WesWorld

I'm sure a few of us build ship models, if so which scale do you build at and what era? Do you prefer to build ships from one nation or do you build any and all warships in a modelers frenzy? How large is your collection and whats your favorite model kit company?
I build WW2 ships in 1:700 scale for many reasons. The first is because of the small scale I can display hordes of them on shelves but they are also cheaper than larger scales.
This scale seems to have the largest selection of kits to choose from and as such I can keep my models consistantly the same size for compairing to other ship models. Most of my kits are made by Tamiya as they seem to be the largest hit manufactuer, but I also have a kit from just about every company that makes 1:700 ships.
As for my collection heres a list of ships I have built, are in the process of being built or have sitting in a box for a future project.

Japan:

Carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Shokaku, Zuikaku, Shinano, Taiho, Junyo, Hosho, Zuiho, Ryujo and Kaiyo.
Battleships Yamato, Kongo, Hiei, Nagato, Ise and Hyuga as well as older Nagato and Kirishima kits to kitbash into older vertions of those ships.
Cruisers Takao, Mogami, Suyuza, Tone, Myoko, Nachi, Tatsuta and 3 of the 8-8 light cruisers in vaious states of modernization. I also have several older mogami kits to kitbash into an as built vertion. I can also use a Tone class cruiser hull to convert to the Ibuki.
I aslo have a handfull of Japanese DD kits.

Britain:

Carriers Ark Royal, Illustrious and Victorious. I can also possibly use a Admiral graf spee hull to turn into the Hermes and I'm looking into scratch building the Eagle and may turn an extra Ark Royal kit into the Unicorn.
Battleships KGV, POW, DOY (acctually a KGV kit), Hood, Nelson and Rodney as well as several Hood kits to kitbash into rebuilt versions of Hood.
As for smaller ships it gets really hard to find them so I only have an old matchbox kit of the Exeter, several O class DD kits and a few tribal class DD's that came with the Ark Royal kits. I plan on scratch building some of the older 20's destroyers as well.

Germany:
Carrier graf Zepplin and plan to convert a Hipper hull to the Wesser.
Battleships Bismarck, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Currently the Tirpitz kit is Eluding me.
Cruisers Graf Spee, Lutzow, Scheer, Prinz Eugen, Hipper, and Blucher. I have several older revell kits that I can use for parts and to build the CV Wesser.
I also kave about 10 Z class DD's modified in just about every way the germans historically did.

U.S.A.

Carriers Yorktown II, Ticonderoga, Lexington, saratoga, Enterprise (yorktown kit modified), Yorktown, Hornet, and the Bogue.
Battleships Arizona, Pensylvania (Arizona kit modified) Iowa, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Indiana (Alabama kit painted up like Indiana). I also plan on kit bashing to older Revell Iowa kits into one Montana class BB and I have enough parts from other Revell kits to scratch build some of the other older U.S. BB's.
Cruisers Indianapolis, Atlanta and Juneau. I also have 2 Matchbox Indianapolis kits to turn into Northampton class cruisers. I also have several fletcher class DD's in several modified vertions including one with a Catipult which was acctually tried out on a U.S. destroyer.

After or durring all this all this I plan on building my own fleet created on this board. I have soooo many spare parts and hulls I can have plenty of fun with my kits.

Many moons ago, as a teen, I did build some models. These were at the 1:700 scale, since it's what my father was using as well. Although I never got to his skill level, I produced competent versions of Scharnhorst, Bismarck, Iowa (1980's incarnation), Kiev, Essex, Taiho, and Nimitz to name a few. I also attempted to convert something (I forget what it started as) into the modernized Andrea Doria. I recall finding it frustrating that the modelling lines were mostly Japanese-made, and thus really heavy into just about every class ever floated by Japan. I wanted French and Italian ships but never found them in 1:700.

I also scratch-built some relatively simple modern warships out of balsa wood at the same time. These were at about 1:1200, and included American-style cruisers and carriers.

It was actually some good quality time with my father, each of us at our own work tables in his den, quietly building a warship with a 1980's Top-40 radio station playing stuff like Bon Jovi and Loverboy. Unfortunately, his death and university coincided, and that left me without the time or passion to continue.

But...a lot of my models are still with me, in boxes in the storage room. One day, when I have a hobby room of my own, they'll return.

J