This is HMS Bounty Kit from Constructo 1:50 Scale. I started this project in last August 2023. Due to work schedule and that work on the ship can't really be done (at least for me) in small time blocks, I only get to work on it on the weekends when there isn't other things going on. There have been times where I hit big struggles and stepped away for multiple weeks (such as between hull and mast building). (Side Note: The paint sets in the background of my photos are my spouses, who does plastic model building. We share project building spaces so there is a little of his paint inventory on my work bench)
I've struggled with the instructions from Constructo. At times they were written very well while other times they were vague. The instructions don't refer to plates in the plan set which I think would be really helpful. The last part is for rigging and the instructions just said refer to the step by step in the plan set. Well there is no numbers related to steps and the assumption of working left to right and top to bottom for "steps" but it's unclear if things are mirrored nor is there a "other side" or bow, stern view to refer to. I think I've made good decisions on interpretation along the way based on photos and random videos I have been able to find online. I do wish there were more photos of the rigging and cross sections of the ship I could refer to but we all do what we can.
Mast building hack (from a beginner) - this likely is what everyone else already knows but without a lathe and not wanting to spend hours sanding I was able to use a hand size planer to taper the mast sections. Placing the planer at an 45 degree angle to the mat and pushing toward the end while my other hand held the end and rolled the dowel. Once you are close I finished the rounding and symmetry with a small block sander. So effective and saved me so much time.
Cradles throughout the build: In the beginning I used no cradle at all and when I needed some stability or support I actually used a rice sack I made a long time ago as a heat pack. It's great in that it can be scrunched, folded, and situated to fit the shape of the support needed. Once the Keel was on I switched to a keel clamp cradle. This worked well until once day while shifting the base the pivot point got stuck and when giving it some extra ump it snapped the keel straight off the hull (lots of cuss words and some crying occurred as I felt like the ship was ruined). After the keep repair my spouse purchased me a "dry dock" like cradle and I've used that since. All three methods have been useful at certain points in the build and wouldn't now work for all the stages.
I've learned a LOT along the way and are just getting into the install of the spars. I'll get to all of that in a later post. Since I just joined I wanted to provide some background and pictures of my journey to this point. I look forward to my future builds and sharing my struggles, questions, ad triumphs along the way.
This is HMS Bounty Kit from Constructo 1:50 Scale. I started this project in last August 2023. Due to work schedule and that work on the ship can't really be done (at least for me) in small time blocks, I only get to work on it on the weekends when there isn't other things going on. There have been times where I hit big struggles and stepped away for multiple weeks (such as between hull and mast building). (Side Note: The paint sets in the background of my photos are my spouses, who does plastic model building. We share project building spaces so there is a little of his paint inventory on my work bench) I've struggled with the instructions from Constructo. At times they were written very well while other times they were vague. The instructions don't refer to plates in the plan set which I think would be really helpful. The last part is for rigging and the instructions just said refer to the step by step in the plan set. Well there is no numbers related to steps and the assumption of working left to right and top to bottom for "steps" but it's unclear if things are mirrored nor is there a "other side" or bow, stern view to refer to. I think I've made good decisions on interpretation along the way based on photos and random videos I have been able to find online. I do wish there were more photos of the rigging and cross sections of the ship I could refer to but we all do what we can. Mast building hack (from a beginner) - this likely is what everyone else already knows but without a lathe and not wanting to spend hours sanding I was able to use a hand size planer to taper the mast sections. Placing the planer at an 45 degree angle to the mat and pushing toward the end while my other hand held the end and rolled the dowel. Once you are close I finished the rounding and symmetry with a small block sander. So effective and saved me so much time. Cradles throughout the build: In the beginning I used no cradle at all and when I needed some stability or support I actually used a rice sack I made a long time ago as a heat pack. It's great in that it can be scrunched, folded, and situated to fit the shape of the support needed. Once the Keel was on I switched to a keel clamp cradle. This worked well until once day while shifting the base the pivot point got stuck and when giving it some extra ump it snapped the keel straight off the hull (lots of cuss words and some crying occurred as I felt like the ship was ruined). After the keep repair my spouse purchased me a "dry dock" like cradle and I've used that since. All three methods have been useful at certain points in the build and wouldn't now work for all the stages. I've learned a LOT along the way and are just getting into the install of the spars. I'll get to all of that in a later post. Since I just joined I wanted to provide some background and pictures of my journey to this point. I look forward to my future builds and sharing my struggles, questions, ad triumphs along the way.
