Im new to ship modeling and most of you'll think this is a stupid question, but what is the copper colored thing called, and where can I buy, the thing that attaches the ship to your wooden base?

Im new to ship modeling and most of you'll think this is a stupid question, but what is the copper colored thing called, and where can I buy, the thing that attaches the ship to your wooden base?

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Im new to ship modeling and most of you'll think this is a stupid question, but what is the copper colored thing called, and where can I buy, the thing that attaches the ship to your wooden base?

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I use lamp shade risers. I get them from the big box stores like Menards, Lowes in the lighting department. they usually come in 3 sizes.





EJ

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Im new to ship modeling and most of you'll think this is a stupid question, but what is the copper colored thing called, and where can I buy, the thing that attaches the ship to your wooden base?

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I use lamp shade risers. I get them from the big box stores like Menards, Lowes in the lighting department. they usually come in 3 sizes.





EJ

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These are perfect! But try as hard as I might, I can't find anyone in the UK stocking these. Every hit on Google and eBay is in the US. While the fittings themselves are cheap, P&P is always very expensive. Are these something that can only be found on that side of the pond?

Im new to ship modeling and most of you'll think this is a stupid question, but what is the copper colored thing called, and where can I buy, the thing that attaches the ship to your wooden base?

Quoted Text

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Im new to ship modeling and most of you'll think this is a stupid question, but what is the copper colored thing called, and where can I buy, the thing that attaches the ship to your wooden base?

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Ezra,
I believe the display term you seek is a finial. The lampshade nut and brass tube described above are good, but I have a few suggestions too— Is there an Ace Hardware near you? I use the brass fluted stems for plumbing from their plumbing department. They are straight at the top, and taper into a nice fluted base with threads that can be screwed right into an appropriately sized hole in the wood base. They might be a bit heavy for a 1/350 destroyer though— I run a 1/4 inch threaded rod With square nuts and washers through them to hold the model in place. Look in the plumbing department for these. Most good Ace Hardware stores also have what I call a “do-dad” hardware section where you can find a variety of tubes, posts, screws, bolts and other items that can be adopted for display. But I haven’t had the same success at Lowe’s or HD looking for similar items. It seems they carry mostly cheap imported stuff, in a smaller selection. You can also use drawer pulls with fancy bases, so check out the Ace Hardware cabinet department.

I don’t do commission builds anymore (the 1/72 USS Johnston I built was a $6K commission, the 1/350 was a $600 commission), But I sub contracted expensive display cases with a local manufacturer, and I recommend you think a display case if you’re going to do all that work. I also recommend laminating the base with two lengths of hardwood (I have my own woodworking set up, so I can cut, cove and rout bases to order). Carful choosing a wood for a base. A single piece of hardwood may be prone to warping, although in 1/350 scale, that might not be a huge issue, especially in NM. I’d shy away from softer woods like pine. Oak has a tendency to warp. Walnut and Cherry hold up the best. By the way, the 1/72 Johnston I built resides now in Phoenix, where it was shipped to the owner, the son of the Ships Surgeon during the battle of Leyte Gulf. I haven’t spoken with him in some years now, but the last time we spoke, he said the model was holding up well inside its display case despite the dry climate.
VR, Russ

Ezra,
One thing about any brass finial— make sure you give it a good lacquer clearcoat (lacquer is better than enamels at clinging to metal surfaces). Any brass item will begin to tarnish and oxidize over time unless it has a protective coating of some sort. Before long it’ll go from shiny to shabby brown and finally green without that coating. Fingerprints will also show over time unless you clear coat.
VR, Russ

Hi Ezra

Some great advice here... I second the display case option for ships... if you get dust on them, they're a real hassle to clean.

If you don't have a large display case for all your models, then a custom fit for just one ship may be necessary. Definitely go with a hardwood to avoid warping

An alternative to brass pedestals is the "chock" method some of us employ to avoid the additional height created by brass pedestals, so that I can fit my finished builds in my large wall display case



FWIW's I contract out the bases to a guy I know with a table saw and router, then I cut my own chocks and fit them myself. I add felt to the bottom of the base and varnish them myself to save on the cost