Bob Cleek

Hi Bob! Ron here, Kenna's Dad- we read through your post together- - first let me say that I have never read such a well-written post (leaving the content aside for the moment and focusing on the sheer poetry of your reply "leaving the beginning modeler to run hard aground upon the rocky shores of Reality and their enthusiasm for modeling drowned for all eternity. "  Kudos - I may have to peruse your other posts for the reading pleasure alone. 
 
So- to your actual advice. WOW- this has been a great lesson in generosity for my daughter to have a total stranger take this kind of time to help steer someone new to a hobby in the right direction. So thank you thank you thank you! Kenna has been reluctant to respond because she feels incapable of drafting an adequate response to such a detailed post packed with so much information. Also, she feels a bit bad because she thinks she should have been more clear about her ambitions from the start as it might have saved you from spending so much time explaining in detail how hard this project would be.  Her goal is to create a large ship that, yes, floats and maybe could be fitted with a little electric prop motor and a rudder that steers that we could toss in the lake and drive around during the parties we have on our dock on calm days. She wants the shape to be authentic, but her goal is by no means to create something that is an authentic reproduction of the San Felipe.  She loves messing around on the lathe and has the patience to crank out a ton of cannons made of wood and perhaps painted black, but much of the detail outside of the basic structure will be her own creation. 
 
Perhaps she will catch the bug to want to really get into creating an authentic model, in which case more of your content will apply... and she would be well-cautioned not to bite off more than she can chew. In the meantime, she has checked out Sherry and Doris' work...amazing and inspiring! 
 
Thanks again!   Ron and Kenna

In a word, "No." 
 
I'm sure the last thing anyone would ever want to do on this forum is dampen the enthusiasm of a beginning modeler. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that in an effort to avoid doing so, beginners are misled. This is particularly so when their hearts are set on building a gold leaf encrusted gingerbread confection from the Seventeenth Century that an experienced modeler would consider a significant challenge. The responses to their ambitions usually include circumspect advice such as, "You may want to start with a less complicated kit." (Let alone a less complicated scratch-build!) Thereafter, they taper off, leaving the beginning modeler to run hard aground upon the rocky shores of Reality and their enthusiasm for modeling drowned for all eternity. It's not my intention to rain on your parade, but I do believe you deserve some honest and direct answers to your question.
 
1.     San Felipe is a very complex model to build from a kit. Building such a model from scratch is exponentially more complex. What you are contemplating involves years of dedicated craftsmanship of the highest caliber. You may well be capable of that, but it will take you quite some time to acquire those skills and much practice, not to mention money, which may or may not be a consideration for you. The kit costs in the neighborhood of $600 and that's just for the wooden parts. The metal castings set costs an additional $350 or so. If you plan to scratch-build the model, you will have to mill much of your own wood. You will have to turn those hundreds of balusters for the railings on a lathe, each identical to the other. You will have to hand-carve all the intricate carvings that are all over this model. You will have to make the patterns and molds to cast all of the metal castings and you will have to fabricate all the other metal parts from bits of wire and sheet metal silver soldered together and then "blackened" with chemicals. You will have to make your own rigging line in several different scale sizes. If you want the model to actually be capable of sailing in water, you will have to sew your own scale sails, design your own radio control system, and engineer the model to be properly balanced (probably with an auxiliary ballast keel) and decide how to make it watertight and impervious to water damage. (A working model must be much more robustly built than a static model.)
 
2.     The Panart plans are drawn to 1:75 scale, which is itself a somewhat unusual scale here in the States. You propose to double the size of the model, which would mean building to the scale of 1:34.5 scale, which is even more unusual. I'd hazard the guess that there are no fittings or blocks sold anywhere in that exact scale. Your enlarged double-size plans will not contain the details which were impossible to include at the smaller scale. (Sort of like a painting by a near-sighted artist!) You will have to research, identify, and add those details yourself. At the scale you contemplate, you will indeed be doing a total scratch-build because you won't be able to buy ready-made parts in your scale. This means, for instance, that you will have to fabricate some 100 or so cannon. If you want them made of metal, you will have to do that on a metal lathe, or make patterns and molds and cast them yourself. Keep in mind as well that, generally, even the best plans require a considerable amount of knowledge about shipbuilding and rigging to interpret, as so many of the posts in this forum indicate. You will have the forum as a resource, but you must expect that you will encounter errors and omissions in any set of plans that you will have to recognize, correct, and supplement. As for enlarging plans using grid paper, don't even go there. Accurate scale enlargements can be done with specialized engineering drawing copy machines. Otherwise, you will have to redraw the plans yourself, or at least parts of them, using either the skills and instruments of manual drafting or one of the more sophisticated CAD drawing programs... after you've learned to use them. (A skill I've not yet mastered. I'm an old fashioned drawing board jockey.)
 
3.     The model you contemplate will require a huge amount of space to display. Certainly more than the average home can afford. If your model is twice the size of the Panart plans, it will be about 76" long. For a model that size, allow three or four inches all around for "space in the case." (It will require a case for display if it is to survive for any length of time without damage. More than one great model has come to grief from the family cat or the cleaning lady's feather duster!) That comes to a case that's seven feet long. I'm unsure of the other dimensions, but lets estimate those at five feet high and three feet wide. Now take some sticks and a hot glue stick gun and throw together a framed box that's 7'x5'x3' and see how much room it will take up, wherever you plan to put it. Make sure, too, that you are able to even get it inside of a normal room! If you plan to put it in the water, you will have to come up with some sort of trailer to tow and launch it, as well. See where I'm going with this? I could have said, "Gee, that sounds neat!" and gone on to the next post, but would that have been at all helpful to you, really?
 
4.    You will need to invest considerable money into specialized tools. There are those who will point out that many of the great models in museums were made with little more than sailors' pen knives and to a certain extent that is true. In reality, though, if one intends to scratch-build with any degree of accuracy and efficiency, they must acquire a collection of sometimes expensive tools. You will need a micro-table saw, a good quality scroll saw and some sort of mini-lathe. You'll need jewelers' metal working tools. A rope making machine. A rotary tool ("Dermel") and perhaps a drill press. You'll almost certainly have a lot of use for a stationary disk sander and will probably end up wanting a thickness sander, as well. Of course, you'll have to add some tools you've made for yourself along the way because they can't be bought anywhere, and a lot of hand tools. Most of us started with a few tools and buy more as we go along when the need arises. It can add up to a fair bit of change. Even a modest fully-equipped workshop for the sort of serious scratch-building you contemplate will set you back three or four thousand dollars. On the other hand, scratch-building costs relatively little in materials and three or four scratch-built models quickly make up the cost of tools in savings over kits costing hundreds of dollars and quality tools always have a decent resale value if you ever decide you don't need them anymore.
 
So, this is why you hear experienced modelers suggesting you "consider a smaller, simpler model for your first build." My guess would be that maybe one out of ten ship model kits ever get finished because the builders are overwhelmed by them. The pictures on the boxes look great, but they don't tell you how much hard effort lies ahead when you buy the box!
 
Now, most of the modelers on this forum are crusty old curmudgeons of the male persuasion. Modeling takes a lot of time and many defer it until retirement allows them to time to really concentrate on it. Women ship modelers are rather rare, but, perhaps not surprisingly, some of the best of the best were and are women, a phenomenon that may inure to your benefit. There are two women modelers active in this forum whose work you really should study thoroughly and who you should endeavor to connect with and perhaps even convince to mentor you. 
 
One is "newbuilder 101," an understatement to be sure! Sherry is an accomplished miniaturist modeling in many subjects, not only ships. About seven years ago, she began her build log for her first scratch-built ship, that being the same San Felipe that has caught your eye. She also is using the Panart plans you've mentioned and she scaled those plans down to 1:96 (1/4"=1') so she could display the finished model in her home. In her case, tackling a complex model like this for her first scratch-built ship model was well within her skill set, since she had been scratch-building models of all sorts of other subjects for many years. Her work is "finestkind." Sherry is still working on her San Felipe now seven years later, although, as do many modelers, she's taken a break from it now and again for a change of pace, such as building a violin for her daughter! Check out her build log at 
Read Sherry's log carefully to get a sense of what is involved in exactly the same build you are thinking about, albeit at a bit smaller scale. You will learn much. I'm sure if you send her a PM through the forum, she will be happy to answer any questions you have and get you started in the right direction. That probably won't be building a six foot long sailing model right off the bat, but if you listen and learn, I'll bet whatever you do build will be much better for it.
 
The other woman modeler you really ought to "go to school on" is Doris, a school teacher from the Czech Republic. Like Sherry, for the last seven or eight years, Doris has been chronicling her work on her model of the Royal Catherine in 1:40 scale, another "gingerbread fantasy" from the Eighteenth Century. Doris' work is beyond description. She is probably one of the foremost card stock scratch-modelers of ornate period ships in the world today. Doris builds "card stock" models of cardboard and paper, a medium more popular in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe and the Americas and only now becoming more popular here. Notably, this medium requires a lot less in terms of tools and a workshop, but different skills. She creates the carvings for her intricately decorated models from plastic clay (what we call Femo) and achieves amazing realism with this material. Her build log is most entertaining and she gives great explanations of her techniques. (I suppose that's because she's a teacher by profession!) You can find her build log at: 
 
Royal Catherine is a similar model to San Felipe in terms of its ornate decoration and general design, although not a "galleon" and built fifty years after San Felipe. Also unlike San Felipe, whose very existence is a matter of some historical controversy, Great Catherine came at a time for which we have much better historical records and we have a much more extensive documentation of her actual appearance and details. Whether or not you find any interest in working in "card" and Femo, you'll certainly learn a lot from Doris' posts and get a good understanding of what it takes to build a highly decorated model from scratch. Doris' is fluent in English and she always seems open to responding to inquiries about her work, although she is so popular and followed by so many throughout the world that she sometimes has to turn off her computer to get any modeling work done! I'm sure you will find her a delightful inspiration as have so many others.
 
One thing that's not mentioned much, particularly by kit manufacturers trying to sell their wares, is that building a model takes as much time doing the research as it does doing the building. A kit provides you with the research already done, such as it may be. Some kits are well-researched and accurate. Some are not. Whether it be a kit or a scratch-built model, all good modelers "build the model in their heads," sometimes several times over, often keeping journals and sketch books, before they ever "lay the keel." This is a very satisfying activity in itself, but it also makes the construction of the model much more efficient and trouble free. You can very easily "paint yourself into a corner" building a model if you don't have it all well planned out ahead of time. Working on your Golden Hind will give you good experience in how and why things are done the way they are. Don't be too eager to start building before you've "done your homework." Read every build log on the forum by people who have built the Golden Hind. Learn from their mistakes and problems solved. You'll be glad you did.
 
So, that's all I have to say in response to your question, "Does this sound like a good approach?" Good luck with your build! And remember, when the going gets tough, "Don't give up the ship!"

Great minds think alike, they say.  
 
That one will be a fascinating build, to be sure. Can't wait to watch it.

Great explanations. Thanks much! (I was wondering about the chalking black paint on the masts, but didn't mention it. Excellent effect.) The Pacific Northwest salmon fishery preserved a lot of remarkable vessels at the end of the age of sail. We had the Alaska Packers Association sailing fleet here out of Alameda, California, up until the late 1920's. They had the "Star Fleet," old sailing ships like Glory of the Seas, all renamed "Star of ..." Star of India and Star of Alaska (Balclutha) survived as museums ships. Glory of the Seas wasn't so lucky.
 
I think it's a great idea to portray frequently-modeled vessels at various periods in their lives which haven't been portrayed by modelers. It contributes a lot to recording the history of them. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of models of Constitution in her heyday, but, as far as I know, nobody's ever modeled her in her receiving ship days.
 


 
Well, okay... Constitution is perhaps an extreme example of the concept. (I wonder what the gaff booms on all three masts were all about.) I have had one of the old Marine Models Company Morgan kits, still "mint in the box," sitting on the shelf for about 45 years, but have never started building it. God knows there are enough models of her in the world and no matter how well I built her, it'd just be one more. That said, I've also amassed a pretty extensive research file on her with an eye to modeling her "as launched." I've never seen a model of her at that point in her long life, ship rigged, 1840-period whaleboats, no "shed" built on her poop, windlass aft of the mainmast, no "painted gunports," etc. I imagine she was a better looking boat in her youth. 
 
 
 

You might be interested to know I found a copy some years ago of The Practical Shipbuilder of 1839. It was reprinted in limited facsimile edition in 1940 by Richard McKay. Inside the front cover is glued a sliver of wood about 1" square and about 1/16" thick, labelled in pen:
Piece of the Ways
Donald McKay's Shipyard
East Boston - 1845 - 1875
 
The book is dedicated  and signed by Richard McKay. There are seven fold-out plates of representatire hull forms of a sloop, brig, etc, up to a large ship.

Great explanations. Thanks much! (I was wondering about the chalking black paint on the masts, but didn't mention it. Excellent effect.) The Pacific Northwest salmon fishery preserved a lot of remarkable vessels at the end of the age of sail. We had the Alaska Packers Association sailing fleet here out of Alameda, California, up until the late 1920's. They had the "Star Fleet," old sailing ships like Glory of the Seas, all renamed "Star of ..." Star of India and Star of Alaska (Balclutha) survived as museums ships. Glory of the Seas wasn't so lucky.
 
I think it's a great idea to portray frequently-modeled vessels at various periods in their lives which haven't been portrayed by modelers. It contributes a lot to recording the history of them. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of models of Constitution in her heyday, but, as far as I know, nobody's ever modeled her in her receiving ship days.
 


 
Well, okay... Constitution is perhaps an extreme example of the concept. (I wonder what the gaff booms on all three masts were all about.) I have had one of the old Marine Models Company Morgan kits, still "mint in the box," sitting on the shelf for about 45 years, but have never started building it. God knows there are enough models of her in the world and no matter how well I built her, it'd just be one more. That said, I've also amassed a pretty extensive research file on her with an eye to modeling her "as launched." I've never seen a model of her at that point in her long life, ship rigged, 1840-period whaleboats, no "shed" built on her poop, windlass aft of the mainmast, no "painted gunports," etc. I imagine she was a better looking boat in her youth. 
 
 
 

Great explanations. Thanks much! (I was wondering about the chalking black paint on the masts, but didn't mention it. Excellent effect.) The Pacific Northwest salmon fishery preserved a lot of remarkable vessels at the end of the age of sail. We had the Alaska Packers Association sailing fleet here out of Alameda, California, up until the late 1920's. They had the "Star Fleet," old sailing ships like Glory of the Seas, all renamed "Star of ..." Star of India and Star of Alaska (Balclutha) survived as museums ships. Glory of the Seas wasn't so lucky.
 
I think it's a great idea to portray frequently-modeled vessels at various periods in their lives which haven't been portrayed by modelers. It contributes a lot to recording the history of them. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of models of Constitution in her heyday, but, as far as I know, nobody's ever modeled her in her receiving ship days.
 


 
Well, okay... Constitution is perhaps an extreme example of the concept. (I wonder what the gaff booms on all three masts were all about.) I have had one of the old Marine Models Company Morgan kits, still "mint in the box," sitting on the shelf for about 45 years, but have never started building it. God knows there are enough models of her in the world and no matter how well I built her, it'd just be one more. That said, I've also amassed a pretty extensive research file on her with an eye to modeling her "as launched." I've never seen a model of her at that point in her long life, ship rigged, 1840-period whaleboats, no "shed" built on her poop, windlass aft of the mainmast, no "painted gunports," etc. I imagine she was a better looking boat in her youth. 
 
 
 

Great explanations. Thanks much! (I was wondering about the chalking black paint on the masts, but didn't mention it. Excellent effect.) The Pacific Northwest salmon fishery preserved a lot of remarkable vessels at the end of the age of sail. We had the Alaska Packers Association sailing fleet here out of Alameda, California, up until the late 1920's. They had the "Star Fleet," old sailing ships like Glory of the Seas, all renamed "Star of ..." Star of India and Star of Alaska (Balclutha) survived as museums ships. Glory of the Seas wasn't so lucky.
 
I think it's a great idea to portray frequently-modeled vessels at various periods in their lives which haven't been portrayed by modelers. It contributes a lot to recording the history of them. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of models of Constitution in her heyday, but, as far as I know, nobody's ever modeled her in her receiving ship days.
 


 
Well, okay... Constitution is perhaps an extreme example of the concept. (I wonder what the gaff booms on all three masts were all about.) I have had one of the old Marine Models Company Morgan kits, still "mint in the box," sitting on the shelf for about 45 years, but have never started building it. God knows there are enough models of her in the world and no matter how well I built her, it'd just be one more. That said, I've also amassed a pretty extensive research file on her with an eye to modeling her "as launched." I've never seen a model of her at that point in her long life, ship rigged, 1840-period whaleboats, no "shed" built on her poop, windlass aft of the mainmast, no "painted gunports," etc. I imagine she was a better looking boat in her youth. 
 
 
 

Yes Bob she did *Originally*, however, when she was reduced to a coastal coal and lumber carrier..prior to her being sold as an Alaskan Salmon canary, she had all her stunsail booms removed and had some other cosmetic changes done.  I'm modeling her just about this time frame, that is why there is no gold gilding on her bow and there is ample greying on all of her blackened elements, simulating sun bleaching and an overall  good degree of weathering.  She also had her *boy* cabin removed that sat over her aft hatchway and the chicken house that sat over her midhatch.
I'm primarily focusing on that time period just before she was removed from the registry as a sea going carrier.   This vessel underwent many cosmetic changes and alterations during her life time.  I didn't want to replicate her during her pristine period (I have too many models like that).  I wanted her during her decline of working usefulness.  It makes her artifacts more relevant to the display.
 
There... I hope that explains it well enough......
As usual......thanks for your comments and observations.
 
Rob

I am with Druxey in not using grooves.  They tend to be graves for errant frames if you want to place the frames first.   I make a similar mold shaped to the inside of the frames, then glue tiny spacers to keep the frames in place.  Holly is great for the frames as a minute soaking in water will allow them to be bent without splitting (95% of the time).   Couple photos to give you a better idea of what I mean.
Allan
 

When I first made open boats, my molds were made with grooves for the frames. I realised later that I didn't need to do that: I simply built the planks, edge glued over a plain mold. After freeing the shell, I bent in the frames (this is at 1:48 scale). Works just fine and saves a lot of work. Clinker boats can be built in the same way. The only critical points are:
 
a) The planks must be accurately spiled
b) the fit between strakes be really tight in the case of the carvel hull

In a word, "No." 
 
I'm sure the last thing anyone would ever want to do on this forum is dampen the enthusiasm of a beginning modeler. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that in an effort to avoid doing so, beginners are misled. This is particularly so when their hearts are set on building a gold leaf encrusted gingerbread confection from the Seventeenth Century that an experienced modeler would consider a significant challenge. The responses to their ambitions usually include circumspect advice such as, "You may want to start with a less complicated kit." (Let alone a less complicated scratch-build!) Thereafter, they taper off, leaving the beginning modeler to run hard aground upon the rocky shores of Reality and their enthusiasm for modeling drowned for all eternity. It's not my intention to rain on your parade, but I do believe you deserve some honest and direct answers to your question.
 
1.     San Felipe is a very complex model to build from a kit. Building such a model from scratch is exponentially more complex. What you are contemplating involves years of dedicated craftsmanship of the highest caliber. You may well be capable of that, but it will take you quite some time to acquire those skills and much practice, not to mention money, which may or may not be a consideration for you. The kit costs in the neighborhood of $600 and that's just for the wooden parts. The metal castings set costs an additional $350 or so. If you plan to scratch-build the model, you will have to mill much of your own wood. You will have to turn those hundreds of balusters for the railings on a lathe, each identical to the other. You will have to hand-carve all the intricate carvings that are all over this model. You will have to make the patterns and molds to cast all of the metal castings and you will have to fabricate all the other metal parts from bits of wire and sheet metal silver soldered together and then "blackened" with chemicals. You will have to make your own rigging line in several different scale sizes. If you want the model to actually be capable of sailing in water, you will have to sew your own scale sails, design your own radio control system, and engineer the model to be properly balanced (probably with an auxiliary ballast keel) and decide how to make it watertight and impervious to water damage. (A working model must be much more robustly built than a static model.)
 
2.     The Panart plans are drawn to 1:75 scale, which is itself a somewhat unusual scale here in the States. You propose to double the size of the model, which would mean building to the scale of 1:34.5 scale, which is even more unusual. I'd hazard the guess that there are no fittings or blocks sold anywhere in that exact scale. Your enlarged double-size plans will not contain the details which were impossible to include at the smaller scale. (Sort of like a painting by a near-sighted artist!) You will have to research, identify, and add those details yourself. At the scale you contemplate, you will indeed be doing a total scratch-build because you won't be able to buy ready-made parts in your scale. This means, for instance, that you will have to fabricate some 100 or so cannon. If you want them made of metal, you will have to do that on a metal lathe, or make patterns and molds and cast them yourself. Keep in mind as well that, generally, even the best plans require a considerable amount of knowledge about shipbuilding and rigging to interpret, as so many of the posts in this forum indicate. You will have the forum as a resource, but you must expect that you will encounter errors and omissions in any set of plans that you will have to recognize, correct, and supplement. As for enlarging plans using grid paper, don't even go there. Accurate scale enlargements can be done with specialized engineering drawing copy machines. Otherwise, you will have to redraw the plans yourself, or at least parts of them, using either the skills and instruments of manual drafting or one of the more sophisticated CAD drawing programs... after you've learned to use them. (A skill I've not yet mastered. I'm an old fashioned drawing board jockey.)
 
3.     The model you contemplate will require a huge amount of space to display. Certainly more than the average home can afford. If your model is twice the size of the Panart plans, it will be about 76" long. For a model that size, allow three or four inches all around for "space in the case." (It will require a case for display if it is to survive for any length of time without damage. More than one great model has come to grief from the family cat or the cleaning lady's feather duster!) That comes to a case that's seven feet long. I'm unsure of the other dimensions, but lets estimate those at five feet high and three feet wide. Now take some sticks and a hot glue stick gun and throw together a framed box that's 7'x5'x3' and see how much room it will take up, wherever you plan to put it. Make sure, too, that you are able to even get it inside of a normal room! If you plan to put it in the water, you will have to come up with some sort of trailer to tow and launch it, as well. See where I'm going with this? I could have said, "Gee, that sounds neat!" and gone on to the next post, but would that have been at all helpful to you, really?
 
4.    You will need to invest considerable money into specialized tools. There are those who will point out that many of the great models in museums were made with little more than sailors' pen knives and to a certain extent that is true. In reality, though, if one intends to scratch-build with any degree of accuracy and efficiency, they must acquire a collection of sometimes expensive tools. You will need a micro-table saw, a good quality scroll saw and some sort of mini-lathe. You'll need jewelers' metal working tools. A rope making machine. A rotary tool ("Dermel") and perhaps a drill press. You'll almost certainly have a lot of use for a stationary disk sander and will probably end up wanting a thickness sander, as well. Of course, you'll have to add some tools you've made for yourself along the way because they can't be bought anywhere, and a lot of hand tools. Most of us started with a few tools and buy more as we go along when the need arises. It can add up to a fair bit of change. Even a modest fully-equipped workshop for the sort of serious scratch-building you contemplate will set you back three or four thousand dollars. On the other hand, scratch-building costs relatively little in materials and three or four scratch-built models quickly make up the cost of tools in savings over kits costing hundreds of dollars and quality tools always have a decent resale value if you ever decide you don't need them anymore.
 
So, this is why you hear experienced modelers suggesting you "consider a smaller, simpler model for your first build." My guess would be that maybe one out of ten ship model kits ever get finished because the builders are overwhelmed by them. The pictures on the boxes look great, but they don't tell you how much hard effort lies ahead when you buy the box!
 
Now, most of the modelers on this forum are crusty old curmudgeons of the male persuasion. Modeling takes a lot of time and many defer it until retirement allows them to time to really concentrate on it. Women ship modelers are rather rare, but, perhaps not surprisingly, some of the best of the best were and are women, a phenomenon that may inure to your benefit. There are two women modelers active in this forum whose work you really should study thoroughly and who you should endeavor to connect with and perhaps even convince to mentor you. 
 
One is "newbuilder 101," an understatement to be sure! Sherry is an accomplished miniaturist modeling in many subjects, not only ships. About seven years ago, she began her build log for her first scratch-built ship, that being the same San Felipe that has caught your eye. She also is using the Panart plans you've mentioned and she scaled those plans down to 1:96 (1/4"=1') so she could display the finished model in her home. In her case, tackling a complex model like this for her first scratch-built ship model was well within her skill set, since she had been scratch-building models of all sorts of other subjects for many years. Her work is "finestkind." Sherry is still working on her San Felipe now seven years later, although, as do many modelers, she's taken a break from it now and again for a change of pace, such as building a violin for her daughter! Check out her build log at 
Read Sherry's log carefully to get a sense of what is involved in exactly the same build you are thinking about, albeit at a bit smaller scale. You will learn much. I'm sure if you send her a PM through the forum, she will be happy to answer any questions you have and get you started in the right direction. That probably won't be building a six foot long sailing model right off the bat, but if you listen and learn, I'll bet whatever you do build will be much better for it.
 
The other woman modeler you really ought to "go to school on" is Doris, a school teacher from the Czech Republic. Like Sherry, for the last seven or eight years, Doris has been chronicling her work on her model of the Royal Catherine in 1:40 scale, another "gingerbread fantasy" from the Eighteenth Century. Doris' work is beyond description. She is probably one of the foremost card stock scratch-modelers of ornate period ships in the world today. Doris builds "card stock" models of cardboard and paper, a medium more popular in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe and the Americas and only now becoming more popular here. Notably, this medium requires a lot less in terms of tools and a workshop, but different skills. She creates the carvings for her intricately decorated models from plastic clay (what we call Femo) and achieves amazing realism with this material. Her build log is most entertaining and she gives great explanations of her techniques. (I suppose that's because she's a teacher by profession!) You can find her build log at: 
 
Royal Catherine is a similar model to San Felipe in terms of its ornate decoration and general design, although not a "galleon" and built fifty years after San Felipe. Also unlike San Felipe, whose very existence is a matter of some historical controversy, Great Catherine came at a time for which we have much better historical records and we have a much more extensive documentation of her actual appearance and details. Whether or not you find any interest in working in "card" and Femo, you'll certainly learn a lot from Doris' posts and get a good understanding of what it takes to build a highly decorated model from scratch. Doris' is fluent in English and she always seems open to responding to inquiries about her work, although she is so popular and followed by so many throughout the world that she sometimes has to turn off her computer to get any modeling work done! I'm sure you will find her a delightful inspiration as have so many others.
 
One thing that's not mentioned much, particularly by kit manufacturers trying to sell their wares, is that building a model takes as much time doing the research as it does doing the building. A kit provides you with the research already done, such as it may be. Some kits are well-researched and accurate. Some are not. Whether it be a kit or a scratch-built model, all good modelers "build the model in their heads," sometimes several times over, often keeping journals and sketch books, before they ever "lay the keel." This is a very satisfying activity in itself, but it also makes the construction of the model much more efficient and trouble free. You can very easily "paint yourself into a corner" building a model if you don't have it all well planned out ahead of time. Working on your Golden Hind will give you good experience in how and why things are done the way they are. Don't be too eager to start building before you've "done your homework." Read every build log on the forum by people who have built the Golden Hind. Learn from their mistakes and problems solved. You'll be glad you did.
 
So, that's all I have to say in response to your question, "Does this sound like a good approach?" Good luck with your build! And remember, when the going gets tough, "Don't give up the ship!"

Like the other gentlemen say!

My personal bias:
Contact cement is really terrible for anything on a ship model.  It tends to oxidize and fail in a decades time line.  You get one shot at placement, no fine adjustment possible.
Duco is not a good choice and fails any serious strength test.
Hide glue I have not tried it, but really old school is hide glue flakes melted in a glue pot.  Messy and time consuming, but it should last a couple hundred years.  I tried Franklin liquid hide glue as a reversible wood to wood bond - it held too strongly for my purposes.  Old Brown Glue is said to be a better choice,  but this type is probably too aqueous to play nice with wood.  The pot type has a lot less water.
CA,  some love it and a lot of us moldy figs really hate it and do not touch it.
Epoxy,  the thing to use for metal to wood,  but too messy and ugly for wood to wood.
PVA  - the go to for wood to wood.  The closer the two surfaces, the stronger the bond.  It comes white (dries clear), yellow ( aliphatic ) dries amber and has partial to complete water resistance -depending on the formula used.  It also comes white pH7 - bookbinders strictly for rigging done using natural fibers.   If you coat both surfaces with PVA, let it dry, put the two surfaces together and iron it, the heat allows a bond.  It is a contact cement of sorts. I doubt that the strength is anything like a wet PVA bond.  A proper PVA bond is stronger than the lignin that holds the wood fibers together.
Foaming type would be awful to mess with.
Resorcinol glue is the thing if you are building a full size PT boat,  not worth the trouble on a model.
 
Your bonding - PVA and clamping or weight.  East coast US,  what with the humidity, I prefer Titebond II.

In a word, "No." 
 
I'm sure the last thing anyone would ever want to do on this forum is dampen the enthusiasm of a beginning modeler. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that in an effort to avoid doing so, beginners are misled. This is particularly so when their hearts are set on building a gold leaf encrusted gingerbread confection from the Seventeenth Century that an experienced modeler would consider a significant challenge. The responses to their ambitions usually include circumspect advice such as, "You may want to start with a less complicated kit." (Let alone a less complicated scratch-build!) Thereafter, they taper off, leaving the beginning modeler to run hard aground upon the rocky shores of Reality and their enthusiasm for modeling drowned for all eternity. It's not my intention to rain on your parade, but I do believe you deserve some honest and direct answers to your question.
 
1.     San Felipe is a very complex model to build from a kit. Building such a model from scratch is exponentially more complex. What you are contemplating involves years of dedicated craftsmanship of the highest caliber. You may well be capable of that, but it will take you quite some time to acquire those skills and much practice, not to mention money, which may or may not be a consideration for you. The kit costs in the neighborhood of $600 and that's just for the wooden parts. The metal castings set costs an additional $350 or so. If you plan to scratch-build the model, you will have to mill much of your own wood. You will have to turn those hundreds of balusters for the railings on a lathe, each identical to the other. You will have to hand-carve all the intricate carvings that are all over this model. You will have to make the patterns and molds to cast all of the metal castings and you will have to fabricate all the other metal parts from bits of wire and sheet metal silver soldered together and then "blackened" with chemicals. You will have to make your own rigging line in several different scale sizes. If you want the model to actually be capable of sailing in water, you will have to sew your own scale sails, design your own radio control system, and engineer the model to be properly balanced (probably with an auxiliary ballast keel) and decide how to make it watertight and impervious to water damage. (A working model must be much more robustly built than a static model.)
 
2.     The Panart plans are drawn to 1:75 scale, which is itself a somewhat unusual scale here in the States. You propose to double the size of the model, which would mean building to the scale of 1:34.5 scale, which is even more unusual. I'd hazard the guess that there are no fittings or blocks sold anywhere in that exact scale. Your enlarged double-size plans will not contain the details which were impossible to include at the smaller scale. (Sort of like a painting by a near-sighted artist!) You will have to research, identify, and add those details yourself. At the scale you contemplate, you will indeed be doing a total scratch-build because you won't be able to buy ready-made parts in your scale. This means, for instance, that you will have to fabricate some 100 or so cannon. If you want them made of metal, you will have to do that on a metal lathe, or make patterns and molds and cast them yourself. Keep in mind as well that, generally, even the best plans require a considerable amount of knowledge about shipbuilding and rigging to interpret, as so many of the posts in this forum indicate. You will have the forum as a resource, but you must expect that you will encounter errors and omissions in any set of plans that you will have to recognize, correct, and supplement. As for enlarging plans using grid paper, don't even go there. Accurate scale enlargements can be done with specialized engineering drawing copy machines. Otherwise, you will have to redraw the plans yourself, or at least parts of them, using either the skills and instruments of manual drafting or one of the more sophisticated CAD drawing programs... after you've learned to use them. (A skill I've not yet mastered. I'm an old fashioned drawing board jockey.)
 
3.     The model you contemplate will require a huge amount of space to display. Certainly more than the average home can afford. If your model is twice the size of the Panart plans, it will be about 76" long. For a model that size, allow three or four inches all around for "space in the case." (It will require a case for display if it is to survive for any length of time without damage. More than one great model has come to grief from the family cat or the cleaning lady's feather duster!) That comes to a case that's seven feet long. I'm unsure of the other dimensions, but lets estimate those at five feet high and three feet wide. Now take some sticks and a hot glue stick gun and throw together a framed box that's 7'x5'x3' and see how much room it will take up, wherever you plan to put it. Make sure, too, that you are able to even get it inside of a normal room! If you plan to put it in the water, you will have to come up with some sort of trailer to tow and launch it, as well. See where I'm going with this? I could have said, "Gee, that sounds neat!" and gone on to the next post, but would that have been at all helpful to you, really?
 
4.    You will need to invest considerable money into specialized tools. There are those who will point out that many of the great models in museums were made with little more than sailors' pen knives and to a certain extent that is true. In reality, though, if one intends to scratch-build with any degree of accuracy and efficiency, they must acquire a collection of sometimes expensive tools. You will need a micro-table saw, a good quality scroll saw and some sort of mini-lathe. You'll need jewelers' metal working tools. A rope making machine. A rotary tool ("Dermel") and perhaps a drill press. You'll almost certainly have a lot of use for a stationary disk sander and will probably end up wanting a thickness sander, as well. Of course, you'll have to add some tools you've made for yourself along the way because they can't be bought anywhere, and a lot of hand tools. Most of us started with a few tools and buy more as we go along when the need arises. It can add up to a fair bit of change. Even a modest fully-equipped workshop for the sort of serious scratch-building you contemplate will set you back three or four thousand dollars. On the other hand, scratch-building costs relatively little in materials and three or four scratch-built models quickly make up the cost of tools in savings over kits costing hundreds of dollars and quality tools always have a decent resale value if you ever decide you don't need them anymore.
 
So, this is why you hear experienced modelers suggesting you "consider a smaller, simpler model for your first build." My guess would be that maybe one out of ten ship model kits ever get finished because the builders are overwhelmed by them. The pictures on the boxes look great, but they don't tell you how much hard effort lies ahead when you buy the box!
 
Now, most of the modelers on this forum are crusty old curmudgeons of the male persuasion. Modeling takes a lot of time and many defer it until retirement allows them to time to really concentrate on it. Women ship modelers are rather rare, but, perhaps not surprisingly, some of the best of the best were and are women, a phenomenon that may inure to your benefit. There are two women modelers active in this forum whose work you really should study thoroughly and who you should endeavor to connect with and perhaps even convince to mentor you. 
 
One is "newbuilder 101," an understatement to be sure! Sherry is an accomplished miniaturist modeling in many subjects, not only ships. About seven years ago, she began her build log for her first scratch-built ship, that being the same San Felipe that has caught your eye. She also is using the Panart plans you've mentioned and she scaled those plans down to 1:96 (1/4"=1') so she could display the finished model in her home. In her case, tackling a complex model like this for her first scratch-built ship model was well within her skill set, since she had been scratch-building models of all sorts of other subjects for many years. Her work is "finestkind." Sherry is still working on her San Felipe now seven years later, although, as do many modelers, she's taken a break from it now and again for a change of pace, such as building a violin for her daughter! Check out her build log at 
Read Sherry's log carefully to get a sense of what is involved in exactly the same build you are thinking about, albeit at a bit smaller scale. You will learn much. I'm sure if you send her a PM through the forum, she will be happy to answer any questions you have and get you started in the right direction. That probably won't be building a six foot long sailing model right off the bat, but if you listen and learn, I'll bet whatever you do build will be much better for it.
 
The other woman modeler you really ought to "go to school on" is Doris, a school teacher from the Czech Republic. Like Sherry, for the last seven or eight years, Doris has been chronicling her work on her model of the Royal Catherine in 1:40 scale, another "gingerbread fantasy" from the Eighteenth Century. Doris' work is beyond description. She is probably one of the foremost card stock scratch-modelers of ornate period ships in the world today. Doris builds "card stock" models of cardboard and paper, a medium more popular in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe and the Americas and only now becoming more popular here. Notably, this medium requires a lot less in terms of tools and a workshop, but different skills. She creates the carvings for her intricately decorated models from plastic clay (what we call Femo) and achieves amazing realism with this material. Her build log is most entertaining and she gives great explanations of her techniques. (I suppose that's because she's a teacher by profession!) You can find her build log at: 
 
Royal Catherine is a similar model to San Felipe in terms of its ornate decoration and general design, although not a "galleon" and built fifty years after San Felipe. Also unlike San Felipe, whose very existence is a matter of some historical controversy, Great Catherine came at a time for which we have much better historical records and we have a much more extensive documentation of her actual appearance and details. Whether or not you find any interest in working in "card" and Femo, you'll certainly learn a lot from Doris' posts and get a good understanding of what it takes to build a highly decorated model from scratch. Doris' is fluent in English and she always seems open to responding to inquiries about her work, although she is so popular and followed by so many throughout the world that she sometimes has to turn off her computer to get any modeling work done! I'm sure you will find her a delightful inspiration as have so many others.
 
One thing that's not mentioned much, particularly by kit manufacturers trying to sell their wares, is that building a model takes as much time doing the research as it does doing the building. A kit provides you with the research already done, such as it may be. Some kits are well-researched and accurate. Some are not. Whether it be a kit or a scratch-built model, all good modelers "build the model in their heads," sometimes several times over, often keeping journals and sketch books, before they ever "lay the keel." This is a very satisfying activity in itself, but it also makes the construction of the model much more efficient and trouble free. You can very easily "paint yourself into a corner" building a model if you don't have it all well planned out ahead of time. Working on your Golden Hind will give you good experience in how and why things are done the way they are. Don't be too eager to start building before you've "done your homework." Read every build log on the forum by people who have built the Golden Hind. Learn from their mistakes and problems solved. You'll be glad you did.
 
So, that's all I have to say in response to your question, "Does this sound like a good approach?" Good luck with your build! And remember, when the going gets tough, "Don't give up the ship!"

In a word, "No." 
 
I'm sure the last thing anyone would ever want to do on this forum is dampen the enthusiasm of a beginning modeler. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that in an effort to avoid doing so, beginners are misled. This is particularly so when their hearts are set on building a gold leaf encrusted gingerbread confection from the Seventeenth Century that an experienced modeler would consider a significant challenge. The responses to their ambitions usually include circumspect advice such as, "You may want to start with a less complicated kit." (Let alone a less complicated scratch-build!) Thereafter, they taper off, leaving the beginning modeler to run hard aground upon the rocky shores of Reality and their enthusiasm for modeling drowned for all eternity. It's not my intention to rain on your parade, but I do believe you deserve some honest and direct answers to your question.
 
1.     San Felipe is a very complex model to build from a kit. Building such a model from scratch is exponentially more complex. What you are contemplating involves years of dedicated craftsmanship of the highest caliber. You may well be capable of that, but it will take you quite some time to acquire those skills and much practice, not to mention money, which may or may not be a consideration for you. The kit costs in the neighborhood of $600 and that's just for the wooden parts. The metal castings set costs an additional $350 or so. If you plan to scratch-build the model, you will have to mill much of your own wood. You will have to turn those hundreds of balusters for the railings on a lathe, each identical to the other. You will have to hand-carve all the intricate carvings that are all over this model. You will have to make the patterns and molds to cast all of the metal castings and you will have to fabricate all the other metal parts from bits of wire and sheet metal silver soldered together and then "blackened" with chemicals. You will have to make your own rigging line in several different scale sizes. If you want the model to actually be capable of sailing in water, you will have to sew your own scale sails, design your own radio control system, and engineer the model to be properly balanced (probably with an auxiliary ballast keel) and decide how to make it watertight and impervious to water damage. (A working model must be much more robustly built than a static model.)
 
2.     The Panart plans are drawn to 1:75 scale, which is itself a somewhat unusual scale here in the States. You propose to double the size of the model, which would mean building to the scale of 1:34.5 scale, which is even more unusual. I'd hazard the guess that there are no fittings or blocks sold anywhere in that exact scale. Your enlarged double-size plans will not contain the details which were impossible to include at the smaller scale. (Sort of like a painting by a near-sighted artist!) You will have to research, identify, and add those details yourself. At the scale you contemplate, you will indeed be doing a total scratch-build because you won't be able to buy ready-made parts in your scale. This means, for instance, that you will have to fabricate some 100 or so cannon. If you want them made of metal, you will have to do that on a metal lathe, or make patterns and molds and cast them yourself. Keep in mind as well that, generally, even the best plans require a considerable amount of knowledge about shipbuilding and rigging to interpret, as so many of the posts in this forum indicate. You will have the forum as a resource, but you must expect that you will encounter errors and omissions in any set of plans that you will have to recognize, correct, and supplement. As for enlarging plans using grid paper, don't even go there. Accurate scale enlargements can be done with specialized engineering drawing copy machines. Otherwise, you will have to redraw the plans yourself, or at least parts of them, using either the skills and instruments of manual drafting or one of the more sophisticated CAD drawing programs... after you've learned to use them. (A skill I've not yet mastered. I'm an old fashioned drawing board jockey.)
 
3.     The model you contemplate will require a huge amount of space to display. Certainly more than the average home can afford. If your model is twice the size of the Panart plans, it will be about 76" long. For a model that size, allow three or four inches all around for "space in the case." (It will require a case for display if it is to survive for any length of time without damage. More than one great model has come to grief from the family cat or the cleaning lady's feather duster!) That comes to a case that's seven feet long. I'm unsure of the other dimensions, but lets estimate those at five feet high and three feet wide. Now take some sticks and a hot glue stick gun and throw together a framed box that's 7'x5'x3' and see how much room it will take up, wherever you plan to put it. Make sure, too, that you are able to even get it inside of a normal room! If you plan to put it in the water, you will have to come up with some sort of trailer to tow and launch it, as well. See where I'm going with this? I could have said, "Gee, that sounds neat!" and gone on to the next post, but would that have been at all helpful to you, really?
 
4.    You will need to invest considerable money into specialized tools. There are those who will point out that many of the great models in museums were made with little more than sailors' pen knives and to a certain extent that is true. In reality, though, if one intends to scratch-build with any degree of accuracy and efficiency, they must acquire a collection of sometimes expensive tools. You will need a micro-table saw, a good quality scroll saw and some sort of mini-lathe. You'll need jewelers' metal working tools. A rope making machine. A rotary tool ("Dermel") and perhaps a drill press. You'll almost certainly have a lot of use for a stationary disk sander and will probably end up wanting a thickness sander, as well. Of course, you'll have to add some tools you've made for yourself along the way because they can't be bought anywhere, and a lot of hand tools. Most of us started with a few tools and buy more as we go along when the need arises. It can add up to a fair bit of change. Even a modest fully-equipped workshop for the sort of serious scratch-building you contemplate will set you back three or four thousand dollars. On the other hand, scratch-building costs relatively little in materials and three or four scratch-built models quickly make up the cost of tools in savings over kits costing hundreds of dollars and quality tools always have a decent resale value if you ever decide you don't need them anymore.
 
So, this is why you hear experienced modelers suggesting you "consider a smaller, simpler model for your first build." My guess would be that maybe one out of ten ship model kits ever get finished because the builders are overwhelmed by them. The pictures on the boxes look great, but they don't tell you how much hard effort lies ahead when you buy the box!
 
Now, most of the modelers on this forum are crusty old curmudgeons of the male persuasion. Modeling takes a lot of time and many defer it until retirement allows them to time to really concentrate on it. Women ship modelers are rather rare, but, perhaps not surprisingly, some of the best of the best were and are women, a phenomenon that may inure to your benefit. There are two women modelers active in this forum whose work you really should study thoroughly and who you should endeavor to connect with and perhaps even convince to mentor you. 
 
One is "newbuilder 101," an understatement to be sure! Sherry is an accomplished miniaturist modeling in many subjects, not only ships. About seven years ago, she began her build log for her first scratch-built ship, that being the same San Felipe that has caught your eye. She also is using the Panart plans you've mentioned and she scaled those plans down to 1:96 (1/4"=1') so she could display the finished model in her home. In her case, tackling a complex model like this for her first scratch-built ship model was well within her skill set, since she had been scratch-building models of all sorts of other subjects for many years. Her work is "finestkind." Sherry is still working on her San Felipe now seven years later, although, as do many modelers, she's taken a break from it now and again for a change of pace, such as building a violin for her daughter! Check out her build log at 
Read Sherry's log carefully to get a sense of what is involved in exactly the same build you are thinking about, albeit at a bit smaller scale. You will learn much. I'm sure if you send her a PM through the forum, she will be happy to answer any questions you have and get you started in the right direction. That probably won't be building a six foot long sailing model right off the bat, but if you listen and learn, I'll bet whatever you do build will be much better for it.
 
The other woman modeler you really ought to "go to school on" is Doris, a school teacher from the Czech Republic. Like Sherry, for the last seven or eight years, Doris has been chronicling her work on her model of the Royal Catherine in 1:40 scale, another "gingerbread fantasy" from the Eighteenth Century. Doris' work is beyond description. She is probably one of the foremost card stock scratch-modelers of ornate period ships in the world today. Doris builds "card stock" models of cardboard and paper, a medium more popular in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe and the Americas and only now becoming more popular here. Notably, this medium requires a lot less in terms of tools and a workshop, but different skills. She creates the carvings for her intricately decorated models from plastic clay (what we call Femo) and achieves amazing realism with this material. Her build log is most entertaining and she gives great explanations of her techniques. (I suppose that's because she's a teacher by profession!) You can find her build log at: 
 
Royal Catherine is a similar model to San Felipe in terms of its ornate decoration and general design, although not a "galleon" and built fifty years after San Felipe. Also unlike San Felipe, whose very existence is a matter of some historical controversy, Great Catherine came at a time for which we have much better historical records and we have a much more extensive documentation of her actual appearance and details. Whether or not you find any interest in working in "card" and Femo, you'll certainly learn a lot from Doris' posts and get a good understanding of what it takes to build a highly decorated model from scratch. Doris' is fluent in English and she always seems open to responding to inquiries about her work, although she is so popular and followed by so many throughout the world that she sometimes has to turn off her computer to get any modeling work done! I'm sure you will find her a delightful inspiration as have so many others.
 
One thing that's not mentioned much, particularly by kit manufacturers trying to sell their wares, is that building a model takes as much time doing the research as it does doing the building. A kit provides you with the research already done, such as it may be. Some kits are well-researched and accurate. Some are not. Whether it be a kit or a scratch-built model, all good modelers "build the model in their heads," sometimes several times over, often keeping journals and sketch books, before they ever "lay the keel." This is a very satisfying activity in itself, but it also makes the construction of the model much more efficient and trouble free. You can very easily "paint yourself into a corner" building a model if you don't have it all well planned out ahead of time. Working on your Golden Hind will give you good experience in how and why things are done the way they are. Don't be too eager to start building before you've "done your homework." Read every build log on the forum by people who have built the Golden Hind. Learn from their mistakes and problems solved. You'll be glad you did.
 
So, that's all I have to say in response to your question, "Does this sound like a good approach?" Good luck with your build! And remember, when the going gets tough, "Don't give up the ship!"

Beautiful! 

Paper is one of the shortest-lasting materials used in modeling. It's highly susceptible to acidic deterioration, both inherently, as with papers containing acids, and externally, from environmental factors. Adhesives used on paper pose the risk of soaking into the paper and attacking it chemically, as well. Over time, glues can permeate paper and stain and discolor it. Chuck's suggested use of Avery Glue Sticks is probably a good option.  Paper conservators use rice and wheat-based pastes. White (clear) shellac is also a good solution, so long as the ink isn't alcohol-soluble. A coat of thin shellac will hold a piece of paper and another on top will seal the paper. This "decoupage" method also works with any clear coating. 
 
I've bookmarked this chart on adhesives from the Preservation Self-Assessment Program ("PSAP") and others might find it helpful: https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/adhesives
 
"The PSAP is a free online tool that helps museum and library collection managers prioritize efforts to improve conditions of collections. Through guided evaluation of materials, storage/exhibit environments, and institutional policies, the PSAP produces reports on the factors that impact the health of cultural heritage materials, and defines the points from which to begin care." The PSAP is chock-full of data on the archival qualities of materials and preservation methods. Anybody who cares about the longevity of their models will probably find it very interesting.  

Hi Kenna,
 
I suggest you pick up a copy of Antonio Mendez C.'s now-very-affordable book, William Frederick's (1874) Scale Journey: A Scratchbuilder's Evolutionary Development available on eBay and Amazon. I wrote a review of it. (Link below.) The late Mr. Mendez was an internationally recognized ship modeler of long standing who specialized in sailing models. His book is full of information on how to build model ships that actually sail. I'm not aware of any other books on that subject. There is, of course, much in his book that applies to static models, as well, but if you are interested in models that actually sail, this is the book that has all that. I'd strongly recommend that you get a copy and read up on the subject before starting to "chop wood." It will likely save you lots of time and frustration and ensure your build is top notch. 
 
As I'm sure others will also say to you, start small and work up to something like a Manila galleon. The most common mistake most ship modelers make is biting off more than they can chew on their first attempt. There's a learning curve to it, like anything else. (Don't believe the kit manufacturers' sales hype that "anyone can do it!") Start with a relatively simple fore and aft rigged sailing vessel and get the basics under your belt. Learn to play simple pieces before tackling Bach! 
 

Paper is one of the shortest-lasting materials used in modeling. It's highly susceptible to acidic deterioration, both inherently, as with papers containing acids, and externally, from environmental factors. Adhesives used on paper pose the risk of soaking into the paper and attacking it chemically, as well. Over time, glues can permeate paper and stain and discolor it. Chuck's suggested use of Avery Glue Sticks is probably a good option.  Paper conservators use rice and wheat-based pastes. White (clear) shellac is also a good solution, so long as the ink isn't alcohol-soluble. A coat of thin shellac will hold a piece of paper and another on top will seal the paper. This "decoupage" method also works with any clear coating. 
 
I've bookmarked this chart on adhesives from the Preservation Self-Assessment Program ("PSAP") and others might find it helpful: https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/adhesives
 
"The PSAP is a free online tool that helps museum and library collection managers prioritize efforts to improve conditions of collections. Through guided evaluation of materials, storage/exhibit environments, and institutional policies, the PSAP produces reports on the factors that impact the health of cultural heritage materials, and defines the points from which to begin care." The PSAP is chock-full of data on the archival qualities of materials and preservation methods. Anybody who cares about the longevity of their models will probably find it very interesting.  

Actually, I believe they coated the bottoms with pitch (pine tar) and then applied the tallow on top of the pitch. The tallow was mixed with hair from horses or other animals. It was believed the hair deterred marine borers. 

Paper is one of the shortest-lasting materials used in modeling. It's highly susceptible to acidic deterioration, both inherently, as with papers containing acids, and externally, from environmental factors. Adhesives used on paper pose the risk of soaking into the paper and attacking it chemically, as well. Over time, glues can permeate paper and stain and discolor it. Chuck's suggested use of Avery Glue Sticks is probably a good option.  Paper conservators use rice and wheat-based pastes. White (clear) shellac is also a good solution, so long as the ink isn't alcohol-soluble. A coat of thin shellac will hold a piece of paper and another on top will seal the paper. This "decoupage" method also works with any clear coating. 
 
I've bookmarked this chart on adhesives from the Preservation Self-Assessment Program ("PSAP") and others might find it helpful: https://psap.library.illinois.edu/collection-id-guide/adhesives
 
"The PSAP is a free online tool that helps museum and library collection managers prioritize efforts to improve conditions of collections. Through guided evaluation of materials, storage/exhibit environments, and institutional policies, the PSAP produces reports on the factors that impact the health of cultural heritage materials, and defines the points from which to begin care." The PSAP is chock-full of data on the archival qualities of materials and preservation methods. Anybody who cares about the longevity of their models will probably find it very interesting.  

Before using a solvent-based glue, check that it does not attack the printing ink and/or leads to bleeding of the inks.

Hi Kenna,
 
I suggest you pick up a copy of Antonio Mendez C.'s now-very-affordable book, William Frederick's (1874) Scale Journey: A Scratchbuilder's Evolutionary Development available on eBay and Amazon. I wrote a review of it. (Link below.) The late Mr. Mendez was an internationally recognized ship modeler of long standing who specialized in sailing models. His book is full of information on how to build model ships that actually sail. I'm not aware of any other books on that subject. There is, of course, much in his book that applies to static models, as well, but if you are interested in models that actually sail, this is the book that has all that. I'd strongly recommend that you get a copy and read up on the subject before starting to "chop wood." It will likely save you lots of time and frustration and ensure your build is top notch. 
 
As I'm sure others will also say to you, start small and work up to something like a Manila galleon. The most common mistake most ship modelers make is biting off more than they can chew on their first attempt. There's a learning curve to it, like anything else. (Don't believe the kit manufacturers' sales hype that "anyone can do it!") Start with a relatively simple fore and aft rigged sailing vessel and get the basics under your belt. Learn to play simple pieces before tackling Bach! 
 

Hi Kenna,
 
I suggest you pick up a copy of Antonio Mendez C.'s now-very-affordable book, William Frederick's (1874) Scale Journey: A Scratchbuilder's Evolutionary Development available on eBay and Amazon. I wrote a review of it. (Link below.) The late Mr. Mendez was an internationally recognized ship modeler of long standing who specialized in sailing models. His book is full of information on how to build model ships that actually sail. I'm not aware of any other books on that subject. There is, of course, much in his book that applies to static models, as well, but if you are interested in models that actually sail, this is the book that has all that. I'd strongly recommend that you get a copy and read up on the subject before starting to "chop wood." It will likely save you lots of time and frustration and ensure your build is top notch. 
 
As I'm sure others will also say to you, start small and work up to something like a Manila galleon. The most common mistake most ship modelers make is biting off more than they can chew on their first attempt. There's a learning curve to it, like anything else. (Don't believe the kit manufacturers' sales hype that "anyone can do it!") Start with a relatively simple fore and aft rigged sailing vessel and get the basics under your belt. Learn to play simple pieces before tackling Bach!