Wondering if anyone else likes "Half Ship Models"

[Old No7]

My late father always had a "half ship model" or two around the house when we grew up, and the best one was of the clipper ship Flying Cloud. My brothers and I all inherited our love of boats and the sea -- and shooting & guns too -- from the 'ol man.

With him gone now, I was thinking about getting a "half ship" and my better-half said she'd get me one, but what to get...

Racing sailboats, as sleek and/or colorful as they are, didn't really appeal to me (as a life-long power boater). And although I liked the lines of a clipper ship or a Maine lobster boat, I guess I wanted something a little different and that appealed to my likes. Then I mentioned to my gang that I also wanted to go see the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston (Charlestown Navy Yard, more correctly) again some time, as she was my favorite ship when I was a kid growing up.

So take a look at what they found for me for a Father's Day present...

Half Ship 01.jpg

My bride and the kids really surprised me with this! And it's got a real wood deck too, with the painted cannons cast from brass. Too bad the assembler used a little too much glue under each cannon, but you can't see it unless you look real close (or use a macro lens). And when it's hung on the wall, you don't see those details (or flaws) anyhow.

Half Ship 02.jpg

What really impressed me the most was the detail on the hull -- it's actually a thin sheet of copper-colored foil wrapped around the plastic form, and it's been carefully inscribed with lines showing the individual copper plates. This pix doesn't do it justice, but you'll get the idea.

Half Ship 03.jpg

So there she is in all her glory, Old Ironsides now adorns the wall of my den.

Yup, I'm going to have to go see her again soon... It's only been 45 years or so since I last walked her decks.

Tight groups,

Old No7

[Pitchy]

Never even knew of such a thing but i do now, very nice thanks for sharing.

[Grizz]

Yeah I like half models too. I've been hankering to make a lift model of some of the boats I like.

Your Constitution is awesome with the copper bottom and deck details.

Her history and the history of those early shipyards and ports and all that industry and energy makes me wonder
how they did anything without computers, battery driven tools, and smart phones.

Thanks for the pictures.

[Old No7]

Never even knew of such a thing but i do now, very nice thanks for sharing.

Well Pitchy, you've educated me about a bunch of things I never knew about either... So I'm glad you got to see what these are all about. I added several more examples down below for you and the others.

Your Constitution is awesome with the copper bottom and deck details.

Her history and the history of those early shipyards and ports and all that industry and energy makes me wonder how they did anything without computers, battery driven tools, and smart phones.

I think a few things that really helped is they had 5% as many lawyers or bureaucrats, no TV, no dumbing-down programs, and no food stamps, so everybody worked!

Tight groups to all.

Old No7

Half 01.jpg

Half 02.jpg

Half 03.jpg

Half 04.jpg

[Ysabel Kid]

Cool!

[El Chivo]

That is a nice idea. Never heard of it. When I was a kid I used to build the plastic clipper ship models and the Constitution, the Revell models. I seem to remember a Cutty Sark, several Thermoplae, and two Constitutions, some built for neighbors or relatives.

Towards the end I tried getting fancy and cut sails out of tissue paper for better realism, and the "ratlines" which were molded plasic and heavy looking, I junked, and made my own out of thread. Otherwise great models. The last one I built when I was in high school.

One day I'd like to build a really large one, make all the parts out of wood, with ribs, etc. Probably a pipe dream to ever have that kind of spare time again.

[bdhold]

That is a nice idea. Never heard of it. When I was a kid I used to build the plastic clipper ship models and the Constitution, the Revell models. I seem to remember a Cutty Sark, several Thermoplae, and two Constitutions, some built for neighbors or relatives.

I don't know if you've been to a Hobby Town lately, but the prices on those things are unbelievable. A 1/72-scale clipper ship kit is $200 now, and 1/32 airplane is $75.
When I was a kid, every time I had $2 it became a car or airplane model, and I also built, painted and rigged the Cutty Sark and Constitution.

Thanks for the photos - love the details on those models.

[Cliff]

A few years back I met one fella who liked to make true accurate scale model sailing ships. They had to be an exact replica. The rigging, when viewed with magnifier looked identical to the real stuff. The planking and fittings were exact duplicats when examined closely. Took a lot of time and a lot of effort to do this. No short cuts were allowed. They had competions to see who make the best and most exact replica ships. Researched all aspects of the ones they wanted to build and then went to work. Usually took two years or more in their spare time. Also costly for materials. I understand there is businesses who cater to these hobbyists. Was fun watching him try to reproduce deck guns etc. Fasinating stuff. Another item I have seen is etched stone (probably Slate) with detailed demensions of ships with different views. These were made to act as guides for many ship builders. I had a friend who had several, which had been made into table tops and so on. Rather glad I went into simple gun collecting. ATB

[Rusty]

I never heard of them either, very nice.


Never forget we sent a man to the moon when sliderules were the order of the day.

[Buck Elliott]

An outfit called Preston's used to sell all kinds of nautical stuff, through their mail-order catalogues and their store. They featured model ships, kits, accessories, figurines, etc., enough to satisfy the most discerning old Salt.. Just spending time with their illustrated booklet could cause a seaman to dream for hours on end..