I am no expert in plastic kits, but i've build the mayflower once. There are advantages and disadvantages with the plastic kits. One big advantage with the plastic kits is the level of detail you get, the plastic kits are very detailed compared to their wooden counterparts.

However, you will find out that using plastic masts will be difficult to keep upright. Over time the rigging will shrink pulling the plastic mast out of its upright position. So you want to use wooden dowels, and make your own masts.

Using plastic implies that u must paint the whole model, the quality of the paintjob makes or breakes the model. But i'm sure you have expierence with painting models.

Another big problem with plastic is that it is made of refined oil, now the oil will evaporate over time. The plastic model will just fall apart after 15-20 yrs, i've seen it with my own and my brother's plastic aircraft models, After leaving the model several years in the closet we duck them up, just by holding them caused the propellors and landing gear etc. to fall off the model, it became very brittle. But this depends on the quality of the plastic used, eventually it will happen.

But ofcourse the plastic models are more quickly to make. Surely wood has also its problems, store a wooden model in a damp environment and it gets destroyed by fungus and moisture quicker than you can say "sucka".

So the plasic kits are ok, but i recommend to use no super glue, but special glue that melts the parts together. And replace some parts with hardwood particular the masts.

I have some old plastic models & i've never seen the effects you describe, altho it may be true for some makers. The glue bond may be what fails in some cases.

I've tried the "welding" cement but it's not easy to control. I prefer environmentally safe poly cement, used with care. After applied wait half a minute before pressing the parts together.

You should check out this Article on glues - GLUES and ADHESIVES (http://shipmodeling.net/vb_forum/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=23). There's a section on plastic glues about three quarters of the way down the page. And these - Here Today, Maybe Gone Tomorrow? (http://shipmodeling.net/vb_forum/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=3) - Lead corrosion in exhibition ship models (http://shipmodeling.net/vb_forum/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=7)

I'm looking at my 32 year old plastic model of Revell's Seeadler and it is still standing proudly and intact in its case. Models that are not iencased will inevitably gat lost but then it is not due to decaying plastic but rather to over efficient cleaning ladies.

As far as glue is concerned I both use cyano (for painted surfaces and to fix knots) and welding glue (sparingly and on unpainted plastic only). But don't snif it !!

I am currently building the plastic Hella HMS Victory. It would be a major project but would look good. The ship is just under a metre long and just as high. :realcool:

Hello Andrew.

A little late for an answer to your mail. How is your Heller Victory going on? Did you start the rigging already? One thing I would think of is replacing the flying jib by a piece of brass: there are just too many lines attached to it and the thing is so tiny that it is almost impossible to avoid bending.

At last I managed to keep it straight WITH the cotton sails, but after some time, the anti-dust brigade killed it. If only they had been at Trafalgar, the British would have had a tougher time yet!!

A sensible alternative would be to represent the ship without sails, the worst alternative being to use the plastic sails from the kit.

How about your pictures? I built her some 15 years ago and it kept me busy for some 2 years.

Greetings.