CPDDET Posted June 15, 2019 Share #1 Posted June 15, 2019 Made $100.00 at the garage sale and thought I would sink it into tools for shipbuilding. Since I'm a newbie I thought I would ask more experienced shipwrights about this. I have a good selection of cutting blades, tweezers, razor saw & miter box, jewelers pliers, mini Dremel and electric sander. Have paint supplies as well Maybe rigging tools (if they are really needed)? Will be starting that soon. Any input on "must have " tools would be most welcome and appreciated. Dave lmagna, mtaylor and CDW 3 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDW Posted June 15, 2019 Share #2 Posted June 15, 2019 If you plan to build plank on frame ship models, a plank bender is going to be very useful. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Electric-Plank-Bender-for-Hobby-Model-Ships-by-Model-Shipways-MS7205/253473190370?hash=item3b042df1e2:g:f6QAAOSwJ8pan5Dn Canute, mtaylor and lmagna 3 Quote Completed Projects: USS Fletcher 1:144 Scharnhorst 1:350 USS Independence LCS-2 1:350 1:32 J7W1 Shinden Interceptor/Fighter Fairey Swordfish Mk. II 1:48 Harbor Tug Box Scale Albatros D.V 1:32 Ala-Kart 1:25 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder 1:24 S-100 Schnellboot 1:72 Mercury Capsule and Atlas Booster BR-52 Steam Locomotive 1:35 Triumph 3 HW Motorcycle 1:9 Scale F-16XL-2 Experimental Fighter Bomber 1:48 Rafale 1:48 F-15E Strike Eagle 1:48 Petlyakov PE-2 Soviet Dive Bomber 1:48 TBM3 Avenger 1:32 1931 Cadillac 1:25 Scammell Pioneer SV2S Heavy Breakdown Tractor 1:35 M-50 Israeli Sherman 1:35 Military Wrecker 1:32 Delahaye 135 1:24 Toyota Sard Supra GT 1:24 Enzo Ferrari 1:24 1970 Baldwin Motion Camaro 1:25 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 Stock Car 1:25 American LaFrance Eagle Fire Pumper 1:25 1940 Ford Standard Coupe 1:25 VolksWagen Dragster/Dune Buggy/Street Rod 1:25 Kawasaki Ninja H2 Carbon 1:12 Porsche GT-1 Evo 1:24 Scharnhorst 1940 1:700 IJN Akitsushima Seaplane Tender 1:700 HMS Hood 1941 1:700 Prinz Eugen 1942 1:700 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vossy Posted June 15, 2019 Share #3 Posted June 15, 2019 (edited) Hey Dave, I find I use a small modelling hammer all the time, depending on your eyesight, some magnifying tools may be useful too. Pin vises are always necessary, and you can NEVER have enough clamps of any size! In my opinion, some of the fancy rigging/ratline tools/frames are a waste of money. A good selection of small chisels come in handy, and if I had any money left over I would probably stock up on sandpaper of various grades and different types of tape for masking and holding. And what CDW said; definitely invest in a good plank bender! Cheers Chris Edited June 15, 2019 by vossy lmagna, Bob Cleek, Canute and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 15, 2019 Author Share #4 Posted June 15, 2019 The plank bender sounds like a good investment. I managed on my Bluenose without it but there are some future builds I'm eyeing where it would be a big help. Any thoughts on this bending jig? Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vossy Posted June 15, 2019 Share #5 Posted June 15, 2019 Using water and heat will achieve the same results 100 times quicker. Amati has a great soldering iron plank bender. I use that for all my bending needs. I am sure others will have their favourite methods as well, but it really comes down to soaking the wood to make it pliable, then heating it to achieve the desired shape. Once the wood is then cooled it will hold the shape. Chris lmagna, CDW, CaptainSteve and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDW Posted June 15, 2019 Share #6 Posted June 15, 2019 10 minutes ago, CPDDET said: Any thoughts on this bending jig? It looks very interesting, but I have never used one and cannot say how useful it might be in the long haul. Vossy (Chris) also provided a very thoughtful list of day-to-day ship modeling tools. He is spot on about the need for various size and types of clamps. You can get a lot of ideas for useful tools that won't break the bank by follow the build threads here at MSW. John Allen, mtaylor and Canute 3 Quote Completed Projects: USS Fletcher 1:144 Scharnhorst 1:350 USS Independence LCS-2 1:350 1:32 J7W1 Shinden Interceptor/Fighter Fairey Swordfish Mk. II 1:48 Harbor Tug Box Scale Albatros D.V 1:32 Ala-Kart 1:25 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder 1:24 S-100 Schnellboot 1:72 Mercury Capsule and Atlas Booster BR-52 Steam Locomotive 1:35 Triumph 3 HW Motorcycle 1:9 Scale F-16XL-2 Experimental Fighter Bomber 1:48 Rafale 1:48 F-15E Strike Eagle 1:48 Petlyakov PE-2 Soviet Dive Bomber 1:48 TBM3 Avenger 1:32 1931 Cadillac 1:25 Scammell Pioneer SV2S Heavy Breakdown Tractor 1:35 M-50 Israeli Sherman 1:35 Military Wrecker 1:32 Delahaye 135 1:24 Toyota Sard Supra GT 1:24 Enzo Ferrari 1:24 1970 Baldwin Motion Camaro 1:25 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 Stock Car 1:25 American LaFrance Eagle Fire Pumper 1:25 1940 Ford Standard Coupe 1:25 VolksWagen Dragster/Dune Buggy/Street Rod 1:25 Kawasaki Ninja H2 Carbon 1:12 Porsche GT-1 Evo 1:24 Scharnhorst 1940 1:700 IJN Akitsushima Seaplane Tender 1:700 HMS Hood 1941 1:700 Prinz Eugen 1942 1:700 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 15, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted June 15, 2019 Well, it looks like I'll order the electric plank bender, some cross lock clamps and a small modelers hammer. That will leave me enough to buy a 77mm circular polarizer for my wide angle lens. Photography is my other hobby. Between that and shipbuilding I'm going to need a lot more garage sales. LOL mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaager Posted June 15, 2019 Share #8 Posted June 15, 2019 In this situation, I would hold the money until I progressed in a build to a place where a specific tool is needed and then buy it. If you have a large budget - buying tools on spec, or collecting anything that could possibly be of use, is a no risk, no hardship behavior. If the expenditure has an effect, that is not a sustainable aspect. John Cheevers, CPDDET, allanyed and 7 others 10 Quote NRG member 45 years Current: HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - Navall Timber framing HMS Beagle 1831 refiit 10-gun brig with a small mizzen - Navall (ish) Timber framing The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842 Flying Fish 1838 pilot schooner - framed - ready for stern timbers Porpose II 1836 brigantine/brig - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers Vincennes 1825 Sloop-of-War - timbers assembled, need shaping Peacock 1828 Sloop-of -War - timbers ready for assembly Sea Gull 1838 pilot schooner - timbers ready for assembly Relief 1835 ship - timbers ready for assembly Other Portsmouth 1843 Sloop-of-War - timbers ready for assembly Le Commerce de Marseilles 1788 118 cannons - framed La Renommee 1744 Frigate - framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted June 16, 2019 Share #9 Posted June 16, 2019 I agree with what Jaager says. Buy it when you need or if you "know" you'll be needing it. As far as bending planks, one can go a garage sale and pick old curling irons (in various sizes) for very little money. CDW, Ryland Craze, Bob Cleek and 4 others 7 Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cleek Posted June 16, 2019 Share #10 Posted June 16, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, CPDDET said: The plank bender sounds like a good investment. I managed on my Bluenose without it but there are some future builds I'm eyeing where it would be a big help. Any thoughts on this bending jig? I'd have to rank that one right up there at the top of the "useless scale," just below the infamous, but amazingly still sold, "Loom-a-line." (Full disclosure: I bought one forty-plus years ago. Still have it. Tried to use it once. Never touched it again.) For whatever it cost, if you need a bending jig, it's easy enough to take a block of scrap wood and a few finishing nails and save a whole lot of money. If you have a decent plank-bending iron, you really shouldn't need anything more than that for bending planks. My first rule for tool buying, admittedly sometimes broken, is to never buy a tool until you need it and then only buy the best you can possibly afford. It's very tempting to buy the latest gizmo on impulse, but a fool and his money are soon parted, as they say. There are very, very few "ship modeling specific" tools. Most come from other crafts and trades and purchasing tools from non-modeling sources often will get you much better quality tools at much lower prices than the stuff in the modeling catalogs. If you are serious about the hobby and the sort of person who sticks with their interests, I'd urge you to start a "piggy bank." Whenever you have any "spare change," set a buck or ten aside for the day when you really have a use for a good tool that will cost you a few bucks. It's surprising how fast it adds up, even if you just throw your pocket change in a jar when you take off your pants every night before bed. Do that for a few months and when the day comes you realize how much money you are spending on pre-cut wood at the hobby shop, you'll have enough on hand to join the "Model Machines Club" and buy a Byrnes saw, a decent micro-lathe, a mini drill press, a scroll saw, and cool stuff like that which can really pay for itself over time and will always hold a lot of its value if and when you ever no longer need it. If the money you've got is irresistably burning a hole in your pocket, you might consider buying a small machinist's vise and a jeweler's vise. Those are a couple of tools I find I'm always using. They are simple things, but very handy to have. The same goes for a "third hand" device of some kind, although I have never found one that was a well-built as I would wish (alligator clips and loose ball joints don't cut it.) Sometimes making your own is not only less expensive, but also much better. A draw plate for making variously sized micro-dowels is an excellent investment. Jim Byrnes makes a very fine one and at $25, it's a good "gateway drug" that will get you hooked on his other really fine tools. http://www.byrnesmodelmachines.com/index5.html Finally, don't limit yourself to tools. One essential for any serious modeler is a reference library. The internet has made a huge amount of information easily available, but there's still a lot of data that isn't on line. A lot of the old timers here started building their modeling libraries before there ever was an internet or an Amazon to make used books readily available. We'd have to pore through used bookstores or subscribe to antiquarian booksellers' monthly or quarterly catalogs in the hope of snagging a treasured out-of-print title before one of our modeling colleagues did. If one buys a used book or two a month, often for less than $25 a piece, they can build a very useful, and valuable, modeling library. Only buy the good books. (There are lots of mediocre ones aimed at the beginners.) Look for the "classics" and the books that are full of good reference materials. These books will hold their value reasonably well and always be useful. If you watch for them on eBay or look for them on Amazon and similar sites, you can find the works of Davis, Underhill, Longridge, Chappelle, and other "essentials" fairly reasonably priced. Building a reference library can, and likely will, become a collecting hobby in and of itself. Besides, if you fill your house with books, people will think you're smart. Edited June 16, 2019 by Bob Cleek VonHoldinghausen, Roger Pellett, allanyed and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wefalck Posted June 16, 2019 Share #11 Posted June 16, 2019 Good advice from Jaager. As you work, you will feel the need for certain types of tools, say to hold something, to cut something, etc., because your toolbox doesn't have right stuff. That's the point to buy - or to make yourself, btw. Analyse carefully what operations you try to perform and how your existing tools don't do, that gives you ideas of what to look for. There are a lot of useless 'modelling' tools on the market. Sometimes the idea is good, but their make is poor, sometimes they are outright useless. It is also worthwhile to browse jewellery and watchmaking supply houses, fine tool supply houses, dentists and dental technician suppliers, medical suppliers, manicure/pedicure suppliers, etc. Their market is usually much bigger than ours and they often have the same stuff in better quality (and sometimes at lower prices) than 'modelling' suppliers. Ebay is your friend too. druxey, mtaylor, Bob Cleek and 1 other 4 Quote wefalck panta rhei - Everything is in flux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peveka Posted June 16, 2019 Share #12 Posted June 16, 2019 10 hours ago, CPDDET said: to buy a 77mm circular polarizer for my wide angle lens Hi Dave 100 dollars minus the bender and some clamps plus hammer won't leave you much for a decent filter ... someone once gave me two cheapo pol filters and they didn't make me happy: blurry pictures and a non-uniform pol effect (I use an "ancient" Nikon D300S). I've bought a B&W Käsemann MRC Nano which is brilliant but it cost me about 140 Euros. Just a quick heads up. Cheers Pieter mtaylor, Canute and druxey 3 Quote Some much wood so little time ... Current builds: Nulli Cedo, an 18th century Dutch war clog, HMS Bellona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share #13 Posted June 16, 2019 Good glass, wether it be filters or lenses, is expensive. druxey, mtaylor, Canute and 1 other 4 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share #14 Posted June 16, 2019 Thank you all for the great advice here., So many tempting tools out there! After giving it some thought I decided to invest in some books on rigging. This is something that I will be attempting quite soon on my current build (also my first build). Spent about $90.00 but it will be a good start for my rigging library. Rigging Period Fore-and-Aft Craft by Lennarth Petersson The Rigging of Ships: in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast, 1600-1720 by R. C. Anderson Rigging Period Ship Models: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intricacies of Square-Rig by Lennarth Peterson The Art of Rigging by George Biddlecombe The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor: Or a Key to the Leading of Rigging and to Practical Seamanship by Darcy Lever mtaylor, Canute and Bob Cleek 3 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wefalck Posted June 16, 2019 Share #15 Posted June 16, 2019 Did you buy them already ? Always check out the Internet first, there are now many historic books available for free as eBooks. I don't have any of Peterson's books, but seem to have heard that there are quite a few mistakes in them and he generalises from Swedish practices as represented in the models in the Sjöfartmuseum in Stockholm. Perhaps some other Members can comment on the reliability of the books ? From the selection of books, I assume that you are mainly interested in the first half of the 19th century ? That's important to remember as rigging practices evolved considerably. mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote wefalck panta rhei - Everything is in flux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share #16 Posted June 16, 2019 I really don't care for E-books. Just old fashioned I guess. I like the printed page. As stated, this is just a start of a referance library. Of course there will be other sources, such as others build logs and practicums. Canute, mtaylor, Bob Cleek and 1 other 4 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaddoc Posted June 16, 2019 Share #17 Posted June 16, 2019 Oh dear, I saw this too late! My personal very biased opinion, these money would be better spent on the small Proxon drill press. It might be bit more expensive but it is so useful it justifies the added cost. But for now enjoy the books! Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Current projects: 21' Fisherman's Launch - plans by Howard Chapelle Completed projects: 21' Yawl Longboat - plans from the National Maritime Museum Deben 5 tonner - a Whisstock yard design 24' exploration gaff rigged ketch - a Tad Roberts design 15' knockabout sailing boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share #18 Posted June 16, 2019 Never fear. The drill may come in the future when the need arises. I'm new to this art and don't yet wish to jump in with both feet. It's much to easy for me to get caught up in "buying rather than building". Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peveka Posted June 16, 2019 Share #19 Posted June 16, 2019 Don't forget to check abebooks.co.uk, lots of good quality 2nd hand books! druxey, Canute and mtaylor 3 Quote Some much wood so little time ... Current builds: Nulli Cedo, an 18th century Dutch war clog, HMS Bellona Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share #20 Posted June 16, 2019 Thanks for the tip! mtaylor, Canute and peveka 3 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wefalck Posted June 16, 2019 Share #21 Posted June 16, 2019 Personally, I also prefer 'real' books and have a library with some quite rare period books. However, some books have never been reprinted and, therefore, are largely unknown to the modelling community. There is also a space issue for some of us. There is a good paperback reprint of Biddlecombe by Dover and there are several reprints of the 'Lever' - I have an US American, hard-bound one from around 35 years ago. When you do Google searches on the title/author, it usually turns up the holdings in GoogleBooks, Abebooks.com, as well as the ones in archive.org. There is a bias towards English titles though. When you look for French titles, you better go to the site of the French Bibliotheque Nationale. druxey, mtaylor and Canute 3 Quote wefalck panta rhei - Everything is in flux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share #22 Posted June 16, 2019 More good info! mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cleek Posted June 16, 2019 Share #23 Posted June 16, 2019 8 hours ago, CPDDET said: Thank you all for the great advice here., So many tempting tools out there! After giving it some thought I decided to invest in some books on rigging. This is something that I will be attempting quite soon on my current build (also my first build). Spent about $90.00 but it will be a good start for my rigging library. Rigging Period Fore-and-Aft Craft by Lennarth Petersson The Rigging of Ships: in the Days of the Spritsail Topmast, 1600-1720 by R. C. Anderson Rigging Period Ship Models: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Intricacies of Square-Rig by Lennarth Peterson The Art of Rigging by George Biddlecombe The Young Sea Officer's Sheet Anchor: Or a Key to the Leading of Rigging and to Practical Seamanship by Darcy Lever Ah... You chose wisely, Grasshopper. mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lester Posted June 16, 2019 Share #24 Posted June 16, 2019 Hi Dave, The tool that I went without for a long time and now can't imagine how I managed without it is a digital caliper. I use it all the time - when strips of wood need to be resorted by size, what size hole do I need to drill for this eyebolt, when I need to convert mm to inches, measuring wire thickness, when I stupidly have more than one container of drill bits open at the same time and mix them up, etc. etc. I seem to reach for it continually. It won't use up all of your $100 either. David Bob Cleek, mtaylor, JerseyCity Frankie and 5 others 8 Quote Current Build - St. Roch, Billing Boats; HMS Agamemnon, Caldercraft (on hold) Previous Builds - Armed Virginia Sloop, Model Shipways; Constitution, Model Shipways; Rattlesnake, Mamoli; Virginia Privateer, Marine Model Co, restoration; Prince de Neufchatel, Model Shipways; Charles W. Morgan, Model Shipways; Pride of Baltimore II, Model Shipways, Bluenose, Model Shipways (x2); Niagara, Model Shipways; Mayfower, Model Shipways; Shamrock V, Amati; HMS Pegasus, Victory/Amati Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share #25 Posted June 17, 2019 You're absolutely right about that. I traded in my old analog one for a digital some time ago. Indispensable. mtaylor, Canute and BETAQDAVE 3 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaddoc Posted June 17, 2019 Share #26 Posted June 17, 2019 So Dave, as you can see this $100 you had to spent could get you spending another $1000 for the bare absolute necessities of model building...😀 Just remember to fly under the admiral's radar... mtaylor 1 Quote Current projects: 21' Fisherman's Launch - plans by Howard Chapelle Completed projects: 21' Yawl Longboat - plans from the National Maritime Museum Deben 5 tonner - a Whisstock yard design 24' exploration gaff rigged ketch - a Tad Roberts design 15' knockabout sailing boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 17, 2019 Author Share #27 Posted June 17, 2019 Aye matey! mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yacht1255 Posted June 19, 2019 Share #28 Posted June 19, 2019 thanks for the article, really liked Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPDDET Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share #29 Posted June 19, 2019 I've learned a lot here. Thanks to all! Canute and mtaylor 2 Quote Current build: NRG Half Hull Previous build: MS Bluenose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr PS - Paul Schulze Posted June 24, 2019 Share #30 Posted June 24, 2019 Best single tool for shaping is my small Wen belt sander. mtaylor and Canute 2 Quote Paul Cutty Sark, Scientific Models (no build log) 18th Century Armed Longboat, Model Shipways Civil War Coffee Wagon and Limber, Model Shipways side project New Bedford Whaleboat, Model Shipways Civil War Gatling Gun, Model Shipways side project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.