Matrim

Only  a tiny update as I steadily prep the masts. Mass gluing with little clamps
 

 
and then using a mill to drill the holes for the rigging in the tops. To get the hole location I traced the outer angle of the top on a piece of paper then marked the holes. I then cut the outer shape with scissors laid the template on the top and pushed through with a sharp point.
 

Only  a tiny update as I steadily prep the masts. Mass gluing with little clamps
 

 
and then using a mill to drill the holes for the rigging in the tops. To get the hole location I traced the outer angle of the top on a piece of paper then marked the holes. I then cut the outer shape with scissors laid the template on the top and pushed through with a sharp point.
 

Hi Gary, here's my view.  Others will most likely add their experience.
 
Glue:  There are as many answers to the "right" glue as there are builders or so it seems.  Experiment with some scrap and see what works for you.  
 
Bending:  I use a curling iron and a tub of water.  Dip the plank in, and use the iron to heat.  When the bending gets harder, reapply water and heat.  
 
Cutting:  Cut as close as possible.  Then after install, touch up by sanding.  I use sandings sticks from a beauty supply shop.  These the nail sanding sticks.
 
Keel:  No input here as I've not build one like that.
 
Finishing:  The problem with sheet rock filler is that it's more like plaster and thus, can crack.
 
Deck planks:  Again, many different answers.   I tend to use white wood glue and wipe of any excess with a damp cloth before it drys.
 
 
Don't take my methods as verbatim.  Everyone uses different methods.  For example clamps... some use specialty clamping, some pin, some use clothes pins and/or rubber bands while others use a mixture of clamps.  Depends on what the builder is comfortable with and the task at hand.  
 
I see 4 logs for the Norden.  You might read through them to see what they did.
 

Welcome! You will find a lot of people happy to help you here. Many of them are extremely talented miniaturists. Some are well-known "world class" ship modelers. Don't be discouraged. Experience starts when you begin. Take it one step at a time. Do not rush. Care and attention to detail are the prerequisites to building a respectable model. Everything else you need to know can be found in this forum and in several fine "bibles" of model shipbuilding which you will probably acquire over time.
 
1.     Try to find a build log for this model or one similar to it. Billings has a series of working boats and I expect their building issues (and there will be some... there always are in any kit) will probably be addressed there.
 
2.     Go to the resources section of this forum and study the tutorials there.
 
       Go to the Western NY Model Shipwrights' Guild webpage and study their "resources" page: https://www.modelshipwrightguildwny.org/
 
        On that page, carefully study and learn these two tutorials on planking: 1)  https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/226021_09487f2b95af4dfda94bcf16f7f14016.pdf (Part One) and 2) https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/226021_a1f6a3f402ae4fc38dd90fd7049c7713.pdf (Part Two.) Don't be discouraged if they appear complicated. There's no way around it. Take it one step at a time. Practice on a "mock up," if need be, before you try to plank a plank-on-bulkhead model for your first effort.
 
I'm sure many will have more to add to your specific questions, but here's my two cents worth:
 
Planking Gluing . I have decided to use CA type glue (medium or thick). Hopefully this will avoid pins or clamps but I will have to work fairly fast. I will practise a bit before working on the model.
 
Follow the instructions in the planking tutorials. Read the section in this forum on adhesives. CA has its uses, but it is expensive and somewhat permanent, so mistakes may be hard to rectify. For planking, it is handy for use as "liquid nails" to tack down a plank, but I prefer to rely on good old Elmer's Wood Glue, which is removable with alcohol, for real holding power. Treenails are also good for making sure plank ends stay put where there's a lot of spring away from the rabbet.
 
Plank Bending. I have a Hot Shot Steam Cleaner and tried bending some planks. It seems to work fairly well, but will have to experiment a bit more. Broke one board already, and I notice some separation of the wood fibres in the ones that did bend. Maybe I am trying to bend it too quickly.
 
Steam works, but it's messy and somewhat dangerous, in that you can burn yourself easily with it. It's used in full-size boatbuilding because a whole piece of wood can be heated for an hour without drying the wood out as much and steam is a good way to get the heat to a large surface in a steam box. For little pieces of wood in modeling, getting the wood hot isn't so much of a difficult challenge. A store-bought plank bender, a steam iron (for the heat, not the steam,) or a soldering iron work just fine. Planks should be heat-formed before "hanging" on the model. Trying to bend planking directly on the frames or bulkheads before at least partially bending the plank with heat is the proper technique. You'll save a lot of broken planks that way.
 
Plank Cutting. I can cut planks to rough length before mounting, using a scalpel or Exacto type knife. But how do you trim planks once they are installed? Let’s say that you need to trim 1/8” at the stern after installing a plank. What is the best way to do that? I imagine using a knife would be difficult. Is there a fine saw that you use? Dremmel?
 
Again, read the planking tutorial for tools suggestions. Hobby knives are good. A small 1" iron plane is handy for trimming and beveling planks. No need to spend big bucks on a Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen piece of jewelry. The sharpness of the iron is more important than anything else on a small plane. You'll have plenty of time to collect fine tools along the way, but you can spend thousands on tools you think you must have before ever starting a model. Everybody has at least one modeling tool they bought when they started out, only to discover it was junk and they never used it. (Lot's of 'Loom-A-line" ratline jigs gathering dust in forumites' shops, I'm sure!  ) Micro-Mark, a convenient one-stop source for modeling tools (although there are others offering better quality tools at better value) has a decent little micro-plane for ten bucks and they always are sending 20% off coupons if you sign up for them at the website. See: https://www.micromark.com/Mini-Wood-Plane?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA_Brand&utm_term=4576304834449762&utm_content=Micromark PLA
 
For trimming overhanging planks at the end of topsides at a flat transom, a jeweler's saw is the tool of choice. This is essentially a small coping saw. You don't have to spend $150 bucks for one, although that's what the best will cost, but don't buy the cheapo models in the hobby tool catalogs, either. Get a decent mid-price-range one from one of the jeweler's supply mail order outfits on line. There's probably been a thread in here about the best jeweler's saw. If not, start one and you'll find out what people are satisfied using. Get a good selection of blades. The jeweler's saw will be useful for cutting wood and also fine metal sawing. For straight cuts, a "razor saw" that fits in a large "X-Acto" handle (and often comes with an aluminum miter box) is a good basic tool to have.
 
Keel Gluing. This particular ship comes with the keel split in 2 halves. Instructions say to plank first, then glue the keel together. However some people have posted that they glue the keel halves together first, then plank. I think the latter would be more difficult, but planking each half individually might lead to warping. Comments?
 
I have no experience with that building method and it would concern me. Rigidity of the keel and bulkhead structure is essential. So is alignment of the bulkheads square to the keel where that is indicated (the "fixed frames.") I can't imagine why anyone would add the complication of making sure half of each bulkhead was perfectly aligned with it's other half, if that's what you're describing. Sorry, but if that's the way Billings designed the model, I guess you may have to dance with the girl you brought. Search the building logs and see if anybody has described doing, or not doing, it the way the instructions direct. That will probably save you a lot of grief. 
 
Hull Finishing. The hull will be a single layer of planking, and will be painted, so I will need to fill in the cracks. I have seen various methods including wood filler and glue & sawdust. Has anyone used gyproc  (sheet rock) filler? This works great for nail holes, baseboard joints, etc. so why not for a model? I want to get the hull as smooth as possible – this model scale is 1:30, so a scratch of 1/32” (0.8 mm) equals a gouge of almost 1” (2.5 cm). Ouch.
 
Double-layer planking is more forgiving. Again, read the planking tutorial. Meticulous attention to detail is required for a fair planking job. The bulkheads have to be perfect or the planking will be funky. If you pay attention to planking correctly, you shouldn't have "cracks" to fill in. If you need to fair a less that perfect planking job, drywall patch will work, but you won't get a "model scale" finish out of it easily. The product that I've had the best success with is what is used on yachts for perfectly faired topside finishing, marine "glazing compound" or "surfacing putty" (same thing,) which is thinned with acetone and dries very quickly. It is specifically formulated for sanding and comes in pint cans. It also sands very easily and takes paint well. It's specifically designed for the job. Drywall plaster is coarser and you won't get as smooth a surface as with surfacing putty. It's softer and scratches easily. Drywall putty tends to soak up a lot of paint. Bondo and other stuff like that, while it might work, is far harder to shape and sand, as it's hard. (Bondo is really for use on metal, not wood. You'd get fired if you were caught using it in a good boatyard.) 
 
Decking Glue. I have seen several tutorials on how to lay out the wood decking strips. But I haven’t seen anything that tells me what sort of glue to use, or how to fasten the decking in place. I plan to stain this decking to look like a teak deck, so I don’t want any glue residue which will not absorb stain or finish. How do you guys fasten the decking?
 
For openers, there aren't many working fish boats with teak decks. It's very expensive stuff. Most work boats are planked with fir, larch, and similar species. It's your model. Just sayin'. Again, most use white or yellow wood glue ("Elmers" is the best-known brand.) If the deck planks are glued down, they aren't going anywhere. Many modelers will additionally fasten deck planks (and hull planks, if they show bare wood) with treenails. Care should be taken to place them where they would actually be on a real boat. (i.e at last two side by side at the ends of planks and at every intersection with a deck frame.) Wipe off glue residue with a water-dampened rag before it dries. Neatness counts in the first place, of course. Alcohol will remove any that you can't otherwise get off.  If you are going to stain or paint your deck, I'd suggest doing so before the planks are laid. Painting the edges black should ensure the planking looks real, as on real boats the deck planking is caulked and the seams paid with tar.
 
Scuppers.  I plan to add scuppers to this boat. A real boat would have provisions for quick drainage of water from nets, rain, or spray in rough weather. So I will endeavour to cut some scuppers in the perimeter bulwarks.
 
If you study your vessel carefully, or those of its type, you'll probably find a lot of details that can be added. By all means, do so if you so desire. That's what makes your boat "yours." Note that the picture of the boat on the kit box will always be of the model built by an accomplished modeler and often will have many added details. In many cases, if one built the model exactly as the instructions directed and used only the materials provided in the kit, it would look like crap. For instance, many modelers will automatically throw the planking stock and other wood in their scrap bin if it's junk, as it often is in kits, and order better wood from modeling suppliers on line. The same goes for rigging line and fittings. These are the parts of kits that are often not really suitable for a good model. "But that's everything in the kit!" you say.  See, now your are becoming an experienced ship modeler! Starting with a kit is a great way to go. Most do it that way, but most quickly move to "kit bashing" and, ultimately, to "scratch-building" as they build on the experience gained by their first kit builds.
 
 
 
 
 

Hello Tollyman hope life is good out there on the Island!
Good questions, I think we all eventually do what works for us given our own patience, skill and available time. This is what I do:
Plank gluing: CA is sometimes capricious for me.  I used CA medium exclusively on a double planked mahogany runabout hull and works well if you are careful to use very sparingly and hold firmly for about 15 seconds. Doesn't always hold in practice in my experience. I actually prefer wood glue with a high initial tack for all applications wherever possible. Very reliable and forgiving. My best authentic work has been when I pre-drill using a 1/32 bit, apply wood glue and pin planks to the ribs or bulkheads using a very small pin hammer. Of course you'd probably only do this if you want to make nailing visible for authenticity.
Plank bending: have tried various techniques, now just use a plywood shape which approximates a good general bend, use a small steamer and pre bend several planks at once and clamp to the plywood form. When dry, fit, trim and place on the hull. I've found most plank breaking during bending is due to angle of grain in the plank, so I use straight grain planks for critical bends.
Plank cutting: I roughly trim overhanging planks with an ultra thin razor saw ($10 from lee valley), sand to within about 1/16 along the form of the stern using my dremel 8050, and then block sand using fine sandpaper to perfection.
Keel gluing: I don't think it's critical one way or the other. Most models will be a full hull anyway. Yours can be done in two pieces which is easier to do given you can pin the half down firmly and flat on your worktable and plank away. If it's fixed down warpage shouldn't be an issue. If it was me, I would probably do some of the planking by halves, then glue and clamp the two parts together and finish off the more bendy planks to make sure the ends line up on the bow. 
Another related question is whether to install the finish keel and stem before or after planking. I do it before and then plank up to the finished keel and stem, because I find it easier to get a more perfect final fit.
Hull filling: for under planking I use whatever works, it's just creating a form. On single or outer planking I have never used anything like compound. I try to fit the planks to the best of my ability (back sanding the edges before fitting planks etc), and use a tinted woodfiller for any less than perfect spots before block sanding.
Deck planking: I always use the high initial tack wood glue for this.
 
Its a great hobby.
Tim

Sure, put them on, but now you've entered the wonderful world of "kit-bashing." Which is perfectly okay. If you think they look better with the bolt ropes, it being in scale and all that, they by all means do it. There's no shame in adding detail to make a kit model better. Most all of the really well-done kits you'll see will necessarily include a lot of scratch-built improvements and additions.

Merged the two identical topics in different forums and then shifted to the correct forum..

this is an impressive kit for card....I am surprised how realistic it is looking. (not a reference to your modelling skills!!!)

this is an impressive kit for card....I am surprised how realistic it is looking. (not a reference to your modelling skills!!!)

Merged the two identical topics in different forums and then shifted to the correct forum..

this is an impressive kit for card....I am surprised how realistic it is looking. (not a reference to your modelling skills!!!)

Merged the two identical topics in different forums and then shifted to the correct forum..

this is an impressive kit for card....I am surprised how realistic it is looking. (not a reference to your modelling skills!!!)

this is an impressive kit for card....I am surprised how realistic it is looking. (not a reference to your modelling skills!!!)

Also keep in mind that you can get more eye bolts for free from model expo if you just contact them for replacement parts.  They will send the same ones you received in your kit to you and they will not charge you for them.  That is one great thing that Model Expo does, their warrantee is fantastic.

Hi all,
 
I have decided I am not using my table saw particularly well and was wondering whether anyone could give practical reasons for changes/improvements. Some of the issues are due to bad practice on my part that i have recognised but with a few I am not sure of the best way to adjust too best practice.
 
I - The first is that I have tended to use both fence and mitre (incorrectly assuming this meant more accuracy). On re-reading the instruction guide recently I noticed it said use one or the other but never both. Here I am merely curious as to the logic and what damaging effects this could cause thougb probably explains the blade locks I get frequently enough.
 
II - The second is that I have some difficulties with the blades. I seem to settle (consistently) on a slitter blade (so thin) as when I attach a more normal wood curring blade it does not cut nearly so nicely. It might be that I am not secuting the blade correctly which might explain this.. Anyway using the slitter blade I tend to get a lot of blade 'stick' which I guess is due to overheating/inability of the blade to extract the wood shavings it is cutting and the overheating causing the blade to flex. Are there any recommended blade types or tips to making a better job of attaching them in the first place. In another thread I noticed some comments on the line of 'attach a steel ruler to the fence just prior to the central point of the blade so that the wood can deviate more freely' - but this seems an extreme solutuion and I would prefer to utilize the saw correctly to avoid this if I can. I have also seen comments that perhaps the fence is not 'set' but the other 'bad' use points probably explain this better so I fully expect this to be how I use it as opposed to the machine itself.
 
III - When looking at the instructions I also (re) noticed the - tighten the forward locking bolts of the fence 'first' - I cannot  guarentee I have always done this but will in future and this might also explain some of the blade sticking which is dangerous beyond anything else. I am curious as to why this makes a difference.
 
IV - Changing blades - I tend to find this difficult and the wrench on the locking bolt sometimes gets 'stuck'. I wonder now if I am securing the bolt on the blade with too much force (I am purchasing some more imperial wrenches to ensure the fit is correct as my 'pick a wrench and see if it fits' approach might cause some slight gaps especially if its a metric wrench close in size to the imperial wrench sizes required 3/8 and 11/16 respectively )
 
 
Anyway for all those table saw experts I would be delighted with any explanations/improvements advice. This saw is a wonderful piece of kit but also the one I am most wary of for 'danger' and taking practical steps to do things correctly /better will both reduce (but never eliminate) that danger and ensure the quality of work produced improves.
 
Joss.
 
 

Hi all
I started making the Sherbourne about 4 years ago and wasn't particularly impressed by the swivel guns that came with the kit so ordered some Caldercraft brass ones which appeared to be about the right dimensions as those in the kit. In the last few months I've restarted the model (I'm sure like a lot of other modellers, real life sometimes takes over!) Anyway when I came to construct the swivel guns, I realised that I had only ordered 6 instead of 8. Fortunately I'd kept the original packaging and ordered an extra 2 from my normal supplier. Unfortunately when they arrived they were considerably smaller. When I queried this I was told that Caldercraft had changed the guns following further research to make them more accurate. Whilst striving for accuracy is always welcome, the brackets and handles which come with the kit I bought 4 years ago, whilst not entirely accurate anyway, are now way out of proportion to new sized guns. This leaves me with a dilemma but before I set about the task of making the kit swivel guns look consistent with the brass ones I'm wondering whether anyone has, or knows where I can source two of the original sized swivel guns.
 
The original guns are 17mm long:
Caldercraft
Part no: 85005A
0.5lb Swivel Guns
1:64 C1790
 
I've attached an image to illustrate my point.
 
Extremely grateful if anyone can help me.
 
 

I am no gun expert, but I play one on TV.... 

 
    For what it's worth, attached is a shot of a swivel gun on the San Diego Maritime Museum HMS SURPRISE.  It pencils out from muzzle to end of ball as 30 inches.  If my math is correct, that would be .46875 inches or 11.90625 MM (roughly half inch or 12 MM).
 
    Whatever you decide, check out Syren Ship Model Company for options.  I don't recall what sizes Chuck has an his 'store' is closed over the Holidays, so sizes are unavailable.  Check back after the New Year.

Thanks Chuck that's really helpful I'll check out Syren in the New Year and see what is available.
 
The Cutter Alert 1777 by Peter Goodwin, which is the most detailed reference I can find for Revenue Cutters of this approximate period has swivel guns of 36in which equates to 14mm (the size of the revised guns I purchased recently) - the ones I originally bought are 17mm i.e. 42in. I wish I'd discovered this reference source earlier.
 
The ones I have do not look out of proportion and if I'd stuck with the ones from the kit I wouldn't be any the wiser. As these craft seemed to have interchangeable armament depending on the purpose for which they were used, the Alert for example had between 6 and 10 half-pounder guns, I could just stick with the 6 I have and leave two of the for'd mountings 'empty'
 
Thanks again
 
Peter

I sanded mine to 800 grit, but no filler used. Below it was at the 400 grit stage.

I posted this in response to a similar question in another thread. It applies here as well:
 
If somebody is building an "Admiralty Board" style bright finished hull (i.e. unpainted,) the plank seams are often highlighted by coloring the edges before installation. This is somewhat a matter of style and a taste. Otherwise, in a painted hull depicting the vessel as it would appear in real life, at all but very large scales on super-detailed and "distressed" models, which we rarely see, plank seams are not appropriately visible. In full-size construction, the seams are "stopped" (filled with putty) to protect the caulking material and sanded fair. the hull is thereafter painted. A well-built full-size vessel whose planking is properly fastened should not "show her seams." More significantly, the seams of the hull of a real-life ship at "scale viewing distance" wouldn't be visible at that distance even if they were visible close up.
 
I realize there is a certain reluctance to render the obvious careful work of a good planking job invisible by painting it properly, but out-of-scale plank seams are just wrong. There seems a strong tendency, indeed, even a convention, these days to incorporate out-of-scale detail in an apparent effort to emulate full-size practices. This seems to be encouraged by certain kit manufacturers for the sake of making their kits "more complete" or accurate.   Commonly seen are bottoms sheathed with wildly over-scale-size "real copper plates" which modelers spend huge amounts of time "dimpling" with "rivets" (which were never used) that, at best, are at scale the size of railroad spikes, or larger, misplaced and often over-scale-sized plank fastenings and fastening plugs, frequently of contrasting color, which would never be the case in real-life practice, and incorrectly colored rigging (e.g. lightly colored deadeye lanyards.) Such affectations will ruin an otherwise excellent model.
 
If you hull isn't fair, there is nothing for it but to putty the depressions and sand it fair. That is going to foreclose a bright finished hull. You can scratch in the plank seams through the putty, but I'd urge you to consider whether you are intending to build an accurate scale model of a vessel and depict her with plank seams open by two or more scale inches.
 
You ask, "Would a slightly rough hewn quality make it seem more authentic to the building standards of the time?" In a word, no. Your understanding of "the building standards of the time" is incorrect. These vessels were built by master craftsmen. There was nothing "slightly rough hewn" about them.  Spend some time looking at real ships, or pictures of real ships, taken from a distance that makes them appear to be the same size as your model will be when someone looks at it from a few feet away. Your model and the real ship should appear as much the same as possible. Like women who always look better at closing time, ships always look better the farther away you are when looking at them. "Too much out of scale detail" is a fault found far more often than "not enough."
 
Your hull needs to be 1) sealed (shellac works well and is far less expensive and works better than the stuff sold by model paint companies,) 2) liberally filled with marine grade surfacing putty (sometimes called "glazing putty," which has nothing to with windows) and, when the putty has set up, sanded perfectly fair and smooth.  https://www.go2marine.com/product/205507F/surfacing-putty.html?WT.mc_id=b1&msclkid=7830403141f71de2c52a1bc6efdc414c&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Go2marine Product Ad Campaign(BSC)&utm_term=1100402429854&utm_content=Bing Product Listing Ad
This product is made for this application and sands easily and takes finish paint well. It is thinned with acetone. Keep the top on the can at all times, as exposure to the air will cause it to skin over. Add a teaspoon of acetone to the can before closing it after use. Make sure the top is well sealed. Store the can on the shelf upside down to prevent evaporation in the can. The added acetone will be absorbed by the putty overnight and keep the putty the correct consistency.

You don't need to go around three times before the clove hitch. The first turn of the clove hitch is enough as a break.
 
When talking about doubling, this didn't mean going around twice, but taking the rope in double, i.e. you fold the rope back on itself for a certain length and then go around the bar and tie the knot.

Hi all,
 
I have decided I am not using my table saw particularly well and was wondering whether anyone could give practical reasons for changes/improvements. Some of the issues are due to bad practice on my part that i have recognised but with a few I am not sure of the best way to adjust too best practice.
 
I - The first is that I have tended to use both fence and mitre (incorrectly assuming this meant more accuracy). On re-reading the instruction guide recently I noticed it said use one or the other but never both. Here I am merely curious as to the logic and what damaging effects this could cause thougb probably explains the blade locks I get frequently enough.
 
II - The second is that I have some difficulties with the blades. I seem to settle (consistently) on a slitter blade (so thin) as when I attach a more normal wood curring blade it does not cut nearly so nicely. It might be that I am not secuting the blade correctly which might explain this.. Anyway using the slitter blade I tend to get a lot of blade 'stick' which I guess is due to overheating/inability of the blade to extract the wood shavings it is cutting and the overheating causing the blade to flex. Are there any recommended blade types or tips to making a better job of attaching them in the first place. In another thread I noticed some comments on the line of 'attach a steel ruler to the fence just prior to the central point of the blade so that the wood can deviate more freely' - but this seems an extreme solutuion and I would prefer to utilize the saw correctly to avoid this if I can. I have also seen comments that perhaps the fence is not 'set' but the other 'bad' use points probably explain this better so I fully expect this to be how I use it as opposed to the machine itself.
 
III - When looking at the instructions I also (re) noticed the - tighten the forward locking bolts of the fence 'first' - I cannot  guarentee I have always done this but will in future and this might also explain some of the blade sticking which is dangerous beyond anything else. I am curious as to why this makes a difference.
 
IV - Changing blades - I tend to find this difficult and the wrench on the locking bolt sometimes gets 'stuck'. I wonder now if I am securing the bolt on the blade with too much force (I am purchasing some more imperial wrenches to ensure the fit is correct as my 'pick a wrench and see if it fits' approach might cause some slight gaps especially if its a metric wrench close in size to the imperial wrench sizes required 3/8 and 11/16 respectively )
 
 
Anyway for all those table saw experts I would be delighted with any explanations/improvements advice. This saw is a wonderful piece of kit but also the one I am most wary of for 'danger' and taking practical steps to do things correctly /better will both reduce (but never eliminate) that danger and ensure the quality of work produced improves.
 
Joss.
 
 

Hi,
 
It has been a long time, but thought I would update you all.
 
I no longer work for Amati, I finished in May this year (No animosity involved).  I currently work part time for a prototype model company and also do some work for Sergio Marletti, the man I connected with so well when he was design manager at Amati.
 
After some thought and a five month break, I am thinking about designing my own model range of period ships under a new kit range name. I will only design what I think people will like (and me, of course), and will make them as detailed as possible. I have received plans from the NMM for several subjects that piqued my interest, so very early days.

Great company and great service.  I just received this today.  I had ordered the book (and received it) back when it was first available.