Essential tools for Model Ship Building

Start small, and build your collection

Model ship building only requires basic tools.

Model ship building, whether from kits or from scratch, does not require a vast array of exotic tools. In fact, most – if not all – of the tools you need can be found at your local hardware store.

For a review of the basic tools you need to start model ship building see our page Tools for Model Ship Building 

Free Ship Plans U.S.C.G. Cutter Mackinaw

U.S.C.G. Cutter Mackinaw

Queen of the Great Lakes

U.S.C.G. Cutter Mackinaw Queen of the Great Lakes

Built specifically for service on the Great Lakes, when Mackinaw was launched, she was the most powerful icebreaker in the world. She went on to a 62 year service career, becoming an icon to the Great Lakes mariners and residents of coastal towns that depended on her to clear a path through the lakes’ thick ice. When she was decommissioned, she became a museum ship in Mackinaw City, Michigan. Our Mackinaw plans page offers six ships plans: outboard profile and inboard profile, upper deck plans, lower deck plans, cross section plans, ships lines plans, and shell expansion plan. The Mackinaw would make a beautiful scratch-built ship model, and at a large scale, an impressive radio-controlled ship model of the "Queen of the Great Lakes.

Types of Model Ship Kits

Getting Started in Model Ship Building?

Building a kit is a good way to start before tackling scratch-building

Parts included for the Corel plank-on-bulkhead kit "Ranger."

For the beginning ship modeler, scratch-building a ship model from a plan can be a daunting challenge. A better option for a first project in most cases is to pick from the vast array of ship model kits available today.
There are a number of international, and a few U.S. ship model kit manufacturers, and they are constantly coming out with new offerings that set a ship modeler’s mind racing with possibilities. But, while model ship kit manufacturers are constantly introducing new kits, and adding more detailed models to their lineup, all model ship kits fall into three basic categories, based on hull construction technique: Solid hull; Plank-on-bulkhead; and Plank-on-frame.
For a review of these basic ship model kit types, see our page Types of Ship Model Kits