Hello,
I am pleased to have been accepted for membership.
I am interested in learning the craft of model ship building. I spent about 8 years as a conservator of metals for a large privately-owned museum before moving onto a career as a freelance writer and, eventually, a brief stint of five years as an editor with Reuters.
I still collect and conserve early colonial-era Spanish artifacts from the settlement sites in Florida, and I have a keen interest in the Spanish settlement of the Americas.
I am new to modelling, so I am completely starting from scratch with this hobby.
To this point, I have purchased a few how-to books on model ship building and most of the basic tools. I still need a plank bender and some type of miter/angle saw.
I have also purchased two apprentice (beginner level I and II) kits from Midwest Products: The Dinghy, and the Grand Banks Dory, both of which are billed as teaching the basic skills necessary for model ship building.
I do not have a workshop, per se, but I have set up a space in my office. This means that any cutting, shaving of wood parts, sanding, etc., will need to be done by hand (which I am fine with), as I do not have the space for power tools – and I do not want that mess!
My goals will be to complete the two kits referenced above in order to build my skill set and only then to progress to more difficult kits. I have in mind building the Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria kits and then, as my ultimate goal, I would like to build a Spanish Galleon. I hope it is clear; I do understand that I must learn to crawl before I run. I am autistic, so I have boundless patience and focus.
I’m looking forward to interacting here and learning all about what seems a wonderful hobby.
RM
I am pleased to have been accepted for membership.
I am interested in learning the craft of model ship building. I spent about 8 years as a conservator of metals for a large privately-owned museum before moving onto a career as a freelance writer and, eventually, a brief stint of five years as an editor with Reuters.
I still collect and conserve early colonial-era Spanish artifacts from the settlement sites in Florida, and I have a keen interest in the Spanish settlement of the Americas.
I am new to modelling, so I am completely starting from scratch with this hobby.
To this point, I have purchased a few how-to books on model ship building and most of the basic tools. I still need a plank bender and some type of miter/angle saw.
I have also purchased two apprentice (beginner level I and II) kits from Midwest Products: The Dinghy, and the Grand Banks Dory, both of which are billed as teaching the basic skills necessary for model ship building.
I do not have a workshop, per se, but I have set up a space in my office. This means that any cutting, shaving of wood parts, sanding, etc., will need to be done by hand (which I am fine with), as I do not have the space for power tools – and I do not want that mess!
My goals will be to complete the two kits referenced above in order to build my skill set and only then to progress to more difficult kits. I have in mind building the Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria kits and then, as my ultimate goal, I would like to build a Spanish Galleon. I hope it is clear; I do understand that I must learn to crawl before I run. I am autistic, so I have boundless patience and focus.
I’m looking forward to interacting here and learning all about what seems a wonderful hobby.
RM