Hi!
Here's a good one. Try H.O. Rail for a ship project. You have to have say, four foot of continous Plastic rail. Evergreen and Tichy Train group and Plastruct make very nice railing(the Plastruct needs a little massaging, but all is good). This railing can be used on plastic and paper models and Tichy does "N" scale(1/160) that you can cheat with. I believe some are now doing "Z"Scale parts. That's the reeally teensy trains.
With that said here's a tip on making long runs of rail that won't break apart at the joints when being handled. Lay the rail front side down on a piece of glass. Now here's a choice, You can Butt the sections together and save this step, Giving you a double stanchion every four inches. Or Carefully cut the end stanchion off every other piece, (both ends.) Now If you have used your ("Short Line") ("A Brand of Chopper) if you will. All the cuts will be square. Now link the rails up making sure the top mid and bottom rails line up section to section OR in the case of a sheer curve you've compensated for fit get ready to glue it. Glue it with Tamiya thin, Green Top Bottle.
Okay, Got that done? Now take some .010 clear sheet(Styrene) and cut out squares that match the heighth of the rails, same width too! Glue this over the joint you just finished on the rails. Saturate the joint and clear with Tamiya and let dry in a flat spot for at least four days. Build everything that needs rails and make sure it's ready for the rail application. Plastruct rail does NOT glue well when the parts are pre painted so make sure that area is NOT cvered in paint!
Flip your rail over and Glue clear to the front side the same way. This way you have reinforced both sides. When completely dry cut away any clear in the spaces between the rails and sections. You have created a doubled reinforcement for that long Rail. Sand gently to hide any flaws, Prime, Paint and Install.
NOTE:
The Tichy Rails are scale thin so be extra carefull with them. There are many Tichy shapes that can be utilzed on ships of any scale. This includes 1940-50s Train, Boxcar Roof Walkways etc. Their grab rails and detail parts can be used on armor too. No need for brass if your budget is tight! I have even used Tichy for Auto and Plane detailing. This stuff has no bounds if you are imaginative! You can also used walthers Oil field and refinery details under a car's hood!