Mess Deck: General Section > Beginners start here...!
Where to start
bremhillbob:
Hi all
new boy here ....!
I have an old wooden 'Nelson' style ship - for display not 'sailing' (about 18" long). It was given to me some 40 years ago as a 'project' and I haven't touched it. I'm thinking now is the time. It has sentimental value so "don't bother" isn't really an option I want.
I'm not looking to be 'world class' and authentic but rather diy and 'tidy'.
I was told that it was 'scratch built' but many parts look as if they have been manufactured - of course much is missing. I did try to upload a picture but the post failed so might try again later.
One kind enthusiast suggested building a model kit first to get the 'feel' of things and this seems sensible so Q1 is does anyone have any recommendation of kits to buy that are challenging (more than just 'assembly') but not ridiculous (you start with a block of wood and some plans). The names Amati and Caldercraft have been mentioned.
Q2 would be about finding help, encouragement and support in the North Wiltshire area? Any thoughts?
dreadnought72:
Hi Bob,
If you want inspiration (to a level where you might just take up knitting instead!) I would urge you to take a look at the NRG Ship Model Forum. You'd need to register there to see the threads. They're a world-wide group pretty much dedicated to wooden-built traditional models, scratch and kit, and there is some amazing work done there.
But stick around here, too! MBM is a broad church, and full of helpful advice.
Good luck!
Andy
SailorGreg:
Welcome to the wonderful world of ship modelling! I hope you do justice to your project, and if you can crack posting pictures we will all enjoy the journey. Making a kit first is probably a good start, especially if you have little or no previous modelling experience. However, choosing the right one can be a bit of a minefield. Do you want it simply as a practice piece, or are you hoping for a display piece in its own right? If you peruse the static display kits on the Cornwall Model Boats website you will find a vast range of price, complexity and style. Assuming you look for a kit of the same type and era as your model, you can go from the quite affordable like this to the frankly :o %% %% like this! The first of these really is a starter kit to introduce the novice to the feel of building. Only you can decide how complex a kit you want to start with, but once you start paying over about £150 for a kit you are probably looking at a project of several months.
One word of advice I will offer - choose a ship that you find attractive. You have to like what you are building, even if it is just as a trial. And once you have chosen a kit (and before you buy it) pop the name into a search engine. You will probably turn up some Youtube videos and/or build logs of that kit (maybe on Model Ship World as recommended by Andy), and you might gain some useful insights before parting with your money.
But most of all, remember it's supposed to be fun! We all forget that now and again when some pesky piece won't fit or you slice off a piece of flesh, but it's worth it in the end!
Greg
bremhillbob:
Ah the attachment thing .... I'm getting there but because the error clears the message it's meant I've had to write the reply several times .... hey ho ... gonna need that patience .... I'll upload the attachment in a different post
ANYWAY ... thanks for the speedy replies guys (is this hobby another 'mainly male' domain?). Certainly got me thinking.
The clear goal is to develop skills rather than anything else. I'd like to end up with something worth looking at but I don't think it would go on display anywhere (ie it won't be in my living room).
I'm a superficial fan of the Nelson Era ships (read a couple of books on Trafalgar - that sort of thing) and this is broadly what the restoration project is so that defines what I need - sails, rigging etc. I had a sudden thought about a pirate ship? this would allow me some license and I could disguise mistakes as 'damage'. I could happily go 'off piste' a bit and have some fun ... that could work.
I suppose budget is important. I guess I could spend up to (say) £100 if I needed to but I think I'd need to find a balance between spending hundreds of hours cutting out individual pieces of wood and just a glue together kit. Bearing in mind that my restoration project is almost built I think the emphasis for my model no 1 should be towards the 'kit' end of the scale.
bremhillbob:
here is the picture
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version