BUILDING QUESTIONS:
How are the models constructed?
Many of the models are built using the plank-on-frame or plank-on-bulkhead construction method. This is a painstaking process, taking hundreds of hours, in which each individual plank is added to the hull one at a time. These models are not constructed from pre-made, pre-measured, mass-marketed, mass-produced model kits.
What woods are used to build the models?
Only the highest-quality woods available such as cherry, birch, maple, blackwood, white lotus, walnut, rosewood, teak, yellow siris, light ebony and others.
Since the models are not kits, does that mean every piece of the ship is custom?
Essentially all of the pieces of the models are made by our builders (figureheads, stern details, planks, sails, etc). Pieces that are too time consuming or too expensive for our builders to create but that are needed in large quantities are purchased in bulk such as the brass cannons, blocks, deadeyes and other parts.
MODEL QUESTIONS:
Will I receive my model fully assembled?
A majority of these models are fully assembled and you simply remove them from the box and display. To save on shipping costs, the masts on some of the yachts are shipped down. To assemble, just insert the mast and attach the numbered clips. There is no rigging to tie or tighten.
Why do some of the models, such as the HMS Victory Limited Edition, have a copper plated hull?
Our builders copper plate the hulls (with real strips of copper) to make the models as authentic as possible. Starting in 1780, ships had the underwater portion of the hull plated metal to prevent the Teredo worm from damaging the hull.
Which is the best model ship?
This is a very difficult question. It varies based on your budget and the type of ship for which you are looking. The most popular ships are the HMS Victory and the USS Constitution, primarily due to how they look and their historical significance.
In the model description, it mentions the scale, such as the HMS Victory 1:108 scale. What does this mean?
The scale is a ratio of how large or how small the ship model is relative to the real ship. This scale means the real HMS Victory is 108 times larger than the model.