drumgerry Posted July 1, 2020 Share #1 Posted July 1, 2020 Hi all I joined the forum a little while ago and have been avidly reading build logs and other posts. I thought it was about time I introduced myself. I live in NE Scotland and my main activity is being a carer for my disabled son. In my spare time I also build musical instruments (guitars, ukuleles, mandolins) and have even sold a few 😉. In the dim and distant past when I was a kid my dad and me built Airfix kits together culminating in the HMS Victory kit. It's something I have very fond memories of. So....after much dithering I bought myself a kit the HMS Terror by Occre. I'm not too far into it but I can see I'm going to enjoy it. In fact some of my lutherie skills are readily transferable. I bend instrument sides and instrument bindings all the time with an electric bending iron and it's something I'm very comfortable using. Planks for model ships are not unlike instrument binding strips so I'm thinking why not use my bending iron and am slightly surprised they are not commonly used by ship modellers. I've attached a pic of the one I have for your interest (or not!) Anyway glad to be here and all the best to you all Gerry bruce d, ccoyle, Edwardkenway and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edwardkenway Posted July 1, 2020 Share #2 Posted July 1, 2020 mtaylor, JeffT and drumgerry 3 Quote Current builds; Henry Ramey Upcher 1:25 Providence whaleboat- 1:25 HMS Winchelsea 1764 1:48 Completed: HM Cutter Sherbourne- 1:64- finished Triton cross section scratch- 1:60 - finished Non ship: SBD-3 Dauntless 1:48 Hasegawa -FINISHED Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Lad Posted July 1, 2020 Share #3 Posted July 1, 2020 Hello Gerry, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'. john JeffT, mtaylor and Edwardkenway 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 1, 2020 Author Share #4 Posted July 1, 2020 Thanks guys. Much appreciated mtaylor, JeffT and Edwardkenway 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryland Craze Posted July 1, 2020 Share #5 Posted July 1, 2020 Welcome to Model Ship World Gerry. I hope you start a build log on your Occre Terror. Your lutherie skills will definitely help in your build. Edwardkenway, JeffT and mtaylor 3 Quote Ryland Member - Hampton Roads Ship Model Society - Ship Model Society of New Jersey - Nautical Research Guild Current Build - Armed Virginia Sloop, 18th Century Longboat Completed Build - Medway Longboat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffT Posted July 1, 2020 Share #6 Posted July 1, 2020 Welcome to MSW Gerry. The bending iron looks like it will be useful for bending planks. mtaylor, Edwardkenway and Ryland Craze 3 Quote Jeff In progress: Medway Longboat 1742 - Syren Ship Model Company -1/2" scale USS Constitution - Model Shipways - Scale 1:76 HMS Granado - CAF Model - 1:48 HMS Sphinx - Vanguard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Seiler Posted July 2, 2020 Share #7 Posted July 2, 2020 Greetings, and welcome, from Southern California. mtaylor and Edwardkenway 2 Quote Chuck Seiler San Diego Ship Modelers Guild Nautical Research Guild Current Build:: Colonial Schooner SULTANA (scratch from Model Expo Plans), Hanseatic Cog Wutender Hund, Pinas Cross Section Completed: Missouri Riverboat FAR WEST (1876) Scratch, 1776 Gunboat PHILADELPHIA (Scratch), John Smith Shallop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted July 2, 2020 Share #8 Posted July 2, 2020 Welcome to MSW. Actually many of use either adapt something for bending (like a curling iron or soldering iron) or do use tools designed for ... maybe not as nice as that one though. Edwardkenway 1 Quote Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Triton Cross-Section NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64 Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever: CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share #9 Posted July 2, 2020 Again thanks guys. A build log might be a step too far at this point for me! But I'm already planning future builds so for sure next time. I think the bending iron will work a treat but that's easy for me to say at this point! Luckily I don't have to buy many more tools for modelling than I already have so that's good. Below is a pic of my current mandolin build before any finishing. Ironically it's getting a kind of oil varnish that they use on boats! bruce d, MEDDO, mtaylor and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryland Craze Posted July 2, 2020 Share #10 Posted July 2, 2020 Beautiful work. Is your mandolin built from a kit or are you scratch building it? mtaylor and Edwardkenway 2 Quote Ryland Member - Hampton Roads Ship Model Society - Ship Model Society of New Jersey - Nautical Research Guild Current Build - Armed Virginia Sloop, 18th Century Longboat Completed Build - Medway Longboat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccoyle Posted July 2, 2020 Share #11 Posted July 2, 2020 Great work! What kind of wood did you use for the back? It has lovely figure to it. Edwardkenway and mtaylor 2 Quote Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Bf 109E-7/trop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share #12 Posted July 2, 2020 Cheers guys! Scratch built. Been doing lutherie a long time so it's only really the hardware that I don't build myself. The back is flamed European maple (the same stuff Strad used for his fiddles hehe!) It looks like this now. Waiting for the varnish to cure before level sanding and buffing to a gloss finish. tkay11, bruce d, Edwardkenway and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted July 2, 2020 Share #13 Posted July 2, 2020 Welcome to MSW mtaylor and Edwardkenway 2 Quote Its all part of Kev's journey, bit like going to the dark side, but with the lights on All the best Kevin SAY NO TO PIRACY. SUPPORT ORIGINAL IDEAS AND MANUFACTURERS. KEEP IT REAL! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On the build table HMS Indefatigable 1794 by Kevin - Vanguard Models - 1:64 - Feb 2023 Belle Poule 1834 by Kevin - OcCre - 1/90 - French frigate - started June 2024 - - On hold MHS Britannic by Kevin SD 14 - Marcle Models - 1/70 - March 2022 - Bluebell - Flower Class - Revel - 1/72 U552 German U Boat - Trumpeter - 1/48 Amerigo Vespucci 1/84 - Panart- HMS Enterprise -CAF - 1/48 Finished Hercules by Kevin - OcCre - 1/50 - Tugboat - Finished - May 2024 Nectan-Mountfleet-models-steam-trawler-1/32 - Completed June 2020 HMS Victory - Caldercraft/Jotika - 1/72 - Finished Dorade renamed Dora by Kevin - Amati - 1/20 - Completed March 2021 Stage Coach 1848 - Artesania Latina - 1/10 -Finished Lady Eleanor by Kevin - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1/64 - Fifie fishing boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share #14 Posted July 2, 2020 Cheers Kevin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccoyle Posted July 2, 2020 Share #15 Posted July 2, 2020 2 hours ago, drumgerry said: flamed European maple I have seen some very nice 'faux' tiger-stripe maple rifle stocks made by using this technique -- usually for old-style Hawken, Kentuck, or Pennsylvania rifles. Quote Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Bf 109E-7/trop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEDDO Posted July 2, 2020 Share #16 Posted July 2, 2020 That work look really nice. Welcome to MSW! mtaylor 1 Quote Michael Shipwrights of Ohio Current Build: ... Completed Builds: Queen Anne Barge - Syren, Pinnace - MS, Halifax 1768 - LSS, Murrelet - Pygmy, Swift 1805 - AL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share #17 Posted July 2, 2020 3 hours ago, ccoyle said: I have seen some very nice 'faux' tiger-stripe maple rifle stocks made by using this technique -- usually for old-style Hawken, Kentuck, or Pennsylvania rifles. Chris - commonly known as a sunburst or burst. Specifically this is a tobacco sunburst and comprises only two colours - some bursts have a red between the dark outer and the gold inner. I use transtint dyes and an airbrush - both things I'm hoping to make use of also in ship modelling. Thanks for the kind words and welcome Michael. Glad to be here. It's an amazing forum chock full of highly skilled builders! mtaylor and ccoyle 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie da fly Posted July 4, 2020 Share #18 Posted July 4, 2020 Hi Gerry, and welcome. That's a very nice mandolin. I have a violin that belonged to my grandfather with a fiddleback grain on the back like yours. You've done a very nice job. Your bending iron is going to get a fair bit of work - as I recall, the Terror has a particularly blunt bow. Make sure you have a good close look at MSW's planking tutorials - they're invaluable and will help you avoid some of the commoner problems most people encounter with planking. And do start a build log. Nobody will bite, I can assure you. I know it can be a bit daunting putting your stuff up in front of people whose skills are, to put it mildly, amazing. I'm still gobsmacked by some of the builds up on MSW, and even now I feel I'll never approach their skill levels. But everybody was a newbie once, and there are plenty of beginners with build logs here. Your skills as a luthier probably put you in a better position than most people who are just starting out. And don't worry about making mistakes - you're bound to at some point, it's just part of the process, and even the most experienced still do it (though their mistakes are usually much more interesting than mine). But very few mistakes are fatal to the build and just about all of them can be remedied. The members are supportive and encouraging, and very willing to give help and advice. In fact a log is a very good place to ask questions as you progress with your build. mtaylor, drumgerry and tkay11 3 Quote It's not really a ship model unless you've bled on it. CURRENT BUILDS Golden City - Ballarat paddlewheeler La Lomellina - Theoretical Reconstruction of a Genoese carrack sunk in 1516 FINISHED Venetian merchant Ship from Basilica of San Marco Australian couta boat RMS Titanic HMVS Cerberus 11th century Byzantine dromon Winchelsea Nef - Late 13th century Mediaeval ship Henry Grace a Dieu - Rebuild of 1:200 model I started in 1967 Mistydeefer - restoration of decor model yacht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 4, 2020 Author Share #19 Posted July 4, 2020 Thanks for the very encouraging words Steven. I have decided to just go for it and start a build log. There seems to be many parallels and cross overs between building model ships and lutherie. I'm sure many of you on here would turn out fine musical instruments if you put your mind and skills to it. All the best, Gerry mtaylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce d Posted July 4, 2020 Share #20 Posted July 4, 2020 Welcome to MSW Gerry, wonderful work on the mandolin. mtaylor 1 Quote 🌻 STAY SAFE A model shipwright and an amateur historian are heads & tails of the same coin current builds: HMS Berwick 1775, 1/192 scratchbuild; a Slade 74 in the Navy Board style Mediator sloop, 1/48 - an 18th century transport scratchbuild French longboat - CAF - 1/48, on hold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie da fly Posted July 4, 2020 Share #21 Posted July 4, 2020 Well, perhaps not a fine instrument, but an interesting one . . . Replica of a mediaeval Russian fiddle called a smyk or gudok, 11th century - I made it almost 30 years ago, when I was into mediaeval re-enactment. It's based on an archaeological find. No sound post, so it's very quiet. To someone used to a modern violin, it's absolute murder to play this thing. tkay11 and mtaylor 2 Quote It's not really a ship model unless you've bled on it. CURRENT BUILDS Golden City - Ballarat paddlewheeler La Lomellina - Theoretical Reconstruction of a Genoese carrack sunk in 1516 FINISHED Venetian merchant Ship from Basilica of San Marco Australian couta boat RMS Titanic HMVS Cerberus 11th century Byzantine dromon Winchelsea Nef - Late 13th century Mediaeval ship Henry Grace a Dieu - Rebuild of 1:200 model I started in 1967 Mistydeefer - restoration of decor model yacht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 4, 2020 Author Share #22 Posted July 4, 2020 Thanks Bruce that's kind of you to say. Fascinating stuff Steven. I have made a lyre based on the one found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial and that was an interesting experience. Such a different sound to modern instruments. mtaylor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie da fly Posted July 5, 2020 Share #23 Posted July 5, 2020 I've seen pictures of the Sutton Hoo lyre reconstruction. As I understand it not all that much of the original survived and the reconstruction was based as much on contemporary pictures as on the artefact itself. I don't remember seeing the lyre when we went to the British Museum to see the Sutton Hoo exhibit. Perhaps I was distracted by the magnificent gold and garnet work and the amazing helmet. mtaylor 1 Quote It's not really a ship model unless you've bled on it. CURRENT BUILDS Golden City - Ballarat paddlewheeler La Lomellina - Theoretical Reconstruction of a Genoese carrack sunk in 1516 FINISHED Venetian merchant Ship from Basilica of San Marco Australian couta boat RMS Titanic HMVS Cerberus 11th century Byzantine dromon Winchelsea Nef - Late 13th century Mediaeval ship Henry Grace a Dieu - Rebuild of 1:200 model I started in 1967 Mistydeefer - restoration of decor model yacht Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drumgerry Posted July 5, 2020 Author Share #24 Posted July 5, 2020 Yep the reconstruction involves a fair bit of speculation I think and mine departs a fair bit from that as well. It was a fun build but probably a one off for me. Louie da fly and mtaylor 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandpaPhil Posted July 6, 2020 Share #25 Posted July 6, 2020 Welcome! Quote Building: 1:64 HMS Revenge (Victory Models plans) 1:64 Cat Esther (17th Century Dutch Merchant Ships) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.