New Member Introduction

[LineAlpine]

Hello! My name is David and I am interested in joining the ranks of model ship builders. I’m 27 and live in the United States. I’ve always been interested in history and in sailing, but what sparked my interest in model building was a simple wooden model ship from my grandmother, seen here. 
 

It is labeled as the USS Constitution but it doesn’t seem to look like the ship to me. I thought a good way to get a taste for ship building might be to repair some minor damage to this model like replacing a snapped spar and reattaching some loose rigging. I also thought about painting the model to look a little more like the USS Constitution.

I also have an unopened kit which is also seen here. 

 

 

 

I did a little research on this kit and learned that it is a rebranding of an older kit called La Flore by Lindbergh. I have a lot to learn about model ship building and I am looking for advice! Am I more likely to ruin my grandmothers ship by trying to work on it myself? Is the La Flore / Jolly Roger kit going to end up being way too difficult for a beginner?
 

I don’t really know what I’m signing up for but I read the cautionary tale for beginners about biting off more than you can chew. I don’t even have any proper tools! I’d love to hear from some of you about what you think. Thanks for your time!

 

[Dave_E]

Welcome to the forum! This is the place to learn all you want to about model ship building! 😀

[rcmdrvr]

Welcome to the forum.  Without proper tools, both projects you mention will be difficult if impossible.  You might look into acquiring some basic tools such as a hobby knife, a few clamps, tweezers, etc.  I sure there is a thread on this forum which discusses a "basic" tool list.

[hollowneck]

Welcome to the forum. This is the right (and BEST) place to learn about model ship building.

Post all the questions you'd like; you'll get plenty of helpful advice - and encouragement.

As long as you can acquire some basic tolls like @rcmdrvr has recommended, you can build that styrene model and then step over to a wooden kit with a handful of a few more tools - and then you could do some repairs on the legacy model from your grandmother.

 

I've got a question for you: how did you learn about this free forum? THANKS!!

[LineAlpine]

I’m currently putting together a list of tools to buy based on videos I’ve seen of other similar builds, without spending too much!

 

Edit, I’m new to forums so I need to learn how to post and reply properly. I heard about this forum by researching ship modeling and I came across some advice which was posted on this forum. I browsed around the forum a bit more and decided to create an account!

Edited January 5, 2023 by LineAlpine

[Prowler901]

Welcome aboard!  Your research led you to the right place.  Plenty of knowledgeable and helpful members here.  I'm also in Colorado.

 

Todd

[Jim Lad]

Hello David, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'.

 

John

[ccoyle]

Welcome!

 

Your Constitution 'model' is a highly simplified decor model. As far as modeling skills go, you'll not learn much of anything useful by working on it but, OTOH, you can't really hurt it, either, and if it has some sentimental value for you (being a gift from Grandma), then by all means fix it up.

 

As for your plastic kit, we have many avid plastic modelers around here, including some who build tallships in that medium. I'm not familiar with that particular kit, so I can't really speak to its strengths/weaknesses or suitability as a beginner project. What I would advise you to do before jumping into any ship modeling project is take some time to thoroughly browse this site. As you do, look for projects that particularly appeal to you, especially the ones tagged as first builds. Any ship model requires a considerable commitment of time and at least some investment of capital, so you should spend these on a model that will keep your creative juices flowing. That might turn out to be your Jolly Roger kit, or perhaps you'll find your interest drawn elsewhere. Researching a new project should be a fun part of the process!

 

Good luck with whatever project you choose!

[LineAlpine]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the advice everyone! I’ll continue doing some research and collecting some tools together and then I’ll make a decision on either starting the Jolly Roger Kit, or something else entirely! Whatever I decide I’ll create a build log on the forum!

[Keith Black]

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

[Knocklouder]

[mtaylor]

[Baker]

And good luck with the Jolly Roger