Hobart Slipway

Understood Chris. I learned a bit more after I'd made the Chinese purchase and I'm now totally in agreement with you re the IP ripoffs they seem to think they're entitled to. It's across all manufacturing, we've even just had a situation in Oz where a large Chinese construction company simply refused to pay an agreed to multi million dollar penalty for defaulting on completing their project. Thanks for your welcome.

Further to the above, one thing I'm onto already is the gallery windows finish. Drawn lines on blue plastic definitely won't cut the mustard, almost put me off the sale. I intend to frame the individual window panes with wood slivers, I realise that will take some extremely fine work to bring it off with any real authority but I believe the end result will be worth the effort.

By way of an intro it's gedday from downunder. Actually it should be gedday from down under downunder considering I live in Tasmania, which isn't quite at the bottom of the planet but closer to it than the rest of Oz. I've decided to throw me hat in with all you expert modellers in the fervent hope that you might be kind enough to give this old boy a few tips and tricks to help him on his way. I rediscovered modelling after a 43 year hiatus, when I played with glue and plastic in a very fundamental way, they were mostly Revell kits. After I retired and discovered there actually could be life after employment I considered a dinkum rebuild of a kit that I put together in 1976. Took a bit of finding but yes, it could be had and 3 months after I ordered it from England I had the Revell 1:96 Constitution kit. I loaded it with some extras, like a rudder safety chain and anchor chains amongst other things. After I'd finished it to a better level than I thought possible and built a glass case around it I discovered a cutout hull section could also be had. Beauty, this'll do me. So it comes from China, they're pretty good with detailed stuff these days. I can hear the air being sucked between the purists clenched teeth as I type, but I didn't know a lot about this modelling game then. And I didn't know how good some kit manufacturers are at their craft these days. The Chinese kit work out ok, but only that, even though I threw all I had at it. Still it looked good enough beside the plastic Constitution. But what the cutout section did was introduce me to wood kits. 2 months later I was investigating to find out what other wooden kit manufacturers were in the market and I tripped over Artesania Latina. The wooden models looked good, forums seemed impressed enough and better yet they made Cook's 1:60 "Endeavour", a ship that's something of an Aussie icon. Having found that kit and having seen the full sized replica up close, my decision was made in 5 minutes and my bank balance shrunk accordingly. Loved every second of the 500 hours it took to build, slaving behind a pair of close up glasses and a maggy light for up to 10 hours a day was a delight and within a week I developed OCD wooden model building, a magnificent addiction I expect a few other modellers share. I learned a lot in the building and finished the Endeavour to a more than satisfactory standard about 3 months ago and cased it. I was satisfied for a while, then a couple of weeks ago I started getting the itch again. After putting up a magnificent fight against the urge / craving I capitulated 3 days ago. Constructo's 1:94 Victory is now on the way from England. I've set my work space up in a corner of my lounge room (again), the Dremel is mounted on the workstation/ drill press which I bought in anticipation, all my cutters are clean and sharp and the mag-light is plugged into the power board. I reckon I'm ready... very ready. Any tips re the Victory build will be more than welcome Once again Gedday Wayne Painter