Still Another Old Fart here who has just returned to the world of wooden ship modelling after a long break. For most of my early life I built models of one kind or another. Plastic Ships, Airplanes, and lots of cars the nicest of which was a Pocher, Alfa-Romeo 8c. I loved that model.
The first wooden ship I built was the beautiful Billings Danmark my wife gave me after University Grad. It was a challenge, but I didn’t know it was because there was no tell me it was. No internet with hosts of experts advising the dude about starting slowly. So, I sat with a box of sticks and built a ship. I still have it, but on a recent move - downsizing, the rigging and masts were destroyed. Billings sent me the necessary restoration parts (the upgraded parts that are different to the original Danmark) and the rebuilding is scheduled. It is the only ship I have kept, the rest went to one charity or another as auction fund raisers.
I have 2 - 1/2 ships to work on right now. I bought the Billings version of the Victory to build long lost skills. It’s fairly basic. At 76 I’ve also acquired an annoying bit of palsy and peripheral neuropathy, and to complete the trifecta, some arthritis in the past 3 months, so the current efforts will not likely be auction quality.
The following effort will be with the Artesinia Latina Anatomy version of HMS Victory. It is intriguing. Oddly I’ve read some rather derogatory comments about Artesinia on this forum (quite a while ago, but regardless) that is completely at odds with my experience. My inventory of the kit indicated beautifully fitting parts and in talks with the company in Malga, I received most excellent service. Each to his own, I guess, but crap on a cracker the vitriol directed at them was something else.
My 1/2 ship will be the restoration the Damark (if I haven’t exited this mortal coil, chuckle.)
My philosophy of model building? If it makes you happy it is good. Detailed, historically accurate (whatever that means. Every refit of the things changed them. For example, warships were painted often and the paint colours were at best approximate or what was available), your interpretation, whatever. I’m happy if you are - unless you are criticizing others.
