Some of my model ships

Roger Pellett said:
I’m glad that your work is in demand, but sad that you’re nailing the lid on your ship modeling activities. I’m glad that you find your drawings satisfying.

IMHO the sailing warship interest has been increased by publicly from the entertainment industry; Pirates of the Caribbean, Master and Commander, etc. I personally like the merchant vessels from the 100 years- 1850-1950. Although Great Britain ruled the waves, her economy was sustained by her merchant marine.

Likewise, here in the USA, the economic development that occurred during this same period was fueled by Great Lakes shipping that hauled three key industrial ingredients: Iron Ore, Limestone, and Coal. A fact ignored by Americans that don’t live near the lakes.

BTW, have you ever modeled a Turret Ship (175 or so of these were build by Doxford in the late 1890’s - early 1900’s) and were popular with companies in trades passing through the Suez Canal due to favorable tonnage treatment. The turret ship was inspired by the Great Lakes Whaleback Ship built by The American Steel Barge Company in Superior, Wisconsin very near where I live. I recently wrote a book on the subject.

Roger
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I have never built a turret ship, although I started one once, but my client disappeared and stopped replying to questions re the build... I have had a lot of trouble with this sort of thing over the years, and quite a lot of my e-mails never get answered. Quite often, when I completed a model and sent off images of it to the clients, there was no immediate respose, maybe a week, month or even three months would go by with no contact, and then they would phone to say they would pick it up the next day! My most recent episode was when someone said they would purchase a model and collect it, but over a year has gone by since then, and nothing, so it is no longer for sale, but in our permanent collection...
 
Here we have Greek ships Captain Michael and Kassos, together with the Bank Line motor tramp Eskbank. The Eskbank was dropped by the courier, and some derrricks and associated rigging knocked off. The insurance did pay a small amount, but nowhere near enough to cover the damage, so I lost out once again!

Captain Michael (Large).JPGEskbank (Large).jpgKassos (Large).JPG
 
shipbuilder said:


Yes, but a lot to me, and I always felt guilty of asking too much for them. I don't put much research into them, because I get the plans from my own library of old technical journals, disposed of by colleges, and collected over the years. They are full of plans - These are just a few of them. Most of them cost between £30 and £50 each. but the collection is one of my most treasured posessions.
Lloyds Register 1930-31.JPG



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Knowing how to take what's in the books and turning them into amazing models is the value of the skill. For many modellers putting in several hundred (thousand+) hours of work into one model is just par for the course, could you imagine if you had to pay for that time! Multiply the number of hours to build a model by the average salary = a very scary amount! Your models are just amazing to look at with the advantage that they are small, perhaps I should have a go at building a miniature some time, my current build doesn't even fit on my work desk any more and, I haven't even started on the masts and yards yet!
 
I didn't spend many hours on them! Very rarely over 100, all timed on a stopwatch that was stopped every time I stopped work on one. I don't have a great deal of patience, and at one time, I completed at least one model every month, usually spending about 50 hours on each. Ramon de Larrinaga took a total of 60 hours to build, and that included making the display case and carrying case. If anyone wanted a top class model, they did not come to me. Top class miniatures usually sold for thousands of pounds each, whilst mine were usually round the £500 mark. Sailing ships are a lot eesier than steamaships, because of fewer decks, rails, lifeboats, deck machinery etc. Pass of Brander took 54 hours, and was a lot easier to build than Ramon de Larrinaga.


Pass of Brander 2.JPG

Ramon de Larrinaga.JPG
 
50 hours to build even a miniature model is very impressive! My first model took me 600hrs...... and it wasn't very good!
 
I did not know the story of the three Basque brothers, who established a shipping company in Liverpool.
The model is superb!!
 
I never counted the hours, even when I was restoring antique furniture and, in theory, getting paid by the hour. :rolleyes:
Good thing my wife had a "real" job working for the County school system as a retirement and benefits specialist. I read "If you want to make a living as a craftsman, marry well!" True story. ;)

Pete
 
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