Ian Moore's Shipbuilding (and General) Modelling Tips
The following are excellent tips and techniques reprinted with kind permission from Ian Moore's posting in the Maritimemodellers.com forums.
1. Use Liquitex mould builder latex rubber solution to brush on over photoetch railings here simulated canvas dodgers are needed. May be then painted the appropriate color.
2. With a pair of pliers or hammer flatten the end of soft wire of the correct diameter and cut to length to make oars for ships boats and life rafts.
3. Use a sienna turpentine wash to simulate grime and dirt and to help bring out relief details on a ship bulkhead, A black turpentine wash will create shadow and soot effect, Also a wash of umber in lighter fluid may be used similarly.
(Washes made from Hubrol Enamel and Winton oil Colours)
4. Use orange brown pastel chalks either by stick or powders applied with a brush in a downward motion with 3-4 short strokes to create rust streaks on and under bollards, fairleads etc. lightly brush pastel chalk over deck chains , hatches and fittings.
Remember that wooden craft such as PT boats etc may have wear or oil stains and rust near metal fittings but that the wooden based hulls do not Rust. Also the underwater hulls of submarines have more algae (green) than rust as only areas exposed to air rust more quickly.
(3 different coloured washes on the left, Umber Pastel Chalk grime streaks on the right)
5. Use fine tape over a primary deck color for alternate planks only , then paint with a darker or lighter color before removing the tape to see the mixed plank colors.
6. Use 5 bar railing for grates on decks or funnels.
7. Place masts in a rotating Dremel tool chuck and sand towards the end to create a tapered mast or yardarm.
8. Use hollow polypropylene tubing of fine diameter to heat over a candle and stretch to a hair diameter. Cut with 1/4 inch of the original diameter and 6 inches of the stretched tip. Cut the top spout off the medium CA or Superglue nozzle and insert the thick end of the tubing applicator.
Hold a piece to be glued in position and run the fine tip of the superglue applicator along the join while gently squeezing the container
If the tip clogs a small piece may be snipped off before resuming work.
9. Use fishing store tippet line for small scale ship rigging. Comes in black or clear and 
may be as fine as .006 diameter (use 2 pound test) May be coloured with a magic marker.
10. Rigging - Use Tippet line from fishing supply stores. In 700 scale use .002 0r .003 as fine as available. Larger filaments for larger scales. Line is often available in either clear, black or brown. Use black for the ships standing rigging that support the masts and funnels. Use brown for the running rigging that are light lines for signal halyards, boat falls, flag hoists etc. Secure lines with clove hitches and super glue. Work from the inboard to outboard on either side to equalize access and strain on masts . It is often advisable to replace plastic masts and stays with brass or wire to prevent bending.
11. For waterlines boot topping use any of the following.
a. Dry transfer black Letraset lines of the correct width.
b. Microscale black striping tape from auto shops (apply a flat overcoat)
either may be applied directly as the boot topping or as a mask over a base boot topping color before over-painting the freeboard and lower hull colors then removing the tape.
c. for 1/700 waterline kits run a magic marker along the waterline while holding tip at a 45° angle from the hull (after painting the upper hull color).
12. Use small rhinestone jewels or reflector inserted into a hole drilled in a searchlight or signal light face to add depth and action. Over-paint with a clear lens color blue or green and cover the face lens with a drop of Microscale Kristal Klear.
13. For coiled hawsers and lines . Make coils of rope by dragging a length of light or dark thread through a 50/50 white glue water palette then wrap thread lightly around a paint brush handle overlapping the wraps. Cut and slide the coil off the end of the tapered handle and flatten coil and glue to deck location. Overcoat with a flat acrylic.
14. For cheesed lines use the same materials but coil the line from the center outward on a flat surface and allow the white glue to stiffen and dry before lifting cheesed coil with spatula and positioning on the model.
15. Apply flag decals to a rectangle of candy bar or cigarette foil . Apply both sides of the flag with the hoist ends almost next to another. Trim the foil around the edges off the flag apply white glue to the face down side of the foil opposite the flags. Bend the flag/foil around the Flagstaff or halyard line so the inner glued faces align. After glue is dry flags/foil may be carefully wrinkled to simulate flutter overcoat with a flat acrylic.
16. For smoke from guns or stacks. Use gray cotton filter material from older floor vacuum cleaners. Or dye cotton batten or cotton balls with dye or dilute acrylic paint.
Attach to gun muzzle or funnel with white glue and tease away in direction of wind after glue dries.
(All Images copyright maritimemodellers.com)