Any model ship builders here? I'm thinking of getting

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>>6002196
Wow, it's been a long time since I've done wooden ship models. This one is the "Golden Hind" by Mamoli. It used to sell for $89 back in the 1980's, but the current price is now $299. It took me 7 months to build it, spending several hours on it after work almost every day.

I am familiar with the Artesania Latina kits, as I had also built their schooner kit, "Swift".

Everything depends on how much experience you have with wooden ship models. If you had never built one before, you probably want to start with a solid hull kit, and a schooner, not a square-rigged ship like the "Santa Maria". Once you gain experience, then you can get the more complex kits, which will be plank-on-frame instead of a solid hull. Be prepared to buy a bunch of tools. You need a full X-acto knife set (the one in the wooden box), a jeweler's hacksaw, pin vise with set of tiny drill bits, and a miter box saw kit.

Also, a lot of modern ship kits say that the parts are laser-cut wood. That will help A LOT and simplify things considerably as well as speed up the build. A lot of the vintage kits, and many that are still on the market have uncut sticks and rough-cut parts which need a lot of sanding to make them match with the blueprints that come with the kit. I also recall that Mamoli's "Golden Hind" did not have instructions in English. The part names were all in Italian, and I had to get an Italian dictionary to figure out what the parts were. Those were pre-Internet times.

In the end, you'll have a beautiful piece for your fireplace mantle, as well as quite an education on ships. The rigging on these adult-level kits is functional, and in building it, you'll understand how sails and masts work.

It's a good idea to hunt for a model ship club in your area. It's mostly old guys, but they'll be glad to help you.

>>6002418
Is that your own photo? Impressive model, really like the detail.

I was thinking about what you said - about getting hold of a basic, simple ship model to build and develop the skills with the tools so I feel confident with tackling bigger more complex models. I've seen some reasonably priced ones on eBay that I'll look to get hold of.

What sort of tools would you say are vital in model ship building?

>>6002948
Maybe you should reread her post

>>6002998
Do you have anything of value to contribute to this thread?

>>6002418
>Those were pre-Internet times.
Are you that old Zee?

>>6002418
>The rigging on these adult-level kits is functional, and in building it, you'll understand how sails and masts work.

Back when these things served as blueprints for the real thing, rigging them was a profession on its own.

>>6003026
Yes, I answered your question.

>>6003269
Nothing then. Please trot off back to /b/ where you can troll until your heart is content. Thanks.

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I'm also on /ssg/ because I like skeleton toys.

Yarrrr! So, when do we shove off Captain? There's plunder out there and me an' the boys are getting anxious for some treasure!

>>6002948
Yeah, that's my photo. I just took the ship off the fireplace mantle to dust it off a little. Looking at it now, I don't think I'll ever do another ship of this level of complexity.

>>6003064
LOL, oh, it's not so bad being born in the 1960's. Being a young adult in the 80's... music was better, employers took better care of their employees, and you could buy a house at age 25. And you're still young enough to appreciate the Internet when it finally did arrive.

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This thread reminded me that I have 2 unbuilt ship kits in my garage. This one, the "Santa Maria" by Constructo (Spain) sold for $30 or $40, late 80's. The rigging on the box pic is nowhere near as complex as the Golden Hind.

Notice the solid hull. This kind of kit would be suitable as an entry-level ship kit for an adult. Even so, the instructions are still very vague. They're not step-by-step like a plastic model, and it still takes a lot of head-scratching, fuddling through and staring at the full-size blueprint (included) to build it.