Building Plank on Frame Ship Models

The “plank-on-frame” method is the pre-eminent ship modeling technique, and this practical manual is the foremost guide to its intricacies. Taking as his example the two-masted sloop Cruiser of 1752, the author leads the shipwrights through every stage of building a model of the vessel, from preliminary research and taking off lines to the actual construction of the hull, fittings, masting, and rigging. Each step is illustrated with explanatory line drawings and photographs.

 

 

The late Ron McCarthy had been a professional modelmaker since leaving school at the age of 14. His first job during the Second World War was building 100ft-to-the-inch Admirally recognition vessels. He was also a member of the team which built the model of the Mulberry Harbour. After the war he worked for a number of years building shipbuilders' models. He built many sailing ship models and was a regular contributor to the journal Model Shipwright.