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Sailboat Model
The energy and power of wind has been utilised by man before the invention of the wheel. Man’s faith and trust in wind has been proven since the treacherous voyages when the “New World” was discovered. Man believed that the wind will carry him back, safely to the harbor. Dreams are still made of a sailboat, drifting smoothly over deep clear blue water. The attraction to a sailboat does not just lie in its solid, ‘workhorse’ ability but also to its beauty. A sailboat model is the closest many of us will come to own a scale version of an original master piece.
The craftsman, Chuck Miller, has been building scale model sailboats for thirty years. His headquarters are situated in Charlotte, where resources are available to prospective owners of a wide variety of model ships and boats. sailboat models have been sold to model companies, the navy, museums and collectors all over the states and the world. A sailboat model constructed by this man, who has dedicated his life to this craft, is usually plank on frame.
This means that the keel is set. The frame is setup and the hull is planked like a real ship. Chuck Miller spends sixty hours a week perfecting his workmanship and love for his models.
Each sailboat is unique and Chuck Miller has mastered the construction of tables to accompany his work. The selection of tables consists either of shaker, or Queen Anne Legs. Colors vary, depending on what oak can allow. Cases are custom made by New Wave Acrylics from Charlotte, which are also recommended to enhance the final display of the model. A broad spectrum of the famous and well known models can be ordered, from the simple Armed Launch Boat, to the Majestic HMS Victory, USS Constitution and CSS Alabama. Each individual craft has its own specifications and character.
Designs, colors, textures and material applied, must reflect the original sailboat to scale and all specifications. Two main sources are used to construct the model precisely. Chuck Miller gets his inspiration from restored models such as The Constellation which is moored in Baltimore’s Inner Harbour. He also uses paintings such as the famous artwork, The Hunley Docked in Charleston
by Conrad Wise Chapman (December 1863). The model sailboats crafted so realistically, can be regarded as prototypes due to the minute detail and expertise which is visible to specialists and enthusiasts. Flaws and design defects cannot be hidden in a professional display of this kind.
Chuck Miller is keen to share his sailboat models. He has initiated a website: www.chucksshipmodels.com , where specialists, historians and model enthusiasts can communicate with him. The site includes more information, visuals of sailboat models, contact details and an option to order model kits and supplies. This site is unique, as it also offers a Go Chat link where lovers of this craft can communicate with each other. The site is a member of international list of model related websites.
Chuck Miller undertakes to put aside whatever he is building, to build the ship of your choice.