DeHammer

Hi Chris. I searched the forums as per your suggestion and found the gallery images of finished builds. I did also look through the PDFs for build logs and couldn't find any actual build logs for the Dana. Am I missing something or are there no actual build logs for that kit here? I did find one in a personal blog site using Google. But would be great to see a few others if there are any available. I feel like there should be some here, but maybe I'm just not searching correctly.

Thanks! I just Googled that set. That looks like a great way to start. I'm definitely going to consider that. I love that the kit gives you some basic starter tools as well. Since the Dana is an ABS hull, that Model Expo set might even be a great way to get into plank & frame after I screw up the Dana. Good to know $50 for the Bluenose was a good deal. I started to wonder if I bought an albatross or white elephant.

Thanks Chris & Mark! I am excited to try to build the Dana, and I'm also kind of excited to do it in a way I'd envision the boat. I have a totally different color scheme in mind that might be far from realistic, but as soon as I pictured in my mind's eye, I knew it was what I needed to do. Having a mental image of the completed model as I'd like it has given me some inspiration, and I suspect I'm going to need some inspiration to tackle my first build. That's maybe going to be more important than 'getting it right'. I tend to be very self-critical when it comes to artwork. I'm going to try to toss that out the window for this first build.

I'm new to wooden ship models, though I have built plastic model kits. I've actually been wanting to try building a wooden ship since I was a kid, but just never got around to it in my younger years. I'm slowly inching toward retirement in a decade and kind of thought now's the time to learn more about building wooden ship models. I don't want to wait any longer. Though it's been in the back of mind, stumbling across a good deal on a beginning level ship model pulled me in. I found a Billing Boats kit of the 'Dana' Danish fishing boat in my area for $14. I couldn't pass it up. It's basically new, and not started. Seems to have all the pieces. Now, after joining site I've learned that Billings kits aren't very 'beginner friendly'. Apparently they lack in the quality of the instructions and expect you know more than you do. I've also read that Billings kits employ a single layered plank on frame hull... where as other manufacturers make double layer hulls which tend to be more forgiving. In this case the 'Dana' is an ABS hull. So it's probably still a good kit for me to get into early on. But I wonder if it should be my first.... Is there a stand out kit that most often gets recommended for beginners? I also picked up this kit... another Billing Boats kit. I know this one will be on the shelf for some time as I have a lot to learn and some experience to gain before attempting. But it's a kit I know that I want to build one day, and the price seemed good. It's the Nr.576 'Bluenose' in 1:65 scale. The fact it's 'laser cut' seemed like an indication it might not be too outdated. It's complete and not started. Did I get a good deal at $50? Normally I see this kit listed new at closer to $300. Or is there another reason this kit that's more expensive when new would sell so cheaply on the secondary market compared to the smaller Billings Bluenose II kit (1:100)? Maybe seller just confused the two kits and priced the 576 Bluenose kit as if it's a really good deal on a 600 Bluenose II kit (which can sell for under $100 sometimes)?

Oh my, those are most impressive. I couldn't even imagine having the skill & discipline to create such beautiful works of art as those. I see what you mean about the variation of treatments... each one of them special in it's own right. I think perhaps that's what I should do with my beginner models... try both full sails and furled sails. Thanks for sharing those images of your work.

Wow, those are pretty cool dioramas. Love the ship undergoing hull repairs in the slip in your first link.

All these suggestions of sail half furled has me wondering about other presentaion options... anyone ever built a ship in drydock undergoing extensive repairs? I don;t think I've seen any build log posts like that, but I'm sure someone must have done it. ooOOOoo... or a diorama of ship sinking or wrecked. Maybe if/when I massively screw up a model kit that'll be the time for a ship wreck diorama. LOL.

Wow, great comments & interesting perspectives. I didn't know about silkspan so I'll have to look into that. I meant to ask about alternate sail materials & forgot, so thanks for mentioning that. I suspect for the models I have planned, I'll be venturing into the realm of sails, if for no other reason than to learn how to do them. On the other hand, the models I have picked out are more beginner class and don't have a lot of sails. I do want to build a 1:65 scale Bluenose model I purchased. Probably after I've tried a couple of beginner models. I can't imagine not having sails on the Bluenose; though I have seen models of it sails furled and it still looks great. I guess it might depend whether someone wants to depict 'Bluenose - the fishing ship' or 'Bluenose - the racing ship'.

I'm new to the wooden ship model scene. I picked up what seems to be a neat book for beginners like me called 'Ship Modelling Simplified', by Frank Mastini (ironic name). It's kind of cool to see that someone who spent so many years building wooden ship models was expounding the basics, and helping people new to the hobby not feel overwhelmed with the challenges ahead. So far I'm enjoying the book. He has some neat ideas for simple jigs as well. Anyways, I was reading ahead a bit, and to my surprise, he wasn't super keen on the idea of full sails. To sum up my perspective of his opinion.... 1) Sails are a lot of effort, 2) they will never appear true to the scale of most model ships, 3) getting more realistic with sails makes the rigging much more complicated, and 4) they pretty much hide a lot of your hard effort detailing the masts & rigging. So I was curious what people here thought about having sails unfurled, versus models that just show off their masts & rigging and keep sails furled. What's your preference? Is there a time to go furled vs a time to go unfurled? What ships can pull off unfurled sails best?

I found a link online that offered a PDF file called the 'Bluenose Practicum Standard'. At the very end of the PDF in the appendix area, there's a copy of a letter from a model ship builder to the company that built the original Bluenose. It lists the paint colors that were being used on the ships they built of that time, and mentioned that the Bluenose was painted as per the same. It lists the bowsprit as 'oiled, resembling varnish". Looking at other ships with a bowsprit so described, it appears to be unpainted wood, but with a darker tone. http://modelshipbuilder.com/e107_images/custom/msbimages/eisnor/bn-1-4/Bluenose Practicum Standard.pdf I found this image of the Bluenose bowsprit online, taken 'launch day' 1921, and if you zoom in on it (there's a zoom feature), I believe I can faintly see some visual areas of color texture that suggest it being darker toned oiled wood. https://archives.novascotia.ca/bluenose/archives/?ID=21

Thanks Paul & ccoyle! That's very useful to know. I suspected that I might be on the safer side with the LASER cut parts. I realized just now that I actually have built with wood before, but it was balsa wood aircraft, and they also transitioned from die cutting to LASER cutting over the years. My 'Dana' kit is also LASER cut and the Roar Ege kit is brand new. These days I think it's a given they are LASER cut.

Greetings from Western Canada. I'm new to wooden ships, but have built plastic models most of my life. For some reason I've been seeing Billing Boats kits for years, here and there. Probably because I'm Danish/Norwegian heritage. So I opted to start there. After spending some time reading varies forums, I see that Billings Boats isn't a favored choice for kits, especially for new modelers. It sounds like their instructions assume you know a fair amount, and have experience. In my defense, the kit I purchased as my starter I got for a steal of a deal - $10 USD. Also it's Billings' beginning level Danish fishing boat 'Dana'. 1:50 scale. With it's ABS hull I figure it's probably a good way to start. Currently, I'm starting slow. Doing a lot of reading, and enjoying other people's builds. I need to acquire some tools and supplies. My long term goal that I've had for a very long time, was to build a nice Viking longship. Probably a kit like the Oseberg 1:25 scale. I realize that's way too much for someone starting out to handle, and not a kit I can afford to buy until I know I'm serious & ready to build one. But since I have a strong interest in Viking ships I've also picked up a copy of the Billing Boats 'Roar Ege' ship model. I'm quite interested in the fact it's based on a modern Viking ship built as part of the study of the Skuldelev Viking ship finds. It'll probably be my first attempt at a kit with hull planking. Maybe. I have to see if I think I'm up to it or have to get a couple under my belt first. It seems to me that the real challenges of model ship building might be the hull planking and sails/rigging. So at least the Roar Ege doesn't have a lot of sails. I also pulled the trigger on another Billing Boats 'Advanced Beginner' kit I couldn't resist... just because the price was right. The Bluenose - 1:65 scale. Looking forward to checking that kit out. It seems like another ship that doesn't have a lot of sails, though it has a few, and might be a one to attempt when I want to start into focusing more on sails/rigging. Normally I wouldn't be thinking about buying ship models I can't build for some time, but in this case it seemed wise to grab it when it was a decent deal. $50 for an untouched vintage kit like this seemed like a safe purchase. Anyways, that's my plans. Any advice is welcome. I know probably the first thing I should do is compare the Billing kits I have with other kits from other manufacturers. It sounds like there are better options out there. I do have a question regarding the Billings Boats kits, and another about kits in general. 1) What era would the Billings Boats Bluenose Nr.576 kit pictured below be from? Is this likely from the 1980's? 2) I assume the kits, by certain manufacturers of certain ships, may tended to change slightly over the years, at least maybe in terms of the components quality. Is there any advantage / disadvantage to buying & building vintage kits over new kits (of the same ship / product #)? Example: a newer BB 576 kit over the older one that I bought?