It depends on the tools you have. I looked at your videos and your shop. I don't see much in the way of wood working tools so that should be considered in your costs. You could get a cheap scroll saw on ebay/craigslist. Get a rotary tool if you don't have one. Some thoughts first... First, get the okay from your parents.. It has the same safety concerns you have w/ airsoft and then some since those bb's are biodegradeable plastic.. Choose a ruleset. I would think that fast gun is your best bet. They seem to be the most numerous in your area. Plus it would be easier and most likely cheaper to arm than a big gun. But the best bet is to find some one close that could mentor/help you. Third, a Brooklyn or Northhampton might be a good starter ship for a cruiser if you are going for a kit. If you have the tools to attempt a scratch built then go to the french website for some free plans for a french ship http://www.servicehistorique.sga.de...tebato.php You might have a better chance to keep an eye on the for sale/wanted section of this website you may get lucky and get a nearly complete ship but don't bet on it.
OK thx and uhh... parent... they're divorced.... and I already got the ok from my mom. Alright so fast gun. Mentor.... don't have one; there are no clubs near me. Someone needs to make one. =P. I would if you were older over 18, but I'm in, so I can't. I guess I'll keep an eye out then.
You need to be able to get your mom (or dad, or someone) to drive you to battles, at a minimum. Build sessions, too, since building one without some experience will not make a functional boat very easily. Bob H is a master builder (he might argue but that's how I see it) and he sells a DVD for $10 which is WELL worth the money, especially if you've never seen one of the ships in person and had someone explain the systems to you. Linky: http://www.portpolarbear.com/For Sale.htm The DVDs are at the bottom of that page. I'd get the HowTo DVD and the 'Welcome to the MWC' DVD for a total of $15 and you would learn a LOT about the ships and the battling. They're even fun to watch. If I've been doing it for years and I still like to pop them in and watch them for fun, they've gotta be good.
hmmmm....my mom's really paranoid about her credit card and just about never uses it online unless it's Amazon or something to do with college or American Express.com, etc. =( and she wouldn't travel that far away
Unfortunately the reality of the hobby is it requires money, a place to battle, and people to battle. Unless you have a suitable pond in your yard(and can get people to come to you to battle) if you can't travel you're rather hosed. As this is a very obscure and small hobby traveling a few hours is normal to get to a "local" battle. We can help you build a boat but if you can't battle it it takes a lot of the fun out of the hobby.
I would say that it's going to be difficult at best to get into the hobby, then. Sorry to say it but that's how it looks.
Yeah I guess I'll wait till I'm older.... Thank you for all the help though guys! 'm not a quitter it's just to far away.
You'll have more chances, more or less the same thing happened to me. I found out about the hobby when I was about your age thought it was awesome but didnt have the $$ or skills to get into it. Later when I was in college and looking for a project to work on I remembered about it and I've been hooked ever since. Keep up with RC stuff and by the time you get a chance to really get a boat and get into the hobby youll be ahead.
The typical person in the hobby finds it, or thinks about something like it in the early teen years. Then come girls and all other hobbies are forgotten. In the early 20s they come back and suddenly have money and even time to build things. Then you have kids and the money/time gets lower. Then kids start in the hobby too, money spent gets higher, time gets easier to put aside for hobby items. Wives are ok with you spending a night/weekend with the kid on a project, much better than leaving her with the kids for the same amount of time. Then the kids discovers girls...
SnipeHunter- no way I'm gonna stop liking RC Anachronus- thanks for support Bob- rofl ( responding to the latest three posts)
I also discovered the hobby when I was about your age. Then came girls, and cars, and college, and working 3 jobs to pay for girls/cars/college, and, well boats just weren't a reality. Then I got real jobs, more time, more $$$ and got to build and battle. Then I got a super real job and boats became much mroe affordable, as well as the travelling, and the building, etc. (and the house to build the boats at). But for several years all I had were pictures and some articles and once-a-year trips. The Internet was still pretty new then, now you can follow along with tons of videos, pictures, reports, etc. Definately keep following along as long as you have interest. Oppurtunities will come along, they always do. There are several regular posters of youtube videos of awesome boat battles. Subscribe to the modelwarshipcombat channel. Get boat books when you can, there's actually a lot of really awesome books out. Some are older (5-7 years) but still very good. "The Kaiser's Pirates" is one I just finished, very cool and not too heavy a read. "Castles of Steel" is a titan of a book, but also not too thick a read. If you can, pick up Bob H.'s "how to build a boat" DVD. It's very well done. Pick up a DVD of a Nats or big regional if you can at the same time. Not only is it a couple (or few) hours of awesome boat battle, but watching gives a really good idea of battling and the boats themselves. I still go back and watch old battles sometimes. If you're going to be staying in the GA area for the next few years, that puts you right smack in the middle of a group of experience MWCi battlers like Clark, Lou, Pete, Tim Krakowski, etc. If that is the case, the Brooklyn is an excellent first boat to look forward too. It is faster than all of the ships that have sidemounted cannons (which being a cruiser you can't have) and can have 2 guns and pump. More than enough room and weight for the systems. Simple and easy to battle. Some other ships to think about would the German DKM Lutzow or DKM Prinz Eugen, American USS Northampton, French Suffren, Japanese Aoba. There's many others and lots of time to choose.
