How to Carve Ornamentation for Ship Models
Carving ornamentation for ship models is a step few modelers take. While it can add greatly to a model's look of realism, carving your own ornamentation is more art than technique, requiring years of practice to gain proficiency. There is a process that can be used by beginners to help gain that proficiency that can break down a carving project into small steps.
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Things You'll Need
- Source material
- Tracing paper
- Masking tape
- Pencil
- Carbon paper
- Wood
- Scroll saw
- Hand plane
- Micro chisels
- Straight and curved razor blades
- Paintbrush
- Paint
- Clear-coat
Instructions
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1
Find a piece of source material for the ornamentation you wish to carve. Source material can include a model ship's plan, paintings or historical photographs of the ornamentation shrunk to scale, or if you're creating a unique ornamentation, your own drawing of the object. Source material taken from multiple angles will provide you the greatest accuracy in reproducing the ornamentation.
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2
Trace the ornamentation you wish to carve onto a piece of tracing paper using the ornamentation source. To trace, place the source material over a light source so that the light shines through. Place the tracing paper over the source and tape the corners down using masking tape. Trace the object using a sharp pencil, drawing as much detail from the source as possible.
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3
Place the tracing paper onto a piece of carbon paper, and place both onto a piece of wood. Re-trace the ornamentation, using the carbon paper to transfer the tracing directly to the wood. Choose a wood that you find easy to work with, though you should make sure it's finely grained to prevent splitting when adding fine detail to the carving -- wood such as apple, dogwood, birch, and yew.
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4
Cut away the excess wood surrounding your tracing using a scroll saw. And then use the hand plane to get as close to the dimensions of the final ornamentation as possible.
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5
Repeat the tracing and transfer process using multiple angles if the source material provides the option and if the ornamentation requires carving from more than the sides.
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6
Secure the cut wood to a stable backing piece of scrap wood with glue, to hold the ornamentation wood steady while carving.
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7
Remove the excess wood from the traced drawing using carving tools. You must work on the carving by removing the negative space, cutting away excess wood until you reach the material that makes up the ornamentation. Begin with large areas to be cut away, using the chisels to remove these areas. As you get closer to the traced ornamentation, switch to the razor blades, cutting at a 45-degree angle to remove smaller sections from the ornament.
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Detach the completed carving from the scrap wood using a razor knife. Move the knife beneath the carving, applying slight pressure to cut through the glue.
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9
Paint the ornamentation your desired color and then spray a layer of clear-coat onto the surface of the ornamentation to protect it from damage and make cleaning easier.
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Tips & Warnings
For greater detail, carve the ornamentation using a magnifying glass. While the greater detail may not be visible from a distance, the ornamentation as a whole will appear more realistic.
