Discussion Historical Accuracy vs. Creative Freedom: Where Do You Stand?

[RichardG]

I think I’m just the opposite. I look at my finished product and am reminded of all the mistakes I’ve made. They stand out like a sore thumb to me. So I give a lot of them away. The recipients will never notice. For me, it’s all about the process and the learning of skills that I am most interested in.

You should hold on to some of them as, in my experience, the feeling of failure subsides. Many moons ago I worked as a pipe organ builder. I spent a fair deal of time making metal pipes in the pipe shop. The pipes would be finished as much as two years before the actual organ, so were stored for that period. When I finally took them from storage at that later dater, they looked almost perfect. Mistakes, of which there were many obvious to me directly after construction, were forgotten!

 

[Pointer121]

I am working on Occre's Endurance and my goal is to improve many of the details to appear more historically accurate. I am not too concerned about absolute accuracy (I don't have that skill yet) but I can already see some areas that could use improvement due to Occre's details not being good enough. So, I am definitely not a purist but I do enjoy doing the research to see where improvements to accuracy can be made.

 

[KeithLyall]

I am working on Occre's Endurance and my goal is to improve many of the details to appear more historically accurate. I am not too concerned about absolute accuracy (I don't have that skill yet) but I can already see some areas that could use improvement due to Occre's details not being good enough. So, I am definitely not a purist but I do enjoy doing the research to see where improvements to accuracy can be made.

I am currently building Endurance and found research interesting to improve on the Occre kit and make the build more historically accurate but at the same time not getting overly concerned where that is not possible. Given the images of Frank Hurley as a start this has helped in my endeavours. However looking at the pictures I suspect the Endurance carpenters were busy as the ship definitely underwent change throughout its life I guess to meet changing circumstances so I don’t believe there is a definitively accurate model.

 

[11320 Titanic]

If you want historical accuracy, stay away from the USS Constitution! No one knows exactly what she presented!
Right now, I'm happy if someone can tell "it's a ship!"!

 

[Winova]

Just build your modeLand enjoy the time you are working on it, accuracy
is one thing enjoyment is another the latter I prefer.
I turn 93 in ten days time, thinking of starting a new model, a
Briganteen and I will not be fretting about accuracy
Cheers Winova , from Nova Scotia , Canada.

 

[Hotspur]

99% of the people who look at your models know what the anchor and what the wheel are, and that's about it.

I had a friend once who would get so bogged down on accuracy and details that he never completed anything.

If you look at one of my models and think I could have done a better job, let's just waltz over to your house so I can judge what you've built.

 

[11320 Titanic]

I'm with you Winova. I am 82, still trying to master this wooden ship model business. Right now trying to finish the Lobster Smack of the Shipwright series.
With emphasis on "trying". Things keep breaking, this leads to cussing and my wife gets a dollar per cuss word, so she's happy.
Starting to fair the bulkheads...ugh!!! But I love it. Happy winter to you!

 

[Dave @W]

My simple rule of thumb on building any model, ship, airplane or whatever floats my interest of the time is, !, if an actual and historical item, it will get as close to reality as possible. 2, if it's a model of a type of ship or whatever, I'll do whatever I think is something that MIGHT have been and whatever my creative talents (or lack of) can come up with but still staying within the time period. I have two model boats under way - Amati's Fifie and an old Dumas hydroplane. Both will be representative of the period but neither will be to the manufacturer's idea of what they were. The Fifie has some items that just don't look right and the Dumas model was poorly conceived and had some really poorly made items/wood and is now much different as well as very strongly put together. I also have a Tamiya P47 Razorback, a historical model just started - that will be near 100% as supplied.

 

[Thanasis]

Hi all. This interesting discussion was also been set among some Gr ship modelers, with parties of both opinions.
My opinion is based on what my "teacher" of the hobby (a 90 years old sailor) was used to say, while corecting me on a model.
He was saying me : "not what you think, but what actually was".
Thx

 

[11320 Titanic]

My simple rule of thumb on building any model, ship, airplane or whatever floats my interest of the time is, !, if an actual and historical item, it will get as close to reality as possible. 2, if it's a model of a type of ship or whatever, I'll do whatever I think is something that MIGHT have been and whatever my creative talents (or lack of) can come up with but still staying within the time period. I have two model boats under way - Amati's Fifie and an old Dumas hydroplane. Both will be representative of the period but neither will be to the manufacturer's idea of what they were. The Fifie has some items that just don't look right and the Dumas model was poorly conceived and had some really poorly made items/wood and is now much different as well as very strongly put together. I also have a Tamiya P47 Razorback, a historical model just started - that will be near 100% as supplied.

When I was doing Revelle's Constitution, after reading a few books, I came to the conclusion that the Captains had a bit if liberty as to how to make the ship theirs
so I became Commodore Don and decided to do what I wanted, as it was now MY ship. It came out well.

 

[Pat H]

Like so many others, I started out with stick-and-tissue model airplanes along with plastic model kits when young. I've continued building them throughout my life, though sometimes it would be a while between kits.
The great thing about being in th U.S. Navy was that I got to experience Japanese model shops and learn how to read the price codes on the boxes. Japan has fantastic plastic model kits, most which we don't see in other parts of the world.
It's only recently that I've become interested in wooden model ship building.

My first kit was the Bounty's jolly boat. Part way through the build I began thinking that it would be neat to recreate the sinking boat used by captain Jack Sparrow.
So the sail plan was changed to square rigging as used on full size ships. (Which required lots of research, including a reprint of The Young Sea Officer's Sheet anchor.)

I ended up with a second mast set up for a gaff rig.

The deadeyes can be unlaced and the mast rigs swaped out.
On a whim, I decided to make all running rigging fully functional, using waxed thread and Beautiful Blocks.
So, historical accuracy went out the port hole and was replaced by playful fanasy, which was a lot more fun.

My second build is the Model Shipways version of the USS Constitution cross section kit.
I keep a digital version of the plans on my laptop and the printed version of the hull instructions on the bedside table. (I think I nearly have them memorized.)
I also discovered that the actual ship can be accessed using Google Earth's street view. The Constitution Museum provides deck-by-deck views of the interior. (The hold and orlap are limited to the midship area.)



For this model, I'm trying to be historically accurate for the 1812 era.
Trouble is, I'm finding that the present day lowest deck areas don't allign with historical records. And the kit is lacking in accuracy of details, such as the diagonal bracing in the hold area.
My progress has been slowed by research, yet it's still satisying when I'm able to add details to the model that are I know are more accurate than kit.


So in two model builds, I've been able to experience completely different aspects of the hobby.

 

[Kurt Konrath]

I believe as others have said, build the best you can, as for accuracy, based on many stories of how ships changed configuration, such as masts and sails, the number and types of guns, and many other details that changed with each change of Captain, only those who actually served on a ship would know what is really accurate.

Take HMS Victory, USS Constitution or even Charles Morgan, while the ships still exist today to view, what your seeing is modern representation of what someone thinks is correct.

 

[uncchains]

I believe as others have said, build the best you can, as for accuracy, based on many stories of how ships changed configuration, such as masts and sails, the number and types of guns, and many other details that changed with each change of Captain, only those who actually served on a ship would know what is really accurate.

Take HMS Victory, USS Constitution or even Charles Morgan, while the ships still exist today to view, what your seeing is modern representation of what someone thinks is correct.

Kurt: Did you get the photos of my finished A-10 I posted?

 

[Kurt Konrath]

Kurt: Did you get the photos of my finished A-10 I posted?

Been a while but I think I saw them.

 

[TJCampbell]

As I progress and learn with each build, I got more caught up in accuracy, details etc. However........I would say that if you are building it for yourself, then all that is up to the builder. As has been mentioned...... a lot of people know just the basics parts of a ship. If you are building it for a show, say with judges, it can depend on how serious of a show/competition it is. I know there is a modeling group called IPMS (International Plastic Model Society?), and their judges are known as rivet counters and will judge accordingly. I am not interested in that.

Now...... I know my ships that I build are wood representations of steel hulled ships, so they might look like they are wood and not steel. As one of my mentors I guess you could call him, said to me - as the builder you have creative freedom over your build. If I am building a 740 ft great lake freighter that in reality has however many stanchions for their handrails, am I expecting my model to have that exact amount..... heck no. At that point for me, it's not really fun anymore to be that exact.