Hi all,
Very happy to be here and introduce myself. I’m Robert, from Belgium. I’ve been a modeller for most of my younger years, working with plastic models (airspace and armor). Even then, while roaming the model shops I’d look up at the wooden kits and thought: “someday”.
Lately, my interest in model construction sparked again, and this time the notion of wooden modelling was clearly set in my mind. After doing a lot of renovations in my house, I’ve come to love the material, it’s flexibility , it’s relative ease of handling and the looks.
Contrary to years ago, a lot of information is readily available, so I started roaming the web for anything I could find, studying build logs on this site and viewing countless Youtube videos. I realise seeing something done and doing it yourself are two completely different things, but this gave me a hint of the challenges before me, and a lot of tips and techniques. I’m cautious by nature, so I like to get informed as much as possible before diving in.
After looking at a lot of kits, I’ve become interested in buying a kit from Occre:
“Widely” available in Belgium (meaning in stock at the closest store)
Their wood quality seems to be ok, from what I read from reviews
They provide detailed plans with lots of visual aids
They provide complete video build logs of certain ships which were very helpful in finding out the specific challenges for each model.
I read the “Cautionary Tale” post here, so I was thinking of finding a model that was not too difficult to make, but on the other hand would provide me with the necessary material to learn the techniques necessary. Planking and rigging look to me as the biggest hurdles.
So after all this, I narrowed down my selection to 3 Occre models: HMS Beagle, HMS Terror and the Buccaneer.
HMS Beagle: seems straightforward, but rigging seems very complicated compared to the other two
HMS Terror: rigging a bit simpler, but the extra difficulty of having to attach the metal plating to the bow, as well as the specific white zone around the ship (sorry, don’t know the nautical term)
Buccaneer: smaller than the other two, hull seems to be more complex to plank. Specific geometric design is also a challenge I think.
Building in earnest is probably going to start in December/January, I’ll set up a dedicated build log then, but I’d like your expert opinions about my possible model choice. Any hints or tips are very much appreciated. Thnx in advance!