The wood you choose affects how easily a hull goes together and how it looks when it’s finished. Kits supply their own timber, but scratch builders, and kit builders replacing poor-quality kit wood, have to make their own choices. This guide covers the woods commonly used for model boats, what each is good for, and what to check before buying.
What you actually need to buy for a planked hull
A typical planked hull needs:
- Sheet material for the keel or false keel, bulkheads or frames, and sometimes the false deck. This is usually plywood.
- Block or thick stock for bow and stern filler blocks, stem, sternpost and other solid parts.
- Strip wood for hull planking, in one or two layers, and deck planking.
- Square and rectangular sections for wales, rails, coamings and fittings.
- Glues, fillers and abrasives, plus a few planking tools.
Woods commonly used in model boat building
Basswood and lime
Basswood (North American Tilia) and lime (European Tilia) are closely related. They have a fine, even texture, cut cleanly, bend reasonably well and take paint easily. They’re the usual choice for first planking in double-planked kits and for many painted hulls. The grain is plain, so they’re less often left bare under varnish.
Walnut, mahogany and sapele
These darker hardwoods are common second-planking woods in kits because they look good under a clear finish. Walnut strips bend well when pre-shaped with heat. Sapele and other “mahogany-type” woods vary in grain and can be more prone to splitting on tight bends.
Boxwood, pear, cherry and holly
Close-grained fruitwoods and boxwood are prized for detailed scratch-built models, especially plank-on-frame. Their fine grain doesn’t look oversized at small scales, and they hold crisp edges for carving and small fittings. Holly is pale and is a traditional choice for scale decks. Maple and basswood are also used for decks.
Balsa, obeche and cedar for working models
Working models often prioritise light weight. Balsa is very light and easy to shape, but soft and easily dented, so it’s usually sheathed. Our guide to free balsa model boat plans covers choosing balsa grades. Obeche is a light, soft hardwood used for sheeting and planking. Western red cedar is a common choice for strip-planked yacht hulls because it is light and bends well.
Plywood for keels, bulkheads and frames
Plywood is stable and resists splitting, so it’s the standard material for false keels and bulkheads. Birch plywood, often sold as aero or aircraft ply in thin sheets, has more plies per thickness and fewer voids than cheaper construction ply. For a working model, choose a ply with a water-resistant glue line and seal it well.
Wood by job
| Job | Common choices | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| False keel, bulkheads | Birch plywood, MDF in some kits | Must be flat and stable |
| Filler blocks | Balsa, basswood, lime | Soft enough to carve easily |
| First planking | Basswood, lime | Takes filler and sands well |
| Second planking | Walnut, sapele, mahogany, cherry, pear | Chosen for appearance |
| Single planking (scratch) | Pear, boxwood, cherry, basswood | Fine grain matters at scale |
| Deck planking | Holly, maple, basswood, boxwood | Light colour, fine grain |
| Strip-planked RC hulls | Western red cedar, balsa, obeche | Usually glass-sheathed |
| Hard-chine skins | Birch plywood, balsa | Sheets must take the bend |
| Small fittings | Boxwood, pear, cherry | Holds detail and edges |
For how these materials fit each construction method, see our overview of making a model boat hull.
Strip and sheet sizes and scale
Strip planking is sold in standard thicknesses, often 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm and 2 mm in metric, or fractions such as 1/32 in and 1/16 in in imperial sizes. Widths commonly run from 3 mm to 6 mm or more.
To choose a scale-appropriate size, take the real plank’s width and thickness from references or plans and divide by your scale. A real plank 10 inches wide, at 1:64, comes to about 4 mm. At very small scales, the true scale thickness is often too thin to work with, so builders accept a thicker plank as long as the width looks right.
Other planking supplies
- Glues: PVA wood glue for most planking, CA for tacking, epoxy where strength or water resistance matters.
- Planking pins or small nails, plus a pusher or small pliers.
- A plank bender or heat source to pre-shape strips.
- Clamps: spring clamps, small plank clamps and elastic bands.
- Sanding blocks of several lengths and a range of abrasive grades.
- Wood filler suited to your finish (paint or varnish).
- A steel rule and a sharp hobby knife with plenty of spare blades.
Planking technique is covered in detail in our guide to planking a wooden model ship or yacht hull.
Buying milled timber vs milling your own
Specialist suppliers sell strip and sheet wood milled for ship modellers. Some will cut to custom sizes and stock less common species. Buying milled stock saves you needing a table saw, thickness sander and the skills to use them safely.
Milling your own from larger boards gives you more control over grain and species and can work out cheaper on large projects. It does need suitable machinery, such as a small table saw with a fine blade and a thickness sander, and it takes time to set up accurately.
What to check before you buy
- Straight grain running along the strip, not diagonally across it. Strips with runout (grain leaving the edge at an angle) tend to snap when bent.
- Consistent thickness along the length and from strip to strip. Uneven thickness makes extra sanding and leaves a lumpy surface.
- Matching colour within a batch, especially for varnished planking.
- No knots, checks or splits.
- Flat sheets. Warped plywood makes warped keels and bulkheads.
If buying online, it’s sensible to order a small amount first to check quality before a large order.
Storing timber
Keep wood flat, supported along its length, and away from heat sources and damp. Let new timber sit in your workshop for a while before use so it settles to the room’s humidity. Label strips by species and size; many woods look alike once they’re in a bundle.
Dust, health and restricted species
Fine sanding dust from many woods can irritate skin, eyes and airways, and some exotic hardwoods are known sensitisers. Use dust extraction where you can, and wear a suitable dust mask when sanding.
Some tropical timbers are covered by international trade restrictions, and availability changes over time. Ramin, once a common kit wood, is one example of a species that’s now much harder to obtain. If you’re buying exotic species, choose reputable suppliers who can tell you where the wood comes from.