Carving a hardwood Whaleboat (rowboat) miniture

[Jason King]

OK
I want to carve a aussie hardwood whaleboat.
I am practicing on pine at the moment, and only about 5 inches long and inch thick.

The hardwood boat will be 8 inches long and 2 inches deep and 3 inches wide.

My problem is plans for such a vessel. While I have only just found you guys here it's seems that I cannot find plans or actual anyone that carves toy boats from a solid piece of wood.

I have access to quality tools (cheers to my father-in-laws shed and his father that didn't let anyone use his tools).... now I have access to them.

Tips, hints and advise would be appreciated. Even critisim at such a big ask for a novice.

Cheers
Jason

[Daddles]

G'day Jason. Welcome aboard - the moaning chair is on the left and the esky hides behind the door :D

Unless my memory has gone completely decrepit, the navy used whaleboats as work boats. An enquiry there might shed some light.

Instead of carving it out of one bit, how about stripping some veneer and planking it.

Richard

[springwater]

I'm not sure if the links below will help you, but maybe they're a start:

http://www.modelshipbuilder.com/models/model-ship-builder-brian-mcquillan.html

http://www.modelboat.com/model26.html

http://www.modelshipworld.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=45622&sid=8e2107d886c61e15d5fb3d85447c5b0d

http://www.acrossthepond.net/GKmodellbau.htm

[TK1]

Hi Jason,

Are you planning to hollow it our and show interior detail, like in the pics shown in Springwater's links? If so, this will be hard in such a small boat as the sides will need to be thin and probably a lot more effort than strip-planking it like the ones shown. And you can even buy a kit with all the parts, plans, fittings, etc - still requires a degree of skill so more challenging than a plastic model.

If it's just going to be solid, then no problems. Unless you can do it by eye from pictures, the best way is to get plans, then make templates from the "lines" - and then mark on the blank where each line is, and carve away until the template matches the wood. I hope this makes sense!

Most libraries have a few model ship building books, or do a search on "carving model ship hulls" on the internet and you'll find some how-to articles.

I don't have any whaleboat plans, but try www.modelshipyard.com.au in the Blue Mountains, they should have ones you can buy. Otherwise try the Yahoo Groups "Seaways Shipmodellers List" or "ModelShipWrights" and ask nicely if anyone has plans they could send you of typical Australian / Southern Ocean whaling ships - I've swapped plans with a number of people on the lists and most are helpful.

Good luck and we hope to see pics of your endeavours.

Regards,
Darren

[Jason King]

Thank you all. :2tsup:

I have just started a new job and so the project is on hold to just weekends. I think that I will get the books and do some much need research.
Again thank you all so much - I will post ongoing pics for your amusement. :q:U