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Compass 360 - Latest hobby & industry news
Polaris Prize Draw - Your chance to win OcCre's superb new 1:50 scale kit, along with bonus items that will provide you everything you need from start to fabulous finish!
Move over, Helen of Troy! - In this month's MB Q&A we chat to Olya Batchvarov about her meteoric rise from complete novice to award winning model ship builder
Let there be light - Richard Simpson takes an illuminating look at an easy to fit alternative lighting system
Pilgrim's progress - Steve Whitelock talks us through how he designed and constructed a 1:32 scale Vivier crabber entirely from scratch - and we think you'll find that many of the transferable methods and techniques he explains are worth pinching for your own projects!
Go figure! - Warminster Model Boat Club's Mike Payne extols the virtues of being a people person...
DUKSKI - Ashley Needham aims to show aims to show just how easy is to produce a decent looking, water-only working model of the ZiS 485
DIY Shroud Loom - Martin Stead explains how to build a rigging jig for next to nothing
Boiler Room - Richard Simpson continues to share the theory of, and best practices when, soft soldering
Loch Doon - Eric Belshaw shows us what a little 'can do' attitude can achieve...
Selecting motors and propellers - Part 2 - Colin Bishop concludes this useful guide with a little help from his friends...
Your letters - Views aired and information shared
Coming next month...Just a little taste of what you can look forward to in the May issue of Model Boats
Soobrazitelnyy - Dave Wooley continues his 1:72 scale build of the new Russian multi-purpose Soobrazitelnyy corvette
Your models - Brilliant builds shared and showcased
Buy the book - More recommendations for your bookshelf
Perhaps one of the most frequently discussed topics in the model boat building world is how to encourage more newcomers, and in particular young people, into the hobby. Have you ever considered, though, that one of the biggest deterrents could well be just how impressive your builds are! Step back for a moment and consider the situation an outsider's point of view. I'm pretty sure that most admiring glanceswill be quickly followed by the thought: "But where would I even begin to learn the kind of skills required to attempt something like that?"
Even the most comprehensive of instruction sheets that come with model boat kits can still, for the complete novice, seem daunting enough to prove off putting. Bravo, then, to the manufacturers now taking these concerns on board and offering additional help and support!
One such manufacturer is OcCre, which not only provides step by step YouTube tutorials but also has a team dedicated to answering individual customer's queries. What's more, even its entry level kits result in very attractive and satisfyingly professional looking models on completion. A fine example is the new to the range 1:50 scale Polaris and, thanks to the generosity of OcCre, this month's prize draw will see one lucky reader win everything required to assemble and finish her.
Of course, it's not just manufacturers that need to be applauded for using social media platforms to demonstrate both the basic and the trickier techniques involved in model boat/ship building. This month's interviewee, award winning modeller Olya Batchvarov, is one of a growing number of talented modellers also freely extending their knowledge and expertise to others; the value of which she is well placed to understand, having had no such luxury when she set about constructing her first ever kit. Olya's fascinating story is one of sheer passion and determination, and the level of skill she's managed to develop in such a short space of time is nothing short of astonishing -prepare to be blown away!
Wherever you are on your own personal learning curve, though, hopefully you'll find the pages that follow full of inspiration, ideas, best practice advice and useful hints and tips.
Enjoy your read!
Lindsey
