Some people have a strange, but very remarkable and colorful hobby. It is called assembling ship models from wood. What does it take to make such a beautiful thing. It is not so easy to create a model from a tree. From this article you will learn how to create from wood with your own hands. And we will also make a short digression into history.
Francis Drake
Many history buffs know the name "Iron Pirate" England was his homeland. He became the captain of a sailing ship at only the age of 16. At first he was a ship's priest, and then a simple sailor. But his fame really thundered 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.
Golden Doe
At the dawn of fate, several sailing ships arrived at his property. His main flagship was the Pelican. This ship was a five-deck three-masted ship. On board there were 20 artillery weapons. All sorts of maritime stories rarely tell us that a ship that already has a name can be renamed, but it was with the "Pelican" that such a story happened by the will of fate. In 1578, Francis Drake changed the name of this ship to "Golden Hind" (in Russian, this name sounds like "Golden Doe"). It was under this second that it was inscribed in sparkling golden letters in the world history of navigators. Francis Drake did quite a few dizzying deeds on it, which were later told in history and adventure books.
It is such wonderful ships that make many people assemble ship models from wood with their own hands. Drawings of many such structures 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.
Do-it-yourself wooden ship model: from the beginning to rainbow horizons
In fact, the history of modeling consists of several stages. Moreover, each of these stages is associated with several features. A fan of miniature shipbuilding may need to be able to modify the available materials. It is also important to expand the choice of modeling objects. After it develops enough, then it can have mass production of models. The next step will be the development of poster exhibition modeling from those sets that he already has. Subsequently, you can develop to the formation of individual segments. It can be anything - from ship models and in the flesh to copies of individual motorcycles, trucks, as well as all sorts of other cars.
Do-it-yourself wooden ship models: drawings, instructions, tools
So, well, let's start creating such a ship. Carving prefabricated ship models from wood is not an easy task. You will need many tools for this. Among them are: a knife, a chisel, a hammer, a bar (and, if necessary, a saw), a thin cloth, superglue, a long wooden spire, a rope, a drill. In addition, you will need two more very important parameters. Firstly, it is time, and secondly, an important quality of those people who are engaged in creating prefabricated models of ships from wood is patience.
carving of a ship from wood
First you have to work with a chisel. You have to file everything and 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-finished block will later become a boat. Now you need to clear the bar. You should carefully scrape off the bark. Hold the bar itself directly towards the tool. Let's take the standard design as an example for our small ship models, which we will build according to the principle below. Take a pencil and sketch a preliminary sketch on the bar. Following this, process the bar with a sharp knife. The tilt of the blade itself should be at an angle of approximately 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, then it will be quite difficult to correct everything. Remove the chips layer by layer, while you should try and process the original bar as smoothly as possible. It is important that the top and bottom should be parallel.
Please note that you do not have to throw out the chips at all. The fact is that, in principle, it can be used as an additional material as a mulch.
Carving of the front and sides of the ship
Well, now we need to draw the front, bottom, as well as the back. We will cut them out in exactly the same way as above. It is necessary to make these parts even. In order for you to get the bow of the ship, you will have to saw off a piece from the front. Following this, you must round the saw cut with a knife. When you make the nose, try to tilt the knife blade itself back. It should be directed towards the stern.
Drilling holes and subsequent installation of equipment
You should have several spiers. Therefore, drill a number of holes, they should be slightly larger than the beams themselves. It is important that there are not too many holes. Otherwise, you may develop a crack. And because of the crack, as you know, a severe disaster can occur - go to the leak. Do not use glue! If you do this, then further work will be much more difficult.
Setting the sails on the model
Decide, for starters, exactly how many panels you want to get on your final vessel. Let us 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 a few wooden spiers and cut them. Cut the fabric into a trapezoid shape. Then start gluing them. 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 install the upper flying sail. Cut out a kite shape from the fabric. Take the thread and attach it to the opposite corner of the cloth. Leave ends on either side for all corners. Glue a small piece of thread exactly on the top of the boat. It should be slightly higher than the bow of the boat itself. From the opposite corner, measure up to the middle of the lower branch of the sail on the forward mast. Then cut off the very thread that you measured and glue the tip to the appropriate place.
On each side, you should leave a few threads. 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 the back of the rear sail. Measure, cut, and make sure it fits over the two lugs. Then glue them on the corners.
Well, now you have learned how to make the simplest ship models out of wood. And although everything in this article is described only in general terms, we hope that it will help you in your future career as a "shipbuilder". Unless, of course, you are interested in it. Trust me, it's worth it!
Sheets of pressed and glued wood veneer are the main material of all modeling enthusiasts. This material is easy to cut, well processed, and you can find drawings of plywood ships on the Internet, since it is from plywood patterns that many craftsmen begin to get acquainted with this art.
Self-creation of ship models is not the easiest task, but doable. You will need some knowledge and skill. In the article we will talk about the basic methods of work, and if you wish, you will hone your skills on your own.
Necessary materials
If you want to make a small ship model, you will need the following materials:
- Wood - linden, walnut, cedar or other species, preferably non-fibrous and soft. Wood blanks must be smooth, without damage and knots. Wood can be used as a material for the main parts of the model - the deck and hull, as well as for small elements.
- Plywood. This material is the most in demand. For ship modeling, balsa or birch plywood is used, as they are less prone to chipping during sawing. Model ship plywood usually has a thickness of 0.8-2 mm.
- Veneer - thin plates of natural wood of expensive species. As a rule, they are used for veneering, that is, pasting surfaces from inexpensive materials.
- Fasteners - laces, thin chains, brass and copper studs, threads, etc.
You will definitely need wood glue, tracing paper and cardboard to transfer templates. Small parts are made of metal. As an alternative to metal, you can use colored polymer clay.
Each work must begin with preparation, and modeling is no exception. First you need to decide what you are planning to build. If you have not come across ship modeling art before, we recommend that you first find the drawings of a plywood ship on the net: they usually contain the information you need and even a beginner will understand them.
On sale you can find ready-made kits that allow you to assemble a ship from finished parts. Beginners should be interested in such kits, although they are sometimes quite expensive. It is better to master the technology from the very beginning.
Print the drawing and make patterns of the main elements according to it. We transfer the templates to plywood, and then proceed to sawing.
Detail cutting
Blanks can be cut with a manual or electric model jigsaw. The latter is more expensive, but with it you will have less hassle when cutting out small elements:
- We make a starting hole in the plywood sheet and insert a canvas or a jigsaw file into it.
- We cut out the part, moving along the intended contour.
- We process the created workpiece with a file, removing small chamfers along the edges and removing burrs and chips.
When working on one part (sides, deck, keel, etc.), you immediately need to cut out everything you need. So you spend less time and the work will move faster.
When everything is ready, you can start assembling.
Assembly sequence
Work must be done in the following sequence:
- First, we put on transverse frames on the keel (longitudinal beam). At the bottom of each of them there is usually a groove for attaching to a plywood keel.
- For connection, you can use standard glue, but you can use special glue mixtures that are designed for ship modeling.
- We fix the upper parts of the frames on the deck. For simple models of ships, the deck consists of a single sheet of plywood, while for complex models it can be multi-level.
- After the glue has dried on the frames, you can proceed to sheathing the side with thin strips of plywood. The thickness of the material should not exceed 1.5 mm, since only in this case you can bend the skin without the risk of damaging it.
- To bend veneered plywood, it can be heated and moistened. After that, the material bends easily, and eventually takes on a stable shape.
You can paste over the body for painting with a solid sheet. To imitate plank sheathing, it is better to use strips up to a centimeter wide, depending on the scale.
Fix the glued plywood with clamps and clamps, and leave to dry.
Final finishing
When the hull is assembled and dried, you will need to do the following:
- Make deck superstructures from thin plywood and secure them.
- The sides must be increased so that they protrude above the plane of the deck.
- We paste over the surface of the deck with wood veneer or line it with an awl, imitating plank sheathing.
- Make and install all small elements such as the steering blade and steering wheel.
- Fasten the masts with additional devices (spar), set the sails and stretch the structure with the help of rigging threads.
In conclusion, plywood elements must be treated with stain and varnished. This will provide the souvenir with at least a couple of decades of complete preservation.
conclusions
The first thing you need before creating a wooden ship with your own hands is desire. Almost anyone can make a simple plywood boat with their own hands - you need patience and minimal skills with a jigsaw. If you decide to implement a complex drawing with many small details, you will need to work hard. That is why we recommend starting with the simplest models. Gradually improving skill.
Probably each of us in childhood read books about pirates. These were sea robbers who plowed the seas and oceans, attacked merchant ships, and lowered all the booty in port taverns. These books were filled with intrigue, a special romanticism and a sense of adventure. For some people who are interested in the topic of piracy, a childhood passion has grown into a permanent hobby, which is expressed in the manufacture of wooden models of sailing ships. This is an unusually interesting activity, and ready-made models are an excellent element of interior decoration. For example, you can make a miniature copy of the famous pirate frigate, which sailed the famous pirate Francis Drake, who went down in history as one of the most famous corsairs of all time.
Who is Francis Drake?
In the Middle Ages there were a huge number of pirates, however, only a few managed to keep the memory of themselves. One of the famous corsairs was the Englishman Francis Drake, who received the nickname "Iron Pirate". He began his pirate career at a very young age as a ship priest, after which he served as a sailor, and at the age of 16 he became the captain of a ship. During his life, he went on a large number of sea voyages and was able to win no less battles, including with the English Royal Navy, so among the pirates he was considered a very successful, experienced and formidable captain.
Under the command of Drake there were several ships, among which the flagship was a galleon with three decks and five masts, which was called the "Golden Hind", which means "Golden Hind". The captain personally chose this name, since the ship was so fast that it could catch up with any merchant ship and hide from the pursuit of warships. It is thanks to its high speed and excellent maneuverability that the ship gained its popularity.
A little about modeling
The creation of miniature models of ships takes place in stages. Each stage is aimed at creating separate elements of sailing ships, which are subsequently combined into a single design. This process is very painstaking and requires from the creator not only the utmost concentration and perseverance, but also the manifestation of imagination, since very often it is necessary to change the materials used or replace them with others that are more suitable for a particular model. In addition, in order for the model to turn out to be more realistic and copy the original as best as possible, you should be careful with the sizes of the originals, which take a lot of time to find and transfer to the layout.
Making a wooden model of a ship: what is required for this?
Various techniques can be used to create models of sailing ships, however, the most common is the production of prefabricated parts carved from wood. This process is quite complicated and requires a certain set of tools. In order to make a ship model from prefabricated parts, you will need a knife, a hammer, a chisel, a drill with a set of drills, a wooden block, a piece of thin fabric for sails, a rope, a wooden spire of the required length, wood glue, and when making large models, it will be useful to stock up and a saw.
carving of a ship from wood
At the first stage of modeling, blanks are made, from which the model will be assembled in the future. To do this, you will need a chisel and a hammer, with which you need to remove old bolts, as well as sandpaper or a file to make the bar perfectly smooth. Next, you should clean the bar from the bark. In order for the work to go quickly, and not to get injured during its execution, it is necessary to keep it towards the planer.
When the blank for the future ship is ready, you can proceed to the next stage of modeling. You need to apply a sketch on the bar with the markings of the future ship, and then cut out the ship's hull from it. It is worth noting that this will require a well-sharpened knife, the blade of which should be at an angle of 10 degrees with respect to the bar. Despite the fact that this part of the work is one of the easiest in modeling, nevertheless, it is also the most responsible, because when performing it, you have no right to make a mistake. Therefore, slowly remove the wood in small layers, trying to keep the workpiece symmetrical.
The carving of the bow and sides of the vessel
When the preliminary layout of the ship's hull is ready, you can proceed to the jewelry part of the work. On the workpiece, you need to draw the side parts of the hull, as well as the bow and stern. This is done in the same way as described above. First, everything is drawn with a pencil, after which it is cut out with a knife. At the same time, it is necessary to try to make all parts even and smooth so that the layout looks like a ship as accurately as possible. In the manufacture of the bow, one of the sides of the bar is slightly filed, after which it is shaped into a saw cut.
Preparing the model and installing ship gear
The ship "Golden Doe" had three masts, so on the model you need to drill three holes for them, the diameter of which should be slightly larger than the thickness of the spiers. The distance between the holes must be the same and sufficient so that the bar does not crack during drilling. If suddenly a crack appears, then it is better not to glue it, but to redo the model again, since cracks will spoil the whole appearance of the ship. In order for the masts to stand securely and not fall, it is better to put them on wood glue.
Raise the sails!
At the final stage, the sails are set. Since our galleon model has only three masts, only six sails are required - one large and one small for each of them. For their manufacture, you will need thin matter, from which you need to cut the sails according to the given sizes. Sails should be trapezoidal. Before installing them on the mast, you need to make notches on the spiers, after which the sails are planted on glue. Both edges should be glued strictly in the middle of the sails. To make the process as comfortable as possible, and the result does not disappoint you, it is better to start setting sails from the rear mast, moving gradually towards the bow one.
To decorate the sail, you can use the flag or the upper sail, which is called flying. Everything is clear with the flag and no one will have any problems with its manufacture, so there is no point in describing the process of its tailoring. But the flying sail deserves special attention. To make it, you need to cut a rhombus out of fabric, resembling a kite in its shape. Further, two perpendicular threads are glued to the part, which connect the opposite corners of the decorative element, and a thread is attached to one of the corners, with the help of which the flying sail is fixed on the back of the main sail. It is worth noting that a flying sail can be made both for the aft mast and for all the others. It all depends on your wishes and perseverance.
When the ship model is completed, it can be painted brown and varnished, after which it can be used to decorate the interior, even to launch it.
For lovers of modeling, 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 net, and therefore many craftsmen begin their acquaintance with the modeling of various ships with plywood patterns.
Making models with your own hands is a very difficult task, requiring a significant amount of knowledge and a certain skill. In the article we will talk only about the most basic techniques, and you will hone your further skills yourself. 
Work materials
If you want to make a small ship model, you will need the following materials:
- Wood - cedar, linden, walnut or other wood, preferably soft and not fibrous. Wood blanks should be smooth, without knots and damage. Wood can be used both as a material for the main elements of the model (hull, deck), and for fine detailing.
- Plywood is perhaps the most sought after material.. For ship modeling, either balsa or birch is used, since it is these types of wood that provide the minimum number of chips when sawing. Model ship plywood, as a rule, has a thickness of 0.8 to 2 mm.
Note! Sheets of beech veneer of small thickness are sometimes used as an alternative to birch veneer: although they are inferior in strength, they bend much more easily.
- Veneer - thin plates of natural wood of expensive species. As a rule, it is used for veneering, i.e. pasting of a surface from inexpensive material.
- Fasteners - thin chains, laces, threads, brass and copper studs.
In addition, we will definitely need wood glue, cardboard and tracing paper for transferring templates, etc. Fine detailing is made of metal casting. As an alternative to metal, colored polymer clay can be used.
Making a souvenir boat
Preparation for work
Any work begins with preparation, and modeling will by no means be an exception.
- First we need to decide what we will build. If you have not dealt with ship modeling art before, then we recommend downloading plywood ship drawings on the net: as a rule, they contain all the necessary information and are understandable even to a beginner.
Note! Kits are available for sale that allow you to assemble a vessel from finished parts. For beginners, such kits will be interesting (although the price of most of them is very significant), but it’s better to master the technology from the basics.
- After analyzing the drawing, we check whether everything you need is available. In principle, if something is missing, then it will be possible to buy it a little later, because building a ship (albeit a miniature one) is not a quick job!
- After printing the drawing, we make templates for the main parts.
- Transferring templates to .
Cutting and assembling parts
You can cut blanks both with the help of a manual and with the help of an electric model jigsaw.
The latter is more expensive, but with it you are less tormented when cutting out small details:
- We make a starting hole in the plywood sheet, into which we insert a file or a jigsaw blade.
- We cut out the part, trying to move exactly along the marked contour.
- We process the sawn workpiece with a file, removing small chamfers along the edges and removing the inevitable chips and burrs.
Advice! Working on one element (deck, sides, keel, etc.), we immediately cut out all the parts necessary for assembly. So we will spend much less time, and the work will move faster.
When everything is ready, we start assembling our ship.
- First, on the longitudinal beam - the keel - we put on the transverse frames. In the lower part of each frame, a groove is usually provided for fastening to a plywood keel.
- For connection, you can use standard glue, or you can use special glue mixtures designed for ship modeling.
- We attach the upper parts of the frames to the deck. For simple models, the deck is a single sheet of plywood, while for complex ones it can be multi-level.
- After the glue on the frames dries, we begin to sheathe the sides with thin strips of plywood. The thickness of the material should be no more than 1.5 mm, because only in this case we can bend the skin without the risk of damaging it.
- For bending can be heated and humidified. After that, the material will bend without difficulty, and over time it will acquire a stable shape.
Note! The case for painting can be pasted over with a solid sheet. But to imitate plank sheathing, it is better to use strips up to 10 mm wide (depending on the scale).
- We fix the glued plywood with clamps and clamps and leave to dry.
Finishing
By and large, this is where carpentry ends and art begins.
When the case is assembled and dried, we need:
- Make from thin plywood and fix deck superstructures.
- Increase the sides so that they protrude above the deck plane.
- Paste the deck surface with wood veneer or draw it with an awl, imitating plank sheathing.
- Make and install all the small parts like the steering wheel and steering blade.
- Fix the masts with all additional devices (the so-called spars), set the sails and stretch this entire structure with the help of rigging threads.
In conclusion, all plywood parts must be stained and varnished. This will provide our souvenir with at least a couple of decades of preservation.
Conclusion
Almost everyone can make a simple boat out of plywood with their own hands - enough 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 advise you to start with the simplest models, gradually increasing your skills!
In the presented video in this article you will find additional information on this topic.
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Making a ship model is a pleasure, relaxation after the bustle of the city, lively and warm wood contributes to calm. Here you will get the satisfaction of acquiring new skills and techniques for making a ship model and great pride in the end result. For sure, beautiful and large models of wooden ships will remain your family heirloom and will go to your grandchildren.
We often get the question: “Where to start, which ship model to choose, which company is better, what tools are needed to make a ship model of different levels of complexity.” Of course, it is impossible to answer these questions comprehensively and accurately;
However, partial answers to these questions can be found in articles and reviews:
- Models from the set. A series of articles on construction for beginners.
- HMS Bounty. Mamoli model story about the production of the first model.
And, of course, our Bible:
Even if you've never built a ship model before, you can start this amazing hobby with our sailboat model suggestions. Each kit contains all the necessary parts, drawings and instructions that have gone through years of research, design and development to become a ship model kit. In addition to the largest and best selection of wooden ship model kits at the lowest prices, we offer everything that will give you pleasure in building a ship model. We offer a wide variety of hand and power tools, thousands of elements to complete the ship model and all the necessary materials to complete the model.
It's not scary, it's much easier than you think!
Do you think that making a ship model is too difficult for you? Let me assure you that many of our respected authors, "tarred aces", began with the same doubts and questions. Start with one of the simple ship models.
Here we have collected wooden ship models that are perfect for the role of the first model:
OCCRE wood ship models: great prices, clear instructions with illustrations. We have made Russian instructions for almost every model of the ship.
