Gregory

Chris, your kits present a challenge to get more detail than already provided .. You have set a very high standard..

For black, monofilament is good also..

Another table top laser with 'CNC' incorrectly part of the description.. There is no CNC function for this machine. No power rating in the Amazon info, but searching the questions indicates it is a 4w laser. No useful cutting power except for paper and card and the thinnest of veneers. Possibly a good starter for getting familiar with using a laser.

Sorry Chris, I didn't mean to get personal.. I was sort of joking about her job as " the kit packer "..

Does she get time off with pay?

Try " longboat " You get a lot of Medway's Longboat but others also.. The Medway longboat should be a good example of framing for the next 100 years.. Also the Model Shipways 18th CenturyLongboat is a good example. P.S. " Pinnace " is a good search also..

The drawing that Allan referenced above should help.. https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/86917.html There are many " longboat " logs and topics here, any number of which should help. Many of the basics probably didn't change very much for a period of over 100 years..

Abe Books has copies for even less..

Great to see another Cheerful on the blocks.. If you haven't seen it, there are a lot of good tips in the prototype build log.

There is a revue of the endurance kit. I don't see any build logs.

The Mamoli/Dusek Flying Cloud might be another option.

There is BlueJacket Redjacket..

I just noticed that ModelSpace payment plan is 30% more than one time payment.. That is really some ugly interest..

Unfortunately, that is a niche that is not being filled by kit makers.

The Vanguard kits are fairly new and fairly high-end as well..

I was looking at your anchors for the WESPE, and that is an excellent example of using laser cut layers to make a 3D part.. Very nice work and a very good argument for using a small laser to make small parts..

I would say 'yes' to both of those. Most, if not all, tabletop lasers use a USB interface. My experience on laser user forums tells me MAC users tend to have more interface problems due to driver issues. The software that usually comes with DIY lower cost lasers is notoriously not very useful. A sight I visit a lot Is the Support Forum for LightBurn software.. More info about the software here: LightBurn Visiting that forum will tell you a lot about what kind of issues people have. Using it for model ship building can be as useful as any number of other tools. Whether or not you can use LightBurn depends on the controller board of the laser. It is a very robust cutting/engraving program, that has limited creation tools. It works best with images that you have already prepared with other editing programs like Adobe or Corel. The usefulness of the laser itself depends on your goals and building technique. You can create virtually any part that you see in todays kits that include laser cut parts. You are essentially limited to 2D, but depending on your own creativity, you can create 3D parts by building it up in layers. You can even explore carving by using the laser to create rough templates, then finishing them by had. The table-top lasers tend to be relatively low power, and not able to cut through very thick material. They would be most useful for engraving. I used a low power one for a while, and found it useful for essentially 'etching' a pattern on plywood or whatever, then using a scroll saw to cut it out. The scroll saw would tend to follow the laser burn more so than a drawn patter. If you decide to get a laser, be prepared for a steep learning curve in order to use it effectively. Another thing to consider, is that the lower priced, put it together yourself, lasers are even more of a challenge before you even begin to burn anything.. P.S. As Jaager mentions above, you do not want to operate a laser inside a house/workspace without some kind of forced ventilation system to the outside world.

Did you look in on AdamA's log? He shows a lot of stern detail starting here: P.S. Posting your email in public areas of the forum is not a good idea. Best to use private messages.

Have you looked at any of the Vanguard kits. They are priced very competitively considering the quality.. If you are fixed on the Ontario, there is only one source..

Also it might help to know what difficulty level you are considering..

I know there is a lot of variety with these pens, but my experiments with the common black " Sharpie " pens is that the results have a bluish/purplish sheen, and nothing I would be happy with as a final finish..

Correction: " boiled eggs " .. 😁

Sorry to hear of your loss.. Thanks for the apology..

You insinuated shopping at Cornwall was a bad idea and unfair to other retailers, and compared them to cheap Chinese knock-offs.. The price difference was for European kits, which would obviously give Cornwall an advantage. Also, you mentioned price breaks for bigger players. I believe that is common practice for a lot of products.. Ever priced one screw vs larger quantities?

Proof of what? That Cornwall has a better business model than you do?