Tools & Preparations:

These ships are built the same way the life-size versions were, some even have exactly the same number of planks! and as with any worthwhile project, perfection in the first steps is a must.  There is a lot of cutting, shaping & sanding to these hardwood planks & parts, that can be done with any brand of moto or hand tools, it's just a matter of what you're best familiar with.  My favourite moto-tool is a slim variable speed toy called the Octopus.  And I don't know if it's still being made. If you do know of it, send me a link, I'd like to sell them.

The instructions are all written in millimeters, so a gauge or ruler of such will be needed.

The masts are usually straight dowels that will need to be cut to length and then sanded so they taper, rather slow by hand, but take extreme care if you're using a bench sander.

The hull planking strips will need to be cut to length and they're thick enough that a modeler's saw & miter box is real handy here.  Some of the planks will also need to be tapered and shaped to fit the contour of the hull.  A sanding stick is pretty handy here, and I keep a mini spokeshave if you prefer planing to sanding.

A Shipway or Keelworks Jig is a guide/clamp that holds the keel straight and keeps the bulkheads or ribs at the perfect 90 degree angle for glueing up the skeleton.  And keeps everything straight as the glue dries and shrinks and tries to pull things out of line.  This tool can be bought or is a good project for build your own if you like to play in your woodshop.  I have designed my own version with the help of some of my ship building customers, available in two sizes finished, or the plans can be downloaded for cheap (as Mad Magazine use'ta say).

The Amati nail pusher is of great value in laying the planking because you can hold the skeleton in one hand and easily line up the tiny brass planking nail and push it part way in with the other.  And a small hobby hammer to finish what the nail pusher started.

Building:

The keel is easy, it's usually one pre-cut and shaped piece of wood, notched for the ribs to fit into.  So build your Keelworks Jig, line everything up and dry fit, and then get your carpenters to work setting the ribs.

When the ribs are set and dried, it's time to add the filler pieces that give a solid backing where the planking strips will have to curve sharply.  Now the ribs and the fillers are filed and sanded to their proper contours, matching the changing curves in the shape of the hull, to give a good surface for applying the planking.

Laying the Deck:

The decks are usually solid pieces of plywood, and once they are set, there are decking strips supplied to laminate over the top of them.  Usually the first deck piece will have notches cut into it that will match up and fit into the ribs of the hull.  If your deck happens to have more than one level, each level is still done as described here.

Find and mark the centre line of the solid deck piece lengthwise, and put a few measured marks out from this line on each side to act as guides for the planking strips.

The planking strips are applied starting with the centre starboard strip first, set right at the centre line you've drawn, and then the matching port strip butted up tight to the starboard strip, and so on, slowly laminating out toward the sides of the ship.

Do not try to cut the planking strips to exact length- Start them at the bow and leave a tiny bit to overhang, and finish them at the stern the same way, overhanging just a bit, as it's much easier to file and smooth them down to fit the hull contour later than it is to try to cut an exact length in a strip that will be curving as it goes along.

Hull Planking:

This planking is always applied from bow to stern (front to back), and this is really important- You must work both sides of the hull evenly, as in- Apply your first planking strip to the starboard (right) side and then lay a matching strip on the port (left) side before going to the second strip.  To lay planking on one entire side first and then the other would pull and twist your hull completely out of shape, and this would not be pretty!

The planking strips will typically have to tapered at the bow in order to bend and fit properly as the go they length, dry fitting these strips may have to be done many times to get them right.  On a double planked ship, the second layer fitting perfectly is obviously critical to the finished appearance, especially if your ship is to have a natural walnut finish.

Hull Planking (continued):

Laminating is accomplished by spreading a thin layer of the carpenter's glue to both surfaces being joined, and keep a damp rag handy to quickly wipe off whatever glue squeezes out from the joints so the next planking strip can go down as smooth as the first.

If you're building a single plank kit, the brass nails will speed up the work, but you may choose not to use them if you're going for a natural walnut finish instead of later painting the hull- like you may not want the nail heads to show.  In this case the Zap-a-Gap would be used to tack each joint as the planking strip goes along the bulkhead, and then a thin coating of the yellow glue applied from the inside of the hull just for added strength.

When dry and set, file the nail-heads smooth.  If there is a second layer of planking, it is laminated in a similar fashion to the first, and the brass nails are not needed and maybe or maybe not desirable here, your choice.

There will be studs sticking up at the edges of the deck from the ribs, some of these are now cut off and some of them stay, see your particular kit instructions.  The ones that stay will support the bulwark.  Often the ones that are deleted are places where cannons will go through.  

Cabins & Boxes:

With the hull finished and sanded smooth, the next step is to build the "furniture" or cabins and whatever boxes will live on the deck.  Remember that the sizes and carving notes for these are in millimeters.  I can't write much here about these because they are unique to each kit.

Standing Rigging:

The standing rigging are the lines that support and keep stationary the masts, spars, and beams.  Rigging the deadeyes is just too much fun!  And then there are the million knots involved in the ratlines...  The ratlines serve two purposes: They are the ladders to the top of the masts, and the lines that hold the masts in their proper upright position.  But you really don't have to tie all the ratline knots- a drop of Zap-a-Gap, oh excuse me- Special Shipbuilders' Cement... No, you don't have to tie each individual knot.  Note that the vertical stays are of a heavier thread than the ratlines.  The ratlines can be carefully glued in their horizontal place.  And there is a ratline jig available, or you can easily make one yourself.

Rigging tip- A tiny drop of Special Shipbuilders' Cement applied to the raw end of your thread makes it really easy to poke it through small holes like in the deadeyes.

Running Rigging:

These are the lines used to swing the sails and so control the ship.  These lines that run from the block & tackle assemblies on the spars down to the belaying pins, are movable lines that allow the sailors to raise and lower, and alter the angle of the spars and booms.

At this point you will have to decide whether or not to rig your ship with sails, and what position they should be in.  If you build your ship realistically and do not glue or cut too short the running rigging lines, you will be able to change the angle of your sails for a different look whenever you want to.

Those rings, or snakelike lines attaching the sails to the mast are not to be glued as they allow the sails to be raised and lowered without them flopping loose on the mast. Note that on the bowsprit, the heavy standing line serves the same function as a mast.

The sails, if they are not pre-sewn simply need to have the rough edges purled over. Don't forget to leave the small bits of line as shown hanging from your sails- these are used to tie and keep the sail furled when they're not in use.

Tools:

In order of appearance:

Keelworks Jig- keel & bulkhead clamp/holder
Modeler's fine tooth saw
Hull Planking Clamp set, or small clips or clothespins
Nail Pusher- to install the brass nails in the first layer of planking
Hammer- to tighten up what the nail pusher started
Files- to flatten nail heads and generally shape up
Sandpaper of various grits
X-acto type knives
Millimeter gauge and/or ruler
Small pliers (flat nosed with give a cleaner bend)
Wire nippers (I like flush cutters)
Pinvise for hand drilling & small drills
Waterline marking jig
Tweezers
Ratline jig- to hold your threads properly in place making ratlines