chris watton
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Everything posted by chris watton
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With this kit, it is very important you follow the instruction stages. For my first prototype, I didn't even think about tackling the sanding of the frames until the inner bulwarks were in place, unifying the structure. -
I now know about angling the parts, a delicate balance, as I try to use as few supports as I can get away with. This is my very first attempt for the Sphinx stern casting, angled and with all supports at the rear, which came off easily. Plenty of flex in the material, and as it is printed directly from the master file, little to no shrinkage - a world away from white metal.
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Cheers I got an 'ELEGOO Saturn' along with the wash and cure machine.
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I bought a MSLA 3D Printer last week, as I am trying to do as much in house as I can. It is only a little printer to practise on, with a view to get a larger one if this works out. Here are a couple of pics of my first results, Duchess of Kingston figureheads, and Nelson figures in 48th and 96th scale. Sorry about pic quality, but all my photographic equipment is stowed away at the moment..
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The little one is Saucy Jack, a Barking Well Smack, 1836. This will be the next release, probably the tail end of January. I have already done all plans, and the photo etched sheets will be produced in the next couple of weeks. The larger one is Ranger, a Barking fish carrier, 1864, and designed to be as fast as possible to get the fish to market once picked up from the fishing fleets. I may wait a while to release this, don't know yet - but I do know the development for the next big kit release will take most of 2022. With that in mind, I may save Ranger for April/May.
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New, Nisha and Erycina are now done and dusted, those pics are from Today's work!
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Of course! In the meantime, I am working on my next little kit (or maybe 2, don't know yet, may save one for later...) I have attached a couple of pics of the pre-prototype builds. I show them so you can see the amount I take off when sanding the bulkheads (both just took me just a little over 30 minutes with an improvised sanding stick). I notice on some build logs that some leave way too much un sanded/unbevelled bulkhead edges at the bow and (especially) at the stern, and then wonder why certain parts do not fit as well as they should, almost as if they are too afraid of sanding too much off. If you use a long-ish sanding stick (in my case, just a scrap length of 0.8mm ply with sandpaper wrapped around it), there is little chance of digging into any one bulkhead, as you are sanding across 3, 4 or 5 at a time. I usually sand the whole lot for these small hulls, but for much larger ones, I just make sure bow and stern are properly sanded to follow the run of the planks, with much lighter sanding at the middle section of the hull.
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It was only ever commissioned as a razee
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I will do one (or two) after the big one, I figured people may sigh if I do yet another brig so soon. Big clue for next (well, first) very large kit, armament is - 26 x 24 Pounder main battery, 18 x 42 Pounder carronades and 2 x Long 12 Pounder chase guns. This can only mean a super frigate!
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I cannot say as I have never seen or heard of the existence of Vigilance.
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I think another one or two small kits, then a very big development, from the sublime to ridiculous.... I haven't even started the designs for the next big kit, but have laid quite a lot of groundwork for it, and it is something I very much look forward to starting, as it was always on my first list of subjects I want to do, and one of the first set of plans I bought back in 2019. For now, all laser cut parts for Nisha and Erycina have been done, and box art almost complete. I just have Erycina manual to complete - I say 'Just', it's still a lot of work - but I anticipate all work being completed in the next three days.
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Cheers! Nisha and Erycina are kits 8&9, with 10 coming not too long after. 11 or 12 will be a very large one for next year - too large for laser engraved decks, so more 'Old School'..
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And here is the completed Erycina!
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Will be sending files for plans, manual and box art to printers next week, so I shall have a better idea when I can release it then. Still laser cutting the parts for Nisha and Erycina, but that will finish Monday.
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For a first build, that really is quite remarkable work, well done!
- 93 replies
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- santa maria
- amati
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That's little Nisha complete, thanks to Jim Hatch. Just Erycina close behind....
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Thank you! I am hoping to have full colour printed boxes for these new smaller kits (350x200x50mm) made in time for release. But as these will be printed in he EU, nothing is certain, so my contingency plan is to have a few box labels made, and fit the kits in the Fifie and Zulu box for the first batch. Have said before, I would love to have full colour printed box tops for all kits, but as my products are relatively low volume, the prices in the UK for printed boxes is comical, adding about 25-30% of the overall kit cost!
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Forgot to mention, all laser cut sheets for this and Nisha have the part numbers etched next to each part. Not on the PE sheets though, as space was way too tight. (numbers would have had to be so small in order to fit, they would have been next to invisible) Also, the bulkhead tabs now taper inwards, going up, to make the fitting of the ply sub deck easier (less bending) - and for the bottom edge of each keel, there is a slot (hidden once the pear outer keel rabbet patterns are fitted) to locate to a tab on the rear cradle. This ensures the model sits at the correct angle, and also ensures the hull doesn't slide down the stand, as both are angled relative to waterline.
- 36 replies
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- vanguard models
- Erycina
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Damn, Glenn, that is gorgeous, a real 'Museum Quality' example if ever I saw one! Gobsmackingly good.
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There is certainly more to these than the Fifie and Zulu, even the diminutive Nisha has already surpassed those in page count for the main manual, and have not even finished that yet! Just because they're smaller doesn't mean they have less fidelity of detail, and because they may attract more beginners also doesn't mean corners being cut to keep prices down (the market is already awash with such products). They will not be the cheapest 'first or second kit' on the market, but I bet most will enjoy building them and, more importantly, finish them, before giving up in frustration. This is why everything is so important, from the materials and fit of parts, to the very important manual. Love what Jim has done with the livery of these!
- 36 replies
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- vanguard models
- Erycina
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Lettering and stern nameplates are waterslide decals, I had Eduard produce them for me, so they are included in the kits (Erycina and Nisha)
- 36 replies
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- vanguard models
- Erycina
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Black scroll bars
chris watton replied to Dr PR's topic in How to use the MSW forum - **NO MODELING CONTENT**
I am on a laptop now, Windows 10 using bog standard Microsoft Edge for the browser. No problems here. -
Still working on new work unit (ex garage), still needs proper wiring for sockets and lights, and insulated doors. Both people are coming tomorrow to size up and give quotes - and, all being well, my new laser arrives on Friday! In the meantime, me and Jim have been busy with Erycina and Nisha, the next two kits in the range. Jim just sent me these pics, the hulls for both are now fully complete, and masts, rig and sails won't take too long. I will have both of these available to buy before Christmas. The PE is being produced now, here in the UK, and I have a little more to do on manuals, which again, are printed here. I think Jim has done a fantastic job on these. I will eventually finish my Erycina prototype and keep it for my own display... Erycina has the green upper bulwarks, and Nisha has black. Still laser cutting production sets for both as I type!
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For tapering the planks, I learned very early on that scientific methods go out the window very early on, unless you are a master craftsman and get the tapering and bevelling perfect on each plank, based on calculations painstakingly made before the first plank is even laid (talking about my own miserable experience, I know different modellers have their own way, and no doubt achieve better results than me - a few tapers not quite right can ruin the calculations..). Since then, and for years, well, decades, now, I mark out and taper/bevel one plank per side at a time. Usually I just need a couple of 'fill in' strips to close the gaps when I reach the bottom, and the usual stealers at the stern. All of my models have had either a copper or white bottom, so odd width strips at the bottom make no difference to the overall appearance of the completed model. In short, it is all too easy to overthink the planking, just try and take it one plank (per side) at a time. Again, I stress this is my personal method, others will have their own (and in some cases, better) ways - but I used to have to build decent looking prototypes to deadlines a lot of the time, so used methods that were comfortable to me, using a ruler, pen and Stanley Knife.
- 505 replies
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- vanguard models
- Sphinx
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