Question about ship modeling from scratch

Seamus107

Seamus107

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I have built a number of ship models, and all of them have been from scratch, using published plans or plans I developed myself after some research. I have never built a model from a kit. I am curious about how many modelers on this forum started out with kits and moved to scratch modeling, how many started building from scratch as I did, and how many modelers do both, perhaps in the form of serious kit-bashing. From the gallery of finished models, the results are extraordinary regardless of the method and approach, so perhaps my question is really irrelevant. But if anyone wishes to share their modeling approach, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

James
 
I had a big twist in this. I was growing up in Hungary where in the 60's and 70's ship model kits were just a great but unachievable dream. So the only way was scratch building with inferior tools and using materials like firewood. Later I managed to put my hands on a few kits but then I realized that the quality of those were so far from those early dreams - so I ended up with scratch building again. I acknowledge the quality of the latest kits (some Russian, Chinese and others) but I am hopelessly stuck to scratch building now.
János
 
I've been building models since the early 1960's. Always kits of various description. Started with plastic of course. Planes, cars, boats.... Slowly moved into more complex ships and added in some paper (card..). Only recently have I moved toward scratch building. It's fascinating.... I will still build kits, although I do bash them up some... To me, wood ships, especially the "tall ships", represent the pinnacle of the art form.
 
Clair G said:
I didnt mean any disrespect, I just thought from his photo he is about my age. Sorry if Dave or anyone took thatthe wrong way.
Click to expand...

Don't be concerned.!! I don't know how old Dave is.... Doesn't matter.!!
If he built a model like the Mayflower in 1961..... then he MUST be about my age (or older.??). I'm 70 this year.!!
No disrespect at all.... Just ragging on him for being so old (like me.!!).
SickSleepo_OROTFROTFROTF
 
Well I started in plastic at the age of twelve . monster and super hero models :). then after a 25 year break I started doing wood planes. another long break till last year I started wooden ships. Been acquiring the tools, like band saw, table saw. Scratch building will do when I fully retire from my present job. Another two years before that time arrives , unless some health issue comes up. I will be purchasing a mini table saw in the near futur, just not yet decided , byrnes or micomart.
 
That's sixty (60.!!..) years ago.!!!!
Dave's putting on airs. He probably just played with a toy boat in 1961.!! :pROTF
Alright Dave, give it up.!! You're not really 70 y.o.....are you.!!???


no i am not 70 years old i am 72
maybe that 1961 was not quite right could have been around 1963 or 1965ish
actually my very first kit was around 1953ish built with my grandma actually she most likely built it and i did more watching than building. My dad had a big HO model railroad layout so all during my childhood i was exposed to scratch building models of all sorts.
 
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I guess my experiences are not that dissimilar from everybody else. The first model(s) I built were plastic car kits my uncle gave me when I was recovering from a broken arm back in 1955 or so. Boy does that date me. Any way, it started me down the road to ruin and I have built so many models over the years I can't even begin to count. Everything from kits in plastic, wood and resin, to scratch building everything from flying model airplanes and rockets, HO scale model RR structures, etc., but no ships from scratch - yet.
 
i have noticed many scratch model ship builders have a long history of model building in general. From the age of 9 to early teens i built plastic kits from cars, to the visible V8 engine to the visible man to boats, planes.
I don't know if it can be considered scratch building when you have so many kits you start to combine them into your own creations.
 
You know, when I first started building model ships there was no internet, no SOS, no youtube videos - nothing. When I bought my first wooden kit it was a time when you saved up your hard earned dollars, went to your local hobby store, plunked down your money and walked out with your prized posssession. When you got home you opened up the box and looked at all those pieces/parts and said to yourself "Self? What have you gotten yourself into? Quick - run to the library and see if they have any books on the sublect! No? Ok then lets go to the local bookstore and see what they have. Nothing??!! Oh well, I guess I'm on my own." In essence, it was all a big scratch building project because the translations of the instructions were usually little better than useless.But at least they had pictures and you figured it out - sort of. It was what separated the real hobbiest from the boys - so to speak, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
 
My first sailboat was made from a piece of 2x4, a wooden dowel, and a chunk of a saw blade my uncle cut out for the keel. I was around 10 at the time. Don't know if that constitutes a scratch built ship. I went the plastic model kits, and N scale train route. Started building wood ships from kits while I was in the Navy in the 80's. I've done tons of scratch building for model train stuff, but my first real scratch build ship is the one I'm working on now.
 
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