Replacing Ply Bulwarks

[jbford]

I'm currently building the Mantua Albatros.  It has plywood bulwarks (UGH!)

The ply is hard to bend, prone to splitting after soaking, hard to cut, and hard to

get the cannon ports to the right heights.

 

Have a couple of Latina kits waiting to be built and they have the same design.

 

Thankfully, several manufacturers employ built-up bulwarks where the construction is the same

from keel to top-rail.

 

Other than avoiding kits that are not designed the way one likes, is it common to replace

the ply with bass sheet or even completely do away with the sheet wood and go completely

to strip-wood construction?

 

 

[dgbot]

Not at all.  Over the years I have replace the ply bulwarks many times. As for a solid sheet or a built up it will depend on your patience and the model you are working on.

David B

[jarero]

I have only built one model so far that had ply bulwarks and I didn't have any of the issues that you described so I must have just got lucky I suppose. I have seen a number of the veterans on this site recommend replacing the ply pieces with bass.

 

Here is a link to a build where he did just that:

 

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/997-swift-by-themadchemist-artesania-latina-virginia-pilot-boat-1805-older-version/page-16

 

Take a look at post #232

 

Good luck!

[captainbob]

When I was building kits I replaced most of the wood because I thought it was junk.

Paying for kits plus new wood got too expensive.  That's why I scratch build now.

 

Bob

[jbford]

thanks for the replies! i am certainly not ready to scratch build, but substituting some sheet for the ply like was done by builder of that old AL Swift looks to be in my future.