chris watton

B.E. The 32 gun gun frigate Amazon is a future development certainty.

No, they come in bags. For example, when I order 15000 3mm single blocks, they will come in a bag of 15000. We count them out for each kit - as each kit has a different number of blocks. Same applies to the higher quality (and much more expensive) pear blocks

I am sure that payment by instalment option for PayPal is already set up on my website.

Ranger was a Barking Fish Carrier, built in 1864. Unlike the Well Smack (like Saucy Jack), the fish carriers were built for speed, in order to get the cargo to the markets as quickly as possible (The well smacks kept the fish alive, so less need for speed). She had a length overall (hull length only, not including spars) of 74 feet 3 inches and a beam of 16 feet 6 inches. Because of the hull lines, this one is also one of the very easiest to plank.

OK, Jim (Hatch) has finished the Ranger model. This is to the last in a range of easy to build fishing craft, and is my 11th kit. And once again, he has done a superb job. I have decided to put this kit on hold until I can sort better sail sets for it, as the Spanish made sails are quite simply crap. They may be OK for other manufacturers to use, but the contrast between the kit contents and the cheaper sail sets is too striking, so, although I have paid for the sail sets, I will not use them, nor will I be ordering any more of that 'quality' - Ever! The Ranger model is shown with the Master-Korabel derived sail set (I have one more spare set). I have ordered a batch for Ranger, but due to current circumstances, I have no idea when I will get them. In the meantime, I have been looking for someone more local to produce the sets for me, as a stop gap, but so far, no luck. I should have a new batch of Saucy Jack sail sets (and Nisha and Erycina) arrive from Master-Korabel within the next 2-3 weeks. These should have been here almost 2 months ago, but the Ukrainian situation has made things 'difficult'. Also difficult to get hold of right now is my machined pear blocks and deadeyes, as these also come from Master-Korabel. Again, I have searched for alternatives to help tide me over, and the best I could find was machined walnut blocks, but they cost the same as the pear - so I do not think my customers would be willing to pay the same for walnut blocks as they would for pear. And I wouldn't blame them.

They were sculpted by a very talented local woman (UK), one regret is that I never kept her contact details. But I guess I sub contract to digital sculptors now, as all my new stuff is 3-D printed.

Watered down PVA brushed on the shrouds and ratlines works a treat - I would never use CA for these.

Yeah, forgot to add that. The main Indy model will be fully painted, black and yellow ochre on the hull sides.

OK, I have just about finished the Indefatigable stern area, and am happy with how this looks, not too austere but not too plain. The PolyBak parts are not glued, but just lying in place. The columns between the lights/windows are 0.6mm pear.

And yet they started off so refined, here is a pic of the master carvings for Vanguard, Elephant and Bellerophon. A world away for the semi crushed, undersized white metal castings they turned into. For digital carvings, printed directly from the original file is always the best way to go, as they're not duplicates of duplicates.

I will use whatever I feel is best for the job, no matter what the material, if it is economically viable. For example, this week I have been working on the Indy stern decoration. Usually, the lighter decoration I do in PE, but this time, I am using PolyBak, and it looks pretty good. The PE on the stern of Indy will be the window frames and lantern brackets (window frames still way to delicate in 64th for PolyBak)

Sourcing better blocks and deadeyes is a headache for me. I hate to use the 'industry standard' type, but have very little choice, due to costs. I have been given prices for CNC walnut blocks and deadeyes for Indefatigable. However, even for just 30 kits worth, that is 34,000 blocks and deadeyes, and well over £4k. If you are wanting the special machined blocks for one project, that's no problem, but when you have to budget for 30-100 kits worth, it's a whole different matter, as the costs get very high, even with small discounts. I would imagine MS and other larger players produce a lot more than 100 of each of their kits at a time, too.

Brilliant! Made me chuckle! And here is Indy next to the Speedy!

Err, welcome to MSW, first post!

The real Indy would have been double the size!

Indy had a very active 20 year career as a razee, I just wanted to cover all the bases. As it is a wooden model kit, those can build it and add or leave off what they wish, depending on the time frame they want to model the kit in. I have that picture above, the only accurate detail of Indy is the position of the quarter galleries.

I am happy with my two choices, individual planking strips as standard, or a possible option of a laser engraved set.

I have considered individual planks, yes. The problem is how much the laser burns odd from the edges. Get the offset calculations wrong slightly (speed and power settings also play a big part in this), and you are left with gaps at the sides (or the middle, depending where you start your planking). If it's only a few planks from one side of the deck to another, it's not so bad, but for much wider decks, 50+planks wide, any slight over cut for each plank would be disaster. Plus each plank would need retaining tabs to hold them in their host sheet, and these hundreds of tabs would need to be filed flush perfectly. Etched decks negate all of this.

It seems I may be able to get hold of maple sheet, 0.8mm thick, 200x800mm in size. I have ordered a few sheets to see if it is viable for laser etching the Indy decks. If it is, then I will offer the laser cut and etched decks as an optional extra. I will offer as an extra because I know some like to plank the decks, and the laser etched decks take a long time to produce (an hour per kit), so would add more cost to the kit, and for something some may not even use. Anyway, will see how these turn out once I have the material delivered. I personally prefer the etched decks, but also know there are many who do not.

I have only dealt with full kits, and Indefatigable has been developed as a full kit. As I mentioned, spars and rigging is but a fraction of the overall kit contents and weight, so that's not worth splitting, as it would make little to no difference in the box size or weight. Same applies to the 5 included boats. My philosophy - All or nothing!

No, as the weight would still be the same, perhaps a little more due to two boxes. It is also pointless splitting the model into hull and masts, yards and rig, as the latter three weighs nothing in comparison to the hull.

The weight worries me, to be honest. It will be very expensive to ship, being over twice the weight of even a Sphinx kit, and I worry some people may hurt themselves when moving the box - perhaps adding a set of wheels at one end and a handle at the other end of the box would be a good idea!

Looking very nice! For the aluminium tubing, you really do not need a metal saw. I have always used my trusty old Stanley Knife to cut the tube by simply rolling the tube with the blade until cut, it really only takes seconds, as the metal is so soft. (This is the reason I chose it).

Due to the cost of most of the materials, as little waste as possible. There will be no more or less waste than any other kit, with all materials utilised to their full potential. ETA - Is it even considered 'waste' if it's keeping the parts in place, nice and safe until needed, or would it be better if I laser cut every part without retention tabs and then swept the contents of the laser bed into plastic bags and put in the kit box, all jumbled up? ETA 2 - The box containing the laser cut parts and planking is 12kg. The 16kg is a guess at the final weight, so it may be more, as manual and plans may be between 3-4kg, with PE and the rest of the contents (dowel, more laser cut parts etc.) adding at least another 1kg

I have just (well, my wife..) packed up the laser cut parts for Indy and the planking for Jim, which he will receive on Wednesday to start the model of Indefatigable. All that is in the box is 95% of the laser cut parts (no mast parts done yet), first, second and deck planking strips and 3-d printed parts. No photo etched parts, plans, manual or dowel in the box. Weight - 12kg! The majority of this weight is just the laser cut sheets. Also, I underestimated the box size (900x320x140mm), needs to be slightly wider and much deeper! I think the final weight of the kit will be around 16kg, Sphinx is 7kg.