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[boathound]

I really wish there were night classes on building model boats. If there are classes on flower arranging, upholstery, glass cutting etc... why can't there be one on building model boats? The older generations who build could pass on their knowledge to people like me and keep the hobby healthy. Its one thing reading about it in a book but to be in a class is different there is more motivation and the ability to ask questions and actually watch how it is done and what to use and there would be others in the class who share your interest and would make it fun.

[goBulawayo]

Yea that would be great, I think my builds take so long / are stalled cause I am unsure / not confident about doing things.

Wayne

[Tug-Kenny RIP]

YouTube might help with construction type films and research is part of the fun.


Ken

[Shipmate60]

boathound,
I know you have the ability to build just not the confidence and the painting of your last attempt disapointed you.
Try an easy build all you need is a little confidence.


Bob

[grendel]

many years ago now (in my youth) I attended the local youth club on a Friday night. At this club we had one old aeromodeller, who came along to give his wife a lift to the badminton that she taught the kids.
As something to do he wouldbring along something to work on during the evening, gradually a few of us youths got interested and we started up a club with the old guy leading us along, he managed to get funding to pay for a few sets of plans, both plane and boat, we started with free flight gliders with Dt fuses to flip the tailplane and bring them down (we only ever managed to break 1 window and the person that the plane missed by inches was his wife).
I remember building several planes - including a glow plug engine powered one, a leander class frigate and a DUWK , plus a 12 foot glider, the youth club chipped in half the cost of a cheap set of r/c gear for a few of us. I had had a slight interest before but this sparked my foray into modelling and r/c -  I then went on to the electric cars, the first mardave kits, then tamiya buggies and we had a car racing club at the youth club sports hall every sunday morning. Yes I can safely say that the thing that sparked my interest was the old guy who came along to the youth club because he was bringing his wife to badminton. My  eternal thanks to Ron.
Grendel

[essex2visuvesi]

:) Mardave... now there's a blast from the past!
I always wanted a Marauder, did have one of their ministocks back in the mid 80's tho


We had a modelling club at school, run by one of the science teachers (Mr Lister, probably the worlds most dangerous teacher). He also ran the science club.... has to be one of the only science clubs I know that was standing room only.
Reason being he discovered there were copies of the Anarchists cookbook floating around the school, so he went through the book showing how dangerously wrong some of it was in a safe(ish) controlled(ish) manner.
Have to say he was a bit like a one man Mythbusters.... he certainly knew how to make science interesting although in these days of health and safety I doubt most of what he did would be allowed today.  I 'm also certain that I wouldn't have done as well in science at school without him as a teacher.
I wonder if he's still allowed to teach.... 
Back to modelling, he was a big fan of rocketry and we made several "homebrew" rocket vehicles including a rocket sled

[Bryan Young]

Perhaps this hasn’t been done on a large scale because of the sheer variety in the subject.
You’d need separate classes for yachts, square-riggers, all sorts of warships, all sorts of merchant ships….the list of large variations is endless.
Even “kit building” has variations.
What is common to all types of model? Well, the use of plasticard is one. Interpretation of Lines Drawings is another. GRP building perhaps? Various bits of equipment and common fittings? The list is again endless.
Having said all that…..just about all of it is covered one way or another on this forum. Unfortunately the info is scattered all over the place and all over “time”.
The “Search Engine” is OK as far as it goes I suppose, but what would be really usefull would be a properly constituted “Index”. A mammoth task needing good computer skills, a hefty spreadsheet, lots of “spare” time and a willingness to do it.
I guess a team of volunteers could do it, but breaking it up into some sort of alphabetical order would be pretty hard to do.
    My own build descriptions have attempted to describe the hows, whys and wherefores of a build with varying degrees of success….and of course I’m not the only one to attempt this route.
So to sum up…..
  The basics are already in place on this forum.

• Logical collation of available data is required to bring it all together in one place.
• A specialised (but general) Q and A section would be needed.

Any other thoughts? BY.

[Neil]

I really wish there were night classes on building model boats. If there are classes on flower arranging, upholstery, glass cutting etc... why can't there be one on building model boats? The older generations who build could pass on their knowledge to people like me and keep the hobby healthy. Its one thing reading about it in a book but to be in a class is different there is more motivation and the ability to ask questions and actually watch how it is done and what to use and there would be others in the class who share your interest and would make it fun.

I used to run Night school classes specifically for model boat building at Fleetwood under Lancashire County Education.for senior citizens.......and they were always well attended.....sadly through cut backs we came to a mutual agreement in 1997 to knock them on the head when my daughter was born that year....
 
we all enjoyed them and it was more like a club.
 
remember on the start of a new course my pep talk I told all new comers they would need a craft knife a cutting board and a steel rule for modelling at home..........
 
you could always pick out the uninterested ones at the start....and one bloke churped up.......ya don't set homework as well do you..........and promptly left the room never to return, 

[Neil]

anyone can set up a night school class if you feel confident enough to be able to pass on your own knowledge to others.
 
All you need to do is approach a local school ( usually one that does night school classes ) and ask them for the name and phone no of the co ordinator of the night school classes.
put your ideas down as to how you would do the class based on a 12 week term, including aims and objectives of the course and have a chat.........if they feel there is an opening they might possibly do the organisation and a room (preferably woodwork CDT room) in a local high school for you.........and the rest is up to you.
 
If anyone was interested I think I still have my notes on aims and objectives for a 12 week course.
 
best of luck.......I enjoyed it thoroughly.
 
neil.

[Guy Bagley]

:) Mardave... now there's a blast from the past!
I always wanted a Marauder, did have one of their ministocks back in the mid 80's tho

i had 2 marauders..... very simple solid IC  cars... ,that was over 25 yrs ago !

[rmaddock]

As it happens, I'm trying to start up evening classes in Ulverston this September.  I've just been published in the brochure (p18) although they've spelled my name wrong.

I'm aiming it (in the first term anyway) at complete beginners and basing it around a couple of the Traplet pre-cut wood packs.  If it works out then I could imagine moving on towards a more scratch built setup....or kits...or whatever.

Before then, I have to cross my fingers and hope for interest!

[boathound]

If I lived closer you could have counted me in!

[rmaddock]

If I lived closer you could have counted me in!

  My big fear is that I'm setting myself up as some sort of an expert that I'm not.  However, assuming that it runs, I'll just have to have built both kits myself first.  Even my wife understands that requirement 

[F4TCT]

Can something not be set up at one of the wicksteed events? I.e members vote who they would like to host a class and in what particular aspect they would like help with / or a one to a group hands on tutorial?


Dan

[essex2visuvesi]

Can something not be set up at one of the wicksteed events? I.e members vote who they would like to host a class and in what particular aspect they would like help with / or a one to a group hands on tutorial?


Dan

Sounds like a good idea, you quite often see these at model railway exhibitions
I can offer my services to run a small segment on how not to do things :)


Seriously tho it would be nice to see someone like Stav doing a little hands on tutorial on filling and pre paint prep. Or maybe eddiesolo could tutor on how he acheives the effects he does on his sunken dioramas.  I know he has explained it in detail, but to see it take shape before your eyes has to be worth 10,000 words

[F4TCT]

phil flory who runs flory models charges £30 odd a year to have full access to his video tutorials. Worth every penny may i add and a top bloke aswell.


They cover everything start to finish on building various model kits, all aircraft of course. They are simply brilliant and so even if members started to record videos of how to do things and put them on youtube, it would be a massive help to most of us.


Dan

[Stavros]

Sounds like a good idea, you quite often see these at model railway exhibitions
I can offer my services to run a small segment on how not to do things :)


Seriously tho it would be nice to see someone like Stav doing a little hands on tutorial on filling and pre paint prep. Or maybe eddiesolo could tutor on how he acheives the effects he does on his sunken dioramas.  I know he has explained it in detail, but to see it take shape before your eyes has to be worth 10,000 words

Dont think so at all as HSE would have a field day


Dave

[Neil]

My big fear is that I'm setting myself up as some sort of an expert that I'm not.  However, assuming that it runs, I'll just have to have built both kits myself first.  Even my wife understands that requirement 

you don't have to be an expert Rob, and most of the "students" are  ( or were) people with usually some degree of dexterity in model making, woodwork or other form of craft experience, and just wanted to go where other like minded people went other than a club.....so that tools were on hand for them to use.
seldom did I get any who hadn't a clue as to what they wanted to do, and for those that did I took along a good supply of free plans from model boats and marine modelling for them to have a look at.............you'll find that you won't actually get round to any type of formal lesson or teaching........but become a mentor to those who just need reassurance........the aims and objectives was pure beurocratic drivel paper work to satisfy those in charge.
 
good luck with the venture........I'm sure you'll get the numbers and enjoy it.........and don't worry about not having the skills or knowledge to pull it off.........you have it in abundance and so long as you have the gift of the gab.....you'll be fine .
have a great time. neil.

[rmaddock]

Cheers Neil! 

A sort of general social model building session was what I originally pictured but, after some discussion, we agreed that something more defined was required - initially at least.  I's hope to move on to more free form sessions later on perhaps.  I'm not really worried about blagging my way through it.  I know that I'm more than capable to researching how to do something I don't already know and I; sure I can help others to do the same.