My very first wooden ship model was the Model Shipways Rattlesnake.
My only experience with model building was plastic models and I knew NOTHING about ship rigging. However, I was confident in my limited modeling skills. If it were not for Robert Hunt's practicum, I would never have attempted that build. At first I followed his instructions step by step. His practicum by the way, was a kit bash version of the Mamoli kit. As I progressed, I found a few minor errors, some unclear passages, and alternative methods I felt better suited my skills and tastes. He is the first to admit his way may not be the best way for everybody. I like detail and near the end of his practicum, I thought he was cutting corners in order to meet deadlines for his practicum to be published.
My second and current build is the Model Shipway USS Constitution which again, I am using Mr. Hunt's practicum. Here, his practicum is a straight forward set of instructions on building the MS kit as is. This time, I'm kit bashing and using his practicum as a guide. Based on my Rattlesnake experience, I am checking out other builders to see how they handled various building situations and problems. Again, I did find some errors, unclear passages, and lesser detail than I would have liked, but I am anal when it comes to detail.
For an old experienced salt, with numerous builds under their belt, the practicum may not be worth it. But for me, with limited experience in ship building, they are invaluable but not perfect.
Jon
