Ship Modeling Simplified: Tips and Techniques for Model Construction from Kits Author: Visit Amazon's Frank Mastini Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0071558675 | Format: PDF
Ship Modeling Simplified: Tips and Techniques for Model Construction from Kits Description
About the Author
Frank Mastini acquired a lifelong curiosity about the sea and its historic sailing vessels as a younster in Italy. A graduate of the Italian Naval Academy, Mastini honed his seamanship skills aboard the 270-foot, square-rigged training vessel, Amerigo Vespucci.
He began his professional model building career in 1961, developing a clientele of collectors for whom he still builds on commission. Mastini recently finished a scratch-built model of the Mary and John, a ship that carried a group of Pilgrims from England to Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1630. He is the author of a series of articles for Ships in Scale magazine and is in frequent demand as a coach for beginning modelers.
When not on the telephone discussing modeling problems, Mastini can be found at his Hartsdale, New York, workbench, enjoying retirement.
- Paperback: 162 pages
- Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (March 1, 1990)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0877422729
- ISBN-13: 978-0071558679
- ASIN: 0071558675
- Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
After years of plastic and wooden airplane modeling, and having taken up sailing a while back, I decided I just HAD to build a wooden sailing ship, complete with planking, masting, rigging, the whole smash.
To avoid the frustrating (and expensive) experience of learn-by-doing in a new medium, I decided to seek out and purchase a library of "how to" books on the subject, and managed to drain several "boat bucks" (one boat buck = 100 regular bucks) from my bank account in assembling a library of the most highly recommended tomes on the subjects of construction, detailing, rigging, etc.
Each of the construction-related books I bought had something of value, but each was sadly lacking in describing the process clearly, and few had consistently clear photos and easily understood text. Most had slightly different ways of approaching the project, and none made me feel warm and fuzzy about turning an expensive box of wood strips, plans, and other bits and pieces into that masterpiece I still have no room to display (another story).
Mastini came the closest, with clear, simple, logical instructions, sharing his experience with loads of useful practical hints and tips along the way. The book is reasonably well organized, has clear photos and drawings that are near the related text (some authors/editors seem to take some perverse delight in describing a very complex procedure and then referring the reader to "figure 4" which is found some six or eight pages from the text.... Argghhh!) The book includes an Italian-English nautical dicationary and English glossary of terms, useful for the Italian kits whose English translation is weak or non existant. Can't comment on its usefulness yet, but it seems like a nice touch.
Over the past year or so, I've been tempted to adopt wooden ship building as a new hobby. I've modeled for years in other media (plastic, paper) and am also a woodworker, so it seemed like a good fit. Also, my son has been really getting into the Napoleonic wars and life in naval ships, so that was an added inducement. My typical method when becoming interested in something is to read anything I can about the subject. Consequently, I noticed on the net many references to this book and how good it is. So, I bought it.
After reading it, I understand much more about the whole process of building these model ships. The author is (was?) obviously very familiar with the process and had developed many techniques that worked for him. Would those same techniques work for someone else? Maybe...
One of the main problems for a novice looking to get in to this hobby is that the terminology of the time was unique and not necessarily logical. Nor, are the terms carried through to our own day. So, you have to put up with a fair amount of bewildering words. For instance, did you know that the Vangs connected the Gaff in the same way as a Stay?
My biggest two criticisms of the book is that the author used these terms repeatedly and that some of his techniques appear easy but are not. I suppose the use of the proper terms is a good thing, I just wish the approach would have been more descriptive - i.e. add more diagrams or a pictorial dictionary of the terms; this was started with the naming of the various sails and masts, but stopped there.
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