This book is the first comprehensive history of how the 1:1200 scale and its 1:1250 continental equivalent became accepted as the modern standard for miniature ship models. The origins can be traced back to the first years of the twentieth century and their use as identification aids by the military during the First World War, but when peace came the manufacturers aimed their increasingly sophisticated products at collectors, and acquiring, modifying or scratch-building miniature ship models has been an avidly pursued hobby ever since. This book charts the commercial rise and fall of the manufacturers, and the advancing technology that produces ever more detailed and accurate replicas. The author - himself a lifetime collector and builder of models - looks at the products of each manufacturer, past and present, rating their quality and suggesting why some are regarded as more collectible than others. But the book deals with more than off-the-shelf models, covering subsidiary issues like painting, modifying and diorama settings, and is illustrated throughout with many of the finest examples of the genre. The combination of fascinating background information with stunning visual presentation will make this book irresistible to any collector or enthusiast.

This beautifully illustrated history of miniature ship models features hundreds of color photographs of some of the finest miniature ships ever built. In this informative book, model expert Paul Jacobs traces the history of modern models back to their use as identification aids by the military in World War I. Miniature Ship Models is the first serious history of the industry's development, the commercial rise and fall of companies, and the advancing technology that produced ever more detailed and accurate replicas. Writing with collectors in mind, Jacobs looks at the products of each manufacturer, past and present, rating their quality and suggesting why some are more collectible than others. Jacobs also addresses subjects of interest to model makers, such as painting, modifying and diorama settings. Illustrated throughout with many of the finest examples of the genre, the combination of fascinating background information with stunning visual presentation will make this book irresistible to any collector or enthusiast.

The expert model maker takes readers through every stage of building a miniature navy board model in this fully illustrated step-by-step guide. In this clear and detailed volume, Phil Reed tackles the ultimate expression of the ship model maker's art: The Navy Board model. These early eighteenth-century works of art are well represented in major maritime museums and private collections. Here, Reed takes on the construction of a miniature 1/192 scale model of the Royal George of 1715, covering all the conventions of Navy Board framing and planking. With nearly 400 photographs, each accompanied by explanatory text, Building a Miniature Navy Board Model takes readers through every step of the process. Methods of hull and deck framing, internal and external planking, and the construction of the complex stern are all covered. The rendering of the multitude of decorative carvings on the figurehead, stern and broadside is also demonstrated. At the end of the book there is a short section showing his model of The Syren, which demonstrates how the techniques used to frame Royal George could be adapted for ships of a later date, using single and double frames closer to full-size practice

Tells how to select a kit and set up a model making workplace, demonstrates the techniques for building the hull, masts, and rigging, and shows how to add the finishing touches.