New guy ship questions.

Hi JR

I'm getting back into building and have been thinking the same thing.  I was given a couple of 1/350 destroyers for Christmas but if you stick to that scale, things can get big.

If you're looking to keep things small, 1/700 is a very popular scale.  I balk at it, to be honest, as I reckon it's too small but there is a huge following and space constrictions could be one of the reasons why this is the case.

If you're looking for an 'easier' ship to build, I reckon an aircraft carrier might be the way to go.

Good luck.  I'm looking forward to seeing your first ship build.

If you want to keep your model collection small and consistent in scale, then I'd recommend 1:700 scale.    A modern aircraft carrier is less than 2 feet long and a WWII destroyer is about 6 inches in length. 

The new tool Tamiya ships are pretty good  as are most of the current PitRoad items.   Trumpeter is fair to good - but then again many of their 1:700 items are produced by the afore-mentioned PitRoad.    New mold Aoshima are good - old mold Aoshima are abysmal.     Hasegawa is middlin'    Old Revell 1:720 scale (slightly smaller) kits are generally pretty poor.   Their old Arizona probably made more aircraft modelers out of potential ship modelers than any other kit.

Any of theTamiya/PitRoad/Trumpeter items would be good,  but I would not recommend any of them as a first attempt at applying photoetch railings and other details.   For that I generally recommend a small 1:350 scale kit such as the Tamiya Fletcher,  Trumpeter England, or Revell Emden.    Treat it as a learner kit that you will mess up,  don't sweat it.  The aftermarket details will be twice as large as the items in 1:700 scale.   Use the larger items to train your thumbs to do as you want them to.   Later transfer than muscle memory to the smaller scale.

A lot left unsaid in the question, mostly in terms of what sort of ships do you like?  Contemporary or period?  Civil or warship?

That being said, a modern destroyer or small cruiser is about the easiest subject to build.  Go 1:700 if you want them small.

However, the size of ships and boats varies enormously, so if you are building smaller craft, especially civil, you can go to a larger scale and the models will still be small.  Tugs and various work boats tend to be small. Lots of tugs, big and small, available.

Also, are you fixed on plastic or are you open to wood, resin and other materials?

Well, if you like battleships 1/700 is the way to go.  Size is controllable and the kit selection is absolutely phenomenal.  It is possible from the kits currently available to build at least 577 different battleships, battlecruisers, coastal battleships and large monitors.  Many of them can be built in different major refits, i.e. 1941 USS California and 1945 California.  I don't think it is possible to build all of the kits available in a lifetime!  (although, I AM trying to).   WS

If space is an issue, then1/700 is your scale - literally thousands of kits and new ones coming out all the time. It is a good time to be a ship modeler. I chose it because I live in a small apartment, and even an aircraft carrier is only about 18-inches long.

However, echoing what Ed said - start with something bigger and simpler, like a 1/350 minesweeper or frigate in plastic, with maybe a little photoetch, to get used to the whole idea, and then maybe move on to a 1/700 auxiliary before tackling a 1/700 man 'o war or anything in resin.

Crawl before you walk and pretty soon you'll be running with the big dogs. 

I would agree that 1/700 is the way to go, particularly if you are just beginning, or giving ships your first shot.

Modern USN ships can be simple, or if you want to, can go for very tight detailing.  Colors and painting are simple and an out of box build renders a model you can enjoy.  Adding photo etch, etc., racks up the challenges very quickly, and gives you a real taste of the small scale, and what detailing can be done.

I'd stay away from a carrier as your first ship.  The repetition of modeling all the aircraft, can drag out the build beyond the time you may be accustomed too, building other model types.

Working in 1/700 scale teaches you a few things about weathering.  Techniques that work well on armor will overpower the smaller scale ship.  Carriers, done right, require lots of weathering to get the flight deck looking right.  Even in 1/700, a modern carrier flight deck is a "big" piece of plastic.  Painting it all in one color just "doesn't look quite right."  Working with smaller decks is a good way to "work up" to a carrier.

You are also well supplied with many good reference photos for modern USN ships too.  The Navy's photo gallery at www.news.navy.mil has lots of good photos to help with any modern warship.  That can save a little expense too. You'll need a book or two for a WW2 ship. Since you are just starting out, downloading free high res shots of a destroyer or cruiser is a big help.

You'll get lots of help here.  Enjoy it.

Mike

Thanks to all!

You've given me a ton to think about!

I'll keep you posted on my progress, and what I decide to go with.

JR

I would recommend that you buy the book "Ship Models from Kits, Basic And Advanced Techniques for Small Scales" by David Griffith.  I have not seen any better references for the scale ship builder than this.  It also talks about the different kit manufacturers out there.  This may help you decide which scale to dive into as well.  But most importantly it will help you build better model ships.  I've seen it with a couple of covers but the one on the attached link is the most recent I've seen.  I can't think of a better starting point.

http://www.usni.org/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=1787