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This page will be a step by step record of my progress towards building a 1:96 scale model of the H.M.C.S Annapolis, a post-WWII destroyer in the Canadian Navy. The plans were purchased from a hobby shop in Ottawa, Ontario and were the last copy available. I wasn’t able to find plans anywhere else.

I am a complete novice at modeling although I did make lame attempts at putting together car kits when I was younger. The sheer complexity of this project is what attracted me to it in the first place. Sure, I could have learned and honed my skills on simpler models and worked my way up but what fun would that be? Why not just jump right in and try the hardest model boat I can imagine. Non-linear surfaces, a sleek profile with little room for error and a complex deck and equipment layout.

History

A little history.

Reading the Plans

PNGs and sheer and half-breadth plan outlines.

Materials

• Plans: $30
• MDF: 6 sheets of 1 x 4 x 5/16: $30

Building the Plug – Bread and Butter construction

The plug is a fully featured replica of the hull that is used to make a mould. I have chosen to use the bread and butter technique since it seems to be a quicker method for prototyping and the plug won’t be used for anymore than defining the hull shape.

Transferring the Plans

The first step is to get the plan lines onto the material. I use medium density fibreboard (MDF) since it is cheap and comes in 5/16 inch widths that align perfectly with my plans. I needed six 1 x 4 foot sheets for my model @ $4.59 a sheet from Rona.

Draw Centerline

Marking Stations

Marking Waterline

Cutting The Risers

A band-saw is the best tool for ensuring smooth and accurate lines of this length. Be sure you know how to use one before starting on your first piece – practice, practice, practice. No doubt you’ll need to refine some of the lines during sanding. This is ok but try to be as accurate as when cutting as it will affect the stability and flow of water along the hull.

Gluing the Risers

Choose 3 locations in where the station lines intersect with the centreline (preferably at the midpoint and a location to the right and to the left of mid) and drill 1/4″ holes in all the sheets. Glue the risers together and use a 1/4″ dowel in each hole to keep the properly aligned. Clamp the entire assemble with at least 3 clamps on each side and let dry overnight.

Shaping the Hull

Now that the glue has dried the hull now looks like a set of steps. You will need to sand the hull down to remove those steps. The choice of tools depends on what material has been used. For MDF, I begin with a plane to remove most of the edges and quickly move to a small hand held powered sander and finish with regular sandpaper. WEAR A DUST MASK AND FULL COVERED GOGGLES! I cannot stress this enough, getting fibres in your lungs is not something you’ll notice right away but will cause problems down the road.