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Thunder

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Posts posted by Thunder

  1. On 10/9/2024 at 6:32 AM, nheather said:

    Thanks, although it probably sounds crazy to many, I am leaning towards leaving the Caldercraft on the shelf and buying the Vanguard.

     

    My reasoning is that I can afford to do so, and if building the Vanguard means a more enjoyable, less stressful, experience, then that is worth the money.  Also if it means that I am more likely to success then I am more likely to embrace the hobby and build more.

    Why not choose another Vanguard kit and build both?

  2. 7 hours ago, bigcreekdad said:

    While trying to decide which direction to go I decided to fumble along with Erycina. Yesterday, I dropped 5 small blocks. All but one "disappeared" , and likely eaten by my carpet. This old age eye crap is a real bummer. My other two indoor hobbies are tying trout flies for a Michigan fly shop, and selling collectible postage stamps (mostly Canadian) in an online store. Good eyesight for both of these makes a world of difference.

    I would be the same, RE the blocks, amount of time spent on all fours looking for them. Why do they always find their way to the most unlikely of places.

  3. Hi,

     

    I was lucky in that there was a specialist model shop just for wooden model kits in my area. I was given advice and went with Corel's Resolution. At that time Caldercraft had not done many kits and choice was limited. Even so he had about every kit that was available other than the ones he would not sell due to poor quality.

     

    I then decided to buy a 'cheap' kit to practice on. I made the mistake of getting Racehorse for this. It is a poor kit in most ways, materials quality, historical accuracy, instructions are all very poor. However, i persevered and loved it. Because I had done upgrades of masts and yards and rigging i completely scratch built these which made it a much better finished model.

     

    I then did another small kit, Caldercraft's Chatham. This had great materials and again really enjoyed. Built Resolution and was also great but again masting and rigging in kit was poor, materials very good as are drawings.

     

    Then thought wanted a kit with excellent instructions, chose Pickle, I did not enjoy, as instructions so detailed just followed them, which was fine till discovered errors.

     

    Long winded but basically it is choice. No point choosing a model as suitable for a beginner if of no interest and if good with hands may well do a great job with a more advanced kit.

     

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  4. On 3/5/2025 at 6:21 PM, Stuka said:

    Thanks Gregory. I did see some of those discussions buty didnt dwelve to deep into it. However Petersson has a book called rigging period ships models aswell as the fore and aft rigging one. Anybody know the the diffirence cause wouldnt he cover the fore and aft rigging in his other one?

    Hi,

     

    It is worth reading up on cutters as their evolution was specific to the rig and is different to the standard for and aft rig you will find as part of the rigging on a ship. Pattersons other book is more precise for a frigate of the later Napoleonic period.

     

    A cutter's rig and a Sloops rig at first look very similar, however, they are different. The cutter's main difference is that the bowsprit could be run in and out and so alter its length, they are, therefore, almost horizontal. If you look at my two builds of cutters you will my point if i explain that the Resolution  is described as a cutter by the kit manufacturer but is actually a sloop. It was this element of the rig that Bill Shoulder also got wrong in his instructions. Masts and yards were correct but one item of rig would prevent the running in of the bowsprit.

     

    Another excellent book regarding Sloops is 'Sloop of war' by Ian McLaughlan. (used to visit this site at one time). He describes the different rigs. Don't think it just have Sloops, as does cover the Sloop rig, but just to confuse things more, the term 'sloop of war' refers to any naval vessel below that which a post captain would command.

  5. On 3/5/2025 at 5:55 PM, Stuka said:



    Thank you for this post.  To give some background Im currently rigging the Cutter Sherbourne.  My next vessel will be Speedy but for now Im focused on tSherbourne. Do you know what sets Peterssons books apart since you recommended the fore and aft craft? I have seen that he has another book about period model ships aswell.

    Hi, i picked that book out as it specifically would be useful for your cutter 

  6. All the above books are great but not necessarily for beginners. Also depends on craft being built.

     

    As doing a cutter i would suggest 'Rigging period fore and aft craft' by Lennarth Petersson.

     

    Other really overlooked books are the Noel C L Hackney's Victory, Cutty sark and mayflower. Meant for the Airfix kits but rigging is a great guide to the three main periods of history of ships. Will not help a great deal with Cutters. Think for next models. Possibly overlooked due to the plastic model link but i often reference back to these.

     

    James Lees is great for naval ship rigged vessels through the ages, a must have for future war ships through time.

     

    Anatomy of Nelsons ships by C Nepean Longridge, but again really for ship rigged vessels.

     

    18th century rigs and rigging, does a bit on all nations and also has a section on cutters

     

    Anatomy of the ship Alert, also is for cutters. 

     

    Also, Bill Shoulders guide to building the Cutter Speedy, has rigging detail but beware he has made errors regarding the Bowsprit rigging.

     

    Hope this helps as i have made specific to cutters with a few examples of what i would encourage for the future. I have most of the other books mentioned above but James Lees, the airfix guides and Lennarth Patersson are my first go to

  7. Hi,

     

    I have the 'THE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE FOR MODELLING THE ROYAL YACHT FUBBS By William J. Romero' for sale. Based in UK so to UK only. £49.99 plus postage at £6.65. can pay by bank transfer or Paypal. Also listed on ebay if want to buy through there but they now add a 'insurance' fee on top of the listed price so is a little more expensive. More pictures available on request.

     

     

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  8. Was wondering how many people would still have a CD rom drive these days to be able to look at the instructions. these days the surface, laptops and apple devices would not have one. I only have a small portable one in our house that cannot plug into my wife's I-Pads anyway. Are the drawings provided by CD as well? Sorry if displayed, most of your pics arn't showing.

  9. Hi,

     

    Assuming you are in the UK. I have been giving the same thought and are thinking of the smaller museums around the coast. Also some of the RNLI stations, can sell or exhibit as they wish.

     

    Last time i was at the Portsmouth museum the shop on the site was selling someone's collection of built kits. I was rather saddened by it. They were extremely well built.

     

     

  10. 14 hours ago, palmerit said:

    After several frustrating attempts at drill holes in masts and other small parts, I'm thinking of getting a table-top drill press. Looking for recommendations : whether to get a drill press or not? If so, which one? Whether to consider a mill instead?

     

    One option is the Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115 listing for $235.80 with the MICRO Compound Table KT 70 listing for $71.10.

     

    Another is the Micro-Mark MicroLux 3-Speed Mini Drill Press listing for $199.95 or the Micro-Mark MicroLux Benchtop Variable Speed Mini Hobby Drill Press listing for $379.95. I'm not quite sure the difference between these (apart from the price and the variable speed option) or what add-ons are equivalent to the Proxxon KT 70.

     

    I've seen some really inexpensive drill presses like here and here. But I want an add-on like the KT 70 for the Proxxon and I don't know if these inexpensive ones have something like that.

     

    Are there other options I should look at? I think I've read enough posts here and elsewhere that say that a Dremel drill press is too imprecise and I'd get frustrated with that option; but maybe there is a really good one that I've missed in my search.

     

    I think another option would be to splurge for a Sherline Mill, which I think can be used as a drill (expensive option if only used as a drill press) but I I think there is an option to also convert to a lathe (and it can be used as a mill). Right now, I only know that (I think) I want a drill press, and don't have a clue what I would use a milling machine for.

     

    I want something that's portable since I do my modeling inside my house not in a shop. I have some heavy duty tools in my cellar - including a large drill press I inherited from my father-in-law - but I prefer just being able to work in one of our bedrooms (which I need to vacate to our back room when my younger son is home from college).

    I have your Proxxon option, I am a real critic of anything i buy but really love this setup. I have uded it foor milling but must remember that designed for a load directly below and not side action so go steady. Their is no wobble in mine so get precise size drilled holes and with the slide is great for parallel holes in channels. The milling i have done is for the central hexagonal of the lower yards.

  11. A great and helpful article, thank you.

     

    I almost exclusively use the permagrit tools for the roughing down and tools 'stolen' from wife's nails beauty kit for the finer aspects. Have a set of french curves scrapers but sometimes, although can be dangerous, i piece of broken glass as a scraper.

     

    I have reground old swann mortan scalpels to make shaped scrapers but have used for making small moulding. Not sure why not occurred to me to use for the hull and decks as you describe. I will certainly be trying that. 

     

    Thank you,

     

    Adrian

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