Hello everyone! Thanks for adding me to the forum. I am new to model ship building and just received my first kit, the OcCre Polaris starter pack. I am 47 and have always wanted to try this hobby. I am finally in a place where I can, so I am happy to be here. If anyone has any suggestions that would be helpful for beginners, feel free to share the knowledge, as I am completely new at this.
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Hello and welcome to the forum, from NY
Welcome aboard!
First, WELCOME!!!
Next, many here, myself included, would suggest you set your kit aside for now and start with a good quality kit instead, that will teach good habits and practices. As you are in the US, consider one or more of the three boat beginner series from Model Expo. They are relatively simple and provide useful construction techniques that will carry through as you gain experience. Just one opinion.
Allan
https://www.modelexpo-online.com/pr...-3-kit-combo-series-with-tools-glue-and-paint
Wellcome from Florida !!
Welcome to the forums !
Hello Allan,First, WELCOME!!!
Next, many here, myself included, would suggest you set your kit aside for now and start with a good quality kit instead, that will teach good habits and practices. As you are in the US, consider one or more of the three boat beginner series from Model Expo. They are relatively simple and provide useful construction techniques that will carry through as you gain experience. Just one opinion.
Allan
https://www.modelexpo-online.com/pr...-3-kit-combo-series-with-tools-glue-and-paint
Thanks for the reply. I already started on the OCCre kit I received and have found it to be decent quality so far. I'm curious about the different kits, though, and am already thinking about my next build. I do have some experience in model building, just not specifically wooden ships, so my experience level is not entirely new. Would you recommend the Model Expo kits?
Hello and welcome aboard.
Bill
Bill
i agree about the starter series from model expo, however you can build a nice model of the polaris. eventually you will run out of suitable instructions just keep going
Hi JD
We all have an opinion on what kits are best. It depends on what you find important. Price, quality, accuracy, etc. If you enjoy doing a bit of research and willing to make modifications to a kit (commonly called kit bashing) the world is your oyster. If you want a spectacular model using what comes out of the box, there are a couple manufacturers that provide such kits based on what is seen in the build logs here at SoS and elsewhere. Look at the build logs before buying another kit to help you decide, based on what is important to you. Consider starting a build log and make mention that you are open to comments that will help you as you get further into the hobby. Youi have thousands of members, each with thousands of hours experience, that you can learn from IF you want to.
Allan
We all have an opinion on what kits are best. It depends on what you find important. Price, quality, accuracy, etc. If you enjoy doing a bit of research and willing to make modifications to a kit (commonly called kit bashing) the world is your oyster. If you want a spectacular model using what comes out of the box, there are a couple manufacturers that provide such kits based on what is seen in the build logs here at SoS and elsewhere. Look at the build logs before buying another kit to help you decide, based on what is important to you. Consider starting a build log and make mention that you are open to comments that will help you as you get further into the hobby. Youi have thousands of members, each with thousands of hours experience, that you can learn from IF you want to.
Allan
Welcome from a fellow Californian in the Bay Area.
I took up ship building 35 years ago and have now tried just about everything! My first model (no longer produced) was Atesania Latina’s Colonial War-era Hannah. It was just the right level of complexity to hold my interest and resulted in a very pretty build.
My suggestion would be to start with a solid hulled vessel from BlueJacket or Model Shipways and progress up to POF or POB models as your expertise builds and your workshop fills up.
I’d also suggest looking for a model at a fairly large scale (1/50, 1/60, 1/4) to get the hang of things.
Final piece of advice is that although the big, complex models look beautiful, they take a long time to build so you don’t get the sense of accomplishment that will drive you to your second model! (I once build San Felipe, a Spanish Galeon. With stops and starts and a couple of moves, it took me 15 yeas to complete and it was far too large to display in my home.)
Good luck.
Peter
Welcome aboard from Connecticut!
I second Alan's thought about starting out. I was heavily into plastic models before starting on wood. I actually ordered the Model Expo constitution cross section because it was on a great sale (Model expo often has sales). But looking at the instructions I realized it was too much for my skills. I did the model expo Dory then the Maine peapod (which was also on sale) and the Norwegian sailing pram. All increasing in complexity. They all came with excellent instructions, which are often lacking in more complex kits.
The build logs of others on this site and Model Ship World were invaluable in helping me understand the finer details of even these simpler kits. There are multiple you tube videos on different kits and just on different techniques that are also well worth looking at.
That being said the most valuable advice came from people who viewed my build logs and gave me great ideas and tips.
Rob
I second Alan's thought about starting out. I was heavily into plastic models before starting on wood. I actually ordered the Model Expo constitution cross section because it was on a great sale (Model expo often has sales). But looking at the instructions I realized it was too much for my skills. I did the model expo Dory then the Maine peapod (which was also on sale) and the Norwegian sailing pram. All increasing in complexity. They all came with excellent instructions, which are often lacking in more complex kits.
The build logs of others on this site and Model Ship World were invaluable in helping me understand the finer details of even these simpler kits. There are multiple you tube videos on different kits and just on different techniques that are also well worth looking at.
That being said the most valuable advice came from people who viewed my build logs and gave me great ideas and tips.
Rob
I'm not a kit builder, but Model Shipways gained a lot of respect in my book with their new ad that says:
This is the Constitution, one of the nicest but toughest wooden model kits we have. It´s so accurate and detailed that, if built right, can be displayed in a museum. If you are new to wooden model building, don't buy it. Please. You’ll be frustrated. And we want you to enjoy the most of this amazing hobby
There are beginner kits that will teach you the skills in an affordable, successful, and entertaining way.
We even developed a School of Ship modeling, a progressive and fun training on wood ship modeling. Start with an 1800's traditional fisherman's Dory at Skill Level 1. Continue at Skill Level 2 with a fully planked historic Norwegian Pram. Finally, the Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack at Skill Level 3 will prepare you for any larger wood ship model you choose, even the Constitution!
#modelexpo #modelbuilding
#modelismo
#modelship
#woodmodel #woodworking #plastickit #scalemodelling #scalemodel #shipmodel #shipmodeling #plasticmodel
Allan said it first, but I believe you will find overwhelming agreement that there isn't a better place to start out than the Model Shipways three-model instructional "Shipwright" starter series. I'm a lot less circumspect than a lot of guys. I'll give it to you straight: They don't call that kit outfit "medi-OcCre" for nuthin'.
If this is your first wooden ship model, and you aren't an experienced wooden boatbuilder and scratch building modeler, you will probably be frustrated with the experience of building their Polaris model and disappointed with the results, OcCre is notorious for indecipherable instructions, for one thing. I'm sorry and I'm sure there will be more than one person who will reply that they built OcCre"s Polaris as their first build and it was a wonderful experience, and they built a great model. All I can say to that is, "If it was your first model, how the hell do you know?" I know OcCre sells a lot of Polaris kits by advertising it as for "novices" and all that. Don't forget, they're directing their advertising to customers that don't know what they're doing. Unfortunately, a lot of those buyers get frustrated and give up on ship modeling entirely, throwing up their hands and walking away. Wooden ship modeling is nothing like plastic modeling where you "insert peg "A" into hole "B," following the instructions step-by-step with perfectly fitting cast plastic parts and then you just paint it. It's an entirely different ballgame.
If you use the search feature of this forum, you can read up on all the "first kit selection" threads, OcCre in general, and their Polaris in particular. All the reasons for the opinions stated are discussed in all those threads. So often, in fact, that I think a lot of guys are sick of repeating themselves. Check what others are saying.
Look at the Model Shipways beginner's series at https://www.modelexpo-online.com/pr...-3-kit-combo-series-with-tools-glue-and-paint Down at the bottom of the page are links to the instructions for each of the three "learning models" in the series. (They can be purchased separately. If you send them a picture of yourself with your finished first model of the dory, they will credit the purchase price of the first model against the purchase price on your next one. "Build it and get the kit free." Read the PDF's of their instruction and training manuals. Compare them to your OcCre instructions.
What Allan and everybody else said: Set your OcCre Polaris aside and "take the prerequisite course before you tackle the advanced material." With at least some solid experience, you may be able to then "kit bash" your Polaris model, and end up with a much more advanced result than what anybody could hope to get "straight out of the box." Don't let the advertisers set you up for failure.
This is the Constitution, one of the nicest but toughest wooden model kits we have. It´s so accurate and detailed that, if built right, can be displayed in a museum. If you are new to wooden model building, don't buy it. Please. You’ll be frustrated. And we want you to enjoy the most of this amazing hobby
There are beginner kits that will teach you the skills in an affordable, successful, and entertaining way.
We even developed a School of Ship modeling, a progressive and fun training on wood ship modeling. Start with an 1800's traditional fisherman's Dory at Skill Level 1. Continue at Skill Level 2 with a fully planked historic Norwegian Pram. Finally, the Muscongus Bay Lobster Smack at Skill Level 3 will prepare you for any larger wood ship model you choose, even the Constitution!
#modelexpo #modelbuilding
#modelismo
#modelship
#woodmodel #woodworking #plastickit #scalemodelling #scalemodel #shipmodel #shipmodeling #plasticmodel
Allan said it first, but I believe you will find overwhelming agreement that there isn't a better place to start out than the Model Shipways three-model instructional "Shipwright" starter series. I'm a lot less circumspect than a lot of guys. I'll give it to you straight: They don't call that kit outfit "medi-OcCre" for nuthin'.
If this is your first wooden ship model, and you aren't an experienced wooden boatbuilder and scratch building modeler, you will probably be frustrated with the experience of building their Polaris model and disappointed with the results, OcCre is notorious for indecipherable instructions, for one thing. I'm sorry and I'm sure there will be more than one person who will reply that they built OcCre"s Polaris as their first build and it was a wonderful experience, and they built a great model. All I can say to that is, "If it was your first model, how the hell do you know?" I know OcCre sells a lot of Polaris kits by advertising it as for "novices" and all that. Don't forget, they're directing their advertising to customers that don't know what they're doing. Unfortunately, a lot of those buyers get frustrated and give up on ship modeling entirely, throwing up their hands and walking away. Wooden ship modeling is nothing like plastic modeling where you "insert peg "A" into hole "B," following the instructions step-by-step with perfectly fitting cast plastic parts and then you just paint it. It's an entirely different ballgame. If you use the search feature of this forum, you can read up on all the "first kit selection" threads, OcCre in general, and their Polaris in particular. All the reasons for the opinions stated are discussed in all those threads. So often, in fact, that I think a lot of guys are sick of repeating themselves. Check what others are saying.
Look at the Model Shipways beginner's series at https://www.modelexpo-online.com/pr...-3-kit-combo-series-with-tools-glue-and-paint Down at the bottom of the page are links to the instructions for each of the three "learning models" in the series. (They can be purchased separately. If you send them a picture of yourself with your finished first model of the dory, they will credit the purchase price of the first model against the purchase price on your next one. "Build it and get the kit free." Read the PDF's of their instruction and training manuals. Compare them to your OcCre instructions.
What Allan and everybody else said: Set your OcCre Polaris aside and "take the prerequisite course before you tackle the advanced material." With at least some solid experience, you may be able to then "kit bash" your Polaris model, and end up with a much more advanced result than what anybody could hope to get "straight out of the box." Don't let the advertisers set you up for failure.