exactly what is a ship model kit

[Short John Bronze]

I am a traditionalist and enjoy using tools and techniques that I inherited and learned from my father

I too. Ship building is a scaled down version of the extensive DIY that I used to do in my younger, fitter years.

 

[moreplovac]

Interesting discussion like always... the bottom line, for me off course, is enjoy your hobby, if you can carve 1/36 scale sailor that will look like a sailor and not like 4x4x6 (in scale of course) than enjoy it. I have tried and for my liking I failed.
That is why I will get some 3d printed dudes on the deck once my current model is done. For my smaller models, I looked for Santa Maria' crew, smaller scale, and purchased them on line. Painted them and they have their space on the model. Attempted a scratch build but was not quite successful; the hull still sits on the bench looking for another attempt. I will buy a rope since I have not acquired techniques for making my own and most likely the ropes from kit (like in my current build) are not of a great quality.
If you are not in ship model competition sphere or selling model for big bucks, for me, the bottom line is would you enjoy looking at the model once it is done?

 

[Pepite 1/60]

Interesting discussion like always... the bottom line, for me off course, is enjoy your hobby, if you can carve 1/36 scale sailor that will look like a sailor and not like 4x4x6 (in scale of course) than enjoy it. I have tried and for my liking I failed.
That is why I will get some 3d printed dudes on the deck once my current model is done. For my smaller models, I looked for Santa Maria' crew, smaller scale, and purchased them on line. Painted them and they have their space on the model. Attempted a scratch build but was not quite successful; the hull still sits on the bench looking for another attempt. I will buy a rope since I have not acquired techniques for making my own and most likely the ropes from kit (like in my current build) are not of a great quality.
If you are not in ship model competition sphere or selling model for big bucks, for me, the bottom line is would you enjoy looking at the model once it is done?

To be honest, I enjoy the building much more than the looking at my handywork once it's done. My finished models end up being just great playing grounds for baby spiders.

 

[moreplovac]

To be honest, I enjoy the building much more than the looking at my handywork once it's done. My finished models end up being just great playing grounds for baby spiders.

This part" the bottom line is would you enjoy looking at the model once it is done?" comes into play before spiders take over "-). Once I year I go and dust, clean my models, just for fun and to tell spiders - go an build your own model, this is mine...

 

[BarrySR]

For what it’s worth, I’d like to add my two cents.
Building a plastic ship model is basically just assembling the parts. (Excluding painting).
Building a ship model from a wooden kit, is somewhere between assembling parts and actually building some components from scratch.
Then there is the ultimate ship model… scratch built.
This is where every component is built or created from raw stock. No parts are made or manufactured by anyone else, the rigging line is made with a rope walk.
I’d guess the 99.9% of all wood ship modelers fall some between building from a kit and a 100% scratch built model

 

[tryste]

"And what exactly is a joke?"

 

[Pepite 1/60]

"And what exactly is a joke?"

Some ship model kits are. Like this one.

But I still like it. It leaves so much room for phantasy and/or improvement. And for practicing different building techniques.

 

[Dave Stevens (Lumberyard)]

question is are kit builders willing to DIY your own custom kit by sourcing parts from different vendors? Or would you rather just buy a complete kit in a box and accept what you get good or poor quality?

 

[KennonWhitehead]

Things are changing. More kits are coming with parts made from other materials and methods. The Vanguard HMS Surprise kit comes with parts made from mostly Pear wood but it also has some plywood and composite wood sheets. It also comes with photoetch, metal parts, machined blocks, 3D printed parts, clear plastic for windows, and probably a few other things I haven't recognized. How far you can go using more "authentic" methods to build a model ship depends on your skills. It allows a modeler to build detail into their model that probably is beyond their skill level. And there really isn't any "authentic" method. People worked with what they had.

This ship below was built by French prisoners of war from mostly animal bones (leftovers?):

 

[Frank48]

Some may find this interesting.

Le Dauphin Royal (1752) in 1:48— Hybrid Build by a Ukrainian Team

Hello, I have the utmost respect for all technologies; building from scratch is traditional model-making – a true form of personal art – but all the others represent technological innovation. With 3D printers, one ought to compare them with one another, and the same goes for CNC machines, because the processes are all the same. Look at this photo with its mammoth ornaments – a real showpiece. What is the point of this, other than aesthetics?

 

[TheGatzby]

What is the point of this, other than aesthetics?

How about " Look what I can do ? "