Thunderer: Building a Model Dreadnought

The expert ship modeler's a step-by-step guide to building a large-scale model of the dreadnaught that fought in the WWI Battle of Jutland.

Laid down in April of 1910, HMS Thunderer was the last Orion -class dreadnaught battleship built for the Royal Navy. The author's 1/96 scale museum-quality model of this ship brings to life the power and potency of the Super Dreadnoughts. In this comprehensive guide, every aspect of model building is covered, from the hull to wireless equipment.

All the different techniques required to bring a complex model battleship to completion are thoroughly explained, including casting in metal and GRP, silver brazing, soft soldering, metal fabrication in steel, brass, copper, aluminum and pewter, and lathe turning and milling operations for the production of guns and propellers. The author also covers the contemporary American battleship, USS Texas , the only remaining ship of that type and era, and an inspiration for any modeler setting out to tackle this subject.

Not just a how-to manual, the book is also an eloquent testimony to the skills of the designers and the original builders as well as a wonderful evocation of the great ships that fought at the Battle of Jutland.