macleadg

On 10/23/2021 at 7:11 PM, mtdoramike said:

I agree, most if not all Victory kits or builds require 2-5 years to complete. Now with that out of the way, back to your question, which I hate and which pops up every now and again whether it be a victory, constitution or what ever. A boat or ship model kit is a kit is a kit is a kit, no more no less. I have built well over 100 kits of various subjects over the years by many manufactures and have found that all kits no matter of the manufacture are good quality kits. Now whether the subject model builds into an acceptable representation of the subject is totally up to you AND NOT THE KIT. A kit is only a starting point of the journey you choose to take, but the quality of the build will be all on you as the builder. To me, the research of the subject is far more important than the quality of the kit, which can be changed, manipulated into what ever you want it to be. My point is, if you find something not historically accurate about the model per the kit, change it and make it so.

 

You will never get a museum quality model from a kit even though the manufactures touts it as such. I rarely ever build a model based on the kit. To me the kit is only the starting point. So to answer your question, all of them and none of them.

I’m quite new to building ship models, as I’m to finish only my fifth kit (the Essex, from Occre).  However, even on my third kit I was modifying quite a bit.  I’m not super-concerned about historical accuracy (ok, so go ahead & call the ship-model police on me).  

My modifications are for just aesthetics.  For example, on the Occre kit, you’re supposed to simulate plank nails with pencil marks.  Yuck. Instead, I cut the heads off about 100 small steel nails, and glued those in place.  Historically accurate? Probably not.  To scale? Who knows.  

However, they look a lot better than pencil marks, at least to my unpracticed eye.

I'm a new modeler, having just taken up the hobby this year, due to COVID.  My "trigger" was a gorgeous, elaborate model I saw in a Sushi restaurant.

I started with an extremely simple model (a $25 dory kit), and moved up gradually to more complicated endeavors.  I recently finished my 4th kit which is a tugboat I decided to customize, and is from the Liman 2 kit from Turkmodel.  (I posted pictures of it here).  I'm currently working on the Essex kit from Occre.

I enjoy ship modelling, and I'm not quitting because:

1. I decided at the start to respect the craft, and assumed that learning it would take a long time.

2. I did a lot of research.  I watched a lot of videos, both on YouTube, and on a DVD set I ordered from Modelers Central.

3.  I assumed I would make mistakes, and assumed my early attempts would look pretty bad.  The goal of those early attempts was to learn, not to make a fine, finished product (although they actually look better than I thought they would).

4. I decided before starting that I would not get upset if I made a mistake, and to treat mistakes as learning opportunities.

5. I bought a lot of tools; many turned out to be of no use, but some have made all the difference in the world (glue syringe!  rigging wax!  forceps!).

Fantastic job!  I just started building this model, too. I intend to build two of them, and to send them to my childhood friends whose father was a tugboat captain.

However, I am not an experienced modeler so any advice on how to achieve the weathering looks that you’ve done would be greatly appreciated. (I don’t particularly like the way the model looks when completed according to the instructions in the kit, but I love the way yours looks).

In particular, how did you achieve the look of corrosion on the keel?   Also, where do you get copper plating?  Are any special tools needed to apply the copper plating or do you just nail them on?

Hello!  New modeler here; COVID made me do it!  Working on my 4th kit, and hoping to learn from the experienced builders here.  Specifically, I’m building the Liman 2 tugboat, and thrilled to see some one working on it here, too.