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They roll over automatically. Actually, by magic -- but don't tell anyone!

Excellent work, Tom! Really an attractive model.

Jim, with your skill and considering the recent headline I read over the weekend about the finding of the wreck, I think it would be something special to do HMS Urge departing Malta.

Hi, Siol. I think you are asking about aligning gun ports, such as the cast metal type found in kits? I have edited your post title to hopefully make the question a bit more clear. Hope you get some hits soon.

Rich, I had a look at your photos. The model appears to be a large-scale, scratch-built model of some type of fishing boat. The sharply forward-raked single mast carries a single lateen-rigged yard. This type of vessel, with many variations in form, was common across all parts of the Mediterranean Sea. The type was even used elsewhere, e.g. San Francisco, California, by fishermen who immigrated to this country. Some of our members are more knowledgeable about the type; I have edited your post title to attract more hits. As far as value goes, I will only say that in general warships tend to attract more buyers and therefore command higher prices than working boats, but a true valuation of your model, which looks very nice and appears likely to be a one-off, can only be made by an appraiser at a maritime art gallery. Cheers!

Hi! First, read this topic. Then, if you still have questions, post them with some photos of your model. Without photos, identifying your model will be pretty much impossible. Regards,

These both appear to be mass-produced decor models. As such, their value is whatever you can squeeze out of them, but don't expect to get much, because they are inexpensive to begin with and the market is flooded with them. EBay has many pages of such models. Your best bet may actually be donating them to someplace like Goodwill.

We should award some kind of badge for such an achievement.

Historical accuracy is something that some of our members are pursuing, but not necessarily all of them. Some of them just like to put kits together, regardless of whether it represents an actual ship. We welcome both kinds.

Congratulations from me as well. Loved your D VII build, too! I have the D VIII from Kartonowa Kolekcja in my stash.

I have no personal knowledge of either kit. Apostol Felipe is a larger model in a larger scale and appears to include a few more fancy bits in the kit, but I doubt that they are substantively different in their construction methods.

Truth be told, a lot of how good a finished model looks depends on the builder. Some of the newer kits are amazing and take much of the guesswork out of the building process, but a determined builder can make even a mediocre kit look good. In the end, you'd be well advised to choose one that really appeals to you, since you'll be more motivated to finish a model of a subject that you actually like. If you really like the San Martin, then you can probably build it. Have fun!

Welcome! Yes, we do build logs here. It's by far the largest part of the content on our forum. When you get ready to start, see the instructions on how to set up your log in the pinned topic in the kit builds area. Cheers!

Ditto the comments regarding historicity made by Phil. For additional options for ships of that period, though not Spanish/Portuguese, check out the offerings from MarisStella. Several of them have been featured in build logs here, and they appear to be very nice kits. Cheers!

First question is what kind of tools might you already have around the house somewhere? Craft knife? Sandpaper? You may already have some of what you need. Second thing is, you don't need a huge assortment of tools to get started. Just remember that your three basic tasks are measuring, cutting, and shaping/forming. Some tools for these tasks are essential; others are nice to have but not absolutely required. Third thing is, it's normal to acquire tools as you go. Some will be new and exotic to you, but others may just be better versions of something you already have. Thus, many modelers eventually wind up with many tools that they find themselves no longer using. Fourth, tool combos can be a nice way to get started (I started with one), but you may be paying for tools that you will rarely and perhaps even never use. But, for what it's worth, I started off with a combo tool set intended for model railroaders -- it just seemed like it had more of the tools that I would actually use. I think I got pretty good use out of it, though its contents have long since been subsumed into the greater collection I now have on hand. Buying a similar set won't set you back too much. Cheers!

I can definitely see the influence of this type on the lines of modern high-performance kayaks.

Welcome! My coworker is a U of VT graduate. I don't know what a "qajaq" is, but yes, do a build log.

Welcome aboard, Tony! Whereabouts in northern central California are you? I moved out to SC from Mariposa County four years ago.

Barkentines are dead sexy.

This looks like a very nice kit. I added a few details to your log title so that members would have a better idea of what the kit subject is. Cheers!

Welcome aboard! Yes, definitely start a new log. Tagging onto someone else's log is a no-no.

The Destroyermen (Series) by Taylor Anderson ACE Books Okay, doing things a little bit different here -- this review isn't for a particular book, but rather for a series of books. I think you might like this series if you: a.) like naval warfare fiction b.) are a fan of alternative history, and c.) don't care that everyone knows that you aren't reading Pulitzer-worthy material. WARNING: SPOILER ALERT! (Just a few.) The Destroyermen is the name of the series that began back in 2008 with Into the Storm and now numbers 14 installments and counting. In that first book, Anderson introduced us to the crew of the fictional USS Walker, a WWI-vintage four-stacker that gets caught up in the early events of WWII in the Southwest Pacific. During the Battle of the Java Sea, Walker attempts to evade the Japanese by heading into an unusual squall. Afterwards she finds herself on an alternative Earth. The key word there is alternative, i.e. this other Earth ain't like the one the boys left behind. The biggest surprise is that the alternative Earth's indigenous "peoples" aren't exactly people. The America sailors, led by Lt. Matthew Reddy, find that humans are not the only sentient life forms on this other Earth (it's alternative history, after all), and that some of the other combatants in the series have, um, "unusual dining habits". Some of these creatures will eventually become close friends and allies of the destroyermen, and some will serve as particularly dangerous adversaries. Along the way, Reddy and his men will discover that their new home is populated by many other surprising and unexpected characters. Anderson is a great storyteller, and does a fine job of vivifying his fictional world, including the setting, the cast of characters, and the of course the alternative history leading up to the events described in the series. The list of dramatis personae gets longer with each volume, despite the inevitable combat losses, thanks to the increasing number and complexity of plot strands. It can be a little difficult to remember just who is who as you read from one volume to the next. Fortunately, each book includes a list of characters, descriptions of the current military hardware in use, and orders of battle. Some of the characters we first meet are tantamount to Star Trek "red shirts", if you catch my meaning, but others remain central to the narrative, and it's easy to get attached to them. Don't get too attached, though, because just like Patrick O'Brian, Anderson doesn't hesitate to off a beloved character here and there. Speaking of Patrick O'Brian, no one will ever mistake Anderson's work for that of the Aubrey & Maturin author. The Destroyermen will never be held up in any English lit class as an example of the highest form of prose. The dialogue, in particular is often long-winded, since it is used as a device for filling in relevant plot details. But where Anderson excels is in describing the action, complete with all of the little technical nuances that we fans of naval fiction appreciate. Anderson also keeps the story line moving forward at a brisk pace and in an engaging manner, such that each book winds up being one of those page-turning, "just one more chapter" types that gets devoured in just a few days -- or less. Take that, O'Brian! (BTW, I love the Aubrey/Maturin series.) What the reader will enjoy is seeing how Walker's crew uses their wits, ingenuity, and antiquated destroyer technology to face down and overcome an endless variety of novel and seemingly insurmountable challenges posed by the hostile new world that the men find themselves in. It's also fun to see them first adapt to this new world and eventually grow to appreciate it. I just picked up the 14th book in the series, Pass of Fire, and I'm pretty certain that I will have read it through in just a couple of days. I'm fairly certain that this book will find Matthew Reddy and the ever-expanding forces at his command facing down some enormous threat, and it will conclude with a satisfying resolution of the current dilemma, but leave me hanging with the hint that a greater dilemma awaits in the next installment. This is a high compliment to Anderson's abilities -- that his alternative Earth and its multitude of characters haven't yet grown stale after over a dozen books, and that readers are still eagerly anticipating more exploits by The Destroyermen. So, if you are looking for some light reading to kill time in between bouts of serious nautical research, if you enjoy some likeable characters and a good yarn, even if it isn't written in early 19th-century English, try The Destroyermen. You might find alternative history as enjoyable as real history!

I built the Katy of Norfolk kit as my first PoB model 20 years ago. I recall that there were a number of potential pitfalls in the instructions,the biggest being that the description of the planking was for a single-planked hull, but the kit supplies materials for double planking. I made it through with the help of some experienced modelers in a local club. If you are aware of the potential problems going in, then it is a doable model, very similar to Swift. Model Shipways kits generally include fewer pre-cut parts than their European counterparts.

These are exceptional deals. C'mon, somebody -- jump on them!

Javier, your work, as usual, is a real credit to the miniaturist's art. Very well done!