chris watton
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Everything posted by chris watton
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Am still learning a lot regarding the photography. Speedy is the last model I take construction stage pictures using the blue background. In future, the background will be white. -
Forgot to mention, The original Alert kits (limewood laser cut and cast metal cannon) are now on sale for a set time, the pearwood planking version being £145 and the Tanganyika version £125. Have just done a small update to the home page of my website to advertise this.
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Thank you, Derek, I am so pleased you like the kit. Alert (which is being brought up to Speedy fittings & material standards) was like a trial by fire for me, and Speedy is the result of more experience and more supplier contacts. There will be a new version of Speedy soon. I am just waiting for the pearwood blocks. I am sure I have mentioned before, but this will be the main version, which has pearwood laser cut parts and planking, and drop down options for the Cochrane book and pear blocks. This makes the kit like the original Master Shipwright versions, with the only difference being the second planking is pear and not box. Also, the new kits will have the new laser cut ladder kits in pearwood, which have been designed (did these yesterday)! to fit exactly for the two Speedy companions. I have not had chance to continue the development of my third kit for a while, as I have had a lot to sort out and re-organise, for the better in the long run I hope - no longer having to pay someone else for the laser cutting is a huge plus..
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Cheers guys, and Happy Christmas! The machine wasn't cheap (hence the business loan) due to the quality laser tube, plus you do not just buy the machine, you also need the fume extractor and special compressor for the airflow. I also bought a special airflow nozzle that focuses the air better, so the cutting area on the parts should look cleaner. But I haven't attached this yet, as it requires me to manual focus rather than auto focus the laser. I am thinking of perhaps added those laser cut pear ladders in with the Speedy kit, rather than the standard Amati fittings, if I can fit them on the 1mm pear sheet..
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I did have to simplify the heart blocks, as they originally had the correct number of semi-circles/notches for the lanyard rope to fit into. however, the laser was spending too much time in that area (not that I mind the time), and so the parts were more burnt that I thought was acceptable. They are very small, however, and when in place, these notches are hidden completely anyway. I will also start to laser etch the part number into the structural parts.
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Cheers guys, I have been playing around with the machine, and here are some of the results. I have cut a dozen or so sets for Alert kits, and designing 'fittings', such as 64th and 72nd scale open and closed heat blocks, and 64th and 72nd scale ladders, all in pearwood. Not sure about the ladders, as the steps are already cut to length, so am wondering if I offer these with an option for the customer to ask me to do the length they need (to fit in the combings) and I do the steps to order, is that a good idea? I have already made the steps in 1mm incremental lengths. Do these look OK?
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My laser machine arrived Friday, so the weekend was spent sorting out new workshop, which still needs finishing. However, I did use the machine, and I am very happy with the cutting and quality. I have cut another 12 complete sets of Alert parts (pearwood version), and parts fit together perfectly. It was one of the better machines on offer, though, with a top quality laser tube that's made in Germany. I did one set of Speedy 3mm MDF with part numbers laser etched in each part, and this seems to work very well. As I am no longer having to pay for a sub contractors time, I can now do this. Still a lot of learning regarding the laser etching side though - tried a Speedy deck and completely nuked it! Still, I am very pleased I made the investment.
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Fantastic work!
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Just checked my original Vanguard drawings from my files, and there most certainly are full size hull drawings, more than one, in fact. But this is for the Victory Models/Amati kit. The large full size plans were drawn in a 1000x700mm paper space with the overall length of the hull, including lanterns to figurehead is 847.304 mm.
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Not for a while, though! I will not be able to work on the third kit for a week or two, as all time (when not at work in my other job) is taken up by sorting future Speedy kits and getting things ready for laser machine next week. At the moment, I have 7 Speedy's in stock. The laser cut is by the same company that did the Master Shipwright pearwood version, all is the same except basswood laser cut parts and pearwood second planking and blocks). I have sent off wood to the laser company for another 20 Speedy kits (in case it takes longer than I thought to master my own laser machine). These will be for the new main kit, which will have pearwood laser cut parts and pearwood planking, with options in drop down menu for the Cochrane book and pearwood blocks. This version will be £280, but not sure if I will have parts cut this side of Xmas.
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Do you mean the completed models, side by side? If yes, then no, Alert is safely in a spare room. I figured I would take a group shot when I have more that two kits available..
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OK, I have just finished the last UPS shipping form for all customers who pre ordered their Speedy. Everyone that ordered a Speedy will receive theirs next week. I think the latest is Friday for an Australian customer. They are all going via UPS, and are all packed as well as they can be, protected by a thick cardboard shipping sleeve. (Learnt a lot from doing those initial Alert orders...) My wife, Chantelle, tells me that her favourite job is doing the rigging lines, she loves that! Not really, this is the one job she hates, as it takes so long. Need to find a better way to 'automate' this aspect...
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Cheers I would only want to produce fittings for kits I have done in the past, 72nd and 64th scale. Have to be careful what I choose to do though, if they have to be complimented with PE fittings (as gun carriages would need to be). Just stuff like capstans, binnacles, and when I have enough ready, a full suite of ships boats. Things like this can only be done if one has their own equipment to make them, I think, as outsourcing the laser cutting for such things is simply not financially viable.
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Well, I have ONE Master Shipwright Speedy kit left in stock! These were genuine limited edition kits, as I will not be doing anymore kits using boxwood for planking for a very good while. Pear is a very nice wood, though. I may have to use a sub contractor to cut more Speedy kits, but if I do not receive anything this side of Christmas, I may as well do these myself, so once the stock is gone, that will be it for a while, as I need to re-organise. I never thought that I would run out of my Speedy stock so quickly. I have ordered my new laser/engraver machine, which will be arriving two weeks today. I have also ordered the materials I will need - but will probably have to re-format all of my existing laser cut CAD files.. I would like to start offering fittings. Stuff like closed and open heart blocks (never liked standard kit versions), and gun carriages, all in pearwood and 72 and 64th scales. I did get quotes for these, but the cost was so high, it was this that pushed me into thinking that I need my own laser machine, more freedom. Thank you!
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Looking good Vane! Those fragile stern frames were a headache for me. I didn't want to make them so thick that they would draw the eye from the rest of the model, but also needed to be robust enough to take the stern and side patterns. I could not use any kind of wood due to grain problems, they would break even easier and more often. This is why they are MDF, and also why I made sure in the instructions to tell the modeller to glue the stern patterns to the frames ASAP. The original designs for the 4 stern frames was a lot more robust, but found their oversized protrusions too out of kilter with the general fidelity and scale of the model overall - kind of like putting a 48th scale capstan on a 64th scale kit.. But, they are fragile, but just on the right side of acceptably so, I think.
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I just received 20kg worth of Speedy photo etched brass and copper parts, all look great. All components for the Speedy kit are now with me, as stated above, the kits will now be completed and shipping booked over the next few days.
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Hi Jorge, Not in the immediate future, no. At the moment, I would not be able to justify the set up costs for another two figures in those scales. Not yet, at least.
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OK, I have booked the UPS pick up for Speedy PE parts from Italy today, and I should receive them tomorrow. They will need to be prepared for each kit, so all ordered kits will be ready to send on Monday, all being well. I have also been accepted for the funding of a high end laser/engraver machine, which I will be getting within the next few weeks. This is quite an investment, but feel it is essential if I am to continue.
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Compared to the soft and malleable Tanganyika, it's like strips of steel!
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I always use thick CA for second planking, and planking decks!
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I would honestly use the extra thin ones that come with the kit. These are Amati special pins and are perfect to hold the first planking to the MDF bulkheads without splitting any materials.
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Just had word from the Italians regarding Speedy PE. It will be ready for me to pick up from Italy on 5th (next Thursday), so will receive the parts a couple of days after this. I need to then prepare each set for the kits and simply add them to the already made up kits for each customer. All Speedy's will be shipped between 10th-13th December, so all in time for Christmas.
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I will in time, I can say that it will be quite pretty! Yesterday I had 10 sets of Alert 6 and half pounder cannon barrels arrive, with another 30 sets being cast now. These will now be offered as an optional extra with the original Alert kit, and will be included in the upcoming second edition Alert kit, which will have a higher price to reflect the high cost of the resin cannon and pearwood laser cut parts and 0.8mm birch ply deck.
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