Dave Macdonald

Colin: I thought that I would mention that Ranger by Corel was also my first attempt. It was challenging and I went slowly and methodically, sometimes changing tack in my approach to some difficult aspect. But it turned out well and I think if you keep at it, you will also be surprised at the result. Take it slow, think things through. Yes there are instructions that seem confusing. I found that I referred to the parts list quite often. Keep good sharp knives handy. You can't have too many tweezers. Use small brushes for applying the glue. I found the 1/8" square "hobby sanding twigs" worked the best for much of the sanding needed. Best of luck.

Very pleased to have found this site. Found so much helpful information as a guest that it was a "no brainer" to become a member. I am Dave, a retired structural engineer in the Minneapolis area. Well, actually semi-retired. I am one of the original founding members and the new leaders won't let me leave yet. But I am now a part time "worker bee" rather than a executive, so I spend most of my time at the coffee machine complaining about the bosses like the rest of the employees. I recently finished my first model, Corel's Ranger Revenue Cutter. It took about 2 years and I was pleased with it. I found it to be a good beginner model since the instructions were more of a "cookbook" step by step procedure. I am now starting Model Shipway's Fair American and will be watching and reviewing the build logs. I know that this will be much more challenging. I am not much of a TV watcher, but I do record the various sporting events, avoid the scoreboard listing in the paper or on-line, and then play the game back in the evenings while I work on the model. Small successes in the model building help me relax and escape the eventual disappointment of our dismal Minnesota sports teams. I do most of the model building in the winter months. (It is, after all, Minnesota where indoor activities are preferred.) My wife escapes to Gulf Shores, Alabama from January to March, but I stay here to take care of my dogs and quite honestly, I don't really mind the winters. It sort of resolves the "How can I miss you if you never go away?" syndrome. But she "allows" me to come visit her every couple of weeks which is a fun reunion for both of us. But in between visits and part-time work I plod away on the model, taking my time to get things right and avoiding whenever possible having to back up several steps. So, I'm looking forward to making progress on the Fair American and reviewing and researching topics and ideas on the website. Thanks, in advance for the helpful information that I will be finding. Dave