Nipper
-
Posts
133 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Everything posted by Nipper
-
Yes, that confirms what I was thinking. Thanks Chris. So I'll base my Irene on the Caldercraft Cruiser hull, and then I won't feel so bad about hacking it about! Nipper -
Now I'm really flung into doubt! My next build is going to be the Dutch brig of war "Irene" from Petrejus' book, and I was planning to buy a Caldercraft Cruiser for the basic hull ("Irene" was converted from HMS Grasshopper - a Cruiser class brig) and then scratch build or buy in (from Vanguard as much as possible) the fittings, and bits and pieces. Now I'm wondering whether Harpy would make a much better starting point, because it will have the up-to-date quality of Vanguard models, and the "legacy" kits from Caldercraft do not compare. But perhaps the hull shape of Harpy is too different from the Cruiser class brigs, as Chris intimates above. Chris - I'd be grateful for any thoughts. Nipper
-
YES PLEASE CHRIS!! The Vanguard figures are so good, none better certainly at 1/64 scale. For those who like to crew their models, it would be wonderful to have figures sitting around, or leaning against the rail etc. etc., not just "in action" as if they are repelling boarders! Vanguard's fishermen, and the cook, are really good poses. Nipper
- 638 replies
-
- 4
-
-
- Indefatigable
- Vanguard Models
- (and 1 more)
-
Chris' s manual for Alert - see rigging Plan 15 - shows all three sets of bowlines belayed to the rail in front of the windlass. Nipper
- 486 replies
-
- 3
-
-
-
- vanguard models
- alert
- (and 1 more)
-
I found on my Alert that the spreadsail yard had a mind of its own until I fitted the braces. Congrats on your beautiful work - a real inspiration and a joy to follow. Nipper
- 486 replies
-
- 2
-
-
-
- vanguard models
- alert
- (and 1 more)
-
I don't want to clog up Johann's wonderful build log by continuing the comments on museums, but it is all about money. And the continual dumbing down, like you see on TV documentaries, where the makers are attempting to catch the interest of a generation used to stimulation from fast moving images. So many museums are having to reduce their displays and focus instead on eye catching and interactive exhibitions to catch the interest of young people - and let's hope they are successful in this. In some museums, I've found, a room that may once have been cluttered with many artefacts has been transformed to highlight a single object, surrounded by supporting information to truly bring out the object's importance and relevance to historical record. Done well, this is brilliant, as long as specialists like us have an opportunity to get into the storerooms to see what we want to find out about. And again, this is about money, in order to finance a museum's cataloguing, storing, and archiving costs. Nipper
-
Kevin A tough decision but I agree with many of your followers above - it's the right one in order to give your loved family friend a chance to enjoy the remaining days. I'm sure you will make every one of them special. Nipper
-
I love looking at your work OC, and I admire and agree with your pursuit of realism. It looks like you have abandoned the idea of representing the smoke from the firearms. Certainly, it is very hard to create smoke that is convincing. Also, if one is going to take realism to its full extent, one would have to include more than the smoke from the muskets and rifles. How to create the pall of smoke that would have been blowing over the whole battlefield, obscuring your beautifuuly painted figures?! Best to leave that to the paintings, like the one above of LHS. Nipper
-
It's fantastic B.E. - no wonder you feel such a sense of achievement! I notice the sheathing from telephone wiring that you have used for the lanyards on the gunports. Doesn't that work well! That's another great idea I will borrow from you, if you don't mind. What thickness are the gunport lanyards - 0.20mm? Nipper
- 638 replies
-
- 3
-
-
-
- Indefatigable
- Vanguard Models
- (and 1 more)
-
Excellent idea Chris - so that a new generation of modellers will say, in 20 years' time, "I cut my teeth on Vanguard's Sherbourne" !! Nipper
-
You have to do what works best for you, as we all do! I glued the front and back axles to one side of the carriage first, then painted all those plus the other, separate, carriage sides. Then I painted the barrels and when all was satisfactory I glued the assemblies together. Which worked best? I think I would prefer to paint the whole carriage assembly first rather than the two halves, but I definitely preferred not to have to attach the separate caps. The built in caps look neater to me but probably the whole job took a bit longer. Not that time really matters. You could make one of each method and decide which works best, before going on to complete them all. Nipper
-
You're quite right! There is the same arrangement for the Sphinx. Chris has designed the built-in caps, so you paint them as you have guessed. Separate photo-etched caps are very fiddly! Nipper
-
Hello Aa I've just discovered your build and I am fascinated by the story of Mars and by what your research has found. To me, this is the joy of ship modelling - following the historical records and using this to create the closest possible to an actual ship - brig in your case. In reading your log I've seen the book about the brig Irene, and I'm tempted to buy that book in order to build a model of her (Irene is my wIfe's name and we have family connections to the Netherlands!). I'm wondering what brig model might be the best to bash into an Irene. I had decided to build a brig once I've finished Sphinx ( I have tenuous ancestral family connections there too), but I think that Chris Watton's Speedy (which I had thought about being my next project) is too small to become an Irene. Nipper
-
What a brilliant idea to make a template for fixing the depth guages! I have found glueing the little numerals really tricky on both my builds, so thank you for a solution for my next build. With the eyebolts, using a metal preparation before painting helps, but I've always had to do some touching up afterwards anyway. I hink it's more important to keep control of the glue than to worry about paint coming off. Nipper
-
I've only just found your log and I'll now follow! What a great job you're doing on your first build. I've picked up your anxiety about doing the rigging, and I see that some members have given you some good hints and encouragement. I just want to say this: I found the rigging to be the most enjoyable and satisfying part of the whole build on my first boat - which was Chris Watton's Alert. I took ages, but so what? Like you, I have Petersson's book, and John Harland's Seamanship was also brilliant because I learned so much about how a sailing ship worked. I really enjoyed making the rigging as complete and realistic as possible and I relied heavily on the wonderful build logs here on MSW, especially Blue Ensign's. The information here on MSW gave me lots of ideas on stropping, whipping, seizing etc. So much so that I plan to do Speedy as my next build after I've finished Sphinx, and to build her in full sail. My satisfaction with the rigging came from learning so many new techniques and realising that, yes, I can do it! If you can do planking as well as you have done, then you'll have a breeze with the rigging! Nipper
-
Happy Christmas to you and your family, including the Carpet Monster. Thank you for your wonderful build log during 2023 and here's looking forward to more in 2024! Nipper
- 638 replies
-
- 5
-
-
- Indefatigable
- Vanguard Models
- (and 1 more)
-
That looks superb! You really have succeeded in creating a balanced look that complements and enhances your Indy. Nipper
- 638 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- Indefatigable
- Vanguard Models
- (and 1 more)
-
If you are still wondering about the colour of the bricks, I suggest that this was determined by what was available locally. So researching about brickyards near to the shipyard might be of help. Brickyards tended to use local clays to lessen transport costs, and the colour of the clay as well as the temperature and length of the firing determined the colour of the brick. Nipper
-
Agreed - planking a hull really is a challenge for the inexperienced. I followed the video instructions provided on MSW by Chuck Passaro and it helped enormously. It took me several months to plank my Sphinx, working for an hour or two several times a week. That's slow going and you have to be prepared to accept that. But it was great fun and I got better and more accurate as I learned. Several very experienced posters here are recommending that you learn on something smaller first, then move on to your frigate. Why not go for a small fishing boat on which you can learn planking, It shouldn't take long and you can always leave it unfinished if you're desperate to get onto the three master! Nipper
-
My experience is limited. I know two models only, both from Vanguard, and both have been very satisfying to build with excellent instruction manuals. The Sphinx is expensive but it is good value for money. It is classed as "experienced" but it is OK for a beginner as long as you are prepared to be patient and take your time to try things out, and redo things, before committing to glue. One of the best things about Vanguard models is that there are people here on MSW who will help with any questions, in particular the designer himself, Chris Watton, who will respond himself if asked. Nipper
-
Congratulations Chris for the great progress your business has made and it is so well deserved for the quality of your products and your customer service. I remember your post on here saying that you had decided to set up your own business, and that is clearly paying off now. The question now of course is how to manage the business as it has grown so much since the release of Alert. I agree with your reply above about employing staff to do the kit production. Although this would free you up to concentrate on kit design, once you are employing others you are bringing in a whole lot of potential problems as well as additional costs. To my mind, the issue is how to make sure that you and your wife (whose assistance on top of her own full time job must be a huge bonus) are enjoying running the business. Sometimes, success means a business can grow to the point where it becomes just a chore, or even too stressful. An alternative to employing your own staff is to contract out to other businesses to do the basic work for you. This brings other problems of course as well as the cost, but maybe this could be something for the future. It seems to me that you are saying that you are having fun with VM - and so you are right to keep it like that. As long as Mrs W is happy too! Thank you for the happiness your work has brought to me. Nipper
-
Welcome to MSW Robert! Another new member, JBH, has recently asked the same question. Have a look at his page - see below - because there are some very helpful suggestions there about a first build. Nipper
-
Welcome JBH to the most informative, enjoyable and friendly website I have ever come across. I'm not surprised that you've received so much help already. People on this forum are genuinely interested in helping each other and I find sometimes that I have to drag myself away from the screen, otherwise I might be here all day and never get my boat built. I'm sure you will really enjoy researching the suggestions made above, and we look forward to hearing what you have chosen for your first build. Nipper
-
BE - It certainly has created issues for me too! After a lot of experimenting with the different components of the chains, I've concluded that the best way out of this is to use some 0.5mm wire to make my own upper links on the main chains - a potential solution that you had identified until you found that your old Pegasus chain sets would do the job. I've looked at the other Sphinx build logs and only Hollowneck seems to have had the same problem, but some of the other Sphinx models have the lower bolt of the preventer plates on the wale itself, not on the upper strake of the wale, which does not look right at all. So thanks once again BE for your detailed build log, which has helped me find a way through this problem. Nipper
- 858 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- Sphinx
- Vanguard Models
- (and 1 more)
-
BE: You didn't warn us that you were going to go full dolls' house! It's magnificent and the colours you have achieved on the furniture is outstanding, That subtle mix of varied "mahogany" colour on the table top looks so realistic. Is that a wash basin or a commode you have built? And who is the portrait of? Nipper
- 638 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- Indefatigable
- Vanguard Models
- (and 1 more)
Our Emblem ®
