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Advice on Billing Boats Endeavour and/or shrimp cutter


innkeeper

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Hi All

Finally saved up and winter is coming here (Scotland). So going to get my kit decided on the 

Billings Boats Endeavour. 

Please just dont say it will be to hard I just want to build a really good kit as I may never do another one. Any way read on the Forum if you where going for a kit that may be to advanced also get one to sort of have a less advanced one as a sort of learning test piece. So was thinking of the Billings Boats Rainbow Shrimp Cutter.

 Both of these are not written in stone so could still go another way.

Would really have liked to go for the Cutty Sark. 

So please help 

Also one or 2 Questions for now.

Has any one built one of these are they good?

and

If I break part can they be replaced.

Loads more to ask but will save them.

rob

 

ps tried to do a post like this earlier and got lost some where so if a Mod sees it can he sort it sorry.

Current and my First Build  H M Bark Endeavour.

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Hi Guys 

Lets hope the pound sign get some response. Please have a look at the following thread.

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/14287-winter-is-coming/

 

I have a budget of £300 GBP. and the above thread lets you know my thinking. But while waiting for some ideas have been looking at this forum and cant see many build logs for Billing Boats Kits. Is this for any reason.

Also have seen a few build logs for the Endeavour and the kits where from other companies are these better. Some one told me when i build my first kit go as big as scale as i can get. Billings is the largest out of the ones I have seen.

Or have you guys got any input. Really dont want to wasted my money and end up with a Lemon. Also its took a lot persuading of the wife and she will be waiting to tell me she told me so.

rob

Current and my First Build  H M Bark Endeavour.

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Hi Rob,

I started a Billings Boats Bluenose.  Happy with this as first kit. Instructions are restricted to plans only (it is an old kit, not sure if that has changed recenty).  I have made some changes to it as I felt that I could improve the model that way - changed dack layout to something closer to the real thing, altered some parts such as wheel and blocks from plastic to wood).

I am still plodding along at a very leasurely pace.

 

As far as your model is concerned, I think it is best to go for something that tickles your fancy and falls within ur tastes.  That way you will stay motivated (even if the mode is meant to be a learning piece).

 

Also, start a building log on this site, and ask questions as they come up.  Lots of folks will give advice.

 

Slainte

Peter

Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam

Slainte gu mhath

L.H.

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Size does not matter. (sorry, I had to get that one in), see comments below. 

 

If it is your first build, and the Admiral is looking over your shoulder for a completed work. Then I would suggest anything by Artesania Latina, or if you are real keen, Amati. Billings kits are basically for experts. You don,t get much bang for your buck. People like me that build Billings Cutty Sark's do so because the hulls are spot on perfect. We scratch build the rest.

 

Build the vessel that appeals to you and will keep your attention. The one ship you are emotionally attached to. That way you are a better candidate to present a completed model. A. L. do a pretty good job of presenting a kit that will do that. I did it.

 

Fair winds.

Martin 

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innkeeper,

 

I have merged your two topics because they are really asking the same question. Note also that I have re-titled your post. Please have a look here for guidelines on posting.

 

Thank you!

Chris Coyle
Greer, South Carolina

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.
- Tuco

Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Hawker Hurricane

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I have built a few Billings boats kits one of which were the Danmark and another was the Bluenose that I can remember off of the top of my head and I have nothing but good things to say about Billings. Great company, great kits and good instructions and plans. Now, with that said, the big complaint I have heard about Billings boats are their use of plastic fittings, which I'm not opposed to for most fittings, but I have replaced some fittings with wood on their kits. You can do this with most any kit if you don't like certain fittings. You might want to look at Cornwall models in England and check out Cauldercraft models, they are a good company from what I hear. I would also look at Artesania Latina and Constructo kits they are good quality kits with great wood and good fittings. My first ever wood ship model was the Constructo Bounty. I then went on to builder their Mayflower, Cutty Sark, Pandora and the San Mateo.

 

Just remember that a kit is a kit is a kit, it's what you do with it that counts. I have never run across a bad kit and I have built better than 30 of them from numerous kit manufactures. But I also know going in that the kit is only the beginning or starting point, it was up to me to make the best representation of the subject model that I could with what I had and if that meant replacing portions of the kit or spend hours researching that particular model to make certain changes that I thought was needed to make it more accurate to me, that is what I would do. Just look at the kit as being your first step into a wonderful adventure that you are about to begin and I think you will do great things with your model. This is the way I look at each and every build I do.

 

Good luck on what ever you choose and help is just a key board away,

mike 

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Thanks guys

Now looking at other kits but still of the Endeavour. Not to happy with the idea of plastic parts!!! But not totally give up with the Billings one. So to the Question? If you look at say 3 Billings, Occre and Caldercaft and read up the on the Scale and size. The sizes dont seem to add up. 

If you look at Billings 1:50 Length 89cm (the longest) but and here the thing. Its the thinnest Beam 17.8 Surely Longest should be the widest and tallest. These sizes are on the shops (Cornwall Model Boats) web site are they a typo? 

Am I missing something? Do different people measure in different places? 

rob

Want to get this right

Current and my First Build  H M Bark Endeavour.

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You are putting to much thought into it. The object of this is to have fun, enjoy what you are doing and learn while doing it. Most of the models that I built were probably not quite accurate, but still built into a beautiful model. No one is going to question well is it a 1:64 scale or closer to a 1:66 scale. You must realize that you are building from a kit, so you are at the mercy of the kit manufacture when it comes to size and scale, not all parts will be exactly to that particular scale, but close enough for government work. If you are looking for perfection, which it sounds like you are, then don't worry about a kit, get a set of the most accurate plans you can find and build it from scratch. 

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Right going with the Caldercraft kit. Do you think I should still go with the practice one as well. It will put me a bit over my start up budget of £300GBP. But I am also going to need some tools.

Again thanks for the help and hope to be able to build a good ship and not to forget a Build Log. That way you may be able to stop me if you see me going wrong.

rob

Current and my First Build  H M Bark Endeavour.

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I'm only just out of training wheels as a model builder and would suggest that you grab something like the Artisania Latina "Endeavour's Longboat" as a practice/starter kit then go on to whatever you've selected as your main model. There are a number of builds on the forum for this kit and it will give you that first taste of planking without breaking the budget.

 

Rick

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Billings makes good kits but from my experience they do not have instructions that will help out a beginner.  You might want to check out Model Shipways as they generally have great plans and instructions with their kits.  If you can find one, a Midwest apprentice series kit is a good warm up for a more complicated build.  I would suggest the crabbing skiff or one of the other open boat kits they make (or used to make, I heard they recently went out of business but there still seems to be lots of them on ebay).

My advice and comments are always worth what you paid for them.

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My first serious stab at a wooden sailing ship model was the Artesania Latina Harvey kit. Went together beautifully and looked great when it was finished. Took me about 5 or 6 months to finish that model and was very proud of it when completed. I can highly recommend this company from past experience, although there are others equally good and even better. The cost of the Harvey was small, but it is not a small model. Good value I think.

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InnKeeper, build the model you want to build. To me, even as a beginner it wasn't the difficulty of the model as much as it was price point, size and length of time it would take to complete it. You can start off with a practice model if you are the type of person who may or may not finish a fairly complex model. But if you feel that you can devote 500-600 hours on the Endeavor kit and be willing to ask questions can follow instruction well and can read plans fairly well then I would say go for it. You will have plenty of help here to ask questions. How some people can finish the Endeavor in 4-6 months while it might take others a couple of years to build. It all depends on how much time you are willing to devote to the model each week. When I'm building a model, I try to spend at least 1-2 hours almost every day on it either building, studying plans or researching that type of model. I actually spend quite a bit more time than this most of the time and can lock myself up in my work room for 5-6 hours easily if I don't have nothing else going on. But it's football season here and that takes away some of my modeling time.

 

mike 

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Will just go with the one kit. Then use the rest of the cash for other stuff (Tools, Books and things I dont know yet.) On another note I was in the nearest city (80 miles away) to me and the only place that had a model shop. The shop has closed down. So all the stuff all the little extra things will have to come off the net.

Current and my First Build  H M Bark Endeavour.

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