Excited new member

[Rkinison]

Hello,

My name is Ray Kinison, I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I have been building models for almost 40 years. Predominantly plastic (which I still do). I have done a couple of small wooden models in the past and now I am wanting to really get into the wooden ships. I figure that it is time for a new challenge.

As I said I have experience in plastics, but I also have wood working experience. I have worked in a custom cabinet making business for years. So the wood working part of the build does not scare me, for me it is the rigging. When you look at the mass of lines, it just seems hard for me to distinguish what goes where. But I guess that comes with practice, trial, and error. But I have a positive attitude and I know from past experiences anything I set my mind to I can do.

I have thought about what my first build will be and still have not concluded what to do. I do know my goal is to build the USS Constitution. I am leaning toward doing the cross section of the USS Constitution first to learn a few things about rigging and planking.

Thank you accepting me and I am looking forward to learning and becoming a better craftsman.
Ray

 

[GaryM]

Welcome to the forum. The Conny is a very advanced model could take 1,500 or more hours to complete. Be patient and get a lot of experience on easier models so that when you attempt the Conny, you will be very happy with the results. The following link will give you a guideline on skill level of most of the kits out there and their degree of difficulty: http://site.nature-crafts.com/skill_level.htm
The higher the skill level is a reflection on the amount of time and extra detail required to complete the model. It also means that instructions on construction become a lot less to the point where they assume you need very little other than type of wood and size to build it from perspective drawings and 1:1 complete side, back and front views.
I am glad you found us and believe that you will enjoy this site. Also, welcome to the rewarding world of wooden model ships. I started with plastic models myself, but once I got into wood, I was amazed at how different you felt when you build a ship out of wood and metal. Enjoy.

 

[Donnie]

Hi Ray and welcome. Well, I just wrote a pretty huge response, but my browser timed out on me. Yikes. The Rigging looks daunting, but when you break it down, you will see that each mast and yard are all rigged the same. The only confusing part is where to tie or belay the line to. We are all here to help. The good thing about a larger ship is that the scale allows you more room to be more realistic.

The thing with the Trinidad that I built is that the belaying pin diagram was ALL wrong. Nothing made sense.

There are plenty of books out there at amazon.com, just search for rigging of tall ships or rigging of period ship models.

One book that I refer to all the time and of all the books I have, I still reach for this one is: Historic Ship Models by Wolfram zu Mondfeld 1-4027-2186-2

 

[Rkinison]

Thank you GaryM, I agree I don't think I am ready for the Constitution just yet. That is my goal after getting my feet wet on some others. My wife just got me the 1/75th Art Lat. Bluenose II. It is an intermediate and looks like a really nice project, plus she likes it. I think this would be a good place to start. Double plank on bulkhead construction. I have had it for about a week and still going over all the directions and plans so that I have an idea of what I anm looking at. Quickly finding out I need to do a lot of research to start learning a whole new language.....lol.
Also have been looking at the internet and trying to get info on what others have done. I am sure that I am going to have a lot of questions. Will look at doing a build thread so that I can get advice and help when I need it. Right now I am really studing the hull construction and how the planking is done. Going over a lot of the build threads on the forum as well to see how you all do it so that I have ideas. I know each ship is different but the concept is going to be the same.

Thanks again off the worm welcome.
Ray

 

[Rkinison]

Hi Ray and welcome. Well, I just wrote a pretty huge response, but my browser timed out on me. Yikes. The Rigging looks daunting, but when you break it down, you will see that each mast and yard are all rigged the same. The only confusing part is where to tie or belay the line to. We are all here to help. The good thing about a larger ship is that the scale allows you more room to be more realistic.

The thing with the Trinidad that I built is that the belaying pin diagram was ALL wrong. Nothing made sense.

There are plenty of books out there at amazon.com, just search for rigging of tall ships or rigging of period ship models.

One book that I refer to all the time and of all the books I have, I still reach for this one is: Historic Ship Models by Wolfram zu Mondfeld 1-4027-2186-2

Donnie, no problem we all have been there at one time or another. They always seem to crash at the worst time. I have been going over build threads and I am currently about 45 pages into you Trinidad build, wow what beautiful work you did on that. I only hope I can be that good someday. I have looked up some of the books you mentioned in the build tread and have the Peterson book on the way. I will look for the one the Wolfram book next.

Like I mentioned to GaryM, I will start small and work my way up to the bigger ones you guys are building. My wife got me the Bluenose II. Just starting to go through the directions and plans now. Just going to take my time and ask questions on stuff I don't understand. Lol, so be prepared for me to pick everyone's brains :grin:

Again thank you for the warm welcome and encouragement.
Ray

 

[DaveC]

Ray, my love has always been model railroading. I began in the hobby before P.C. boards and such. So, everything was hardwired. On the club railroad I worked with, I was the electrician/electronics guru. The reason being, I had gone to electronics school. Well, one of the things that just always threw me around like a rag doll, was the maze of wiring involved.
One day, an older gentleman visited. We got into a conversation about the wiring maze.
He put it very simply.."Well, one wire is simple, it goes from here to there. Just look at it one wire at a time and run them each from here to there or there to there."
Simple, eh?
Rigging is the same thing. One line at a time...in the correct order.
Before you know it, ya got it!

Dave
Seattle

 

[Donnie]

Ray,
I appreciate your compliments, but I can say without a doubt that I am not of any expert. I waded through the whole build on my Trinidad. There are people out there (and on this forum) that know much more than I do, especially the history and all the nautical terms. I think the main thing is just to sit back and enjoy building whatever you wish. But, I will say one thing about that. I do agree with Gary in that I do believe Gary like me do not want any modeler to get or go overboard - no puns - and get discouraged. Then there have been folks that just jumped right into a huge wooden ship and they completed with no major worries. Everyone is different. I built two plastic ships. Then I fretted over the wooden because I just did not think I had the talent to make or carve out each piece, so I went with the Sultana Colonial Schooner of which still took me one year.
Then after which, I sank my teeth into the OcCre Trinidad. It wasn't until way later , like 4 years later is when I got out the rigging plates as I was ready for that part and realized either I did not know what the heck I was doing or OcCre was nuts in their rigging plates. It took a while of studying and an email or two to some other guys building the Trinidad that yes, OcCre screwed up the rigging belaying pin arrangements. The whole thing is totally ridiculous. They had things like the "Bunt Lines" "Yard Lifts" of the Fore yard tying off to some belaying pins way, way aft of the ship. No - way folks. This is the main thing that we all have been complaining about here is that these wooden ship kit manufactures need to get their act together!
I just wish I had time to sit down and write some of them a letter - as I had also mentioned 'us' signing a petition - perhaps on this forum and then maybe sending the link (of SOS with the petition) to the different companies. However, I am also very concerned about newcomers to the hobby if they see this "Topic" about such that this would ward off any new potential new ship builders.... so - not sure what to do.
Any way I can help you, just let me know.

Donnie