Ship Modeling Simplified: Tips and Techniques for Model Construction from Kits

A great book for beginners in the realm of model shipbuilding. I'm only about one quarter through, and have learned more than in years of plastic shipbuilding and model rocketry through childhood and young adulthood teaching hundreds of 10 to 17 yrs. old boys at summer camp to build beginner through advanced and expert model rockets. Especially good with terminology used for all parts of tall ships, from bow to stern, deck to keel, shrouds and sails, and anchors, cannon and ordinance, detailing, varnish and paint to finish your mastercraftwork. There's even an English/Italian glossary at the end to describe every part on a working sailing ship. Loaded with detailed descriptions and drawings to illustrate just about every part of woodworking and shipbuilding, with numerous helpful hints and how to desciptions for beginners and experienced modelers. Shows techniques for bending wooden planking for the hull, laying down decking and bulkheads, gluing, sanding and finishing your work.

I got this book before I started working on my first ship. It was an easy book to read and explained things in ways that people not familar with ships can understand. It was great in giving you the basics of what tools you need to get started, what to look for in picking out a ship (especially early on as you do not want to pick one too diffcult which will dampen your spirit with hobby), definitions of many common terms, and the basics on most of the skills that are required to build your first ships. Basically this book builds a great foundation to start your hobby. As you move along in the hobby and get into more difficult ships, you can get additional books specific to certain skills which I would recommend. The more detailed books however, are just more detailed versions of the basic skills that are covered in this book. For anyone that is starting out, or thinking of starting out in the hobby, this book is a requirement.

I've built a number of model ships from kits and paid my dues along the way. I saw this book and thought it might give me some useful hints. Well, it kind of does. But it is not all that easy to follow. Some of the narrative is located a page or two away from the related diagram and a little editing would have made that much easier.The book has an absolute ton of nautical technical terms from the days of sail that, while useful to a student of that era and that mode of transportation, did not seem to me to be super relevant to the building process. I guess it's best to call the parts of the kit the same as the parts of the ship it represents, but man, there are a *lot* of these terms.For the most part, I've relied on the instructions supplied with the kits, particularly from Artesania Latina and Mantua and and they've been pretty good. This book does have some good ideas about building rigs to assist with the modeling process--something I worked out by trying to build models without them. I am a bit surprised they don't have a rigging, um, rig though. I have found that trying to tie ratlines while the standing rigging is already on the model to be very finicky indeed,.I did like the idea of using pieces of scrap wood to strengthen the model as it's being built and I will use this going forward.I do have to say that, if I was considering starting wooden ship model building and read this book first, it would likely very much discourage me from trying at all. But having built a few models, I know I can produce a pretty nice result even if it isn't 100% historically accurate. So if a reader of this review is thinking of starting model ship building from kits I, like the book does, recommend starting with a straightforward model (the Bluenose boat featured on the cover is a good one) and patiently working through the inevitable (but satisfying) challenges.Give it a go.

Liked the condition of the book. No writing on the inside. Great condition overall. The late delivery was not expected but would not stop me from buying again.

Having come back to the hobby after 20+ years, I wanted something to help refresh my former skills, and thought a book devoted to kit models might help (even though I was well past the kit-model stage when I left). It's a very good book, beginner to advanced. And what a great, entertaining writer! Very informative, clearly written - and funny! A side benefit: Mastini's Italian-English dictionary at the end of the book also helped me refresh my Italian as well. Two lessons for the price of one: can't beat it.

Ship Modeling covers a lot of good material although it is mostly about sailing ships. I'm working on a T-2 Tanker at this time (my father built them and took them on shake down cruises during World War Two). Never-the-less, there are parts of this book that I find are extreemly valuable. The Bluiejacket Ship Crafters Co will be saved many phone calls from me as a result. Examples: how do I paint these parts or which part is which (my model has hundreds), For anyone building a model made in Italy (and there are many) this book has a modeling English/Italian dictionary. Mr Mastini knowes his business and I applaud him for it.

Don’t forget the glue

I found this book to be a good primer on model ship building and worth reading for the novice builder such as myself but its a little disorganized and has some mileading steps in applying planks to the bulkhead or frame of the ship, they just seemed to be short cuts or cheats on doing it right. But all in all a good read and recomend it to any virgin ship buider! I found Ship modeling from stem to stern by Milton Roth more up to speed for me as i am 44 and have a lot of experiance working with wood. There is a vast amount of imformation out there for the model ship builder which is a blessing to us all. Ship Modeling Simplified was the first book i purchased on this vast subject and i can say i was not disappointed it is a great first read!