spars

Welcome. I, too, am relatively 'retired'. I care for my physically/mentally retarded son. That doesn't count as work for some. I turn to modeling to sort my brains out. This is a visual candy shop of ideas. Its addictive.

Hello from Minnesota! I think you have experienced what many modelers go thru. Then, one day it clicks. That happened to me and now I have to carefully watch my money.

Welcome! This is THE place to be to learn, to like, to share. I, too, am retired. My Vasa kit just arrived. Now that my son is retired Air Force his son will 'help' me. Both his daughters are interested so I bought some U Gears kits from ModelExpo for them to learn on. Remember, modelers move to the smell of wood glue!

Welcome. I look forward to reading your posts. Please comment on the quality of the wood in your kit. Is it good? average? usable? replaced?

Appears you have come loaded for bear! I bet your skills as aircraft model builder will serve you well with watercraft. 

This site is like a candy store for mosel crafters. Expand your search to all media. Don't forget to use kit retailers. Have fun/share the fun.

Hello Illinois. I was born and raised until 18 in Chicago. I started with Model Expo. They have starter combos and will replace parts if you mess up. Look for them online or try youtube. 

Another card modeler! Fiddler's Green has printable flying machines. I, too, build dome paper stuff. Shipyard has paper/wood kits of sailing vessels. Welcome. I visit this site for ideas and yooutube for movies about building.

Welcome to the site. My son returned from Korea and retires Sept 1 so I can empathise. When I want plans I google search the manufacturer. The better ones have them on line. 

Models like yours make it hard for me to remember this is a model. Welcome! More pictures, please.

Glad to hear from you. I think there is enough variety for your skills to be used and admired.

Welcome to the world's best place for modeling in wood. I think Robert Hunt of Lauck Street Shipyard also went thru a transition. He has a great site too! 

I can empathize. I had a three days' stay in V.A. hospital for kidney issue. Building models is a great way to reconnect for me. Hope you enjoy your time here. As a vet(army 71-74) I support your efforts.

Welcome to a site which satisfies. Go after the kit. ModelExpo provides parts free if you muck them up so the parts list is important. Since I live in Minnesota, I, too, am far from big water although I did fly over an ocean when I had a job as an armyman in the early '70s.

The encyclopedic knowledge of this group can surely help. Include all you know about the vessel like its launch date, who owned it, who captained it.

Welcome. I have to use my atlas to see where some countries are. The way I see it, wood was living and is more forgiving when I work with it. You may want to locate a vendor for wood you may need if you mismeasure or cut.

Welcome to a 'candy store' for modelers who love their hobby/passion. Better than Willy Wonka. Don't neglect surfing the net for websites run by model kit manufacturers/sellers. There's lots to look at. BTW, your build looks good. I love the modeler's mess around it. Reminds me of home.

Hello and welcome to a site which is unique. There is something to learn from every page here. Ask questions from these builders. Learn from their errors. Improve while you work.

Hello! What you write shows you have many of the skills all ship modelers develop. Working with wood has many joys in itself and Georgia has woods! Check out ship model kit vendors. Many have literature available on almost every aspect of ship building and detailing. My first kit came from Model Expo from Florida because they will replace damaged in construction parts free! They rate their kits based on skill level. Do not neglect to use youtube and other sites for online videos of builders. Anyway, welcome.

You do beautiful work! You said you had the opportunity to board Victory to cherck things out. What did you find for example? It would be helpful to the modeling world to read/see about this.

Welcome to the world of ships and dreams! We share a Chicago connection. My grandfather on my father's side shoveled coal on an American battleship 1911. The best thing about this site is that it has all levels of skill and all sorts of common mistakes and how to correct them. If you have photos of your great uncles ships and post them here maybe someone can identify them for you. It's a shot. 

Your picture is inspirational. We only got as far as a rowboat. BTW, have you been to Mystic seaport to explore their collection/museum? Can't wait to see images of your work. I bet your experience on the water can add life to a project.

Thanks for clarifying your name. I almost mistook you for the other Mark! LoL. You are on the right track. If you haven't already, check out JoToKa. They are on big island and have superior kits. Much of the cost after initial production is quality of wood. They are tops here. You may want to google search any/all names of wood used. It can help explain cutting and shaping.

Welcome from a member in Minnesota. I am certain your experience and skill will be tapped by other members. What brands of tools and supplies are available locally? Just curious.

It appears many members started in plastic. I did, with Constitution on the early 70's. With blank-on-bulkhead I recommend you look at Model Shipways. They will replace parts if needed. All you need is the parts number from the parts list. No cost.