The Ship Model Forum

This is the SS Italia, formerly named the SS Kungsholm, which was built in 1928 in Hamburg, Germany. She was bought in 1948ish by the Italians and refurbished under her new name, Italia. I picked this ship to build because it was the ship that brought my now wife and her mom, dad, and sister to the US from Germany in 1954. The ship carried approx. 1500 passengers and she measured 609 ft. in length with a 78" beam. I made the model 36" long, using basswood as the primary wood. I'd have used poplar if I had known basswood was so fuzzy and difficult to paint. Poplar paints much better.
The entire ship is from scratch, except for the screws, the anchors, and the nav. lights. The decks are mahogany veneer, scored to look planked. The rolled up awnings along the enclosed prominade decks are made from an old pillow case. The railings are made from floral wire, as are the shrouds and stays for the masts. There are 36 lifeboats, all with real twine along the sides to add authenticity. The canvas looking tops are from poplar. The handrails along the railings are true mahogany. Approx. 175 portholes line each side.
She was a delight to build, and quite frankly I'm bummed that it's frinished! She sits in my foyer encased in glass. Hope you enjoy the pics.

Very nice work. I love to see models of ships that aren't modeled much.

Ditto--nice to see a lesser known subject !

Thank you for sharing!

Jim Baumann

new project.... build another model!

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....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
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IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com

Very nice model.
The only thing I do not like is that kite string rigging.

BTW if you did not brush all of the knots with glue the will come undone over time.
I would re do that rigging with much smaller line.