KevinR

Thanks for the link. She is a fine looking model of a work ship. I am sure that you can do an excellent job, I also know you will bash it for sure. Start a log when you start her. thanks for sharing.

Hey Kevin,
I have a Wye River kit waiting my attention, their Round Stern workboat. My wife gave it to me for Christmas last year.  It arrived in a plain brown box with all the wood just tossed in, not very secure, I think all the wood is there, (I haven't checked it yet) all the small bits thankfully were in plastic bags. The Plans are copies of hand drawn plans and are very simple. Not much extra detail given. The instruction booklet is also very simple not very hard to follow, even for a novice like myself, but it could use better detailed photos. I don't think the kit is bad just disappointed with it's presentation and delivery. 
 
Check out this link, from The Model Boatyard it was from Wye River kit, made a nice little boat.
 
http://www.modelboatyard.com/crab_scrape1.html
 
BTW I grew up in Norfolk, used to race out of the Hampton Yacht club on a J-36 back in the day.  My dad showed me the remains of the Schooner Atlantic when I was a kid before they renovated the river front.
 
Pat

I purchase a set of Amati Xebec plans 1;60 scale last week, and I must say, these are a very nice set of plans.
This model will be built around these plans with some alterations.
 

 

 
I used Cherry for the Stem, Keel and Stern and Tulip for the Bulkheads.
I wanted to use 5mm ply for the Bulkheads, but my local store only had 4mm ply in stock, as I had a load of 7mm Tulip, I milled it down to 5mm and used that.
 

for anyone interested
 
http://abcnews.go.com/International/german-subs-sunken-wwi-boats-bonanza-historians/story?id=19714802
 
 

Hi everyone. I was able to get some work in this weekend and here is where I am at.
I finished cutting out the formers and worked on getting the ribs shaped. I found the what worked best for me was to soak the 1/16x1/16 inch strips for about 4-6 hours and to slowly wind it around a 1" dowel and let it dry. I still had some strips splinter, but I came to the conclusion that they were going to splinter no matter what.

I have the ribs glued into the formers now. I need to glue the formers to the base and then attach the keel to the ribs.

 
 

An other trade to master, stone  masonry ... 
 
I cancelled the stones I had ordered and got a rubber mold from dioramadebris.co.uk instead , now I can cast my own bricks in the color I want. First I made a big batch with slightly different colors (plaster & pigment)
 

 
Then I had to find a way to make the mortar. At first I glued the sones with thin paper sheet in-between to get an even spacing. I had planned to use sculpey to make the mortar but this doesn't stick to plaster :-( 
So I had to find an other solution, from the DYI shop I got a pack with powder mixed with water this is used to fill holes in walls, as this dries in just under 1 hour it looked good, but this didn't stick to the plaster too :-( 
 

 
So I mixed it with titebond and pigment and this was a working formula. The surplus removed just before it dries and with a wet brush I softened the flushing. 
 

 

 

 

 
At this point the chimney needs to be made, I'll make this from brick and not steel like my original plan. In the two holes two big cooking pans are fitted. The square hole's on the sides will get a metal hinged doors. Opposite to the hearth I'll make a pantry with different kitchen utensils. I must say it's really time consuming to make but this is really a lot of fun to do. The admiral is complaining she didn't see me all weekend :-D 
 
Remco

Hi everyone. I was able to get some work in this weekend and here is where I am at.
I finished cutting out the formers and worked on getting the ribs shaped. I found the what worked best for me was to soak the 1/16x1/16 inch strips for about 4-6 hours and to slowly wind it around a 1" dowel and let it dry. I still had some strips splinter, but I came to the conclusion that they were going to splinter no matter what.

I have the ribs glued into the formers now. I need to glue the formers to the base and then attach the keel to the ribs.

 
 

Never said you shouldn't manage risk, just that saying something is toxic does not necessarily mean that it is.  Most government agencies use the "precautionary principle", i.e. that if someone thinks something might be toxic better to list is as such rather than take any risk.  It is just another cya move. 
 
An example, Professor Blowhard of Grants-r-Us U, head of the questionable science department issued a statement that dihydrogen oxide has been determined to be toxic in rats and should immediately be banned or at least strictly regulated to avoid risk to humans.  Professor Blowhard determined this by an experiment using two test groups of lab rats consisting of 6 rats in each group.  The first group was placed in 1 liter chambers filled with dihydrogen oxide and the control group were placed in identical chambers filled with air.  The first group all died after struggling desperately for a few seconds.  The control group all survived with no ill effects.  This 100% mortality in the test group is very strong evidence of the toxicity of dihydrogen oxide.  Professor Blowhard is asking for a 100 million dollar grant to study the affects of dihydrogen oxide on humans in areas such as Hawaii, Tahiti, and other areas where large groups of humans are exposed on a daily basis.  Professor Blowhard and his grad assistants Wendy, Bunny and Sue will spend the next several years visiting these areas and accessing the impacts.
 
A bit over the top but you would be surprised at just how many studies used to classify substances as "toxic" are no more extensive than my humorous example.

Amazon is always my first choice for online purchases.
 
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dmi&field-keywords=rosin&sprefix=rosin%2Caps%2C256

Are you tired of retensioning those clove hitches in the middle of your shrouds? Or coming next morning to see the last knot you tied is now loose, and since you trimmed it off, you can't do it again?
 
Well... do yourself a favor and go to your neighborhood music store. Yes music!. Get yourself a cake of Rosin. The stuff violinists use to rub their bows with. Are you getting it? That stuff makes the bow "grab" the string and therefore, produce sound. That effect works on your rope the same way, and makes your knots unslippable. (sp?) Guaranteed! Just rub a piece of your thread or rope on it 2 or 3 times and voilá. 
 
If there is choices of hardness, go for the softer one. If you can get the stuff that is actually made from the tree sap, you will have the bonus of the smell!
 
Hope this helps.

Today IO cut out the new keel, transom and forward bulkhead. I added filler blocks to the bow. I still need to cut out the new formers.

I have the plywood and will be starting over.

I have this same kit I built years ago. It is beautiful when finished!

Yesterday while I was in the garage looking for tools I came across a model I started back in 1988/9. I never got a chance to finish the model because I joined the Navy. I thought this had been lost over the years so was a nice surprise.
I did not plan to start another build log until I was further along on the Ship's boat kit, but I need to soak some of the strips before I could continue. This gives me something to do while waiting on the other project.
 
I had completed the work on the hull and was working on the deck fixtures when i left off.

I believe I still have all of the parts.

The bulwark on the starboard side was cracked either from age or being banged around. All of the fixtures that had been fixed to the deck had fallen off.

Today I just plan to glue the crack in the bulwark. I cut a piece of bamboo to use as a spreader to push the bulwark out while the glue dried.



After the glue dries I will sand the crack and repaint the ship.
 

One of the many trials sent to test us ship-modellers is the problem of how to bend planks effectively.
 
In my pre-MSW days, I soaked the wood for a week or so, and then bent them gently over a soldering iron fixed to my vise. This method worked reasonably well, although there was a high fail-rate with planks that cracked (wood too dry/too much pressure), split (wood too wet), or burnt (iron too hot). Fortunately, my two previous projects were both double-planked kits !!
 
This time around, after reading a number of suggestions in the MSW forums, I decided to try the hair-curling iron method. I particularly like the clip it has which will greatly reduce the number of times I burn my fingers.
 
The strips for the keels on the ship's boats are very thin (1/16"), so it remains to be seen how effective this method is when it comes time to do the hull-planking. Some "crimping" did result, but again, this may have to do with the very small size. Nothing that a little sawdust-filler and light sanding won't fix ...

This is the first Atlantic kit I have seen on this forum (or any other) I've seen, and the most beautiful ship. I'll be watching this with interest as it will be my next build after the Endeavour.

Yesterday while I was in the garage looking for tools I came across a model I started back in 1988/9. I never got a chance to finish the model because I joined the Navy. I thought this had been lost over the years so was a nice surprise.
I did not plan to start another build log until I was further along on the Ship's boat kit, but I need to soak some of the strips before I could continue. This gives me something to do while waiting on the other project.
 
I had completed the work on the hull and was working on the deck fixtures when i left off.

I believe I still have all of the parts.

The bulwark on the starboard side was cracked either from age or being banged around. All of the fixtures that had been fixed to the deck had fallen off.

Today I just plan to glue the crack in the bulwark. I cut a piece of bamboo to use as a spreader to push the bulwark out while the glue dried.



After the glue dries I will sand the crack and repaint the ship.
 

Yesterday while I was in the garage looking for tools I came across a model I started back in 1988/9. I never got a chance to finish the model because I joined the Navy. I thought this had been lost over the years so was a nice surprise.
I did not plan to start another build log until I was further along on the Ship's boat kit, but I need to soak some of the strips before I could continue. This gives me something to do while waiting on the other project.
 
I had completed the work on the hull and was working on the deck fixtures when i left off.

I believe I still have all of the parts.

The bulwark on the starboard side was cracked either from age or being banged around. All of the fixtures that had been fixed to the deck had fallen off.

Today I just plan to glue the crack in the bulwark. I cut a piece of bamboo to use as a spreader to push the bulwark out while the glue dried.



After the glue dries I will sand the crack and repaint the ship.
 

Hello all,
 
Ever wanted to know what kits are available for 17th Century British Frigates?
 
How about what kits are beginner and which kits are advanced?
 
Worried about space and want an easy way to find out what ships are available which are a certain 
lenght or height?
 
 
Read on my friends, read on!
 
Since joining Model Ship World, I have continuously been impressed with the quality of its members and the level of help people get with their hobby.  It is incredibly refreshing to find a place where people of all skill levels and interests, from all over the world, can come together in one place and help, encourage and applaud the wonderful works which can be found from its members new and old.
 
There is one trend I have noticed, with regards to questions and requests for advice, and that is related to the kits themselves.  Questions regarding quality of kits, availability, types, subjects and overall level of difficulty.
 
We have great resources for that, several articles, build logs etc.;  but I got to thinking it may be helpful to have this information in one place.  Not to replace what is on MSW in its various forms, but to supplement it.
 
While not an expert modeler by any means yet, I am a code jockey =) and enjoy doing techy codey things (that is a technical term by the way), so I decided to try to put that to use.
 
This is to announce a project which I am working on and am making available as of tonight.
 
The Model Ship World Ship Kit Database
 
What is it?
 
Well, it is a database of Model Ship Kits.  A central repository for what is available out there along with as much data regarding each kit as I can scrape up.
 
Secondly, Model Ship World Ship Kit Database is a living project.  This basically means it is intended to grow and expand based on feedback and contribution from the model ship world membership.
 
What does it do?
 
Right now, it allows you folks to search for ships.   As of this evening you can search for available ships based on Manufacturer, Scale, Type of Kit, Type of Ship, Period of Ship and the Ships Nation of origin.
 
You can search for these ships based on one of the above criteria or build out the criteria to get as refined a search as you want.
 
So, for example, if you want to see all the ships Model Shipways Currently has available – you can do that.
 
If you want to find all the ship kits which are 19th Century French 1:64th scale Plank on Bulkhead Frigates – you can do that too.
 
Is that all that it does?
 
As of this evening, yes it does.  Is that all it will do? No.    I actually have big plans for this and was going to wait to announce it until much more was done.  However it will take a little time to get everything in so I wanted to “release” it in stages.  Mainly to get it out there and let people get some hands on it and start giving me feedback.   
 
The idea is to make this as useful to the MSW community as possible.  I think it is in a good starting point, but really want to hear from you guys regarding it so I can develop it over time to make it as great as it can be.
 
I can’t promise all suggestions will make it in, or that they will go in overnight, but this in my mind is for MSW so I look forward to collaboration and the discussions to do as best we can.
 
Where does it stand right now?
 
Currently I have identified the following manufacturers for inclusion in the database.  Some have their kits added while others are queued to be completed over the next week or so.
A.J Fisher: Data not started Artesania Latina: Data started, 80% complete Billings: Data not started Bluejacket Ship Crafters Inc.: Data Complete Caldecraft:Data not started Corel:Data not started Constructo:Data not started Dusek:Data not started Mamonli:Data started, test entries only Mantua Models UK:Data not started Midwest Prouducts:Data Complete Model Shipways:Data Complete OcCre: Data started, test entries only.  
You said there was a lot planned so what else is there?
 
I am so glad you asked
 
Not only is this meant to be a list of what is available but it is also a place where people can come and find out about the ships.   Here is what is on deck....
More refined filter parameters: Ability to filter on length and height Ability to filter on skill level General Search:  Ability to type part of a kit name and search for all related kits. Data page:   This will be a drill down into the kit including a picture of the kit completed and important details regarding the kit itself. Some of what is currently in the data view will be moved here to make the data view a little less cluttered. Reviews: The ability for those of you who have built some of these kits can review them for others.  The reviews will have scales for the quality of materials, documentation and plans as well as a way to rate the kit for accuracy and skill level.   It is one thing for the manufacturers to say it, it is more meaningful when those who actually have worked with it say it. Links to related build logs.   Just another way for the MSW to find build logs related to their ships or for people to get a preview of what they may be in for. Manufacturer Data Page:  Just a quick data sheet on the company itself, where it is, contact information etc etc. Search launch:  A simple mechanism for people who may have found a ship they are interested in to one click google search for the kit in question. That is what I have on my list, the best part (as is usually the case) what comes out of the community.
 
As I mentioned, my hopes is this becomes a think tank project and grows from ideas provided by the MSW Community.
 
Why announce it with so much more to do?
 
  Feedback. 
 
Like it, Love it, Hate it I can take it; let me know.  
 
Whether you like it or not; let me know.   What people like I will continue with and what they don’t I will try to change so that they do,  but I can’t unless I know.
 
I can promise to take all suggestions and comments under consideration, but can’t promise all will be done.  
 
I will do my best to address concerns and questions as quickly as possible; after all if you take the time to lend a suggestion I can at least take the time to acknowledge it =)
 
My only goal is to make this as useful as possible and make it a solid resource for the Model Ship World community.
 
We can use this thread (I think) as the think tank for this project.   I will post updates to the database as I do them as well as keep a running list of ideas and where I may be at with them.
 
Where is this database hosted? I see it doesn’t have an MSW domain.
 
This is true,
 
this project is hosted on my own hosting service. 
 
I have been using them for quite some time and have not had any issues so am fairly confident it will have acceptable uptime for us to use this. 
 
The ampitcher.com well, ampitcher is me =)  
 
There is no link behind the scenes to MSW so your MSW information is safe, and this database does not require any sensitive information for you to access it.  If you have any concerns please PM Me I will be glad to address them.
 
This is however an MSW resource, meaning I am doing this for MSW and the MSW community. 
 
People from the outside may find it in a search or what not, but all efforts are to grow from within MSW and to drive TO MSW from the outside. =)
 
Anything we can do right now to help?
 
Kit companies and information
 
I have several in there (see list above) but I know there are more.   If you see any companies that are missing please let me know.  Right now I am focused on wood kits, but will be adding in plastic and card shortly.
 
Likewise, while in the database you will see many entries have blank data.  This is because of one of several things; either I could not find it, couldn’t figure it out or had conflicting information so wasn’t sure what to put.  
 
IF anyone has any knowledge they can lend me towards those empty slots please PM me with ID (first column) and the information.  I will edit them asap!  And thank you heartily!! =)
 
Well, I think I rambled on enough.   
 
Here is the link to the database.  
 
http://mswshipkits.ampitcher.com/
 
Take a look, let me know what you think and I want to thank you for your time.  
 
Updates will be coming so stay tuned!
 
For now, if we can limit data error information to PM and leave the forum topic for discussion related to the database, new ideas, feedback and updates – it would be appreciated!!
 
Thank you again, hope you like it and looking forward to creating the best model ship database on the web – with your help I know we can do it!!
 
As always
ENJOY!!
 
 

The size is proving to be quite a challenge.
I have learned a few things along the way, just because the parts are laser cut does not mean they are the perfect shape. As for as the kit there are a few things that I would recommend are do differently.
1. The strips placed along the keel between the ribs, I would recommend just using one long strip and after the glue dries cut out the notches for the ribs. This will give you a straighter line to glue the planks on.
2. #1 former is shorter than the other formers. When you build the frame plan accordingly.
3. A block of wood to help shape the bow would be a good idea.
As for bending the ribs, I have no recommendation. I soaked the strips for an hour and they bent nicely around the formers, but as they  started to dry they kinked and split. I can sand out the imperfections, I was just hoping for nice round curves.
Does anyone have a recommendation for bending the ribs?

My first foray into these foreign waters, a Build Log by Basic.
 
After much thought and research, I finally decided to jump head first into the hobby and buy my first kit. (Hoorah!)  To begin my selection, I spent quite a good deal of time going over reference materials, posts on these forums and advice given by some of the more experienced members of MSW (Thanks ladies and gents, you know who you are!).  I came to the conclusion that the single, most important factor in selecting that all important first kit is this: It MUST be a kit that you find personally interesting in some way, which will significantly help you through the first build.  I chose the Lynx in part because I find her rather elegant and graceful, and also because I really like the schooner class of ships.  I picked her up off an eBay auction, and within a few days she was sitting on my desk, waiting for the build to start.
 
The first thing I must mention is that I was pretty intimidated when I first opened the box; there were so many pieces and it all seemed rather daunting at the time.  After a few deep breaths I plunged in, and started going through the parts, instruction manual and schematics.  The first thing I noticed was that all the schematics were in Italian, a language that I am not very familiar with.  My saving grace, a small instructions manual, was quickly discovered at the bottom of the box and I breathed a sigh of relief.  After going through all the documents, I came to realize that the one thing that was hindering my ability to discern if all the parts were included was that I had very little working knowledge of the terminology of the ship building world. After a bit of research, I managed to piece it together well enough to be fairly confident that all the parts are accounted for. I managed to work around the sheer number of pieces by picking up a small cubby box, one of the ones commonly used to store small nails, screws, etc, and set it up on my desk.  This helped me organize all the small parts into their own compartments and greatly relieved the clutter on my work surface.  Unfortunately, as was explained in my introduction post to MSW, I have not yet managed to liberate my basement from the snooker table which currently lurks down there, so my work surface is not ideal at the moment, but I’m working on that.
 
The work has started off rather slowly, considering that I am constantly checking and rechecking each task, and quite frankly I’m okay with this.  I want to make sure that I avoid the common mistakes by thinking and planning ahead, which I’m sure will help save me a few headaches down the road.  
 
So far, I have dry fit all the bulkheads to the keel, as well as the sub-deck and the aft platform.  I have begun to glue shims to the bulkheads to correct for the play that these parts have within their slots on the keel, and glue the bulkheads into place.  I have also glued a set of reinforcing blocks to each side of the keel by each bulkhead slot, to ensure that the bulkheads are correctly positioned and have more surface area to create a strong adhesion.  In the photo below, you can see the dry fitting of the bulkheads to the keel, as well as the first set of reinforcement blocks being glued & clamped to the keel. Excuse the poor lighting, I have yet to properly set up my work area!

I have the transom and the forward bulkhead attached. I hope to have ribs attached soon.

Hi everyone. This is my first Build log. I have built several plastic models over the years but this is my first planked model. I chose this model because it was cheap and small. I figured it would be a good project to learn on. If I screw it up I would only be out $5.
Here is what was in the kit.
Not much to see.
I cannot see any details in the images so they are no help. If it was not for the line drawings I believe I would be lost.
My first step is to stain the parts. At this point I have not decided whether to paint it or leave it natural. I have a feeling that I will paint it to hide my mistakes.
(Edited to fix images)

Hi cdogg
I assume you mean the Zap extenders.I use these all the time and have found that they only fit properly on Zap bottles.When I get a new bottle of glue I fit one straight away and discard the top.It is vital that the extender goes all the way down to the little collar or it will pop off.They are extremely tight which is why its not a good idea to try and fit one to a part used bottle with a scruffy top.The glue never goes off as the tip seals right at the end with remaining glue.I simple cut 2mm off the end to remove the dried glue.When the tip gets too short as you get down the widening part I replace the tip.
Kind Regards Nigel