Jaager

It would not surprise me if there was only one or two manufacturers of the basic chemical components - especially PVA - and all of the brand name suppliers just mix,  package and label.
 
But in the case of Gorilla  -  I am having unkind thoughts about the telephone sanitizer sort of mind that makes "Gorilla" so prominent in the nomenclature that the actual chemical nature can be confused among most every sort of chemical bonding agent available to the public. 

Andrew,
Welcome aboard.   The part of antecedents that I identify with are from Braynefield in Caroline Co. 
 
From the subjects that are enticing you, I think that you will find this to be huge planet that is different from what you were expecting.  At least you do not have to overcome the effects of deceptive and manipulative advertising for inappropriate and complex sailing warship.  If you can hold tools, big fingers are no problem.  An Optivisor can solve a focus problem.  I will have to get back to you if it is cataracts.  I am on the beach until mine get fixed. 
 
Opinion: 
Columbus - no actual plans - everything is a best guess - much may be pure fantasy -  I would suggest serious research before entering.
WWII -  steel is better represented by plastic as modeling material.   It requires serious skills in finish painting to simulate steel from a wood surface.  
 
Starting with an open boat is never a bad choice.   The large sailing ships all carried open boats that will want modeling.  Knowing what they are about is a big leg up.  You are not that far from The Bay and it is all about boats and fishing vessels.
 

Suggestions:
 
Drum rotation - max 1700 RPM
With rolling pin - try a double ( both surfaces ) coat of rubber cement - both dry before mating - you will miss not having a "V" so that a raw edge does not meet the on coming work.
Light cuts only - the motor wants to be 1/3 HP -   this will seriously stress your lathe motor - source a replacement now.
The next option is a separate motor - pulleys - when you design, do not enclose the motor - it will get hot
 
Make a 5 sided  box using three laminations of high quality corrugated box cardboard - PVA - 1/4" x 1/4" sticks for the 8 inside corners enforcement -  with a hole in the base for your vac hose attachment.  This sucker will produce much wood dust.  You will probably need a sky hook to hold it since there is no fixed base for feet.

From what I have been reading,  your Model Shipways first kit choice has sufficient information.
There is much pretension -  advertising that says a how-to book is much more complete than it really is.
I sense that POB kit how-to books are particularly guilty of this.  There is too much author ego - my way is the best way - when there are many paths and only a few rules.
If you intend to translate text as well as following the pictures,  until you decide on an area to specialize in   and a type of build- POF, POB, carved - it may serve you better to filter thru the build logs here and look for what shows you the answers that you need.   POB is well covered.
It is scratch POF where various written sources become important - because of the many paths and the complexity.

From what I have been reading,  your Model Shipways first kit choice has sufficient information.
There is much pretension -  advertising that says a how-to book is much more complete than it really is.
I sense that POB kit how-to books are particularly guilty of this.  There is too much author ego - my way is the best way - when there are many paths and only a few rules.
If you intend to translate text as well as following the pictures,  until you decide on an area to specialize in   and a type of build- POF, POB, carved - it may serve you better to filter thru the build logs here and look for what shows you the answers that you need.   POB is well covered.
It is scratch POF where various written sources become important - because of the many paths and the complexity.

From what I have been reading,  your Model Shipways first kit choice has sufficient information.
There is much pretension -  advertising that says a how-to book is much more complete than it really is.
I sense that POB kit how-to books are particularly guilty of this.  There is too much author ego - my way is the best way - when there are many paths and only a few rules.
If you intend to translate text as well as following the pictures,  until you decide on an area to specialize in   and a type of build- POF, POB, carved - it may serve you better to filter thru the build logs here and look for what shows you the answers that you need.   POB is well covered.
It is scratch POF where various written sources become important - because of the many paths and the complexity.

The Dremel reason for being is rotational speed.   There was an old Mad Magazine full page ad parody of a guy with a wooden mallet, an open can, a tomato,  and tomato pulp covering everything.   ~" I'm the guy how gets the 10 giant tomatoes packed into each can."
 
A slower speed battery rotational driver with a chuck might be safer at keeping the liquid in the bottle.  Bamboo skewers with a slit to hold a wing may work as well.  A different skewer could be used for each color, so the cleaning step could be avoided.

It takes a library.  It helps if you specialize as to era and ship type i.e. wood vs steel   sail vs steam
 
To dip your toe in:

Historic Ship Models
by Wolfram zu Mondfeld
 
Neophyte Shipmodeller's Jackstay
by George F. Campbell
 
The CD sold here covering the back issues of three journals  have much information.
 
 
 

The Dremel reason for being is rotational speed.   There was an old Mad Magazine full page ad parody of a guy with a wooden mallet, an open can, a tomato,  and tomato pulp covering everything.   ~" I'm the guy how gets the 10 giant tomatoes packed into each can."
 
A slower speed battery rotational driver with a chuck might be safer at keeping the liquid in the bottle.  Bamboo skewers with a slit to hold a wing may work as well.  A different skewer could be used for each color, so the cleaning step could be avoided.

The Dremel reason for being is rotational speed.   There was an old Mad Magazine full page ad parody of a guy with a wooden mallet, an open can, a tomato,  and tomato pulp covering everything.   ~" I'm the guy how gets the 10 giant tomatoes packed into each can."
 
A slower speed battery rotational driver with a chuck might be safer at keeping the liquid in the bottle.  Bamboo skewers with a slit to hold a wing may work as well.  A different skewer could be used for each color, so the cleaning step could be avoided.

The Dremel reason for being is rotational speed.   There was an old Mad Magazine full page ad parody of a guy with a wooden mallet, an open can, a tomato,  and tomato pulp covering everything.   ~" I'm the guy how gets the 10 giant tomatoes packed into each can."
 
A slower speed battery rotational driver with a chuck might be safer at keeping the liquid in the bottle.  Bamboo skewers with a slit to hold a wing may work as well.  A different skewer could be used for each color, so the cleaning step could be avoided.

It takes a library.  It helps if you specialize as to era and ship type i.e. wood vs steel   sail vs steam
 
To dip your toe in:

Historic Ship Models
by Wolfram zu Mondfeld
 
Neophyte Shipmodeller's Jackstay
by George F. Campbell
 
The CD sold here covering the back issues of three journals  have much information.
 
 
 

It takes a library.  It helps if you specialize as to era and ship type i.e. wood vs steel   sail vs steam
 
To dip your toe in:

Historic Ship Models
by Wolfram zu Mondfeld
 
Neophyte Shipmodeller's Jackstay
by George F. Campbell
 
The CD sold here covering the back issues of three journals  have much information.
 
 
 

It takes a library.  It helps if you specialize as to era and ship type i.e. wood vs steel   sail vs steam
 
To dip your toe in:

Historic Ship Models
by Wolfram zu Mondfeld
 
Neophyte Shipmodeller's Jackstay
by George F. Campbell
 
The CD sold here covering the back issues of three journals  have much information.
 
 
 

I was able to source some Holly that was on the hoof.  In order to defeat the competing Blue Mold invasion I immediately cut it into 1" billets and removed to bark, and sealed the ends with a thick coating of leftover latex house paint.
I purchased a 4' x 8' sheet of 1" foil faced house insulation foam. I cut it into 4 x 4' pieces to make the 4 sides of a box.  It does not need to be either strong or tight fitting.  I fit it into an open shelf in my garage.  The ends were made from the 2 x 2 x 1" project Styrofoam that Home Depot sells.   The foil was on the inside face.   A couple of ceramic surface mount light fixtures and a  200W and a 100W incandescent light bulb generated enough heat - often 200W was enough.  A surplus computer muffin fan on one end was sufficient to exhaust the heated humid air.  I had a digital - remember the highest temp thermometer - to make sure it did not get too hot.   I stickered the billets.  A probe moisture meter sufficient for our needs is not expensive.  3 months was more than enough time.  For a temp, I just guessed about a temp that was above what the mold could survive.  Too much heat and the wood may case harden instead of allowing the water in the middle of a billet to migrate out.  There is probably a Zen type factor in all this.
 
You may be able to stay ahead of the checking with your "Lilac" by using a similar setup.  It will still be a month or so before the sap starts rising, if you wish to try this year.  Washington state appears to have a significant Apple growing base.  You are maybe not too far north for there to be Apple trees?  Apple wood is King.  But the only real way to get it is to harvest your own.  The hot box might save you the best part of year in getting a dry supply to use.  
 
Not far south of you is a supplier of Pacific Madrone. (Portland).  The wood reads like it can easily substitute for Pear or Black Cherry.  It is a bear to season.  It requires a specialized kiln operation.  It is not a DIY species per my reading.  It also wants to be picked over in the yard to get the color and grain that is desired.  

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

Is it possible that sturdy hardwood planks be scabbed on either side of each plywood "beam"?

You could keep kits in your conditioned environment.   Work on the model in the garage and take the parts back into the house with you.
 
Any tools that are iron or steel - keep them coated with conservators wax - Renaissance Wax here. 

Is it possible that sturdy hardwood planks be scabbed on either side of each plywood "beam"?

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

Both books in Mike's newsletter sound like they will be winners. 
It is a win for all of us that he could get Grant Walker back on board with the Annapolis project.

You could keep kits in your conditioned environment.   Work on the model in the garage and take the parts back into the house with you.
 
Any tools that are iron or steel - keep them coated with conservators wax - Renaissance Wax here. 

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.

Is it possible that sturdy hardwood planks be scabbed on either side of each plywood "beam"?

A picture of what part has been damaged would allow for more creative suggestions.
There is nothing magic about any wood.  We all have our favorite species, but most of us who do are scratch builders or kit builders who are painting with wood.
I was imagining the pseudo deck beam portion of a typical mold as being the part.  The hull shape being acceptable and the beam being abraded too much.  In that case, it would be covered by the deck, so how it looks would be irrelevant.
 
Even clear Pine would work.
For a one off plywood replacement, you could use what is about the best quality plywood available = aircraft plywood from a hobby store.  In bulk, it is expensive.  For spot work, the expense is not significant.   With a variety of thicknesses, a sum of what is available can get you where you want to be.
 
An advantage of wooden ship models is that all of the parts are easily replaced by other wood.  Unlike synthetic plastics,  it grows in trees.  The kit mfg is just supplying an easy path.  With a bit more work, any of it can be placed by material that is right at hand.  A beginner just lacks the tools and experience to do this.  Unless you reside on an asteroid, there is probably someone nearby who does have the tools and experience to help you with general woodworking.