What's your favorite :banna: (or least favorite :yikes: ) part of ship/boat modeling?
We all have one or two tasks about ship / boat modeling that we like or don't like to do. While some of us may think a particular job is tedious, others may not. Vote here for your favorite modeling task, and if you want, post a message afterward detailing your choice. You can vote for one or more choices, but you can only vote once. So choose carefully.
PS; If you have a task you think should be added to the list, PM the Cap with your suggestion. Don't pay any attention to the percentages in the right hand column of the Poll Results! They're off because in this particular poll you can cast a vote for more than one option.
If you want to see who voted for what, click on any of the underlined numbers to the right (next to the percentages column).

I like the planking and hull building phase, because i think this is were the challenges and oppertunities are that distinguish the model from all the other models. If i would place 50 "indentical" models in a room : then every ship modeler, regardless off his skill, will with 100% certainty pick his model by the way the hull is made and how the model is planked.

I'm not fond of rigging, besides makeing yards.

RG, that is a very good point, i never looked at it that way! I always appreciate an alternative way of looking at questions!

Call me crazy :mrgreen: , but I do like hull planking. Don't know why. Depressed childhood maybe. :loltwo:

I like the detailed work with deck houses and scroll work.

I'm a scratchbuilder so I really enjoy it all but my absolute favorite is masting and rigging...from turning the masts and yards to making the ironwork. John Harding

I like to work the decks, whether it be the cabins, canons, or the planking of the deck. I feel the deck superstructure is the biggest aspect that seperates one ship from the next. Plus, it's just a whole lot of fun. :banna:

Cheers. :cheers:

Clean the work table and the floor.

The boat IS finished.

I like carving 1:160 waterline models out of mahogany planks. I've tried other methods, but find this is fastest and most accurate.

Mine would be Rigging. I enjoy the detail of a working ship :coffee:

I like it all....but one thing that I am becoming very fond of is carving ornamentation. It is good that I like it though since I am scratch building the Wasa and have a TON to do!!

Clayton

:cheers:

I find assembling 'rat lines' a most boring task. Also, would like to know of those among you the favorite method of tying these 'lines' - knots, etc.

I have found rigging to be most enjoyable even though it is rigging that currently has dashed my motivation. It must be the challenge of execution that I enjoy.

There is a lot of it but I find the satisfaction of seeing a completed set of ratlines stretching up the mast is compensation for the painstaking work. Many months ago I purchased a set of 5 piece rigging tools from Micro-Mark and would now be lost without them. The most useful piece resembles a miniature crochet hook and this has proved invaluable.

There are two tools available from Model Expo that will help a lot. One is the "Reeving and Spacing Tool". This not only speeds up assembly of deadeyes but makes the quality of the finished product much better. The other is a tool called "Loom-a-Line" which helps in assembly of the shrouds and ratlines. Other than that, it is indeed a boring task, but important to take your time and get it right. I'm working on the 1;48 scale Cutty Sark and I'm right in the middle of applying about 2,500 copper plates. This will be my 8th 2-day weekend since I started and I'm only about half way through.
TEDIOUS/BORING!!! but important to get right.

Randy Evers
Agoura Hills, CA

Question for you John:
Do you use a lathe to turn the masts/spars??? If so, which brand/size do you use?

Randy Evers
Agoura Hills, CA

I have tried the following method for tying ratlines and it has always worked ok for me. First I sketch the layout of the shrouds together with the crossing ratlines on paper. I transfer this sketch on a one cm. thick wood template which I trim to about one cm. wider that the sketch. I rout shallow troughs along the marked shrouds and ratlines and I proceed to first place the gangs of shrouds in the formed troughs. To keep the shrouds in place these are taped at the top, centre and bottom to the wooden template. The next job is to clove hitch the ratlines across the shrouds working from top to bottom or vice versa. I do this with the help of a longish needle and a crochet needle that sometimes comes in handy as well. I must add that the deadeyes should be fixed to the shrouds before this process is initiated since it would be difficult to complete afterwards.

O.K. Gang
Let me tell you what has to be the most boring task. Tying on ratlines
Fred

Anthony
How do you double the shrouds up over the masthead???
Fred

Myelf, I love detailing in modellling. building the cabins, stearing, chimney (all the small stuff) and painting the details into them. This was one of the reason I fell in love with the Bluenose II, while I was still buildiig the Bluenose I (which had little or no detail). I was in Ottawa last week and saw and incredible model of the Cutty Shark (large size) - on sale for 459.00 canadian and the detail was awesome. My wife just about kicked me out of the house when I said I was considering that model.

After initially fitting bulkheads etc to the keel, I have to say that fitting out the decks is probably my favourite task. Everything from finishing off the decks and fitting out with stairways, cannon, bitts etc. Its what makes a build come alive.

I do find tying 1000's of rats quite therapeutic though! :yikes:

Jim

My favorite work on models is fabricating deck furniture, deck houses, hatches, companions, ladders. etc What bores me the most is tieing ratlines. I do some for a while then stop. What I hate most is having the model finished not needing more work. The longer the time I can work on it, the better. Most friends ask me when seeing a model "How long did it take?" My answer "NOT long enough !"
Briny

Hi Gerold ~~~ I agree with you 100 %. I think that's where the ship comes alive. I love to lay deck planks and see them take on color when the stain is applied. With cabins I like to add my own touches. I don't particularly like the thick cabin doors that come with kits. I'll make my own and with narrow moldings. Work boats are my favorite with all the miscellaneous gear on deck. KUX 87 Krabberkuter by Billing is my next project with trawling nets and tackle..........BRINY..........Bernie[url=http://shipmodeling.net/photopost/data/500/Shrimp_BoatBIMG015.JPG][img]

I like planking the hull and deck work. Something about bending and stretching the wood material to almost a breaking point, to get that special form thats needed. pcmman rex

having built model airplanes, I can say my least fav is going to be sanding the solid hull down to shape