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Hi, Bill. I took the liberty of removing your email address from your post; otherwise, you would be a target for unsolicited spam generated by web crawlers. Members can contact you through our private messaging system. I'm not sure what you mean by "anything you might have." MSW does not sell model kits, though our members may advertise them in our traders and dealers section. If you are new to wooden models, I suggest taking some time to browse around our site. Check out some of the clickable links to our site sponsors (home page, right-hand side), some of whom are kit vendors. Also search or browse through the kit build logs and look for titles that have the words "first build" in them -- that will give you a good idea of what other first-time modelers are building. Bear in mind that modeling in wood is a different ballgame than working in plastic, so it pays to start simple. Hope this helps a bit.

No real 'bibles' of ship modeling that I know about, but there's plenty of good books out there. I enjoyed Frank Mastini's Ship Modeling Simplified when I was a beginner -- it gives a food overview of the building process. Check your local library -- they often have a smattering of ship modeling books on hand.

I think you failed the "convey the idea" mission, 'cause to me those look like exact replicas! 😲😉 Edit: Just for fun, here's something that, in my mind, "conveys the idea" of a Sea Fury, albeit perhaps not very well. Your model, OTOH, looks like a proper miniature Sea Fury!

Stump masts is certainly an option. One thing I would caution about, based on my own experience, is building two models of the same subject. Once I build something a first time, I have essentially zero interest in building it again. Something to think about before making a big time investment in a kit that's not really the kit you want to build.

Um ... I'm not sure how one would do that. A kit is designed to go together a certain way. The only way I can think of to 'simplify' something like Vasa would be to leave off the ornamentation (in which case it wouldn't be a good likeness of the original). Or get a simpler kit, e.g. something in plastic.

BTW, if anyone wants to drool over some nice hand tools, check out https://www.woodcraft.com/pages/japan-woodworker.

Great work, and I really like the display. Always a treat to see a finished model from one of the lesser-known manufacturers as well. Cheers!

Hi, Ekis. I didn't respond earlier because I am now in South Carolina, so not close enough to be of much help. Two other options you might try are contacting the Ship Modelers Association (Fullerton) and the CIMM Ship Model Guild (Oxnard). One or the other of these clubs might have a member interested in doing the work. Hope that helps.

Looks fabulous -- congratulations!

Exactly! I have seen many beautiful models with their metal work left bright. And if a modeler is going to make a fuss over finishing metal, then to be consistent he/she ought to fuss over accurately painted wood as well; so long, great-looking bare woodwork! To each their own.

One of my dad's former students was stationed aboard USS Aspro (SSN-648), a Sturgeon-class boat.

Kevin, I have actually used the technique you described on several small models, keyword = small. The reason you don't get the dome-shape on the first application is because wood glue is water-based. The surface skins over first, and as additional moisture leaves, the structure contracts, which is why you found it necessary to apply multiple dabs. It takes a very steady hand to get the dollops of glue uniformly sized and spaced, which is partly why I have only ever used it on small projects. Something like 4000 bolt heads? Eh, no thanks!

Okay, here is a little update. First of all, I just came off a two week spell of having essentially zero energy for modeling. First I had a routine outpatient procedure done, after which I immediately came down with COVID-19. Now despite having previously joked that in the event of COVID I would just enjoy time off work and build models for two weeks, the truth is that all I felt like doing was laying around and watching TV. On a positive note, I also lost most of my appetite and shed 10 pounds -- yay!! Overall my symptoms were mild, but I was hit hard by low energy and chest congestion, which made me feel constantly winded. So, all I managed to get done during this time was finish the wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder for Spanish Nationalist. This is not the best wing I have ever done, partly due to the wing having so many skin sections, resulting in a finished wing with 14 longitudinal seams, eight in the small middle section alone. Seams are always a booger to do well and always seem to be visible, no matter how much care is used in the attempt. So 14 of them is a bit of a problem. This visual hiccup is something I have noticed in other finished builds of this particular kit, even though they were otherwise very good. For comparison, each wing skin on my aborted Curtiss Hawk build was a single piece, one left and one right, with no longitudinal seams. It makes a big difference. BTW, part of this sequence was accomplished with the mysterious new klej (glue) I ordered from Poland. On a hunch, I tried it out on some scrap card stock and confirmed my suspicion that yep, it is just contact cement, albeit in a tube rather than in a bottle as we are accustomed to seeing it in this country. When used in the proper manner for contact cement, it works quite well, but it's not the "Miracle Card Modeling Glue" some of us had hoped for. As an addendum to this update, I'll note that having a respiratory infection like COVID and working around very fine epoxy resin dust are probably not the best combination of activities, so needless to say I didn't get any work done on the Sassafras 12 over the last two weeks, either, so an update on that project will be delayed. Cheers!

Beautiful result!

Congratulations on achieving this milestone!

Oh, a statement like that opens up so, so many possibilities for devilish comebacks -- but I won't derail Jep's build log. 🤨

Wow, great photo, Harvey! My grandpa was a pipefitter in the Vancouver yards during the war, and my mom was born there.

Welcome, Ron! Nice work so far. I don't think that we have ever had a kit from this company featured here before. Cheers!

That is a good question, which sadly I cannot answer. I use Guetterman quilting thread, but there is no indication on the spool regarding weight or diameter.

Hi, Jan. The main disadvantage of any thread is its fuzziness -- the more fuzz the thread has, the more uneven its final appearance will be once glued and painted. So the secret is to start with the least-fuzzy thread possible. I have found quilting thread ideal in this regard.

Thanks, Kevin. I am making slow progress on this project despite the lack of updates -- just waiting to complete some stuff before posting pics.

Hello! I have mentioned Paper Shipwright (https://www.papershipwright.co.uk/) in other content strands, so I considered it appropriate to do a review. This will be slightly different than a normal review in which a single kit is examined. Because of designer David Hathaway's consistent design philosophy, what is written about one of his kits is generally applicable to all of them. So we will look at two of them for this review: the ferry TSS Earnslaw and the Russian turret monitor Smerch. First, a couple of words about Paper Shipwright in general. David has been designing kits for as long as I have known about card models, which means that he is now in at least his third decade of doing business. His kits are done in 1/250 scale, waterline only, lean towards somewhat small and obscure subjects, and are typically moderately difficult, with good levels of detail and relatively small parts counts. His catalog contains both civilian types and warships with diversity enough such that just about anyone should find at least one subject they consider tempting enough to try. I recommend that those who are sufficiently intrigued should have at least some experience with working in card; our V108 tutorial is an excellent introduction to the basic skills and techniques for working in this medium. Each Paper Shipwright kit is self-published by David and is a high-quality laser print on good-quality paper. The cover typically has full-color plan and profile views of the kit subject. The instructions are minimal due to low parts counts, often consisting of a single sheet, but they are adequate for completing the model. A parts list is included, along with instructions for making thread railings (more on the railings later). Good diagrams are essential for card modeling, especially when the builder doesn't speak the publisher's language. Happily, this isn't an issue with Paper Shipwright for us English-speakers, but non-English-speakers should also find the diagrams clear and thorough. The printing on Paper Shipwrights kits is sharp and reasonably detailed. There is no printed weathering, but naturally that shouldn't impede anyone who wishes to attempt weathering with non-water-based media such as weathering chalk. As for the laser printing, I have never had any issues with the ink cracking or flaking. Because David designs in 1/250, that means that the simplified elements in each kit, e.g. ladders and railings, can be replaced by readily available laser-cut or PE after-market detail parts if the modeler wishes. As you can see, David uses interlocking profile and bulkhead formers, a design technique we card modelers refer to as an "egg crate hull." This is a technique that does not require major hull structural components to be laminated onto thicker card; kits from Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag (HMV), which are in most cases larger, more detailed, and more expensive than a comparable Paper Shipwright kit, are also built in this fashion. Some detail parts may be doubled, and each kit typically includes parts to double things like doors and skylights to give the model an extra bit of three-dimensional depth. In the image below, parts to be doubled are printed on rectangles meant to be scored down the midline, folded, and glued, creating parts that are twice the original thickness of the cardstock. Reverse-side printing is included, where necessary. A unique feature in Paper Shipwright kits is the inclusion of a template for making optional thread railings. The template is glued to a stiff piece of cardboard, then thread is wrapped onto the template to create rails and stanchions; afterwards these are stiffened with glue, then painted. The template is unique to each kit, because of course each subject has a unique railing configuration. The finished railings can be very convincing. David also offers a free, downloadable generic template at his website. A printed nameplate is included with each kit. A Paper Shipwright model, thanks to its size, does not entail a lot of time investment. I have built one in as little as two weeks, which is a blistering pace for me. The finished models are small jewels. Another great thing about Paper Shipwright kits is that they are inexpensive, costing anywhere from £4.50 to £15.00. At that price you can buy several kits, booger one of them, and not be greatly troubled by it (ask me how I know). These are charming little kits, very well designed, and the finished products are worthy of a spot or two (or more) on any card modeler's shelf -- also a great step up from relatively simple models like V108. Get one or two of these under your belt, and you'll be well-prepared prior to tackling something larger and more complex. Highly recommended! CDC

Since this isn't an actual kit review, I have moved the discussion to the general wooden kits area.

Remember, there's two inner bulwark planks. These go a long way towards hiding glue oopsies.

I'm assuming that this is the start of a build log, so I moved it for you.