Colin_C

Well, I've made a start. My first problem of identifying lath 13 was solved. The instructions describe this piece as being 3x3mm, and my only decision was which piece to use. I have 2 identical laths of these dimensions, just a slight difference in colour. Throughout the instructions there is only reference to "walnut" and "lime", so I took a punt and used the slightly darker one, "a bit more walnutty than the other walnut one"." Since then I've mostly been sanding and filing. All the slots in the keel and frames needed widening to allow them to fit together. I also had to make the slots deeper to the top of the frames would sit true with the keel (instructions did note this would be required). And I evened out the camber on some of the frames as they were clearly not symmetrical. A lesson learned here was that my filing "style" must have been at a bit of an angle, because I wasn't filing evenly. This meant a couple of the frames didn't sit naturally square on the keel. There was enough wiggle to make them sit square, but I was concerned about twisting the keel a little by forcing it. So I tidied these up to get them to sit better. Frames 8 and 10 stick through the deck, but these were too both too wide and needed filed down to make them fit. Next, the holes in the deck and slots in the keel for the masts are too small and needed opening up a bit. So far, much the same as @Cathead's experience. There's a little fine tuning to do, but it looks like the frames all fit well and the deck will sit okay on top of them. When I glue them in I'll make sure they are all perfectly square. Now, this is where it gets interesting. Maybe. I found this YouTube video (seems top be part 1 of three). An Italian friend has kindly translated if for me and I've attached the translation at the end of this post. If it's useful, I'll ask her to translate the other two. About 2:40 in he starts creating a rabbet. First off, when I lay my keel over the plans, nothing lines up properly. I'm guessing this is something to do with the 1:50 / 1:64 scale discrepancy, but it makes the plans a bit useless as a template. Also, this looks like something that could go horribly wrong for a man of my limited experience, and I notice that @Cathead, @mattsayers148, and @Woodmiester12 didn't do it in their builds. @trippwj had got got passed this before starting his log. The instructions don't suggest doing it. So I think I'll give that bit a miss. At 5:57 he cuts the deck in half to make it easier to fit the curvature of the frames. I can see sense in that (and the risks), but am wondering is it really worth doing? Again, it's not in the instructions and I don't think anyone else here did it that way. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'll glue the bulkhead frames in over the next couple of days. My first bit of serious action. Should I do them all in one sitting, or one at a time? I was planning to use lego bricks to ensure they were perfectly square, but only doing them one at a time will really allow for that. And PVA or superglue? Cheers Colin Video_Translation_1.rtf

My Corel Ranger arrived in the post a couple of days ago, and this is my first build. I bought this kit because it was listed as a beginner kit by the online supplier, and I liked the look of it. That was basically it, and I didn't join MSW till after I'd placed the order. So now I know @Cathead, @mattsayers148, @trippwj, @Woodmiester12, @Small Stuff all have tackled this before me (hope I've not not missed anyone) and I've also found https://modelshipworld.com/topic/18657-new-to-ship-modelling-but-what-do-you-build-first/ which suggests Corel might not have been the best choice for a complete newbie. I did consider getting something simpler, but since the kit arrived and I've opened it up, I've decided to crack on. What could possibly go wrong? I figure I can always park it if it gets too much. So this log will be from the perspective of a complete beginner, hopefully it will help someone as inexperienced as I. Step one: open the box. My first impression was was that there were fewer 'bits' than I expected, but there is no parts list. And most of them aren't numbered. The very first sentence in the instruction manual has set the scene, "Glue lath 13 to the bottom of the keel 12". I guess we're not in Ikea anymore. It seems that this is a fictional ship, and is only based on cutters of the period. I think this is probably good news for me. This is more of a learning experience for me than anything else, so I don't have to be too faithful to any particular vessel. I also see that the box and instruction manual say the scale is 1:50, while the plans say 1:64. From other build logs, it seems 1:64 is correct. Not sure yet exactly what challenges this is going to throw up. A bit of arithmetic, presumably I've not attempted any building yet, still just getting a feel for what the kit comprises, going through the instructions and reading up on the build logs here. This might take a while, but that's fine by me. I'm in no rush. By pure coincidence, the same day my Corel Ranger arrived my 12 year old daughter brought home her first ever project from her Technical Studies class at school. She's very pleased with it and I shall keep it beside me for inspiration...

Thanks for all the welcome messages folks 🙂 I looked through your Dallas Cutter log and I'll be delighted if my Ranger turns out half as good as that. Must've been very satisfying to have picked it up and completed it after all those years! I know 'Down Under' well, or at least your part of it. Lived in Sydney (Manly, Coogee, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst) for about 4 years. I miss it dearly and the friends I made down there. Advice noted....breathe....😄 Yes, the one in Dumbarton is only half an hour away. I confess to having never visited but it's now on my to do list for when virus restrictions are lifted. Well, I'm looking forward to getting started. Funnily enough, as I was typing this I got a message from the courier to say my kit will be delivered tomorrow...

Hi everyone I'm essentially brand new to model ship building - 25 years ago I bought Le Hussard by Artesania Latina with zero research and gave up very quickly. I used to paint fantasy miniatures in my teens, but other than that I've not much in the way of 'crafty' skills or experience to draw from. So I'm starting afresh with a Corel SM55 Ranger American Revenue Cutter 1823 Kit 1/50 which should be arriving soon. It was listed as a beginner kit on the supplier's website, but having read through a couple of the build logs here I'm slightly nervous that it's maybe not the best place to start after all. Hopefully this time though, I'm a little better prepared for what I'm letting myself in for. I have set up a desk in a corner of the house away from 'helpful' children and my cat's inquisitive paws. I've got a good work lamp, I've bought a bunch of tools half of which I probably won't need, and not bought a bunch of tools I probably will need. I have a copy of Ship Modeling Simplified by Frank Mastini. I'm expecting to get frustrated by useless instructions and parts that don't fit properly. I'm expecting to make mistakes and break things. I'm expecting to be baffled by terminology and for my first build to be more of a learning experience than a masterpiece. But I have enthusiasm and time and an open mind, and this place looks like an amazing resource, so hopefully that will see me through. When my kit arrives I'll start a build log. In the meantime I'll learn what I can from all your posts here, and I look forward to engaging with some of you as I progress my build. Let's see how it goes...☺️ Cheers Colin