Hello from a beginner

Joined
Jul 1, 2018
Messages
14
Points
28

Location
France - Vosges
I am a great-mother, leaving in France. Absolutely beginner, I will first admire and look the realisations on your forum. I am a beginner but I am also a Jack(ie) in all trades, always buzy to making something (painting, modeling, jewelry, embroidery etc...). My first idea was to reproduce the ship which my dad took to try to emigrate in Canada when I was a very little girl. He did'nt succeed and returned in Europe but he was always nostalgic of this hope. Unfortunately, I don't not found a plan of this ship. A cargo, the Seven Seas, around the years 1956/1957. Failing that, I would like to make a paddle boat or in any case, a river boat. I hope discover many ideas, plans and advices on this forum.
 
G'day @smarty1955
A huge welcome from the Land Downunder- Australia.
It always nice to see a new member who is like a fledgling duck just coming out from 'her' shell. There are many things, I very sure, you will need to know. You can always ask anyone here, especially the moderators, like me and Zoltan. All of us will be very happy to give you advice when ever you ask for it.
Look at any logs and our fellow members will teach you, just by reading them.
If you have any questions PM me or anyone else.
It's great to have a member of the fairer sex as a member. There are only a few but hopefully there will be more.
Happymodeling
Greg
 
The Seven Seas was completed in USA in 1940 as the Mormacmail, (Standard C3 cargo ship). In 1941 became Long Island, and in 1948 was converted into a passenger ship under name of Nelly. Became Seven Seas in 1953. 8,424 gross tons. 492 feet long, 69 feet 2 inches wide. Built by Sun SB & DD Co. Chester PA (USA). Became hostel ship at Roterdam in 1966, and scrapped at Ghent in 1977. Unlikely you will find plans, due to the conversion. My first ship was one of that class (C3) in 1961. A very complicated model for a beginner, and highly unpopular amongst model shipbuilders in general, although I like them very much only build merchant ships. For anyone interested in that sort of ship, see my section here on SOS - Maritime History Build Logs, 19th & 20th Century. I have placed a very large content in it , but almost zero participation from anyone else over the years! :( But worth looking at (in my view).
Bob
 
Soyez les bienvenus smarty 1955, il y a dans le forum, de très belles choses qui sont faites par de vrais artistes.
Nous étions désolés d'entendre que votre père n'avait pas réussi à rester au Canada et qu'il devait revenir.
j'espère que vous trouverez les plans de The Seven Seas et vous pouvez le construire
salutations d'Ostende
dj56 (willy)

Be welcome smarty 1955, there are in the forum, very beautiful things that are made by real artists.
We were sorry to hear that your father had not made it to stay in Canada and had to come back.
hopefully you will find the plans of The Seven Seas and you can build it
greetings from Ostend
dj56 (willy)
 
Many thanks Shipbuilder for all the information about the Seven Seas. I understand it would not be popular but why not ? For me, this ship is important (it carried dreamed of my father (who now isdeceased) ) - I founded many pics on Pinterest or with Google but none could restore the force of the horn of the boat when it left Rotterdam. I suppose it was Rotterdam. I was only 3 years. Because my parents are disappointed to have missed their chance, they did not want to speak about this adventure.
Here, in my country, I founded a local club of scale ships modelers. I am now registered to take part in the weekly meetings (restart in September ). In the meantime I collect information and documentation. I am happy to have founded you !

dj56, I thank you also - I am a compatriot living in France and born in Belgium (Wallonie).
I did'nt not frequently visit Oostende, but the North Sea is my favorite Sea :)
 
Amazing !

The sea painted make pretty and realistic effects. Well done Mrs Shipbuilder ! Congrats for this three handsome and finest replicas. I prefer the Klipfontein but all the three are good and fullfilled with lots of details.

I find this kind of ships are fascinating.
They don't carry guns but that don't diminish her strengh or aesthetic qualities (+ safety and comfort).

To do a model scale need first to make a choice between the models, the materials, the period, the use of the ship, the scale. Without knowing it, our choice reflect a part of our hopes and inner values, like a little physical achievment of our bad or good dreams ;).

I am more little interested by battle and army dioramas and ships. Nevertheless, I admire all kind of works, included militaria. All works in any kind gather good ideas, tricks, advices and helpful tips.

Sometimes, you will laugh when you read my posts because I am speaking french and try to translate in English.
;)
 
I always work to plans when building ships. The Klipfontein was 25 feet to 1 inch (1:300) and took 86 hours to build, timed on a stopwatch, and that included making the display case and carrying case. It sold at auction in London in 2004 for £345! That left me £293 after the commission had been paid to the auction house. From this, deduct delivery charge (£25) and cost of materials mainly acrylic for display case £25), leaving £243 From this, the income tax took £49, leaving £194, or £2.25 per hour/building time profit! One of my worst sales! I no longer send them to auctions.
Bob
 
Most of us, the absolute majority of us, are not selling and no need for counting the money per hour.
We are doing this hobby, because it makes a lot of fun. Especially for me I am able to concentrate on the work with the ship, with the material, forgetting for this time the stress and problems in „real life“.
This is why we are doing it....... and reading your introduction @smarty1955 about different interests, I guess you are also doing this all for fun.
I am pretty sure, that you will find a lot of information, hints and tricks and also interesting background information about naval history and development. Enjoy and we are ready to help and assist in your journey of ship modeling.
 
I can understand that Bob and some like to sell their creations.
It is a way of making known all that one can do in model making. Exhibitions and forums are other ways, nevertheless with an audience more restricted by people already interested.

Personally, I do not wish to sell. Only make the challenge for pleasure and sometimes, often to give a present.

I find it would never be easy to quantify the value. The price offered will seem always lower to me than what I put inside, in time, dreams and love. For the customer, the price will always seem to high :)

It is similar for all the kinds of creative hobbies.

Models are not only an assembly. There is also a pleasure to document concerning the boat to create, to discover the history and his story, and those of the world during that period.
 
In late 1992, I left the "rat race" of life at sea as an officer in a brand new passenger liner, to be in control of my own destiny. I had been at sea for 31 years, and was only 48 years old. I had had enough of advancing technology, and working for others. My qualifications were outdated, and I didn't feel I could stand it until retiring age, so I quit. First, I took up model shipbuilding full-time, and after that became successful, adding maritime writing to my interests. As many others have suggested, I am supposed to be one of those who "knows the cost of everything, and the value of nothing!" Yes - I do sell them, and is important to my wife and I to survive in a world that has largely passed me by. I do find building models relaxing, but I no longer take private commissions. My contribution to maritime history has now amounted to 275 models completed since October 1992, the vast majority being obscure or semi-obscure merchant ships. As time goes on, I realise that I really do not fit in with the general opinion that it is somehow shameful to sell my work - but one must live! My last model (See below) was severely damaged on its way to Belgium one week ago, so it isn't all good! I am also out of step with the world of model ships in the fact that I never build kits, and stick to modelling peaceful merchant ships. Maritime collectors love them, but shipmodeller generally have little or no interest in them, and I have really grown weary of "playing to an empty theatre!" At the moment, with the damage to the model below, worry about the insurance claim, and the extremly hot weather, I am really too lethargic to do anything, But feel that I am fast approaching another crossroads in my life. At the moment, I do not know what course I will set, but I am looking forward to the change.:)
Bob
Complete (Medium).JPG
 
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