Hello from Dubai

[buntzi]

Good morning to you all!

My name is Bogdan (online "known" as Buntzi) and I live in Dubai. As pretty much everybody in this city, my roots are somewhere else. Mine lays on the Danube in Romania.

I started building ship models (of some sort) long time ago, but most of them were just pieces of wood and cardboard (loosely) put together. I tried several times to get back to the hobby, but only some 15 years ago I really started again. Inspired by a guy that was building a cardboard ship, I put together a small river tug similar to the ones that were used in my home city to ferry things across the Danube. It was a kit of some sort - printed in a 50 years old Polish magazine, it was meant to be cut directly from the magazine, pasted on thicker cardboard and used as such. I was in a small village in Indonesia at the time, so I used the cardboard from the company office calendars, ice cream sticks and school supply acrylic colors. That was the new beginning.

 

Since, I've built 3 ships: Nordkap from a Billings kit (that one is an RC model), then a Fairplay harbor tug from the Revell kit, and then the Sultan arab dhow from Artesania kit. The Sultan was one of the most enjoyable builds and I got the "sail ship bug".

My approach to this hobby seem to be quite different from the majority of this community. I enjoy building things and I try to make them as good as I can, but I'm not going too far in the historical accuracy realm, which seem to be the main focus. It is also one of the reasons that I didn't post (almost) anything until now. I don't know the correct marine terms even in my own language, let alone in english. I read explanations from people here and I need time to understand the subject because each object or line or plank or crease seem to have a name.

For me, I try to make things to fit the practical purpose. If a rigging line has a purpose, I need to understand for what was used and how, and then I will try to make it as accurate as possible...under the circumstances. Which is my next drawback: Quite severely hampered by space availability (both for working and for display afterwards) I restricted my builds to models that are small enough to fit my place.

I don't enjoy repetitive work, so...100 guns? No, I don't think so. Also, the rigging is quite a scary thing and I tried my best to chose subjects that have a simpler rigging. Unfortunately, the kits that are fitting those criteria are either very simple and uninspiring, or to such a scale that details are painful to replicate with my skills, basic tools and not so great eyesight.

I've opened up on this subject because I've noticed the weight of the historical accuracy on the threads. Apparently, if the color of the planks is wrong, this is frowned upon. That board supposed to have 5 nails in it, not only 3! Another trend that I've observed is that people seem to have any tool imagined for any specific task. I have a bit of an issue with the "Let's save 20$ and make this part ourselves - using this house sized 150k$ worth of tooling fully-equipped workshop" approach.

Also, you people seem to have (quite instant) access to any sort of material needed. Is not the case with me, unfortunately. The modelling hobby is almost non-existing in this place. There is ONE shop that sells model-making related stuff, but is focused 99% on plastic kits and their accessories. Luckily they have quite a good selection of Vallejo paints. Wood, ropes, blocks or pulleys? Insert "Nobody ain't got time for this" meme. Sure, people will say "there is the online shopping now, stop bickering about it". True, but only to some extent. IRL, you end up waiting for 3 weeks for your supplies, and this after paying 50$ for shipping 12$ worth of materials.

 

Those things considered, I beg for your patience and understanding. Peer pressure is a thing, you know?

 

Here comes the Polacca from the Amati kit.

After reading the topic with the "dead first builds", I've decided that for the Polacca I will start a build log, despite being quite advanced in the build. See you there...

Edited Wednesday at 05:17 AM by buntzi

[Jim Lad]

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

 

John

[vvvjames]

Welcome Bogdan! I hear what you're saying about the historical accuracy, I think it is a natural inclination to get into naval history when you get into the thick of building a ship. I never had any interest in naval history before starting my first boat but here I am deep diving into 19th century boats and having a blast. I don't think you'll be judged for taking your own spin on things, it's your own work of art! I haven't encountered any gatekeeping. 

As for making parts, I'm in the same boat (haha), I have just basic tools and not a whole lot of those, however I've been surprised with how many everyday things can be altered with not much effort and made into a ship-part. There's a thread on the matter here:

Anyway, it's good to have you! Can't wait to see your work, especially if you make ships from your area!

Best,

James

 

[buntzi]

Hello, and thanks for the welcome.

39 minutes ago, vvvjames said:

Can't wait to see your work, especially if you make ships from your area!

Well, I think you'll be disappointed with me   I've build the Sultan arab dhow, but I doubt that I will build another one. And considering the shipbuilding tradition in the arab world (which is that the boats were build by local masters, without blueprints or anything, with calculations made in the sand based on the log they found available for the keel), chances are slim to none to find related documentation. I guess the chances are better in Oman though...

Maybe I will make a "finished" build log for the Sultan - for the sake of history, but I'm afraid that it will not be of too much help to anyone.

[Knocklouder]

Bob M.

[GrandpaPhil]

Welcome!

[Keith Black]

 Bogdan. welcome to MSW. Glad to have you aboard. 

 

 Myself and others have taken to modeling common everyday work boats from 1750 to present. There are a vast array of nondescript but worthy subjects to model that require little rigging whose beauty is found in the quirkiness of their design.    

 

 Keith

 

[buntzi]

9 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

nondescript but worthy subjects to model

Thanks for welcoming me Keith. I'm sure that each and every ship or boat have their own appeal and they are worthy as model subjects for someone there. However, personal preferences plays a great part in this and we are all subjective observers in this. There are people that point blank refuse to touch anything military, people that are only building tug boats, etc.

For sure all of us we are finding our way somehow.

As for this one 

4 hours ago, buntzi said:

Maybe I will make a "finished" build log for the Sultan - for the sake of history

I already found two build logs with better results than my own, so I guess there is no real need for further embarrassment 😐 

[ccoyle]

Alo and welcome aboard!

 

8 hours ago, buntzi said:

I've opened up on this subject because I've noticed the weight of the historical accuracy on the threads. Apparently, if the color of the planks is wrong, this is frowned upon.

 

Certainly, there are some folks here that place great value on historical accuracy, but by no means all! This is a hobby, so participants should first and foremost have fun building whatever they happen to be building, making it as accurate as their abilities and interest allow. There is no requirement here for builds to meet some threshold of quality or accuracy in order to be shared, so please be encouraged to show us your work if you ever feel so inclined. 

 

Cheers!

[buntzi]

1 hour ago, ccoyle said:

so please be encouraged to show us your work

Thanks Chris, your Cautionary Tale topic actually inspired me to do so. 

[Ryland Craze]

Welcome to Model Ship World Bogdan.  We are glad to have you aboard.

[Ronald-V]

A big welcome!  

[AJohnson]

Welcome to MSW. 

[Baker]

[buntzi]

Many thanks to everybody for your warm welcome.

Regarding the caveat that I've mentioned in my opening post for my Polacca build, there is a short explanation:

My main interest lays primarily with ships. I had a short stint of work in a shipyard in my hometown, which probably awaken my interest in working ships, such as tugboats and fishing ships. The sailing ships are a later addition to it, while trying to build something related to the places where I've lived. Initially I've tried to find a kit/information about an Indonesian pinisi, but failed and soon after I moved back to Dubai and forgot about it. So, I got back to working boats and build the Nordkap as an RC model. After finishing that one, I wanted to try something different and started looking again for something "local". There it came the Sultan, the kit from AL.

At the time I was travelling a little bit more with business, and I've got the habit to look around the location for a LHS to see what they have. In one of those trips I've got few hours to spend in the Hamburg Maritime museum, from where I've left with the Fairplay harbor tug kit from Revell. From one of my trips to Istanbul I've return with a kit of a local fishing boat.

However, I also enjoy reading stories about the Pacific theatre of the WW2. Now, my brother is building WW2 war birds in 1:72, so many of our discussions around some beers and bbq would inevitably drift towards that subject. During one of those, the idea of a collection related to the subject "the most significant equipment that shaped the operations" came up. So, I end up with a F4U Corsair and a TBF Avenger kits, given to me as "to start your Pacific War collection". Which of course I had no intention to start at the time  , we were just talking.

Well, seeing how much of a hoarder he became over the years (I think his stash is somewhere near 100 kits in the "to do next" list), I've decided that I will build in the order of purchase/acquisition and I will purchase only when I have a single box left - one kit on the table and another one waiting. Well, easier said than done 😐 

So, between Sultan and the current Polacca, I've built those aircraft kits. After the Polacca, the next in line will be the fishing boat, which is also somewhat related because is a wooden kit. I've mentioned before the drastic space constrains that I have for my working desk, so once I'm done with this iteration of wood builds, I will stow away all the wood-working tools and set the desk for plastic models. The plastic models that I have are all related to the Pacific War theme. My brother already gifted to me a Hellcat and a Catalina, which will not be part of any mention here. Alongside though, I've purchased the 1:350 kits for the "John Brown" Liberty Ship and for the "Sullivans" Fletcher class destroyer. When their time will come, I will present them here.

As of now, only afterwards I will work again on a sail ship. This may not be such a bright idea, because with such a long pause between similar builds (plank on frames, rigging etc.), a lot of techniques and tricks will be forgotten, some materials will deteriorate and such mishaps.

Now you know...

[Geordie Tyne]

Welcome to the forum!
 

Regards