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I have never had much patience when it comes to ship modelling. Also, I get bored very easily with particular types of ship. I could never spend my entire ship modelling experience building just one type or nationality. I overcome the boredom by moving through various different types built between the years of approximately 1830 and 1965, introducing a variety of types on the way. The ships produced before or after those years hold very little interest for me. Napoleonic warships have far too much fancy work and decoration for my taste and merchant ships of that era were pretty shapeless. Powered warships, I do not like simply because of the uniform grey colour all over. Merchant ships built after about 1965 also do not appeal to me and it seems to be a “point of honour” amongst designers to make each one uglier than the one that went before!
I get over the lack of patience by working very fast, and also having more than one hobby. I am deeply into vintage radio design and construction using valves rather than transistors.
Here are a few of my variety of models built over the years.
Very few people can understand why I never build famous ships. I have always liked the obscure or semi-obscure, the rank-and file ships, which in the words of Conrad, “would know no triumph, but speed in carrying a burden, no glory other than that of long service, no victory but that of an endless, obscure contest with the sea!”
The same went in real life. I went to sea in early 1961 and progressed from humble colliers to some of the finest passenger liners in the world, but then moved downward to a tiny 3,150-ton passenger ship sailing between the UK and South Africa with 76 passengers and general cargo. She was 16 years old when I joined and 27 years old when I left (when she was sold). The happiest years of my sea life! Take a voyage with me on U-tube. Click this link:
Turn on the sound for the doleful music!
More to follow!
Bob
I get over the lack of patience by working very fast, and also having more than one hobby. I am deeply into vintage radio design and construction using valves rather than transistors.
Here are a few of my variety of models built over the years.
Very few people can understand why I never build famous ships. I have always liked the obscure or semi-obscure, the rank-and file ships, which in the words of Conrad, “would know no triumph, but speed in carrying a burden, no glory other than that of long service, no victory but that of an endless, obscure contest with the sea!”
The same went in real life. I went to sea in early 1961 and progressed from humble colliers to some of the finest passenger liners in the world, but then moved downward to a tiny 3,150-ton passenger ship sailing between the UK and South Africa with 76 passengers and general cargo. She was 16 years old when I joined and 27 years old when I left (when she was sold). The happiest years of my sea life! Take a voyage with me on U-tube. Click this link:
More to follow!
Bob
Am I the only one involved in building models of merchant ships? I no longer take them to the local ship model society that meets once a month because the interest shown is minimal. On the other hand, collectors love them! Within days of completing this iron barque, I had three people asking if it was for sale, although I never advertised it as such! One enquirer was in Europe, one in the US, and the third from the UK. The one from Europe got in first, so it will be on its way across the channel next week. Are these ships too ugly, too complicated, too boring or too simple for model shipbuilders, or is there another reason for their unpopularity amongst modellers? 
It doesn't even work now, being empty. It is only used for model ship photographs! Life in merchant ships was infinitely more interesting and varied than in warships, if anyone cares to read about them. Here is a FREE download for anyone interested - The Log of a Sea Waif - 
There are lots of similar free books on Gutenberg.
