Joanie Posted November 3 #1 Posted November 3 Hi. I'm working on my first model, the Billing Boats Bluenose #576 (the 1:65 version). It is actually going surprisingly well as I work my way through the body of the boat (decking, planking, furniture and fittings, etc.). The work isn't perfect, but, for a first effort, I am pleasantly surprised. I'm really enjoying the work of it. It is very satisfying. I am starting to get a little bogged down with the masts, rigging, and sails. Billing seems to take a minimalist approach to their drawings and instructions. I'm struggling to discern what I am supposed to do from the meager drawings. The what is minimal, and the how is non existent. (I'm not sure how typical this is.) I've done some reading, and I'm getting a better sense of where I'm going, but still I wish I had some good, systematic, model specific instructions to work from. I'm hoping that I can begin to ask some specific questions and learn a few things in this site. So far, I've loved this experience. I get stuck; I figure it out. I make a mistake; I fix it... It is lovely and contemplative and slow. I will read some more and then put out a few questions. I do have one immediate question, however. I'm looking for a few good books, something systematic with enough theory. In a perfect world it would read like a modern college science textbook--structured with lots of good, clear photos. I'm dubious that such a thing exists. Despite my presence here, I am much more of a book person than I am a computer person. I'm not good at digging around on the internet for info. So far I have Ship Modeling Simplified, by Frank Mastini, Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern, by Milton Roth, and Rigging Period Fore-and-Aft Craft, by Lennarth Peterson. (There were a few others as well that I returned.) These are all okay, but none of them are ideal. Thanks. Joanie https://www.billingboatsusa.com/product/576-bluenose/ https://bluenose.novascotia.ca/virtual-tour Paul Le Wol, Olli Sukunimisson, GrandpaPhil and 10 others 13 Quote
JacquesCousteau Posted November 4 #2 Posted November 4 Welcome, and very nice job on the hull! Keith Black, mtaylor and Ryland Craze 3 Quote Current Builds: Lake Chapala Canoa de Rancho (1:32) [Scratch]; Lancha Chilota Coasting Sloop (1:32) [Scratch]; Completed Kit Builds: Model Shipways Dory (1:24); NRG Half-Hull Planking Kit (1:48); Midwest Maine Peapod (1:14) [Kit] Completed Scratch Builds: Xochimilco Trajinera (1:32); Juana y José Cross Section (1:32)
Dziadeczek Posted November 4 #3 Posted November 4 Also, I recommend "Historic Ship Models" by Wolfram zu Mondfeld. Ryland Craze, hof00, SiriusVoyager and 2 others 5 Quote
GrandpaPhil Posted November 4 #4 Posted November 4 Welcome! I agree wholeheartedly with @Dziadeczek about “Historic Ship Models” by Wolfram Zu Mondfeld! I have worn several copies out over the last 30 years and the newest copy always sits on my workbench. mtaylor, Keith Black and Ryland Craze 3 Quote Building: 1:200 Russian Battleship Oryol (Orel card kit) 1:64 HMS Revenge (Victory Models plans) 1:64 Cat Esther (17th Century Dutch Merchant Ships)
ccoyle Posted November 4 #5 Posted November 4 Welcome aboard! Keith Black, mtaylor and Ryland Craze 3 Quote Chris Coyle Greer, South Carolina When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk. - Tuco Current builds: Brigantine Phoenix, Bf 109E-7/trop
Wawona59 Posted November 4 #6 Posted November 4 Welcome to Model Ship World Joanie. I'm partial many of the older modeling books. One of my favorites is The Ship Model Builder's Assistant by Charles Davis.(1926). It's available at many used book stores such as Powell's Books. I think it still might be published by Dover Books. I like this book because Mr. Davis frequently explains how various pieces of sailing ship equipment works. Good luck in your ship modeling journey. Beautiful work on the schooner model by the way. Keith Black, Ryland Craze and mtaylor 3 Quote Wawona 59 John Next Project: Gifts for friends: 18th Century Pinnace, Kayak 17, Kayak 21 Indefinite Hold for the future: 1/96 Flying Fish, Model Shipways Wish list for "Seattle Connection" builds: 1/96 Lumber Schooner Wawona, 1/32 Hydroplane Slo-Mo-Shun IV, 1/96 Arthur Foss tug, 1/64 Duwamish cedar dugout canoe, 1/96 Downeaster "St. Paul" Selected Previous Completed Builds: Revell - 1/96 Thermopylae; Revell - 1/96 Cutty Sark, Revell - 1/96 Constitution, Aurora - Whaling Bark Wanderer, Model Shipways - 1/96 Phantom, AL - 1805 Pilot Boat Swift, Midwest - Chesapeake Bay Flattie, Monitor and Merrimac, Model Trailways - Doctor's Buggy
Baker Posted November 4 #7 Posted November 4 Very nice work Ryland Craze, Keith Black and mtaylor 3 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 große-jacht / Yacht D'Oro 1/50 Corel Gallery : Revell Bounty Pelican/Golden hind 1/45 scratch 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 Cleaning the 1/72 military collection Si vis pacem, para bellum
bruce d Posted November 4 #8 Posted November 4 Hello Joanie and welcome to MSW. The hull is looking good. Maybe you have already used the forum's search facility to find other build logs for Bluenose and see how they tackled the masts and rigging? Together with the reference material from the reccomended books the logs should complete the job the Billings instructions started. Bruce Keith Black, Ryland Craze and mtaylor 3 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
Keith Black Posted November 4 #9 Posted November 4 Joanie, welcome to MSW. Glad to have you aboard. mtaylor, Ryland Craze and bruce d 3 Quote Current Builds: 1870's Sternwheeler, Lula Wood Hull Screw Frigate USS Tennessee Decorative Carrack Warship Restoration, the Amelia Completed: 1880s Floating Steam Donkey Pile Driver Early Swift 1805 Model Restoration
Ryland Craze Posted November 4 #10 Posted November 4 Welcome to Model Ship World Joanie. Your Bluenose is coming along nicely. Keith Black and mtaylor 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
Knocklouder Posted November 4 #11 Posted November 4 Bob M Keith Black, mtaylor and Ryland Craze 3 Quote Start so you can Finish !! Finished: The Sea of Galilee Boat-Scott Miller-1:20 , Amati } Hannah Ship in a Bottle:Santa Maria : LA Pinta : La Nana : The Mayflower : Viking Ship Drakkar The King Of the Mississippi Artesania Latina 1:80 Current Build: Royal Yacht, Duchess of Kingston-Vanguard Models
Snug Harbor Johnny Posted November 4 #12 Posted November 4 Ahoy Joanie ! 'Glad to have you aboard. You've done VERY well so far, and I understand your frustrations that the instructions and illustrations in the Billing kit are somewhat lean. But I have a suggestion to offer that will come in most handy at the stage of the build you are in. It is a book (now out of print, but a copy can be found on-line ... I got mine through Amazon.) It is "Bluenose II - Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners" by L.B. Jenson published by Nimbus (1994) ... Soft cover 11 x 14 format of the original hand drafted drawings with cursive text. Don't be put off that the subject is the Bluenose 2, as the author has included hull drawings of Bluenose (I) on pp.66-67 - and notes that the masting and rigging of the two schooners were virtually identical. So the copious and detailed drawings of everything above deck level (sails, rigging, blocks, etc.) are perfectly useable for both Bluenose and Bluenose II. (As can be found today on-line, there was a controversial 're-build' of Bluenose II where many changes were made, although the 'new' ship looks much the same at a distance. The A.L. kit seems to model the present version, so I'll use Jenson's book to be closer to the original Bluenose II.) The Jenson book goes FAR more into the origin, contemporary schooners, the life of the fisherman and much more. I can heartily recommend this book, and can't imagine building a model of Bluenose or Bluenose II without consulting it. Fair sailing ! Johnny mtaylor, Ryland Craze and Keith Black 3 Quote Completed builds: Khufu Solar Barge - 1:72 Woody Joe Current project(s): Gorch Fock restoration 1:100, Billing Wasa (bust) - 1:100 Billings, Great Harry (bust) 1:88 ex. Sergal 1:65
DanielD Posted November 4 #13 Posted November 4 Welcome to MSW! Ryland Craze, mtaylor and Keith Black 3 Quote Daniel Current Build: 1931 Amerigo Vespucci - OcCre 1:100 Finished Build(s): Golden Hind - First Ship - OcCre 1:85; 11/2019 to 3/2020 HMS Terror as Fitted in 1845 - OcCre 1:75, 10/2020 to 1/2023
Joanie Posted November 4 Author #14 Posted November 4 Thanks everyone for the warm greeting and the kind words. I have worked very hard up to this point, so it is nice to get some positive feedback. Thanks also for the book recommendations. I will spend some time with these. Joanie Keith Black, Ryland Craze and mtaylor 3 Quote
SiriusVoyager Posted November 5 #15 Posted November 5 Welcome to MSW! I have been doing this a little over a year now, and I have found that The Ship Model Builder's Assistant by Charles G Davis and Historic Ship Models by Wolfram Zu Mondfeld seem to be the best books go spend the most using and have the most detailed, but general, information. They both have a textbook type feel to them. Ryland Craze, Keith Black and mtaylor 3 Quote - Eric Drafting: Sultan Arab Dhow Finished: Norwegian Sailing Pram, Lowell Grand Banks Dory, Muscongus bay lobster smack, OcCre Palamos, San Francisco Cross Section
mtaylor Posted November 7 #16 Posted November 7 Keith Black 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)
GGibson Posted November 8 #17 Posted November 8 On 11/4/2024 at 4:41 PM, Joanie said: Thanks everyone for the warm greeting and the kind words... Joanie On 11/4/2024 at 9:26 AM, Snug Harbor Johnny said: ...I have a suggestion to offer that will come in most handy at the stage of the build you are in. It is a book (now out of print, but a copy can be found on-line ... I got mine through Amazon.) It is "Bluenose II - Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners" by L.B. Jenson published by Nimbus (1994) ... Soft cover 11 x 14 format of the original hand drafted drawings with cursive text. Johnny Welcome to Model Ship World, Joanie! As you have already found out, MSW is an awesome resource and there are a ton of talented and knowledgeable fellow modelers here who are happy to help, point you in the right direction, and offer their insights. You are in a good place! I just finished my Model Shipways 1:64 version of the 1921 Bluenose (finished it without sails). I had a local Kansas City-area modeler in our local club who loaned me three books that I thought were all very helpful in my build journey. Johnny mentioned the L.B. Jenson book, which I probably used the most out of the three for research and information. The other two books, however, were also helpful in providing a lot of history and information regarding construction, including pictures. The other two books are Bluenose by Brain & Phil Backman and Bluenose & Bluenose II by R. Keith McLaren. I would also highly encourage you, if you haven't done so already, to look at the MANY Bluenose build logs here on MSW. I simply could not have completed my Bluenose without the prior build logs here by folks like genericDave, John Ruy, Ed Ku20, and others. Best wishes on your Bluenose! Take your time and make it the best you can. Frustration will sometimes rear its head, but take a day's break and hit hard again tomorrow. I had to continue telling myself "It's not a race, but a journey." Have fun, Joanie, and again, welcome to Model Ship World! GrandpaPhil, Keith Black and mtaylor 3 Quote Gregg Current Projects: Completed Projects: Waiting for Shipyard Clearance: Santa Maria Caravelle 1:48 - Ships of Pavel Nikitin Norwegian Sailing Pram 1:12 - Model Shipways Yacht America Schooner 1851 1:64 - Model Shipways Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack 1:24 - Model Shipways RMS Titanic 1:300 - OcCre (Couldn't help myself when it was on sale) H.M. Schooner Ballahoo 1:64 - Caldercraft USS Constitution 1:76 - Model Shipways Bluenose 1921 1:64 - Model Shipways
Nirvana Posted November 8 #18 Posted November 8 Joanie, a warm welcome to Model Ship World. You are quick with working with Bluenose which looks very good. I would recommend starting a build log showing your progress. mtaylor and Keith Black 2 Quote Please, visit our Facebook page! Respectfully Per aka Dr. Per@Therapy for Shipaholics Finished: T37, BB Marie Jeanne - located on a shelf in Sweden, 18th Century Longboat, Winchelsea Capstan Current: America by Constructo, Solö Ruff, USS Syren by MS, Bluenose by MS Viking funeral: Harley almost a Harvey Nautical Research Guild Member - 'Taint a hobby if you gotta hurry
Jim Lad Posted November 8 #19 Posted November 8 I've been away for a few days and just stumbled uon your post. A very warm welcome from 'Down Under', Joanie. John Keith Black, mtaylor and Nirvana 3 Quote
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.