-Dallen

Pete,
 
Absorbing every detail of your build log. Being a like scale really helps. Nice clean build.
 
Dupree

Pete,
 
Absorbing every detail of your build log. Being a like scale really helps. Nice clean build.
 
Dupree

Thank you for the encouraging replies. Actually I did so much research on this project with a 1:48 mindset that I'm having a little trouble thinking in "1:32". The mill work has started, although I just received my Mini Mill from LMS and it is really drawing my attention right now. Some problems are nice to have........

Thank you Ryland. Worked fine.
 
Dupree

Pete,
 
Absorbing every detail of your build log. Being a like scale really helps. Nice clean build.
 
Dupree

Thank you for the encouraging replies. Actually I did so much research on this project with a 1:48 mindset that I'm having a little trouble thinking in "1:32". The mill work has started, although I just received my Mini Mill from LMS and it is really drawing my attention right now. Some problems are nice to have........

Thank you Ryland. Worked fine.
 
Dupree

Check out this link: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/12133-i-would-like-to-change-a-posting-title/
 

Thank you for access to HMS Triton plans. I will be digesting them and begin the mill works. I have decided to upscale to 1:32 and will make appropriate corrections to my build log.
 
Dupree

Thank you for access to HMS Triton plans. I will be digesting them and begin the mill works. I have decided to upscale to 1:32 and will make appropriate corrections to my build log.
 
Dupree

Welcome the Triton shipyard and a lot of fun with the build

I decided that I would make this my initial build. This build will introduce me to most aspects of model building. I will be using Walnut as my primary lumber as a large walnut tree was blown over on my property last summer and it seems to resaw nicely. I also have a nice supply of Maple and Swiss Pear.  I am considering upscaling to 1:32 and is likely. I have been like a sponge absorbing everything I can on this forum and have built quite a resource library. Looking forward to the hands on now. I handle critiques well, so all are welcome.
 
Dupree

Thank you for access to HMS Triton plans. I will be digesting them and begin the mill works. I have decided to upscale to 1:32 and will make appropriate corrections to my build log.
 
Dupree

I decided that I would make this my initial build. This build will introduce me to most aspects of model building. I will be using Walnut as my primary lumber as a large walnut tree was blown over on my property last summer and it seems to resaw nicely. I also have a nice supply of Maple and Swiss Pear.  I am considering upscaling to 1:32 and is likely. I have been like a sponge absorbing everything I can on this forum and have built quite a resource library. Looking forward to the hands on now. I handle critiques well, so all are welcome.
 
Dupree

I decided that I would make this my initial build. This build will introduce me to most aspects of model building. I will be using Walnut as my primary lumber as a large walnut tree was blown over on my property last summer and it seems to resaw nicely. I also have a nice supply of Maple and Swiss Pear.  I am considering upscaling to 1:32 and is likely. I have been like a sponge absorbing everything I can on this forum and have built quite a resource library. Looking forward to the hands on now. I handle critiques well, so all are welcome.
 
Dupree

I decided that I would make this my initial build. This build will introduce me to most aspects of model building. I will be using Walnut as my primary lumber as a large walnut tree was blown over on my property last summer and it seems to resaw nicely. I also have a nice supply of Maple and Swiss Pear.  I am considering upscaling to 1:32 and is likely. I have been like a sponge absorbing everything I can on this forum and have built quite a resource library. Looking forward to the hands on now. I handle critiques well, so all are welcome.
 
Dupree

I decided that I would make this my initial build. This build will introduce me to most aspects of model building. I will be using Walnut as my primary lumber as a large walnut tree was blown over on my property last summer and it seems to resaw nicely. I also have a nice supply of Maple and Swiss Pear.  I am considering upscaling to 1:32 and is likely. I have been like a sponge absorbing everything I can on this forum and have built quite a resource library. Looking forward to the hands on now. I handle critiques well, so all are welcome.
 
Dupree

Hi Wefalck yes these things do have a tendency to expand, being retired and not really treating this as a needed project for survival but an opportunity to give back to my community and to share some of the methods and work that might benefit the model community at the same time, is the main reason for taking on this project. That it includes some remuneration to cover some time and costs is welcome.
 
If I were doing this as a commercial project as I used to do I would be working in an entirely different mode, and the project would most likely be out of range financially for the client.
 
That said I realize that there are those who are doing this sort of work for their livelihood, and I have no intention of moving into this line of work on any scale this is a one off as far as I am concerned. I am confident that this project would not have happened at commercial rates and this model would have been written off. Eventually it will return to public display, which in my view is a good thing.
 
Michael

I'll just make one post to cover it all. Superb quality and craftsmanship. An inspiration to all us novices and veterans alike. Certainly sets a goal for me. WELL DONE!

I'll just make one post to cover it all. Superb quality and craftsmanship. An inspiration to all us novices and veterans alike. Certainly sets a goal for me. WELL DONE!

dallen0121, Liberto, thank you very much.

Another photos
 

 

I'll just make one post to cover it all. Superb quality and craftsmanship. An inspiration to all us novices and veterans alike. Certainly sets a goal for me. WELL DONE!

In this next installment of How to Spot a Cheap Model, I'll show you the difference between a mass-produced model and an actual scale model built by a master modeler. Once you know what to look for, the cheap stuff is not hard to identify (and by 'cheap' I mean poorly made, not inexpensive). We're going to examine the stern of each model, so that we can see up close what separates class from crass.
 
Both of the models I'll show you are of the famous American warship, the USS Constitution. First we'll look at the high-quality model. This model is built from scratch in 1/48th scale. It was listed for sale at a reputable maritime art gallery. The price of the model was not listed. It's kind of like shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills -- if you have to ask the price, you probably can't afford it.
 

 
The fine craftsmanship of this model is everywhere evident. Note the detailed carvings, the meticulously neat painting, the clean run of planking, and the intricate web of rigging. True modelers endeavor to create models that are replicas of the original in every detail, with every part correctly proportioned. A great model looks like a real ship, only much smaller.
 
Now let's look at the expensive kindling. This model was once available on-line for $535. The owner of the site claimed that the model was built by "master craftsmen" using "original plans". It was described as "highly detailed" and built from "high-grade wood" using "plank on frame" construction.
 

 
Friends, none of those things was true. This model was probably built in either the Philippines or Vietnam by laborers who have never seen any plans of the actual Constitution. If they did see the plans, they certainly didn't follow them! The 'high-grade wood' includes western red cedar and mahogany, which are great for full-sized projects but not good modeling woods. When they say 'plank on frame' it is quite likely they mean 'plank on bulkhead'. That might sound like hair-splitting to the uninitiated, but they're actually two very different construction methods, entailing significant differences in both cost to produce and value of the finished product. And as for 'highly detailed'? Just look at the incorrect hull shape, cheap metal castings, simplistic window framing, coarse-grained wood, and adhesive name badge. And don't even get us started on the ship's boats hanging from the sides. This model is low-budget in every respect. It is crudely conceived and poorly executed.
 
If the two models we just looked at were cars, the first would be a Ferrari. The second is a Trabant.
 
So, if you have a Mystery Model, take a good, hard look at it. Does it look like a finely crafted miniature ship? Or does it look a bit rough? If it's the latter, then it's most likely not a unique piece of art. If you were hoping to resell it at a premium price, you'll quickly learn that its market value is less than you might have hoped for.
 
Next: It's a real model, but so what?

Okay, let's delve a little further into this subject. Let's examine a few Mystery Models and discuss what makes them something less than what they seem to be.
 
Take a look at Mystery Model #1.

This one doesn't need too much explanation. It is obviously a curio -- something a kid would buy at the gift shop at Mystic Seaport. When the child outgrows it, it might end up in a yard sale. But more likely, though, it will just get discarded.
 
But not all cheap models are so overtly cheesy. How about Mystery Model #2?

This one looks nice -- from a distance. Once you get up close, you can see that the fittings are not to scale and the workmanship is not great. This is clearly a decor piece. If you have a nautical theme in your office, and you don't want to shell out big bucks for a scale model, you might get something like this at the local home decorating store. You probably won't have much success at selling it to someone else.
 
Mystery Model #3 is something we see a lot of around here.

It looks old. It looks antique. It must therefore be valuable, right? Wrong. This is a classic example of an older style of decor model, probably made in Spain. Columbus' ships were especially popular subjects. Some might have a plaque bearing the name "Fregatta" (fregatta is Spanish for 'frigate'). Unfortunately, unlike perhaps a matched pair of Holland & Holland shotguns, these models don't appreciate in value with age. They just get old, like shag carpet and avocado green appliances.
 
Now, to mix things up a bit, let's look at a model that represents a ship still in existence. First we have the model:

 
And now we have the real deal, the bark Star of India, the crown jewel of the San Diego Maritime Museum.
 

 
At first glance, the model does kind of look like the real ship. But once again, the devil is in the details. Look closely at the real ship. Now look at the model. Notice the difference in the cut of the sails and the way the sails are set on their yards. Notice how fine the rigging looks on the real ship and how chunky it looks on the model. Notice how the model doesn't even have the proper rig (it has square sails on the mizzen mast, the mast at the rear of the ship; the real Star does not). If you could see the model up close, you would see that the lack of fidelity to the original extends to the deck fittings as well. In short, the model is only a crude likeness of the real thing.
 
Now, here's the kicker. At the time of this writing, the Star of India model was available to purchase on the internet for (wait for it) -- $999.99. I kid you not! And, sadly, it's kind of like a new car in the sense that once you drive it off the lot, its value plummets. "But wait," you might say, "I bought this model for $999.99, so it must be worth at least $999.99, right?" Um -- no. In the first place, no one is going to pay $999.99 for your now-second-hand model when there are tons of brand-new ones available on the Internet. Second, I, at least, am certainly not going to pay that much for it, because I know where I can get a brand new model just like it for less than 1/10th of what you paid for yours. Ouch!
 
In the next installment, I'll cue you in on what model ship buyers really want in a model and how much they might be willing to pay for it. Until then!