Need Help with displaying a ship.........

First and likely easiest thing to do is look at the picture I assume you have. Try to find something that you know the size of and compare the blocks to that to get a rough idea.

Likely the blocks are made up from several smaller one, but the quick search I did showed nothing. Hope someone else has a better idea or the knowledge you seek

SF340_Driver wrote:

Allright folks, I am am working on a 1/350 Missiouri and I have a few questions about displaying the ship. The couple ideas that I have are using a few pieces of brass tubes with a piece of oak, or wlanut, etc...I think that this would be the easiest. The other idea that I have is too build a drydock for it, which would maybe look the nicest, but the the problem that I am running into is how to make the wood blocks to scale, does anyone have any ideas or resources that they can share, or where I could find a guide to making things to scale any help on this would be appreciated. Thank you

Have you finished the model and are just now thinking how to display it?  That is often the case.   Fact is I have to help a guy in the modeling club meeting tomorrow figure out how to mount his big finished Revell Type VII.  It is best addressed before closing the ship up. 

Don't worry about scale cribbing.  Just something which is small and not overpowering will do.

Do you have access to a table saw & woodworking tools?  Do you know someone who does?  You can get some oak lumber at the local Lowes or Home Depot.   Get a piece of 3/4 inch for the base and some 1/4 inch for the cribbing.   Cut the 3/4 to size.  If you have a router - rout a decorative edge.  If not ease the edge with some sandpaper and sand everyting smooth. 

Set the rip fence on your table saw to 1/4 inch and rip lengths of the 1/4 oak for the cribbing.  Cut them to length -- the width of the model (+/-), perhaps tapering in bow and stern.   Sand them well also.  Glue them in place - starting in the middle and working out.   Space them 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart.  Whatever looks good.   Use white carpenters glue - enough to hold but not so much as to run all over the place.  When the glue is dry - do a quick final sanding, then stain and varnish (Lowes/HomeDepot items).  Apply several coats of the varnish for a smooth finish.

Cement the model in place,  a small dab or two of epoxy or clear silicone caulk should do. 

I'll second what EdGrune has to say, a nice wooden base lends a lot of character to a ship or sub. On my 350th TIRPITZ, I used keel blocks that were 3/4" in height and depth and varied the width from narrow at the bow and stern to beam wide at the middle. I cut the blocks to width and arranged them under the ship first to get the proper spacing, 3/4" apart, and then stained and finished them separately from the base(hard to wipe the stain off well between the blocks if they are already glued down). Once you've got your wood in good shape, I drill down through two of the keel blocks and use long wood screws up from the bottom to attach the hull to the base-I also put a thick piece of plastic or stack up some sheet plastic squares inside the hull before I attach the deck permanently so that the screws have some good bite. If you make the base at the outset of the project, you can attach the hull to it, covered up with paper to protect the finish, and then continue assembly and painting with a very solid hull that resists turning over. Some of my 350th subs are displayed on the IPMS chapter site, the Polish Coastwatchers(http"//nthawk.home.mchsi.com)photo gallery or the Quad Cities pictures.

While not an accurate match for normal keel blocks, these do set your model apart from the usual two stands that most of them have. Good luck