Hello. You probably dont know me but i have been lurking around for some time now. I found this site a while ago and got very interested in the hobby. I decided that I wanted to build Japanese ships because I personally think they are the best looking. I didn't want to build something massive for my first ship so I went with a sea plane tender. Funding has been a major problem for me and a lack of tools means that my ship is not coming out as I hoped it would. Just thought I would let everyone know that I would be looking for a battle group to join near the foothills of NC.
looks good! i can see a couple points of what you are talking about but i hope you didn't use that elmer's glue for the ribs themselves. even with waterproofing it tends to be soft.( I am guilty of using it myself on a few superstructure bits i made) a coat of paint should mask most of the issues. and putting it on the water will fix the rest! and being a Japanese ship it should be ???or????? ships where named in men's language (katakana) not common language (hiragana) in Japan pre 1945. confused the heck outta me when i was looking at old ships till i realized they also wrote the name traditionally (right to left) but horizontally on ships.... ?????
Thanks for the feedback! I did end up using the glue but not before I made groves to hold the ribs onto the keel. I hope what you say is true but some things just wont look good. On the starboard side of the aft section (where the clamps are) is a dent in the balsa. I removed the area and im going to try pulling it out by layering some balsa under it. Also on the Port side. instead of being a steady curve it makes a sudden turn inboard. This isnt symetrical so i dont like it. It is mostly due to my sloppy methods of assembling the ribs. If i had more rescources I would redo the entire project..... again.... I am taking a Japanese class right now so im not that good at it. I just turned on the japanese type on my keyboard and put it in. Although, we are told that katakana is used for "loanwords" or words that japan borrows from other countries. But thanks for the information, i find it interesting.
my major is Japanese Language and most time you are correct in that katakana would be used for "loanwords" but before the US invaded Japan katakana was still "mens launguage" at least somewhat. and being unhappy with how things turn out just means that you are doing it right in my opinion. I don't think i have ever finished a project 100% happy with it.
Could you better define "foothills of NC"? I currently live in Charlotte, and there are a few others in NC / SC area....
By Foothills I mean closer to Hickory. There is a small town about 30 minutes North West of Hickory that I live in called Hudson.
You guys missed a great battle in Oakboro this past weekend! That is probably about 2 hours from you FateBomb which qualifies as extremely close in this hobby. It is one of the best battle sites too so you can count on more action there in the future. I don't know of an organized local group in NC but that doesnt really matter, these forums can be a decent resource and I would also recommend joining the IRCWCC yahoo group to get connected with more battlers.
I'll keep looking out for clubs, but I was mostly interested in Big gun combat because the fast guns just seem a bit boring to me. And a larger calliber is always better
I really suggest not ruling a format out without attending an event, especially if the alternatives in your area are lacking. Fast gun is a lot of things, but I don't think I would describe it as boring in action.
Honestly half the fun is meeting people and talking to them. The actual fast gun combat is also really fun, have you seen some of the crazy battles like MWCI Nats or brouhaha on YouTube?
I havent watched brouhaha but I am subscribed to bradblankenship and MWC. And it's mostly a personal opinion. I would perfer going around rather slowly making calculated shots instead of charging in and mowing everything down. Also, being able to put more guns on a ship (with rotating turrets) is something that appeals to me.
Well, then, I encourage you to build a ship, two actually, and get some friends on the water and attract interest to the hobby, and create a Big Gun group from scratch. It's been done before. Doesn't mean that it's easy (it's not), but it's doable. There are two Big Gun guys in Georgia (usually one in port at any given time), and Ian in Florida who is blessed with his own pond (not that it drives me mad with jealousy). If you're willing to drive for battles, those guys are a possibility.
