ShipbuilderMN

Chewbacca, Thanks. Afraid they have already got to me. I no longer do "work in progress" anywhere or even admit to building anything these days I built Bulolo quite a few years ago now. I have written extensively about my methods. I was a regular writer (every issue) of Model Shipwright magazine for over a decade until they discontinued it. I have written extensively on my own account in the form of one printed book (reprinted a number of times, but now sold out and not likely to be reprinted), as well as numerous downloads from a few pages to 100s of pages, Here is Bulolo at 32 feet to 1 inch. Bob

It is a very awkward situation. When I have been asked what I am building in the past, and I have replied, adding "but it will not be for sale" I just get "If you ever decide to sell it, let me know!" That immediately makes me feel like I am being watched over a private commission, and I loose interest. Years ago, when I was practically begging for private commissions, very few were interested. But the moment I stopped taking them, the avalanche started and has never let up!😦 Bob

Thanks for replies. The Anchor ships are very smart, and good, clear photographs as well. There is a huge following of merchant ships that do not come to the light of day because publishers have an obsession with the same old subjects: Bounty, Victory, Cutty Sark, Titanic, Constitution etc, that usually finish up in "end of range" bookshops at very low prices, because, really, they contain nothing new, giving the publishers the impression that there is no interest in merchant ships. Also, kit manufacturers are blinkered in a similar way - I am often told that plans for merchant ships are few and far between, and difficult to find. This is not true, they are well-documented in books and national archives, and my own collection is quite extensive, though it has taken many years to build up. There are many fold-outs from old technical journals that reference libraries have got rid of because they believe that they are of no relevance in today's world. These journals, when they can be found, now change hands for hundreds of pounds each! Lots of book have been published in the past containing merchant ship plans. For example, written by David R MacGregor, Basil Lubbock, Douglas Bennet, P N Thomas, C V Waine etc etc. When I take these models to the local ship model society, I can almost see eyes glazing over with lack of interest, but the Helen Craig was reserved yesterday only a few hours after putting images on the internet, although I had never even indicated that I would sell it! That sort of thing is ruining the hobby for me, as collectors will not leave me alone. So now the Helen Craig is complete, I am going to have a long rest from model shipbuilding. The Helen Craig would have been completed many weeks ago if collectors had left me alone, but the constant pressure from prospective buyers wore me down, and has now brougfht me to a standstill. I will be doing more ship plan drawing, but anything I draw up does not mean that I intend to make a model of it, or even sell it - it is just for my personal satisfaction, and use in any articles I may write. Bob

They are only considered uninteresting by ship model builders! The interest by collectors and other maritime enthusiasts is immense. The Helen Craig is still remembered where I live in Preston, as she sailed out of that port regularly between 1891 and 1959 when sold for scrap. Look at this forum: https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/forum.php They have thousands of members, and naval ships are rarely mentioned. The life was far more varied because of superior numbers of ships of all sizes from a few tons to quarter of a million tons or more. In 1924, the British merchant navy (including the commonwealth), numbered in the region of 24,000 vessels. I myself have sailed in ships ranging from colliers, general cargo, iron ore, oil, wood pulp, container, passenger liners, bulk carriers, log carrier, cruise ship, and the adventures we had were numerous. "But not as exciting as war" some may say, but when wars did crop up, the merchant navy was always involved in a big way - my own experience being 13 months in the Falkland Islands, 1982/83. Here we are refueling a minehunter in 1982, and at San Carlos, 1982. Aboard a collier in 1962 (I am on the left). And the passenger liner Windsor Castle, in which I spent 5 years. Bob

Completed today. Steam coaster Helen Craig (1891 - 1959), I began this model on the 15th July last, and completed it today. Total number of days worked - 27. Total building time - 47 hours. I kept losing interest and stopping work, but finally pushed myself to complete it today at 1355 BST. - Bob

In the days when Model Boats magazine was owned by Argus Books, they had a plan service that contained a series called Miniature Merchantmen, and it was amongst them, together with many famous passenger liners. The list can still be found here: https://www.sarikhobbies.com/product-category/model-boat-builder/plans/x-list-plans-boats/ But I don't see the Saxon in it (although I haven't really looked deeply into it. Also, I am told they don't reply to e-mails either, so not really much help (Unless they have improved) - Probably discontinued because very few modellers will even consider building anything like this - Bob

I have found it! I completed it on the 17th March, 2000. It took 78 hours to build, and the hull was 18 inches long. Bob

Yes, I made everything. Can't remember how long it took, certainly less than 100 hours. I had forgotten that I built it, as it was so long ago. Just came across the photograph. Scale 32 feet to 1 inch (1:384), so not very big. Robert

Union liner Saxon in Union-Castle colours. This type of model is very unpopular amongst model shipbuilders. Probably because of the complexity. Far more difficult to build than sailing ships - probably because of all the lifeboats, portholes, doors, windows, rails, ventilators, skylights, ladders etc.

British coasting ketch Annie Christian.

Hi Stuart, Thanks. Yes, I did an article on making seas, it is included in "Scratchbuilding Merchant Sailing Ships, A Dying Art! Details via my FB page. I have just announced "collection only" from now on, so that will severely restrict things. But at age 74, I guess it doesn't really matter all that much. I can still carry on building them, and when the space to store them has run out, I will just stop until some of them go. There are a few local collectors interested. In some ways, it comes as a relief, as I was always worried about them getting there safely, especially to the USA or Far East. I did a half-hearted build log on FB about the Gulf Stream build, but had a number of prospective buyers come up all the way through, trying to stake a claim to it, and that sort of thing makes me lose interest and I slow down. Collectors seldom pay any attention to my requests to refrain from trying to reserve models whilst they are being built, some even wanting to pay in full before they are even finished. So, I have decided to only display the completed models from now on. As I have said before, very few modellers have the slightest interest in building merchant ships, only collectors are keen on them. Bob

The rigging is totally destroyed! I would need to take it all off and start again. The courier told me it is "not too bad, just a few sails need re-positioning, and a bit of the rigging needs re-threading! 😱 " It is rigged with wire, and the vast majority of them are broken, or puilled out at the roots. I feel they are paving the way to giving me a few pounds compensation at the most. It will never be as good as it was to begin with because it will be more dificult to work on, now it is fixed in the cumbersome base and sea. At the moment, I am not doing anything to it until I hear what the insurance plans to pay out. Afraid that is the end of me ever sending them out by courier again, even in the UK. Couldn't face that again. It is now over two weeks since I reported the damage and they are still dragging their heels. They will be "collection only" from now on. Pity, because a lot went to the USA and the Far East. It would have been better for me if it had been either lost or squashed flat, and receiving the full amount it was insured for! It looks like my shipbuilding activiteies will be strictly limited from now on, but have been doing it for more than 60 years now, Interest in this type of model in the UK is pretty minimal, and storage space in a small house is limited, even for miniatures. Bob

Arrived back this morning - Bob

It is the 275th model I have completed since leaving the sea in October 1992. Most modellers I know take many months or even years to just build one model, and at the end of it would never dream of selling them. The value to me has been preserved in the hundreds of photographs I took of the building process. It is annoying to lose so much money, and I really doubt if the insurance will pay anything realistic. Therefore I take great comfort that I can use it as an excuse (and a very good excuse at that), not to send any more out via couriers. If anyone wants them, they will have to collect. Everyone seems rather stunned at the moment, as I seem to have been regarded as an immortal ship model building robot!😮 which is what I felt like at times over the years. Nothing I can do about it anyway. If it had got there in one piece, it would have been gone from me anyway, and the money would just have been handed over to my wife, who uses it for housekeeping, so I never benefit finanically from it anyway. Any materials I purchase for modelmaking comes out of housekeeping, and we each get the same amount of spending money each month, so it is a self-financing hobby. I now have the freedom to indulge in my other passion - writing! Bob

Thanks Chris, It went via a courier, and was fully insured, but they are already indicating that it is unlikely I will get much back, hinting a few quid to pay for the repair! But it is not so simple to repair something as small and complex as this, especially as it is rigged in wire. Also, anything I do get will be taxable. As Rudyard Kipling said "If you can meet with triumph and disaster, and treat those two impostors just the same!" I am not terribly upset by it, but will be quite annoyed if they fail to pay out. They can't play the "insufficient packaging" card, as they have delivered 43 models for me, all over the world for the past nine years without damaging anything, and all that time, they have been happy to take my "extended cover" payments! I don't know if I will repair it until I see it! This is just a hobby with me, following 31 years at sea, and I am now 74! I would imagine it will be "collection only" from now on. I haven't taken private commissions for years, and only build what I feel like. I am planning on writing a book on the building of it. The proceeds from the model were going to pay for the printing of the book, with a considerable amount left over. But I refunded the buyer in full, including the delivery charges, a few days ago. So at the moment, the whole project is very much in the red! Strangely enough, in many ways, I feel like a millstone has been lifted from my back, as I have been under constant pressure to produce more, but now I have an excuse to cut down to "collection only" that will reduce the demand by a tremndous amount. I do get fed up of being regarded as a business, when I build them mainly for pleasure, and the continuous pressure to take on private commissions, or the never-ending "If you ever think of building.......!! - Freedom at last ☺️- Bob

This model was severely damaged on its way to Belgium two days ago - it looks like a write-off - The best one I have ever built! Bob

I use https://postimages.org/ Very simple to use, but a lot of folk don't like them for reason that escape me! Never had any problem with them. Bob

Thanks, I don't have much patience though!😎 It took 84 hours to build, spread over 53 days. That included making the display case and carrying case. I like to see them taking shape after the first couple of hours work! What does surprise me is that other ship modellers often say they haven't the time to build anything like this, so they stick to kits, but when I ask how long it takes to build a kit, it is usually many months, or even years! Bob

25 years ago, I began building a plank-on-frame model of the American clipper Young America. At that time, I was struggling to make a living at it, and not having much success. Having just had a fairly disastrous result at the maritime auctions in London with another American clipper, I became disillusioned with it. I made a shallow box and filled it with sand. I stuck the hull in it, and put it outside where it has endured the wind, rain, snow and ice and occasional blistering sunshine for quarter of a century. This evening, I took this photograph from directly above it. It closely resembles photographs of real wrecks that have been lying on the sea bed for considerable lengths of time. It makes a change from usual photographs of models. I sometimes wonder how much it would have fetched if I had persevered with it, because shortly after that, the models began to rise in popularity. It is quite large (for me) having a hull length of fourteen inches. Bob

Thanks - Sold today, and will shortly be setting off for its European destination - Bob

Thanks, It is nothing more than twisted 24swg enamelled copper wire. I take twice the length required, and double it over. Place the doubled ends in a vice and the other ends in a hand drill, winding away until the twist is tight enough. It is glued on with contact adhesive, and covers the sea/wood edging nicely. Bob

Thanks, It is safely inside a display case now. Sadly, most model shipbuilders convince themselves they can't build anything like this on account of the rigging when, as I have said many times, that is the easiest part of it. I am the other way round now, I know I could never build a kit, too big, too expensive, and too many about. When I changed over from 8 feet to 1 inch to 32 feet to 1 inch years ago, I was surprised at how easy and convenient it was, and could never face taking on a large one these days - they take too long! Bob

The rigging is the easiset part, as it is wire, and there are no knots anywhere - it is just glued on in short lengths! Bob

Ostrich eggs can be found on Ebay, but if too expensive, a shiny plastic ball will work, but less choice of curves. Pat damp sail to egg or ball, place handkerchief over it and hold it tight at back to dry out with heat gun or other heat source. Bob

The sails are just white airmail paper (obtained from Ebay), molded round an ostrich egg when wet. Dried with a small hobby heat gun. Nothing worse than a flat sail or flag - Bob