Robin Lous

Good luck with your build

I bought a Master airbrush kit off Amazon a few years ago around $75, played around with the cheap airbrush until I knew what I was doing.  Buying an airbrush is like buying a guitar.  You don't know if you will enjoy it, so don't go an buy a $400 toy to sit in a closet.
 
Once I got the hang of airbrushing I moved to a more advanced "cheap" airbrush, a Master G233.  As long as I keep it clean I can do decent work, here is a picture of a 1/72 Bf109 that I finished last October with the Master starter kit.
 

 
Not exactly museum quality, but proof that a starter kit can get you a decent paint job.  This winter I will buying a badger brush or two for more detailed work.
 
Don't worry about all the complexities, just buy a starter kit and go from there.
 

Airbrushing really isn't complicated, nor difficult. It's just a bit of practise to get the hang of it.
 
When you use acrylics (Vallejo Air is very easy to use)...no toxic fumes or thinner, easy to clean the airbrush and a great smooth result.
 
In Europe Harder & Steenbeck (a German brand) is very popular, but not cheap. Keep in mind a good airbrush will serve you for decades.
 
But....!!!!!! I've seen a neat Revell airbrush starter set for 99 euros....perhaps give that a go? 

 
That won't break the bank and when you get addicted to using an airbrush (you will!) you can switch to something else in the future.
Think of it this way...10 Tamiya rattlecans is about the price of a good airbrush.
 
Don't give up! It really isn't that difficult and a neat starter set is worth trying.
 
Cheers!
 
Robin

Today I received the two bireme kits and I'm busy packing my tools, so it's time to start my build log.
I also received 2 ready made (already stitched) painted sails. they look really neat imho.
 
I'm still waiting for some books on the subject, but I'll get them before we leave for France.
 
I start this build as a vacation project, but I'm of course aware this will take me much longer. It's just a kick off.
We rent a small cottage in the Médoc (Bordeaux region). My wife loves to read books and I love to do things with my hands (or I go insane). I used to bring a couple of plastic kits with me on vacation, but the insane amount of paint and tools made me look for something else to build.
 
The Greek bireme seems to be a good choise. I love the subject, it's a good starter kit I think and I don't need that many tools...not as much as I used to drag with me anyway. Above all...no rediculous amount of paint jars, airbrush and compressor!
 
We leave the 19th. I'll use this time to educate myself. Read this forum, read downloaded tutorials and watch youtube videos....and hopefully I won't make too much of a fool of myself when I start building in two weeks time.
 
Looking forward to this!
 
Robin

I don't you will make a fool of yourself. Take your time and work slowly and it will turn out well. The bireme is my next model so I will follow your blog. In my opinion Dusek makes good models with excellent instructions so I don't think you can do much wrong if you follow the instructions. A small hint is to let the pieces soak in water quite some time. They are fairly thick and need to be thourghly wet to bend and not break. A plank bender can be helpful.
 
Good luck!

Thank you all very much for your comments/opinions/advice. You sure know how to put a bloke off!! It is so complicated I had no idea and by the time you have all the bits and pieces together rather expensive as well.
I think I will be sticking to the good old paintbrush with the occasional interference from an aerosol spray paint.
One day maybe I will explore some more!

Today I received the two bireme kits and I'm busy packing my tools, so it's time to start my build log.
I also received 2 ready made (already stitched) painted sails. they look really neat imho.
 
I'm still waiting for some books on the subject, but I'll get them before we leave for France.
 
I start this build as a vacation project, but I'm of course aware this will take me much longer. It's just a kick off.
We rent a small cottage in the Médoc (Bordeaux region). My wife loves to read books and I love to do things with my hands (or I go insane). I used to bring a couple of plastic kits with me on vacation, but the insane amount of paint and tools made me look for something else to build.
 
The Greek bireme seems to be a good choise. I love the subject, it's a good starter kit I think and I don't need that many tools...not as much as I used to drag with me anyway. Above all...no rediculous amount of paint jars, airbrush and compressor!
 
We leave the 19th. I'll use this time to educate myself. Read this forum, read downloaded tutorials and watch youtube videos....and hopefully I won't make too much of a fool of myself when I start building in two weeks time.
 
Looking forward to this!
 
Robin

Perhaps you can use the flexible masking tape from Tamiya for this?
 

 

 
I love this tape!
 
I only used it for airbrushing and it does it's job really nicely. Be careful with brush painting...paint can creep underneath tape when you use a brush.

After getting some great information on my first thread I ordered the Norden and some tools, and today it arrived. Everything was present in the box so I got started   I think it's a good first kit and will help me get to grips with the main aspects of building model ships, and there's not too much rigging or sail work, which is the most daunting part for me! Plus I love working boats. Although I think I'll be going for a Model Shipways kit for my next build whenever that may be, the Billings instructions are rather vague. So far I've relied more on two good build logs.
 
So far (the first 2 hours or so) I have added the bulkheads to the first half of the hull and glued the two wood pieces at the bow and stern, I am just waiting for that glue to dry before adding the deck and starting the other half of the hull. I'm already enjoying this new hobby! 
 

 

 
If anyone has any other tips or notices anything I have done wrong or should do differently, let me know

Hi,
 
I purchased this model on ebay about 10 years ago and started the build in 2007. I worked on it regularly till work got too busy during the year.
 
Now I want to finish it.
 
There are a few broken pieces to fix and reattach, otherwise i is in great condition.
It looks like I was working on the rigging when I left her in drydock.
 
Cheers
Mark
from Tasmania

Cheers Bob mate.
 
Well a little further on with Bella Donna.

Made up some shot racks using my milling machine, makes life a lot easier.






Then took a look at the tops, these are very thread bare and need more detail.



Started by going around the edges then fill in.



Also looked at the side place of ease, these are metal but added wood and brass.



Turned out very nice.



The basic shape and colour, with a bit more detail these should look good.

On with the transom, this again is metal but added plastic background and brass mesh same as side windows.
This to give a Spanish feeling to the captured ship and in British service.
Well that's the story so far.



With a little more paint detail and I believe these are ready to mount later.




Thanks for looking in.

Frank. 

Thursday, August 4, 2016  
The first image shows the devices installed inside the ship to "plug" the hole in the hull where the oars were strung when they proceeded without sail. To the left of the pic the device in the "open" position and to the right the device when closed . .   
01 2_zpsmqtptlpn.JPG

 
Here below my personal interpretation: obviously it was not possible for me to make an exact replica of this device given the very small size (diameter 4mm) of it.
 
02 20160804_173737.jpg

03 20160804_173730.jpg

 
Inizio dell'ultima fatica, preparazione della vela e installazione dell'alberatura . . per ora la vela (è la prima che provo a cucire . . .) fissata sul pennone, e poi alcuni dettagli . . 
 
Begin of the last effort, preparation and installation of the sail and yard . . now the sail (the first I try to sew...) mounted on the yard, and then some details . .
 
04 20160804_173651.jpg

05 20160804_173700.jpg

06 20160804_173710.jpg

 
Cheers, Jack.
 

Trying to fit the stern plate on. I HATE these metal stern plates. They are a real pain to fit on and try and get them to stay in place while the glue or epoxy dries. There's not much fudge factor here either with the way the windows on the stern fit. So it has to be pretty close. So what I'll do is place the stern plate on with nails and nail it to any wood that I can find, then leave the nails a little loose so that I can pull the nails back a little in order to get some epoxy in between the stern plate and the wood. But I will only glue it once I get the windows on the sides positioned to see if it looks correct or not.  
 
 
mike

Having completed HMS Alert, which is now safely in a case, I'm left with a kind of paper emptiness...
 
I have plenty of projects, but I'm so accustomed to having a paper model project in the works that it just didn't seem right to not have one now. So, I've taken on the 28-gun Enterprize-class 6th rate frigate HMS Mercury.
 
Shipyard (Vessel) makes 2 versions of HMS Mercury. One is a 1/72-scale boxed kit with laser-cut parts and all the fittings, brass cannons, resin figurehead, wooden spars, cloth sails, plus paints, brush and rigging line, etc. However, that version is a lot pricier than the simple 1/96-scale paper model where you have to cut everything out yourself. 
 
I got the latter from Ages of Sail for around $40. The kit includes pre-printed parts that you have to cut out, plus laser-cut framework that makes hull-construction very quick and accurate.
 
 

 
 
I've actually had this kit for quite a while, probably at least a year or more. I also started it some time ago so I would have a hull that illustrates how these kits go together. I was going to just do a partial start and give it to Ages of Sail as a demo model. But, that never happened.
 
As I got further along on the Alert, I thought about how interesting a larger ship might be. Also, knowing the complexities of a 3-masted square rigger, I thought I might just build this as a kind of admiralty style model. Possibly building a launch ways and adding pole masts for the launching flags. In fact, right now, that's my plan unless I eventually change my mind and decide to rig this model.
 
 
The kit includes some 15 pages of printed parts, the laser cut framework, several sheets of drawings and templates, including patterns for making sails. Printed parts are included for two different color schemes. The completed, fully rigged model, measures about 26" long. The hull itself is just about 16" long.
 
I put the hull framework together many months ago. It goes together very easily and takes very little time. 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
More recently, I started putting on the first layer, which basically turns the model into a hollow solid hull model. As you can see, I also added the deck. The parquet floor is a separate piece which sits on top of the wood-pattern floor.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
Lastly, over this past weekend, I wanted a distraction, so I started working on the cabin partitions. I have to say that this is one advantage that these paper models have over their wood counterparts – there is much more internal arrangement provided in these kits. It even includes furniture for the great cabin.
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
So, there you have it. Another paper model begun. As I said earlier, this isn't a priority project, just something I'll tinker with over time. But, like HMS Alert, it may very well get to the point where it takes on a life of its own and demands more of my time to take her to completion.
 
Clare

Mizzen sail rigged.  Like I've mentioned before, that kit had no accommodation for sails.  So, I had to figure out the shape and size of the sails, what lines were needed to rig the sails, where to belay the lines to, and how to add extra belaying points.  The Wolfgang Mondfeld book was a great help for this.
 
I used Amati sailcloth for the sails, dyeing them in weak coffee so they wouldn't be so stark white.  In making the sails I  somewhat followed Landluber Mike's technique for furled sails (found in the Masting section).  He promotes greatly reducing the size of the sails, especially on the sides.  I machine sewed the sails to simulate seams and individual cloths, with a thread that has close to the sail color.  I know some people like to use a very contrasting thread for this, but I think it makes the sails less realistic.  For the boltropes, the sails were much too small to hand sew to the edge, which seems to be the recommended way.  So, I glued rope to the edge with wood glue to make mine.  Maybe sometime later I'll describe how I furled sails to the yards, which is somewhat different than what Mike did, but it involved applying thinned wood glue to the sails to keep the shape.  The thinned wood glue added more color to the sails, but that was good for me because I ultimately want a somewhat weathered  model appearance.
 
All the blocks, hook, and thread are from Chuck of Syren.

Save one line/thread and snipping off some excess, DONE! So remaining working time approx 4 minutes.
 
I´m pretty proud, It ended up quite nice. I´m satisfied with it as it is my first wooden model ship. Planking was difficult and there was a few snags but in the end it went ok.
 
As this is my first model I have no comparison but I´m very very satisfied with this Dusek kit. "advanced beginner" was a very correct description. I consider myself a veteran plastic model builder but a beginner with wood so "advanced beginner" would suit me well I thought and it was right.
 
Instructions was clear and easy to follow. Taking some time and reading and understanding the instructions was easy and there was basically nothing to worry about. One major thing I was worried about before starting out was that the instructions would be unclear or ambiguous. But that was not the case.
 
On tuesday I start on my new project. Duseks "Hansa Kogge". I picked this on purpose as it is "clinker style" hull. I want to learn that technique. Well not "learn" after one model but at least have some knowledge about it.
 
I know this sounds like I´m paid by Dusek (which I´m most certainly not.) But having such a good experience with this model I found no reason to not buy a Dusek as my second project.
 
One thing that could be improved is the flags. With the printers available the detailing on the flags could be a bit better and more "crisp".
 
In the end I want to build a huge ship (like everyone else I believe…
 

 

 

 
 
Here is a "building log" for the model with a few advice (maybe) or things I noticed.
After a while I stopped updating this as it was not really needed. The instructions was so good I don´t think I can really add something. Read the instructions, understand them and you are good to go.
 
Building log the pinta
 
Punched out all hull parts and sanded all the edges where the laser had cut.
 
I read that you do not get a good glue bond if you do not sand as some. Also not that lasers do not cut a precise 90 degree angle.  This has to be corrected with some sanding.
 
Also punched out and sanded the keel parts. Same here, sand away the ”burnt” and black from the wood. Using an engineers square you will notice that the laser does not cut at 90 degrees.
 
It is close to 90 degrees but not perfect, putting several pieces together and you will get a warped look.
 
I glued pieces 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 in place. Try to avoid laying the hull on the table and just glue the piceces in place. These five pieces are slightly wider than piece 0 so if you lay all the pieces flat on the table all the excess will be on one side. Try to get an equal amount of wood on each side of piece 0 when viewed from the front.
 
 
Then I glued pieces 6-12 in place. Note that these pieces can ”slide back and forth” a bit as the cuts in piece 0 is slightly wider than the thickness of piece 6-12. ”Dry fit” ( using no glue) pieces 17 and 18 so that these two pieces can be put in place without unnecessary tension. I had to make a few of the cuts in pieces 17 and 18 wider as the cuts and the ”horns” on pieces 6-12 did not match up perfectly.
 
Also be very careful that all pieces are in 90 degree angles towards each other! Make very sure pieces 6-12 are not at crooked angles.
 
Pieces 13-16 are easy to fit.
 
Make sure that before you fit pieces 17-18 the area which these pieces will cover is flat, no bumps, glue blobs or such.
 
As you fit pieces 17 and 18 (and testfit see above) make sure the oval opening is to the right on the ship model. This opening must match with the opening in piece 20.
 
Planking the stern. Nothing to mention, work carefully. I made each plank slightly too long to be sanded to perfect shape later. Maybe 2 mm extra on each side.
 
Starting to plank the hull. I followed instructions and have seen and read quite a few planking tutorials. This is not a tutorial for planking so read and watch other tutorials.
 
Finished the planking, it went fairly well.
 
I glued the deck in step IVb in place. Had a little trouble with it curling up at the edges. So I hade to keep it pressed down until the glue had dried. The hatches went together fine. Anchors and rudder presented no problem, just followed the instructions.
 
Drilling the holes for the gunbarrels were straightforward but check carefully where the holes are drilled so that the gunports are not behind  wires for the dead eye blocks. So check step Ve before drilling the gunholes/ports in step Vd.
 
Also I had a slight problem with the drilling the holes in bulkhead no 15 to fix the end of the gunbarrels. I do not know if I drilled in the wrong position or so but the bulkhead nr 15 was too ”deep” into the ship for the gunbarrels to stick out. So what I did wa sto cut of a about 15mm long piece of round wood and drilll a hole in it and put the gunbarrel in that piece of wood. This wood piece was the glued to bulkhead no 15. Make sure the piece of wood is of a smaller diameter than the gunport hole…
 
Glueing piece 41 and making the dead eye blocks went without a hitch. Same with everything else in step Ve and Vf.
 
So far so good.

One last update:
 
Please remember, the target audience for the original post was FIRST-TIME Modelers. It was intended as a cautionary tale and no more. It was not a grievance about unfinished build logs. Unfinished logs are what they are -- unfinished logs. We don't need (or even desire) to cull them. We have plenty of room for them.
 
I have heavily edited my original post to 'soften' its perceived tone a bit, and I have deleted portions of a few other posts that referenced portions of the original post that have been removed. When this conversation has run its course, I will probably further prune this thread a bit simply to make it more relevant to new members.
 
None of my posts were intended to give offense, and I have taken none in return. If you feel the need to post in this thread, I only ask that you keep it civil, and try to keep it on-topic (and yes, I know I made the comment about corgis -- that post will be pruned, too).
 
Cheers, everyone.

Jud,
 
    I strongly disagree.  I take Chris' original post for what it is, a warning.  I provide the same warning anytime I speak to a perspective modeler, whether it be at a club meeting or at our Ship Modeling booth at the county fair.  Most people don't realize how difficult building a wooden ship is and how many sub-skills need to be developed before you can do a bang up job on a complicated model. 
 
    As seasoned modelers, we owe it to them to give them reasonable advice. 

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