Malcolm Greig

In 1987 I brought Artesania Latina's Endeavour. It was well beyond my ability and knowledge. No internet to help back then of course. It ended up in the parts bin one third poorly built. 25 yrs later I started Caldercraft's Mars. Nice kit. I'm rigging it at the moment. With this forum's resources I've had no  problems I could not solve or fix. I'll finish it.
 
My ambition is to build Chris Watton's Victory (if it is ever released), as a retirement project. But I know I'll have to get a few builds under my belt before I buy a kit like that.
 
I support the moderator's advice.  If I had started with a smaller less complicated build in 1987 I may have had a house full of finished model ships by now. 
 
Anyway that's my view. I'm pleased to have returned to the hobby.. I'll post a picture when the Mars is finished.  I think I'm just too slow at present with working full time to do a build log justice.   
 
Malcolm 

Just an update on what I am doing right now, and what is planned for the next year.

I did mean to have a couple of weeks off after Sherbourne and Adder, but cannot help myself, so started designs for the 17th kit. The next two kits will be medium size. The one I am working on now, once designed and plans drawn, will be built by Jim, along photos and text for manual. This then frees me up to concentrate on the 18th medium kit – so after a very large kit like Indy, there will have been 3 mediums and 3 smaller kits done. After this, the 19th kit will be large, and hopefully, we will have moved to larger premises by then, as space is a major issue now – so another very large kit like Indy is out of the question until we have more space.
 
Also slowly building back up my stock of materials, pear sheet especially, and photo etched sheets for each of the kits.

Finally, I already mentioned this, I would like to commission someone to produce more 3-d printed boat files for me – if you feel you can/want do this, let me know.
 

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

Just thought I would mention on here - Vanguard Models will be shut From Saturday 23rd September until 7th October. The last date for kit orders is Tuesday 19th September and for small package postal orders, Thursday 21st September. Orders made after closure will be processed upon re-opening.
 
I am being made to take a two week vacation, first in 8 years!

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

Fantastic effort, a marvelous example of the Victory.  Very well done. Congratulations. 
 
regards
Malcolm

I’m so in tune with that aesthetic Chris, 17th/18th c is my favourite period.
Love your idea of a Royal George.

One of my most cherished watercolour prints by Derek Gardner, a great subject for a model.
 
B.E.
 

It is a great looking ship, and quite formidable in her time, as the French found out at the Battle of Quiberon Bay (1759).
 
Can't wait to see how much that figurehead will cost me....

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I want to build at least one 1st rate ship before I die.  Royal George would be one I would wait for.  If Chris did produce the Royal George, I would abandon the dream to building the Victory.  Chris's model designs and production techniques have spoiled me for quality, and I do not want to go to another manufacturer. 
 
regards
Malcolm     

I thought I had better post on this thread, Trial Cutter is now available and in stock:
 
HM Trial Cutter – 1790 – VANGUARD MODELS
 
There will be a couple of days delay in shipping, due to both being very busy (just finishing a couple of large distributor orders) and packing the kits.
 
There will be one more kit release this year (making 4 new releases for 2023), and then a much longer break for the 16th kit, Bristol, which will be released next year, all being well.

It will have the exact same masts and rig as a 64-gun ship of that period. The only difference being the lower masts are cut a deck shorter to take into account the height difference.
 
Originally, they gave Indy the mast and yard plan of a 50-gun ship, but that proved almost disastrous, so was changed back to a 64 set up very soon after initial commissioning. 
 

Minor update but a massive milestone. 
 
Indy's masts are now complete except for a few small details like eyelets. Of course, I'll need to use some ochre and black paint on these before fitting to the hull. Eyeing up the alignment shows that NOTHING needs to be adjusted whatsoever, which pleases me totally! Even the bowsprit slots neatly into the bow and locks into the support post on the deck below. 
 
These masts are LARGE, well, certainly to me as I've never brought a model this size towards completion. After Grecian, this seems gigantic. 
 
Anyway, here are the pics.
 
Oh, I'll need a larger white area when it comes to the finals, as you can see here.
 

For those that may be interested, I have produced a new file for the Indy laser engraved limewood deck set. It will be on 4 separate 1x150x800mm limewood sheets, as seen on the drawing.  The decks have had to be split down the centre, due to width restrictions.
 
I should have three sets ready for early next week, and have a new batch of limewood arriving in September, so can do more if there is a call for them.
 
Speedy printed stuff arrived today, so that's all ready and in stock. (Even has a little binnacle now...)
 
But still waiting for my damn Trial Cutter PE......

OK, I have just finished what I need to regarding building up the new Speedy hull.
 
These pics will show what has changed. The old Speedy required planking all the way to the top of the bulwarks, also the inner bulwarks. 
 
The new version is completely pre cut from the main wale up, with spirketting added for the inner bulwarks, plus engraved planking and treenail detail for all surfaces. All channels, inner bulwark belaying racks and cleats now slot and glue into place, in pre cut slots, saving the need for pinning and gluing.
 
Please bear in mind that the model shown has no real finishing, no varnish etc. It was used just to add new pictures to the revised manual.
 
I will now spend the rest of the week updating the manual, ready to send to printers, and next week, start cutting the new sheets, so I hope to have this re released in around 2 weeks.

Am working on Speedy V2023 right now, almost completed the overhaul.
 
What started as a simple 'Careening' for this 'slight' redesign has somehow turned into  a 'Middling-Large Repair'
 
Here are the 4 x 1mm laser cut sheets (old kit had half a sheet in total). I just need to do a final check of these parts..
 
(Still waiting for the photo etched sheets to come from Italy for Trial Cutter)
 
ETA, as the Speedy model will be only half built, to replace build pics in the new manual, the second planking is Tanganyika - I prefer this as it only took me 6 hours to plank the hull 

Just thought I'd do a little update on my future plans, as they have changed somewhat.
 
Right now, I am working on the 2023 version of Speedy, which will have a few changes from the original kit. This was brought about due to the lack of copper for photo etched copper plating and, at the time of developing Speedy, it was designed for limewood, and not pear. I have re done the photo etched sheets and these new versions are already here with me, ready to go into the revised kits once ready. The new version will have a lot more laser cut pear than the original. I am hoping to have this all done within the next 4-6 weeks.
 
After this, and after very long deliberations, I decided to hold off on Surprise for two reasons. the first is that I would rather wait until copper for PE becomes available again, so I do not want to develop any ship that had copper plating from launch right now. The second reason is that it would be another frigate, so soon after Indy.
 
So, looking at my 'Future Developments' folder, I came across one folder that contained the start of the designs I started in 2019. I even have the 3-d print files for figurehead and stern, which are all paid for. This was meant to be my second kit after Alert - before I realised the material quantities needed for such a kit, and at the time, would have been economic suicide for me. Now, however, it makes sense that it could be my 15th kit, introducing a 2-decker into the range. This 15th kit will be HMS Bristol, a 50 gun 2 decker.  I will continue this project as soon as I have completed the Speedy re designs.