Ships In Scale - Mar/Apr 2026

Ships in Scale — March/April 2026 (Vol. 29, No. 2)

The response to Issue 1 was overwhelming. Issue 2 delivers more of what you asked for.

Eight feature articles, four departments, and a community that's just getting started. From a WWII scratch build in styrene to a Viking ship in plywood to hard-won wisdom from a lifetime at the bench — this issue covers the full range of the craft.

In this issue:

• Building HMS Ontario, Part 2: Painting, Cannons, and Deck Detail — The plank-on-frame build continues through hull painting, cannon installation, and upper deck work. (Roger Marshall)
• Building a 1/35th Harbor Defense Motor Launch, Part 1: The Hull — A scratch-built WWII sub chaser takes shape in styrene, from double-diagonal planking to camouflage painting. (Thomas Koehl)
• 3D Printing, Part 2: A Tale of Two Ship Modelers — Two builders share hands-on experience with FDM and resin printers, including custom figureheads and stern carvings. (Ron Neilson)
• The Cornish Fishing Lugger Mystery — The story behind a scratch-built model of the 36-foot lugger that sailed from Cornwall to Melbourne in 115 days. (James Norton)
• Some Things I Have Learned… Over a Lifetime of Model-Making — David Antscherl on workspace setup, tool sharpening, safety, and the small habits that make every build go better. (David Antscherl)
• How I Became a Viking Shipbuilder for a Moment — Building Billing Boats' 1:25 scale Oseberg, from laser-cut planking to hand-painted shields. (Tomasz Klyszynski)
• Don't Forget Us, We Also Served! Minor Warships, Part 2 — British and French minor war vessels of the 17th century: armed ketches, royal yachts, bomb vessels, and the origins of the corvette. (Ian McLaughlan)
• Spotting and Solving Kit Design Flaws — 35 years of hard lessons on catching bulkhead tilt, rudder misalignment, and instruction errors before they sink a build. (Bob Hunt)

Plus departments:

• Ship's Library — Review of The Coasting Schooner Alice S. Wentworth
• Scuttlebutt — JJ Gogas of Portland Scale Ship Co.: from megayacht engineering to chapter-based model kits
• Soundings — New rope hank and coil tools from Syren Ship Model Company
• In the Workshop — Scratch-building a ship's wheel from boxwood
• Shipwright's Apprentice — Scaled rope coils and a shop tool that costs almost nothing
• Around the Horn — Preview of the 43rd Annual Northeast Ship Model Conference

80 pages | Print + Digital | Published by SeaWatch Books