Having spent many hours and in some cases years creating a work of art, you want to protect your model ship as best you can.

Protection begins at the construction stage by preventing chemical deterioration. All metals tend to rust to some degree. Typical metals found in a model ship built these days are Britannia (pewter-type alloy), brass, copper, steel, stainless steel, tin alloy, and aluminum. Before assembly, metal parts should be washed with mild soap and water, dried well, assembled and brushed with a clear coat of lacquer. Lacquer clear coat can be found in your wife’s medicine cabinet labeled Clear Nail Polish.

To prevent biological deterioration, protect wooden parts with paint, clear varnish, oil, or stain. Prepare the wood for staining or painting by sanding and then cleaning the wood. Sanding opens up the grain of the wood so that the wood stain or paint can better penetrate the surface of the wood. When you finish sanding, remove all the dust created by sanding. It’s best to do this with something called tack cloth, a pad made of treated loose tissue. The sticky cloth traps almost all of the wood dust molecules. When staining, remove excess stain, wipe the stain off the surface of the wood, and then rub the pigment into the wood with a soft cloth in circular motions. Wipe one last time in the direction of the wood grain; this helps promote uniformity. To deepen the color of the stain, repeat the process until desired results are achieved. Finally, choose a polyurethane finish with the desired shine. Oil finishes like Tung Oil harden when exposed to air. Tung oil soaks into the fibers of the wood before it begins to harden, thus forming a protective finish that moves with the wood.

Rigging lines can be preserved by covering them with beeswax. The beeswax will not only prevent fraying, it will act as a moisture barrier so the lines don’t continually stretch and loosen depending on the amount of humidity in the room. If using the cake method, draw the line through the slots in the container two or three times, giving the line a little twist with each pass. Now, you could run the line across the surface of a 60 watt light bulb to melt the wax on the line.

To prevent the sailcloth material from deteriorating, visit your wife’s medicine cabinet again and borrow her hairspray. A light mist will not only protect the candle, but will keep the candle in a billowing shape if that is how you would like it to display. The greatest enemy of sailcloth is the sun.

Where you display the model in your home is important. The model should not be displayed in direct sunlight or near a heat source. If you need to increase lighting, use low voltage (low temperature) LEDs.

The accumulation of dust, oil and dirt can be prevented by enclosing your model ship. A solid case will also prevent the cat from playing with your model. Boxes can be made with a wooden frame and plexiglass or glass inserts, a plexiglass box, or a glass box similar to an inverted aquarium. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, so your selection of the correct case depends on your preferences. A good way to protect and display a model ship is under glass; sometimes we also use acrylic covers with beveled edges. Glass is more durable and less susceptible to heat, scratches, and sunlight.

Unfortunately, covers don’t come cheap, so if you can make your own, you’ll save money. Another thing to keep in mind is that the wood in display cases can cause acid migration that can slowly corrode fabrics and paper. It is best to place a small sheet of Mylar under the screen and allow airflow to relieve buildup of acid fumes.

Even a model ship under a box is susceptible to dust, smoke, and other airborne contaminants, so you’ll need to dust the model from time to time. Use compressed air in a can usually used for cleaning electronics, or once again go to your wife’s medicine cabinet and borrow her hair dryer, turn it on cold and wash it. If the dust sticks to the strings and wood, you’ll need to get in there with a small brush and rag. After dusting, use a small sponge and apply a coat of diluted Murphy oil to preserve the wood.

Diluted isopropyl alcohol can be used to remove nicotine and grease stains. It is important to clean the ship model thoroughly and methodically. Visually divide the model into 6 parts, port and starboard side bow, port and starboard midships, and port and starboard stern. Start at the top and work your way down through the masts, lines and sails to the deck. Don’t forget to clean and protect the base of the model.

Model ships need ongoing monitoring and care, so proper conservation is a must to ensure the models are kept in the best possible condition.