Ship Models from Kits: Basic and Advanced Techniques for Small Scales

by David Griffith

The world of model kits has undergone a revolution, with new techniques in injection molding vastly improving the scale accuracy and surface detail of the standard plastic kit and new material producing top-quality resin models. In ship modeling, this has resulted in a new form of the hobby midway between traditional build-from-the-box simplicity and the time-consuming demands of fabricating everything from scratch. This new manual comprehensively demonstrates these new innovative techniques. Designed for modelers wishing to achieve the best results from their ship kits in the 1:700 to 1:350 range of scales, it uses 200 step-by-step color photographs to take the reader through the building of two models, one in plastic and one in resin, from basic construction, fittings, and detailing, to painting, finishing, and display. This book is an essential guide to a contemporary approach to model making.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2009

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

(80%)
I'm 80% done with Ship Models from Kits: I am a beginner at building model plastic ships. This book has been a dream for me helping me to plan my current build of the Bismarck. He hasa broken the whole build down to fairly easy steps that he carefully explains. Griffith does assume some basic knowledge but he even helps if you have never done it at all (at least you could use some of the techniques he explains as a novice).
The biggest problem I had was that I read it as an ebook and many of the pictures were on a different page from the written descriptions. Not a major problem.
I like the way the book is broken up as well. He describes how to build a plastic model ship and a resin build. While I am not particularly interested in the resin products I learned quite a bit about them (pretty easy when you know nothing). I am glad that I did.
After describing how he builds both of these he than explains methods of painting, ship rigging and accessories. This seemed peculiar because he talked about all of these things as he explained the builds but it did make sense after I thought about it. And upon reflection I am glad that he did.
I close this review by stating it is an excellent book for beginners and intermediate modelers.

[Alfredo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro hermoso, pero siento que falta profundidad en las técnicas que se muestran. Puede ser sólo un sentimiento; puede ser que sea sólo que me digo que no puede ser tan fácil. Y es que tal como el autor dice, no es una enciclopedia de modelismo naval, sino una guía sobre las técnicas personales de un gran maestro. Creo que la valoración que le doy es algo más cercano al 3.8 que al 4, pero de todos modos disfruté mucho esta lectura.