| 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. |
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 Something for everyone: beginner or expert |
| Review Date: June 13, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. J. Ellis, |
Ship models from Kits By David Griffith is a great resource for the begining as well as expert ship modeler. David reviews techniques for both injection molded plastic and resin models. He does a particularly good job showing how to handle and install photo etch partys even the "fiddly" bits as he puts it. He also demonstrates how to make rigging to scale using fly fishing filament and scale anchor "chain" from plaited thin metal wire.
He reviews the strengths and weaknesses of most major resin, injection molded plastic ship model suppliers as well as well as after market PE and resin part suppliers. The photographs in this book are virtually all in color and stunning. All in all, certainly the best plastic and resin ship model "how to" book in a long time. Highly recommended |
About time we got a solid how-to book for 1/700 warships
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| Review Date: July 31, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Flegal, CT |
We seem to be living in a golden age of modeling, with kits we never thought we'd see and how-to books and videos covering everything under the sun. Except for one area when it comes to books; warship models. Useful books on those have been very few and far between. You had P.C. Coker's fine "Building Warship Models" back i n the 70's which is now fairly dated in tools and techniques. "Basics of Ship Modeling" by Mike Ashley is decent but suffers from the bane of many of the Kalmbach books that it is awfully basic (hence the title!) and is best for beginners. Advanced Ship Modeling by Brian King is solid but not optimized for the smaller scales. The relative lack of solid how-to books has always perplexed me as a lot of people seem to buy them and even on the internet details of weathering and painting are sketchy and difficult to find. That problem is now officially solved with this book. Well written and engaging, covering everything from manufacturers to pin washes, this book compares favorably in tone and content to the books by Shep Paine (albeit more current) which I've always considered the gold standard for modeling books. Rather than just engage in superlatives, here are the contents of the book itself.
1) What's on the Market
-Provides a concise overview of the manufactures of plastic and resin kits and aftermarket items along with their quality
2)References and Resources
-An overview of the book series and publishers on the market, a list of good internet resources, and a brief blurb on museums and model shows
3) Tools, Techniques and Materials
-The somewhat standrad listing of model tools, adhesives, and putties along with their pros and cons. Also includes a useful series of basic techniques, including soldering, bending photoetch and casting
4)Basic Construction: Plastic Models
-Exactly what it sounds like but with an awful lot of clever yet simple tips to finish drilled holes, plait scale anchor cable, attach photoetch, etc
5) Basic Construction: Resin Models
-Covers additional techniques specific to resin (sanding away film, unwarping hulls, etc. Also has another way to braid anchor chain. One gets the impression the author correctly really doesn't like the scale effect of available model chain on 1/700 ships!
6) Adding Detail to Smaller Parts
-Covers gun-mounts, catapults and cranes, boats and planes and the like.
7) Bringing it all Together
-Pretty much what it sounds like, this covers putting all the parts together and final assembly. Has an extremely clever way to attach photoetch railings. Wish I'd thought of it considering the pain they've caused me over the years. I would recommend Gator Glue for those in the states
8) Painting and Weathering
-The best part of the book for me. There just isn't a lot of technical info on attractive weathering out there and this covers it from soup to nuts. I especilly like the use of filters. It also inspired a "duh" moment when the author made the point that brush painting actually has advantages over the airbrush. Being traumatized by slopping on Poly-S when I was a kid and seeing brush marks and embedded bristles from across the room, I think I need to revisit the humble brush.
9) Rigging
-My second favorite chapter. Rigging is challenging and yet adds so much to the model. As with much of the book's techniques, the results are elegant but the techniques are simple, and the cage aerial technique is lovely.
10) Setting the Scene - Bases and Dioramas
-This secion has avery nice description of creating an ocean setting for models. Contains dioramas from many authors, all very nice.
11) Model Gallery
-Short but kid of superfluous with all the other photos in the book
Appendix: Dealers and Suppliers
-Exactly what it sounds like!
Overall it's a very well done book. My only niggling criticism (besides the fact that it's too short for me!) is that the text for the pictures isn't well separated from the body of the text and several times I lost the flow of the text when I started reading the picture commentary. Perhaps the use of a differnt font or some such would help for future editions.
Matt |
Outstanding! Best plastic model ship book in a generation!
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| Review Date: January 31, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Cross of lron, NY USA |
| Wonderful book with excellent, practical techniques for adding extremely fine detail and excellent weathering to plastic models. Buy it! |
Excellent tips from a pro
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| Review Date: February 13, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Robert G. Ross, New Bern, NC USA |
| This book contains a wealth of information for anyone wishing to improve his skills in building small scale ship models from plastic or resin kits. It is presented in easy to understand language, accompanied by numerous photographs illustrating many of the techniques described, as well as finished models. It should be of great value to modellers of all skill levels, although some of the techniques are obviously intended for the more advanced. It ain't cheap, but it's definitely worth the bucks. |
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