chris watton

Yes We shall sort something out once I have your details via email.

On a happier note, Indefatigable development moves on relentlessly. I have started the first planking of the hull, which will take a few days. Still not sorted a figurehead though, but all armament, anchors and other castings type fittings have already been produced. I decided to 3-d print the majority of the belfry. This is still quite small, and the original has many shapes. I did originally design it in separate parts, with laser cut and engraved supports, but it would have been quite fiddly to assembly, and I don't like fiddly if I can help it. I then designed it with the stanchions and canopy (always a problematic shape if in wood form) as one piece, and the bell cross beam in pear. I have attached my original drawing for this, it will not look as 'clunky' as a wood only part. As with the anchors and guns, this is produced using black resin.

Just a little, if regretful update: Over the past few months, material costs have risen from 10-25%, from essential materials to stuff you don't really give a second thought to, packaging materials. On top of this, in the UK at least, electricity/fuel costs are rising - this does have an impact, especially for larger kits like Sphinx, which takes a whole day of laser cutting time per kit, a lot of electricity. With this in mind, from Monday, I have to increase prices across the board by 10%. I really don't want to, but have little choice. I have swallowed any past extra cost as best I can, like the import duty costs for my materials from the EU, but I cannot soak up the new price rises for the rest of the materials I have to buy that go into each kit.

Have just ordered some more books....

Cool! When international shipping is finally sorted (still get only one option of $90 for shipping), I shall place an order for those two Naiad volumes. Can never have too many books. Although my wife may beg to differ....

Just had a new book arrive for stock: Ship Models from the Age of Sail – VANGUARD MODELS It is very nice, written by Kerry Jang, and features Speedy as one of the builds. There is reference to Chucks (Syren Models) great models, and a picture of the fantastic Winchelsea and Cheerful. Book is hardback and full colour. I shall keep one for myself...

Not sure if mine's been sent yet Checked shipping again today, and it's done up, £90!

Simply superb!

OK, regarding Saucy Jack, the Barking Well Smack, thanks in no small part to James Hatch, the box art and plans and manual are with the printers. As soon as I am in receipt of the plans, manual and boxes, it can go on sale (or sail...) I have attached a pic of the box art I did yesterday, and the manual will be available to download in the usual way once the product page goes live. Price will be £137, same as Nisha. So the Saucy Jack folder has been moved from the 'Kit Designs in Progress' folder to the 'Completed Kits' folder. This is my 10th kit since 2019, Ranger will be the 11th (and the last non navy vessel for a good while). Indefatigable will be the 12th, and this is what I am working on right now, and hope to have this released this year. It is a very big project, and I did promise myself I wouldn't go too far, but as usual, I cannot help myself.... One last thing, I get emails on quite a regular basis asking when Amati Victory is out. I do not know, I do not work for Amati, so those who ask have as much idea as I do!

Shipping does need to get sorted out. I was going to order another set of books (Naiad), but $77.72 shipping for two books is too much. To put that in perspective, a 7.5kg large box Sphinx kit costs around £40/45 to send to the US from the UK, using UPS.

Will do Please let me know when you have Vol 1 of HMS EURYALUS in stock....

Excellent, just ordered a couple of things...

Maybe one day. If I do, there is one with the words, 'While I live, I crow' engraved on her stern, and the name being Cock o' the Walk! But, after Ranger, a South Eastern fish carrier (UK), that will be the last in this line up for a good while, I think I have done enough for now...

The top part around the mast cap is simply thread that secures the lift blocks shown each side (M&L), and the vertical lines you highlight are battens. These have a part number and are pre cut on one of the 0.6mm (I think) pear sheets.

Superb job, very well done! I do love that hull shape...

You do like your large models, Kevin!

Looking forward to ordering a few of these magnificent books!

Cheers! Although I still build prototypes on dining room table...

My printers who do my plans and manuals did it for me, gratis. I have had it in its tube since last November, but couldn't put it up until the new door and the two large doors were fitted..

Little update.. My 'new' garage conversion is now more or less complete. I now have a good electricity supply going into the workshop and have a good amount of sockets, so no more extensions snaking all over the floor. The final job was the insulated roller shutter doors. I took a couple of pics, but realised I took these after I just finished maintenance (cleaning) of the laser machines. In this room, the parts are produced, both laser cut sheets and castings. I have also added a couple of pics on my Indy prototype progress. This is the third hull since starting, and the final designs. All beams and decks above the gun deck are just dry fitted in place, to check general fit of all of these parts, the beams especially. The upper deck and poop you see are sub decks only, and they will require planking (no pre etched decks for the final kit). But I will include the etched planking on the sub decks as shown, in case some want to use as a template. Decks can be fully planked or part open, as shown. I would suggest you don't deviate too much from these openings, however, as there are 10 guns per side on the quarter and forecastle deck.. Gun deck inner bulwarks have been added (all pre-cut) as well as spirketting. Most of the outer hull will be planked in the traditional manner, though. It has been a lot of long hours to get to this stage, but I can relax a little once all critical structural parts are finalised - but these very early stages of the pre-prototype will give you an idea of what I am aiming for, for this kit. I will keep on building using this hull until I get to the stage, like my Sphinx 'throwaway' (which I still have...) where I know everything fits as it should, then over to Jim!

Just to let you know, I haven't stopped working on Indy. This (beginning) stage takes a lot of time, and a lot of hull assemblies before the final hull design is decided - more so for Indy, as it has that darned little poop. At a later stage, I will try to explain in my thread the reasons for certain decisions I have made regarding appearance for this model. There will be 9 different thickness of wood for this kit, so it won't be cheap. Also a full outfit of 5 boats.

That's what it is, then. Annoying for me, as I asked the printers to scale down the manual, so it fits in the box, I never said scale down the plans, too.

Looks like you're right! It seems the printers scaled down my plans. I would do with your original idea of increasing the scale. I shall have to watch that in future...

Because some prefer to make their own sails, the sail templates on Plan Sheet 7 are the correct scale (64th) As a hard rule, sail templates are always drawn and printed to scale.

No, there should be no need to drill holes for the pins. I choose the ultra fine pins precisely because I prefer the pins to be temporarily pushed into place with the minimum of effort, and I have rarely encountered a situation where the pins have split the materials, like larger diameter pins do.