kdm

Thanks, everyone, for the responses. The Batelina is an attractive boat, Doug. I'll keep my eye on it, even if I go with the longboat for my first model. Chris, I had no idea paper models could be so spectacular. Clare Hess's HMS Alert is a beautiful build. I'm still thinking I'll go with the longboat for my first build--the combination of price, practicum/build logs, and that no one responding saying to avoid it, make it an attractive choice.

Hi all, My name is Keith, and I've decided to get into model ship building. My grandfather was a modeler, and I grew up fascinated with his models (particularly a beautiful little xebex); I've also long been a fan of the Aubrey/Maturin novels. I'm a graduate student in the midst of a dissertation, so a hobby that lets me work with my hands and get off the computer/away from my research for a bit is a needed distraction. To ease myself into model building, I started with a couple of plastic models. I completed the Revell PT-109 in a weekend and am currently working on Revell of Germany's North Sea fishing trawler. These have been useful to convince me that it is a pastime I enjoy and have time for (on occasion, at least). I am, however, chomping at the bit to work with wood. I see that many people use the Model Shipways Phantom as an entry point, and for a couple of weeks I was planning to do the same. But after reading through a few build logs, it looks like the Phantom always requires lots of sanding and often requires a dremel. I'd rather avoid both of these for now. I live in an apartment that doesn't have space for a dedicated workshop area, so I don't have a good set up for producing lots of wood dust. Likewise, I'm trying to keep my initial investment somewhat reasonable, so I'd rather not purchase a dremel yet. So, I've been considering the Model Shipways 18th Century Longboat (http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS1457), which is a plank-on-frame. It seems like it would be a good intro to planking (which is what I aspire to) and rigging, and it's pretty cheap. Before committing, though, I wanted to see what you all think. Would the longboat be a terrible beginning model? Am I going about this wrong? Or is it a reasonable intro build? Thanks for any thoughts. I look forward to being a part of the MSW community.