After a 'pause' of 40 years I have come back to modelling through the lockdown opportunity to be creative. Those forty years have been spent working as an educator in secondary (high) school, and now retired with a passion for working with traditional tools (albeit in a very amateur way) I have found great happiness and fulfillment in getting back to my roots creatively. Living in an area of great maritime history is obviously an asset for the hobby.
My first project has been a scratch-built traditional lapstrake or clinker built Irish lake fishing boat, based on photographs of a Lough Corrib boat. It is made from poplar and iroko. I have fly- fished for trout in this kind of boat in the past, and although they are all now made of GRP these beautiful old boats drift slowly and surely down the foam lanes and are a great platform for what we call 'lough style' wet fly fishing over here.
Here are a photo of it almost complete...
I also scratch modelled a seagull outboard of the 1950's made here in south England.
Having whetted my whistle, and got a little confidence back I'm researching two more boats, this time one lapstrake and one carvel built, both traditional to the south west of England. I plan to build these next year.
Meanwhile, I decided to try a project that is designed to develop my skills (having read Chris's warning to newcomers!) to make sure I don't take on more than I can chew.
This is to build a 1:20 scratch build scale model of Orca (from Jaws). I've spent a month researching, including the great build from ndeconte on this site, who has done a tremendous job. I rejected all the plans I found so far as most are very inaccurate, and I am drawing my own. I am planning to build it from the keel up as a carvel build boat including the ribbing and planking, rather than a balsa or r/c type build based on frames. I am drawing the plans at the moment.
Would welcome all advice from you experts out there, not least of which is help on the most puzzling aspect so far... Orca appears to have a mast about 5" to port of the centerline which may be because the lobster boat Warlock upon which it was built had no mast and a cabin door frame on the centerline, as far as I can see.
Hello from Plymouth, Devon
in New member Introductions
Posted
After a 'pause' of 40 years I have come back to modelling through the lockdown opportunity to be creative. Those forty years have been spent working as an educator in secondary (high) school, and now retired with a passion for working with traditional tools (albeit in a very amateur way) I have found great happiness and fulfillment in getting back to my roots creatively. Living in an area of great maritime history is obviously an asset for the hobby.
My first project has been a scratch-built traditional lapstrake or clinker built Irish lake fishing boat, based on photographs of a Lough Corrib boat. It is made from poplar and iroko. I have fly- fished for trout in this kind of boat in the past, and although they are all now made of GRP these beautiful old boats drift slowly and surely down the foam lanes and are a great platform for what we call 'lough style' wet fly fishing over here.
Here are a photo of it almost complete..._1280.JPG.51b787b97fc92c3b02c4c777bdcfb4a6.JPG)
I also scratch modelled a seagull outboard of the 1950's made here in south England.
Having whetted my whistle, and got a little confidence back I'm researching two more boats, this time one lapstrake and one carvel built, both traditional to the south west of England. I plan to build these next year.
Meanwhile, I decided to try a project that is designed to develop my skills (having read Chris's warning to newcomers!) to make sure I don't take on more than I can chew.
This is to build a 1:20 scratch build scale model of Orca (from Jaws). I've spent a month researching, including the great build from ndeconte on this site, who has done a tremendous job. I rejected all the plans I found so far as most are very inaccurate, and I am drawing my own. I am planning to build it from the keel up as a carvel build boat including the ribbing and planking, rather than a balsa or r/c type build based on frames. I am drawing the plans at the moment.
Would welcome all advice from you experts out there, not least of which is help on the most puzzling aspect so far... Orca appears to have a mast about 5" to port of the centerline which may be because the lobster boat Warlock upon which it was built had no mast and a cabin door frame on the centerline, as far as I can see.
So lots to learn, and I'm loving it!