Getting my "feet wet" in plastic sailing ships

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

Hello!

My excellent roommate just gave me a chanukah present - the Revell 1/96 Constitution. However, I have never built a model of any kind before, while I have always wanted to, and from what I understand the 1/96 is not necessarily the place to start.

I wonder if you brilliant folks have any suggestions for a smaller, or less complicated, ship that I should build first to learn the techniques and practice. I dug up this old thread (http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/73530.aspx) that gave me some good leads, but wondering if any of that info might be supplemented with any other suggestions!

Also, I’ve found a million and one “beginner’s guides” in terms of what sorts of tools, etc I need to start modeling, and I’m confident I can assemble an appropriate tool kit from that, but I’m also always interested in expert guidance in that direction - not that anyone has to write me a list of tools, but if you have suggestions for others’ lists or guides that are particularly helpful, the options are pretty overwhelming!

Anyways - thanks in advance for any help. Whatever I build first, I’d love to log and share with you here, and when I do end up tackling the 1/96 connie I’ll be thrilled to bring you all along on the journey!

2

Hi Jabes, welcome. I’d be happy to make my own suggestions.

If you have never built a model of any sort before, there’s quite a bit of wiggle room you need to allow yourself. You will want to have a genuine interest in any project that involves your free time. It’s like learning to play a musical instrument; there’s no real point unless you like the music you play with it.

If you were to pitch in and build the Constitution you very might get to the end through force of will and be happy with the results. However if you do continue to model and advance your skills, it’s a certainty (I know from experience) that you’ll be quite unhappy with it down the road.

I’d try a ship, a tank, an airplane, a car and a sci fi subject each before starting the big model. A good starter ship model is the Revell Yacht America. It’s not difficult to build and rig, and it makes a great display model.

But try your hand at a range of subjects and see what works best for you.

Good luck and keep posting.

3

I’d pick up a cheapie Lindberg sail ship to practice on. Try and stay away from tube glues, I prefer Tamiya’s thin bottle (the green label). The thread in most kits is a little heavy for the rigging, but if included in the Lindberg,would be a good practice medium. Look into EZ Line for the Connie. The plastic ratlines are suitable for the recycle bin, practice making your own with those as a pattern. If you rig her with sails, means a lot more rigging, might think about doing her with sails furled, and several ideas for those are here, just run a search for them. Try and set aside an area for a work area. Look around for a suitable tackle box, they make a nice portable storage box to organize and keep tools and supplies. For filling seams, I prefer Perfect Plastic Putty, can remove excess with a damp Q-tip, helps save on sanding. If you get in deeper into the life, think about an air brush for your paint work. Don’s airbrush tips is a good starting point for advice on what’s available. I use an Iwata NEO for most of my work, and like it, your mileage may vary. If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby, the carry a couple of brands, and the 40% off coupon takes some of the bite out of one.

Others here with way more expertise in sail will chime in with other tips or ideas, I’m sure.

Good luck with her, will keep an eye out a WIP thread. For pics will have to use an outside host site, several free ones out there to choose from.

Nice to have someone new to the life, won’t take long to get hooked and have a closet full of kits for the future.

4

I agree that your first modeling subject should be one in which you are interested. If that is the USS Constitution, terrific! I do not subscribe to the notion that an easier, simpler ship is the place to start because, if you are not interested, you will be unlikely to complete the model. My first ship model was the old Revell 1/570 Bismarck, built when I was a very young lad in the early 1960s. I never regretted it.

That said, there are simpler versions of the Constitution. Revell had several excellent kits. But, there is nothing particularly difficult about the 1/96 kit. It simply has a large number of parts. In fact, the larger kit might be the easiest because the parts themselves are larger.

My favorite cement is the Testor’s Blue Tube Non-Toxic. It doesn’t thread up, it is easy to use, it works just fine, and it smells good.

In short, my recommendation is to go with your comfort level. And, welcome to modeling sailing ships!

Bill Morrison

5

Then from another Morrison, this advice.

Build it out of the box. Do not get ambitious and plan to buy a bunch of extra stuff until or even if you get a feel for what you are doing.

One thing you will need is better thread. But you wont be rigging this for a while, so when the time comes we can give you a simplified list of what to buy. Model Expo sells good basic stuff.

You can live with the ratlines. Those are the ladderlike corded nets going up to the masts on either side. That kit came with several different types over the years. The ones that look like string dipped in plastic are usable and look good. The ones that are hard pieces of plastic are not good, but there’s no way to replace them at this level unless you go looking for a set of the previous mentioned ones somewhere from someone who tied up their own. Don’t try tying your own, its way too big a project for a beginning ship modeler.

And skip the sails. The usual method on model sailing warships is to omit the sails entirely, which also eliminates a whole lot of the “running” rigging.

And do consider building the America. It’s a great model.

6

First let me say…

Howdy !

The Constitution is going to need a large work space, for a long time, ( At least a year ) so make sure to build her someplace where she wont be in the way of everyday life.

I built her WAAAAAY back in 1978 and it turned out ok considering I was 12. Later in life I “shot” her with a BB gun and a full brick (144) of bottle rocket’s. Wish I hadn’t done that!

She spent her last day’s in the bottom of my 125 Gal. fish tank.

I would do a different ship first just for practice and to get familier with what it take’s to build a sailing ship. Mr. Morrison’s sugestion of the America is a good start.

You could also try Lindberg’s BlackBeard’s pirate Ship. It’s actually The Soliel Royal originally made by Piro back in the 60’s but still a good kit with a bit of rigging, but nothing to “rip” your hair out over.

Please feel free to share picture’s of your progress and ask any question’s you may have.

Were all in this together.

7

This Revell Model Am Presuming

Master Craftman Work Here By Whomever

8

Hi ;

I would do this . Find Aurora or Lindberg’s version of the Black Falcon . Simple and fun .But it will give you the " Feel " you need . On sailing ships you need to get in the "Zone " . Read up on them . Look at photos and old artwork of them .

Now when you have the tools . Which are quite simple . You will need an undisturbed space in which to build her . Go for Out of the Box . I would NOT recommend trying anything fancy till you get the feel of the kit .

There are some things you can do if you wish . Such as aging the copper bottom , Before you mount any masts or deck hardware . There plenty of tutorials and threads you can visit for that . Again keep it simple .Your first Sail Ship should be an excercise in enjoyment and learning . Good Luck . T.B.

9

No, that’s the 1/192 (1/16"=1’-0") scale (the hard plastic ratlines are a give away.

OP stated that the gis was the 1/96 (1/8"=1’-0") scale kit.

10

No sweat.

The above advice cannot be restated enough. Start with fewer masts and larger scales.

The America (preferably not the semi-spurious “USS America”) is an excellent choice.

Another good starter, one our much missed late Professor Tilley would recommed, was the Viking Long Ship. It can be built simply, right out of the box, or it can be be built full-tilt as GMorrision demonstraed not long ago. Or, for that matter, as the Professor did a couple of years ago.

Constitution builds into a fabulous kit with incredible details.
That’s really it’s un-doing–which will sound perverse, but, it’s the way it is.
There’s all kinds of detail on the gun (main) deck, inviting you to peer inside. Which is a good place to begin. The kit’s hull is barely 1/8" thick. In reality, the hull should be just shy of 5/16" thick. Some folks let it slide, others build up the gunport frames. It’s something a preson wants to work up to.

Bothe the main deck and the spar deck have seams, which are inconvenient to seal with. Which can make investing in the aftermarcket wood decks worth some considerations.

The biggest let-down with the kit are the “ratlines” provided. These are nondescript thread covered in a vinyl compound. Bothe threads are the same size, too. The shrouds (the vertical portions) ought to be thick, visually similar to the fore stay or main stay. The horizontal bits are quite skinny, ordinary sewing thread sort of diameter.

If you fix that, then you tend to want to address the deadeyes, so that they “point” toward where they land on the mast, not where they are moulded.

This where building a couple of other kits; the Revell Golden Hind, or the Mayflower can help you generate the skills yo want to have.

A certain amount of immersion also helps a person pick up the arcane jargon of things maritime. And you too and speak cogently of shrouds, stays, vangs, spankers, haliyards, and lifts and the like.

11

Gentlemen,

I have to respectfully but emphatically disagree with the advice to start with the simplest kit unless it is a ship of interest to the builder. I am sorry but I have seen great first models of three deckers and battleships. It can be done without a great deal of stress. Let the builder decide.

I remember a well-meaning attempt by my wife to ease me into wood kits by purchasing the Model Shipways kit of the Phantom. It was a simple enough kit, but it was boring in the extreme, and I never finished it. I found the MS solid-hull kit of the frigate USS Essex (1/8" scale or 1/96) online and finished it in less than 6 months. The Phantom is a much simpler kit, but it was not interesting to me.

Nobody claims that the first attempt has to be perfect. It’s an exercise in fun in which learning new skills can come later. Enjoy the building and learning experience with this very generous gift from a friend. Enjoy it. Learn from it. It might open up a new world for you.

Bill

12

Those split gunport lids are another clue. That actually would be a good kit for the OP.

Myownselves, I put a lot of research into my models because I like to. I often say with some truth that modeling to me is an excuse for buying books. If you pick a genre in which you are interested in the subject, buying books, bookmarking websites and amassing supplies of the right color of paint pays dividends as you go.

13

Wow. Much great advice here! I’ll admit that the Constitution (or the America, but that seems a little spendy) is a more appealing model to me than the viking ship, though the “jolly roger” model looks pretty nice to me. I’m tempted to just throw it all in the ring and start making the model that was given to me, although space and time is a bit of a concern (since I live in a shared apartment without an obvious good place to do my building).

In the last week or so since I’ve been lurking ferociously on old threads here, the wisdom of “Prof Tilley” has still proven very useful for me. I’m sad to learn that we won’t have overlapped on this board - his posts are uniquely illuminating and supportive.

14

He was that. Gene1, Warshipguy, GM and Steve5 aren’t too far behind. I look to them for bits to help me along.

15

That’s what I love about this site. Everyone here has something to offer to help assist. Force9 has a thread about building the Revell USS Constitution that cannot be beat. David_K and his Le Soleil Royal are superb! Rwiederich and his Clipper ships are renowned, as are kirill4’s ships. Rdiaz has also done remarkable worh in the smaller scales. There are so many here that I would call “Expert”!

Bill

16

Oh yes, I spent a good couple of hours reading every word of Force9’s thread. Inspiring! Or is it intimidating…

17

Have to agree with the mention of the need for “build space”.

As you progress with the big Connie, you will need more in-progress room to continue the build - this is not a 1/72nd tank kit you can put away after a night of kitchen-table modeling until you get another chunk of free-time.

JMHO, but possibly consider the advice of snagging some smaller, simpler sailing ship to get your feet wet with the idea.

18

In addition, you might consider the need for a shelf to put the kit, parts, assemblies, etc. while building something else. Whenever I build a project as lengthy as a full ship rig (three masts of square sails), I do not finish it on bench start to finish. I break the project down into stages, do one stage, then take a break and build something easy, then on to next stage, usually about three stages. Last stage is always rigging. That stage alone is usually more lengthy than my normal building projects. Fully rigging a three mast vessel for me is at least two months, often more. And I am retired, probably with more building time available than most.

19

I totally agree with build space.I started my first Connie on the kitchen table and soon found out that I needed some space of my own(just you and the model). Even if it’s just a card table in the corner of your bedroom. If you want to start on this massive first time build that’s fine but I would definitely try and start on the smaller one first. Revell has some great smaller plastic kits and it will give you the experience you need to work your way up to the bigger ones.One thing for sure is that these forums are priceless.They are friendly,courteous and very informative by novice and expert alike. Every time I start a new build I get as much information about it as I can plus I look up to see how everybody else is doing theirs.Its great fun. Good luck with your ship!Your going to love it !

20

The Revell 1/96 USS Constitution was one of the first sailing ships I ever built. I built it when I was 12 or 13 without any difficulties. Granted, my rigging was probably inadequate (I followed the Revell instructions.), but I did get through it and loved the experience. I never believed that the best path to take was the simplest. I firmly believe that many of the simpler kits that others recommend as “starters” never really inspire novices to proceed further into the hobby because the smaller, simpler kits can be boring. Start with a ship that really interests you and learn as you go.

One of the most impressive plank-on-bulkhead wood ships I have ever seen was a first-time effort by a lady in Wisconsin who took an interest in the HMS Victory after reading a biography of Nelson. She had never built plastic or wood model ships before, but she decided to try the old Mamoli 1/90 kit. She did an excellent job. It can be done.

Follow your own interests and enjoy the learning curve by starting with a ship that interests you!

Bill