Wooden sailing ship models, anyone...?

8 perf said:
A lot of wooden ship kits can be had from Model Expo.
http://www.modelexpo-online.com/search.asp?SKW=SHIPS&STARTPAGE=1
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They have a great catalog. I am always intrigued by these cut-aways:

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MV32
http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MA746
http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=SM24

And they have what seems to be the best offering for the HMS surprise I've found, in terms of size, cost, and apparent value.

http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MV58
 
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OK guys - I took the plunge and dropped four bills to pick up the 38" long model of the Surprise. Good god. $400 to likely sit on a shelf for years until I get around to it! :rolleyes
 
PHArchivist said:
I read that the HMS Surprised used about 27 miles of rigging.

At 38" or 1:66 scale (and if I did my math correctly) that is a measley 2,160 feet. What's so hard about that!?
Click to expand...

Well as long as you know how much you need it should be a piece of cake. But I expect to see all the right knots on there in all the appropriate places so my miniature crew can set sail.:lol
 
micdavis said:
Ah yes, the Surprise. That was it.

I was supplied a kit and just did a build and paint. Sorry no pics. It was a bugger. Tons of detail. Most I've ever done. Not a big fan of that kind of stuff 'cause I suck at it. Good enough I suppose. They loved it, and gave me the back up kit I was supplied. Sold it for crack.

I know the Surprise left at one point I was on board when she pulled out, road a dingy back to shore. Must have come back.
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Mike I called the museum today, and asked if they still have a model of the Surprise on display. They said yeah - some hack turned one in to them a few years back...

Seriously though, they said that they absolutely do. I'll look for it tomorrow and try to snag some shots.
 
PHArchivist said:
Really, I'm hoping it is yours. Would be neat and rewarding to see that your model is still on display. And it will be inspiration for my ensuing project!
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If you head over to the Aerospace Museum. If it's still there, there was a Blue Angels display showing each of the planes they have flown.

I did the F6F Hellcat, the F9F-8 Cougar and the F4J Phantom II (my favorite). Again, just kits, but still.

Also a couple of Atlas Rockets, 10 ft tall or so. And hanging from the ceiling a FULL SIZE actual Tomahawk de-milled cruise missile. Somewhere I have a pic of all the shop guys sitting on it, a la Slim Pickens. Pretty neat.
 
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Well... "No joy" on the model... :unsure

They had some models, but not the Surprise, and the folks working there were generally clueless.
 
Can't believe I've missed this thread for this long. I've done a couple plank on frame sailing ships, the last one was the Connie. That one was a nightmare, as the client that wanted it done was the most impatient one I've ever come across. I gave him a timeline as to how long it would take, and he started calling 3 months before then!! EVERY. DAY. MULTIPLE. TIMES. IN. A. DAY.
Drove me mad!! Swore after that one I would never do a wooden ship again, they just take too much time!

Good luck though!! :D
 
Aegis159 said:
That one was a nightmare, as the client that wanted it done was the most impatient one I've ever come across. I gave him a timeline as to how long it would take, and he started calling 3 months before then!! EVERY. DAY. MULTIPLE. TIMES. IN. A. DAY.
Drove me mad!! Swore after that one I would never do a wooden ship again, they just take too much time!
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So what is it (besides the rigging) that makes them so complicated?
 
PHArchivist said:
So what is it (besides the rigging) that makes them so complicated?
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Hehe the first one you've already mentioned, the rigging.
Depending on the model there's also some very involved work with the hull of the ship. getting the curves and warp of the planks can be frustrating at times even when using a ton of clamps and whatnot. You can do a whole lot at a time, but I found it better to only do a couple at a time at most. I was never mad enough to try a double plank on frame kit, maybe if I did one of those crosssection models...
Then there's the decking and all of the structures above deck. Depending on the kit some of this might already at least be mapped out for you, but not always.
I would recommend picking up some extra wood in whatever type the kit comes with. Sometimes the kits come with some but you don't want to be on your last deck plank and realize that last cut was 1/32th off so now your next plank is short...
"Measure twice , cut once" should more be "Measure more than twice, cut once, realize it's still too long, cut it again...." Hehehe!!
 
In my 35 years of modeling I have "attempted" building 4 1/96 scale Revell Cutty Sark sailing ships over that time span and failing miserably at each one of them.
I got better with each one and the last one sat 75% done on a shelf for a few years only to have a cat jump on it and knocking it off the shelf into a pile of twisted wreckage on the floor.
Here is a site with some rigging tips as well as pics of the Cutty Sark http://www.modelingmadness.com/reviews/misc/robertocs.htm
I "may attempt" at building another one of these ships before I die, as I love these ships and especially the Cutty Sark, and maybe this time I will actually finish it. :lol:lol
Good luck buddy, have fun!!

Lynn
 
The kit arrived yesterday, and all I can say is:

OH MY GOD what the hell was I thinking!? :eek

Instructions? NO! More like blueprints, with "blocks of text of death" that my 41-year old eyes can't even make out the difference between the French and the English text!

Really, I think I may be better off just winging it and building it based on my own interpretations of how I feel it should go!

The kit itself is indeed beautiful, and if it comes together as hoped will be a stunning display, but GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!

Pics later...
 
PHArchivist said:
The kit arrived yesterday, and all I can say is:

OH MY GOD what the hell was I thinking!? :eek

Instructions? NO! More like blueprints, with "blocks of text of death" that my 41-year old eyes can't even make out the difference between the French and the English text!

Really, I think I may be better off just winging it and building it based on my own interpretations of how I feel it should go!

The kit itself is indeed beautiful, and if it comes together as hoped will be a stunning display, but GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!

Pics later...
Click to expand...

hehehe told ya..........
 
PHArchivist said:
The kit arrived yesterday, and all I can say is:

OH MY GOD what the hell was I thinking!? :eek

Instructions? NO! More like blueprints, with "blocks of text of death" that my 41-year old eyes can't even make out the difference between the French and the English text!

Really, I think I may be better off just winging it and building it based on my own interpretations of how I feel it should go!

The kit itself is indeed beautiful, and if it comes together as hoped will be a stunning display, but GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!

Pics later...
Click to expand...

Yes, post some pictures . . . you may save me $400 bucks, lol



Will
 
Here's where it all starts...

This...

020409013.jpg





is supposed to turn into this:

020409012.jpg
 
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