Something has been on my mind for quite some time now, and I am going to see if I can rightly express it, it envolves projects started but no completion this is an ongoing problem in other forums also, take for example the Blanford build so many members have started logs but no ones has shown anything up to the lower deck, the very good modelers and you know who you are,,,are needed by us novices and intermediate builders to see how to do and answer questions this and other projects are what is needed to advance and expand the hobby, Dave Stevens has posted some incrediable how to threads but is going through a rough time with family, so someone has to pick up the slack to make this forum complete, not a time to remain silent,,,some time ago members of MSB had a project in mind where the plans were finshed it was suposed to be a state of the art build with 3-D instructions etc, all the cutting files by DAve were completed and a prototype was to be built as the last step, due to work obligations the prtotype could not be built by the person doing it, my call is TWOFOLD TO ALL SOS MEMBERS BOTH USA AND INTERNATIONAL TO TAKE UP THE SLACK AND MOVE PROJECTS ON TO COMPLETION,,,, any and all coments are acceptable, I truly think this is an important part of this forum to step up and advance the hobby to bring new members who view this forum as guests but who have not joined up it is takeing the shape of other forums SAME OLD SAME OLD, sometimes as many as 50 guests are looking at this forum, PLEASE MAKE IT DIFFERENT AND INTERESTING TO THESE GUESTS, many who may be novices or intermediate builders wanting to progress, MIKE41, DAVE STEVENS and others are trying to do this. JUST MY THOUGHTS Don
For many of us and myself, is just a hobby. Unfortunately, it has been buried in a variety of everyday problems: There is almost no time left for it, between family and holidays season. I wish I could spend more time building the ships. 
Hi Jim, I fully understand the people who are still working and raising a family, not like me at 80 years old I have nothing but time so ship modeling is everthing to me, my coments were generlized to those who have the time, sometime I fall into the senior citzens thing called sleep I can fall asleep at the drop of a pin in a certain chair but as soon as I hit the work bench I become alive and produtive sometime working until 2:00AM, continue to have fun that is the bottom line. Don
Unfortunately Don this is just the nature of any hobby. I saw a lot of this in the RC forums. I am still working full time, though today I was ready to say _______ it I'm done, Alaska here I came. Some folks can find time to work on hobbies and some cant. some folks start like a house on fire and then burn out and move on to other things. I know for me I have many interest. I build ships, I build and fly RC planes and drones, I forge metals and also cast metals. I machine metals and Build firearms. I hunt, fish, hike, camp and teach a Primitive survival, hunting, trapping, weapon making classes. Trying to balance time for all is Impossible. so I have to choose what I'll be doing for this day or that day. I also think seasons have an affect as winter time seems to be the height of building. Summer time folks want to be in the sun. This happens with everything we do in life no matter how much we love to do it, sometimes we just need a break a change of flavor if you will. I want to see builds completed and for folks to stay with the project to completion, But I know out of 10 builds only 3 or so will see completion in a timely manor. the other I just wait for the folks to come back to them and I know some wont ever. I am like you once I get to the bench I'm all in for the time I have, I work steady without breaks till I have to go to bed. weekends I can be up till 2-3 am working before I even realize how late it is.
One thing I know for sure that helps is interaction with builders. chiming in on build posts helps motivate. unfortunately some folks will only look at builds they have interest in so many get little replies. I look at every build regardless my reasoning is even if I'm interested in building Mr. Boons build he may be doing something I can use later down the line on one of my builds maybe it will be some details in the rigging or maybe some easier way to plank a ship I am always searching. I am always willing to help out even if it take time from my projects to help motivate folks be it with words or an offer to make something for them. Please don't take this as me beating up on you that's not what this post is I completely understand what your talking about and I fully Agree. I haven't been on the planet as long as you have Brother as I'm only 53, but I have seen a lot of hobbies get replaced by others and some with just relaxing in an arm chair watching TV. You sound like your a doer like I am I have to be doing something all the time I hate even having to sleep because that's non productive and time wasted to me. I hate having to stop to eat or go to the bathroom. I have been a worker for as long as I can remember I have always built or fixed things.
One thing I know for sure that helps is interaction with builders. chiming in on build posts helps motivate. unfortunately some folks will only look at builds they have interest in so many get little replies. I look at every build regardless my reasoning is even if I'm interested in building Mr. Boons build he may be doing something I can use later down the line on one of my builds maybe it will be some details in the rigging or maybe some easier way to plank a ship I am always searching. I am always willing to help out even if it take time from my projects to help motivate folks be it with words or an offer to make something for them. Please don't take this as me beating up on you that's not what this post is I completely understand what your talking about and I fully Agree. I haven't been on the planet as long as you have Brother as I'm only 53, but I have seen a lot of hobbies get replaced by others and some with just relaxing in an arm chair watching TV. You sound like your a doer like I am I have to be doing something all the time I hate even having to sleep because that's non productive and time wasted to me. I hate having to stop to eat or go to the bathroom. I have been a worker for as long as I can remember I have always built or fixed things.
I agree with Joe i been in the R/C plane industry for 30+ yrs some get done some don't at least online. I have seen guys start something on line and stop posting because either they didn't have the spare time or had computer probs etc but you see the plane they started complete at the next competition.
Like me here, I had to spend weeks away as the wife grandma was passing then taking care of other stuff with the estate then my promotion and putting in 56 hrs every 4 days.
That's why I decided to spend the money on the 74 gun books and plans I am just going to build from those for now and worry about all the other drawing stuff when things calm down in the spring.
Xmas season is almost always dead on all forums from oct to jan people doing holiday things and shopping and with family and traveling only from abt Jan-May to forums usually really hop then June-Sept the med busy.
that is just the way things go in the hobby business
Like me here, I had to spend weeks away as the wife grandma was passing then taking care of other stuff with the estate then my promotion and putting in 56 hrs every 4 days.
That's why I decided to spend the money on the 74 gun books and plans I am just going to build from those for now and worry about all the other drawing stuff when things calm down in the spring.
Xmas season is almost always dead on all forums from oct to jan people doing holiday things and shopping and with family and traveling only from abt Jan-May to forums usually really hop then June-Sept the med busy.
that is just the way things go in the hobby business
Epicdoom (Joe), I understand and agree compltly and I am like you when I have a problem with a part that i do not understand or make a BO BO on something i will stay with it until I understand what is hapening, or make the corections, just 2 nights ago I was up until 5:30AM solveing a problem on my Gun Boat Philadelphia, I think I got it solved, and do not woory about beating up on me, I take it as a LEARNING POINT and have found out no matter how old there are still things plenty of things to learn I always like construtive critisms it is neccessary to move on. THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS Don PS yes I have to do something can not just sit and do nothing, always looking for interesting projects, at my age I am limited as to what I can do so it bolis down to MOIDEL SHIP BUILDING
Good evening friends. Often I hear people saying "need getting more new people into a hobby". Interesting to know. Why do you need others to join?
It's crazy what we put ourselves through to do things like build ships. lets face it no matter what the experience level is or how many ships have left the old dock there is always something that causes a headache. For me and yes you as well its a challenge that you want to whip. Challenges are why we build difficult things I like to solve problems so I will take on any challenge presented to me. I will Curse, stomp my feet and pout like a 3 year old, but I never give up till its solved. This is why we Humans are the top species on the planet. I do a lot of electronics repair work for my job, some things I figure out right away and sometimes I curse the day I decided to do this type of work. I had one of those days yesterday I tend to forget that if I just walk away from it and clear my head off all the schematics and test procedures I can rethink the issue through with more logic because my head isn't clouded, I call this a smoke break. When I return to the problem I see things more clearly and usually figure out the issue. It's all a learning experience that we hope to remember the next time the problem is presented to us.
You have tenacity Brother and that is one of the traits essential to good problem solving. My wife is always saying WHY do you put yourself through things you know will be difficult for you. I really cant answer that question it is pretty dumb thing to do for us humans to throw ourselves into things we know will drive us batty. The only answer that comes to mind is I like to learn new things sometimes they are easy, sometimes not so much. I watch my grandson try and solve problems and get frustrated I offer help, but he never wants it he has to figure it out himself that's a good and bad thing. It's good he stays with it, but the frustration clouds his judgment to the point he throws it down and walks away. The Marine in me says Nope that's not ok Improvise= look for all solutions to the problem Adapt= except help or ask for help when all else fails. Overcome= whip that problem by any means necessary. I stop him and help with hints to how to figure it out it gets his brain working again and he usually figures it out sometimes I have to help more, but I do not ever let him give up and in the end if I have to solve the issue for him he learns and hopefully next time will remember. I cant say he doesn't get his stubbornness honestly because I hate to ask for help also, but I'm learning that sometimes we all need help with things and there is nothing wrong with that. stay at it Brother you have the skills to overcome problems otherwise you wouldn't build ships.
You have tenacity Brother and that is one of the traits essential to good problem solving. My wife is always saying WHY do you put yourself through things you know will be difficult for you. I really cant answer that question it is pretty dumb thing to do for us humans to throw ourselves into things we know will drive us batty. The only answer that comes to mind is I like to learn new things sometimes they are easy, sometimes not so much. I watch my grandson try and solve problems and get frustrated I offer help, but he never wants it he has to figure it out himself that's a good and bad thing. It's good he stays with it, but the frustration clouds his judgment to the point he throws it down and walks away. The Marine in me says Nope that's not ok Improvise= look for all solutions to the problem Adapt= except help or ask for help when all else fails. Overcome= whip that problem by any means necessary. I stop him and help with hints to how to figure it out it gets his brain working again and he usually figures it out sometimes I have to help more, but I do not ever let him give up and in the end if I have to solve the issue for him he learns and hopefully next time will remember. I cant say he doesn't get his stubbornness honestly because I hate to ask for help also, but I'm learning that sometimes we all need help with things and there is nothing wrong with that. stay at it Brother you have the skills to overcome problems otherwise you wouldn't build ships.
Hi Don
If I come across as disrespectful I apologize,
The more difficult a project the longer it takes. For example the Caldercraft Victory suggest 3-3,500 hours of effort req to complete the Model. Yes it huge but at 2-3 hours a day for a good modeller who does not get interrupted by life's complications and distractions it would take 1000 days or so. That's 3 years full time. YEP Modelling ships is a hobby killer for those that have never done it before or who do not have the tenacity to persevere. I remember wanting give up lots of times with my first ship. If we factory in reality the Victory will probably be close to 10 years for me to finish. ( The AL has taken 13 months and I'm still on the hull. ( Wife recons I spend to much time already.) I figure another 1-2 years for that one.
Ship building is meant to be a slow relaxing project, where you learn as you go. Nothing gets handed to anyone on a plate anymore, sometines you have to figure it out yourself. Besides the Blanford is a Scratch and not for everyone. We all have out favorite ships we would like to build, and, it seems we all do the same kits!.
Most of the stuff i know came from books and trial and error. Not someone showing me. Year my dad use to say there are three ways to do something. The rightway, the wrong way and the Navy way ( British), how come you found a fourth way! I screw up, I learn, that's it. I accept that I'm never going to be able to do things as well as some others, but what I do do is enjoy what I can do, good or bad, and enjoy it and am proud of it for what it is. Its a juts hobby, among others.
My life was almost ended 6 years ago now with a massive heart attack. So for me its enjoy what I have, while i have it. If I never finish so what, I still enjoyed the journey!
Cheers Paul
If I come across as disrespectful I apologize,
The more difficult a project the longer it takes. For example the Caldercraft Victory suggest 3-3,500 hours of effort req to complete the Model. Yes it huge but at 2-3 hours a day for a good modeller who does not get interrupted by life's complications and distractions it would take 1000 days or so. That's 3 years full time. YEP Modelling ships is a hobby killer for those that have never done it before or who do not have the tenacity to persevere. I remember wanting give up lots of times with my first ship. If we factory in reality the Victory will probably be close to 10 years for me to finish. ( The AL has taken 13 months and I'm still on the hull. ( Wife recons I spend to much time already.) I figure another 1-2 years for that one.
Ship building is meant to be a slow relaxing project, where you learn as you go. Nothing gets handed to anyone on a plate anymore, sometines you have to figure it out yourself. Besides the Blanford is a Scratch and not for everyone. We all have out favorite ships we would like to build, and, it seems we all do the same kits!.
Most of the stuff i know came from books and trial and error. Not someone showing me. Year my dad use to say there are three ways to do something. The rightway, the wrong way and the Navy way ( British), how come you found a fourth way! I screw up, I learn, that's it. I accept that I'm never going to be able to do things as well as some others, but what I do do is enjoy what I can do, good or bad, and enjoy it and am proud of it for what it is. Its a juts hobby, among others.
My life was almost ended 6 years ago now with a massive heart attack. So for me its enjoy what I have, while i have it. If I never finish so what, I still enjoyed the journey!
Cheers Paul
what is funny is I only been into sailing ships for abt a year maybe hair less. I like to do cad work and try to draw stuff up so I understand how things go together. I read a ton of threads watched videos etc. whats funny is I have people in the hobby for years emailing me how to do this or that and im like I dunno I just draw it as I understand it.
theres tons of books and videos out there and plenty of cheap 2x4's to chop up for test material. I say just make some sawdust is the only way you going to learn. and a 2x4 will make a ton of screwed up and perfect parts for only a couple bucks worth of wood
theres tons of books and videos out there and plenty of cheap 2x4's to chop up for test material. I say just make some sawdust is the only way you going to learn. and a 2x4 will make a ton of screwed up and perfect parts for only a couple bucks worth of wood
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Ik have heartritm problems and it feels very scary most of the time. It results in panic attacks. I take medication for the heartritm problems but they give panic attacks as side effects. How does that attack you had effect your life to go outside?
Hi pat
I had a double bypass, spent 6 months with a staff infection from it, bottle fed antibiotics every day & had to be re cut open and rib rings removed. The meds are okay. For the first 2 years I had minor panic attacks & fear. But I thought what the hell I cant stop it happening again, so I just tried to get on with life. The antibiotics removed all my rsistance to flues colds etc. It took nearly 4 years to get back to normal. I lost 20% of my oxygen capacity and some scaring. I now get tired quicker, but still do the same physical things. I'm only on 2 beta blockers & the normal statin / asprin regime. I did find that some generic brands of the meds caused issued, so I learnt to not purchase them. It was trail and error to locate the culprit ( a generic verson of Metropolol). Let your Doc know they can recommend alternatives. Med changed, problem alleviated.
I was lucky I guess, so now I take life as it is.
I had a double bypass, spent 6 months with a staff infection from it, bottle fed antibiotics every day & had to be re cut open and rib rings removed. The meds are okay. For the first 2 years I had minor panic attacks & fear. But I thought what the hell I cant stop it happening again, so I just tried to get on with life. The antibiotics removed all my rsistance to flues colds etc. It took nearly 4 years to get back to normal. I lost 20% of my oxygen capacity and some scaring. I now get tired quicker, but still do the same physical things. I'm only on 2 beta blockers & the normal statin / asprin regime. I did find that some generic brands of the meds caused issued, so I learnt to not purchase them. It was trail and error to locate the culprit ( a generic verson of Metropolol). Let your Doc know they can recommend alternatives. Med changed, problem alleviated.
I was lucky I guess, so now I take life as it is.
Hi all, I too at 80 have problems, TRIPLE BY PASS 5 years ago, 10 days after they found out I had a bleeding ulcer, I have had TYPE II DIABETES FOR THE PAST 20 years Take quite a bit of meds, I am so thankfull for each and every day THAT JESUES GIVES ME HERE, I do have some panic attacks, the bigest problem with my health is my diet IT IS BLAND AND VERY LIMITED, in what I can eat, VERY BORING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, to top it off after years of good to excellent DIABETES READINGS, I am now at a high level, stopped recording them a month ago and have a Drs appotment this mont for blood tests so far my A1C that they tell me is fine so to sum it up I THANK MY BLESSING EVERY DAY, AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS SHIP MODEL BUILDING IS PART OF MY HEALTH ROUTINE AS MY Drs SAY A BIG PART BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, MY FAITH INN JESUES CHRIST IS MY ROCK AND REDEMER. Don
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Tnx. Have 30 pills a day for all my other diseases. Docters in hospital dont know what to do any more so they say your normal docter must solve it. But he also doesnt know. Yesterday 5 attacks and slept almost all day. But building ships and playing with tin and clay keeps me running.
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the idea behind getting more people to join the hobby is to build up the customer base. The bigger the hobby = more sales = more R&D = new products and on it goes. As it is now this is such a small hobby it is a big risk for any manufacture to put in the time and money to develop new kits and products.
For example the Caldercraft Victory suggest 3-3,500 hours of effort req to complete the Model. Yes it huge but at 2-3 hours a day for a good modeler who does not get interrupted by life's complications and distractions it would take 1000 days or so. That's 3 years full time.
looking at this from a business point of view you can not expect a model builders return business he will be busy for years. so sales for the most part is a one shot deal.
I would say the idea also behind new people is that the more people there are the more ideas and modelling tricks can be shared. some people may have a way of modelling something that might make it easier for others. especially if the person is good at drafting and shows ways to do drawing stuff so others may learn and be able to draw up a nice set of plans. so far there's only a minuscule amount of people that share their knowledge. Ed Tosti is one, Dr. Wayne Kempson is another. Both have wrote books on ships and in those books explain the drawing process and Dr. Kempson has also done you tube videos. those are the only 2 I know of that has taken the time to share. the rest guard it like it is top secret info, Kinda like back in the old days of scale R/C planes. Them guys wouldn't share anything and now its all out and seeing some of their work it is like why did you think this was top secret and you see it is because some of their stuff looks good in pictures but to see it in person its like man you build pretty sadly for supposedly being one the experts on competition modelling.
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taking the path of least resistance is the natural way things go.
I started out like JosephH by drafting a set of plans and spending 100s of hours lifting off the frames. Then it occurred to me the actual ship builders rarely worked from plans so what's the deal here? it was so much faster and easier to shape out a half hull model and slice it like a loaf of bread then trace the patterns in a fraction of the time I had all the frame shapes.
so far there's only a minuscule amount of people that share their knowledge.
with a lot of organizations, guilds, clubs and forums will not share information because their members SELL you books, CDs, projects, plans etc. Why give it away when you can make a buck off it?
this is so very true in a lot of different interest groups I found the same thing with steam engines there are a lot of organizations, clubs and museums but try to get information out of them is extremely difficult. They start off answering a question maybe two but that's it you do not hear from them after that.
I started out like JosephH by drafting a set of plans and spending 100s of hours lifting off the frames. Then it occurred to me the actual ship builders rarely worked from plans so what's the deal here? it was so much faster and easier to shape out a half hull model and slice it like a loaf of bread then trace the patterns in a fraction of the time I had all the frame shapes.
so far there's only a minuscule amount of people that share their knowledge.
with a lot of organizations, guilds, clubs and forums will not share information because their members SELL you books, CDs, projects, plans etc. Why give it away when you can make a buck off it?
this is so very true in a lot of different interest groups I found the same thing with steam engines there are a lot of organizations, clubs and museums but try to get information out of them is extremely difficult. They start off answering a question maybe two but that's it you do not hear from them after that.
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That is absolutely the truest words ever written. I have at least 30 kits in storage bins I have bought over the years just sitting there waiting to be built. Many I bought from ebay and bought them because I was able to get them cheap and they were vintage kits. If I stopped buying kits today and built what I have in storage I'd never need to buy another model. Many of the kits I have are vintage kits I bought to hold onto with no intention of building they are sealed kits in very good condition. Probably never be worth much, but I will give them to my Grandson to decide what to do with later in my life and who knows we may build some together I have a scientific kit already slated for that purpose. I would love to see this hobby get as big as RC hobby and some folks have crossed that threshold and converted ships to RC. We need to Bring in Young people they are the future of this hobby, but younger folks look at this hobby as only old men's hobby. we need to change that perception somehow. We need Clubs on all levels Dave and I have talked about this we need everyone's full cooperation for that.
I regret my ignorance of CAD every day, I have TurboCAD, but tutorials only show the most mundane topics...nothing aimed at a model ship designer wannabe! I’d love to do a stern section of a Swan class or such, with magazine, great cabin etc. in a larger scale (1:32, 1:24). I gues I’ll have to wait until someone who knows what they are doing draws the plans! Hope I don’t die first
Dave ,just be patient,there will a stern cross section planset,which ship your interested in exactly?