James H

As well as laser-engraved bevelling lines, something else I've never used before are pre-shaped and cut planks. The first planking on this model fits like an absolute dream! Everything about this project is so far enjoyable. MK provided some beautiful little brass nails for this planks, and the holes for them are also laser cut. You couldn't ask for more. 😀 Remember also that I still need to give the hull a final shaping and sanding later in the build and everything here is just bevelled with a Dremel before any gluing. Next up is the stern quarters. This builds up a little like one of those Puzz-3D models, with lots of interlocking parts that fit perfectly together. a little bevelling is needed here and there, but very minimal. With the stern fitted, the rearmost bulkheads were fitted, carefully bending them to the bevelled curve of the MDF main section. The transom area is one that takes a little more effort with, and definitely some care. After bevelling, the ply transom core needs to be soaked in water before you can do this. Thankfully, the ply is quite pliable and 5 minutes in very warm water was all that was needed. The counter transom also needs bevelling and bending. Here you can see the two put together and with the pear and black veneers added to the inside area. The pear is beautiful but VERY thin. I managed to break it, but you can't tell, thankfully 🤣 Tonight, I made up one of the bow sections. These are built from 5 pinned parts that have some bevelling marks. Because the laser engraving machine can't engrave the underside the sheet of parts, you will need to add some bevelling marks yourself by first dry-fitting the parts and marking with a pencil. Remember, the bevel is on the inside and outside of this section, hence the extra marks you need to make. When done, the parts are pretty level and will only need a few swipes with sandpaper. More soon!!

I've spent time pouring over the actual Caldercraft kit a few years ago. A modeller friend of mine lent me his for a couple of months, and the only reason I didn't buy was because I was looking at a house move at the time. I'm fairly well versed on the construction. I'm also in receipt of a mind-blowing quantity of photos, plans, drawings, instructions for the forthcoming Amati. In my humble opinion, there isn't a comparison. This one blows it away in terms of detail, and the information I have on accuracy. Knowing what is now coming, and the sheer expense of something like this, don't sell yourself short.

....hold in there!!!

You're a machine. That's looking real impressive.

I will do. It's great to be back at a bench again and doing something I enjoy! My room is already a dust bucket, and I've only been back at it for a few hours! Ok, before I make a start with removing any parts from the first two sheets of laser cut elements, I decided to use the instructions as reference and number them all. The kit itself is pretty intuitive when it comes to part placement, but never underestimate the power of stupid. This was a little insurance policy for me. Now, I've not used my Dremel for years. I had to go to the attic and actually find it. After removing the parts for the bow cheeks, the first job was to profile/bevel them against the laser etched lines. I know those lines are hardly a new innovation, but this is the first kit I've actually used them in anger. Bevelling the ply is a pretty easy job, and I just went at my own pace at 8000RPM. I also bevelled the large main part into which everything plugs. Rear former parts are aligned with a series of laser-cut pins. Note the different orientation of them, so you can't get the parts mixed up. The rear formers are now glued to the false keel using Titebond Ultra, and the false keel glued to the main plan part. I now glue the bow cheek sections in. These all fit precisely with absolutely no gaps and no need to fudge anything. Very impressive. The rest of the formers are now bevelled. There's no work to do on #15 and #16, so those are glued in place first. Again, all parts have tabs which means they will only fit one way around, keeping the clumsy at bay. You'll see that some of these also have plugs that will lock into the garboard plank. The last thing to do before planking is to glue the bulkheads into place, making sure that any excess glue is removed from the other sockets on the main plan part. With these fitted, the infill parts are also added between the bow cheeks. Next stop.....planking!

Great to see this one come together so quickly. It must only have been a few hours since you said you were starting this 🤣

Hi crew, I've had to be a little mercurial when it comes to how I'll spend the next months before I build a test (another!) of Amati's forthcoming 1:64 H.M.S. Victory so I can do the photos for the construction manual, so I was originally going to bash away at my Panart deck section. I was then going to plank the Caldercraft 1:80 Mary Rose I've had for around 15years. In the end, I decided the best way to spend that time was on Master Korabel's diminutive but gorgeous 1:72 Tender Avos, reviewed HERE and soon to be available from Vanguard Models in the UK. I've been watching this beautiful build of this model by Peta_V, on Model Ship World, and the kit I have is the same XS/Exclusive version. My plan is to do as much work as I can until Amati's parts land, sometime in October. Master Korabel's kit really is gorgeous, superbly presented and manufactured, and has some innovative design features that are there to make things as trouble-free as possible. The box is fairly small, but it pretty heavy. Planking is also laser-cut and etched with plank and nail detail. Everything starts with the flat deck-shaped component into which all the other elements plug. Work starts on Saturday, and until then, I'll be studying the plans and watching Peta_V's build even more!

...and that is happening, from Amati.

Thanks for that. I'll check it out 🤗

This looks great, and a wooden box to go with it 😲

I'll be at the Mary Rose museum myself in early(ish) August. A great opportunity to get plenty of reference material for when this one starts again. Last time I saw her she was still being sprayed with polyethylene-glycol.

I've been in contact with Amati for a long time, and they want me to build this to verify their production parts against the manual. You're still looking over a year yet, but it is happening

Hi crew, In the past couple of years, I've promised to restart my Caldercraft Mary Rose and start other projects, but as some of you will know, I work as a regular contributor to a number of magazines. The work for those destroyed not only every spare hour I had, but also crippled any passion I had for my hobby (scale military aircraft). But as of last night, I quit! Finito Benito! That means that I can now dedicate time to wooden models again. Around October, I should be starting a long-term project for Amati, but until then I decided to dig this little gem out of the attic. I bought this Panart kit whilst in Italy about 15yrs ago, and made a start on it. This was as far as I got. I have a fondness for some of the legacy kits from Panart (I built the San Felipe about 15yrs ago), and a friend from my model shipwright club, Walter Coop (no longer with us), blackened the cannon and brass fittings for me on this project. I need to buy some replacement deck planks as the ones I fitted curled back and lifted, probably as the timber wasn't fully dry. Maybe I should use boxwood? The walnut exterior is gorgeous quality, so I should so something special. Where do I get boxwood strip in the UK? So, time to get this one started again.

I really like that. The pear planks with nails really look special.

Also, watch the kit development here:

Check this topic from the last week:

Looks like the Amati kit will at last be released. I should be building the first production test starting this October.

That looks incredible 😲

We could guess based on other releases, but it could be way off the mark. I would reckon at least around £1000....as a total guess.

It's not yet released. Amati haven't actually agreed to release yet, let alone set a price point.

Ho-lee mo-lee!

Ain't that the truth!! 🍺

Vanguard. Agamemnon wasn't an Amati kit.

Tried do do a little trickery on two of those photos....

The ultimate Victory kit is the 1:64 unreleased Amati kit, designed by Chris Watton. That thing is epic, and I'm trying to convince Amati to get off the fence and actually release it! I'm sure @chris watton could give you more info...