Ahoy! From Western Canada

[DeHammer]

 

Greetings from Western Canada. I'm new to wooden ships, but have built plastic models most of my life. 

 

For some reason I've been seeing Billing Boats kits for years, here and there. Probably because I'm Danish/Norwegian heritage. So I opted to start there. After spending some time reading varies forums, I see that Billings Boats isn't a favored choice for kits, especially for new modelers. It sounds like their instructions assume you know a fair amount, and have experience. In my defense, the kit I purchased as my starter I got for a steal of a deal - $10 USD. Also it's Billings' beginning level Danish fishing boat 'Dana'. 1:50 scale. With it's ABS hull I figure it's probably a good way to start. 

 

Currently, I'm starting slow. Doing a lot of reading, and enjoying other people's builds. I need to acquire some tools and supplies. 

 

My long term goal that I've had for a very long time, was to build a nice Viking longship. Probably a kit like the Oseberg 1:25 scale. I realize that's way too much for someone starting out to handle, and not a kit I can afford to buy until I know I'm serious & ready to build one. But since I have a strong interest in Viking ships I've also picked up a copy of the Billing Boats 'Roar Ege' ship model. I'm quite interested in the fact it's based on a modern Viking ship built as part of the study of the Skuldelev Viking ship finds. It'll probably be my first attempt at a kit with hull planking. Maybe. I have to see if I think I'm up to it or have to get a couple under my belt first. It seems to me that the real challenges of model ship building might be the hull planking and sails/rigging. So at least the Roar Ege doesn't have a lot of sails.

 

I also pulled the trigger on another Billing Boats 'Advanced Beginner' kit I couldn't resist... just because the price was right. The Bluenose - 1:65 scale. Looking forward to checking that kit out. It seems like another ship that doesn't have a lot of sails, though it has a few, and might be a one to attempt when I want to start into focusing more on sails/rigging. Normally I wouldn't be thinking about buying ship models I can't build for some time, but in this case it seemed wise to grab it when it was a decent deal. $50 for an untouched vintage kit like this seemed like a safe purchase. 

 

Anyways, that's my plans. Any advice is welcome. I know probably the first thing I should do is compare the Billing kits I have with other kits from other manufacturers. It sounds like there are better options out there. 

 

I do have a question regarding the Billings Boats kits, and another about kits in general.

 

1) What era would the Billings Boats Bluenose Nr.576 kit pictured below be from? Is this likely from the 1980's?

 

2) I assume the kits, by certain manufacturers of certain ships, may tended to change slightly over the years, at least maybe in terms of the components quality. Is there any advantage / disadvantage to buying & building vintage kits over new kits (of the same ship / product #)?  Example: a newer BB 576 kit over the older one that I bought? 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by DeHammer

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi DeHammer, welcome. The box of your Bluenose No. 576 says that it is laser cut. According to Billings they started using lasers in 1989/1990. So it could be 30 years old. I think it is great that people are buying these old kits and bringing them to life.

[ccoyle]

Welcome!

 

The main disadvantage of older kits is degraded materials. Really old kits often had fittings that contained lead, which corrodes over time. Improperly stored kits may have dry, brittle wood or perhaps water damage. Other than that, many manufacturers have made efforts over the years to upgrade their kits, often by switching to laser cutting of components over die cutting (if a kit includes printed parts that need to be cut from a sheet, then it is really, really old) or adding pictorial instructions. Kits made in the last 20 or so years have really been made more user-friendly, and companies continue to innovate. Still, a skilled modeler can make do even with an older kit. The key for a beginner is to not bite off more model than you can chew, and it sounds like you are taking a cautious approach, so you're already off to a good start.

 

Cheers!

[DeHammer]

Thanks Paul & ccoyle! That's very useful to know. I suspected that I might be on the safer side with the LASER cut parts. I realized just now that I actually have built with wood before, but it was balsa wood aircraft, and they also transitioned from die cutting to LASER cutting over the years. My 'Dana' kit is also LASER cut and the Roar Ege kit is brand new. These days I think it's a given they are LASER cut. 

[Peanut6]

Welcome aboard DeHammer.  What a coincidence, I also love the Viking longships and purchased a 1:25 scale Oseberg kit at an unbelievable price about 10 years ago knowing it would be a few builds away.  My first kit using wood was also an airplane, a P-38 Lightning.  Look forward to your first build log.

[mtaylor]

[Baker]

[NavyShooter]

Ahoy DeHammer! 

 

Welcome aboard, and I wish you all the best with your build!

[HardeeHarHar]

Welcome to MSW DeHammer!

[Keith Black]

DeHammer, welcome to MSW. Glad to have you aboard. 

[Dave_E]

Hi Hammer, WELCOME to the forum! 👍😀

[Thukydides]

Welcome to MSW. Building a ship can be daunting with all the new skills you need to learn, but this forum is a wonderful resource. Make sure you start a build log when you get going 😄.

[Deacon]

Welcome to MSW DeHammer. Looking forward to watching your progress on the Bluenose, our iconic Canadian ship!

[Knocklouder]

Hi welcome, just pick one lol I stared the santa maria amatia, no clue what I was doing learn all here at MSW good building