The Little World

Bob’s Boatyard, to be precise.

Bob is my brother-n-law and a scale model builder as well. Rather than concentrate on plastic models, he devotes part of his retirement time to constructing wooden ship and boat models.

It is rarely kit work – Bob builds from plans using wood that he cuts and shapes for himself. The methods of construction are the classic frame-and-plank as well as clinker work. It is extremely precise and time-consuming.

Bob is a builder of many things; hot rods, houses, full-size boats, etc – so he is ideally skilled to work with these smaller plans. He’s equipped his workshop sensibly – I found saws for strip wood, drill presses, sanders, and any number of good hand tools. I was unable to steal any of them because people were watching.

At a recent family birthday party I took some pictures of the finished models he collects. One has a family connection through his forefather’s pearling activities in the Northwest.

It was good to see that he uses many of the techniques that our SMCWA club members practise when they are building their wooden ships. And some of the same robust language…