Modeller of the Month - Febuary 2010

The Modeller of the Month for February 2010 is Bob Wood

What is an excellent hobby when you have drawing skills or wood working skills, skills in maths or metal work, skills in engineering or architecture? And you think literally or laterally? Why it's model ship building of course! You can even be a skilful tattoo artist and excel at model ship creations as modeller Bob Wood has shown.

Recalling where his passion for model ships began was an easy task for Bob. With no hesitation Bob talks about his father frequently taking him to the Museum of Applied Science in Harris Street Sydney. While there they would wander around, his father explaining and teaching and Bob learning and exploring and within the walls of the museum Bob stumbled on his love of period ships.

Bob's enthusiasm started with the model of the H.M.S Sirius at the museum which captured his interest from the moment he saw it.

"The model of the Sirius had me really intrigued. The cannons, all the rigging, and the flags - the whole thing had me very interested." Bob said.

After this first encounter with the Sirius model, Bob an avid drawer, would catch the train to the museum and sketch the Sirius determined to create his own replica of the ship.

Drawing has always been his strongest skill, and Bob recall developing his talent from a young age. He tells, with a laugh, that as a young boy he would ask his mother what he should draw and she would say, "Anything, draw whatever you like." Bob said that he would get in her hair a lot.

As a young modeller Bob constructed war ships and air craft carriers. One of his techniques was to copy pictures that he found in magazines. By crafting rudimentary models in boyhood, Bob learnt the mechanics of piecing together model parts. From all this practice Bob is now a comfortable scratch builder preferring this method of construction because he can be more creative.

"I like building scratch models because I can put my own ideas into the ship." Bob said.

Bob has built the Victory, Bounty, Bellona and the Santa Maria to name a few. Bob has constructed over 40 models from when he was young to the present. Half of these are scratch and half are from kits.

With so many finished models it's not surprising that Bob believes a good technique is having patience and the persistence to see a model to the finished stage.

"My advice to fellow modellers would be to have patience. It's also good to know when to have a break and come back again." Bob said.

With a garage full of tools and a work bench setup Bob is equipped to continue his model making after retiring from the tattooing business.

After 40 years of being a tattoo artist he has accumulated many tattoos himself. One being a ship tattooed on his chest. It doesn't get more devoted than that.