Some people have a strange, but very remarkable and colorful hobby. It is called assembling ship models from wood. What do you need to make one like this? beautiful thing. Creating a wooden model is not so easy. From this article you will learn how to create one out of wood with your own hands. We will also take a short excursion into history.
Many history buffs know the name of the “Iron Pirate”; his homeland was England. He became the captain of a sailing ship at just 16 years of age. At first he was a ship's priest, and then a simple sailor. But his fame really exploded when he became a brave and very formidable pirate. In the 16th century, he made quite a few voyages and took part in a considerable number of battles.
At the moment of dawn of fate, several sailing ships arrived on his property. His main flagship was the Pelican. This ship was a five-deck, three-masted ship. There were 20 artillery weapons on board. All kinds sea stories It’s quite rare that they tell us that a ship that already has a name can be renamed, but it was with the Pelican that, by the will of fate, such a story happened. In 1578 Francis Drake changed the name of this ship to "Golden Hind" (in Russian this name sounds like "Golden Hind"). It was under this second that it was inscribed in sparkling gold letters in world history seafarers. Francis Drake performed quite a few breathtaking deeds on it, which were later recounted in history and adventure books.
It is such wonderful ships that make many people assemble wooden ship models with their own hands. Drawings of many similar designs can often be found on the Internet. So, inspired by the ancient history of navigation, we will learn from this article information on how to do something similar.
In fact, the history of modeling consists of several stages. Moreover, each of these stages is associated with several characteristics. A lover of miniature shipbuilding must be able to modify available materials. It is also important to expand the choice of modeling objects. Once it has developed enough, then it can have mass production of models. The next stage will be the development of bench exhibition modeling from the kits that he already has. Subsequently, it can develop to the formation of individual segments. It can be anything - from ship models and in flesh to copies of individual motorcycles, trucks, as well as all sorts of other cars.
So, well, let's start creating such a ship. Carving prefabricated wooden ship models is not the easiest task. You will need many tools for this. Among them are: a knife, a chisel, a hammer, a block (and, if necessary, a saw), thin cloth, superglue, a long wooden spike, a rope, a drill. In addition to this, you will need two more very important parameters. Firstly, it is time, and secondly, an important quality of those people who create prefabricated models of ships from wood is patience.
First you have to work with a chisel. You should file everything plus remove the old bolts that have a flat head. It won't take you much time - just two minutes. In these two minutes, the pre-processed block will later become a boat. Now you need to clean the block. You should carefully scrape off the bark. Hold the block itself directly towards the tool. Let's take standard design as an example for our small ship models that we will build according to the principle below. Take a pencil and sketch a preliminary sketch on a block. After this, process the block with a sharp knife. The tilt of the blade itself should be at an angle of about 10 degrees. When planing, keep in mind that this is not the easiest job, so be patient. You should not forget that if for any reason you make a mistake, it will be quite difficult to correct everything. Remove the chips layer by layer, while you should try and process the original block as smoothly as possible. It is important that the top and bottom must be parallel.
Please note that you don't have to throw away the shavings at all. The point is that, in principle, it can be used as additional material as mulch.
Well, now we need to draw the front, bottom, and also the back. We will cut them out in exactly the same way as above. It is necessary to make these parts even. In order to get the bow of the ship, you will have to saw off a piece from the front. Following this, you should round off the cut using a knife. When you make the nose, try to tilt the knife blade itself back. It should be directed towards the stern.
You should have several spiers. Therefore, drill a number of holes; they should be slightly larger in size than the beams themselves. It is important that there are not too many holes. Otherwise, you may end up with a crack. And because of a crack, as we know, a serious disaster can occur - a leak. Don't use glue! If you do this, then further work will be much more difficult.
First, decide how many panels you want to have on your final ship. Let's take as a condition that we will have four panels for the first mast and the second, and three for the last. Following this, take several wooden spiers and cut them. Cut the fabric into a trapezoid shape. Then start gluing them together. Make notches on the branches of the sails, fasten each branch with a corresponding notch. Then glue the middle of the edges to the sails. Repeat the same for all masts. It is best if you build the rear mast first, then the middle one, and then the bow one.
Now let's start installing the upper flying sail. Cut out a kite shape from fabric. Take the thread and attach it to the opposite corner of the panel. Leave ends on both sides for all corners. Glue small piece threads exactly on top part boat It should be slightly higher than the bow of the boat itself. Measure from the opposite corner to the middle of the lower branch of the sail on the front mast. Then cut off the thread that you measured and glue the tip to the appropriate place.
You should leave a few threads on each side. Pull them back and glue them straight inside the boat. Then you can cut off the excess rope. Create and attach the back panel in the same way. It must be attached to back side rear sail. Measure, cut, and make sure it fits the two tabs. Then glue them in the corners.
Well, now you have learned how to make simple wooden ship models. And although everything is described in this article only in general terms, we hope that it will help you in your future career as a “shipbuilder”. If, of course, you are interested in this. Believe me, this is a worthwhile activity!
In modeling, plywood is the most popular material. This is due to high quality indicators, as well as ease of operation. Plywood sheets are very easy to cut and quite easy to process. Using a suitable diagram (drawing), you can make ships from plywood with your own hands.
Plywood is universal material, which is easy to cut and process different ways, therefore, it is recommended to begin your acquaintance with modeling with plywood patterns.
Designing a ship yourself is quite an interesting activity. But in order to start performing complex models, you need to practice on easier ones.
To create patterns from stucco on board a ship, you need to prepare your own composition from which you can form reliefs. For the solution, you need to prepare the following tools and materials:
Materials and tools that are used during ship modeling:
Birch plywood will ensure a minimum number of chips when sawing.
The wood for modeling should be soft, not fibrous. The most popular options are cedar, linden, and walnut. All wooden blanks must be perfectly smooth, without knots or damage. It can be used as additional element for creating decorative parts. Wood can also be used to create the main elements of the model, such as the deck and hull.
Plywood is the most popular material in modeling. In areas such as modeling, birch or balsa plywood is most often used. This is due to the fact that these types of wood practically do not chip during sawing. To make a boat from plywood, you need to use sheets with a thickness of 0.8-2 mm.
A simple diagram of a plywood ship model.
Veneer – sheet material, very thin, made from valuable wood. In most cases, veneer is used as facing material. It is used to paste over products that are made from inexpensive material.
Fastening elements will not only perform the main task of holding parts together, but also play a decorative role. To create a model of a boat, you need to prepare thin chains (several sizes can be used), laces, threads, copper or brass nails. In order to transfer a drawing from sheet to plywood, it is best to use tracing paper and a pencil. This will make the drawing more detailed. To fasten the plywood parts together, you must use glue. Fine detailing can be made using metal casting, using polymer clay or make your own solution from wood dust and PVA glue. After complete drying, this mass is very durable and can be painted in the desired color.
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If you are modeling a plywood ship for the first time, it is recommended to purchase kits in which all the parts have already been cut out and processed. But its cost can sometimes be quite high. Therefore, with great desire and effort, experience can be gained in the process of assembling your ship. Modeling, like other types of work, necessarily begins with the preparatory stage. The first thing you need to start with is what kind of ship you will model. To begin with, it is worth looking at various drawings and finished works, this will greatly facilitate the choice of model.
Having studied the drawing in full, it is worth checking the presence of all necessary materials and tools to get the job done. Modeling ships is a piece of jewelry. It requires a lot of time and perseverance.
At the preparatory stage, it is necessary to make paper or cardboard templates of all parts. After that, they are all transferred to plywood. On this preparatory stage work can be considered completed.
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In order to make all the parts and cut them out of a plywood sheet, you must use the appropriate tool. For work you can use manual jigsaw, but, if possible, it is better to use the electric model option. Using the second option will significantly reduce the time for manufacturing all elements. This is especially true for the smallest details.
The sawn blanks are processed with a file, removing chips and burrs.
In order to cut out a part, a hole is made in the plywood into which a jigsaw file is placed. It is necessary to cut out all the details very carefully, while respecting all contour boundaries, since inaccurately cut parts can later spoil appearance the entire ship. Each sawn workpiece must be processed with a file from the ends. During this cleaning process, it is necessary to remove a small part of the chamfer where chips and burrs have formed. When cutting, this moment cannot be avoided.
You need to assemble the ship when all the parts are cut out and the ends are processed. This will allow you to do assembly work without being distracted by cutting out missing parts.
For model making enthusiasts, sheets of pressed and glued wood veneer have always been one of the most sought after materials. They are easy to cut, perfectly processed, drawings of ships made of plywood are easy to find on the Internet, and therefore it is with plywood patterns that many craftsmen begin their acquaintance with modeling various ships.
Making models with your own hands is a very difficult task, requiring a significant amount of knowledge and a certain skill. In this article we will only talk about the most basic techniques, and you will hone further skills yourself. 
If you want to make a small model of a ship, then you will need the following materials:
Note! Sheets of beech veneer of thin thickness are sometimes used as an alternative to birch: although they are inferior in strength, they bend much easier.
In addition, we will definitely need wood glue, cardboard and tracing paper for transferring templates, etc. Fine detailing is made from metal casting. As an alternative to metal, you can use colored polymer clay.
Any work begins with preparation, and modeling will by no means be an exception.
Note! Kits are available for sale that allow you to assemble a ship from finished parts. Beginners will be interested in such kits (although the price of most of them is quite significant), but it is still better to master the technology from the basics.
You can cut blanks using either a manual or an electric jigsaw.
The latter is more expensive, but with it you will have less trouble cutting out small parts:
Advice! Working on one element (deck, sides, keel, etc.), we immediately cut out all the parts necessary for assembly. This way we will spend significantly less time, and the work will move faster.
When everything is ready, we begin assembling our ship.
Note! The body can be covered with a continuous sheet for painting. But to imitate plank cladding, it is better to use strips up to 10 mm wide (depending on the scale).
By and large, this is where carpentry ends and art begins.
When the body is assembled and dried, we need:
Finally, all plywood parts must be treated with stain and varnished. This will provide our souvenir with at least a couple of decades of preservation.
Almost anyone can make a simple plywood boat with their own hands - just patience and minimal skills in working with a jigsaw (read also the article). But if you want to implement a complex drawing with many small details, then you will have to work hard. That's why we recommend starting with the simplest models and gradually increasing your skill!
In the video presented in this article you will find Additional information on this topic.
Similar materials
This class of sailing ships dates back to the seventeenth century, with the advent of artillery (cannons) capable of conducting linear combat (simultaneously from all onboard guns from the side line).
In shortened form they are called “battleships”.
Model drawings can be downloaded for free from the website or from other sources.
In May 1715, the Russian 3rd rank cannon battleship Ingermanland (64 guns) was launched from the Admiralty shipyard in St. Petersburg. Peter I himself took part in the development of its drawings. The battleship had impressive dimensions for that time: length - 52 m; width – 14m; hold depth - 6m. Peter's golden standard soared on his mast. This ship was the flagship of the Russian fleet for a long time.
Ship ranks in the sailing fleet:
Frigates were military ships with one or two decks and three masts. They differed from battleships in their smaller size. Their purpose is cruising service, reconnaissance (long-range), a surprise attack on an object with the aim of further capture or destruction. The largest models were called linear frigates. According to statistics, more frigate models are downloaded for free than battleships.
Making ship models is the oldest of man's "technical hobbies": for almost six thousand years people have been immortalizing their ships in miniature. The oldest model found during excavations - a ritual silver boat with oars from a tomb in Mesopotamia - is dated by archaeologists to the beginning of the fourth millennium BC.
Russian professional ship modeling is much younger, but it is already three centuries old. The production of ship models began with the Petrovskaya “model chamber”, in which the “Admiralty” models of all new ships under construction were stored. These were exact, detailed copies of the hull design with the plating partially removed, serving as visual aids for ship carpenters who were poorly versed in drawings.
In fact, Peter I himself was the first serious Russian modeler. At the age of seventeen, having returned from the “Grand Embassy” to Europe, he built such a model of a frigate. By order of Peter, all models were kept as samples for posterity. The collection of our Naval Museum at one time began with the collection of this very “chamber”, located on the site of the current fountain in front of the Admiralty.
Probably, many people, and especially those living in St. Petersburg, with its history and traditions, at least once had the desire to build a model of some sailing ship with their own hands. However, without the necessary skills and tools, this can hardly be done at home, guided by special literature and ship-modeling sites. The technologies described there are often quite complex, require special equipment, materials and almost always already require certain experience, so making a ship is not an easy task. As a result, for someone whose skills are limited to school labor lessons and folding paper boats, the difficulties that arise when work, they are more likely to discourage desire than to create interest. It can be difficult to find recommendations that allow you to create something significant, starting from scratch. But still, if you wish, it is quite possible to build a fairly decent model, having at your disposal the simplest tools available in any house where there is a man with “hands”, and a minimal set of materials. You just need to initially set yourself up for the fact that everything will work out, definitely (!), but almost never right away. That a failed operation, a screwed-up part (it’s good if there’s only one!) is the norm, a necessary acquired experience, and not an emergency. 
Serious professional modelers, whose works, sometimes costing tens of thousands of dollars, take first place at international exhibitions, as a rule, have a rather skeptical attitude towards models made of papier-mâché. This is understandable - paper, even well-glued, will still remain paper. But for someone who is trying his hand at modeling for the first time, this working technique will be the most preferable. It does not require any expensive materials or tools, and as a workplace it allows you to limit yourself simple table with a piece of plywood placed on it and a grill for the bathroom, so as not to create dust in the room. It’s great if you have an electric drill with a tripod that can be mounted on fresh air. But if not, then the conditions described above will allow you to start, and most importantly, finish your first model. All the models presented in these photographs - from a Roman galley to an armored cruiser - were built using this technology and precisely in these conditions. Fifteen years ago, after an injury, suddenly finding himself isolated from environment, I had to remember my childhood hobby and try to turn it into a profession. After reading a fair amount of literature, I realized that none of the techniques given there pure form it does not suit me. As a result of many trials and experiments over the years, a technology has emerged that allows it to work independently of any external circumstances. However, with all the accessibility of the method, it still won’t hurt to acquire something before starting work. The most important thing, of course, is what and how all this will be built. So, what is needed in order to make a ship out of wood with your own hands:1.1
Array- i.e. ordinary wood, necessary primarily for making spars. For mast columns, pine slats of the appropriate section are best suited. Birch is worse: it is more difficult to select even sections from it and more difficult to process. The thinner parts of the masts - topmasts and flagpoles, yards, the rest of the spar are perfectly made from birch kebabs, which can sometimes be bought in various super-hypermarkets. It is worth paying attention to the fact that they come in different thicknesses: 3.5 and 3 and 1.8 mm came across. For the smallest parts, it is good to use wooden toothpicks. Other wooden parts; in theory, and in theory, those made from solid wood are easier and better obtained from 2-3 layers of veneer of the corresponding species glued together by “Moment” in 2-3 layers.
Glue. Optimally - furniture PVA. Proven - Novgorod PVA-M "Akron". If there isn't one, another one will do. The main thing is that the purpose should indicate “for gluing” wood products, and not “for gluing” - this one holds much worse. When buying, ask to try it - glue two pieces of veneer together by squeezing them with a clothespin, wait 30 minutes until it dries and try to tear them apart. If the glue is good, the veneer will tear, but not the glue. In addition, apply a smear to the surface - a matte, but absolutely homogeneous, transparent film without a milky tint should form. Estonian PVA is good, but sometimes it doesn’t stick to our dried one and falls off. Those. Having started working with one, it is better to continue with it. And, of course, the ordinary “Moment” is also irreplaceable. 
Varnishes, paints. Varnish is best suited "Aqua" - i.e. on water based. Dries quickly and does not leave streaks on paper and cardboard. And, which is essential when working in an apartment, there is practically no smell. It makes sense to purchase both colorless and tinted to match dark wood. Paints - after trying several options, I settled on acrylic ones. Of these, the most necessary is gold. Proven - "Inca Gold". Where possible, it may be easier to stick the above-mentioned colored paper. In general, in the traditions of the Russian modeling school, painting models was not very common. Unlike Europe, where they strived for one hundred percent similarity with the original even in shades, in Russia they tried to select valuable types of wood so that their color, although not exactly, approximately, would correspond to the color of the painted original.
Fabric and thread. Any white one is suitable for sails cotton fabric. Naturally, the thinner the thread and the tighter the weave, the better. The main thing is that there is no synthetic admixture, otherwise it will not stick well. The same applies to threads. Pure cotton, however, is now difficult to find, but if the percentage of synthetics is small, then you can try them. For standing rigging you need black threads, for running rigging it is better to use light beige threads. In terms of thickness, all possible numbers are useful: from the maximum - 10 or even 0, if you can find it, to 40 - 50. In the literature, it is sometimes recommended to tint the fabric with a weak solution of tea for authenticity. I tried it and didn’t like it: it may be more reliable, but the pure white sails look much nicer. But if you don’t find the right color for the threads, it’s better to lightly tint them with wood stain.
Wire and foil- preferably copper or brass, but any will do, even from tubes. Small carnations, plasticine, self-adhesive film, etc. - This is not an exhaustive list; new ideas can come to mind at any time during the entire work process.
In addition to the standard set of tools that does not need comment, such as a plane, pliers, wire cutters, a screwdriver, clamps in pairs - larger and smaller, a hammer, a hacksaw, chisels, etc., there are several specific things that are worth mentioning separately .Electric drill. If you have an idea to get down to business seriously, and not limit yourself to one test copy, you should definitely get a drill. It is advisable to choose something more powerful - 500 watts, no less. Very good if with a tripod and adjustable speed. Extremely useful thing- grinding disc. Those. not a sharpening one (that wouldn’t hurt either), but a grinding one - on the surface of which you can attach sandpaper. Saws. A jigsaw is a useful, although not essential, thing. A hacksaw for metal will come in handy more quickly (albeit for working with wood). It’s good to have two blades for it: small and large. Files. Four or five pieces different shapes and it’s worth having notches, but, from my experience, the main and almost irreplaceable ones are flat, small, the largest you can find. It’s also a good idea to have a set of needle files. Knives. I made my most beloved and necessary knife (in the photo) about 25 years ago from fabric for metal. There are no such things on sale. There is no work without it - only it can cut veneer into strips with high quality. It was about five (!) centimeters longer - it was worn down... So, if you make a similar one, then with a margin in length. When choosing a blade for a blade, try to bend it: if it remains bent, it is too soft. If it breaks, it will fit. You can make it out of the debris. Take a longer blade so that it goes almost through the entire handle. The rounding at the end of the handle is also not accidental: it is convenient for them to rub in parts being glued (especially on the “Moment”), and to simply smooth out unevenness. 
Pay attention to the sharpening - it is one-sided, while the right side of the blade is ground off - that is, if you cut it along a ruler, leading like a pencil, then the flat side is pressed against the ruler, and the ground chamfer faces away from the ruler. Blade angle - approximately 30, sharpening - 15-20. From the same cloth it is worth making small thin cutters, like chisels, of different widths: 4, 6, 8, 12 mm - although not immediately, but gradually they will all come in handy somewhere. You can find wood carving kits with semicircular cutters on sale. They, too, sooner or later, will definitely be needed. Awl. Ordinary shoemaking. But you will have to do one more thing yourself - from a long thin nail or from a thick sewing needle (conveniently a machine one) on a long (15-20cm) handle. Well, while we're on the subject, a set of sewing needles different sizes will also be needed. Brushes. It’s worth getting a dozen and a half at once - all sizes: from 2 to 20mm, different hardness for different needs. Sometimes instead of a glue brush when small jobs It is convenient to use a thin wire wound to a stick. 
Scissors. It is worth having at least two, and preferably three pairs: a separate one for fabric, for foil, and for paper, veneer and cardboard. Sanding paper. A minimum of three numbers is required: from the largest for leveling the body blank for veneering to the smallest for sanding for finishing. Well, the average one is for intermediate work. Sharpening stones for cutters - it’s worth getting three of them, including the smallest whetstone for final finishing. 
Little things - necessary, and simply convenient to use: drawing supplies, large tweezers, small pliers with long thin jaws, clothespins, rubber bands "for money", a crochet hook, a table vice, a transparent plexiglass ruler 50 cm long, indelible black and brown markers, wood stain. But you never know what else you can come up with with a creative approach to business! 
And forward. So, having acquired all of the above, or being confident that you will get what you need at the right time, you can, inspired, get started! I won’t advise you where to get the drawings - there is a lot of literature, the Internet is huge and dynamic - sites are born and die. And I myself Lately I wasn’t interested in this direction... In any case, since you got here, you can get to the drawings. Study several projects of different ships, comparing their designs and details. Often details missed in one set are perfectly presented in another - for a similar ship of the same class, and vice versa. Their stories are worth reading too. It’s good when the debut is not the first thing that catches your eye, but the fact that as a result of the selection you like more than everyone else - it will be much more interesting to work. Such a model has a much greater chance of being finished - it would be a pity to leave it unfinished... Well, let's start, of course, with the body. 
Author - Dmitry Kopilov
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