Bob Cleek

I have used them.  The one I used was not wax, but indeed stain.  The problem was the stain in the pen was not the same color as the stain in the can, even though they had the same name (golden oak).  I agree with Gregory, go with the original 'in the can' stain.

"More" is the correct answer. You've got it. It's no different than your model railroad work. Exactly the same. And the smaller the scale, the more you tone it down because the "scale viewing distance" will be greater the smaller the scale you are working in.
 
I'm glad you mentioned that you are among those of us who have started to mix our own paint from tubed artist's colors. The palate for marine models is far smaller and less demanding that railroad models, at least for those railroad cars that have to be exactly the right color livery. I never could figure how some guys have amassed those huge collections of eight and twelve dollar one or one and a half ounce bottles of various colors. It never made much sense to me unless I had to have the marine equivalent of Pennsylvania Rail Road Pullman green, which has so far been never. The modelers of modern naval vessels do have some challenges matching colors, particularly when the various combatant navies used various shades of grey and blue-gray at different times during the same war and after the invention of color photographic film. 

Alexii,
 
I believe the man you want to talk to is Ab Hoving, an MSW member. He is the retired curator of the ship models at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which has one of the better collections of ship models in the world. You can send him a message through the forum's messaging feature. His forum home page is Ab Hoving - Model Ship World™. 

Then, perhaps you should read that thread about how to get started in this hobby again.  
 
The Model Shipways beginner's series produces some very nice models which don't take forever to build. If they are built with care, they are great accent pieces to display.  If you can't imagine the joy and satisfaction of building a small boat, then maybe what you are really enthusiastic about is just having a nice big model ship to display, in which case you should buy one already built. Collecting built models is a satisfying part of the hobby for some, as well. The secret to building good models is to "Do the common thing uncommonly well over and over again." Trying to do an uncommon thing before you master the common one will throw a wet blanket on your enthusiasm quicker than anything else. 
 
The enthusiasm you are drumming up for building any of the kits you've mentioned is easy to do... before you start. Last chance: Listen to what the guys who've gone before you are saying. "Over and out."

From what you've shared about your ship modeling goals, I would very strongly urge you to read this entire thread which is a generic answer to your question.
This thread contains decades of wisdom gained from experience. Everybody in this forum wants to see newcomers succeed. Many who are not experienced ship modelers will say that they think the most important thing one needs to build a ship model is patience. Actually, I think humility is the more essential quality. The good people who sell ship model kits, God bless them, do have an interest in selling their product and giving their customers the impression that the customer can build a complex wooden ship model kit by simply following the instructions. Instilling the confidence to build any given kit is a prerequisite to selling their kits, so there is a tendency for the manufacturers to gloss over the steepness of the learning curve required to build a fully rigged model ship kit. Many are sold, but few are finished.  
 
I will also offer my personal opinion, which is shared by some, at least, that double-planked ship model kits are not easier to build and that double planked kits are outdated at this point in the development of kit technology. Again, in my opinion, for what it is worth, the double-planked kits still sold today are generally of lesser quality than the single-planked kits and I would not advise an inexperienced modeler to choose one for their first effort. It was once true that starting with a double-planked kit was advisable, but with today's laser cut planking in many kits and much better framing design, there's really no particular reason to double-plank anymore.
 
As I think most experienced modelers would advise, anyone who is not familiar with model ship kit building would do well to start by building the three Model Shipways Shipwright Three Kit Combo Series. See: Model Shipways Shipwright 3 Kit Combo Series-MS1474 (modelexpo-online.com) Building these three relatively inexpensive boat models, which are progressively more difficult, will provide through excellent instruction manuals, a solid foundation in the skills and techniques required to move on to more challenging kits. I don't want to scare you off, but building plastic model kits is nothing like building wooden ship model kits. They each require quite distinct skill sets.

So basically paint everything that needs to be painted but tone the colors down a bit.  Basically what I would call “light weathering”.  Still see the colors but “faded just a touch”.
 
 Am I understanding you correctly?  More or less?

Like I do on my model railroad layout.  See picture
 

Then, perhaps you should read that thread about how to get started in this hobby again.  
 
The Model Shipways beginner's series produces some very nice models which don't take forever to build. If they are built with care, they are great accent pieces to display.  If you can't imagine the joy and satisfaction of building a small boat, then maybe what you are really enthusiastic about is just having a nice big model ship to display, in which case you should buy one already built. Collecting built models is a satisfying part of the hobby for some, as well. The secret to building good models is to "Do the common thing uncommonly well over and over again." Trying to do an uncommon thing before you master the common one will throw a wet blanket on your enthusiasm quicker than anything else. 
 
The enthusiasm you are drumming up for building any of the kits you've mentioned is easy to do... before you start. Last chance: Listen to what the guys who've gone before you are saying. "Over and out."

From what you've shared about your ship modeling goals, I would very strongly urge you to read this entire thread which is a generic answer to your question.
This thread contains decades of wisdom gained from experience. Everybody in this forum wants to see newcomers succeed. Many who are not experienced ship modelers will say that they think the most important thing one needs to build a ship model is patience. Actually, I think humility is the more essential quality. The good people who sell ship model kits, God bless them, do have an interest in selling their product and giving their customers the impression that the customer can build a complex wooden ship model kit by simply following the instructions. Instilling the confidence to build any given kit is a prerequisite to selling their kits, so there is a tendency for the manufacturers to gloss over the steepness of the learning curve required to build a fully rigged model ship kit. Many are sold, but few are finished.  
 
I will also offer my personal opinion, which is shared by some, at least, that double-planked ship model kits are not easier to build and that double planked kits are outdated at this point in the development of kit technology. Again, in my opinion, for what it is worth, the double-planked kits still sold today are generally of lesser quality than the single-planked kits and I would not advise an inexperienced modeler to choose one for their first effort. It was once true that starting with a double-planked kit was advisable, but with today's laser cut planking in many kits and much better framing design, there's really no particular reason to double-plank anymore.
 
As I think most experienced modelers would advise, anyone who is not familiar with model ship kit building would do well to start by building the three Model Shipways Shipwright Three Kit Combo Series. See: Model Shipways Shipwright 3 Kit Combo Series-MS1474 (modelexpo-online.com) Building these three relatively inexpensive boat models, which are progressively more difficult, will provide through excellent instruction manuals, a solid foundation in the skills and techniques required to move on to more challenging kits. I don't want to scare you off, but building plastic model kits is nothing like building wooden ship model kits. They each require quite distinct skill sets.

\\\
 
\\
 
These are Occre colors. Of course, they are only as accurate as your screen can make them. I'd strongly advise you to get a copy of the Ship Modeler's Shop Notes, volumes one and two. (Ship Modeler's Shop Notes, Vol. I – Nautical Research Guild and Ship Modeler's Shop Notes, Vol. 2 – Nautical Research Guild (thenrgstore.org) (thenrgstore.org) Volume 2 has an excellent discussion about painting miniatures. (Buy Volume 1 at the same time and perhaps save some on shipping. They are classics and chock full of great information. You'll want them both.) Then get a color wheel if you have to but consider mixing your own colors from high quality tubed artists' oils or acrylics. There are plenty of how-to-do-it articles on mixing your own colors for modeling on YouTube. Once you free yourself from buying pre-mixed colors in tiny little bottles for big bucks, you can save an amazing amount of money on paints. 

Since you are mixing your own colors you might consider adding just a touch of brown to your black Bitumen paint.  Also, you can scale down your colors by adding a little neutral grey.  The idea is to reproduce the effect of looking at the real boat from a distance.  For example, looking at a 1:48 scale model from a distance of 1 ft is equivalent to looking at the real thing from a distance of 48ft.
 
Roger

Then, perhaps you should read that thread about how to get started in this hobby again.  
 
The Model Shipways beginner's series produces some very nice models which don't take forever to build. If they are built with care, they are great accent pieces to display.  If you can't imagine the joy and satisfaction of building a small boat, then maybe what you are really enthusiastic about is just having a nice big model ship to display, in which case you should buy one already built. Collecting built models is a satisfying part of the hobby for some, as well. The secret to building good models is to "Do the common thing uncommonly well over and over again." Trying to do an uncommon thing before you master the common one will throw a wet blanket on your enthusiasm quicker than anything else. 
 
The enthusiasm you are drumming up for building any of the kits you've mentioned is easy to do... before you start. Last chance: Listen to what the guys who've gone before you are saying. "Over and out."

When it comes to eye hand coordination I have always been at or near the bottom of the pack and neuropathy hasn’t improved things.  However.  Like many modelers, for miniature woodworking, I own a 1/8in and 1/16in chisel.  I seldom use them.  I find that a chisel with a wide blade is easier for me to control.  IF I was to cut a chamfer I would reach for my trusty Stanley yellow handle 3/8in chisel.  The wide blade is easier to roll as necessary and it is far less likely to wind up where I don’t want it to be.  Of course, keep the chisel sharp and if possible try to cut with the grain.
 
Roger

I bought this thing a while back.  Like most of my tools it has been rarely used if at all.
 
Seems to me that the blade could be replaced with a straight one.
 

The Shop Notes article that Bob mentions is a slightly abbreviated version of one published in about 1990 by maritime history researcher and professional model builder Eric Ronnberg.  As far is I am concerned it is the definitive word on actual Nineteenth Century paint colors and how to “miniaturize”  them for ship models.  The article includes color chips.  Highly recommended!  
 
Roger
 
 

Hello!
 
Cool, a topic, where I can share real experience, because, at the moment I'm also building my first wooden ship model :-).
 
You allready get real good advice from more experienced builders than me, so I can only speak for myself here: I started with Vanguards Speedy. 
 
Reasons (for me) why:
 
- It looks so beautiful, even if I have lastly "only" finished the hull, it looks so good, that the admiral is fine with it staying in the living room, even at this stage of my build 
I think one can't overesteminate the "beauty of the chosen model in the eyes of the builder", because, it will takes a lot of time to build one, and the "liking" of a model ist pure motivation in the long term!
 
- Top notch building instructions, you can download them from the vanguard web-page for free. I'm sure, you allready found that out by yourself :-)
 
- very important for me: the vanguard kits come all with top-notch-quality parts in every way! Especcially the wood! High quality pear, and that is then the basic, you can (I don't know without looking at the shop) go for boxwood for an addional share, but that is perhaps better spend on your second modell :-)
 
- ALL parts are in scale! All guns! All gun-carriages! All deadeyes! All etc, etc, etc. you get the point.  And that is not for all ship model kits, but Vanguard is top notch in this regard!
 
- Last two posts: no need to buy aftermarket parts for, well, aftermarket prices :-). So I can say, that the Vanguard kits may(!) look expensive on the first glance, but if you look at what you get, and compare this to other kits, the Vanguard's are very very very fair priced!
 
- phantastic community here, which gives a ton of advice and help! And from time to time, even the developer of the kit looks into the build logs here.
 
If I would start all over again, I shurly would chosse Speedy again! As you can see in my log, I had my share of problems, but I get all the help that I needet to sort them out, and I am realy happy with this kit/modell/quality/community here!

Then, perhaps you should read that thread about how to get started in this hobby again.  
 
The Model Shipways beginner's series produces some very nice models which don't take forever to build. If they are built with care, they are great accent pieces to display.  If you can't imagine the joy and satisfaction of building a small boat, then maybe what you are really enthusiastic about is just having a nice big model ship to display, in which case you should buy one already built. Collecting built models is a satisfying part of the hobby for some, as well. The secret to building good models is to "Do the common thing uncommonly well over and over again." Trying to do an uncommon thing before you master the common one will throw a wet blanket on your enthusiasm quicker than anything else. 
 
The enthusiasm you are drumming up for building any of the kits you've mentioned is easy to do... before you start. Last chance: Listen to what the guys who've gone before you are saying. "Over and out."

From what you've shared about your ship modeling goals, I would very strongly urge you to read this entire thread which is a generic answer to your question.
This thread contains decades of wisdom gained from experience. Everybody in this forum wants to see newcomers succeed. Many who are not experienced ship modelers will say that they think the most important thing one needs to build a ship model is patience. Actually, I think humility is the more essential quality. The good people who sell ship model kits, God bless them, do have an interest in selling their product and giving their customers the impression that the customer can build a complex wooden ship model kit by simply following the instructions. Instilling the confidence to build any given kit is a prerequisite to selling their kits, so there is a tendency for the manufacturers to gloss over the steepness of the learning curve required to build a fully rigged model ship kit. Many are sold, but few are finished.  
 
I will also offer my personal opinion, which is shared by some, at least, that double-planked ship model kits are not easier to build and that double planked kits are outdated at this point in the development of kit technology. Again, in my opinion, for what it is worth, the double-planked kits still sold today are generally of lesser quality than the single-planked kits and I would not advise an inexperienced modeler to choose one for their first effort. It was once true that starting with a double-planked kit was advisable, but with today's laser cut planking in many kits and much better framing design, there's really no particular reason to double-plank anymore.
 
As I think most experienced modelers would advise, anyone who is not familiar with model ship kit building would do well to start by building the three Model Shipways Shipwright Three Kit Combo Series. See: Model Shipways Shipwright 3 Kit Combo Series-MS1474 (modelexpo-online.com) Building these three relatively inexpensive boat models, which are progressively more difficult, will provide through excellent instruction manuals, a solid foundation in the skills and techniques required to move on to more challenging kits. I don't want to scare you off, but building plastic model kits is nothing like building wooden ship model kits. They each require quite distinct skill sets.

Then, perhaps you should read that thread about how to get started in this hobby again.  
 
The Model Shipways beginner's series produces some very nice models which don't take forever to build. If they are built with care, they are great accent pieces to display.  If you can't imagine the joy and satisfaction of building a small boat, then maybe what you are really enthusiastic about is just having a nice big model ship to display, in which case you should buy one already built. Collecting built models is a satisfying part of the hobby for some, as well. The secret to building good models is to "Do the common thing uncommonly well over and over again." Trying to do an uncommon thing before you master the common one will throw a wet blanket on your enthusiasm quicker than anything else. 
 
The enthusiasm you are drumming up for building any of the kits you've mentioned is easy to do... before you start. Last chance: Listen to what the guys who've gone before you are saying. "Over and out."

From what you've shared about your ship modeling goals, I would very strongly urge you to read this entire thread which is a generic answer to your question.
This thread contains decades of wisdom gained from experience. Everybody in this forum wants to see newcomers succeed. Many who are not experienced ship modelers will say that they think the most important thing one needs to build a ship model is patience. Actually, I think humility is the more essential quality. The good people who sell ship model kits, God bless them, do have an interest in selling their product and giving their customers the impression that the customer can build a complex wooden ship model kit by simply following the instructions. Instilling the confidence to build any given kit is a prerequisite to selling their kits, so there is a tendency for the manufacturers to gloss over the steepness of the learning curve required to build a fully rigged model ship kit. Many are sold, but few are finished.  
 
I will also offer my personal opinion, which is shared by some, at least, that double-planked ship model kits are not easier to build and that double planked kits are outdated at this point in the development of kit technology. Again, in my opinion, for what it is worth, the double-planked kits still sold today are generally of lesser quality than the single-planked kits and I would not advise an inexperienced modeler to choose one for their first effort. It was once true that starting with a double-planked kit was advisable, but with today's laser cut planking in many kits and much better framing design, there's really no particular reason to double-plank anymore.
 
As I think most experienced modelers would advise, anyone who is not familiar with model ship kit building would do well to start by building the three Model Shipways Shipwright Three Kit Combo Series. See: Model Shipways Shipwright 3 Kit Combo Series-MS1474 (modelexpo-online.com) Building these three relatively inexpensive boat models, which are progressively more difficult, will provide through excellent instruction manuals, a solid foundation in the skills and techniques required to move on to more challenging kits. I don't want to scare you off, but building plastic model kits is nothing like building wooden ship model kits. They each require quite distinct skill sets.

Then, perhaps you should read that thread about how to get started in this hobby again.  
 
The Model Shipways beginner's series produces some very nice models which don't take forever to build. If they are built with care, they are great accent pieces to display.  If you can't imagine the joy and satisfaction of building a small boat, then maybe what you are really enthusiastic about is just having a nice big model ship to display, in which case you should buy one already built. Collecting built models is a satisfying part of the hobby for some, as well. The secret to building good models is to "Do the common thing uncommonly well over and over again." Trying to do an uncommon thing before you master the common one will throw a wet blanket on your enthusiasm quicker than anything else. 
 
The enthusiasm you are drumming up for building any of the kits you've mentioned is easy to do... before you start. Last chance: Listen to what the guys who've gone before you are saying. "Over and out."

Then, perhaps you should read that thread about how to get started in this hobby again.  
 
The Model Shipways beginner's series produces some very nice models which don't take forever to build. If they are built with care, they are great accent pieces to display.  If you can't imagine the joy and satisfaction of building a small boat, then maybe what you are really enthusiastic about is just having a nice big model ship to display, in which case you should buy one already built. Collecting built models is a satisfying part of the hobby for some, as well. The secret to building good models is to "Do the common thing uncommonly well over and over again." Trying to do an uncommon thing before you master the common one will throw a wet blanket on your enthusiasm quicker than anything else. 
 
The enthusiasm you are drumming up for building any of the kits you've mentioned is easy to do... before you start. Last chance: Listen to what the guys who've gone before you are saying. "Over and out."

Hi Harry! Welcome to MSW. That's an amazing LEGO model! It's quite interesting how LEGO has become more and more intricate over the years and is now attracting a much older and more accomplished group of modelers.
 
You've got some good information and advise from the guys who've posted already and I'd say you are making a lot better progress that most who tackle the same modeling challenges. 
 
I don't have anything to add to the good advice you've gotten already, but I do have a suggestion that may save you a lot of money and allow you to have a lot of fun. I'm "ballparking" the size of your model and can see that you will need a lot more cordage to rig your model than you may imagine if you intend to rig her accurately. The amount of "rope" you will need adds up quickly and you've also got to allow for "off cuts" of lengths that will be longer than the actual distance you need because you will need additional "working length" to tie knots and so on. Getting a proper range of rope sizes is a challenge you have already encountered. You are indeed correct that you will have to spend a considerable amount of money to purchase ready made rope and you will be limited to the sizes that the manufacturer offers. (Custom sizes may be available, but at an additional price!)
 
So I suggest you consider "rolling your own" rope. This is how most modelers who tackle models of the size and complexity of rigging you are contemplating do it. It's actually quite easy to make your own rope in any size or color you require from standard sewing thread and it's far less costly than buying it ready-made. You will only need an electric drill and a "ropewalk" (rope-making "machine.") The best for your purposes would probably be a Syren "Rope Rocket" which is made and sold by an MSW member, Chuck Passaro. I see where the "Rope Rocket" has increased in price a little bit since the last time I checked, but it is still only $115 and it will pay for itself several times over if you use it to make your own rope from inexpensive sewing thread. Here's the Syren Rope Rocket website: https://syrenshipmodelcompany.com/ropewalk.php There's lots of information on rope making in general and the Rope Rocket in particular here in the "Articles" drop-down link at the top of the homepage masthead: https://modelshipworld.com/forum/82-discussions-about-rope-making/ 
 
(I just saw that you are in the Netherlands. I'm pretty sure Chuck Passaro can mail you a Rope Rocket if your order one because they come disassembled and shipping should be pretty simple, but you can check that out on their website if you are interested.)
 
This is all just a suggestion, but with your own ropewalk, you can make tons of scale rope in any size or color you wish. (And from the sound of it, there's a ready market for scale rope in Europe that isn't being filled. It could become a career!  ) If some of the rope you make doesn't look right or whatever, all you have to do is just make more and throw the "mistakes" out. Once you have the Rope Rocket, you are freed from having to wait for what you order to come in the mail, too. 
 
Here's a couple of videos from Chuck Passaro's Syren Ship Model Company's website that show how it's done:
 
 
 
 

I cut a series of grooves using the gouges and veiners in a piece of softwood, then load the grooves with green honing compound. Cheap!

Thread drift? Moi?  
 
The original poster asked: 
 
 
     Wondering how others are cutting chamfers, I'm having a bit of on issue getting smooth flat chamfers at different angles. ...  I suppose some type of jig used with a hand chisel might work but just cant seem to find an easy, reliable method. 
     Anyone have a method their using that works well for them?
 
I'm not sure that a broader response is necessarily a "drift. He asked, "Anyone have a method their using that works well for them?" That sounds like an invitation to a pretty wide spectrum of answers. I think there's a world of difference between "make do" and "do best." We're always free to "cut corners" (especially in the case of bevels  ) and take other shortcuts when modeling. It's up to the individual to determine where their personal standard lies on the precision spectrum. I qualified that my post was addressing "best practices" at the outset.
 

 
There is a wide range of both bevels and modeling skills. I think that the difference in "crispness" which I find to be a reliable measure of the quality of scale workmanship is often determined by a shape's having been created by cutting rather than abrading. Each shaping method has its place, of course, but as I look at models I made decades ago, the difference between those made in my earlier "sandpaper period" and later when I came to use blades and scrapers more often is very apparent to me. If one can easily form a bevel with sandpaper or a file which is indistinguishable from one made with a cutting blade or scraper, the entire discussion becomes academic, of course.