Greetings all, from Sydney.

[dodgeyhack]

Hello shipwrights! Though I am not one of you yet, I wish to join the club. I've always had an admiration of this hobby, because the miniature form can be so close to the real thing.

 

I've decided to dive in head first and ... I've just purchased the starter kit, and a few goodies, for HMS Cheerful.

I may be out of my league with this kit, but hopefully not. Let me tell you about my plans...

 

I've been looking for a kit based on a bunch of requirements

* some sort of internal areas - places you can peek into and that insight curiosity

* roughly Waterloo era naval vessel

* royal navy

 

I've been searching for a short while, and some models piqued my interest - Artesania 1/48 HMS Surprise, but it seems impossible to get. HMS Bounty with the exposed interior, but it's not a war ship. HMS Pegasus. I was very close to buying HMS Pegasus, spurred on by the modifications I'd seen in Blue Ensigns log - especially because the price via the Amati website to Australia was very good.

Then I found HMS Winchelsea. Stunning. Perfect. A real stretch goal - especially because masts and rigging are something I'd like to try (in probably 5-7 years time?).

But she has the massive advantage of not being a kit, which is a freedom. Mistakes can be discarded, tasks can be done again and again until they are right, because sourcing the materials is a problem that is already solved, and it's an excuse to buy good tools!

I almost jumped in and signed up for the plans and got started. But the prospect of a similar ship, with similar construction methods, and the same set of problems on a smaller scale swayed me to something I thought I wasn't interested in. So I've spent the day with the HMS Cheerful wood list, making sure I can get what I need here in Australia (in average quality wood as a minimum). In the end I ordered the starter kit because it seemed crazy to spend that much on shipping just plans.

 

So wish me luck. I have a long journey ahead, and lots to learn.

[ccoyle]

Welcome and good luck on your project!

[Keith Black]

Dodge, welcome o MSW. 

[allanyed]

Welcome to MSW (I think)    With a screen name like dodgy hack you have added another reason for me to fear Australia, what with the jumping , huntsman, and Sydney funnel web spiders, giant poisonous brown snakes, bull ants, dropbears,  killer magpies, crocs, dingos, giant pink slugs, and the list goes on.  (Yeah I know dropbears are SUPPOSEDLY a myth, but I wonder........)  

Hope to see you start a build log and I will be watching for any odd creatures hiding in the hull........

Allan

[mtaylor]

Welcome to MSW, Dodge.    As for for the AL kit, it's probable that it never will be released after all this time of them promising it.  It's a good idea to start "small" rather than jumping right in with a huge kit.  Closets around the world have first time models tucked away out frustration by the builder.   

 

Do start a log when you are ready to begin.   It's the best way to get help and meet other model builders.   

[Tony Hunt]

Welcome, from a fellow Sydneysider. I guess you're enjoying the lockdown as much as I am?

[Eurus]

Welcome to the forums!

 

HMS Cheerful is a beautiful ship, and also quite a popular choice around here. Be sure to check the build logs. You'll find plenty of useful information.

[Fernando E]

Welcome to the crew from another fellow Sydneysider.

 

Cheers.............Fernando

[JeffT]

welcome to MSW 

[Jim Lad]

G'day, and another warm welcome from Sydney.  Are you in one of the "areas of concern" (LIKE ME) OR CAN YOU GET OUT A BIT?

 

John

[Richard44]

And another welcome, not from Sydney, but from Gosford. We're in lockdown, not full lockdown, so I can actually get out for exercise in my local area - so far. But Covid cases are increasing.....

[Tony Hunt]

Goodness, I had no idea there were so many of us here in Sydney. We'll have to get together for a glass or two once normality returns!

[jpalmer1970]

Another local here !

[dodgeyhack]

Thank you for a very warm welcome.
Good to see so many locals! I'm in Turramurra, so as good as it gets when being locked down I think. The 10km exercise radius is great. Other than that, I work from home so lockdown is not too different except the rest of the family is here making a ruckus.

The build logs on this site are a real treasure. I've been devouring them the last week or so. I'll be sure to add my own.

 

Question for the Sydney folk, are there any particular retailers you recommend for good range, quality, or value for this particular  hobby? I need to expand my tool collection and currently looking at options for wood in the various milled sizes. Frontline hobbies seems to have a fairly wide range of sizes for basic woods, and Modelers Central has a bit of the better stuff like Walnut, etc.

[ERS Rich]

Greetings from Massachusetts, USA.  Always open to answering a question.  By the way, that’s the Sydney skyline in the background of my profile picture.  Cheers!

[Baker]

[Jim Lad]

Don't know of suppliers here who can provide pre-cut small timber, but two very good people if you can mill your own are Anagote of Marrickville and Trend Timbers out at McGraths Hill.  The bloke at Anagote is a wood fanatic and unbelievably helpful if you catch him at a time when he's not too busy.  Trend have the advantage of having a section where they sell offcuts and small pieces for wood turners.

 

By the way, just for the curious; when they were setting up Anagote they were looking for a name and asked their kids what they should call the company.  At the time they had a pet goat called Anna, so .........

 

John

[Richard44]

19 hours ago, dodgeyhack said:

The 10km exercise radius is great.

 

 I need to expand my tool collection 

For exercise, the 10km limit doesn't apply - you can go anywhere within your local LGA (I checked with Services NSW). The 10km limit applies to shopping.

 

Hobby Tools Australia has a good selection and I've had good service from them.

 

Cheers

 

Edit. I wasn't quite right above - shopping is allowed anywhere in your LGA.  "...can only shop, exercise or engage in outdoor recreation within their local government area (LGA) or, if outside your LGA, within 5 kilometres of your home."

Edited August 14, 2021 by Richard44

[Tony Hunt]

I second the votes for Anagote and Trend Timbers, and Hobby Tools Australia as well.  Of course, there are lots of specialised tools available on the internet these days too, I just bought a drawplate from Jim Byrnes (a sponsor of this website) in the USA.

 

Australian Premier Veneers sell a nice range of high end timber veneers (including pearwood) and do mail order.  https://www.apveneers.com.au/product-category/veneers-exotic/pear-wood-timber-veneer/

 

Are you after anything in particular?

Edited August 14, 2021 by Tony Hunt

[dodgeyhack]

DIscovered I never hit submit on my reply! So here it is...

Thanks for the recommendations so far. Have spent the evening shopping for tools - just the basic stuff.

 

With respect to timber, I'm not sure what I'm after at this point.

I've ordered the Cheerful starter pack so will need to source timber to go beyond that. Most of the wood list can be satisfied with Bud Nosen stuff from Frontline (predominately  Basswood), so I'm looking around to see what/if other pre-cut timbers are available, preferably in Imperial sizes. At some point I'll buy a selection of what I've found to play with and see what works.

I'm going a bit on faith that I'll be able to find what is needed, but until I get the plans in hand it's just pre-emptive investigation.

I'm not quite ready to invest in a thickness sander, though I am considering a scroll saw in the near future.

I'm gaining a ton of insight from this forum in the mean-time and have just finished reading Ship Modelling Simplified - hopefully it's not too much more difficult than the author makes it sound!

[Louie da fly]

Welcome to MSW, mate, from sunny Ballarat. Hope you're safe up there.

 

Steven

[bruce d]

Hello, welcome to MSW!