First build in over 50 years - crazy to try Bluenose? What else?

[DennisP]

Hi and welcome to the forum, I was new to this hobby last December and decided to start with Occre’s Polaris. It is a starter kit with lots of challenges, i made many mistakes but received a lot of help from forum members. I had to do a partial rebuild and patience is a virtue. Do not be in a hurry when building.
I have attached a photo of my completed build and as you can see from the image against my name I decided to try the Sopwith Camel as the second build, which too was successful. Currently building Occre’s Black Swan.
Good luck and ask as many questions as you want. The folks here are fabulous.

 

[Zondar]

Rob: Thanks. That three-kit beginner set is widely recommended here. But I think I can handle something a little more challenging.

Roger: The Medway Longboat looks like a nice kit, but it is out of production now. Thanks for the suggestion though.

Dennis: Yes, the Polaris seems to be a very popular kit for an advanced beginner, and it's quite attractive. Yours came out very nice indeed. And I love the Sopwith Camel you finished recently! You risk knocking me off track and getting me back into model airplanes instead!

The quality and detail of some of these kits is amazing, and far better than anything I remember being available in days gone by. Back then, almost everything I built was from scratch, though, starting from books or magazine articles. As I recall, I only built one kit, a U-control stunt plane for an Enya 0.15 engine. I somehow still have the engine after >50 years and a total-loss house fire. I remember asking my local store if they had "dope" (as many here would know, a kind of lacquer for treating tissue or cloth wing coverings) and getting quite an unexpected response!

A few of the other kits I've seen that are interesting includes the MarisStella Stilac and other similar ship models, the Liburnian Monotreme, and one of the Viking Osebergs.

One thing is certain: the community here is very friendly and supportive!

 

[Ted Robinson]

Thank you for providing other kit options for Bluenose. I'm not completely set on it, but it's similar to the one I made as a teen, so the nostalgia element is there. I could look for other racing sloops, too.

From my prior experience, I'd probably rate myself an advanced beginner, maybe stretching to intermediate, but not expert. To correct my terminology, my old model was POB not POF.

Artesania doesn't seem to make those kits any more.

The Model Shipways one is not a contender since it's in basswood. Billings Boats makes three different ones, but they also all seem to be in basswood. That wood is utterly devoid of character and simply must be painted. I'm not completely set against painting, but I love attractive wood (I've also done some non-modeling wood-working, e.g. in mahogany). In addition, I feel that painted scale modeling often does not look quite right unless done by a true master.

That seems to leave the ZHL one, which appears to be the most challenging. Again, I should consider other options, but it sure seems like a nice kit.

Welcome to SOS Zondar.
I believe I fall into the group at your experience level. I built the ZHL Bluenose kit with the assistance of the helpful members of this site. Through the use of doing a build log the helpful members of this site provided me with guidance and corrections throughout the build. On areas where I was just to dense or inexperienced several members actually drew up illustrations to show me where my mistake was and how to correct it.
If you read my build log you will find an exemplar of what not to do and a litinay of errors at any rate, the model was completed and came out beautiful.
So I encourage you to build this model. It will be one of the most fulfilling experiences in your life.
The model is available at a discount from members on this site. Also avoiding tarrifs. If you are interested please pm me and I will pass along contact information for the seller.
Happy modeling

 

[jplm]

Welcome, Zondar, from Orillia, Ontario.

I have not built the Bluenose, but I have a friend who did build it as his first wooden model ship. He did just fine. It's an easy rig, fore and aft and not too complicated. I don't think that you should be intimidated by it so long as you buy a good kit.

JPLM