chris watton
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Everything posted by chris watton
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The kit is £158 https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/product/order-zulu-lady-isabella/- 100 replies
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- zulu
- vanguard models
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It is interesting to note that quite a few contemporary dockyard models, from the 18th to 20th Century have single wood decks with the lines scribed on. In some cases, this even applies to the hull planking. I guess it all comes down to personal preferences and experience. Many kits, if not the majority have deck planking in strips. Trouble is that sometimes, the strips are so wide it ruins the scale effect. At least with etched decks, the lines can be exactly to scale and include the curves of some planks. Some can achieve this with planking separate strips, but a lot cannot.
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Right, all new fittings have been laser cut and some are already available on the website, with the cannon and capstans coming online very soon. I just finished cutting the final capstan parts, the 20mm high 64th single and the 72nd scale double. Both come with a length of walnut dowel long enough for the capstans and well over a full deck down. Also, I have just started laser cutting the standard Flirt parts, starting with 1mm pearwood. I cut these one sheet at a time (same as the Master Shipwright parts in boxwood) and check each carefully after cutting. I have added a pic of the first sheet cut, both top and bottom views, using my new magnetic 'nail bed'
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One has to be careful when looking at old photos of these vessels (Fifie and Zulu had same method of mast steps), as many that have been photographed had already been converted to steam power, the Fifie more so as the aft shape made them more conversion friendly than Zulu's. Most photographs show these vessels that already have had an engine and propeller conversion, very few show the pure sailing type.
- 195 replies
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- lady eleanor
- vanguard models
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I would say Lady Eleanor is slightly more builder friendly, having a more conventional hull (although still double ended) - but the Zulu is more sleek. I have sail sets for the Fifie, but none for the Zulu until lockdown is finished (I have paid for the sails, but they are stuck in Russia (made by Master-Korabel), and will be sent straight out once I have them, for people who have ordered the kit with sails.
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- lady eleanor
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Beware of fitting a tabernacle. My early designs had this, and when researching the sail only versions, it seems the masts were stepped as per the kit. I think the tabernacle was used when refitted with engine and prop due to less space below, as the engine and other gubbins had to have a lot of space. This is something I queried James Pottinger about.
- 195 replies
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- lady eleanor
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I can confirm you should receive the kit Thursday, latest Friday (but should be Thursday). UPS are picking it up from me tomorrow (was too late for a pick up today). And thank you! Regarding the binnacle, there is nowhere for it to go on Alert, I am sure it would have had a smaller cabinet, if at all, anyway.
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Coils of rope or buckets sound like good solutions! I guess the binnacle could be used on Alert, I know Jim is going to see where it can fit on his Flirt build.
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OK, lots of laser cutting today, plus re-designing the capstans for separate kits. The whelps are now slotted into place to the top and bottom discs, so will always be perfectly aligned. The single capstan is a standard 64th scale type (20mm high), and the double is a 72nd scale lower and upper deck capstan, suited to most mid-late 18th Century ships of the line. Lower pawls are 2mm pear (5) and upper pawls are 1.5mm (6). I will offer these as separate fittings once I have sorted a few minor things. They are shown pictured with no gluing, all dry-fitted immediately after being laser cut, so may look a little 'loose'... Also managed to laser cut the first sets of 64th scale cannon carriages (will do 72nd scale tomorrow), and sets of cleats from 6-14.5mm Oh, and at the last minute, I thought I'd do a couple of binnacles, in 64th and 72nd The binnacles are available right now: https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/product/binnacles/
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I am happy with the 4 and 6 pounders for Speedy and Alert, no need to replace them as they're the same as what's in the kit!
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I plan to start laser cutting them over this weekend. I have no PE parts to go with them (yet), so they will come as laser cut parts only, with the carriage sides, axles, wheels and quoin. I figured that most who may buy them may want them to replace what they have in their kits.
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No problems with materials, blocks for the MS version however, may be a problem. Russia is in total lockdown for another month at least, as far as I can tell, and cannot sell the MS Flirt until I get the pear blocks.
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OK, I have done all I can for Flirt right now, so the past couple of days I have been designing sets of two scales of cannon carriages, which will be laser cut in 1.5 pear (for 4-9 pounders) and 2mm pear for 12-32 pounders. Sizes will be (in both 72nd and 64th) 1.5mm Pear, (sold in pairs) 4-Pounder Carriage 6-Pounder Carriage 9-Pounder Carriage 2mm Pear, (sold in pairs) 12-Pounder Carriage 18-Pounder Carriage 24-Pounder Carriage 32-Pounder Carriage
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The 2mm is 4-ply, and the 3mm for the MS Flirt is 6-ply, very strong, but not cheap - but worth it for peace of mind. I do listen, and endeavour to improve certain aspects as and when I can.. You have made a great start, Ernie. Just take your time, and prepping is half the battle.
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It's really not that important, as long at the second planking is near enough the thickness of the rudder post, that's all that matters. It would be pointless first planking all the way down, as all you do is create more sanding for yourself, as it will be mostly removed.
- 109 replies
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- Vanguard Models
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OK, the Fifie printed stuff arrived an hour ago, plans, manual and box label. It is now in stock, and now I concentrate on the main stuff...
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It really doesn't matter about the 'door' opening on bulkhead 10, it is only there in case anyone wanted to add detail to the lower deck. It cannot be seen once the main deck is in place, so don't worry about that.
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Thank you Ernie, and for your very kind words! The sails are actually this colour, not pink (thanks to Photoshop masks..). The sail set is sold un-dyed, so you can choose what colour - anything from brown to dark red is fine. I would advise using a cocoa brown dye for sails, or brown for one and dark red ('Brick Red') for another, shades seem to vary greatly. For Alert and Speedy, I have laser cut a new batch of parts, and because I now know my machine, they do look a lot better, presentation wise.
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OK, have just put the Fifie Lady Eleanor on pre-sale. I expect the printed material next week, and all orders will be sent out as soon as I have the plans, manual and box label delivered. I have 14 kits in stock and 12 pre-stitched sail sets in stock. https://vanguardmodels.co.uk/product/order-fifie-lady-eleanor/
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Cheers guys! OK, just taken delivery of the Zulu box label, plans and manual, so the kit is now in stock (apart from optional sails, still delayed due to lockdown restrictions..) There is a 36 page full colour manual and 7 50x70cm plan sheets.
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Cheers guys, I know that some do not invest too much in manuals, but I know just how important a good step-by-step guide is, more so for beginners, who I fear have been more put off by cheap 'beginner' kits than enticed into buying more elaborate kits in the past - and/or inappropriate materials and assuming too much of the modeller, requiring them to bend, carve, shape parts that would have seasoned modellers struggling with! That is why for these kits, the instructions were as long as they needed to be, with no limit on page numbers or plan sets. More expensive, for sure, but I think a small price to pay if they entice more people into the hobby by being very happy with their end result, rather than giving up half way through and putting them off for good. I do feel Tanganyika may have been better for a complete novice, though, as pear wood is damned hard!
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Today I completed the manual and box label art (no small thanks to Jim Hatch), and here is the box label art. I shall have this ready for release a week Friday (8th May), with the Zulu being ready to go this Friday! Right, back to the larger stuff....
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Not a lot. As far as I can tell, they were virtually identical, being built in the same yard at more or less the same time. I have made a few minor changes to a lot of the parts, (gratings and ladders are standard laser cut parts for Flirt, and new anchor designs, so not a single white metal casting in this kit) and the masts and rig will be of early 1780's vintage, rather than early 1800's. There are enough changes to warrant a completely new manual and plan set - but it will be the Master Shipwright version that has the most changes, especially materials. Speedy was already a very sound design, this just expands on that a little more, and I can now included stuff as standard that I simply couldn't before. A few PE parts have migrated from their brass etched sheets onto the laser cut sheets, including all masts cleats. But most of all, and what I initially forgot to add, is that I wanted to do the earlier version with a white hull below the waterline, I think this will really show the fine hull lines.
- 109 replies
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- Vanguard Models
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