What first wooden ship kit should I buy.

[SHIPSCAT]

Hi Gals and Guys

My name is Jolene Jo to my friends.

When I was younger I did build plastic models and I liked that very much.

As I am new to this fantastic forum, I am hoping someone can help me select a model to build.

 

I am looking at some Mamoli kits.

1) Hunter,  2) IL Leudo,  3)  Black Prince,  4)  Lexington.

 

After looking round the forum do you think the Hunter, Lexington and the Black Prince will be a wee bit on the hard side for a first time builder.

This would leave the IL Leudo, as a good first time build, or do you think I should jump in with two feet and go for a more complicated build like numbers 1,3,and 4.

 

Jo.

 

 

[Bob Cleek]

Probably none of the above. They'd all probably "be a wee bit on the hard side for a first time builder. "  But with the disclaimer than I'm not directly familiar with any of the kits you've mentioned. I trust somebody will come along and address them specifically.  Mamoli, for what it's worth, suffers from a reputation for poorly translated instructions from the Italian. That wouldn't be a problem if you spoke Italian and were familiar with Italian nautical nomenclature, but...

 

If you want to see what you'd be getting into tackling Mamoli's il leudo model, here's a "first build" build log by another builder who built that kit with help from other forumites who walked her over some rough spots.

 

Too many first time modelers, trapped by the seductive allure of kit manufacturers' advertising, buy a kit beyond their abilities and end up never progressing beyond the frustration of an abandoned first kit. It's critical to get off to a good start with something simple and move up the ladder as you gain skill, experience, and confidence. That doesn't mean one has to settle for a "dumbed down" model at all, but they do have to find a quality kit that doesn't make demands beyond the builder's abilities.  Even an "easy" subject can be crazy-making if the kit is a poor one.  A relatively simple model, done well, will always be far more attractive than a complicated one done poorly.  That's not always a matter of the builder's skill, either.  I believe most "crafty" people without prior ship model building experience can do a pretty good job of building a kit ship model if the kit is a good one, but even the best miniaturists can't "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" when a kit's materials are poor. Poor materials, a frequent problem with kits, can't be overcome by even the most experienced modelers.

 

Check out this recent forum thread below. It pretty much answers your question with a lot of good responses.  In my opinion, the most important feature of any kit build suitable for someone who isn't an experienced ship modeler is whether or not there's a good "build log" on the MSW forum that they can use to walk themselves through the project, or even better, a "group build."  Most kits, and especially European kits, have significant built-in "stumbling blocks." The evaluation of a kit requires consideration of the quality and completeness of the materials provided, the accuracy of the model built from it, and the quality of the instructions. It's best to see if somebody with experience has evaluated any model before spending money on it and risking buying "a pig in a poke." Many experienced kit modelers find themselves buying after-market wood, cast parts, and rigging line, because the materials provided in even otherwise highly regarded kits fall short of their quality standards. Ship model kits are definitely a "buyer beware" kind of item! You did right by finding the right place to get the information you need.  Welcome!

 

 

  

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Bob Cleek

[grsjax]

Midwest's apprentice series might be a good place to start.  Midwest no longer makes boat models but they can be found on eBay at reasonable prices.  Level one might be to simple for you but level's 2 and 3 are very good.  Model Shipways makes several kits that make good first builds.  The skipjack Willie C. Bennett is a bit complicated but is a good one.  Look through the build logs here and get a feel for what it takes to build one that you like.

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday Jo and a warm welcome from the Land Downunder.

If you search the build logs you will gain a good understanding of what each kit entails.

I would also advise you to choose a ship of the type and period you like.

This keeps your level of interest up, and there will be times when you are feeling a bit down.

You can receive a big boost from the various forums when you are lost or losing motivation

You have chosen a site where there is a wealth of knowledge which most members freely share.

I hope I haven't confused the issue.

Wishing you all the best with your choice and your build.

Mark.

[vossiewulf]

I suggest the Master Korabel kits. Every part including the planking is laser cut, they seem to almost fall together with very little effort. 

[Griphos]

The Midwest kits can be a good choice.  I've built several of them, canoes and sailboats both.  I think the canoes or dories would be a better choice.  The sailboats aren't going to teach you techniques you'll use on more complex models.  Some of the supplied material isn't the best.  The little boat in my avatar is their Peapod.  I very much enjoyed that build.  

 

I would recommend a kit that builds into a workboat rather than a naval ship.  Lots of cannons and rigging can be daunting.  Of course, my first kit was the Halifax, I think by Mamoli, a gift from family.  Not a huge man-of-war, but plenty of fiddly work for a brig its size, for sure.  The instructions were poor, as were many of the parts.  I wound up kitbashing a good bit of it.  It turned out okay, and I learned a lot, but I also bought a small library of books about how to build wooden ship kits.  Don't think I would have made it without those.

 

With smaller (or larger scale) working boats, you learn a lot of the basic techniques, but don't get bogged down in overwhelming rigging and armament.  I think Model Shipways kits are pretty good.  I've done a number of them.  The whaleboat is lovely.  The Pinky Schooner looks like it would be quite fun.  I'm building the Willie Bennett now.  The hull has gone together quickly and well.  Some of the deck equipment is a bit complex, and is best done by soldering brass, so that might be an issue.  Nice to learn how to do that kind of thing, though.  The Armed Longboat (Chuck's design) or the Pinnace would be a very nice kit to start with.  It's plank on frame, rather than bulkhead, so for that reason would be a bit more challenging, but the Emma Berry is a lovely boat, both in real life and kit form.  I think any of those would be an excellent first kit.  

 

Whichever kit you choose, don't think you have to set aside large chunks of time to work on it.  That's fine if you have the time, but I think a lot of kits get started and just sit there because the builders don't think they have enough time to work on them, due to other demands and tasks.  Keep it out and handy and just do one or two small things.  Put on a couple of planks.  Rig the boom to get ready to mount.  Make a piece of deck furniture. Ten minutes here, 15 minutes there, once or twice a day on most days and before you know it, you'll be done.   

[Jolley Roger]

From one novice to another, I think the Il Leudo will be a good choice.

It is fairly small, so will not take up a lot of space, the hull looks like a fairly simple shape, so should be a good platform to practise planking techniques on and last but not least, the rigging is fairly simple, so will give you a good foundation for future builds. A bigger models' rigging can be quite overwhelming for a novice(as I have found out!)

Whatever your choice, the most important part is to have fun.

Good luck

Edited February 26, 2019 by Jolley Roger

[Ulises Victoria]

Hello Jo... welcome to this forum.

I am not familiar with the kits you mentioned. However I have to mention that Mamoli factory was burned down a few years ago which means replacement parts will be hardly available. I am presently building my first Mamoli kit, after several of other brands. Instructions, at least in my kit. (follow Royal Louis link in my signature if you wish) are scarce and badly translated. Drawings have mistakes. All these things can be fixed by an experienced modeler, but may be a frustration for beginners.

I would follow any of the suggestions mentioned above. I felt into the trap of attempting a master level ship as a first kit and it was a disaster.

Best of lucks.

 

[Jolley Roger]

28 minutes ago, Ulises Victoria said:

However I have to mention that Mamoli factory was burned down a few years ago which means replacement parts will be hardly available.

Dusek ship kits, who is a sponsor for this site, has taken over Mamoli, so parts should not be a problem.

 

http://www.dusekshipkits.com/mm65-leudo

[ccoyle]

Hello and welcome!

 

I am a big fan of the Midwest kits -- inexpensive, great instructions, high probability of success. But, from the list that you provided, I would advise Hunter as a first model, as cutters in general are good beginner models, having fewer guns, a single mast, and less rigging than other comparably sized vessels. As has been mentioned, Mamoli kits are now manufactured by Dusek Ship Kits, and Daniel has been revising each kit as it is reissued. I don't know to what extent the kit has been revised, but previous reissues have been of good quality. There are also several other options for cutters on the market. I have built Caldercraft's Sherbourne and can recommend it, with the caveat that the instructions are a bit sparse and a Midwest kit under one's belt is a good idea. Amati/Victory Models offers Lady Nelson; the kit was designed by the same gentleman who did Sherbourne. Amati have an excellent reputation for quality. Master Korabel have recently released Avos. I am currently building their Swedish gunboat kit and can attest to the high quality of MK kits. The assembly of an MK kit is rather different from the usual kit method, so I would suggest looking through a couple of the MK build logs here to get a feel for them.

 

You have done well in narrowing down your selections to kits that are all fairly within reach of a beginner, and I hope you will find the additional advice in this thread not too overwhelming.

 

Cheers!

[SHIPSCAT]

15 hours ago, Bob Cleek said:

Probably none of the above. They'd all probably "be a wee bit on the hard side for a first time builder. "  But with the disclaimer than I'm not directly familiar with any of the kits you've mentioned. I trust somebody will come along and address them specifically.  Mamoli, for what it's worth, suffers from a reputation for poorly translated instructions from the Italian. That wouldn't be a problem if you spoke Italian and were familiar with Italian nautical nomenclature, but...

 

If you want to see what you'd be getting into tackling Mamoli's il leudo model, here's a "first build" build log by another builder who built that kit with help from other forumites who walked her over some rough spots.

 

Too many first time modelers, trapped by the seductive allure of kit manufacturers' advertising, buy a kit beyond their abilities and end up never progressing beyond the frustration of an abandoned first kit. It's critical to get off to a good start with something simple and move up the ladder as you gain skill, experience, and confidence. That doesn't mean one has to settle for a "dumbed down" model at all, but they do have to find a quality kit that doesn't make demands beyond the builder's abilities.  Even an "easy" subject can be crazy-making if the kit is a poor one.  A relatively simple model, done well, will always be far more attractive than a complicated one done poorly.  That's not always a matter of the builder's skill, either.  I believe most "crafty" people without prior ship model building experience can do a pretty good job of building a kit ship model if the kit is a good one, but even the best miniaturists can't "make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" when a kit's materials are poor. Poor materials, a frequent problem with kits, can't be overcome by even the most experienced modelers.

 

Check out this recent forum thread below. It pretty much answers your question with a lot of good responses.  In my opinion, the most important feature of any kit build suitable for someone who isn't an experienced ship modeler is whether or not there's a good "build log" on the MSW forum that they can use to walk themselves through the project, or even better, a "group build."  Most kits, and especially European kits, have significant built-in "stumbling blocks." The evaluation of a kit requires consideration of the quality and completeness of the materials provided, the accuracy of the model built from it, and the quality of the instructions. It's best to see if somebody with experience has evaluated any model before spending money on it and risking buying "a pig in a poke." Many experienced kit modelers find themselves buying after-market wood, cast parts, and rigging line, because the materials provided in even otherwise highly regarded kits fall short of their quality standards. Ship model kits are definitely a "buyer beware" kind of item! You did right by finding the right place to get the information you need.  Welcome!

 

 

  

 

Hi Bob

Thank you so much for your advice.

I have been looking round this forum and did go onto Bindy's page.

I can see she had a lot of help from all on the forum this is what I was hoping for as a first time wooden ship builder.

I do like the il Leudo, looks like a good model to start with.

 

Jo

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello

Thank you grsjax, Mark, vossiewulf, griphos, jolly rodger, Ulises and ccoyle for all of your advice.

 

Now if you can all be so kind can you advise me on the basic tools to start out with.

I do have a cutting mat, knife, sandpaper and things like that.

 

Jo

[Gregory]

Another good thing to keep in mind, If you happen to purchase a kit from ModelExpo  ( which also has an eBay store ), they will replace lost or broken parts, no questions asked...

Edited February 26, 2019 by Gregory

[Ulises Victoria]

1 hour ago, SHIPSCAT said:

Hello

Thank you grsjax, Mark, vossiewulf, griphos, jolly rodger, Ulises and ccoyle for all of your advice.

 

Now if you can all be so kind can you advise me on the basic tools to start out with.

I do have a cutting mat, knife, sandpaper and things like that.

 

Jo

Jo... for a first time build, you won't need too many tools. Definitely an indispensable item would be wood glue. Titebond or Elmer's work great. You can start with a few files, sandpaper, knife, scissors for the rigging stage and a jeweler's saw with a few different saw blades. A hand drill and small drill bits. It has been advised before to other beginner modelers: buy tools as you need them. It is amazing the amount of tools you will accumulate as you progress in the hobby.

 

Best of lucks. Nice to have another Lady in our group.

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Ulises Victoria

[mtaylor]

Hi Jo,

Welcome to MSW.   You've had some great advice from everyone else so I won't repeat it.

 

I will point you to the data base here:   http://modelshipworldforum.com/ship-model-plans-and-research.php

 

The "ship-model-plans-and-research" as two good articles on kit selections and what to expect.

The "ship-model-materials-and-tools" section has a good article on basic tools and another on tools not to bother with.

 

Once you pick your model, have a few tools like Exacto knite, some sandpaper, etc.  start a build log (you'll get help) and have some fun building.

[Griphos]

In addition to the glue and files and knife and little scissors and sanding paper (emery nail files are great) and pin vise/drill bits mentioned above, tweezers are pretty indispensable in my working.  A razor saw is nice to have and cheap enough.  A good little ruler, of course. 

 

Little clamps are very useful.  The little 2" plastic spring clamps are useful, even for rigging (putting weight on lines).  Even little alligator clamps are useful where their teeth won't mark parts that will be visible (or for rigging), or clothes pins (I prefer the wooden ones).  Rubber bands are handy.  

 

You can build a lot with such a selection of tools as this.  You can add as some particular job calls for it.  

 

The articles database here is very helpful.  There's an article on basic hand tools:

 

http://modelshipworldforum.com/ship-model-materials-and-tools.php

[pontiachedmark]

Gidday Jo.

In addition to clamps, clamps and more clamps. Exacto or equivalent blades and saw blades. Ruler, 6 inch and 12 inch.

Small drill bits, really small. Pin Vise. Sandpaper in varying grades. A clutter free, tongue firmly in cheek in my case, workspace.

I also rely on a lamp that has a magnifying lens incorporated. This lamp clamps onto the edge of my work surface.

I can only reinforce the point to only buy what you need when you need it. If not you will end up like me and have work surfaces covered in things you seldom use.

I hope the above provides useful.

All the best with your research and future build.

Mark.

[SHIPSCAT]

Hello all.

 

Thank you all for your help and advice.

If you don't mind can I ask you some questions.

The glue, Titebond do 3, Red, Blue and Green, what sort do I purchase.

I am looking at a book I think it is called Rigging of Ships.

The saw I am purchasing is a Zona with 3 different blades.

I have also ordered some clips or clamps, I do have cloths pegs and of course nail files.

Do I need larger files.

 

Can I start a log now or wait till I get my IL Leudo kit.

 

Thank you all again you are all very helpful, I feel like a little girl with a new doll.

 

Jo

 

 

[mtaylor]

As for glue, I've never used Titebond.  My only experience with Elmer's Wood Glue.   Works for me so I've not gone exploring.

 

On the build log, start it when you're ready.  Probably having the kit in hand is good as first posts give a peek as to what's in the box.

[vossiewulf]

Rigging Period Ship Models

[Ulises Victoria]

3 hours ago, SHIPSCAT said:

Hello all.

 

 

The glue, Titebond do 3, Red, Blue and Green, what sort do I purchase.

 

 

 

Titebond regular. Don't bother with II or III etc. Those are for exteriors and waterproof etc.

 

 

[SHIPSCAT]

Hi all

 

Ulises thank you I will purchase the Titebond you said.

I am getting my shipyard sorted out, my nails have been cut down and waiting for some sawdust 😃.

Cannot wait to start.

 

Jo.

[Ulises Victoria]

2 hours ago, SHIPSCAT said:

Hi all

 

Ulises thank you I will purchase the Titebond you said.

I am getting my shipyard sorted out, my nails have been cut down and waiting for some sawdust 😃.

Cannot wait to start.

 

Jo.

Cannot wait to see you start!!!

[SHIPSCAT]

13 hours ago, Ulises Victoria said:

Cannot wait to see you start!!!

Hi Ulises

Shipyard just abut finished, but the timber for the build has not been cut down yet 😥.

Cannot wait to start, a friend has given me some mini set square things.

I do love this forum so many nice people.

 

Jo