Morgan

Perhaps the moderators can help you set up a poll to get a more in depth opinion from the forum, it’s hard to know from a few comments and exchanges. You have established a brand and quality / feel to the kits that go together, I would personally go with a stronger wood, but the cost may, as you indicate, disenfranchise people on larger kits, but you can also make the argument that on a larger kit if your going to spend the money why would you skimp. Customer survey required!
 

Gary

25 minutes ago, James H said:

Some people have asked me what the weight of this kit is.

 

Ok, remember that this isn't a final product, and the Lady Nelson was also in the box. But, offset that against the lack of cast cannon and the plans sent separately, plus the shortage of lime plank, then I think we can take a semi-educated guess. 

 

The weight of this box was listed with DHL as 20kg. I think that is roughly the weight....maybe minus 2 or 3 kg for proper boxing etc. 

Going to need a bigger bench!

You’d better weigh this thing so we can load test our work benches! 🤪

Gary

I brought a second bed direct from Proxxon (Code 27020-31) and mounted it and the lath end-on-end on some MDF. The bed cost €14.30 (+ postage) a couple of months ago, try your Proxxon dealer to see if they supply spares. Obviously not as good as a single piece extended bed, but it does the same job.

Gary

2 hours ago, Mr.Big said:

She is right as living over there isn’t living they are all the same 90% barely making it.  I am not rich but to them I’m a Getty l, Bloomberg or a Trump.  She gets ultra depressed after visiting.  My P.O.V.

Not sure I recognise that, if you studied at the LSE it’s fair to say you have a London centric view of the UK, the rest of the UK varies tremendously from London and quite a lot of us are doing OK. Where I live disposable income is a lot higher than London and quality of life much is better. 
 

Sure as Wefalck says we have our poor sections of society, but we have free welfare, education and health systems that capture even the poorest in UK and European societies, there is a value to attach to those benefits which has to be factored in to international comparisons.

But as you say your POV

8 hours ago, James H said:

No doubt, but I know Amati want to bring in the cost so it's as little as possible extra £/€ than the Caldercraft in 1:72.

Will this mean compromises somewhere down the line?

Got a space picked out to display mine, front and centre in a bay window at the front of the house.  Although the Admiral keeps talking about house downsizing, I’ll have to work on dragging my feet on that for a while yet!

Gary

Hi Mathew,

I’ll tag along with this build if you don’t mind.

Regarding the Wales the practice was to ‘run-out’ the thicker planking with a couple of planking strakes of increasingly diminishing thickness, this drawing is taken from Steel for a 74 gun ship and you can see how this works in actual practice.

But for the real Victory she is no longer single planked at the Wales, and in reality a lot of her planking is comprised of laminated material (due to cost and availability), but in this respect it is not unlike your double plank build. Arthur Bugler’s Midship sectional drawing captures the actual restoration planking practice where you can see the second layer of planking being used to simulate the Wales and their run-out.

I hope adds to what Mark and clearway have said.

Gary

4 hours ago, chris watton said:I have added loads of new laser cut fittings over the past week or so, shroud cleats were added yesterday. I am working on a 64th and 72nd scale Brodie Stove, which will be laser cut and a lot of PE. Same with ships boats, but may do these as and when they are added to kits. If there's anything else you think I could do, let me know, laser cutting and PE stuff is no problem. 

As you asked!!!

How about mini chain and elm tree pump kits? Also, not sure on the feasibility but I struggle to get realistic after market hammock cranes, they tend to be fairy naive.

BTW - the consignment of gun carriages, binnacle and grating landed and I must say the quality is excellent.

Gary

22 minutes ago, mfrazier said:

While correcting problems and mistakes on the hull, I  was looking way ahead ( I  seem to do that a lot) I  spotted this on the plan prints. 

Can someone please explain what this is? There is no mention of it anywhere in the instructions or anything. I must be supposed to make this thingie as there isn't one anywhere in the kit parts.

 

Thanks in advance, 

Mark Frazier 

Mark,

It is to take the fluke of the anchor when it is stowed and help hold it in place.

Gary

6 hours ago, chris watton said:

OK, I have done all I can for Flirt right now, so the past couple of days I have been designing sets of two scales of cannon carriages, which will be laser cut in 1.5 pear (for 4-9 pounders) and 2mm pear for 12-32 pounders.

 

Sizes will be (in both 72nd and 64th)

 

1.5mm Pear, (sold in pairs)

4-Pounder Carriage

6-Pounder Carriage

9-Pounder Carriage

 

2mm Pear, (sold in pairs)

12-Pounder Carriage

18-Pounder Carriage

24-Pounder Carriage

32-Pounder Carriage

 

What’s the anticipated availability for these Chris? I have several projects present and future these would complement.

Gary

Hi Lin,

Nice progress you are making.

If you are struggling with carving Then the route previously mentioned by David (aka Shipyard Sid) of using Sculpey isn’t a bad one, I went down that route and the result is below, just a bit of painting to go and it will do. It’s also fairly inexpensive and easy to work.

Gary

On 4/3/2020 at 11:25 PM, mfrazier said:

It was pointed out to me that the Wales and planking are wrong in the Sergal kits. I had read this before, somewhere. I don't know if they have changed them in the newer kits or not. My plans are different than the real ship. On these plans, the Wales don't cut through the gunport lines nearly as much as on the real ship. I  actually like this look, especially if the ship is stained and not painted.  I also like the top half painted and the bottom stained. I have looked at all the builds I  could on the internet and YouTube for this ship and found many variations of the Wales. I  guess if it looks good to the builder it is ok even if not entirely accurate. I know I  don't want to copper plate the hull ( unless I screw it up so bad it has to be covered). I like the wood showing. I have wrestled with this part since I  decided to do the build and probably won't decide until I get there in building. I am open to opinions though.

 

Mark Frazier 

Hi Mark,

The positioning of the Wales on the Victory at present follow her 1765 plans and were installed in her 1920’s restoration, she has been re-planked many times over the years, including the Wales, and none of her ‘skin’ is original except possibly for a few Hook and Butt strakes below the main Wale. There is evidence that during her refit prior to Trafalgar that the Wales may have been lowered by circa 2’.  The plans for the Boyne held by the National Maritime Museum were based on Victory’s pre Trafalgar refit, and these show the lower Wales. So it would not necessarily be incorrect to go with the lower Wales. I’ve included an abstract of the Boyne below where the lower edge of the Wales is clearly denoted by the thick line, you can see a lighter line parallel to this one denoting the upper edge of the Wales running parallel, best seen if you look at the rearmost lower port where you can clearly see the Wale transects the port at its bottom edge as opposed to more towards the top as per victory’s current configuration.

Gary

I brought what I thought was the 1805 plates only version here in the UK from a book dealer at £300, when it landed last week it was both volumes! Sim Comfort 1977 limited edition 105 / 500. I’m not complaining but wish I’d tried my luck at the Lottery the day I ordered it.

Urban myth is they once had ‘broon’ dedicated dependency ward at the local hospital for those caught by its heady aroma once too often!

Gary

I have their Treenail maker, it’s a lot faster than using draw plates 

Anatomy of the Ship series book - AoS

If the laser engraved deck and gratings were available for Alert I’d opt in for a set, I’ve got time to include the into my build.

Gary

I’d buy in to that approach.

Gary

Nice are you still thinking of doing something similar with the ladders as hinted at above if so I’ll head up the que with an order 😊

Gary

Hi Chris,

This is certainly the type of option I’d be interested in.

Gary

1 hour ago, chris watton said:

I would like to start offering fittings. Stuff like closed and open heart blocks (never liked standard kit versions), and gun carriages, all in pearwood and 72 and 64th scales. I did get quotes for these, but the cost was so high, it was this that pushed me into thinking that I need my own laser machine, more freedom.

Hi Chris,

That is welcome news, I probably spend more on fittings than on kits (second only to my spend on books), there is I believe an outlet  for after market fittings. It would be nice to see a UK/European high quality outlet.  I’m willing to spend on quality and like Chuck’s fittings but as he often points out himself the cost of international shipping can be prohibitive so I welcome a complimentary service (not that I’d be giving upon Syren, high quality competition can only be a good thing).

Gary

This shot was probably taken when trying to break out of the ice, it looks like water in the foreground and they worked ahead and behind the ship to break ice and clear room to take a run in an attempt to break through.  As you can see the sails are full so they are probably trying to apply pressure to the stem to break through to the water ahead.  Scott used this process as did Shackleton a decade later (he learned from Scott) to try and reach open water.

Gary

Hi Jack,

Can you put me down for a boxwood set please. I’ve opened a build log but it will be a while before I start as I have an ill family member to care for, but I’m gathering the parts so once the opportunity arises I can make a start.

Thanks

Gary

Hi Sanders,

Nice to to see another NE member on the forum.

Have a good root around here and you’ll find all you need, and as you will know from your browsing if you can’t find it just ask there is a wealth of talent here and people are only too willing to share it.

Gary

Dafi,

If you wanted to pin it down there are The National Archives, under ADM 160 (and sub-divisions) Ordnance Office, but it would be a hell of a search through the letters sections unfortunately, there seems to be no single returns book as there was from 1803 onwards.  Chances are that most of the guns stayed with her from refit to refit as they were set aside when taken out, so the 32 Pounders are probably the same ones from 1788 onwards through to Trafalgar and beyond. They were all made by Walker & Co..

The reference I mentioned earlier I would look for was from ARMING THE ROYAL NAVY, 1793-1815: THE OFFICE OF ORDNANCE AND THE STATE by Gareth Cole, he states “Victory herself appears to have been armed with old pattern cannon” and then provides the reference “An Account of Iron Ordnance on Board of His Majesty's Ship Victory, Chatham. 28th April 1803', TNA ADM 160/ 154. Although, it is not known if these were replaced in the summer of 1805 while she was at Portsmouth”.  We know from the 1803 and 1807 returns (the ones I sent you) that they were the same throughout, so we know they were iron, and probably date to at least 1788.  If these were the old pattern guns, probably Armstrong, they may have stayed until the refit in the 1810’s. A comparison with Armstrong / Bloomfield pattern guns and those on the deck lower deck of the Victory would tell you which ones they actually were if you want to go that deep into it.

Gary