Confused newbie

[Racer2000]

Hello to all. My name is Bruce, recently forced into retirement and I'm a rookie to wooden model building.

I have read the posts on choosing your first build and have learned a lot about the topic. Most posts though are several years old and was wondering if anything pertinent has changed recently.

I am debating between plastic or wood. I believe plastic offers more of a straight forward build (meaning no fabricating of parts, but due to age of molds a lot of flash to remove as well as the chance of parts being missing or warped) and usually less rigging allowing a newbie to get their "feet wet" but it is plastic.

Small wooden kits of row boats, long boats, cut aways and viking boats just don't perk my interest. I was wondering if this might be a good first model. https://www.amazon.ca/Bluenose-Starter-Boat-Kit-Wooden/dp/B00MOBMJZ2

I also have a few questions if you don't mind:

is this being a smaller model of only 13 inches, will tying the rigging be an Issue?

Is trying to shape a solid hull that much easier than building a single plank pob model?

Thank you in advance for those who respond.

Cheers,

Bruce

[allanyed]

Bruce,

 

First and foremost, welcome.  Let it be known that you are one of over 26,000 members that are probably confused at one time or another with our builds, so you are far from being alone in that regard.

 

I am sure you will get a lot of responses regarding kit recommendations. 

 

Allan.

[amateur]

Actually, i dont think this will be a rewarding kit.

It looks like a bunch of slightly-out of-scale-put-together-parts.

 

It is not size as such which is the determining factor, it is scale. Anything below1:64 is kind of fiddly. A large scale model of a small ship is easiervin that respect.

 

Plastic is a different terrain, but not necessarily easier. Most plastic models are small scale, and therefore have their problems in painting, and detailing. Mking a convincing model out of a plastic kit is something quite daunting:)

 

With respect to starter: I would choose a model of a relatively snall ship (not a rowing boat;) ), from a fairly known company (so you can find fellow builders)

 

Solid hull or pob? Each their own problems. I did a couple of solid hulls when i was a kid. Problem was that the raw hulls in the kot weren't symmetrical. Took me ages to get them reasonable .... when the basic is OK, it should be easier.

 

Jan

[EJ_L]

Welcome to MSW Bruce! A lot of picking the best first kit comes down to is your personal skill level not just with model ship building but also models in general. What kind of tools do you have and what types of things have you made in the past? That being said, you are thinking along the right paths. 

 

Typically, plastic is more straight forward in that the instructions are more step-by-step compared to wood which are more like reading blueprints to see the final design but having to figure out how to achieve it yourself. You always run the risk of missing or faulty parts in any kit, wood or plastic. Replacements for either are usually fairly easy from most of the reputable hobby shops and manufacturers. The difficulty of any detail work, be it rigging, planking deck furniture etc., always increases the smaller you go. However, the larger a model becomes, the more room it takes and more work is created due to the sheer size. It is a balancing act to find what you are comfortable with. A smaller model is typically better for learning though as there is less work to be done. A solid hull is simpler than planking on a frame simply because there is a lot less involved and you now have a solid surface to plank over which provides better support in the difficult areas.

 

There are way to many kits out there both wood and plastic to really give suggestions. I recommend looking for something that is simple however, as you already said, a lot of those do not appeal to you. Finding a ship that inspires you is very important but you do not want to become overwhelmed. Whichever you decide, we will be more than happy to help you through the learning process so you will have a model to be proud of and hopefully discover a hobby which will provide you many great hours of happiness in your retirement.

 

Good luck to you and I will look forward to seeing what you decide to start with! 

[Anja]

Hello Bruce and welcome aboard,

 

Whatever you decide for your first build, make sure it has your interest and that you really want to build it.

That way you'll be more likely to get through the trials and errors.

 

And when you're ready, I hope you will join us by contributing your buildlog here.

This is a great place to learn and share tips and techniques.

If needed, you'll find plenty of help, advise and encouragement from everyone.

 

I wish you smooth sailing and happy modelling.

 

Regards,

Anja

[DaddyWhale]

Hi Bruce,

I'm guessing that you are Canadian since you linked to Amazon Canada and the model you identified is the Bluenose from Nova Scotia.

 

A wooden model of the Bluenose that is often suggested as a challenging first build is the Model Shipways Bluenose.  You can find it on the Model Expo website (modelexpo-online.com).  It's more expensive than the one you linked to.  But customer support is good.

 

The other good thing about the Model Shipways Bluenose is that there's a good "practicum" for it produced by Lauck Street Shipyard.  This practicum provides step-by-step instructions on the build as well as a list of recommended tools.  The author, Bob Hunt, is also very helpful should you have any questions.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Best,

Rabi

[-Dallen]

Hello Bruce and welcome to the group. Don't be distracted by "Older Post" as you will find that they usually represent tried and true methods that are very relevant to the current discipline. Choosing to start with plastic or wood is entirely a personal choice. One thing to consider is your current arsenal of tools that can be used without a huge outlay of money until you decide which speciality (or both) to pursue.  Another idea is to browse the build logs and find something or a specific build  that you are interested in. That way you have an immediate resource to help guide you as everyone here is ready to assist you. Welcome aboard and happy modeling.

[mtaylor]

Hi Bruce,

 

You've got some great input from the others.  So I'll just say "Welcome to MSW".

[ChrisLBren]

Hey Bruce,

 

Pick up this book - I purchased it back in 1994 when I was getting into the hobby - and successfully built an AL Harvey, POB as my first ship model.  You can find a Harvey on Ebay - very simple hull lines and rig.  While not entirely accurate - its an easy fun build to get your feet wet.  Mastini references this build along with the Blue Nose in the text of his book.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ship-Modeling-Simplified-Techniques-Construction/dp/0071558675

[Racer2000]

Thank's everyone some real good suggestions.

Rabid that Bluenose kit was something I looked at as well.

Chris thanks for the suggestion, downloading it now.

[mtaylor]

Bruce,

 

I don't know for sure but Dusek Maristella might have some "starter" kits.  From what I've seen of the models being built, they're pretty good.

Edited January 18, 2017 by mtaylor

[geoff]

welcome to MSW Bruce. all the best in your new hobby. Geoff

[Racer2000]

The other good thing about the Model Shipways Bluenose is that there's a good "practicum" for it produced by Lauck Street Shipyard. This practicum provides step-by-step instructions on the build as well as a list of recommended tools. The author, Bob Hunt, is also very helpful should you have any questions.

 

I checked this out Rabi, that practicum is $120.00US I read the sample chapter and it seems very comprehensive and easy to follow along, but for that kind of money I think I'll wait to see how I do along with the help that's available here.

[DaddyWhale]

Definitely.  Money does not grow on trees!

 

As others have said, there are tons of build logs for the Bluenose and other ships in the MSW forums.  They should help you greatly whatever you decide to build.

 

 

Best,

Rabi

 

The other good thing about the Model Shipways Bluenose is that there's a good "practicum" for it produced by Lauck Street Shipyard. This practicum provides step-by-step instructions on the build as well as a list of recommended tools. The author, Bob Hunt, is also very helpful should you have any questions.

I checked this out Rabi, that practicum is $120.00US I read the sample chapter and it seems very comprehensive and easy to follow along, but for that kind of money I think I'll wait to see how I do along with the help that's available here.

Edited January 19, 2017 by DaddyWhale

[Worldway]

Bruce

 

I have Model Shipways Bluenose sitting on the shelf and as soon as I'm done my first build this will be the next.  I've also purchased Lauck Street Shipyard's practicum as an added measure.  Having said that, the instruction manual that comes with the Bluenose is fairly in depth. You can download the manual on Model Expo's website and review it yourself.  The model also includes 6 full size drawings.  However, there are still a lot of "fill in the blanks" with the manual. That's where this forum comes in.  If you get the model (or any model for that matter) and start a build log here you will have a wealth of knowledge at your beck and call. 

 

Good luck and I hope to follow your first build.

[Racer2000]

Hey Derek your just down the road from me, I'm in Mississauga.

[Worldway]

Well howdy neighbour.  I think I know of 4 of us now from southern Ontario and one or two more from other parts of Ontario. 

[md1400cs]

Hi Derek,

 

Welcome - you will have 1000s of wonderful teachers here. - I did and still have (:-)

 

Hmmm- Lots of great builders in Canada. Rumors are that you may build a wall to keep USA - MSW builders from invading your country.

 

FYI - My first kit was a Santa Maria - simple enough and very basic rigging - fun build.

 

Cheers

[Racer2000]

I contacted John at Modelexpo-online and although this combo is no longer available he put the same package together at close to the same price.

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS2130CB

I was thinking of these items in addition to what comes in the tool kit unless someone has better suggestions.

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MX25

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS111-A

 

One other question about planking, are these useful?

http://www.micromark.com/plank-bending-tool,7055.html

[Worldway]

The kit looks like the way to go for starters.  I bought the paint set with the Bluenose as well although I see a lot of builders here buy whatever paint their local hardware store sells and they are happy with it.  I was just more concerned about getting the proper colours.  You'll find that you will end up with a small set of your go to tools.  I don't have any rigging tools but may need to get some soon. I see a lot of builders fashion their own rigging tools.  One of the handiest tools I have is a pair of tweezers with the ends curved to 90 degrees. 

 

I bought the Ship Modeller's Vice from Micro Mark. It was twice the cost of yours but it looks a lot sturdier than the one your considering.  They are handy for not only planking but holding your model while you do other work on it. I haven't used the plank bending pliers.  You should read some posts here about plank bending.  I don't think there are many that use the pliers (I could be wrong).  I learned the hard way that if you want to bend a plank you can a) soak it in hot water for a period of time them bend it on a form, steam it for a period of time then bend it on a form or c) (what I do) is soak it in water for a period of time. I then use a butane powered curling iron to heat then bend the plank.  The clamp of the curling iron helps to form the wood and the diameter of it is perfect for bending.  It's mostly trial and error though to get the correct radius.  Others here also use bending irons.

 

I think you'll be off to a great start.  Hopefully by the time you get your Bluenose I'll be in a position to start mine and we can follow along together.

[Racer2000]

Thanks for the feed back. I was a licensed mechanic for 40 years so I know that quality tools make a difference most of the time. (Snap-on screw drivers are great, Snap-on variable rate/variable angle swing arm press are over priced.)

I have a heat gun that I used when I was building R/C airplanes that gets quite a bit hotter than say a hair dryer, I wonder if that might work. I also plan on using a method I read about where you put half inch bead of CA on the edge in between the bulkheads so it holds the plank in place/form while the the wood glue dries. ( I reread this and realized I failed to mention I was talking about planking.

Edited January 25, 2017 by Racer2000

[GuntherMT]

Welcome aboard.  I would personally recommend that you avoid the paint from Model Expo.  Get the same colors in a quality paint like Vallejo (which Model Expo also carries) which doesn't cost any more and is much better quality paint.

 

As far as tools go, I'm in the "you get what you pay for" camp on tools, and 95% of the 'cheapo' tools I started with are no longer in use, but the hobby knife is always useful!

 

Good luck and have fun!

[Racer2000]

Thanks for the tip on the paints, I'll check into that. I agree with what has been said about tools, I just want to make sure this hobby is something I'm going to enjoy. I enjoyed building R/C airplanes, but that was before I had my stroke.

[Racer2000]

After checking pricing, the exchange rate and the $43 model expo wants for shipping, the cost is pretty close to the same as buying locally provided I can find a model supplier of comparable quality.

 

Can anyone tell me if LatIna model ship products have any issues?

[Worldway]

Latina products seems to have a good reputation. My current build is by A/L and everything seems fine. I do believe they packaged my kit incorrectly because I ran out of one size of wood but had a lot left over from another size.  One thing I didn't do when I got the kit was an inventory.  It's highly recommended.  The only downside with their kits is the limited lack of instructions and what you do get is poorly translated.

[mtaylor]

The Latina kits (and indeed some of the older kits by other manufacturers) have the problem of "scale".   Scale is what fits in the box and piece parts are what is standard across the product line.  But the Latina kits do look pretty good when done.

[JeffT]

Welcome to MSW Bruce

[donrobinson]

You should talk to Rick at Modellers Workshop, http://modellers-workshop.com, he carries several brand names including MarisStella. He is located in Montreal and is a great guy to deal with and would be happy to help you with your choices. Going small at first is not a degrading thing to do, actually a very wise step in this hobby. I built the MarisStella Batelina as my fourth build, and found it very challenging and rewarding, few tools required and it teaches many of the skills required in the more advanced kits.

Welcome to MSW and have fun in your retirement and this great hobby

[Pierretessier]

Hi Bruce and Welcome to MSW. I am also new to this forum and ship building. Not sure you are still looking for your first build, I would have to agree with Don. I took his advice and others and purchased the Batelina by MarisStella. I met up with Rick from Moderlers Workshop from Montreal. Very nice guy and helpful too. He has the full line of MarrisStella along with other beautiful kits. Take your time and chose wisely. If interested you an follow my build log of the Batelina, not anything to wright home about but I'm proud of the work so far.

Cheers and good luck.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Pierre Tessier

[Racer2000]

Well once I added up what it's going to cost to get a kit, basic tools, paint etc I checked with the Admiral. She asked if there was a way to start into this for less money. Soooo I started researching plastic instead of wood as it will be about half the price. I know I'll learn nothing about planking or other skills needed to produce a wooden ship, it will expose me to doing the rigging if I choose a large enough of a model. (which is the area that concerns me the most)