BruceWayne426 Posted April 20 Share #1 Posted April 20 I am in my first year of ship building. I came about it as a challenge from my 85 year-old neighbor, Tom. His sister is unmarried and a hoarder. A few years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and had to be placed in a memory care facility. While cleaning out her five storage units of stuff, Tom came across two ship kits. Knowing I always had a jigsaw puzzle on the table, he thought I might like to try a different sort of "puzzle". I have always been a modeler of sorts. In the sixties, I was into plastic car kits. After college, I started a model railroad that I worked on 30+ years in various locations and sizes. I also have a 1949 Willys Jeep that I have owned for almost 35 years and did a frame-off restoration that took two and a half years. After retiring to Colorado seven years ago, we downsized house-wise so there was no room for trains. I still have my Jeep but was looking for something I could do in the winter months. The gift of the ship kits was perfect. I have always enjoyed working under the big magnifying glass while assembling and painting model scenes. I had no clue about ship building so started watching a ton of YouTube videos before I started. Tom gave me two unopened kits, Artesania Latina's Victory and Mamoli's Constitution. I have no way of knowing how old the kits are. The Victory had a. price of $89.95 and the Constitution was $129.95. There are copyright dates in the instructions from the 1980's. Judging by the photo's on the boxes, it was evident which was the easier of the two. I set out to build the Victory. Compared to the Constitution, it had a solid hull and a fraction of the rigging. The AL instructions were not as complete as I expected and took awhile to get used to their translations (practice a 1 mm hole = drill a 1 mm hole), but I figured it all out and completed the kit in about six months. Like everyone, I made errors and it did not turn out as good as I would have liked, but when I presented it to Tom, he was so excited to have it. Before I started on the Constellation, I again watched dozens of videos to see if I could do better with some of the things I felt I didn't do as well on with the Victory. After watching. videos, I always read the comments and that is how I wound up on this site. I have read through and studied all the photos from other's Constitution builds on this site am going to start a build log soon. To keep me motivated, I started an Instagram thread on this build for my family to view my progress. Posting here is a little different as the viewers here are different than family and friends (who are easily wowed). But I know I will need help. Where better to come for advice and encouragement than a site like this? Thanks in advance to all who will assist. ccoyle, Scottish Guy, mtaylor and 1 other 4 Quote Current Build - USS Constitution by Mamoli 1:93 Completed - US Liberty by Artesania Latina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccoyle Posted April 20 Share #2 Posted April 20 49 minutes ago, BruceWayne426 said: Posting here is a little different as the viewers here are different than family and friends (who are easily wowed). Welcome aboard! True, we're not easily wowed, but we are pretty supportive nonetheless! Scottish Guy, CPDDET and mtaylor 3 Quote Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandpaPhil Posted April 20 Share #3 Posted April 20 Welcome! Scottish Guy and mtaylor 2 Quote Building: 1:64 HMS Revenge (Victory Models plans) 1:64 Cat Esther (17th Century Dutch Merchant Ships) On the building slip: 1:72 French Ironclad Magenta (original shipyard plans) On hold: 1:98 Mantua HMS Victory (kit bash), 1:96 Shipyard HMS Mercury Favorite finished builds: 1:60 Sampang Good Fortune (Amati plans), 1:200 Orel Ironclad Solferino, 1:72 Schooner Hannah (Hahn plans), 1:72 Privateer Prince de Neufchatel (Chapelle plans), Model Shipways Sultana, Heller La Reale, Encore USS Olympia Goal: Become better than I was yesterday "The hardest part is deciding to try." - me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish Guy Posted April 20 Share #4 Posted April 20 Hello and welcome aboard here at MSW. Hope you will have fun on your journey and we don´t bite ^^ Micha mtaylor 1 Quote "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." Jacques - Yves Cousteau. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current Build: "Roar Ege" by Billing Boats - 1:25 On Hold: n/a Finished: n/a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Lad Posted April 20 Share #5 Posted April 20 Hello, and a warm welcome to the forum from 'Down Under'. John mtaylor and Scottish Guy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baker Posted April 21 Share #6 Posted April 21 Scottish Guy and mtaylor 2 Quote Regards, Patrick Finished : Soleil Royal Heller 1/100 Wasa Billing Boats Bounty Revell 1/110 plastic (semi scratch) Pelican / Golden Hind 1/45 scratch Current build : Mary Rose 1/50 scratch Gallery : Revell Bounty Pelican/Golden hind 1/45 scratch To do : Prins Willem Corel, Le Tonnant Corel, Yacht d'Oro Corel, Thermopylae Sergal Shore leave, non ship models build logs : ADGZ M35 funkwagen 1/72 Einhets Pkw. Kfz.2 and 4 1/72 Autoblinda AB40 1/72 122mm A-19 & 152mm ML-20 & 12.8cm Pak.44 {K8 1/2} 1/72 10.5cm Howitzer 16 on Mark. VI(e) Centurion Mk.1 conversion M29 Weasel 1/72 SAM6 1/72 T26 Finland T26 TN 1/72 Autoprotetto S37 1/72 Opel Blitz buses 1/72 Boxer and MAN trucks 1/72 Hetzer38(t) Starr 1/72 Si vis pacem, para bellum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtaylor Posted April 21 Share #7 Posted April 21 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...
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