ccoyle

You got your build log title 100% correct on your very first post. I like this thread already!

I thought it might be useful to give an example of both the effectiveness of one of our site features and why we are such sticklers for build log title formatting. Let's suppose that you are interested in viewing only finished build logs, and you don't really want to have to spend a lot of time scrolling through the logs section to find them. Well, that's exactly why we take the time to add the tag "FINISHED" to every finished log. If you are not inclined to use the site's search feature, then having the word "FINISHED" in all caps towards the front of the log title makes it stand out from the list and easier to spot if you choose to simply scroll through the pages and pages of logs. But there's an even better reason for adding the tag. Suppose you are interested in seeing recently finished models. After all, not everyone add pictures of their completed projects to the gallery. The FINISHED tag makes such models very easy to find, but there's a little bit of skill needed. If you simply type the search term "finished" into the search box in the upper-right corner of the home page and click the search button, you'll get (as of 10 June 2018) 18,750 results -- hardly more useful then scrolling through the entire site. But when you enter your search term in the box, a drop-down menu appears to the left of the search box. By clicking the option for "topics" and then clicking the search button, the number of results is reduced to only 18,448. Okay, so obviously, that isn't the "extra skill" I hinted at earlier. No, the real trick is to look down to the very bottom of the aforementioned drop-down menu to the "Advanced search" option. This brings up the advanced search page. By clicking the "topics" option from the "Content Type" menu and the "Content titles only" option from the "Find results in ..." menu, the search engine brings up only the 598 topics that have the word "finished" in their titles, and the vast majority of these are finished build logs. You can see what this results page looks like here. There are other options on the advanced search page, too. Suppose you only want to see those builds completed in the last six months. There's an option for that in the "Date Created" menu. Selecting that option cuts the number of results in this instance down to 17. Now suppose that you are getting ready to build a model of the USS Constitution, and you want see some already-finished models of her. By searching the terms "finished Constitution" using the process we've outlined for you (advanced search + topics + content titles only), you can find the 13 finished build logs for that subject. Slick, eh? So, that's why we plug the term "FINISHED" into finished build logs. You can do this yourself, if you'd like, using the edit button located in the first post in your log. Simply add the term to your build log title using all caps, along with the required spacing and setting off with hyphens. Don't use the word "completed", since that won't come up as a result when someone searches for "finished". If you'd rather have us do the edit for you, just PM one of the moderators and we'll gladly do the job for you. The advanced search feature can really be handy, but only if you use it (obviously). Giving thought to how topics will be searched is another reason why we ask that topic titles be specific about the content of a post. Consider this example: Suppose you create a topic called "question about rigging," but all you really wanted help with is thimbles, and you get the advice you needed. Now, sometime later, another member also has a question about thimbles. If they search the term "rigging", they will get over 21,000 results -- not very helpful. If they do a generic search for the term "thimble," they will still get 250 results (topics and posts), many of which will only mention thimbles in passing and are not particularly useful. But if they use the advanced search options described above, they will find exactly three topics that are specifically about thimbles (one of which is called "Thimble help needed" -- bingo!) and which will probably contain the desired information. Advanced search -- use it and plan ahead for it!

Tim Page got shown the door for spamming. You are correct about the reply function. If you wish to reply to a particular something that someone said, you can use the quote function. Cheers,

Another fine piece of work, Greg! Your display case is rapidly filling up!

Hi. The model you describe may have been one produced by Midwest Products, who sadly are no longer making boat kits. But there are still plenty of them circulating around on eBay, and they are very good kits for the money, so snap one up if you find it suits your fancy. If you do go with a Midwest kit, I suggest holding off on the tools until you have a look at their very thorough instructions, which will include a list of all the necessary tools. You may already own many of them. Welcome aboard!

Indio, eh? Make sure your AC unit is in good working order!

Very well told, Mark. All of us here were beginners at some point, so we can all (well, most of us at least) relate to that first reaction upon seeing the unpacked kit. Good luck with your project!

I fixed up your title to help clarify the possibly confusing relationship between the manufacturer, Micro-Mark, and the name of the product line, Micro-Make. I think their marketing department was perhaps trying to be just a tad too clever.

Wow! That is more models than I would probably complete in several lifetimes -- and all very well done! I have to confess that I did not know until just yesterday that Ragusa is the old name for the modern city of Dubrovnik in Croatia. The only reason I found out is because an old high school friend is honeymooning there. It's a beautiful city with a fascinating history. Cheers,

Beautiful!

Hello, watchtinker. The answer to your question depends in some measure on what kinds of vessels you are interested in. There's plenty of suitable beginner-level kits out there, but not all of them will suit your fancy -- or budget.

Hi, William. 1. Use any plastic modeling cement, such as Testors, or CA (cyanoacrylate), e.g. Zap. 2. Just eyeball the thread size, but keep in mind that it's better to err on the narrow side -- looks better on the finished model. 3. The shininess might be due to a releasing agent used in the molding process. It can't hurt to give the parts a wash in mild soapy water, rinse, and dry. 4. There's a wide range of both enamel and acrylic paints available for plastic models. Acrylics are easier to work with, since they are water-based. If there's no painting guide in the kit, then use the box art to get a rough idea of colors to use. EDIT: I see Canute beat me by one minute! Cheers,

This is such a commendable task on your part. I wish you every success with it! Ich hoffe, dass es bei euch beide alles gut gelungen wird! Tschuess!

We've had one or two build logs started for models from this company. Try searching for Mariefried or Bohuslan in the kit logs section.

Hi, Auggie. I edited your log title and added the "- SMALL" extension to it. Don't be alarmed -- "small" in this case indicate a model of a small craft, not a small model. Cheers!

Feeling overwhelmed is normal; eventually you'll have to choose a technique and have a go at it -- maybe you'll like it, but maybe you won't. All part of the learning curve. For deck caulking -- yes, you can use pencil. If you do a search on "caulking", you'll find many threads whose authors use a variety of methods. Testing your selected method on a piece of scrap and applying your varnish to check for possible smearing would be wise. Plank shift patterns varied by nation and time period. Only the most learned viewers of your finished model will notice whether you used the correct pattern or not. The three butt shift was typical for English ships of that period. The nails you refer to are actually wooden dowels, and the task is called treenailing; search that term and you'll find lots of suggestions. Modelers who use treenailing can either use actual treenails (or trunnels), like the toothpick method you mentioned, or simulate them. Done well, treenailing adds a lot to the look of a model; done poorly, then not so much. Personally, I do not do treenailing on my models, because on actual vessels they weather along with the planking and are virtually impossible to see at stand-off viewing distances. Lots of decisions for you to make -- don't sweat it too much, and have fun!

Ah, but tidbits like this are exactly why we encourage people to come in out of the cold and become registered users!

Using the search feature here at MSW I obtained 31 results on the phrase "cast your anchor". Seems they have a hit-or-miss sort of track record and respond best to phone calls rather than email.

Fantastic models!

Mike makes an excellent point. You'll run into some other situations with this kit where the suggested build sequence will need some careful consideration with regards to later structures and additions.

This tid-bit of info might be too late for you, but those "lateral planks" are a kit feature that is designed to divvy up the planking into zones -- supposed to be easier for beginners. They're not a historical feature. You can leave them out if you want to.

Welcome, Gunnar. The short answer to your question is yes, all of those methods will work. To some degree you will need to experiment and see which method you like best. The porosity of the wood you use for decking will affect how well those techniques that require a liquid medium (e.g. paint, markers) will work. Holly is a popular wood for decking, but since I tend to stick with kit materials, I will let some of our more knowledgeable members give you advice on that topic. Cheers,

You would think, but compared to La Couronne, Wasa, or Wappen von Hamburg, it is in fact lower-end for a European kit. Still, think of all those niggling little design and/or manufacturing errors as opportunities for creative problem solving!

Based on my very limited experience with Corel (one kit -- woo-hoo!), this is not likely to be the last difficulty you encounter. Of course, such problems exist in just about any kit, but Corel in particular seem to put less effort into their lower-end offerings compared to their top-of-the-line models.

Bit out of the way for me, but let me know if you ever do a show somewhere on this side of the pond.