Jaager

The situation is probably even worse.  The veneer has a high probability of being rotary cut.  Think of a blade producing a continuous sheet of wood that resembles paper towels coming off of a roll.   The wood came from a curved environment and will always "want" to go back to that cupped conformation.  Wetting, pressing, ironing will just be a futile fight against Mother Nature.
Even at a distance, that hideous yellow stuff looks like crap.  It will likely not be the joy to work that an appropriate species is.
It appears that the ZHL episode was not the aberration that I was hoping it was.  

The situation is probably even worse.  The veneer has a high probability of being rotary cut.  Think of a blade producing a continuous sheet of wood that resembles paper towels coming off of a roll.   The wood came from a curved environment and will always "want" to go back to that cupped conformation.  Wetting, pressing, ironing will just be a futile fight against Mother Nature.
Even at a distance, that hideous yellow stuff looks like crap.  It will likely not be the joy to work that an appropriate species is.
It appears that the ZHL episode was not the aberration that I was hoping it was.  

The situation is probably even worse.  The veneer has a high probability of being rotary cut.  Think of a blade producing a continuous sheet of wood that resembles paper towels coming off of a roll.   The wood came from a curved environment and will always "want" to go back to that cupped conformation.  Wetting, pressing, ironing will just be a futile fight against Mother Nature.
Even at a distance, that hideous yellow stuff looks like crap.  It will likely not be the joy to work that an appropriate species is.
It appears that the ZHL episode was not the aberration that I was hoping it was.  

I have some old pieces of limbs from English boxwood that are great for carving but it is not nearly as yellow as in your photo.  Those piece are REALLY yellow.  If you cut a small piece, is it the same color all the way through?   Almost looks dyed😀 

Northeast US,  There are many low cost species that will work.
Looking at species that are favored for scratch clear finish wooden sailing vessels is not a productive or economical path for your needs.
Pear - Swiss Pear ( is a steam oxidized European wood )  It is expensive here.  It is difficult to source here.
Basswood is favored for architect's models because it is available precut and does not rival platinum in price. It is also soft and fuzzy.
 
Your economical choice is construction Pine (not Fir).  The endcap loss leader at Home Depot.  Pick clear with no sap.
Yellow Poplar is low cost and would do exactly what you want.
Hard Maple, Black Cherry are over kill, but like the above two also have closed pore, so save a finish step.
Nut wood species would work - Oak, Ash, Hickory, Willow - they just need a pore filling step Sand-n-Sealer.
 
Your problem is getting lumber into 1:12 scale 2x4 and 2x6  and 1x8 -1x12 clapboard.
If you do not have a bandsaw and a thickness sander and a modelers table saw,  you can make do with a full size table saw.  Just mount a hollow ground rip blade. 
Borrow the use from someone who has one and bring your own blade.  Try to avoid feeding your fingers to the saw or getting impaled by a kickback.
If you use Pine, the extra loss to kerf is something that you can stand.
 
Prime any wood with half strength Zinsser shellac - Scotch Brite- follow on with full strength - Scotch Brite and tack rag.
Then any paint will bond. 
 
 

It is a terrible choice.  It has a relatively short life. It becomes brittle and releases its bond. 
It is thick and does not allow positioning.  There is no easy way to reverse it.
 
Attach Lino to a plywood sheet for something intended to last 10 years or so - go for it.
 
PVA plus heat can become a contract cement of sorts.  A dry even coat on both meeting surfaces plus heat activates a bond.  The outside layer has to be thin enough to allow heat transfer at a temp that does not char or cook the outer layer.

It is a terrible choice.  It has a relatively short life. It becomes brittle and releases its bond. 
It is thick and does not allow positioning.  There is no easy way to reverse it.
 
Attach Lino to a plywood sheet for something intended to last 10 years or so - go for it.
 
PVA plus heat can become a contract cement of sorts.  A dry even coat on both meeting surfaces plus heat activates a bond.  The outside layer has to be thin enough to allow heat transfer at a temp that does not char or cook the outer layer.

It is a terrible choice.  It has a relatively short life. It becomes brittle and releases its bond. 
It is thick and does not allow positioning.  There is no easy way to reverse it.
 
Attach Lino to a plywood sheet for something intended to last 10 years or so - go for it.
 
PVA plus heat can become a contract cement of sorts.  A dry even coat on both meeting surfaces plus heat activates a bond.  The outside layer has to be thin enough to allow heat transfer at a temp that does not char or cook the outer layer.

I offer another ship that you might give some consideration as a subject  :  Namure 90  1756    it underwent a bit of a metamorphosis  for the Nelson Era but as launched is my choice.  There is a bit of fame attached to it now.

I offer another ship that you might give some consideration as a subject  :  Namure 90  1756    it underwent a bit of a metamorphosis  for the Nelson Era but as launched is my choice.  There is a bit of fame attached to it now.

I offer another ship that you might give some consideration as a subject  :  Namure 90  1756    it underwent a bit of a metamorphosis  for the Nelson Era but as launched is my choice.  There is a bit of fame attached to it now.

I offer another ship that you might give some consideration as a subject  :  Namure 90  1756    it underwent a bit of a metamorphosis  for the Nelson Era but as launched is my choice.  There is a bit of fame attached to it now.

I offer another ship that you might give some consideration as a subject  :  Namure 90  1756    it underwent a bit of a metamorphosis  for the Nelson Era but as launched is my choice.  There is a bit of fame attached to it now.

I offer another ship that you might give some consideration as a subject  :  Namure 90  1756    it underwent a bit of a metamorphosis  for the Nelson Era but as launched is my choice.  There is a bit of fame attached to it now.

The choices
Linen seems to be lost into the past. 
Cotton - limited lifespan - smaller fibers -smaller fuzz
Poly - seems to be winning the race.   As long as the model itself is plastic, any resistance to using man-made materials is moot.
 
Poly already is what a wax would provide.  Wax seems to me to be pointless.  If it is beeswax on it - I would question it ever case hardening to become NOT a dust magnet.
Paraffin  would change its phase with changes in room temp.  The semi liquid phase would also hold dust.
Renaissance wax will case harden as its organic solvent evaporates.   It is probably more positive than negative for linen and cotton.  It would offer no advantage with poly.

The choices
Linen seems to be lost into the past. 
Cotton - limited lifespan - smaller fibers -smaller fuzz
Poly - seems to be winning the race.   As long as the model itself is plastic, any resistance to using man-made materials is moot.
 
Poly already is what a wax would provide.  Wax seems to me to be pointless.  If it is beeswax on it - I would question it ever case hardening to become NOT a dust magnet.
Paraffin  would change its phase with changes in room temp.  The semi liquid phase would also hold dust.
Renaissance wax will case harden as its organic solvent evaporates.   It is probably more positive than negative for linen and cotton.  It would offer no advantage with poly.

The choices
Linen seems to be lost into the past. 
Cotton - limited lifespan - smaller fibers -smaller fuzz
Poly - seems to be winning the race.   As long as the model itself is plastic, any resistance to using man-made materials is moot.
 
Poly already is what a wax would provide.  Wax seems to me to be pointless.  If it is beeswax on it - I would question it ever case hardening to become NOT a dust magnet.
Paraffin  would change its phase with changes in room temp.  The semi liquid phase would also hold dust.
Renaissance wax will case harden as its organic solvent evaporates.   It is probably more positive than negative for linen and cotton.  It would offer no advantage with poly.

The choices
Linen seems to be lost into the past. 
Cotton - limited lifespan - smaller fibers -smaller fuzz
Poly - seems to be winning the race.   As long as the model itself is plastic, any resistance to using man-made materials is moot.
 
Poly already is what a wax would provide.  Wax seems to me to be pointless.  If it is beeswax on it - I would question it ever case hardening to become NOT a dust magnet.
Paraffin  would change its phase with changes in room temp.  The semi liquid phase would also hold dust.
Renaissance wax will case harden as its organic solvent evaporates.   It is probably more positive than negative for linen and cotton.  It would offer no advantage with poly.

The choices
Linen seems to be lost into the past. 
Cotton - limited lifespan - smaller fibers -smaller fuzz
Poly - seems to be winning the race.   As long as the model itself is plastic, any resistance to using man-made materials is moot.
 
Poly already is what a wax would provide.  Wax seems to me to be pointless.  If it is beeswax on it - I would question it ever case hardening to become NOT a dust magnet.
Paraffin  would change its phase with changes in room temp.  The semi liquid phase would also hold dust.
Renaissance wax will case harden as its organic solvent evaporates.   It is probably more positive than negative for linen and cotton.  It would offer no advantage with poly.

The choices
Linen seems to be lost into the past. 
Cotton - limited lifespan - smaller fibers -smaller fuzz
Poly - seems to be winning the race.   As long as the model itself is plastic, any resistance to using man-made materials is moot.
 
Poly already is what a wax would provide.  Wax seems to me to be pointless.  If it is beeswax on it - I would question it ever case hardening to become NOT a dust magnet.
Paraffin  would change its phase with changes in room temp.  The semi liquid phase would also hold dust.
Renaissance wax will case harden as its organic solvent evaporates.   It is probably more positive than negative for linen and cotton.  It would offer no advantage with poly.

Northeast US,  There are many low cost species that will work.
Looking at species that are favored for scratch clear finish wooden sailing vessels is not a productive or economical path for your needs.
Pear - Swiss Pear ( is a steam oxidized European wood )  It is expensive here.  It is difficult to source here.
Basswood is favored for architect's models because it is available precut and does not rival platinum in price. It is also soft and fuzzy.
 
Your economical choice is construction Pine (not Fir).  The endcap loss leader at Home Depot.  Pick clear with no sap.
Yellow Poplar is low cost and would do exactly what you want.
Hard Maple, Black Cherry are over kill, but like the above two also have closed pore, so save a finish step.
Nut wood species would work - Oak, Ash, Hickory, Willow - they just need a pore filling step Sand-n-Sealer.
 
Your problem is getting lumber into 1:12 scale 2x4 and 2x6  and 1x8 -1x12 clapboard.
If you do not have a bandsaw and a thickness sander and a modelers table saw,  you can make do with a full size table saw.  Just mount a hollow ground rip blade. 
Borrow the use from someone who has one and bring your own blade.  Try to avoid feeding your fingers to the saw or getting impaled by a kickback.
If you use Pine, the extra loss to kerf is something that you can stand.
 
Prime any wood with half strength Zinsser shellac - Scotch Brite- follow on with full strength - Scotch Brite and tack rag.
Then any paint will bond. 
 
 

Northeast US,  There are many low cost species that will work.
Looking at species that are favored for scratch clear finish wooden sailing vessels is not a productive or economical path for your needs.
Pear - Swiss Pear ( is a steam oxidized European wood )  It is expensive here.  It is difficult to source here.
Basswood is favored for architect's models because it is available precut and does not rival platinum in price. It is also soft and fuzzy.
 
Your economical choice is construction Pine (not Fir).  The endcap loss leader at Home Depot.  Pick clear with no sap.
Yellow Poplar is low cost and would do exactly what you want.
Hard Maple, Black Cherry are over kill, but like the above two also have closed pore, so save a finish step.
Nut wood species would work - Oak, Ash, Hickory, Willow - they just need a pore filling step Sand-n-Sealer.
 
Your problem is getting lumber into 1:12 scale 2x4 and 2x6  and 1x8 -1x12 clapboard.
If you do not have a bandsaw and a thickness sander and a modelers table saw,  you can make do with a full size table saw.  Just mount a hollow ground rip blade. 
Borrow the use from someone who has one and bring your own blade.  Try to avoid feeding your fingers to the saw or getting impaled by a kickback.
If you use Pine, the extra loss to kerf is something that you can stand.
 
Prime any wood with half strength Zinsser shellac - Scotch Brite- follow on with full strength - Scotch Brite and tack rag.
Then any paint will bond. 
 
 

I see that you are a Tarheel, so  Sycamore and Walnut will have different meanings from what is European in origin.
 
I doubt that any kit will include Black Walnut or any member of the Juglans family.  What is provided in kits is called "walnut" because of its color. Most is one of several African species in the Mahogany family or a near relative.  Actual Walnut is a much superior wood, but for our uses, it has open pores - not good.
 
What Europeans call Sycamore is an Acer.  It is a Maple.  The Plane tree - what we call Sycamore - a large fast growing but messy tree - has fine grain, no open pores, usefully hard hard wood. However, the grain is busy, it is currently sold as Lacewood,  it has an unpleasant smell when cut and the fibers roll.
 
Lime is Tilia.  It is a soft wood with almost no visible grain.  A color similar to Pine.  It has been used in Europe - northern Europe - for a long time for carving.  The North American member of the family Tilia,  used here as a substitute is Basswood.  Lime is twice as hard as Basswood and not as fuzzy.  Bass does not hold a sharp edge.
 
The light color wood would be either Lime or Sycamore (Eu). If it is soft and shows no grain = Lime. If it hard and with an visible alternating grain = Sycamore.  The color defines its location.
 
Sapele is another African Mahogany.  It is for show.
 
The black is something that has been dyed.  I would guess it is for the wales.
The grey is something that has been dyed.  Probably the same species as the black.  I would guess for decking.
For a new deck, Lime or Acer would match the original Pine or Oak decks,  but the Sun and hard use will turn a "not for show" deck grey.
 
If you catch the ship modeling bug and if it sets in so hard that you come over to the dark side,  Except for the Acer, you can use the wood supplied in the kit as examples of species that you would never use.  For the Acer,  we have the premier member - Hard Maple earning an "A".    The European species gets a "B". 

Rather than the vertical under the counter supports, why not mimic the original and use horizontal instead?
I would worry that vertical may not fit well with the run of the planking.  The upper part of the planking will run in almost the same axis.
 
You could have flat filler pieces between the pseudo transoms with holes for dowels into the last mold.  This would make a precise locator for each filler (reverse mortise) for almost idiot proof slots for the transoms.   You could include a few Bamboo skewers as the dowels and burn holes that are their diameter.
If you doubled up on each transom (two pieces instead of one in each slot) the planking would have a firm support.  The planking will have serious bending and a firm base will have a better grab. 

Might this tool help with getting a uniform thickness?
https://bridgecitytools.com/products/hp-8-mini-block-plane