Volume I of my Detailed Guide to Building Model Ships introduces the modeler to the art of Model Shipbuilding. This volume explains what to expect when you first open a model ship kit, the tools you'll need, how to assemble the basic framework, make filler blocks, and other related topics associated with the basic framework.
 
Special attention is given to the rabbet joint which is often not even mentioned in many model ship kits. Color photographs and drawings help to explain the method for making this important feature and why it is so important.
 
Throughout this book and all future volumes, photos of some of my earliest model ships built fill in empty spaces. You'll see the very first model ship I had ever built, the Mantua kit HMS Victory. This was the kit that started my 30+ year career in model shipbuilding.
 
Each volume is printed in full color on glossy paper. Even the book's front and back cover are on heavy stock glossy paper. This is a very high quality printed book, 8-1/2" x 11" with heavy duty spiral binding that enables you to open the book and lay it flat on your workbench while building your model.
 
The following topics are covered in ths volume:
Tools Needed
Kit Contents
Framework Construction
The Rabbet Joint
Attaching the Bulkheads
Attaching the Mast Holders
Filler Blocks
Sub-decks
Other Framework