grsjax

I look at it as a continuum of model building skills. Some folks like to do everything on their own, others just want to concentrate on building. I imagine there are some scratchbuilders who can't see the point of laser-cut bulkheads and parts.  

Different kit philosophies appeal to different modelers. I admire those who enjoy spiling and are good at it. I have accomplished the feat myself, but I don't particularly enjoy it. I have built a kit from Master Korabel that had pre-spiled planking, and I enjoyed that build very much. As I always say, some people just enjoy putting things together (without having to manufacture all of the parts in addition). I like to build card models; it involves not only assembling, but also cutting out and shaping hundreds, sometimes thousands, of printed parts. It's not a process that appeals to everyone. Fortunately, our hobby has plenty of room for modelers of all types.

If it just going to be for ship modeling,  a bench top that is robust enough to stand up to a ball-pene hammer or need to use a full size hand saw is not likely to be necessary.
 
Will you be always standing or sitting on a bar stool?  If yes, then knee room is not a factor.
 
Bench top depth is very helpful.  Determine how far back you can comfortably reach and make it at least that deep.
A 4"-6" high back splash helps  stop loss over the back. 
110V outlets that are above back splash height - and more of them than you think you will need.  If you want to splurge, make each of them have their own individual ON/OFF rocker switch.
 
Longer is better.
 
Drop down - foot locking castors - 4 of them  - the back ones - give a thought to how to get at them - if you do not have them, there will likely come a time when you wish that you did.
 
A provision for shop vac hoses makes life easier.
Life is easier if the machine in use is the only one on the bench top.
Strong sliding out shelves under the bench is a handy place to store them.  Being able to lift them straight down or up allows for easier storage. 
There is significant weight so the shelf support strength may make this impractical.  But in any case,  being able to easily park tools not in use under the bench is helpful  
For my Byrnes saw, I bought a wooden box from Michaels to store all of the wrenches, blades, etc.  I PVAed a wooden block under the lid and drilled hole to hold all the the needed Allen wrenches.  No digging for the often needed tools.
 
Even though you may never have a need to hand plane the edge of a 6' -8' board,  an under the bench top vise has uses.  A quick release  feature may be frivolous - but going economy leads to frustration.   Poorly made one tend to rack when they are tightened.   
I bought a 2x12 plank and cut it up to be a series of bases for various full size tools that are usually fixed to the bench top.
A grinder,  a machinist's vise,  a bare one for pounding on.  an old B&D drill press that is actually powered by a hand drill motor - it is an inheritance.  all are occasional tools.   I used lag screws to attach a piece of 2x4 or 2x6 at a right angle under the front of the 12" deck so that the under the bench vise could hold everything as though it was directly bolted to the bench top.
 
Under the top drawers - I used wire basket rectangles - for sandpaper sheets and big boxes holding small boxes of screws.

There has been some recent discussion on the out of stock booklet on sail making by David Antscherl.  For anyone wanting properly scaled good looking sails that will enhance the model rather than degrading it like most kit supplied sails do, this booklet is now available again from SeaWatch books for $5 on line.  
https://seawatchbooks.com/products/swan-iv-sail-making-supplement-from-the-revised-and-expanded-edition-by-david-antscherl?_pos=1&_sid=aafd9ea69&_ss=r

The trouble with being a pack rat is you end up not knowing what all is in the stash.  I have couple of kits I picked up years ago that are missing the plans so hoping someone has copies they are will to sell.
The kits are both Model Shipways solid hull.  The sloop Gjoa and the clipper Young America.
Managed to find a set of Young America plans.  Still looking for Gjoa.
Thanks

The trouble with being a pack rat is you end up not knowing what all is in the stash.  I have couple of kits I picked up years ago that are missing the plans so hoping someone has copies they are will to sell.
The kits are both Model Shipways solid hull.  The sloop Gjoa and the clipper Young America.
Managed to find a set of Young America plans.  Still looking for Gjoa.
Thanks

Just make sure the paint-covered mixer is in the jar of water or thinner before you start spinning it. (Don't ask me how I know this!  )
 
For those who may be new to painting, it should be understood that most all "coatings," (paints and varnishes) will require "conditioning" before use. Paint that is "thick" is often an indication of good quality, since it is the pigment that causes the consistency and it's the pigment that's the most costly ingredient in the paint. Thin paint just contains more cheap solvent ingredients. Why anybody would buy thinned paint for airbrushing at the same price as thicker "regular" paint is beyond me.  It's sort of like buying a fifth of pre-mixed "bourbon and water" for the same price as a fifth of 80 proof!  
 
Paints, particularly, are almost never suitable for use "right out of the can" and will require "conditioning" regardless of whether it's to be applied by brushing or spraying, Conditioning usually at least consists of thinning, but can also include adding "levelers" or "retarders" which retard drying or "driers" which accelerate drying. Thinners for acrylics are generally water and alcohol in various proportions. (Adding water to acrylic coatings is often a bad move, since the water takes a while to evaporate and can end up making a mess. Alcohol is preferred, particularly for airbrushing, because it evaporates quickly.)
 
 

I use a mix of isopropyl alcohol and water, mixing sticks courtesy of Starbucks.

I use a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol (91%) to thin MS paints.  Works very well if the paint is mixed properly.

I think this tool is just a waste of money and an overkill. A mini plane made of ebony? Why? To increase its price?
Comparable mini wood plane you should be able to get online for a few dollars (perhaps up to 10 today).
From a few pieces of wood scraps in your workshop you should be able to make yourself a simple jig to shape (shave) your planks.
 
See post nr. 27 at the bottom of this link, where I showed this simple jig.   Easy peasy...
 

Update
 
today I concentrated on the over night catch, Ì`m still looking for some eels in scale 1:24. Made the masts and main gaff,as well as mizzen boom
 
Nils
 

I used a thick viscosity primer both sides to get some "flesh" onto the flat etched fish....
 

and turned them into Hering, plaice and cods. Am still looking out for some eels in scale 1:24
The fish boxes are also from etched brass sheet
 

the plaice remain white on the bottom side
 

the mizzen mast can be layed down, when the shrouds are released
 
 
 

The mizzen boom is hooked in for easy removal
The main mast upper gaff is equiped with with a glide shoe, in order to slide up an down the main mast
 

I have been combining both types of mfg and these 2mm blocks have the sheaves laser cut and then the blocks are cnc milled to shape after the fact.   This gives you the precision for small detail as well as the clean milling on even the smallest parts.  I just took these pics with my phone so they are a bad pics but I found if you use bot CNC and a laser it produces the best result in a fraction of the time.... These are just 2mm long if you can believe it.   They were really hard to make and it took many failed experiments to get to these.
 

 
And here is a shot of some larger single blocks along with those tiny ones using the same exact process.  These are some pretty tiny examples.   I am refining the process as I gain more experience as well.   The issue with just a laser is all the char which is very problematic.   This gives you the best of both worlds and really cuts down on the cnc time which takes forever.  CNC is very very slow.
.

Lovely blocks.  The char doesn't seem to be that bad and as you say a dip in stain or ink takes care of the problem.

Thanks Bob for the heads up about Midwest.  Contacted them and they sent me a PDF of the manual today.

Thanks Bob for the heads up about Midwest.  Contacted them and they sent me a PDF of the manual today.

If you haven't already, you might want to check with Midwest Products. I believe they discontinued their model kit line, but are still very much in business and may have a copy in their files.
 
Email: info@midwestproducts.com
Phone: 1-219-942-1134
Toll Free: 1-800-348-3497
Address: 400 S. Indiana St. Hobart, IN 46342
 
 
There's a copy of the plans you are looking for listed right now on eBay for $2,95:  https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=midwest fantail launch ii&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-34002-13078-0&mkcid=2&keyword=midwest fantail launch ii&crlp=_5057&MT_ID=&geo_id=&rlsatarget=kwd-77447026886641:loc-190&adpos=&device=c&mktype=&loc=43893&poi=&abcId=&cmpgn=395409860&sitelnk=&adgroupid=1239149811198381&network=o&matchtype=p&msclkid=8d8eceba2aa71eea1a68adb8976cb278
 
 
 

I need a copy of the building instructions for the subject kit.  If anyone has a copy they are willing to part with let me know.  Doesn't have to be hardcopy, a scanned copy would be fine.
Thanks

One of the highest achievements of research is the publication of your work.
I've often been too lazy to share designs--  it seems to take as much work to put one's research into shareable format as it does to build a physical model! But I'm trying to rectify that. I often use CAD to help work out designs and to support the building activity, but I'm also finding it just as rewarding to simply make a CAD model and share that... and the CAD model is much easier to keep the dust off of.
 
I'm posting my CAD models for free download at GrabCAD. Other sites are available, but this works for me:
https://grabcad.com/patrick.matthews-1
You can go into each model posting to find additional materials, such as photos, documents, and original drawings, as well as the CAD model itself. The site has a 3D viewer that allows you spin the model around for preview, nice. 
 
So far, I have posted:
- 1909 San Francisco fireboat
- 1945 ATSF RR tugboat
- 1908 USLSS lifeboat
 
And now I'm going back and reassembling a mess of a CAD model for my interpretation of "Pilar".
 

 
 
 

Phil:
I have switched over to scalpel handles and blades.. The metal handle is much preferred over the plastic handle but the guy who recommended I switch swears by the plastic handles.  Ebay has these for less than $10 each and you can also get the blades on ebay.  The blades shown are Swann-Morton #25a.  A #11 surgical blade is nothing like the X-Acto #11's.  The jeweler's tool category will be your best category to search on ebay.
 
Also, somebody said to use pliers to change the blades.  Heed that advice.  Do not try it with any fingers you want to use for several weeks.  No need for sterilized blades unless you try to change blades using your fingers.
 
Kurt

I needed some small turnbuckles for a model and ran across a vendor called Harbor Models https://www.harbormodels.com/ .  They mostly sell parts for RC ships but they had just what I needed, 5/16" long working turnbuckles in brass.  
Dimensions:
M=M1
O=8mm (5/16")
L-min=13mm (1/2")
L-Max=18mm (23/32")
D=1.8mm (1/16")
f=.7mm (1/32")
 
Price seems pretty reasonable at $2.75 for one or $26.90 for 10.  Shipping was fast.
 

Kind of inherited these books and have no use for them as I am not interested in warship models.
Asking $10 each plus shipping (Media Mail unless some other means is requested)but open to offers.  All are in English except the last one that is in Polish.  Lots of good pictures and drawings of the ships.   I have a few more that I will get posted as soon as I can get some pictures.
 
 

 

Thank you Todd, Dave, and Chris for your Comments. Thank you baskerbosse and Ryland for your Likes. Everyone’s support has been great to have. Took some more pictures trying to get some different angles for the Gallery.
 

 
 

 

 

 
 

With no small amount of extra work on top of the Google results, I have translated two papers about these vessels and one of their builders.
 
https://www.hrsms.org/Content/boatbuilding-on-fejo-and-the-danish-eel-drifters-by-christian-nielsen-a-rough-translation
 
https://www.hrsms.org/Content/dan-viktoria-two-eel-drifters-by-morten-gothche-a-rough-translation/

Photos of one of its sister ships, Viktoria, owned by the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark

I use a 50/50 mix of water and isopropyl alcohol (91%) to thin MS paints.  Works very well if the paint is mixed properly.