Have I bit off more than I can chew

Sounds like you've REALLY got the building bug. It takes me about a year to do a ship just because I'm an accuracy nut. As an example, I did the North Carolina and found that the second deck 5" turrets are not properly located and many parts of the superstructure needed correction and both masts I wound up scratchbuilding. Don't let my obsession to detail deter you though, this is just a hobby. Enjoy the builds and I look forward to seeing your work. 

I was really looking for something to do after a long home remodel. I was burned out with model railroading and the local club no longer interested me. You mention an obsession to detail, I have won awards with my railroad models in 1/87 scale some scratch built and some kitbashed. I have had models displayed at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum and our club dioramas have been a regular item at several museums and train shows. Researching a project is something I am familiar with.

A problem I am facing now is my age. Eyesight isn't as good and hands not as steady but I'm not lacking in construction knowlege. I was hoping 1:350 would be a good scale for me but some parts are really, really small and the rigging is actually intimidating.

I built four Mk37 fire control directors in etched brass yesterday and it really taxed me. I think they look ok, especially after being airbrushed, but surely someone will find some faults. I think my mindset at this point is to build for myself since no one will actually see the models but friends and family and they don't know the difference. The models will not make it to the museums or contests so I am building for myself and to fill a few empty shelves in some book cases.

I love doing dioramas and they also give me an opportunity to group several ships together to make a scene tell a story. My time in the USN, Viet Nam era, left me with a love for military ships but I also like automobiles which I will probably build a few of also. Where i live it's too dang hot in the summer to stay outdoors and my thin skin leaves little insulation for the winter so a good indoor hobby is just the ticket. I doubt I will build any 100 point models but I hope I don't embarrass myself too bad <G> When I know I have done my best the nitpicking doesn't bother me.

One of the destroyer projects is to remove the forward torpedo tubes and replace with two quad 40mm mounts. I'm still looking at pictures to figure out how to do that but that is a doable project for me. I can do a destroyer in a month or less. My biggest set back is no hobby shop where I can run down and grab parts. I have to make a list and order things off the computer which can take two weeks or longer. Ebay has been my friend <G>

Sorry to take so long to get back. You've obviously got the skills to do whatever you want on your projects. I also had a HO layout when I was a teen and still have an interest with the steam era. It must give you a great sense of satisfaction to have your work displayed at the museum. The owner of my LHS has had my ships on display at his shop ever since I started to show them to him. I currently have my 1/350 North Carolina and 1/700 New Jersey there now. He tells me that both ships constantly get favorable comments but one of the other regulars said that I could win contests with the North Carolina. Gratifying to know but not why I build the models.

I hate singin' the blues and admitting defeat but reality is settling in. The scale is too small for me at my age with the level of detail I am accustomed to building. I have one destroyer half finished, it's the Tamaya Fletcher class with some etched brass. I have been waiting almost a month for paint from White Ensign or whatever in England so no paint. I have sub assemblies built though. The etched brass is killing me and my poor old eyes. I bought a new optivisor thinking it might help but the fingers aren't working like they used to. I am interested in selling a lot of 1/350 WWII warship kits.

Bayou- I will tell you what you need.

Sit down in a dark room, lie back and meditate.

remind yourself what this hobby is all about.

Think about the joy of a nice finished model.

Post it up on this forum.

Don't worry about the size of your "stash".

Think about why this hobby is fun.

We all want to see your models.

Bill

Yup, most modellers seem to have a fairly sizeable 'stash' of unbuilt, or partially unbuilt models.  It is particularly embarassing to me to see the size of my stack up in the attic, and even more embarrasing to buy a model, only to discover that I had already bought it years ago!!  I switch around which model I am working on at any given time as well, and for much the same reasons as you.  I find these days I am not so interested in a finished model per se, but that the slow building of a model gives me a lot of insight into the mind of the original ship designer, what he was attempting to achieve, and how he approached the problem.  For this reason, particularly with warships, I very much like to have them all in the same scale for comparison, and full-hull as well.  It also gives you a perspective for competing ships, adversaries in battle, etc.  For instance, when I hold up the hull of the 1/350 USS Buchanan next to the hull of IJN Atago, or Kongo, you get a very real understanding of the courage displayed by the US destroyer skippers and crew when going into battle against one of these monsters at point-blank range!  "Goodbye boys!  Have fun stormin' the castle!  Do you think it'll work?  It'll take a miracle!" Princess Bride

I plan to go ahead with the destroyer build. I am thinking of a diorama of four destroyers tied together in harbor. The rest I am not sure of but the photo etch is kicikng my butt. I would still entertain any offers to buy.

 I do like model building and to calm my nerves I go to a '51 Chevy in 1/25 scale I am working on. The size of this scale is much more manageaboe to me and autos aren't so bad, I like the full size ones too. 

 Not having a hobby shop nearby really slows things down too. I have to wait for mail order after guessing at what I am buying from an online catalogue. No I don't have much hair left to pull out. I have been waiting about 3 weeks for resin 5" guns, 40mm quad mounts and cans of paint. 

I would like to show some photos if I knew how. Do you put them in something like My Tiny Picture or Photobucket to host them before posting them here? I don't know if my digital camera has a macro on it but I might give it a shot. The Chevy got paint today.

One aspect of the hobby I really enjoy is doing the research. Being a history buff It has been fun digging up info on these old WWII tin cans.  

searat12 wrote:

I find these days I am not so interested in a finished model per se, but that the slow building of a model gives me a lot of insight into the mind of the original ship designer, what he was attempting to achieve, and how he approached the problem.  For this reason, particularly with warships, I very much like to have them all in the same scale for comparison, and full-hull as well.  It also gives you a perspective for competing ships, adversaries in battle, etc.  For instance, when I hold up the hull of the 1/350 USS Buchanan next to the hull of IJN Atago, or Kongo, you get a very real understanding of the courage displayed by the US destroyer skippers and crew when going into battle against one of these monsters at point-blank range!  "Goodbye boys!  Have fun stormin' the castle!  Do you think it'll work?  It'll take a miracle!" Princess Bride

Ditto with aircraft. At the same scale, you can really appreciate how far and how fast technology advanced, in a few decades.

The last part reminds me of the old adage:

"In the Army the officers send the enlisted off to die".

"in the Airforce the enlisted send the officers off to die".

"In the Navy the officers and enlisted go off to die together".

Airman Jim reminds me though, "somehow they always took a few of us too!".