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chris watton

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Everything posted by chris watton

  1. Cheers Right now, I make sure that every penny goes back into the business, hence the reason we both still have day jobs. I believe it is important to get the business up and running and be self sustaining, with all equipment bought before I take any money from it. I need another laser machine (larger bed and more powerful, for the larger kits I have in mind), and this also means I need to turn our garage into a fully fledged work unit, to house both machines and kit boxes. Before I can think about taking money from the business for ourselves, these things need to happen first. By the way, orders are not delayed, we are now fully up to date!
  2. Ah, OK. Now that I re-read you post, the penny dropped... She can still pack the kits and fittings, it's just that now, I bring it all to her.
  3. Just statuary sick pay as far as I know, the company she works for isn't the best. However, I hope to soon be in a position to employ her, and then myself.
  4. I couldn't help myself, I ordered the kit! Although I know I will never have the time to build it, but Scharnhorst is one of my favourite battlecruisers, looks-wise. Told my wife it was only £55, and quite small a scale.... Years ago, I did buy and build for RC the Nichimo 200th scale Yamato, that was quite a monster!
  5. Thank you for all the kind comments! I made a mistake in one of my posts, it should have read 'No surgery required', I omitted the No! It is the top of the 'Tibial Plateau', and wasn't so misaligned that surgery would be required
  6. Thank you She had an X-Ray and CT scan, so surgery required, just a brace for the next six weeks. It is actually her knee she broke, carrying the dog down the stairs and slipping, but managing to protect the dog.. So, I shall be helping with all orders..
  7. Just a very tiny update, I now have the complete selection of machined pear wood blocks back in stock. Also, the kit packer and wife managed to break her leg last Monday, so I am having to help put orders together, so apologies in advance...
  8. You can even leave off the pre cut decks and plank as much or as little of the deck you like - although no extra deck planking will be included, there will be an alternative 0.8mm ply deck pattern for the forecastle and quarterdeck.
  9. Yeah, you would need to make a new figurehead, as Sphinx is the only one of this class I will be developing. Am hoping this will be ready for around July.
  10. Just a little update. I ordered a few books that, for the most part, I have read and inspired some of the previous (and many future) model kit choices: Books – VANGUARD MODELS It was suggested to me from a MSW member that perhaps the brand new (just published) book on the life of the Duchess of Kingston may be a nice option for when purchasing the Duchess kit, so I ordered some of these too. The first book to inspire me was Frigates, Sloops and Brigs, although I had the original separate books, Sloops and Brigs and The frigates, but the new book combines both. It was this book (that I read and re-read) during my lunch hours at work that first introduced me to the Speedy. Still working on Sphinx, but I have also started laser cutting some sheets that are final. There are so many sheets that I felt I need to get started as soon as I knew the sheets are OK and final.. Oh, forgot to say, I have had my Master-Korabel kits order delivered, so they are all back in stock, with blocks and deadeyes arriving in a week or so, I hope...
  11. Just to add, I will be providing enough pear strip second planking to go up to the upper laser cut planking pattern. The upper half of the patterns are to be painted and has markings for all channels, quarter hammock crane stanchions etc. The lower half of the laser cut pattern is not so essential, so that area can be planked in the normal manner if desired. The lower side rail/planksheer parts that intersect the gun ports will cover the join between the upper and lower pattern. So a standard planking option below that level is an option. I am doing the CAD drawing for plan sheets whilst Jim makes the prototype model from the production parts. For me, that's about another 6 weeks work...
  12. No need for any flattening. The slight bend is likely temporary due to being in the box. When the hull assembly is built up, all will be straight and true anyway.
  13. Hello Gregory. I do plan to once I have a few sizes done. As the photo etch parts cost quite a lot of money, and I prefer to wait until I have at least three versions to fit on a single production sheet. Ideally, I need another a size below the one shown, and two or three larger, for frigates and line of battle ships. Same applies to hand pumps, but I do currently offer some capstans and other fittings.
  14. Yep, InDesign for putting the manual together, along with box art. I also used it to put the plan sheet together, but now use CorelDraw instead, as it's much easier to import my CAD drawings with text into this software.
  15. Now, I hate to disagree with anyone on these forums, but I have built literally dozens of models using MDF for the past 13 years, and have never once experienced what you describe. I too have laid soaking wet limewood first planking to the MDF frames without the slightest issue. I had the first prototype Sphinx MDF skeleton outside by the bins for a couple of weeks, where is suffered rain, sleet and snow. No signs of swelling at all, although the 2mm ply deck did warp. All of my MDF is bought from he same place, and is the highest grade I can buy. You must have been very determined to get your MDF to react like that.
  16. If you are building her as commissioned by the Royal Navy, Bounty would be coppered for such a voyage. It is an unfortunate fact (for those who hate copper plating), that the vast majority of English vessels (and a little later, French vessels) would have copper bottoms from the 1780's onwards. Blame Charles Middleton...
  17. Always a compromise. I could do most in wood, but to keep to scale, they would be way too fragile. The alternative would be to increase widths/thicknesses, and end up with those way out of scale chubby parts like ships wheels. Took a while to decide about the topmast cross trees, as I would have liked them in wood. However, again, the scale widths were too small, and many would have had problems. Nothing worse than having such a part snap/break when you've already started the rigging process, and they were always painted anyway...
  18. Just had the test sheets arrive for the five sheets of photo etched brass for Sphinx, which I shall get shipped to Jim. these are quite big...
  19. Hi Alex, Your model is certainly inspirational. However, the vast majority of detail that isn't shown on the original Admiralty plans for Sphinx Class was gleaned from the AOTS Pandora, as this seems to be the closest match for the slightly smaller Sphinx.
  20. Very nice, and very well executed. I will always have a fond affection for this kit, as it was my very first wooden boat kit I bought and made.
  21. They are most definitely square holes in ALL gratings, not round. I am sending James Hatch the full suite of laser cut parts today, so I am sure he will take photos with more clarity. Also, why the heck would I use round holes? lol
  22. No, the hull planking starts at the lower edges of the main wale position. Here it is double planked using 1x5mm limewood and 0.8x4mm pearwood. This is the only planking you need to do.
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