Oboship

Looks good so far!

Uwe

... yes, you are right of course, I did not think of the heat that soldering creates!

Uwe

Hi Nils,

How about cutting a tea strainer ("Teesieb") since you will be soldering anyway? Or something else that came to mind: cut a fly screen ("Fliegengitter") if  available?

I like the idea of your vertical planking on the round stern. Seems a lot easier than to bend horizontal wood strips.

Uwe

Hi Nils,

This will be an interesting project and I will certainly follow your build log! I often saw the light vessel during my active seafaring time during the 1970's and 1980's.

Best regards from Stade

Uwe

The prototypes and plan sheets of rigged Adder and Sherbourne look great! As for Sherbourne I repeat my Adder remarks: I guess Sherbourne will sell very well, too, and she will become very popular sooner or later because of your idea to attract newbies to the hobby. With your current range of smaller ships (kits) you certainly have set a new quality level in this market.

If I were to choose one of the two new family members I probably would select Adder just because of her somewhat unusual appearance.
But (UN-)fortunately I still have to complete my Speedy first, not to mention unboxed Nisha and Trial... 😉

Uwe

...forgot to mention the rudder arrangement. This adds of course significantly to the individual appearance of the ship! Very interesting (have I said that yet ?😉)!

Uwe

No idea how well this will sell....

I guess that there will be a good market for Adder and that the kit will sell quite well, just because the ship is different and special compared to other kits on the market, as @Ajohnson already stated. At first glance she looks "similar" to Alert or Trial. But at a closer look I noted a few other different things: e.g. the deck looks rather straight, tidy and more clearly arranged, and the two big guns on the bow give her a certain individual appearance. I don't find her ugly, but rather interesting and attractive in her own right. Is Victory a beautiful ship? She's impressive and iconic to us but not a real "beauty" like the schooner America or the Blue Nose and her sisters (just my humble opinion...).

Chris' statement "This was meant to be a nice cheap and simple kit..." should not be underestimated. His love or inclination to extensive detail doesn't necessarily mean that a simple VM kit is easily and quickly built 😉 (I'm thinking of the brass parts like cleats etc. ) ...  This was ment as a purely postive side note😊😊

She will sell alright!.👍

Best
Uwe

12 hours ago, chris watton said:

Again, thank you so much for all of your kind comments, they do mean a lot to me, and helps reaffirm my enthusiasm for the hobby. I know that my products and business live or die based mostly on word of mouth, they are very low volume compared to the main players, as it takes much longer to produce each kit, and the pear is not as plentiful as standard kit wood, always having to order 2-3 months in advance for the quantities I need.

 

Anyway, another thing I forgot to mention is that I have produced a few sets specifically for 18-gun brigs, and only because at some point, I shall produce my own 18 gun brig. I have a set of armament, 16 x 32 pounder carronades (1795-1815), with laser cut pear carriages, 3-d printed barrel and carriage wheels (like on Indy, Grecian and Trial Cutter), and 2 x 6 pounder long guns (Blomfield). No etch to go with them, but I could include the small copper eyelets. If there's any interest in this set, let me know.

 

I added a 32nd scale cannon crew set to the product list, as I do plan to produce a cannon diorama at some point.

 

Finally, Midwest Model Shop emailed me late last night, with a link wo a first impressions review of our diminutive Saucy Jack (Not sponsered by me, he ordered and paid full price just like anyone else - I didn't even know he was doing this until be sent the link):
 

 

 

Chris' kits could not be recommended any better; since I know the contents and quality of the four Vanguard kits I have, I fully agree to the video's description of "Saucy Jack". Can't wait to see further Vanguard kits!

4 hours ago, goetzi73 said:

You shouldn't care. It's some kind of "typical german" behavoiur: Nagging all the time.

Soo true...🙃

8 hours ago, chris watton said:

Just thought I would mention on here - Vanguard Models will be shut From Saturday 23rd September until 7th October.

I am being made to take a two week vacation, first in 8 years!

Any maritime museums on your travel schedule to pinch ideas from? 😉

Enjoy your days off!

Uwe

...it is!

I received my kit last Thursday and can fully confirm James' review!

Another VM candy.

Best regards
Uwe

1 hour ago, AJohnson said:

Evening All,

 

I received a wonderful little package today - my next ship build! 😁

 

I'm starting a Build Log, more in wishful thinking as the house is still a bit upside down since our loft tank decided to spring a major leak back in May, but we are getting there and hope to have the house and workshop back to rights by September(ish.)

 

Time this evening to do a little box opening and have a look through the well packed box.  Lying on top a hefty instruction Manual and eleven sheet plans - much bigger than the "Nisha" ones of my last VM kit.  When I get chance I will be drooling over these items and reading the plans/instructions between wallpapering and painting (the house).

 

Won't replicate details of the Cutter itself, all explained in detail in Chris's Prototype build log:-

 

The contents.

Snap !

I am looking forward to your build log! The pictures alone are promising, and if you look at those PE sheets...

Waiting for the delivery ☺️

Uwe

On 6/1/2023 at 10:39 PM, Oboship said:

I'm looking forward to the release and I'm ready to order!

Uwe

Done! 🙂

On 7/28/2023 at 10:32 AM, chris watton said:

Update:

 

I thought I would not be getting my photo etched sheets for this until September, as I was convinced the Italians would not have them ready before they shut down for almost 2 months.

 

However, yesterday, I received news that my production Trial PE sheets are ready to pick up! I have just booked the parcel pick up, so will have the photo etch sheets next week, and the Trial Cutter will be available - finally!

That's very good news!

Uwe

That looks phantastic! The completed coppering is certainly a significant milestone for the whole project. I've been following the progress of your build and I really admire your skills.

Particularly the pic of the bow view (no. 3 from top) shows the symmetry of your great coppering.

Best

Uwe

On 6/1/2023 at 10:39 PM, Oboship said:

I'm looking forward to the release and I'm ready to order!

Uwe

Still so, waiting for the shop to open...🤪🙂

I'm looking forward to the release and I'm ready to order! Will a paint kit be available as well?

Uwe

As I have messed up my Alert 😬🥲 I need another Navy cutter! And this seems to be the one!
I particularly like the lasered bulwarks with the tree nails and the idea (if I'm not mistaken) of the readily prepared inner bulwarks.

Do you have a price idea yet or am I too curious?

Best regards
Uwe

A very interesting and beautiful model, superbly built!

Uwe

Wow, another great masterpiece made by Chris and Jim!

Grecian surely looks wonderful and I very much admire Jim's modelling skills (have I said that earlier on?)

I hope we will see pictures of the fully rigged Grecian (after all those square rigged ships... 😉)

Take care!
Uwe

Hi Mitch,

This one is from Germany.

Models like the "Fragata Espanola" can be found in almost every tourist souvenir-shop along the Baltic and North Sea coast. A very popular one is the HMS Victory which in this quality is simply ugly (no offence intended!). I am afraid there is no market for these models except to attract tourists who live far away from any coast. Again, no offence intended since your late friend was a mariner. But he also would have bought the "Fregata" only as a souvenir from a shoreleave in Spain and not as a collector's item.

I very much doubt that models of this type were / are made by prisoners. My guess is that these rather crudely shaped models stem from some Asian manufacturer(s) and are sold in large quantities to Western shops. Talking about a "Spanish Fragata" you might want to compare the model in question with e.g. kit models by Spanish manufacturer "Artesania Latina" (there are several in this forum) and you would immediately see the difference. Not to mention the various other superb manufacturers' frigates that are available here.

As for the whaler, yes, she might be similar to the Charles Morgan, but the current state of the model and -as Jaager pointed out- the chosen wood etc. are not likely to attract anybody serious about the matter.

I am very sorry to be negative about your intentions to get a few Dollars for a charity but I have my doubts that you will be successful.

As an ex Master Mariner I admire and appreciate the services and efforts you Navy guys have been and are doing for the rest of the world.

Cheers from close to Hamburg
Uwe

Gee, that is lightspeed!

You are not in a speed competition with James? 😉

I'm enjoying this build log!

Best,

Uwe

That sound promising! Looking forward to it!

That picture alone would make for a museum display or modeling contest! What a beauty!

I envy your skills and craftsmanship! What is your principal profession? Are you a watchmaker or a "vascular surgeon"?😉

Thanks for sharing the first impressions of Grecian! That model will be even slightly longer than Cruiser and Jalouse!

It will be an interesting build of an impressive schooner. As the Indy for me is regretfully out of the question (not enough space to build/display and most likely beyond my skills 😒...), I am very curious to see the prototype (and price idea) when available.

Grecian is surely an option for me to get another VM kit!

Best regards

Uwe