The restoration of shipmodels

To restore shipmodels is a skill of itself.

Shipmodels exist like “sand on the beach”. Maritime museums, shipyards, shipholding companies, yachtclubs and private owners have collected whole fleets of shipmodels of different kinds and qualities over the years.

The aging leaves traces, especially when the protection against light, dust or children´s hands was not ideal. Sometimes a dusty wreck is found on the loft or was left.

Suddenly questions arise concerning the age, the value, the quality, the pattern... and finally:

Is ist worth to be restored ?

It is for sure, that a damaged shipmodel is not representative and has a reduced value. So let me give some ideas, how to act on cases like these.

It is recommendable to have an inventory first: What kind of ship? Are there differences to the original model? What is known about the history of model and artist? Which damages and lacks are visible and should be repaired? Is it usefull and necessary to have a special protection?

If a model has an ideel value only, it might be easy to find a place at home. The stony way indeed is, to find a customer. For “used” models a price-list does not exist. A “shipmodel-lover” must be found, which can take some time.

Restoring means to preserve the character

The main hazards for ship models are time, dust, light and children´s hands. So mainly it is necessary to remove the dust, to complete the rigg, to repair broken parts and maybe to install a protective hood.

The restoration itself should preserve as many of the original parts, colours, etc. as possible.

Of course it is possible to devide high quality models from simple ones, but this does not mean necessaryly good or bad. Who does really know about the circumstances of the model builder, his knowledge, his available materials and patterns.

We should better ask, which intention is behind his work and how far is it a contribution to light up a section of the maritime history.