Richard Griffith

HI Kimberly, this forum has tonnes of tips, plus your local hobby store should have booklets on how to build better ships.  You can also check Amazon, Ebay and Abe's books for reasonably priced books. 
 
My current build, Le Soliel Royal, is by Heller, a plastic kit but I have done much research to make it more accurate and to add (scratch build) missing items.  I also made my own sails out of paper and sprayed them with Tamyia paint.  Once this build is done, perhaps by the end of this month, I plan to post pix in this forum. 
 
For other work, Ships in Scale has a couple of pix in older issues (back to 2008 I think).  If you have access to older issues, i will advise which ones.
 
You seem to have an artist's eye.  Ships require that and perseverence.  If an item has a certain color, paint it before installing it.  Don't use CA glue on the rigging, instead, use diluted Elmers Glue All or Weldbond.  Dab it with a micro brush.  Look as pictures of ships to see what coloring they have, how they weather, the stains on the sails, on the bulwarks.  Above all, keep at it.  We all started with simple sticks, paper, then kits and we only got better at it with practice.  If you have the passion, you can achieve your goals.
 
Keep us posted on your progress, we applaud all efforts.
Duff aka Duffer

Hey Kimberly, one of my first builds was the Cutty Sark, 1/96 scale by Revell.  It looked pretty good too, no sails though.  I did not case it.  It took a few bumps along the way, until my son was born and became ambulatory.  One evening, when we thought he was sleeping, he climbed out of his crib and dismantiled the entire ship. 
 
Well, I did build Old Ironsides too, but this time built a case.  It has survived very weill because of the case.  I think there are a couple of pictures of it in our websie - ctshipmodels.org.  (I'll have to double check). 
 
Buidling a model ship requires many skills and there are many cross overs from other disciplines. You have an excellent start, keep at it.
Duffer

Hey Kimberly, welcome aboard~!
I also use crochet hooks, in various sizes plus the hinged type on occassion.  I pick these up at tag sales (garage sales, yard sales) for almost no cost.  Sometimes I find good thread, even linen~!  Retailers and mail order firms sell various tools for rigging, plus you can make your own to suit your needs.  I like making my own as that keeps the cost down. 
This is a great forum, so share more of your ideas; others here share theirs, so we all learn.
For snipping lines, I have found a pair of scissors by Friskers (in Walmart) to be the best.  These have straight pointed blades about 2" long and cost about $11.  The best. 
What ship are you building? 
My current ship is Le Soliel Royal by Heller.  Others on the bench inlude D'Hlalve Main, Bluenose, Sir Edward Hawke and a peapod, all scratch builds. 
Persevere and enjoy. 
Duff

Hey Glenn, Mark's post about Greg's reference is excellent-there are many blade choices.  The best advice I can add is to try different blades for each job.  There are variables that make a definitive answer difficult: these include the saw speed, the feed rate, the tooth geometry, the hardness of the material.  After you discover the best combination, make a note of you blade selection, stock thickness and type of wood so you can duplicate it without additional experimenting on future jobs.
 
As for scroll saw features, try to get a saw that has a variable speed selector (a built in rheostat), a tilting table both left and right, and a decent blade change device (if the blade changing system is poor, you will tend to avoid changing blades).  All other features are secondary to these three (I am targeting us model ship builders with these comments). 
 
Have fun and let us know your progress.                     Duffer

Period Ship Modelmaking, An Illustrated
Masterclass by Philip Reed, Published 2007, ISBN978-1-59114-675-9

Philip Reed teaches his modeling techniques by taking the reader through the scratchbuilding of two 1:192 scale models of Prince de Neufchatel: a full hull model, and a waterline model. Though the scale used is considered “miniature” by most ship modelers, many of the techniques are adaptable to larger scales.

The format of the book is not quite a practicum, although many operations are presented in step-by-step detail, but the experienced modeler will have no trouble following the builds. Reed has the ability to make one feel that this level of craftsmanship is within his grasp with a little practice and persistence. Most of the techniques use hand tools or simple power tools such as drills or rotary tools, and Reed is not given to making his methods seem mysterious or difficult. And the photography (all in color) well displays his mastery of the techniques he uses. Most of the photographs are larger than the actual size of the parts being demonstrated, and one is hard-pressed to find flaws in the workmanship. In fact, one gets the impression that one is looking at a much larger model until page 62, where one encounters a photograph of the completed hull along with a 6” ruler, and realizes that the photo is actual size.

The book is full of innovative techniques for producing and assembling the parts that make up these two models, and makes use of some materials that many of us don't consider. In my view, the only disappointment is that plans for the Prince de Neufchatel are not included in the book, the author instead referring the reader to the Smithsonian Institution for a set of plans. At 1:192 scale (1/16” = 1'), the plans would be small enough to fit in the book, or perhaps have been printed on the back of the dust cover as in the Anatomy of the Ship series.