rshousha

Nic, you are amazing. I actually use some of your jokes around the table!

Imagine taking on the world in that thing! He sure had vision. I need to read his book.

This is a really nice looking model. As you mentioned in an earlier post, the paint job really does look quite realistic for this particular model. With the Vendee Globe in full swing, I wonder if there's a run on this kit at Bluejacket?

Hi Gaetan, The word I would choose would be "meditative". There's nothing quite as meditative as working on a wood ship kit. I am in the middle of building a stagecoach and I am more than tired of it. I want to get back to finishing a wood ship kit I had started.

Yup, I have several on the way at the beginning of November. Also Victories, Dianas, and a bunch of the smaller kits.

There is much less wood in the Billings kit and many parts are plastic that are metal in the Corel kit. Some people swear by Billings kits. Others prefer the double-planking on the Corel. You can find the instructions easily on the Billings site and you can see the reference to plastic parts next to Fig. 19.

Do you need to put black base under the chrome? I remember that was how I got a good finish with those old Alclad II paints.

There's a cool L&P engine in that grey box at the top and the OZ wheels are a nice transkit for F40 builders. Obviously, I am getting some interest on the Pocher kits at the bottom. With the number of people spending more time indoors, there has been quite an uptick in interest on these larger kits. A Note on Pocher kit prices: I have been selling Pocher kits since 1996 and I probably have sold 3,000 or more of these kits since that time. I am pretty sure I have seen every single iteration of every one of the Pocher kits in that time. Prices for these kits peaked in 2005, when I could get $2500 to $3000 for several of the different models. Prices have been going down since then, with the biggest drop in 2008, with the great recession. In a few months, a model that was selling for $2500 was then selling for about $1000, including the Bugattis. Prices have recovered a tiny bit during the Pandemic but the biggest problem now is that there are simply fewer and fewer decent kits around. I don't think the prices will recover any time soon, or at all, but I do know the availability of decent kits will continue to drop. I am having a great deal of difficulty finding decent kits. It is not a question of price; there are simply very few kits around. So, if you are interested in ever getting a Pocher kit, don't expect to find one at a bargain-basement price. I don't know anyone who will sell a good kit for under $1000 these days. I also see very few kits selling over $2,000. Given my extensive experience with these kits, I can describe the ones in this collection: The Alfa kit is in perfect condition; it will sell for a good price The Sedanca kit is in very good condition; it will be a good deal for someone. This is a huge and complex kit so will have good value "by the hour" but not as good as a wood ship kit. The Torpedo kit is in fair condition; this will be a good deal for someone who has experience with these kits. The engine is started, which means there is a considerable price advantage for someone who can fiddle with stuff. The Ferrari kit is in very good condition. This is a Testor's branding of the Pocher kit, which is quite rare. Again, though, collector's values should be avoided for these models. I don't think the prices will go up again. I am working on putting together a list of the entire collection and will have it available shortly, by PM only. The seller is a good friend and is interested in getting a fair price for his models. Best Regards, Rick

I just picked up this collection of models that a long-time friend has asked me to sell for him. There are no ships in the collection so I have no problem if the moderators of this site would like to remove the post. The only thing is that I see some interesting modelling posts for things other than ships on this site so I thought this might be appropriate. Please send me a PM if you are interested in any of these models. Please note that they are in various states of quality; some are wonderful and some are of little value. There may be some amazing deals here for the right person. Best Regards, Rick

Hello from Montreal.

Lucky you are in Australia if you want to paint at this time of year. When I was building these models (and I still have about ten in my "personal stash"), I never painted between May 15th and October 1st. Just for kicks, it was about eighty-five degrees here yesterday with 95% humidity. Nothing dries. In fact, things get wetter as the day progresses! Avoid painting in humid weather. By the time you figure out what goes wrong, the season changes and then you go, "What the hell was that all about?"

Nice work on the wheels. If I may just add something to ease the assembly for the next one (because, once you've built one Pocher, you will build many more). I have built well over a hundred of these wheels so I have a bit of experience. The best solution for installing the tyres is to put a hair-dryer in a vice at the edge of your table and work in the heated blast, at maximum heat. Leave a pile of tyres outside the flow so you can feel how the one in the flow is softening up in comparison. Hold it as near the heat as possible. When you feel your hands are getting too hot, just move away a little. Keep in the flow the whole time. Once the tyre starts to soften (about three or four minutes) you can start to fit it over the wheel. As you work the tyre will get softer and it will go on very nicely. There is no need for sharp things, which can damage the rubber, and very little need for swearing. By the time you are at the fifth or sixth wheel, you will have the hang of it. Actually, there is one more thing. Most of the cars of this era had painted wheels. It is quite rare to see cars with chrome spokes. I've built a simple jig for the wheels and it's a snap to paint them. I have six rods sticking out of a base. I put the wheels on the rods and then just whip them around as I paint. Of course, you need to use a good etching primer before your colour coat but it works very well. I've attached a picture of one of my Alfas, in front of my garage, with painted wheels.

Local retailers, or other online retailers, should have better prices for you than buying direct. AL will put the "suggested retail prices" on their site, which is rarely what retailers sell at. Wait until the pipeline is filled again and I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised.

Gaetan, Thanks for posting this. I was missing my fix of inspiration! Best Regards, Rick

If you have any questions about these kits, I can also help you out. I've bought and sold many hundreds of Pocher kits over the years, thousands if I include engine kits. As the prices are slowly going down on these kits, I do not carry inventory but I can certainly have a look at a deal you might be seeing and let you know if it's worth the money. Paul is doing a great job and continuing to stay with the brand while I have moved to other endeavours. The only Pochers I sell regularly are the new ones that the company is producing. You might also check with Peter Doney, in the UK, at pocherparts.com . He also has fair prices and has a few kits available.

I really like what I see when I look at the Delftship tutorials and forums. The world of Solidworks is much bigger and, when you pay for the support, the cavalry is at your fingertips in minutes. However, the library of hulls to start designing with is most interesting in Delftship. The program is definitely on my "gotta have" list for 2021. It sure would be nice to take a course through Delft University, as well.

Bruce, I'm not sure how Delftship works but you hint at something when you say "...both the model and the background image are displayed together...." In Solidworks, you insert the background pictures on different planes so you can fiddle with the sketches (the models) and the images separately. When you insert the image in Delftship, I would think you should be inserting in a place that is not connected to the model. It should be in a separate space, behind or in front of the model. They should be independent. I've checked the Delftship forums and they are pretty good; as you said, this should be pretty easy.

Yes, I have built nineteen of these models so I know my way around them a little. What I keep telling people is "if two parts fit from the first shot, you did it wrong". So, what I mean by poor kits is that nothing fits. Indeed, they make spectacular models when done right but it's important for first-time builders to realize these are not your typical plastic models. So this is what I meant by poor kits. Not poor so much overall but poor fit. As for those wheels, I must have done 200 of them for various people. Just last summer I built about twenty of them for a single client, who no longer has even strength or dexterity in his hands to work on them.

You're giving waaaaaaaaay too much credit to the company. They're simply very poor models! Not that I am complaining, though. When one considers fun, "by the hour", spending a grand on these older Pocher kits is good value. Spending a grand on a ship model is better value in the "by the hour" column but Pocher kits are a good deal cheaper than, say, Tamiya or Lego. Hey, don't jump all over the comment about Lego. With people getting older, and finding themselves in residences where they are not allowed to create noise or smells, some of the new Lego kits are really fun. Lego is certainly expensive "by the hour" but you can't undo a ship model and start over.

Believe me, it is a hundred times harder to get through a wood ship kit than any Pocher! I have a huge respect for anyone who can get through a wood ship kit.

Hi, I don't think you were lucky with the fit of the hood panels. All the work you did in advance of inserting them helped prepare the way for a reasonably good fit. A lot of people fit the body panels without realizing that the chassis is being deformed in the process. Then, when they get to the engine panels, the fit is off. A builder recently asked me for advice and his pictures showed a solid 1/4" of misalignment. Anyway, just for kicks, here's a picture of one of my Alfas. It looks like yours will be even nicer. Note that the outdoor picture has no wing. I tried to imitate a picture of an Alfa I saw in a magazine from that era. It didn't have the wing. This just looked wrong in the finished model so I went back and added it in the final delivery. The fit of the wing is quite subtle. The one you see on my model is scratch built. After some fiddling, it just seemed easier to toss the original and replace it with a customized part.

Will be looking forward to see how you make out with the Allen keys on the bolts. I started this kit, with those proper bolts you got, but gave up and sold it. I just couldn't find a way to hold those keys and it stopped being fun.

Nothing wrong with this photo but the man needs to relax a little; he's looking a bit pale. Has he been cooped up inside these last few weeks?

Hi KPnuts, Did you have to make up those chains link-by-link like on the Fiat model by Pocher? This is a very cool model. It's come through my hands several times over the years but I never built it. It might have to go back on my "to-do" list.

Mike, Use spray cans. The parts are huge and nothing needs the fine work of spray painting. For the steel parts, you can spray different colours of grey, black, and silver from different distances and you'll get all kinds of interesting finishes. If you want rust, use putty with a little colour mixed in and then use a bristle brush to create the surface effect. These are great kits but don't get yourself down a rabbit hole for nothing. As for the big surfaces, you need to fit, prime, fare and adjust, fit, prime, adjust, fit, paint, adjust, paint, adjust, paint, paint again, paint again, paint again, compound (don't get close to the edges), polish, polish, polish, polish (from 2000 up to 8000 grit sandpaper), wax, wax again, and then final wax. Simple.