| Long before model boat and ship kits were available in | | | | sails of your ship. Sewing thread can also be used. |
| shops and stores, building model boats and ships were | | | | So essentially you will need a carving knife, an |
| popular hobbies. Now however, things are much easier | | | | engraving tool, scissors, sandpaper, wood, glue, twine, |
| and you can just walk down to your nearest store | | | | cloth, varnish and acrylic paint - if you were to venture |
| and pick the model ship building kit of your choice. And | | | | into model ship building or model boat building on your |
| the result is satisfying too, because the model boat | | | | own. |
| and ship looks very realistic. You have to decide for | | | | However, if you were to use a ship building kit or a |
| yourself the scale you want to work with. Since it is | | | | boat building kit that you pick up from the store the |
| handcrafted you can have any size you require. The | | | | tools you will need are much smaller. |
| model scale is written like this - 1/12 which means that | | | | First off, you will need the model ship kit. There is a |
| one inch on your model ship or boat would represent | | | | wide variety of model ship and model boat kits that |
| 12 feet of the real ship. | | | | are available. Make sure you choose the kit that |
| The tools required to build a model ship or a model | | | | interests you the most. Because most often you could |
| boat are simple. First off you will need a small carving | | | | just by chance pick the wrong model ship or model |
| knife. It is with this carving knife that you will cut and | | | | boat kit and then find yourself disinterested in building. |
| fashion the hull and deck. Of course, if you use a | | | | Make a thorough inventory of the kit. This will ensure |
| model ship building kit or a model boat building kit the | | | | that you have all the required pieces in place and it will |
| carving knife is optional as most of the pieces in the kit | | | | also give you a chance to get familiar with what is in |
| are pre-cut and fashioned. | | | | the kit. You will need a hobby knife. But keep in mind |
| You will require light-grain sandpaper, which would help | | | | that hobby knives are actually razor blades and so |
| you smoothen the wood. You will need thin wooden | | | | should be handled very carefully. |
| craft sticks which you can fashion into masts. To glue | | | | You will need good quality glue so that you will be able |
| them to the deck you will require high quality glue. | | | | to fix the pieces together. Fine-grain sandpaper is |
| Scissors are another pair of essentials in this craft. This | | | | highly essential as it will help smoothen the edges and |
| would be required to cut the cloth for masts. Your | | | | give it a finished look. Finally, you will need model paint. |
| carving knife can be used to put holes in the cloth | | | | This is more laborious and time- consuming. The |
| pieces so that you can string them to the masts. You | | | | alternate is to use spray paint. This is faster and the |
| will need a small engraving tool so that you can add | | | | finished product is much better looking. |
| ornamental designs to your model boat or model ship. | | | | So essentially the tools you require while making a |
| Sandpaper is essential in almost every stage of the | | | | model ship or a model boat from the kit is a hobby |
| building as you will be required to smoothen the wood | | | | knife, fine-grain sandpaper, plastic model glue and |
| removing excess wood and rough edges. Wood | | | | model paint. |
| varnish will give you model ship a fine finished look. | | | | Before you begin your project, it is advisable to take a |
| You can if you wish paint your model boat or model | | | | look at drawings of the actual ship. Once you are able |
| ship with acrylic paint, adding colour and a personal | | | | to visualise the actual ship then building the model ship |
| touch to your masterpiece. You can, if you wish, also | | | | or model boat would become easier. Remember, to |
| add on ship emblems. | | | | use as little glue as possible when constructing. |
| You will need twine - either black or white, to string the | | | | |