Is it okay to build two ships, or is it too much?

Swabbie · Tuesday at 3:47 AM

I am already building a ship kit. However, an opportunity arose for me to buy a different ship kit. I like to start on the second kit while doing the first.
What are your thoughts on this idea?

AllanKP69 · Tuesday at 4:14 AM

There are advantages or building more than one at a time. Going to a second build can be something to do while glue dries on the other one, or after boredom sets in when the tedium of repetitive chores like rigging ratlines comes about and a break is needed.
Allan

Stjoedreamer · Tuesday at 7:09 AM

For me it would be about the lack of space to build two at the same time and I’d worry about getting parts mixed up but if I had the space, I’d build 3 at a time!

Corsair · Tuesday at 8:14 AM

Many of us have multiple models going at the same time.

Rob444 · Tuesday at 8:35 AM

"Is it okay to build two ships"

I think that totally depends on the admiral!

Y.T. · Tuesday at 11:28 AM

If one builds for fun, one can build any number of projects at a time. However, the more projects are in progress, the less is possibility any of them will be completed.

Kurt Konrath · Tuesday at 11:33 AM

My mentor said he used to have 2-3 in work at a time, one with hull work and second with rigging work, as others have said, a chance to change when tired of a demanding task on one, you can go to easier task on the other, and back while glue dries. but space is also a concern.

Sandekus · Tuesday at 11:53 AM

I have two models in the process of construction now. One stands - the paint dries (Adolf Fredrich/goes full paint - found a painting from that period in 1798. Artistic paints take a long time to dry. Therefore, I laid down the second model - a gaff schooner/reconstruction based on photographs/. It all depends on the performer and his skills! When there is a technological pause, do another model.

Bobby K. · Tuesday at 12:28 PM

Happy New Year, when I first started modeling 4years ago it was one model , even at one I was concerned, lol. Four years later I got four on the go, one will be done in a few days, week, lol. About to start a Wasa and a Vasa at the same time soon. Don't know when I will get to the other three.
For me I would say build as many as you can.
Bobby K

Pathfinder65 · Tuesday at 12:39 PM

Corsair said:
Many of us have multiple models going at the same time.

Ditto

Swabbie · Tuesday at 2:04 PM

Wow. All yeas and no nays.
Thank you all for your responses. They have helped me to clarify my own position and temperament.
I do have a concern about space, as @Stjoedreamer and @Kurt Konrath mentioned.
I am also prone to not completing projects, as mentioned by @Y.T., especially if I divert my attention too far from what I am doing.
Fortunately, @Rob444, I do not have any admirals.

So, until I can organise more space, which would be a miracle in itself, my main objective will be to finish one project at a time.

I just remembered a possible solution to organising my workspace. When I was in the RAAF (instruments and avionics), we had to clear the workbenches (and building) every Friday afternoon for inspection. . . This is why I don't have an admiral

I could get into this habit again. Then, every week, I get an opportunity to choose which ship I want to work on.
Yes, I will start giving that a go.

Thank you all for finding a solution for me.

Swabbie · Tuesday at 2:08 PM

@Sandekus, I have a few questions.
Do you use oil paints on your models?
If so, do you also do oil paintings?

Bob Cleek · Tuesday at 3:54 PM

Sandekus said:
Artistic paints take a long time to dry.

Just a footnote:

Tubed artists' oils and acrylics are intentionally formulated to polymerize ("dry") slowly. Oil paint artists prefer them that was so that they can work on a painting over a number of days and still be able to blend colors on the canvas itself and do other things they otherwise couldn't do if the paint dried overnight.

Adding a bit of "accelerator" to the paint will permit you to regulate the amount of time it takes the paint to polymerize ("dry.") Japan dryer is commonly used for oil-based paints. Acrylic paints have their own proprietary accelerators. Accellerators or "dryers," as well as "retarders" which slow polymerization, can be purchased wherever you purchase artists' oils and acrylics. Follow the manufacturers' directions.

Kurt Konrath · 2026-01-07T22:01:59-0600

With no Admirals to keep you in line, I hope you have a good crew there to supervise, we all need a cabin cat or deck hand dog to spend time with.

DARIVS ARCHITECTVS · 2026-01-07T22:48:44-0600

I build one at a time in order to preserve the sense of progression. Splitting efforts between two or three projects makes the progress seem to slow to a crawl. This effect is different for different people. Since my builds take a few years, dragging them out by doing multiple projects would really slow things down, but also keep more interest because only one project tends to feel boring at times. You have to see for yourself what feels right for you.

Swabbie · 2026-01-07T23:31:04-0600

Kurt Konrath said:
With no Admirals to keep you in line, I hope you have a good crew there to supervise, we all need a cabin cat or deck hand dog to spend time with.

Oh, that would be nice, but my rental lease says "No pets"... even pests are not allowed. ROTF

Once upon a time, I looked after a friend's parrot while they went on holiday. They said they would be away for a week, but ended up being away for a month. All the parrot could say, a thousand times a day, was: "What are you doing?"

What a pest of a pet he was.

ubjs · 2026-01-08T05:19:23-0600

I see a risk that you will lose the first ship if you start the second one.
But try it and if you notice that you don't return to the first one, I think you should finish building the second one before starting a third.

DARIVS ARCHITECTVS · 2026-01-08T05:33:55-0600

Swabbie said:
Oh, that would be nice, but my rental lease says "No pets"... even pests are not allowed.
Once upon a time, I looked after a friend's parrot while they went on holiday. They said they would be away for a week, but ended up being away for a month. All the parrot could say, a thousand times a day, was: "What are you doing?" What a pest of a pet he was.

You should have taken the opportunity to teach that parrot some choice phrases of your own before giving it back to its owner. . .

Jack Sparrow · 2026-01-08T07:45:48-0600

If I were to build 2 ships they would have some differences in the builds. For example, I would build the USS Constitution and maybe the second one would be a plank on frame construction. There are enough differences between the two to keep things challenging. But for me one ship is a multiyear project so I am fine with doing one at a time. I do a little bit here and there. Very slow process but life tends to get in the way of building so...

Kurt Konrath · 2026-01-08T09:16:21-0600

Life and other hobbies, as is my case, with three I am active in at one time, that and a severe case of clutter at the work bench, if I stop too long on a project, I have to search for where I am and what I have done with half my tools that get borrowed for tasks in other hobbies.

But with no Admirals or pets/pests to take your time, its only your self to talk you into or out of doing something, which can be a tricky situation if you start talking and answering yourself.