article_snippet: and I tend to pick a particular time in the ship's life to make it at because warships went in for refits lots and could be different from year to year,' said Mr Ansell, 63.
article_snippet: I like to make ships you don't see at model shows very often and bigger ones are more of a challenge because you have to be more detailed.'
article_snippet: Constructing the models is a painstaking process, sometimes taking longer than the models took to make the actual warships themselves.
article_snippet: the models took nine years for Mr Ansell to complete HMS Dreadnought  laying each of the planks individually .
article_snippet: , the battleship HMS Dreadnought, is a 6ft long, 1:196 scale model and has as taken Mr Ansell nine years to finish - nine times longer than it took to build the actual warship in 1906.
article_snippet: But the project was delayed by a lack of photographs of the vessel and Mr Ansell built two other models during that time.
article_snippet: Took Mr Ansell nine years to finish .
article_snippet: It took six months just to do the deck
article_snippet: On average, a ship takes about three years to build and a ship hobby has cost Mr Ansell several thousands over the years.
article_snippet: a ship said: 'Back in the 90s, my ambition was to make a 10-foot model
highlights_snippet: On average ships take three years to make but HMS Dreadnought took nine .
  