Clipper Ship and HO Scale Models

Bruce Von Stetina is not only a talented painter, he also creates museum-quaility scale ship models, magazine quality models for HO scale trail layouts and unique sculptures.

Scratch built wooden model of the clipper ship Lightning, 1/8 scale Built to the plans of William Crothers.
One reason I picked this ship to model was its unusual deck arrangement. I started by installing plywood bulkheads on a lemon wood keel, then filled between bulkheads with basswood and finished the shaping. The bulwarks were built up and planked inside, then the fancy panels with diamond and star moldings installed using a mold making and casting technique (there are 50 of them). Next I established the positioning of all of the fancy moldings on the exterior of the hull - the hardest part of this was wrapping them around the ship's semi-elliptical stern. The deck has been planked with white holly. In order to represent the tar between the planks I painted the edges of each plank.

Photos below taken 2/2/2010

Contact Bruce at vsart1@embarqmail.com if you are interested in having him make a custom model for your layout. He can work from plans or from your photographs. Pricing quotes are given per job.

Coaling tower, receiving pit and sand storage tank.

Brass and wood construction.

150 Ton Coal Tower

Made from hardwoods: maple, holly and lemon