James H

When you visit a topic and want to find the last post that you read, well now you can.
 
As from today, recurrent visits to topics that you have previously read, will be punctuated with a separating line which shows the last post that was there on your last visit. So....you just need to read from that point onwards!
 

When you visit a topic and want to find the last post that you read, well now you can.
 
As from today, recurrent visits to topics that you have previously read, will be punctuated with a separating line which shows the last post that was there on your last visit. So....you just need to read from that point onwards!
 

I know this is a fairly old topic, but is there any news on the Amati/Victory release of HMS Victory?
 
This is an excuse I need to get me back to the wooden workbench.

I know this is a fairly old topic, but is there any news on the Amati/Victory release of HMS Victory?
 
This is an excuse I need to get me back to the wooden workbench.

Welcome aboard!
 
 
I agree with you, but unfortunately for me, my spouse's tolerance for my hobby is inversely proportional to the size of my models.  
 
 
 
Thanks Christian!  

Dear prospective ship modeler,
 
Welcome! If you're reading this, it's probably because you are ready and raring to get started on a first ship model. But before you do, allow me to share the following with you.
 
We get a lot of first-time builders on this forum. People who are eager to build a first ship model are attracted to the hobby for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you were captivated by a stunning model of the USS Constitution or the HMS Victory. Maybe you have a beloved relative who was a modeler. Or it could be that you just have a love of the sea, even if you've never sailed on anything larger than a rowboat. All of us came to MSW with similar motivations. Those of us who have been at this for a while not only love the hobby, but also love passing along our experience to new builders. It's a special treat to see a new modeler persevere through the joys and sorrows (and often tedium) of building a ship model and arrive successfully at the end of a build with a finished model to be proud of.
 
Unfortunately, many of those eager new members also turn out to be last-time builders as well. There are lots of reasons why a first-timer might give up. Building a nice ship model requires the learning of many new skills, a not inconsiderable amount of tenacity, and usually a significant time investment. Some new modelers get bored, others get overwhelmed, and some get overtaken by things like career changes, cross-country moves, babies, sudden illnesses -- that life stuff we all have to deal with occasionally. We understand those things happen. We get it.
 
This post, though, is written for a particular kind of first-time modeler: the modeler who takes on more ship then they can handle. Unfortunately, this kind of modeler is all too common. Bewitched by a clipper ship or sailing man-of-war, this kind of newbie believes that they can jump right in and build something similar.
 
Allow me to use an analogy. I'm not a pilot, but I love old warbirds. Suppose I go to an airshow and, having been awed by the spectacle, decide to go out and buy a P-51 and take her up for a few high-g maneuvers. All with no flying experience, mind you. I don't have to tell you how that first flight is likely to end up.
 
Sadly, many of the newcomers to MSW have a similar experience with model ships. They come brimming with pluck and determination, convinced that they can build a Constitution or Victory. In most instances, these bright-eyed neophytes wind up like the over-zealous new P-51 owner -- dead. Well, unlike the pilot, the would-be modelers are probably still alive, but their dreams of nice model ships have certainly gone to a better place.
 
Now, before I go any further, allow me to make a few things perfectly clear. Am I saying that a new modeler should never attempt a complicated model or that newcomers never finish such models? No, I'm not saying that. There are a few modelers who have attempted such projects and completed them, so it is certainly possible. But those modelers are very few in number. And we don't have any rules about what kind of model you can or can't build around here. If you absolutely, positively have to have a crack at a three-decker or frigate, then have at it. We'll be glad to help you along the way. But just be aware ahead of time how much of a challenge you are getting yourself into.
 
Let me throw some numbers at you to illustrate my point. One of my jobs here at MSW is to comb through old build logs and edit the titles of completed builds to show that the model has been finished (it makes searching for finished models easier). Obviously, as I sift through the builds I find many unfinished ones. On just one page that I was recently checking, I found twelve unfinished build logs started by first-time builders. In ten of those build logs, the new builder never made it past completing the hull of his ship. In the other two, the builder never started the model at all. Nine of those twelve modelers are no longer active on this site. I did not include among those twelve modelers any who gave a life-got-in-the-way reason for suspending their build. They're simply twelve modelers who eagerly started their project and then, usually quite early on, just gave up and quietly disappeared without giving any reasons why.
 
Those twelve builds all had one thing in common: each modeler had chosen a model that posed significant challenges for a first-time builder. Some of those models would have been a challenge even for a skilled builder. Simply put, they doomed their attempt at modeling by choosing a model that was over their head.
 
All of us ship modelers know how real the temptation is to skip an entry-level model and go straight for lots of guns and lots of sails. But here's the whole point I want to make: seriously think twice about caving into that temptation. The evidence speaks for itself - literally hundreds of abandoned build logs begun by modelers who bit off more than they could chew. Many of them not only abandoned their build, they also gave up on the hobby entirely.
 
It didn't have to be that way. Making a good start by honestly appraising your skill level and deciding to go with a simple first model is one of the surest ways to success in this hobby. Most true beginner models -- those actually designed for beginners and not merely labeled as such -- don't require a lot of money, time, or expensive tools. In a few weeks you'll know if this hobby is for you without having gotten yourself worked up over a model you couldn't realistically complete. And you know, most of us here enjoy watching the progress on a relatively 'easy' model, like a small sailboat, just as much as we enjoy watching the progress on an HMS Victory -- especially when we see those models being finished and proudly displayed.
 
And you know what? Success breeds further success. 
 
For more information on choosing a first model, check out the NRG modeling resources page.
 
Choose wisely, enjoy the journey, and I look forward to seeing you complete your first build log.
 
Respectfully,
Chris

If we empty every 2 months, then it's likely that a member will realise he deleted a topic in that time, unless he only did the day before we empty. 
 
Please remember that that there is a responsibility on members for their own actions too. We have given you the tools and we ask that you use them responsibly and really look at what buttons you're pressing. 

Was this the site you remember? If so, YES....we are the same site!!!
 

Was this the site you remember? If so, YES....we are the same site!!!
 

Was this the site you remember? If so, YES....we are the same site!!!
 

Welcome to MSW. Your craftsmanship is exceptional. Can't wait to see more of your work. 
 
MSW is 11yrs old now, and I still find is amazing that modellers are still only just finding out about us and deciding to join us and share their skills. It makes everything more than worthwhile. 

Welcome to MSW. Your craftsmanship is exceptional. Can't wait to see more of your work. 
 
MSW is 11yrs old now, and I still find is amazing that modellers are still only just finding out about us and deciding to join us and share their skills. It makes everything more than worthwhile. 

Welcome to MSW. Your craftsmanship is exceptional. Can't wait to see more of your work. 
 
MSW is 11yrs old now, and I still find is amazing that modellers are still only just finding out about us and deciding to join us and share their skills. It makes everything more than worthwhile. 

Let's call you Bob then

Let's call you Bob then

Welcome to MSW. Your craftsmanship is exceptional. Can't wait to see more of your work. 
 
MSW is 11yrs old now, and I still find is amazing that modellers are still only just finding out about us and deciding to join us and share their skills. It makes everything more than worthwhile. 

Welcome to MSW. Your craftsmanship is exceptional. Can't wait to see more of your work. 
 
MSW is 11yrs old now, and I still find is amazing that modellers are still only just finding out about us and deciding to join us and share their skills. It makes everything more than worthwhile. 

Welcome to MSW. Your craftsmanship is exceptional. Can't wait to see more of your work. 
 
MSW is 11yrs old now, and I still find is amazing that modellers are still only just finding out about us and deciding to join us and share their skills. It makes everything more than worthwhile. 

Hello MSW members,
 
Been lurking around viewing for more than a year now and as I've started posting recently, I had better introduce myself. My name is Bob, I'm a retired "ship" builder who started modeling in plastic as a boy and graduated to Billings Toulonnaise by the time I was a young man. Had completed and painted the hull but then life and family happened so it got stuck in the closet. It was eventually badly damaged during a move so sadly was never completed. My son gave me Artesania's Virginia as a gift which was returned to him as a housewarming gift once completed. Currently building the Hermoine, which I hope to start a log for shortly.  
 
The "ships" I built during my working career were of the flying variety, specifically the interior portion for corporate jets. Started working with my hands as a sheet metal mechanic and ended it as an engineer. Have seen some amazing craftsmanship over the years and see it here again in all of your build logs.  
 

Do you mean the banners?
 
Dirk is right, this is custom text that is added through a widget. This is called PHP & TXT Widget, available from the IPS Marketplace. You must create the text through an HTML program, such as Kompozer etc, and then paste the HTML into the custom text field. 
 
https://invisionpower.com/files/file/7337-txt-php-widget/

Adding the stringers to the frames. Not easy, at all... Getting everything aligned and centered and  not having the top stringers  "pop loose" as there is some tension is difficult..
 
Some picture from the drawings how the parts should be aligned to fit each other

 

 
Important to note how close the engine frame are to the other frame, the first of the "aircraft frames".
 
using one rubber band was way too tight. using two was way to slack. But using the clamps and two rubber bands was perfect. That way I could adjust the tension perfectly. 
I want the rubber band to hold the stringer in place but not really put much pressure on it so that it bends or deforms or pushes the frames out of alignment.

 
The two top stringers in place. It took quite a long time to get everything in place, Now I will glue them in place. I will use cyanoacrylate glue aka super glue. The instructions says epoxy, but this should work.
 

The two top stringers are not to join with the last frame. Two shorter stringers go from the second to last frame to the last frame. So far so good.
 

If we empty every 2 months, then it's likely that a member will realise he deleted a topic in that time, unless he only did the day before we empty. 
 
Please remember that that there is a responsibility on members for their own actions too. We have given you the tools and we ask that you use them responsibly and really look at what buttons you're pressing. 

What?
 
MSW is owned by the NRG. It is in the NRG's interests to increase its membership anyway it can, to promote this hobby, and as MSW is a part of their operations, then I can't see why it would be unusual to have this displayed under their avatar. Whilst you don't need, and never will need to be a member of NRG to access this site, please remember the fact that you can post here today is because of the commitment of the NRG in both financial terms and man-hours in administering. Unlike some hobby sites, MSW doesn't have in-your-face advertising and pop-ups to distract your visit. 
 
In the bigger scheme of things, advertising that a member is a part of the NRG is a simple way to let members know that you can indeed become an NRG member, as well as a member of this site. It does not imply that being a guild member makes you a better modeller. That is pretty absurd.

What?
 
MSW is owned by the NRG. It is in the NRG's interests to increase its membership anyway it can, to promote this hobby, and as MSW is a part of their operations, then I can't see why it would be unusual to have this displayed under their avatar. Whilst you don't need, and never will need to be a member of NRG to access this site, please remember the fact that you can post here today is because of the commitment of the NRG in both financial terms and man-hours in administering. Unlike some hobby sites, MSW doesn't have in-your-face advertising and pop-ups to distract your visit. 
 
In the bigger scheme of things, advertising that a member is a part of the NRG is a simple way to let members know that you can indeed become an NRG member, as well as a member of this site. It does not imply that being a guild member makes you a better modeller. That is pretty absurd.