Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[deadwood]

The bleak trace of this thread prompted this poll.
Is it really true that (scale) model boating is an old men's pastime?
Me approaching my 48th birthday in less than a fortnight may be eligible to consider myself an old man by now.
Few of our ancestors lived beyond this age.
And the beginning decay of my body painfully reminds me that the human design (without the support of modern medical science) wasn't really planned for greater longevity.
I hope you don't find this poll too personal.


Greetings
Ralph

[brianB6]

48?   You are still young. 
It' not one's age that matters but outlook.
Remember, growing old is compulsory, Growing up is optional. 

[bikerdude666]

Jeez you bunch of old codgers! About time you stopped playing with toy boats isn't it!    

[barryfoote]

Well we were all young once and I was into scale model boats from my mid 20's onwards...mind you that was 30years ago...

[JB]

Ralph what's the matter? been under the weather recently? !
I think you're looking at it the wrong way...although I know what you mean about being 'painfully reminded'   I'm 58 but feel about 88 sometimes!

We've got to the stage where after lots of 'practice' we can afford (usually) or scratch build - display - and sail model boats/ships with a reasonable amount of success, look at the build threads on the forum, many of the efforts only exist because the builder 'had the tools'...his hands and the 'practice', if you get my drift! not many young boys would/could do this these days, I started my first wood kit, an Aerokits, when I was 13, I completed it in a few months and with help from an older friend who fitted the diesel engine and running gear and ran it on the lake, we called it 'sailing' for some unknown reason in those days, I'll find a photo of the lake...I like a picture to go with the words...!!!

Cheer up!

JB.  

[ZZ56]

Were children ever really involved in building the kind of models we (perhaps i should say you, as I'm only 24) are interested in?

Yes, a lot of old club photos show youth participating but they aren't the ones with the eight-foot long superdetailed steam Bismark. 

[Colin Bishop]

Me approaching my 48th birthday in less than a fortnight may be eligible to consider myself an old man by now.

If you are Deadwood now, you will be Sawdust by 65!

And the beginning decay of my body painfully reminds me that the human design (without the support of modern medical science) wasn't really planned for greater longevity.

Yes. it's quite amazing how many things there are that can drop off or go wrong. You can see exactly the same effects on model boats.

Colin

[unbuiltnautilus]

I have been building RC Boats since 1982 at the wee age of 15, which goes some way to accounting for my 'know all' attitute sometimes. Well earned I think


Modest too

[Colin Bishop]

I have been building RC Boats since 1982 at the wee age of 15, which goes some way to accounting for my 'know all' attitute sometimes. Well earned I think

Pre '62 for me, and I guess quite a few others here. 

Colin

[nick_75au]

I distinctly remember building a sail boat at about age 5, the hull and keel were made of polystyrene, it had a dirty great stick of lead solder as used for stained glass windows and ripstop nylon for the sail. As our pool was surrounded by about 8 foot high block walls, it did not sail too well. Rather than being encouraged by my dad he admonished me for leaving a big polystyrene mess both in the garage and a large amount floating in the pool  

Just creped into the 36-50 bracket.

Cheers
Nick

[Deep Diver]

O.K you young lad's, started making models back in the dark ages for you, me that is the mid 1950's when I was about 10 years old the 10d kit's from Woolworth moved on to my first boat a Kiel-Krift MTB,never stopped making boats, in 1989 moved on to Sub's. and as has been said we may grow old but in our harts we are still young.

By the way I also ride a Ducati Super sport most day's

[treeboa]

at 54 i must be waiting for the grim reaper  , i blame my old man for this `modelling` lark, things have progressed so much over the time as well, i remember seeing an old guy when i was a nipper, he was winding up a clockwork cabin cruiser, however he also had a clockwork escape that was set to do basic manouvers, none of your new fangled radio control for that guy  , my old man was an raf radar engineer, he built me a radio control system, was basic on off none of your progressive stuff, range varied depending on weather, batteries, what colour shirt you had on, hellish thing that took up most of the hull, lastest a few goes then did a viking funeral one day    park keeper banned me from the park lake for trying to set fire to the island  , now i look at what we have available, how small it is and what its capable of, anyone remember making putput boats

heres a more advanced version of what i mean     http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/boat/asembCartonl.html

[wartsilaone]

Although trains has always been my first love I have also been into model boats for many years. I did attempt to make a version of my current ferry model when I was 14 but I didn't have the the money, skills or the help to carry it off. It was always on the back burner though and 20 years later having gained some modelling experience and a bit of disposable income I have finally made it.
 I just hope it doesn't take another 20 years to build another.

Ali.

[nhp651]

Gawd love 'im, poor ol' boy..........48 as well................can't remember that far back

I built my first model boat under the supervision of my grand dad at 8 years old......... so must be ancient and past it now at 60....................but don't let Peter Fitness read this....he's positively ancient

[w3bby]

Fast approaching 50 and do not consider myself old.... No scale boats for me, just race boats.

[Jimmy James]

Seen my 3 score and 10 and spent 54 years at sea in the Navy, the fishing fleet (1st cod war) merchant navy,Big and small yachts, square riggers & sail training ships, My Grandfather started me building model boats in the early 40s as there not many toys in the shops(there was a war on) he gave me a clasp knife for my 5th  birthday and told me to make my own model boats ...I've been doing it ever since... I don't consider my self old ...I think age is a state of mind ... I still like girls in mini skirts and Bikini's and I like to sail my model boats
 Jimmy

[Howard Q]

As my doc said to me, "age is only a number" it's the way you look at life what counts, now where is that arthritis?.
Still building boats but had to give up motorbikes; kept falling of them. . Howard.

[Youngat65]

Not in that order though Jimmy 

[Number 6]

I turned 40 in January and have been building models for as long as I can remember, don't consider myself old yet, grumpy at times-maybe. My grandad got me interested but always been keen on engineering and how things work. Done r/c cars, planes and helicopters but enjoy the detail you can put in a boat and the relaxing time spent sailing them with fellow enthusiasts. I don't think younger people today appreciate engineering and creating something with your own hands. Most just want everything now without having to put the time and effort in. There are exceptions though and are some very fine young modellers out there, I just wish there were more of them. Dave.

[Guy Bagley]

same age as me number 6, i odnt feel old !!!
- always into models from a young age, got my first tamiya car aged 9 after that got into ic cars, then had a go at model flying aged 13 , - built my first billings boat at 16... moved away form good sailing waters so got into  N scale model railways, got older moved back close to a good boat club and carried on with boats- been doing that for last 20 years...( still have the N scale too ...and  now i have the excuse  that my son wanted an  RC eleccy helicopter and more tamiya buggies- and as a good dad i obliged !!! )

both my son and daughter love to make stuff, anything  that involves them being busy and creative, -sadly i do think its on the decline though, - my sone built his first RC boat aged 6- its rough, but reliable and he's proud of his acheivement !!!- cant knock it, got to encourage it !

[hover tim]

as a 23 year old what I like is the building aspect but then seeing something you have made take to the water or hover in my case for the first time its a thrill

[MikeA]

im 26  did you sort that pool out tim? when we been talking about it i presumed you were 40 yo or something

im only kidding dude but i did think you were older

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

While it may take the maturity and income of the more "mature" modelers to build the beauties, it doesn't
hurt to seed the interest in model boating in the younger generation.

While you are waiting for the parts, or the glue or resin to cure, build up a simple "Springer" tug and keep it on
hand for the children to drive while you are at the pond, or at an event. I built up a springer in eight days, and
the children ran it all day, as did some adults, at our "Crawfish Festival Regatta"

The boat had a 400 geared motor, and two batteries lasted the entire day.
We also handed out little business cards that provided links to the plans and building information for Springers.
And each child that ran the boat got a pamphlet from Shaver Transportation that was full of pictures of tugs,... and
river transportation information should they need to ship grain...  

Don't just model, Promote the hobby.  

Aimee

[dodgy geezer]

Just playing with them is one thing - getting kids to make them themselves  is even better....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAHJbJieV0o

[fatcat123]

Im 26, seriously been interested in boats since 22. From the mental image people get about model boats, it does seem an oldie sort of thing but people dont appreciate the skill involved in such hobbies.

Ive always had RC models of one sort or another, mainly IC cars.

Dan