chris watton

Busy day! Am laser cutting second batch of Sphinx stock and helping my wife with packing and booking the kits. But mostly Chantelle, as the 0.6mm pear sheet I am cutting requires a lot of attention... I think I already mentioned, I will not be able to laser cut anything from 19th September until early October, as our garage is having a new floor, new roof and walls insulated and partitioned, one half for the laser machines, and the other for materials (and gym..). So am keeping the laser machine running for as long as I can until then. I then get my second laser machine in late October, which I am very much looking forward to. Regarding the Sphinx second batch, the price has to be increased as I wanted the first batch to be a kind of 'special offer', as a lot of work per kit hasn't been taken into account for the first batch. I have mentioned that each kit has 6 and a half hours laser cutting/etching alone, and then on top there is much prep required after this. And to (almost) cap it all, I now have to pay import duty for my materials I get from the EU, which seems very arbitrary (with Germany being the absolute worst culprit) Finally, shipping rates, although dynamic and linked to the UPS server, so should be correct, have severely undercharged for all non-UK shipping. This business thing is a hell of a learning curve....

She was built as a cutter (1882), hence the lovely lines. ETA to include my rough initial drawings for Nisha sail plan

After an age sorting the 51 sets of plans and manual, and working out the best way to fit all in the box, the first has been done! 6.5kg in total (Speedy kit is 2kg and Duchess a little under 2.5kg) Now for the rest..

I would have had an extra two, as the printers gave me 52 sets, but one of the 52 0.4mm PE sheets I have has slight damage, so cannot include.

Look what arrived today, as promised by my printers! We will spend all weekend finishing the Sphinx kits, and making sure all is packed well, ready for shipping. All orders will be shipped next week. In the meantime, I have still been working on the new fishing boast designs, and have gone almost as far as I can with my pre-prototype models of Erycina and Nisha. I received samples of the 3-d printed castings for them yesterday. I decided to have the tow posts drawn in CAD and 3-d printed because I wanting it to be as true to the real thing as I could, as it has many shapes, coupled with a bracket with holes each side at the top. The winch drums are also 3-d printed castings, as is the chain pipe. The forward winch drums are new turned brass parts I had made. The rest of the kits will consist of laser cut and PE parts - but have to wait for the PE until next month...

I am told I will receive the printed material (plans, manual and box label) on Friday, so all Sphinx orders will start to be shipped from Monday. This is well over three times the weight of any previous kit! And thank you, I still cannot believe I sold out of my first batch! I am working on the second batch, but will not get the PE until late next month, as Italy seems to close down in August.

Yes, full length always included, otherwise it would be very confusing!

The three sizes of lanterns are still there, they are on page two of the fittings pages: Lanterns (pairs) – Standard – VANGUARD MODELS So I sell a total of 5 different size lanterns, three with PE and and a cast resin top and bottom, and 2 sizes that are 3-d printed. and originally developed for Sphinx (at quite a late stage in the development). Regarding the smaller fishing boat kits, some have asked for non UK subjects. I decided to concentrate first on UK based vessels because I know that many European manufacturers already have their local fishing boat kits for beginner kits (Italian, Spanish, French etc.), and US manufacturers cater for that market.

There is one I may do called 'Saucy Jack', a Barking Fish carrier!

They do look nice, but lack the 'polish' of a proper display model, I cut corners, as my main concern is seeing if the parts fit as designed. there are some that don't, and will be changed slightly for Jim's parts.

Just been working away on my two new prototype (well, pre-prototypes) fishing boats. Thought I'd share some (bad) pics. They are now both double planked, with decks in place along with the bulwark timber frames. Nisha, the smaller vessel, has just had her gunwale fitted, with Erycina (the larger, ex cutter turned fishing ketch) about to have hers fitted. I have gone a little further with these, compared to the Fifie and Zulu, with the outer bulwarks pre cut and etched (as well as the inner bulwarks, which have the timberhead positions pre etched). So planking starts at just below deck level. They are also easier to plank. I note that some who built the Fifie and Zulu added detail below the main deck, so with these two, I have included the lower deck platform to the correct height, and included ladders for the companionways, if you wish to show companion door open. Pic not great, and builds are quick and a little rough but these, like my Sphinx pre-prototype are 'throw away' models, and used only to make sure designs work as they should, and change where required. The real prototypes will be made later, once I am happy the designs are nailed down, which is now pretty close. No varnish applied, and both have just been sanded, so look a little dusty. As with the Fifie and Zulu, they will have optional pre made sail sets, 4 for Nisha and 5 for Erycina. Oh, I used that flexible masking tape for the white boot topping, it was great!

I am lucky, she hates soaps!

She has, thank you Still putting kits together as I type!

That certainly is on the list, but as it will be a 2 year development, and carvings will cost a small fortune, I have to wait. Next big one - Phoebe (36), Indefatigable (need I say more..) or Bristol?

A large part of that is down to James hatch, who has helped build the final prototypes and taken all pictures for the construction, plus text. This really does help with continuing new developments while that last one is still being worked on. Regarding larger kits in the future, today, this is one giant step closer, as I have ordered a second laser machine. This is not cheap, but I know it is exactly what I want, and I did promise that any money from sales is invested straight back into the business. The laser machine has a larger bed, so I can cut material of 800x600mm, rather than 600x400mm, and it is twice as powerful, being 80w. It is due for delivery in October, after the refurbishment of our garage next month, to make it into more of a proper unit that dilapidated hell hole.. On the Sphinx front, my wife, Chantelle and made up the 50 kits (that's a lot of boxes)! and now we wait for the printed manuals, plans and box label to arrive. I would have loved to have a full printed box for all my kits, but the costs are frankly comical, and no way worth it when considering they would add £100 to kit price! What Sphinx does have is a very strong double walled box, which will keep the parts safe during shipping. That, coupled with Chan's careful packing of the parts should ensure the kits arrive in perfect condition (We have learned a lot since our first Alert kit..)

I contract it to professionals. Anything that I am not comfortable with, or know that someone would do a much better job, I sub contract. Master carvings are very important, so the one off cost of getting a pro to do them is perfectly acceptable to me. I know well how to design the kits, but have never really tried my hand at real carvings. So Bristol carvings have already been paid for.

HMS Bristol, a sister to the later built Leopard, was to be my second kit in the range. However, things changed a lot after Alert. You see, I was going to have all my laser cutting done in Italy, using ply, MDF and limewood, and castings in white metal, again, all from Italy. When the fist Alert parts arrived, I knew immediately that this is not the way I want to go, looking forward. The laser cut lime was about as robust as tissue paper, and the white metal castings looked nothing like the masters I had made. This is when I decided to use much better materials for all future kits, and since then, I have been establishing more contacts for suppliers. This did mean I needed a rethink of immediate developments, and the decision to purchase my own laser machine, as sub contract costs would have been crippling for the type and amount of cutting I had in mind. The reason Bristol was put back is because the cost of the materials alone would have cleaned me out (at that time). The second reason is that I really need 2 laser machines before starting this, and one needs more power and a larger bed, for the thicker materials needed. I am now in a position where I could carry on with this, but my real love/yearning is for a large frigate before this. But all of Bristol's carvings have already been done, as is the armament, plus bulkheads, decks and all general hull lines already worked out.

Very close!

Cheers! For the next big one (and it will be big), I am torn between three possibilities, and flit between them depending on mood.. I do know that next is two English West Country fishing vessels (and very pleasing lines they have, too), and then a medium sized kit of a detailed 18 gun brig (20 foot longer than Flirt/Speedy Class). Then, I have to make up my mind on the big kit.

One of the first things I tried when wet between the ears. You are right, the laser reflects right back to the underside of the material, rendering the sheet scrap.

Cheers! But I would like the same make as the one I have, as I have grown to know the machine intimately, and knowing how to prepare the files for laser cutting/engraving. A completely different machine will have different software requirements for the laser to read the files, and this could be a problem if I need to swap files from one machine to the other. They are not cheap, but it has not let me down once, the only ongoing expense being the extractor filters (and many cans of Mr.Muscle oven cleaner to clean the bed...)

OK, we have released the final 5 Sphinx kits to stock. Once these are gone, that is it for this production run. I will not be able to get more PE until next month at the earliest, as Italy is now on holiday. And I thought I had enough to last a while! I think I have already mentioned this, but the photo etched sheets were changed at the very last minute to include all PE part numbers etched on the sheet, which should make identification easier..

James did an article in the latest Tamiya Model Magazine, for anyone that's interested.

Damn, you make me sound like some kind of weird cult! lol No, I finance all new equipment from kit sales.

Never asked my supplier, all I ask for is pear, and also ask for it to be good quality, so no idea about swiss/unswiss - but am sure I will now you have asked. I have actually sent a batch or two back, as they are awful.. Most of time what I get is pinkish, but for the planking, I did ask for a lighter tone in my last batch. I cannot always guarantee this, as I get what I am sent, which is the way for a natural product. I would prefer the very light pear every time, as to me, it looks perfect on 18th Century subjects, but I also know most of the time, I get the pinkish colour. What I do know for sure is that I desperately need another larger, more powerful laser machine, and soon!