WIP HMS Hood (1893) Combrig 700 scale

[Rui Matos]

Excellent craftsmanship Bill!
Keep going, you're producing a MASTERPIECE!
Cheers,
Rui

[J. Soca]

Impressive job on the bridge Bill it sucks when you have to start all over again when something goes wrong but then i think nothing beats the feeling when you know you got it right that second time..


Jose

[dylan9391]

Hi Bill,

I really like the model quite amazing and well done indeed.

[Bill Livingston]

Thank you to all of you guys... I still think of the Rui's paint job on the Akula... Jose's stuff always impresses and Dylan (my neighbour it seems) is busy casting resin which I really want to learn to do sometime... So to get positive posts from you all is really warming...

But I have an AWFUL long way to go before she is complete.... I removed the upper masts the other day and will now re-build them, possibly with some accurately turned yards, re-sprayed in 'wood' with metal fittings painted in... I'm also tempted to remove some, if not all of the resin net booms as they seem to have distorted a little. I thought at the time I should have made them from rod or tube... Ah well...

It's ALL a learning curve and with Tiger I got back into modelling after a layoff of several years... With Renown I got much better at making things neat and accurate although I have still a long way to go... With Hood I am learning masses! Far more scratchbuilding than on anything I have done before, no longer a fear of changing something if I dont feel it looks 'right' and with encouragement from guys like yourselves, direct help from people like JB, and real inspiration from everyone on this site, I'm enjoying the hobby more than I ever have and learning so much, all at the same time...

Life does begin at 53!!!

[dylan9391]

having seen your workmanship on this model you'll enjoy casting in resin I think. I've got some more parts to make so I'll make some patterns and then take photos of the plasticard parts and then cast and mould them to give you an idea of the process.

[Bill Livingston]

Hi All... many apologies to those following this build for lack of updates for over a month.

Times had got tough. Some of you know that I was unemployed at the start of the recession after twenty one years at the company I worked for. I took them to court... which took a year... and won... and then spent the whole second year trying to find a new job.

The problem is, ours is a very small industry (high end audio), confidence was affected by the recession and I was in a senior position and although I had applied for many , many, jobs, one look at my CV or a few minutes in an interview and I was 'overqualified' and not considered. In fact, most of the interviews I was asked to attend, the interviewer was less experienced in the job than I was...

Not an easy time and if anyone, ever, suggests people out of work are lazy or are not looking for a job I will probably just lay them out!

Anyway, last Month I went to a trade show using the last bit of money I had put aside for my mortgage. Met a few people I knew in the industry and ended up hearing of a company located in Maidstone (just a few miles south east of London) who were looking for someone to run the whole of the distribution and retail side of the business. Spoke to the MD briefly, again on the phone the next day, spent a day with the two directors the day after that and then another day with the remaining director and signed a contract!

So, finally., after two years of unemployment I am back with a better position than I had previously, a really good salary, a brand new Audi A5 Sportback and just got back from a trade event in Montreal a couple of days ago... and then off to the US in a couple of weeks.

So... in between my international travelling, I will be able to now get on with Hood (and others), but I will need to be more disciplined and set aside time for it. So, Update to follow shortly

[bismarck builder]

i bill
congrats on the new job A5 nice looking forward to further updates
cheers
gary r

[MartinJQuinn]

So, finally., after two years of unemployment I am back with a better position than I had previously, a really good salary, a brand new Audi A5 Sportback and just got back from a trade event in Montreal a couple of days ago... and then off to the US in a couple of weeks

Excellent news, Bill!! Where in the US will you be traveling to?

[Bill Livingston]

My next trip will be to Scotsdale, Phoenix to see an ex-colleague and a prospective new retailer... I'll probably go to Georgia as well during the same trip as I need to see someone in Atlanta... but over the next few months I will be all over the US as I need to get our distributor up to speed and get him to realise we want him to be a lot mote proactive... which will be fun!!

I'm sure I will have time to meet up with one or two people on my travels...

[Frank O'Neill 2025]

Hey Bill.....
If you do happen to make it to Atlanta I'm about 45 minutes north of there.
Perhaps we could arrange a visit!

[ArizonaBB39]

My next trip will be to Scotsdale, Phoenix to see an ex-colleague and a prospective new retailer... I'll probably go to Georgia as well during the same trip as I need to see someone in Atlanta... but over the next few months I will be all over the US as I need to get our distributor up to speed and get him to realise we want him to be a lot mote proactive... which will be fun!!

I'm sure I will have time to meet up with one or two people on my travels...

Arizona! The weather should be wonderful when you get here (although it almost always is ) Congrats on getting a job too

[kubaro]

Congrats, Bill. I�m glad to hear those good news....

[Guest]

Super news, Bill! I can only imagine how soul destroying the last couple of years must have been...I'm very happy for you!

[Blackbrazen]

Fantastic news Bill! I'm so happy for you!

[Sean Hert]

Great news! If you make it to Ohio, let me know!

[Bill Livingston]

Thank you everyone!

It's good to be back... although this is going to be difficult setting up the whole sales infrastructure from scratch. I did this over a twenty year period at my old place... its difficult to accept I cant do it in a week or two here...!!!!!

Must learn patience!

Hopefully I will get back modelling in a few days

[Allan McBeath]

Bill any chance of an update. Was enjoying this one

[Bill Livingston]

Sorry Allan... in fact, profound apologies to anyone following this thread...

Unfortunately, as you can see from the post above, I have started a new job in a company that needs a lot of infrastructure and a sensible and affordable strategic plan in place, not an easy job given the way the company has been running for the past twenty years. I had wondered for a long time, long before I joined, why this particular company had not enjoyed the success it should given the performance of the products themselves... I sure as hell know why now!!!

Anyway, because of this and the frequent travel plus having to find time for my son on alternate weekends modelling has by necessity taken a bit of a back seat. When I do get some free time, like this evening, I'm mentally and physically exhausted...

So... what am I going to do about it? Well, try to set aside some time for myself and fit in a personal life again for a start. I employed a sales guy who started three days ago and once he is up and running a lot of the day to day pressure will be taken off me as I was having to do practically everything, not made any easier by the CEO wondering why I was working on things he had never bothered with such as understanding the various market issues and business relationships within all the companies we deal with, contracts, terms and conditions, distribution and resale agreements, employment contracts and so on... (see last sentence in the second paragraph!!).

I am away all next week in the UK... then Croatia the week after that and then Germany, Sweden and then back to Germany twice... so I think I have some time in the middle of November to hopefully see my girlfriend for a weekend and then have a weekend to myself...

I haven't looked at the dates yet, but I am hoping I am in the UK for the IPMS Telford show as I really could do with going this year. I have really only spend a day with Jim Baumann getting some guidance from the master of rigging with stretched sprue... Jim was very generous with sharing his skills and, as I am reasonably capable with my hands, found it a really useful and, not too difficult to master, skill. I have the patience too, so I am really looking forward to doing something with my new found confidence in this area. So, all being well, I will be at Telford, I will be buying a stock of stuff that I have run out of... fine railings, masking tape, decent blades, cutters and finally, a new airbrush (!) and along with the motivation I normally get from speaking to a lot of like minded people like Jim, Guido (if he is there) and hopefully, Dave Griffith, maybe, just maybe I wil return with new determination to finish a couple of models I have started and maybe even have a couple more under my arm to go home with... There is a certain aircraft carrier from L'Arsenal I really fancy and I will have to try really, really hard to avoid buying a 350 scale Warspite plus all the PE and wood decks from Pontosmodel (I think the only way I am going to avoid that is if they aren't there or Jim reminds me that waterline 700 scale is where I should be focussing as I haven't ever finished a 350 scale model as I take too long, get too obsessed, and have nowhere near his staying power...

Thanks for the 'poke' Allan... Lets just hope it helps me get on... I REALLY want to, and posting a little something each day really helped keep me focussed... must get back to the habit...

[JIM BAUMANN]

He lives!!

Right-- hopefully once you are settled you can get yourself back in the groove!!

Telford is 12 and 13 November

best to arrive and stay the night of the 11 Nov-Friday

come and have beer and food at the Holiday Inn

http://www.smwshow.com/

books your accommodation now !!!!

have a look here for accommodation

http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/telford.html

listing with price AND telephone numbers--so much quicker than on-line!

ask the hotel / B & B how far away from the International Centre it is-

-if you have no car and you are a way outside you will need taxis etc

Holiday inn and the International are as far as I know FULLY BOOKED for the weekend of the show

Try the PARK INN first

Park Inn By Radisson Telford
Forgegate, Town Centre, Telford, TF3 4NA
Phone: +44 (0)1952 429988

[Bill Livingston]

Thanks Jim!

Hmmm... Well I could get to Telford with a bit of reorganising. I'm in Malmo the weekend before, due to have my son on the Telford weekend but get back from a distribution conference in Hamburg on the Friday of the following week so I could move my son to that weekend or maybe even bring him along...!

I'll sort it out and book a hotel at the end of next week when I know for certain. if there are no rooms available I could always just drive up and down for the day... Done that before!

Thanks Jim, very helpful. I'll call for a chat sometime over the weekend. Speak soon....