volume 1focuses on the struggle between Allied naval and airforces and the German U-boats during the first 15 months of thewar,withthe story further broughttolife by maps, diagrams, photographs and battle sceneartwork.
Publishedinpaperback format under ISBN 9781472861368, thebook hasbeen allocated an RRP of £16.99but can currently be ordered at the discounted introductory price of £15.29 when purchaseddirectly from www.ospreypublishing co.uk,where electronically downloadable versions arealso offered.
Image courtesy of Mhairi Law
WHAT’S NEW? AT’S NE
Nick Brown reviews the latest introductions to the range
I’m surethat most modellers based in the UK will have grown up using Humbrol paints and glues. In fact, Ieven tend to reference the Humbrol paint numbering system when talking to fellow modellers, as Iknow the majority of them, like me, aresofamiliar with the brand and its products that it’sthese numbers that immediately call specific colours to mind!
Humbrol has, traditionally,been most renowned for its enamel-based paint range, so closely associated with the iconic Airfix kits. Over the past decade, however,ithas expanded into the acrylic (waterbased) market too, withspray rattle cans and morerecently the Gen 2acrylic droppers. It has also reformulated its enamel range to
The review samples kindly provided by George Waller of Humbrol’sDevelopment Office.
Nick made atest board to try out the three types of new formula enamel paint. He found these pleasant to workwith andwas particularly impressed by how they dried to their respective finishes (Matt, Gloss or Metallic) in under an hour
bring it in line with new regulations. So, when Iwas sent someofthe newly formulated paints, along with avariety of the other interesting new products now available, for the purpose of this review,Iwas very excited to give them awhirl…
Test card trials
Idecided to first try theenamels on a test pieceofplastic card to see how they behaved straight fromthe tinlet. These included thefollowing:
■ *Gloss 5- Admiralty DarkGrey
■ *Gloss 10- Service Brown
■ *Gloss 14 Blue
■ *Gloss 19 Red
■ *Gloss 22 White
■ *Matt 30 Dark Green
■ *Matt 33 Black
■ *Matt 34 White
■ *Matt 61 Flesh
■ *Matt 94 Brown-yellow
used to create the base layers ready for weathering.
“All of the enamels driedtrueto their respectivefnishes (Gloss, Metallic, and Matt) andwere touch dr yinunder an hour of initial application,ver y impressivefor enamel paint”
■ *Matt 103 Cream
■ *Matt 110 Wood
■ *Metallic 12 Copper
■ *Metallic 16 Gold
■ *Metallic 54 Brass
■ *Metallic 201Black Metallic
When Iopenedthe first tinlet(Gloss 5Admiralty Dark Grey) Iwas hit by an aroma that immediately transported me right back to my childhood. Obviously,Idon’tendorse sniffing the fumes from anypaint but, oh,that initial whiffwas so very reminiscent! In the pastsome severeshaking and stirring to mixthe contents of a
tinlet was always necessary,soIwas pleasantly surprisedtofind that afew stirs of the new formulawith my trusty paint stirrer was allthat was required. Ithen testopened all the tinlets kindlysupplied by Humbrol, and save for the ‘Metallics’, found them allabreeze to mix.The Metallics aredifferent in that the pigments do
The new additions to Humbrol’sproduct range: rust and oil washes, and ‘Aging Powders’ Pack 1.
The Aging Powders are pigments applied in adry format; the excellent range of rust pigments make it possible to represent very realistic dark to light variations/stages of corrosion.
TheDuplex TID Tug, an old kit but afair representation of vac-formand plasticard construction. Humbrol’sacrylic spray cans were
Appling the rust wash coat: this is enamel-based and canbe wiped off with thinners if you fail to achieve the desired‘look’
Theeffect after wiping off without using thinners: the product sits in the joints and gaps highlighting possible detail.
The light-coloured rust aging pigment being applied with the stippling brush.
The rust aging pigment sitting on thebulwarks of the model; this requires ‘working in’ with the stippling brush to embed it on the paint finish.
The effect after stippling into the paint work;this can be built up in layers and can easily be removed with water Make sure, therefore, if working on an R/C boat or any kind of model you’ll be putting on the water,that you seal it in with avarnish.
requirethe sameold-styletreatment to re-agitate the paint
Iapplied each individual colour to my plastic card test pieces without first using aprimer.Straight fromthe tinlet, the paint went on smoothly Amazingly, despite being applied with one of the standardpaint brushes supplied, therewereno streak marks whatsoever.And while, yes, as you would expect, some of thelighter colours required asecond coat, surprisingly,the densityofpigment in Gloss 22 and Matt 34 (both white) meantasingle coat was all it took. All of the enamels dried true totheir respective finishes (Gloss, Metallic, andMatt)and weretouch dry in under an hour of initial application, very impressive for enamelpaint.
Weathering work
Naturally,however,Ialso wanted to see how the products performed on a test model, and Ihad plentytochoose fromwithin my stash of kits(don’t judge me!). Isettledona Duplex kit of the TID tug, which I’d made astart on afew years ago but had never quite got aroundtofinishing. It’s a small compact model built to 1:48 scalewhich, seeing as it represents ahard-working boat from theWorld WarIIera, has plenty of potentialto be made morecredible withaspot of ‘weathering’.
Ibegan with the acrylics, spraying the whole hull and superstructurewith Primer Grey,whichservedas a close enoughcolour for the upperworks. Ithen masked offthe upper hull and sprayed the Matt 33 Blackonto the lower hull to represent the antifouling and waterline. The paint was applied in light coats, required very little reapplication and gavevery satisfactory coverage.
I’d already decided Iwould trythe new ‘Aging Powders’ to represent surface rust, but first Iwantedto experimentwith the enamel washes (Rust and Oil Stain). These areoilbased, so can be thinned with the Humbrol thinners if desired. Istarted at thebow section, liberally brushing the wash around the areaswhere, on the real vessel, grimeand rustwould
“Tebest thing about working with these washesisthat if you’re not happy with what you’ve achieved, youcan simply apply some thinners to acloth, wipe things of and startagain.Tis is very reassuring, as it puts youin complete control”
have built up over time. The bestthing about working with thesewashes is that if you’renot happy with what you’ve achieved, you can simply apply some thinners to acloth, wipe things offand start again. Thisisvery reassuring, as it puts you in complete control.
Idecided to let the rustwashtodry completely on the first run-through, beforethen applying the ‘Aging Powders’ on top. If you haven’t used weathering type powders before, you may findthere’sa bit of trial and error involved in achieving the desiredlook. Having dipped into the pot with astippling brush (which in my case also came courtesy of Humbrol), you then drop the collected powder onto the area you want to age and usethe brushto stipple until thepowder attaches to the paintwork. Youcan build up layers and apply other pigments on top too, thereby creating anaturallooking combination of old and more recentlyformed rust. To achieve this, Iapplied the darkest rustcolour first and finished with the lightest.
It should, however,bepointedout that if workingonany kind of model
intended to be put on the water, you’ll need to seal the powders with a spray coat of varnish, otherwise they’ll simply wash off.
On my second attempt Iapplied apowder coat to atouch dry wash to see what theresult wouldbe; this gave adamp effect compared to applying to adry surface.
The thirdapplication was directly to apaintedhullfinish, which gave a moreminimalised rust effect, better representingthe threetypes of rust that would commonly be seen on a well-used hull.
Another of the agingpowders included in thepack was the suitably named‘Smoke’, which Istippled around the funnel top to represent the dirty streak effects of burnt coal. Ialso stippled the final powder,just named‘Black’, inside the funnel to portray acoal dust/smoke build up, and this nicely hidesanything inside the tube.
Sold!
Iwould like to thank George Waller, Humbrol’sDevelopment Engineer,for supplying thetestsamples of paint, washes and new ‘Aging Powders’ for this review.Iwill definitely be purchasing the second‘Aging Powder’ pack andreplenishing my existing stock of Humbrol’s old enamels with thenewly formulated ones. In my opinion, they areexcellent to work with,and Ilook forwardto seeing what the futureholds in terms of product development from this much-loved brand. ●
The effects of various layers and types of rust aging powder on the hull (damp, dry and built-up pigment layers); the darker pigment represents the oldest rust, while the lighter is reminiscent of fresh surface corrosion.
The Light Rust Aging Powder can also be used to highlight details around fittings and features on deck to give a well-worn look.
The ‘Smoke’ and ‘Black’ Aging Powders worked well to represent coal dust and soot around the tug’sfunnel.
PART 1
MATERIAL MATTERS
ColinBishop looksatmodel boatbuilding materials and their uses (with alittle help from Ashley Needham)
Once upon atime, working model boats wereconstructed withtraditional materials, mostly wood with abit of brass and string as needed, and maybe alead keel and cotton sails for ayacht
Simple methods of building were commonly used, featuringcarving from asolid block of wood or the ‘breadand butter’method whereby the hull is assembled from shaped planks, both methods being very wasteful of timber,withthe bulk of it ending up as sawdust,shavings or firelighters.Amoresophisticated method for moreskilled modellers was plank on frame, whichisstillin wide use today,reflecting full-size practice. The ‘skeleton’ ofthe model wouldbeconstructed from hardwood orplywood to form thekeel and the hull framing, and this would be planked over with, probably,obechi or balsa.This method was moreefficient
and economical and formedthe basis of many of the kits marketedfromthe 1950s onwards, but basically it was still all about using wood.
Plank on frame hasanexcellent full-size pedigree, in that it hasbeen the basis of constructingships for centuries, including the‘wooden walls’ of Nelson’snavy.The downside was that it deforestedlarge parts of Britain’soak woods.
Model makers areunlikely to make the same impact on the environment, but today things arealot different for us, with multiple options for constructing our models. Itcan, therefore, sometimes be difficult to decide on the best way forward. This article is intended to brieflydescribe the options for the average modeller and point out the pros and cons of various materials and methods. It’s very much my own takeonthings and others may legitimately come to
different conclusions, but Ihope it provides some food for thought when it comes to your own particular projects.
Newmaterials
The wood-based modelling methods described above continued wellinto the 20thcentury but innovations in full-size construction following World WarIIwerethe basis of corresponding options for modellers, particularly with plywood andglass reinforced plastic (GRP). Since those early days, things have changedenormously, with models being constructed of GRP, various forms of plastic, styrene, ABS, etc,and even moreexotic materials such as carbon fibreand Kevlar, although we will be leaving the latter two materials to the power boating and yachting experts.
The three main components of scale type modelboats arethe hull, superstructureand fittings. Some
Acomplex scale model, such as Colin’sFishery Cruiser Brenda, incorporates many of the materials described in this article.
materials aresuitable for all three, but fittings often requireadditional options and have aseparatesection here. Thereisalso the need for running gearand electronicsfor working models, but these are beyond the scope of this article. In thefollowing sections we will look at the main constructional materials and their uses.
Wood
Wood remainsamainstay of boat modelling and, despite themanmade alternatives for many applications, it still offersanunbeatable mix of variety and versatility
Balsa
The original modelling sheet and strip material has proved popular with aircraft modellers for decades, and rightly so due to its light weight and strength. It is equally suitable for boat modellers. It comes in soft, medium and hardgrades and sheetsare typically 3-inches (75mm)or4-inches (100mm) wide and usually 36-inches (915mm) or 48-inches (1220mm)long. Sheets arecommonly used for skinning hard chine or flat hulls, or for cuttinginto planks forplank on frame hulls. Thicker sheets can be used to build up the lower partsofhulls on the ‘bread and butter’orcarved block principle. Smaller models can
use it for framing. Balsa strip comes in awide variety of standardand specialisedprofiles.
It is afavourite material usedby long time contributor GlynnGuest for his many successful models. There’snot much you can’tdowith balsa, as it lends itself to both hull and superstructureconstruction alike. Indeed, it’sperfectly feasible to construct an entiresmall model from it. It does need to be properly sealed beforepainting though, and
Bread and butter construction, as illustrated in a1949 book on boat modelling.
Plank on frame construction being demonstrated at the Warwick International Model Boat Show
Aplank on frame model under construction by the late master modeller Brian King.
Composite construction entails acombination of ‘bread and butter’ for the bottom sheet amidships and ‘plank on frame’ plus balsa blocks for the bow and stern on Colin’sEdwardian liner model.
Wood sheet, strip and plywood are mainstays of so many model boats.
hulls can benefit from being sheathed in lightweight glass clothand resin to improve impact strengthand watertightness.
“Tere’snot much youcan’t do withbalsa,asitlends itselfto both hull and superstructure construction alike”
Balsa has become moreexpensive in recent years as it is used for the interior cores of wind turbine blades and the Chinesehave bought up much of the global market
Obeche
Obeche is another very popular wood for modelling in sheetand strip form. Like balsa, it is technically ahardwood but is stronger and thus moresuitable for larger models, otherwise its applicationsare similar to those of balsa whereweight may notbeso much of an issue.
Lime/Basswood
Known as Lime in the UK and Basswood in the USA, this actually comes from the Linden tree. It is moreexpensive than balsa or Obeche but very close grained,
easily worked and takes an excellent finish. It is also one of thebetter woods for producing carvings. It’s ideal for planking hulls as well. Lime/ Basswood is available in both sheet and strip form, the latter being particularly good for stringers and spray rails, etc.
Mahogany
Available in sheetand stripform, Mahogany tendstohave arather open grain at model making sizes so is not so suitable for smaller models. Its rich, attractive colour when varnished makes it popular for planking decks
SLEC’sFairey Swordsman kit designed by the late Dave Milbourn is avery successful example of the use of laser cut Lite Ply for lightweight accurate hull construction.
Matchsticks are another way of building model boats –ifyou have the patience!
Aplug for aRoyal Navy World War1 monitor M15, built by former Editor Paul Freshney
The two-part mould for HMS M15.
The hull of M15 extracted from the mould showing plating detail.
Paul’scompleted award winning M15 model.
and decorative trim,particularly on pleasurelaunches and the like.
“Mahogany tends to havearather open grain at modelmaking sizes so is not so suitable for smaller models”
Spruce
Spruce is flexible and obtainable in very thin thicknesses in sheet form down to 0.8mm. Iused it torepresent the deckplanking on my Greek fishing boat build published in the July 2024 issue.
Dowel
This is another ‘old faithful’, although is perhaps used less than it used tobe, with brass and aluminium tube now being favoured for mast construction. Dowel has the advantage that it can be tapered, with abit of effort,where needed. Often, however,a viable alternative is to buy one of those cheap, long-handled artist’s brushes that come with ataper,which can simply be painted –anoption that works for alot of models.
The wood varieties above are the ones in most common use. Thereare many morewhichcan be used but areless applicable to model boat builders, suchasBeech, Walnut Apple, Pear,Cherry, etc, plus of course thereare various veneers intended for marquetry and decoration that have specialist uses. Thereare also two wooden sheet only materials which arewidely used in model boat construction:
Plywood
Usually birch ply,this comes in a range of thicknesses from 12mm to 0.4mm and is the material of choice for many model makers.Thereare other varieties, butthisisthe best allrounder,being waterproof andreadily available in many sizes. It is verystrong and tough.Itisbesttobuy from a specialistmodel suppliersuch as SLEC, as the constructional ply found in DIY stores is often of inferiorquality, with voids. Full-size boat building suppliers such as Robbins can also supply high quality marine plywood, but the birch ply from retailers such as SLEC is more than adequate for modelling purposes. The 0.4mm sizeismyfavourite for facingsuperstructure on abalsa base as an alternativetoplasticard,asitisa lovely material to work with,albeit not cheap. Birch ply is flexible in either the
horizontal or vertical direction and respondstosteaming around tight curves. It is not, however,soeffective in accommodatingcompound curves on ahull, whereplankon frame or block carvingisusually the better solution.
“Tis is something of a‘ marmite’material”
Lite Ply
Lite Ply is ahalfwayhouse between balsa and Birchply,with external facings sandwiching asofter core. This is something of a‘marmite’ material and considered to be neither one nor the other by some modellers as it lacks the strength of birch ply and is rather soft, fragile and not waterproof, but it can be very useful in particular applications. If used as an external boat surface it needs to be properly sealed and hardened, ideally with a sheathing of thin glass cloth and resin or at the veryleast asanding sealer. It does lend itself to lasercutting, as exemplified by the SLEC Fairey Power Boat kits.
It’sw orth mentioning two ot her wood derived materials, card and paper,a st hey can of ten be useful .C ardc omes in ar ange of thi cknesses and if sealed is excellent for facing superstructures. Prio rt o the avai lability of plasticardw ho le model sw eres ometimes built from it. Glynn Guest frequently uses it in his popular designs, with do pe as as ealant to strengthen and
waterproof it. Marcle Models and other suppliers market whole static kits out of printed card, which are incredibly detailed, re alistic and attractively priced. Iuse thin cardand paper on my models, which areoften small scale. While deck planking can be representedbydrawing lines on plywood, this never really looks right as the grain patternscan still be seen under the varnish. But if you print the planking onto ivory coloured paper or thin cardthen this can be stuck and bonded to the deck with transparent varnish for avery neat effect. At near miniaturescales, such as 1:150, (model railway NGauge), features such as doors and windows can be printed out, stuck on with double sided tape and lacquered over Anow neglected material is gummed paper strip, traditionally used as parcel tape, which has some useful qualities. In fact, whole hulls used to be made from it, and they wereboth tough and lightweight. Ihave often usedittorepresent plating on thehulls of my models, applying it using Deluxe Materials’ EzeKoteto‘wet’ the adhesive. It shrinks very slightly as it dries, giving avery smooth surface for afinishing coat prior to painting, such as more EzeKote, epoxy finishing resin or traditional shellac, all of which sand very easily
GlassReinforcedPlastic GRP,commonly referred to as fibreglass, was introduced into boat modelling as alogical progression
Application of glass cloth to the SLEC Fairey Huntsman kit to toughen the hull. Aerokote, finishing resin or Deluxe Materials Eze Kote can all be used.
of its almost universal use in full-size leisurecraft from the1960s onwards In many respects this is the ideal material for hulls, being incredibly tough, waterproof and needing little surfacepreparation for painting. It is, however,less suitable for superstructures due toits weight and
difficulty in reproducingsome forms of fine detail.
GRP waseagerly embraced by kit manufacturers as, once amould had been made, they could run off as many copies as they wantedand therewas no need to include hull construction components in their
products. The hulls werepopular with builders too, not just for their strength but also therewas now no need to construct the hull themselves, thus cutting down on building time. Plus, alot of boat modellers dislike hull construction although enjoy making the above deck features of their models. This preference has been exploited ever since by manufacturers just providing GRP
Plasticard sheet and strip can be used to build up complex sub-components, such as this funnel for Colin’s Edwardian liner
Ademonstration model of alifeboat with aPerspex superstructure.
Plastic strip extrusions come in many profiles from different manufacturers, as does styrene sheet in different colours and embossed finishes.
