How to Make a Wooden Model Warship

Place the building plans and tools needed for the project within easy reach. Prepare all of the wooden parts needed for the ship for assembly before proceeding.

Cut the wooden parts needed for the basic hull structure. Sand the wooden parts lightly with an electric sander to give the parts a better mating surface. Use CA glue to mate the surfaces as needed.

Coat the interior of the hull with liquid fiberglass resin, to help retain its shape. If necessary, fill in any imperfections with auto body filler, and then sand the filler down with the electric sander. Prime and paint the hull as desired.

Assemble the superstructure of the wooden ship. Use an electric drill to drill out the portholes from the deck pieces. Attach the detailed trim pieces to the superstructure with epoxy and CA glue. Prime and paint the superstructure as desired.

Cut out the deck sections. Seal the decks with several coats of varnish to prevent buckling and warping. Create the planks from veneer strips and cut each plank to the size required by the building plans. Arrange the planks on the deck and secure them with CA glue.

Sand the planks with a piece of sandpaper glued to a flat block of hardwood. This will keep the planks perfectly flat and avoid curvatures. Apply a coat of varnish and allow it to dry for 24 hours. Afterwards, lightly sand and clean the pieces, and then add another coat of varnish.

Attach the decks and superstructure to the hull of the wooden ship. Carefully attach the propellers, hatches, rigging and other small details onto the ship with CA glue. Once completed, paint the ship in the desired colors.