The Ship Model Forum

I agree with ARH- resin and fiberglass make crap wood better! I had a 1/144 Prinz Eugen I built from Luan and coated the heck out of it with resin and some cloth in places, and it held up fine. It was an R/C combat ship, so it was repeated sunk and beaten on by flying ball bearings- it worked great and was cheap!

Luan should be o/k, but like I do, give it a coat of resin inside the hull to seal everything.

Thank you for the response admiral. Advice taken. Will take about 3/32" for glass and matt thickness.
Now to find out about plywoods for framing,...
Any opinions about Luan?

I always use matt on any type of planked hull, even ply sheet, it gives extra strength to the hull and any seems.

Looking at various materials for constructing an RC model hull about 42 inches long.
Rib materials under consideration are various plywoods including Birch, Oak, and Luan.
I like the stability I've seen with Luan as it seems flatter than the others on the shelf. My concern is
it's suitability for use when exposed to water. It will be coated in fiberglass resin.

Secondary question:
When is it recommended to use fiberglass matt? Am considering using only the resin for sections that are sheeted. My limited understanding is you need the matt for planked areas to prevent cracking.

Thank you very much for any input.