So I've decided to take up a hobby, and I've mostly decided on model ship building... old sailing ships, mainly, but warships up through WWII era are interesting as well. When I was a kid, I built a few model cars... nothing really complex, and cars never really held much of a fascination for me so I didn't stick with them (although thanks to a glue incident, I did once stick TO one of them... ). I have plenty of patience and focus, and developing both of those traits a bit more is a goal of this hobby.

What I'm looking for is a bit of basic information:

1) Aside from the basic stuff (glue, paint, brushes, and plenty of change for the Swear Jar), what will I need to get started?
2) How can one judge the complexity of a model kit and make a selection that's appropriate to his skill and experience?
3) Any recommendations on particularly interesting ships to work on?
4) Any tips on displaying the finished projects (other than ship in a bottle, which is a bit past the level of insanity I want to devote to this hobby for the moment).

Thanks in advance for any help.

James

Nosnosna,

I recently got started in model ship building and what I've found, other than the expense of the kits and tools needed, is that model ships come in four levels. Level 1 being the easiest and level four the most complex - think about putting together a model of the USS Constitution or the USS Constellation (not the aircraft carrier) both of these ship kits run anywhere from $300 to $500 depending on where you purchase them. However, I'm not ready to tackle them just yet.

I would recommend starting with a level 1, you can purchase wooden ship kits at your local hobby store. I bought a wooden model kit of a Viking ship for around $30 and some basic tools. Some of the level ones are higher in price, but from what I've seen they're usually under $100. Other level one kits include a lobster boat, canoes and other assorted boats.

Check out naturecoast.com, they sell complete beginner kits to include tools, a plank bender and a couple books on model ship building -- though be prepared to part with some $$$$

Hope this helps you.

Maveryck