Jaager

I have some of those cutting tools.  All in all, the whole kit IS kinda sexy.  The most useful tool for me was a small plane that is not offered.   My evaluation is that some of the tools will be useful, but special effort will be necessary to use them instead of what you would normally use.  The benches and hold downs will be a stretch to apply at best.   This whole set seems more useful for someone who models miniature copies of full size furniture.  Something made up of right angles and flat planes.  Not for something made up of near infinitely varied curves.  Measure twice, cut once or avoid an impulse buy.

It's not an "either/or," but rather a "both/and" kind of thing. These volumes are simply collections of reprints of the "Shop Notes" section of the NRG Journal over two spans of time. (They should be due for another volume one of these days soon.) The subject matter is not highly organized in terms of distinguishing between highly sophisticated techniques and those which "will help the newbie most." (All will eventually be helpful to a newbie, but some will appeal primarily to the more experienced builder.) These books are goldmines of useful how-to-do it information, but step-by-step tutorials for newbies they are not.
 
Each volume can be purchased for $35 from the NRG Store online. Nautical Research Guild (thenrgstore.org) Used copies in good shape cost perhaps half that on average, but, by the time you cover shipping, you might as well spring for a brand new copy in good shape. If buying Volume I used, try to get a later printing which is spiral bound. It's helpful if the book will lay flat with the covers turned all the way back, reducing the space the book will take on your bench and making for easy copying of pages if that is desired. My Volume 1, purchased many years ago, was the glued paperback binding and it sheds pages, a problem I've solved with a couple of binder clips.  If cost is a limitation, used copies of both volumes are readily available on eBay and Amazon used books. See: Ship Modeler s Shop Notes 9780960345618 | eBay and Ship Modeler's Shop Notes: Edson, Merritt, Lankford, Ben, Mueller, Edward, Rubin, Norman: 9780960345618: Amazon.com: Books
 
To answer your question directly, if you can only afford one, I'd suggest Volume II, since it is the more recent selection of Shop Notes articles. Some of the material in Volume I, while still useful, can be somewhat dated. The level of sophistication in ship modeling has increased markedly in the last couple of decades. You can then buy Volume I later, as both remain in print. 
 
If you pursue the hobby for any length of time, you will quickly discover (and apparently already have) that an adequate research library is an essential tool for the ship modeler. Beware: IMHO, most of the newbie "how to do it" books advertised as such are not worth what they ask for them. Use the forum search engine to find threads on which books to buy for a decent reference library and start by buying the classics in your area of interest which you will find identified there. It's a good idea to develop the habit of making a "budget" for building your reference library and stick to it. By committing to $25 (or more) a month, which in today's money is no more than the old "three martini lunch" plus tip, and scouring for used books on line, you will be able to painlessly buy a book a month or so.

Painting my models is always one of the aspects I enjoy the most, but I have always been plagued by two persistent problems -
 
The first is I can never seem to find the right brush for very small detail work and the second is I can never seem to maintain a brush for any length of time. I believe I have found solutions to both problems. This will no doubt be old news to many of you, especially if you're also artists or painters, but it's a revelation to me.
 
First problem - finding a suitable small brush for detail work.
It seems that when I buy even the very smallest brushes, I still can't control them easily and often they still deliver too much paint. A little research online suggested that I have been using the wrong brush. Most of these small brushes that are readily available are called "round", but what I learned is that there is another brush called a "spotter." These are also round, but they have much shorter bristles. That makes them stiffer and as a result, it increases the control considerably. I discovered that not every art supply source sells them, and surprisingly, some had not even heard of them, but I did find some and I bought four sizes (l to r - 20/0, 5/0, 3/0, 0 - very small to small.)

 

 
They come in both straight and angled. I decided to try both and have been experimenting with them. So far, I prefer the straight, but I know the angled ones are going to come in handy in actual practice. (I've painted many hot water rads over the years and know how helpful an angled rad brush can be.)
 
Second problem - cleaning and maintaining brushes.
I have always found it hard to maintain my brushes. It seems no matter how careful I am, (which admittedly, is not always all that careful) they still end up looking like this in very short order.

 
That brush started out as a beautiful fine round tip and now it's virtually useless.
 
I discovered a product called Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver and I think it's going to be a game changer.
 

 
You clean most of the paint out of the brush in water (or solvent for oil)  and then rub it into the Masters. You can rinse and repeat as necessary. When the brush is thoroughly clean, you can leave some of the "soap" on the brush which will help to maintain its shape.
 

 
Here is the same brush again.
 

 
The hint of red that was still at the base of the brush is now gone, and it is somewhat restored to its original shape. In truth I fear this particular brush may be too far gone to be restored completely, but leaving the coat of soap on it will cause it to retain its shape and  is sure to make it still usable.
 
If I care for my brushes this way right from the start I don't think I will have many problems with them again.
 

 
For example, I have been practicing with these new brush extensively using both black and red paint and there is no trace of either near the ferule. (That's not black paint you see closer to the tip, it's just variations in the colour of the bristles) and the shape is as good as when I started.  The seller calls the bristles on these brushes "synthetic sable."
 
There are dozens of videos on Youtube demonstrating the use of Masters, which I found to be helpful.
 
As I say, this all might be old news to many of you, but it's new to me and I believe it's going to be so helpful, that I thought I would share it.
 
David
 
 
 
 

The linen supplier twists up the fibers into yarn.
This is sold as LEA - which is essentially an obsolete measurement - it has been replaced -
but I have not mentally absorbed it. Since I have obtained about as much and as wide a 
variety of linen yarn as is obtainable now, I don't need to deal with the change.
And yes,  with LEA - the larger the number - the smaller the yarn.
 
 
From our perspective  the hope would be that  70.2  LEA yarn would be 2 lines with a final size of 70,
but alas -  what it means is
Two 70 LEA yarns twisted together and sold as a loosely twisted  thread..
 
If unraveled  it would be   two 70 LEA yarns - not two 140 LEA - which would be nice for us
except -  twisting up the 62 LEA is difficult - it breaks easily - so that may be the practical limit.
 
I finally got why the old guys favored linen - the linen wrapping on Egyptian mummies is still largely intact.
It does not readily oxidize.

This I did using a Byrnes rope walk.  I will have to play with the setup
to get the warps more acute but that should not affect these data significantly.
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
100/3   =   100 LEA linen yarn  spun up using 3 yarns.
 
The diameter was measured using a lacquered dowel and counting the
closely packed rotations in an inch.

For bench top all-in-one a mill can probably fill the bill,  However I predict that that a model that fit your requirements would have a significant foot print, be heavy, and be expensive. 
The advantage is that being a mill, the bearings would be meant to stand up to significant lateral forces - that is allow you to mill metal if that is something that you wish to do.
 
The other choice is to have a smaller bench top drill press for bits in the #50-80 range for your in door work room and a free standing economy drill press for your unconditioned shop.
I have gotten good use from my version of ah EuroTool DRL-300 -  I probably lucked out by buying it on sale from Otto Frei -  because they probably get the upper end of QA -  while a discount supplier may not be as selective. 
Sometimes, trying to do it using a compromise one does it all winds up costing you more in the end.

For bench top all-in-one a mill can probably fill the bill,  However I predict that that a model that fit your requirements would have a significant foot print, be heavy, and be expensive. 
The advantage is that being a mill, the bearings would be meant to stand up to significant lateral forces - that is allow you to mill metal if that is something that you wish to do.
 
The other choice is to have a smaller bench top drill press for bits in the #50-80 range for your in door work room and a free standing economy drill press for your unconditioned shop.
I have gotten good use from my version of ah EuroTool DRL-300 -  I probably lucked out by buying it on sale from Otto Frei -  because they probably get the upper end of QA -  while a discount supplier may not be as selective. 
Sometimes, trying to do it using a compromise one does it all winds up costing you more in the end.

For bench top all-in-one a mill can probably fill the bill,  However I predict that that a model that fit your requirements would have a significant foot print, be heavy, and be expensive. 
The advantage is that being a mill, the bearings would be meant to stand up to significant lateral forces - that is allow you to mill metal if that is something that you wish to do.
 
The other choice is to have a smaller bench top drill press for bits in the #50-80 range for your in door work room and a free standing economy drill press for your unconditioned shop.
I have gotten good use from my version of ah EuroTool DRL-300 -  I probably lucked out by buying it on sale from Otto Frei -  because they probably get the upper end of QA -  while a discount supplier may not be as selective. 
Sometimes, trying to do it using a compromise one does it all winds up costing you more in the end.

For bench top all-in-one a mill can probably fill the bill,  However I predict that that a model that fit your requirements would have a significant foot print, be heavy, and be expensive. 
The advantage is that being a mill, the bearings would be meant to stand up to significant lateral forces - that is allow you to mill metal if that is something that you wish to do.
 
The other choice is to have a smaller bench top drill press for bits in the #50-80 range for your in door work room and a free standing economy drill press for your unconditioned shop.
I have gotten good use from my version of ah EuroTool DRL-300 -  I probably lucked out by buying it on sale from Otto Frei -  because they probably get the upper end of QA -  while a discount supplier may not be as selective. 
Sometimes, trying to do it using a compromise one does it all winds up costing you more in the end.

It would be worth your time to read the pinned threads at the top of this section  - for beginner suggestions -   a beginner boat kit  as a way to get your feet wet - while gaining perspective and skills  while harnessing your necessary initial enthusiasm - to avoid water that is too deep.
 
If this hobby takes hold of you, you progress to the scratch build ambition,  and you have or have access to at least a big bandsaw and a Byrnes thickness sander
A version of scratch building  also includes   Replacing less than ideal kit supplied wood with more appropriate species  - Fabricating your own sub-assemblies - Adding more detail:
In hyperbole this is called "kit bashing" but it is really kit augmentation and or kit adaptation.   It is the common way for those of us with no fine woodworking experience to progress to plans only independence for modeling subjects.
 
Why this post=
Since I am not able to keep certain obsessions under control, this is what I think I would do in your place.  Understanding that I have no concept to the actual travel distances.
 
You have seeming easy access to wood that is not economically practical to get to the Atlantic coast.
It is Pacific Madrone - from a shop that can kiln dry it without it self destructing
https://www.snwwood.com/Northwest-Hardwoods/Pacific-Madrone
It is Sustainable Northwest Wood in Portland.   They seem to be a "do a physical visit only" shop. But then you can handpick for grain and color.  (Pick'em up truck and at least 100 BF)
The consensus here from those with experience with it is that you do not want the Port Orford Cedar.
 
It seems that there are several regional mills that supply something that you do want if the scratch build bug takes hold.
AYC   Alaska Yellow Cedar   - a site search will show you what it is all about.
 
 
 

It would be worth your time to read the pinned threads at the top of this section  - for beginner suggestions -   a beginner boat kit  as a way to get your feet wet - while gaining perspective and skills  while harnessing your necessary initial enthusiasm - to avoid water that is too deep.
 
If this hobby takes hold of you, you progress to the scratch build ambition,  and you have or have access to at least a big bandsaw and a Byrnes thickness sander
A version of scratch building  also includes   Replacing less than ideal kit supplied wood with more appropriate species  - Fabricating your own sub-assemblies - Adding more detail:
In hyperbole this is called "kit bashing" but it is really kit augmentation and or kit adaptation.   It is the common way for those of us with no fine woodworking experience to progress to plans only independence for modeling subjects.
 
Why this post=
Since I am not able to keep certain obsessions under control, this is what I think I would do in your place.  Understanding that I have no concept to the actual travel distances.
 
You have seeming easy access to wood that is not economically practical to get to the Atlantic coast.
It is Pacific Madrone - from a shop that can kiln dry it without it self destructing
https://www.snwwood.com/Northwest-Hardwoods/Pacific-Madrone
It is Sustainable Northwest Wood in Portland.   They seem to be a "do a physical visit only" shop. But then you can handpick for grain and color.  (Pick'em up truck and at least 100 BF)
The consensus here from those with experience with it is that you do not want the Port Orford Cedar.
 
It seems that there are several regional mills that supply something that you do want if the scratch build bug takes hold.
AYC   Alaska Yellow Cedar   - a site search will show you what it is all about.
 
 
 

Almost nothing is known about what the original Mayflower looked like and there are certainly no plans of it.  There may well have never been any plans as we think of them.
Kits that purport to be the Mayflower are pretty much imaginative fabrications created from thin air.
Kits based on the reproduction Mayflower II are based on a design of Wm Baker,   He made assumptions and choices that probably reflect nothing that actually existed in the past.  A kit would only a model of his creation.
 
The reliable way would be to use
 
17th CENTURY DUTCH MERCHANT SHIPS
Text, Photos and Plans for the Ship Modeler
by Ab Hoving
 
and scratch build.   It might be wise to start with a boat that was a part of the equipment,  then do one or two of the smaller vessels.
 
If you do not have a copy already,  I would advise that you do so as soon as possible.   Pier Books migrated to SeaWatch Books  but I would not count on SeaWatch migrating to a successor. 
 
@Ab Hoving Perhaps  Ab might have a much more authoritative suggestion.

Almost nothing is known about what the original Mayflower looked like and there are certainly no plans of it.  There may well have never been any plans as we think of them.
Kits that purport to be the Mayflower are pretty much imaginative fabrications created from thin air.
Kits based on the reproduction Mayflower II are based on a design of Wm Baker,   He made assumptions and choices that probably reflect nothing that actually existed in the past.  A kit would only a model of his creation.
 
The reliable way would be to use
 
17th CENTURY DUTCH MERCHANT SHIPS
Text, Photos and Plans for the Ship Modeler
by Ab Hoving
 
and scratch build.   It might be wise to start with a boat that was a part of the equipment,  then do one or two of the smaller vessels.
 
If you do not have a copy already,  I would advise that you do so as soon as possible.   Pier Books migrated to SeaWatch Books  but I would not count on SeaWatch migrating to a successor. 
 
@Ab Hoving Perhaps  Ab might have a much more authoritative suggestion.

Ship model building flourished during the 1930’s and 40’s encouraged by serialized articles published in Popular Mechanics and Mechanics Illustrated Magazines and probably because it did not require a lot of expensive materials in depression era America and later during WWII.  These models featured hulls carved from solid blocks or laminated pieces of pine.
 
During the 1970’s there were a number of articles published in the Nautical Research Journal and Model Shipwright Magazine advocating use of today’s classic ship modeling woods; Boxwood, Pear, holly, etc.  This was in connection with making built up or Admiralty style models.  About this same time, POB model kits began to be imported into the US.  Heavily marketed, they displaced many of the traditional American solid hull kits.  Hooking on to the desire of the uninformed to build a “museum quality” model these kits often feature deluxe sounding but unsuitable Woods like a brown wood marketed as walnut.
 
I have two models built by my father with solid pine carved hulls.  One is over 70 years old and one is over 80, even though adhesives used today are much better than those available to him.  Both are in perfect condition.  The solid hull construction method using readily available inexpensive pine lumber should not be overlooked by scratch builders wanting to build a model that can be passed along to grandchildren and great grandchildren.
 
Roger

We have very different imperatives it seems.   The avoid Balsa part still stands.  But you can use open pore hardwood - it just means using a sand-n-sealer to fill the pores.
 
Hobbymill - a new European supplier has more than suitable wood.  The premium species than he offers is best used with a clear finish.  Painting it hides what is being paid for.
If you have professional or amateur woodworkers nearby,  you can ways buy construction lumber and have someone with the required tools resaw it into a thickness that you can use.
 

I wrongly assumed that the Balsa was for a filler for POB.  I never dreamed that you intend to use it for something important.
For a deck or anything that shows  the only species that rates as "quality" is Birch.   Lime is better than its American brother Basswood but it is only sort of OK,   average kit sort of stuff.
North American Black Walnut is "quality" but not for our uses - it is open pore and does not scale.  Anything else called Walnut is there because it has a color that is sort of close.  All are also open pore, often coarse grain and or brittle.  None of it is scale appropriate.  aircraft plywood is suited for use as a sub flooring if a deck is then planked wth a scale appropriate veneer that is too thin to be a single layer.
 
If you can only find one supplier that is domestic to you, I would guess that you are not in either North America or Europe. Without you should tell us where you are, none of us can help you find a helpful source, or suggest species in your region that would be appropriate.

We have very different imperatives it seems.   The avoid Balsa part still stands.  But you can use open pore hardwood - it just means using a sand-n-sealer to fill the pores.
 
Hobbymill - a new European supplier has more than suitable wood.  The premium species than he offers is best used with a clear finish.  Painting it hides what is being paid for.
If you have professional or amateur woodworkers nearby,  you can ways buy construction lumber and have someone with the required tools resaw it into a thickness that you can use.
 

I wrongly assumed that the Balsa was for a filler for POB.  I never dreamed that you intend to use it for something important.
For a deck or anything that shows  the only species that rates as "quality" is Birch.   Lime is better than its American brother Basswood but it is only sort of OK,   average kit sort of stuff.
North American Black Walnut is "quality" but not for our uses - it is open pore and does not scale.  Anything else called Walnut is there because it has a color that is sort of close.  All are also open pore, often coarse grain and or brittle.  None of it is scale appropriate.  aircraft plywood is suited for use as a sub flooring if a deck is then planked wth a scale appropriate veneer that is too thin to be a single layer.
 
If you can only find one supplier that is domestic to you, I would guess that you are not in either North America or Europe. Without you should tell us where you are, none of us can help you find a helpful source, or suggest species in your region that would be appropriate.

We have very different imperatives it seems.   The avoid Balsa part still stands.  But you can use open pore hardwood - it just means using a sand-n-sealer to fill the pores.
 
Hobbymill - a new European supplier has more than suitable wood.  The premium species than he offers is best used with a clear finish.  Painting it hides what is being paid for.
If you have professional or amateur woodworkers nearby,  you can ways buy construction lumber and have someone with the required tools resaw it into a thickness that you can use.
 

I wrongly assumed that the Balsa was for a filler for POB.  I never dreamed that you intend to use it for something important.
For a deck or anything that shows  the only species that rates as "quality" is Birch.   Lime is better than its American brother Basswood but it is only sort of OK,   average kit sort of stuff.
North American Black Walnut is "quality" but not for our uses - it is open pore and does not scale.  Anything else called Walnut is there because it has a color that is sort of close.  All are also open pore, often coarse grain and or brittle.  None of it is scale appropriate.  aircraft plywood is suited for use as a sub flooring if a deck is then planked wth a scale appropriate veneer that is too thin to be a single layer.
 
If you can only find one supplier that is domestic to you, I would guess that you are not in either North America or Europe. Without you should tell us where you are, none of us can help you find a helpful source, or suggest species in your region that would be appropriate.

I wrongly assumed that the Balsa was for a filler for POB.  I never dreamed that you intend to use it for something important.
For a deck or anything that shows  the only species that rates as "quality" is Birch.   Lime is better than its American brother Basswood but it is only sort of OK,   average kit sort of stuff.
North American Black Walnut is "quality" but not for our uses - it is open pore and does not scale.  Anything else called Walnut is there because it has a color that is sort of close.  All are also open pore, often coarse grain and or brittle.  None of it is scale appropriate.  aircraft plywood is suited for use as a sub flooring if a deck is then planked wth a scale appropriate veneer that is too thin to be a single layer.
 
If you can only find one supplier that is domestic to you, I would guess that you are not in either North America or Europe. Without you should tell us where you are, none of us can help you find a helpful source, or suggest species in your region that would be appropriate.

Barlett pear is a variety of eatable pear.  It is actually a variety of Pyrus communis - the tree that is
the source of what is called Swiss Pear.  Swiss Pear is not a tree name or growth location, it means that the wood
has been steamed.  I believe this oxidizes the polyphenols in the wood - in any case - it turns the wood into
a relatively uniform pinkish color. 
Bradford Pear is a cousin that is a horticultural specimen.  It does not produce significant fruit, but it is urban hardy,
attractive flowers and grows relatively fast.  Was or still is popular as a street tree.  It has one unfortunate characteristic -
 the branches leave the trunk at an acute angle - rather than horizontal.  The more vertical form looks good and is
predictable from design point of view.  The problem is that when the larger trees experience wind storms, the branches 
peal like banana skins.  A good way for us to get a lot of sizable lumber stock.   The other part - if you self harvest it -
because of the branch angle,  it is difficult to get much stock with right angle grain for knees or breast hooks.
 
Actually, I think most any species of Pear would produce excellent wood for our purposes,  the problem is obtaining it.

Dogwood I have.  A relative owns a tree farm in Caroline Co. and I have Dogwood and Holly from there.
The Holly has a yellowish tinge so even if there was interest in marketing that difficult species, the available
strain does not seem to be a desired one.  For me, even the billets that have Blue Mold should be usable,
since the pure white version is not really appropriate for any ship timber. 
The Dogwood was about as large as that species gets, so my billets are fairly large.  Not large enough for 
frame timbers at 1:48 or 1:60 scale, but I could use it for most any other part.
 
I am not sure that Crab Apple is all that different from regular Apple wood.  One species that may be surprisingly
useful is Bradford Pear.  It has anything but fine tight grain,  but it is much harder than Black Cherry to carve, 
does not want to split, and has a wax-like nature to it.

Before the Dockyard tools - the suggestions involved making your own from steel rod
or knitting needles.  Amazon sells packs of steel rods - some quite small.
The heating and blacksmithing and grinding edges onto rods as well as Rockwell scale tempering
and quenching is getting into a whole new set of skills.  Dockyard did most of that for us, but if
they are gone, the tools can be home made.
 
As far as wood -  I have my eye on genuine Boxwood and Dogwood.  One that I not been able
to source is Hawthorn.   There is a material that flashed in our world a while ago, but did not take
for some reason:  an ivory substitute - Targa Nut. 

Bruce, Alan,
 
Your subject of interest best belongs in the Painting Forum.  It could seriously divert this build log. 
Copy/paste #296-299 to that forum and even though it is a subject that has many threads that intersect, it may have legs for a while. 
I can add a bit of clarification as can several others, but not here.  An important aspect of it is that it is more opinion than Science.  It is also a love me? love my opinion! sort of subject - a whole lot of emotional investment on the part of some.
 
Mark,
I have become a bit of a medical apostate.  I am willing to accept the consequences if I am wrong and there is only one investor, so keep this is mind.   About the >BP and the meds to affect it.  I would balance just how > the Bp gets and what the probable harm could be vs the side effects of the meds.  I have been away from the field for over 10 years and have not kept up at all.  But way back then, there were several paths with many different bundles of med induced problems, so if the course you are on is causing problems, try a different one.  If your doc is a love me, love my choice sort of Ego, rethink your choice of MD.   How bad would ignoring it be? How bad would just tapping it with HCTZ be?  Or just Atenolol?  or the two?  I started in the mid 60's  in hospital, and the basket of meds that were "vital"  to take chronically to reverse long term poorly chosen life style damage is very different from the basket when I bailed.