Greetings Everyone

Joined
Oct 3, 2018
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And hello from Florida. I'm quite new to the ship building hobby but I've plenty of experience with building scale models. My true love of model building has always been plastic scale airplanes, primarily WWll and civilian aircraft. I was a long time member of IPMS an competed in many IPMS contests since the mid 1970's. One of the reasons I got out of the hobby was I diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2013 and it hit me pretty hard, my hands were really effected and it seemed every joint in my body hurt. But thanks to modern medicine and the VA I now have relief. I feel 99% better and consequently, I want to get into something in scale modeling again.
I'm retired now and my wife and I are living in The Villages in Florida so I do have some time I like to devote to modeling again. I always looked at the ship models at IPMS contests and was quite impressed with the subjects and the skill of the ship builders but most of the models were WWll related but once in a while a wood sailing ship model would make it's way into the contest. IPMS rules once stated that eligible models needed to be made up of a certain percentage of plastic, but they relaxed these rules over the years.
I've always been fascinated by the detail and realism of a well done wooden ship model, so I'm here to learn what I can from the people who love it, know it and do it.
 
a friendly and warm welcome here on board of our SOS forum....
do you have an actual ship project you are working, or you plan for the future?
 
G'day Georgie from the Land Downunder
Welcome to our family. It's always nice to see a newbie to our hobby. My admiral calls it my obsession not hobby.
Well anyway if you want any advice on your next project, just ask but I don't think you will have any problems with the build, except for the terms that we used.
Google parts of a sailing ship and you can find a list of words and their meaning.
Hope to see a log in the near future with your 'Monica' on it.
Happymodeling
Greg
 
Thanks guys,
I do have plans to start a project shortly, I've been looking for something fairly easy to start with, nothing to expensive or complicated. I want to buy a kit of a solid hull ship, seems a lot easier than starting with a plank on bulkhead project without any experience at all. I'd like to build a brig and I've narrowed it down to a couple of selections that I'd like to get your opinions on. My first selection would be the St. Helena by Constructo or the Sultana by Model Shipways. Any feedback would be welcome.
Thanks again
 
G'day Georgie
I would suggest the Sultana by Model Shipways
20181013_021030.jpg
Over St. Helena
20181013_020956.jpg
by Constructofor these reasons:
1: The Sultana has less rigging and sails.
2: It's quicker to do and I assume that you would love to try a more difficult model as soon as you could. Taking into your experience (and my personal opinion) you would get quite bored at a simple build.
All the best on your choice.
Greg
 
G'day Georgie
I would suggest the Sultana by Model Shipways
View attachment 57721
Over St. Helena
View attachment 57722
by Constructofor these reasons:
1: The Sultana has less rigging and sails.
2: It's quicker to do and I assume that you would love to try a more difficult model as soon as you could. Taking into your experience (and my personal opinion) you would get quite bored at a simple build.
All the best on your choice.
Greg

Thanks Greg, I think you're right. The Sultana appeals more to my eye than the St. Helena.

Here are some examples of what I did in the not to distant past. Both of these aircraft never existed in real life. During WWll the Germans were coming up with a lot of futuristic design that only existed on paper. A few actually went into production and saw combat i.e. the ME262 and ME163, a few more made it to a prototype stage but most were in design stage. These models were scratch built in 1/32nd scale (3/16 in. = 1 ft.). The first model is a He1078 and the second is a Ju EF128. Both never existed but these are my interpretations of what they might have looked like. For the fuselage I carved a master from balsa and for the wings I carved from basswood. I then suspended these in forms and poured in RTV rubber. After the rubber cured I popped out the wood masters and poured in a 2 part resin creating the finished pieces. Assembly, panel line scribing, painting and decal application all followed. The cockpits on both models were scratch built with a lot of spare parts used from various kits. The jet engine on the Ju EF128 was taken from a Me262 kit with a lot of piping, tubing and other gizmos added.

he1078 (51).jpgju ef128 (6).JPG
 
Welcome to the group. Looks like you know your way around an airbrush, very nice work.
Thanks Mike. I see your from Canton, I'm originally from Cleveland and I was a long time member of IPMS Western Reserve Chapter in Cleveland. I left there in 1987 as work moved me to Florida, been here ever since. I was also a Member of the IPMS Pelikan Modelers in Clearwater. (IPMS is the International Plastic Modelers Society). And you are correct about me knowing my way around an airbrush, the #1 tool required in that hobby.
 
G'day Georgie
Those models are absolutely amazing.
I always judge plastics as a second cousin to the wooden models. Seeing yours handiwork and others, I have changed my mind completely.
Happymodeling
Greg
 
Hey Geoegie I bet you don't miss the Cleveland winters.:) I have always been into wood ship models but seeing some of the fine work you guys do with plastic I'm seriously thinking of doing a build.
 
Hey Geoegie I bet you don't miss the Cleveland winters.:) I have always been into wood ship models but seeing some of the fine work you guys do with plastic I'm seriously thinking of doing a build.
Thanks Mike and thanks to all for the warm welcome. You bet correct Mike, I do not miss the Cleveland winters one bit.
If anyone is interested to see what plastic modeling is all about, here's a link to the best organization to represent that hobby. The annual IPMS USA National Convention is really something to see. Amazing stuff from amazing modelers.
http://www.ipmsusa.org/
 
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