A trip down memory lane....

[Cybergrinder]

So, I collected some of my old plastic model ship form my parents over the weekend, and here's some shots! There all from the age of sail (with one exception ) No prizes for spotting the odd one out...



Here we have HMS Victory, the first square rigger I tackled


The Wasa, last plastic model I did in 2003/2004. She sank on her maiden voyage...


HMS Bounty, we all know what this one's famous for



The Golden Hinde...



HMS Prince in "dry dock" undergoing repairs



And last, but not least, HMS Nelson.

 

[micahrogers]

beautiful work, the bane of my modeling hobby... ships of wood and cloth...

 

[zathros]

I built the Cutty Sark, and had it on the fireplace mantle, about 2 months later, one of my cats got caught up in the rigging, and the ship look like it hand floundered in some horrific incident. Damned cat. I didn't get mad at the cat though, it didn't know better, and I really like cats.

Those are nice models. It is amazing how expensive plastic models are getting now, certain ones, anyway.

 

[Cybergrinder]

Thanks all, @zathros, I also built the Cutty Sark, to prevent damage (feline or otherwise) they went into the glass cases you see. (It helps when you Dad used to work for a glass manufacturer )

Other ships I've done; (that I can remember )Columbus fleet (Nina. Pinta & Santa Maria), HMS Sovereign, HMS Discovery, the Mayflower. Most of these are either with my folks or my sister.

The plastic kits are getting very expensive, to get a nice one you're looking at about ZAR700, plus paints, etc. So, for me to do one & build a case about ZAR1000. (Approx USD 100, I think?)

@micahrogers, Airfix provide a fantastic jig which assists a huge amount when doing the shrouds

 

[micahrogers]

My problem has been making the wood look realistic or the cloth sails look realistic. I can do the rigging OK enough... just takes patients.

 

[zathros]

Silk works god for sails, the trick is to find any cloth that has an extremely tight weave, which usually also means the cloth will be thin, another positive. Also, sails don't have to be white, and many weren't, so as not to reflect heat onto the deck.

 

[Cybergrinder]

I've heard about using silk, just darn expensive! The sails come as part of the kit with Airfix (injection molded, but very thin plastic) and I painted the sails with a large brush, not much paint on the brush & very broad, sweeping strokes to get the irregular "weathering" effect.

 

[zathros]

You really can ring those plastic sails to life if you paint them, shadow them just right. The trick is to have the shadows all come front the same direction, real "Raytracing".

 

[Cybergrinder]

True, don't think I did a bad job though, I did the Victory when I was 19, pushing on for 40 now....