I was asked recently by our Chairman, Paul, if I would build a stand for his small model tug boat which I agreed to do. Here's how I did it.

I have a pet hate of boat stands made from plywood sheets and have tried over the years of building model boats to create new ideas for my stands. Being a carpenter by trade I build all of my stands from timber.

First step is to decide what size of timber to use. For Paul's tug I am using 2x1 and 3x1 PSE (Planed Square Edge) softwood. The side rails of the stand are 2x1, cut to a suitable length for each individual boat - in this case 11 inches. The cross rails which carry the boat are 3x1, 8 inches wide.

Once all these pieces are cut to length and the cross-rail ends have been cut at an angle, plane and sand all the surfaces and sand a bevel on all the edges.

Next step is to cut out where the boat will sit upright onto the cross rails. Use a flexible ruler (cheap on eBay) to give the basic shape, then make a cardboard pattern to the shape of the hull bottom. This pattern is then transferred onto the 3x1 cross-rails (bow and stern) to be cut to shape.

Use a sharp tenon saw to cut the timber down to the shape line approximately 1/8th of an inch apart. With a sharp chisel, the timber can then be removed up to the shape line. To get the final shape (remember you will be fitting either rubber or carpet tile inside this shape) use either a vertical belt sander or a rasp, then finish with 240-grade sandpaper.

When fitting the cross rails for shape, mark on the hull bottom where they will be once the stand is complete (9 inches apart in this case), then mark out this distance onto the 2x1 side rails.

The side rails are drilled out from underneath for the retaining screws that hold the stand together so the screws are not seen. Fit some small blocks on each corner so that you can easily get your fingers under the stand to lift it.

Once you are happy with the way the boat sits on the stand (upright), cut some carpet tile to the width of the cross rail and glue it in place with superglue to stop the boat being damaged or slipping.

All that remains is to decide if you want to varnish the stand or paint it - my preference is to varnish, but that's just the carpenter in me.

I hope this helps - if anyone needs further info on stand building just ask me at the pond. Regards, Dr. Faz.