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Read "The Baltimore Clipper" by Howard Chapelle for a wealth of info on the design and construction of these ships.  Be forwarned that the Harvey is not a real ship and in some ways doesn't really represent a Baltimore Clipper.  There are also some excellent articles in back issues of the NRG journal (vol 29:91) on this very subject.  I think they were in the mid '80s but you can check the NRJ index.

These are the articles I was referring to.  If you can't find them in the on-line store at the NRG website email the journal and ask if they are available.
Ronnberg, Erik A.R.: The Albatros - Swallow Reconstruction.
Nautical Research Journal Vol. 29, Bethesda, 1983. pp 90-92, ill. Ronnberg, Erik A.R. Jr: Albatros - Swallow - Postscript.
Nautical Research Journal Vol. 29, Bethesda, 1983. pp 133-135, ill. Gillmer, Thomas C.: Albatros - Swallow, Additional Comments.
Nautical Research Journal Vol. 29, Bethesda, 1983. pp 136.

Read "The Baltimore Clipper" by Howard Chapelle for a wealth of info on the design and construction of these ships.  Be forwarned that the Harvey is not a real ship and in some ways doesn't really represent a Baltimore Clipper.  There are also some excellent articles in back issues of the NRG journal (vol 29:91) on this very subject.  I think they were in the mid '80s but you can check the NRJ index.

These are the articles I was referring to.  If you can't find them in the on-line store at the NRG website email the journal and ask if they are available.
Ronnberg, Erik A.R.: The Albatros - Swallow Reconstruction.
Nautical Research Journal Vol. 29, Bethesda, 1983. pp 90-92, ill. Ronnberg, Erik A.R. Jr: Albatros - Swallow - Postscript.
Nautical Research Journal Vol. 29, Bethesda, 1983. pp 133-135, ill. Gillmer, Thomas C.: Albatros - Swallow, Additional Comments.
Nautical Research Journal Vol. 29, Bethesda, 1983. pp 136.

Read "The Baltimore Clipper" by Howard Chapelle for a wealth of info on the design and construction of these ships.  Be forwarned that the Harvey is not a real ship and in some ways doesn't really represent a Baltimore Clipper.  There are also some excellent articles in back issues of the NRG journal (vol 29:91) on this very subject.  I think they were in the mid '80s but you can check the NRJ index.

Read "The Baltimore Clipper" by Howard Chapelle for a wealth of info on the design and construction of these ships.  Be forwarned that the Harvey is not a real ship and in some ways doesn't really represent a Baltimore Clipper.  There are also some excellent articles in back issues of the NRG journal (vol 29:91) on this very subject.  I think they were in the mid '80s but you can check the NRJ index.

I use Elmers wood filler for a number of purposes and find it to work fine.  Only problem is that sanding it makes a mess of find white power that gets everywhere.  Today I tried a different method.  I used a single sided razor blade as a scraper over the area that had been filled and it worked great.  No dust and I got a very smooth finish.  Just need to sand in a few areas that I couldn't get the blade into and a little finish shaping.   End result is a good surface and far less cleanup.

i have used cherry for my frame on the Triton cross section and am very pleased with the looks and the way the wood works 
 

 
Very nice wood for a build

I use Elmers wood filler for a number of purposes and find it to work fine.  Only problem is that sanding it makes a mess of find white power that gets everywhere.  Today I tried a different method.  I used a single sided razor blade as a scraper over the area that had been filled and it worked great.  No dust and I got a very smooth finish.  Just need to sand in a few areas that I couldn't get the blade into and a little finish shaping.   End result is a good surface and far less cleanup.

To keep wood from darkening you might want to try a finish with a UV blocking additive.  Krylon is one brand that has a UV blocking clear finish.

I use Elmers wood filler for a number of purposes and find it to work fine.  Only problem is that sanding it makes a mess of find white power that gets everywhere.  Today I tried a different method.  I used a single sided razor blade as a scraper over the area that had been filled and it worked great.  No dust and I got a very smooth finish.  Just need to sand in a few areas that I couldn't get the blade into and a little finish shaping.   End result is a good surface and far less cleanup.

I use Elmers wood filler for a number of purposes and find it to work fine.  Only problem is that sanding it makes a mess of find white power that gets everywhere.  Today I tried a different method.  I used a single sided razor blade as a scraper over the area that had been filled and it worked great.  No dust and I got a very smooth finish.  Just need to sand in a few areas that I couldn't get the blade into and a little finish shaping.   End result is a good surface and far less cleanup.

I use Elmers wood filler for a number of purposes and find it to work fine.  Only problem is that sanding it makes a mess of find white power that gets everywhere.  Today I tried a different method.  I used a single sided razor blade as a scraper over the area that had been filled and it worked great.  No dust and I got a very smooth finish.  Just need to sand in a few areas that I couldn't get the blade into and a little finish shaping.   End result is a good surface and far less cleanup.

I use Elmers wood filler for a number of purposes and find it to work fine.  Only problem is that sanding it makes a mess of find white power that gets everywhere.  Today I tried a different method.  I used a single sided razor blade as a scraper over the area that had been filled and it worked great.  No dust and I got a very smooth finish.  Just need to sand in a few areas that I couldn't get the blade into and a little finish shaping.   End result is a good surface and far less cleanup.

All depends on what you want to do with the saw.  As others have said a scroll saw is great for cutting tight curves but isn't very good for long straight cuts.  A bandsaw does a great job of ripping and cutting gentler curves and will handle much thicker material than a scroll saw.  Best thing is to have both but if you can only get one or the other it will depend on what you need it for most.  If most of your cutting is tight curves in thin material a scroll saw is the way to go.  BTW you can get 1/16" blades for a band saw that will cut some really tight curves.

I use Elmers wood filler for a number of purposes and find it to work fine.  Only problem is that sanding it makes a mess of find white power that gets everywhere.  Today I tried a different method.  I used a single sided razor blade as a scraper over the area that had been filled and it worked great.  No dust and I got a very smooth finish.  Just need to sand in a few areas that I couldn't get the blade into and a little finish shaping.   End result is a good surface and far less cleanup.

To keep wood from darkening you might want to try a finish with a UV blocking additive.  Krylon is one brand that has a UV blocking clear finish.

All depends on what you want to do with the saw.  As others have said a scroll saw is great for cutting tight curves but isn't very good for long straight cuts.  A bandsaw does a great job of ripping and cutting gentler curves and will handle much thicker material than a scroll saw.  Best thing is to have both but if you can only get one or the other it will depend on what you need it for most.  If most of your cutting is tight curves in thin material a scroll saw is the way to go.  BTW you can get 1/16" blades for a band saw that will cut some really tight curves.

All depends on what you want to do with the saw.  As others have said a scroll saw is great for cutting tight curves but isn't very good for long straight cuts.  A bandsaw does a great job of ripping and cutting gentler curves and will handle much thicker material than a scroll saw.  Best thing is to have both but if you can only get one or the other it will depend on what you need it for most.  If most of your cutting is tight curves in thin material a scroll saw is the way to go.  BTW you can get 1/16" blades for a band saw that will cut some really tight curves.

All depends on what you want to do with the saw.  As others have said a scroll saw is great for cutting tight curves but isn't very good for long straight cuts.  A bandsaw does a great job of ripping and cutting gentler curves and will handle much thicker material than a scroll saw.  Best thing is to have both but if you can only get one or the other it will depend on what you need it for most.  If most of your cutting is tight curves in thin material a scroll saw is the way to go.  BTW you can get 1/16" blades for a band saw that will cut some really tight curves.

All depends on what you want to do with the saw.  As others have said a scroll saw is great for cutting tight curves but isn't very good for long straight cuts.  A bandsaw does a great job of ripping and cutting gentler curves and will handle much thicker material than a scroll saw.  Best thing is to have both but if you can only get one or the other it will depend on what you need it for most.  If most of your cutting is tight curves in thin material a scroll saw is the way to go.  BTW you can get 1/16" blades for a band saw that will cut some really tight curves.

After reading this post from front to back, I find myself a little annoyed at the naivety some assume we have. So here is my rant.
I get what the original post was asking. Why spend a lot of money on a kit only to throw most of it away. It only keeps the costs up of the kit, as it is now plays into the supply and demand aspects of economics not the design and manufacturing. This makes it difficult for others to justify getting into or staying in the hobby as the costs of the kits are getting out of hand. Especially if on a fixed income, as it seems most that are into this hobby are retirees or close to that age. I get that business are in it to make a living, but why try and recover your start up costs (design and manufacturing) in 1st few kits? Why not keep the costs down (spreed costs out over more kits) and get new blood into the hobby and sell more than a few kits a year. The amount of lumber in a kit is not that much. Unless your hand cutting every piece, time spent on cutting it is not as much as being portrayed. Handling it to clamp it in a CNC cutting machine take little time and can cut several kits a day.
As for kits that have been around for years and have already recouped their start up cost this applies to them especially. I seen a comment that sellers usually have a 20%-50% mark up....I have to say it is a lot more than that. I recently was looking at several large Occre kits that vendors were selling at 100%-300% percent mark up. I found that I could buy them directly from Occre for a lot less. Take the Occre Santísima Trinidad, directly from Occre after exchange rate is about $320.00 + S/H while at a large online hobby store it's $709.00 + S/H and another $899.00.....that"s 100%-300% mark up. I was able to buy 2 different large kits for the price of 1. Kit prices have become way over priced for what you get, and lost a lot of potential customers and some old ones. I've seen here too that a certain Chinese company is forbidden on here because they are selling knock offs of existing kits at a cheap price. Well I bought the "Black Pearl" kit and have to say it's right there with the same quality as some major kit manufacturers and would not be surprised if they were contracted by them to manufacture their kits for them and the Chinese also repackaged some those kits as their own.
WoodyJoe's a Japanese company is selling old large scale ships that were originally made by IMAI. So where is the justification for the design aspect of the kit cost on theirs? Unfortunately what they sell they are the only suppliers of so they demand a premium price for what you get in similar models.
To the old heads here that are on a fixed income, with the use of "Google Translator" and a bit of patients on the internet, you can find those ships you are looking for for a more affordable price.

By the way, I have my cheapo Ryobi placed on a dense 1" foam mat to reduce vibration.  Also, it occurred to me that waxing the blade from time to time might help, because It certainly does ease cutting with handsaws and planes.   But most of the time, the scroll saw sits on a shelf unless I need to cut from inside a hole.  I always go to my 12" or 14" bandsaw first.

I understand that one may prefer one tool over another for reasonable reasons, but really, a 12" bandsaw is a much better buy in my opinion.  As for the occasional internal hole cut, just use a jeweler's or coping saw. 

Just my opinion so take it for what it is worth.  I would say that each builder decided what size and thickness of plate to use based on experiance and availability.  I don't think there was any standard in the industry.  I know Lloyds published a set of specifications for insurance purposes but I do not know exactly when that was.  If you know what Lloyds classification the ship was you could check to see what Lloyds requirements were but that would be a guide not an exact size.

Just my opinion so take it for what it is worth.  I would say that each builder decided what size and thickness of plate to use based on experiance and availability.  I don't think there was any standard in the industry.  I know Lloyds published a set of specifications for insurance purposes but I do not know exactly when that was.  If you know what Lloyds classification the ship was you could check to see what Lloyds requirements were but that would be a guide not an exact size.