Hello from Western Colorado

Joined
Jul 22, 2019
Messages
288
Points
323

Location
Western Colorado, USA
This is mostly a re-post from before the page got reset here recently.

I’ve been building models since I was 8 or so of one type or another. For the last 8 years, I’ve been doing N Scale (1:160) trains. I built several layouts. The latest used hand layed track and is fully computerized, including sounds and the signal lights. The problem I have with the trains is space, so I decided to go back to model ships. Here’s a couple photos of the layout it’s 3 ½ by 6 feet.

SC001-S.jpg SC004-M.jpg
Over the years I’ve done several other hobbies. I raced RC Cars, which got me into machining so I could make parts for the cars. I converted my Mill to CNC, and then back when I realized I pretty much never used the mill because it was too much effort to do the computer stuff just to drill a hole. I was an electronics tech in the Navy. My grandfather taught me to weld and braze etc. Basically I just like to fix and or build about anything.

I built my first ship model when I was 16, for my mother. It is the plastic Revell Cutty Sark. Here’s a photo of it taken this morning, it’s currently sitting in my garage. It’s pretty rough but not horrible considering I was 16.
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My first wood model, like many, was never completed. I bought it when I was in the Navy around 1987 and built the hull but never did the masts. I was stationed on a destroyer and couldn’t figure out how to taper the masts in the harpoon equipment room, so It got boxed and lost somewhere along the way.
In 1992 I bought and built a Mamoli USS Constitution. I did pretty good up until the rigging. Fixing it up will be the second project I currently have planned.
After I finished the Constitution I built a Corel Victory cross section. I finally managed a somewhat less that horrible attempt at rigging. I had to use a piece of wood to make the upper deadeyes the same height but it turned out somewhat believable.
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I'm currently working on a Constitution cross section that is about complete.

I joined this website with hopes that with the help of the people here, I can bring my ship modeling skills up to at least up on par with my train modeling skills. I have a couple kits that I want to build when done with these projects and would like to eventually move into scratch building. We'll see how it goes default_smile.png

In my intro post that disappeared, I made a comment about modifying a mount for a Proxxon Rotary tool on my mini mill and someone asked about it. I'll put a thread about that in the tool section.
 
Welcome aboard Jodie. You and I seem to have several coincidences in our backgrounds. I too have built models my whole life, raced RC cars, served in the military (USAF), built the Revell Cutty Sark when I was a kid, and I own and operate a ShopBot CNC machine!! To top it off my usual internet handle and email address is myk_racing... very similar to mystracing.. kinda cool.

If you hang out at SoS, you will absolutely improve your modeling skills!!!
 
MIKE IS DEFINATLY CORRECT IN WHAT YOU CAN LEARN, I HAVE LEARNED MORE IN THE LAST YEAR HERE THAN IN 5 PREVIOUS YEARS AND AM CONTIUNING TO LEARN AND I AM 81 PLUS YEARS, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN MY BLANDFORD X SECTION FIRST SCRATCH BUILD FROM THE FRAMES AND LOWER DECK FRAMING (DISASTERS BOTH) TO MY MAIN DECK FRAMING WITCH IS MUCH AND I MEAN VERY MUCH IMPROVED, SOON I WILL BE FINISHED AND WILL POST SOME OF WHAT I HAVE LEARNED. Don
 
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