chris watton

Thanks guys Of all the worries I had yesterday, damaged kits wasn't one of them. I was worried whether you guys would like the kit when you opened the box, never thought for a second they would arrive so beat up! Also, it's mad that the US and Canadian guys receive their kits before the UK orders, I do not understand that! I should be getting a quote for thick cardboard sleeves sometime today. I did have some tiny boxes arrive today, for the figures, looks like these will be quite safe. ETA - the Alert manual is a3 size, I chose this size because I knew I could just about fit the Alert 64th scale profiles on this size, so I could have everything, instruction and plans-wise all in one manual. Plus, I always hated how small the text kept getting in new kits, needing a microscope to read anything - I wanted to redress this... Speedy will probably have an A4 manual and separate plan sheets for profiles and mast, yard and rigging, as that's a little bigger.

Just got back from work, and am shocked at the state of the box and contents! I know we (well, my wife..) took an age packing each box carefully. I will have to look at adding a sleeve. If anyone has damaged parts, I will gladly send replacements, so don't worry about that. I have saved some of those pictures and will fire off an email to UPS right now.

I have had 50 x 1:64 scale cast resin Cochrane figures arrive, but am waiting for a professional painter to paint a figure for me, for picture purposes. Plus I need to find suitable boxes for the ones that will be sold separately. There are two castings, the main figure and the sword. I am also having a Lord Nelson figure sculpted (for Bristol) right now. I will have 50 of each scale cast when it's ready (64th and 72nd).

I ordered enough strip to cover 100 kits, so no extras right now. I did then order the same amount of cherry strip, which I will add as an option at some point. (or, as mentioned, if anyone reads this on here and wants to order one, just let me know). I wanted to make sure I had enough second planking strips for 100 Alerts and 100 Speedy's. I had to order a lot to keep the unit price down, but even so, the cost of pear and boxwood was still very high, and is the reason for the £180 price tag (should be a little more, as I changed the winches from metal to cast resin, but I swallowed those costs and put it down to experience) I am trying to secure some 'standard' wood strip (walnut and/or Tanganyika) and add this as an option for a £155 version of Alert. But I need to make sure I can get it before anything else. Once I have more money coming in, I will order more strip for sale but right now, I need to concentrate on the actual kits.

I forgot to mention, I also now have cherry strip, so if anyone orders Alert, email me or make a note on the website that you prefer cherry rather than pear strip.

Are the plans not included in the kit, you have to download them and they're in PDF format? What about those who just use their phones, or don't possess a PC like machine at all!

It rests on top as the gunwales end before reaching the stem, and there in a step down on the bulwarks, so the bowsprit rests on top of the stepped down gunwale or bulwark top edge. Not sure how well I explained that, just got up and still very tired... lol

This was one of the very first books I bought when I started getting into modelling again in the early 1990's, and it is still one of my favourites. Both an absolute pleasure to look at and read. Another book relating the same era that is very good is 'The Restoration Warship', mostly relating to the 70 gun Lenox.

The end slots into a square hole through the bitts, and is then secured further by an 'Iron Hoop' that is bolted to (or through) the stem post

Every parcel should have it's own tracking number, and they should keep you updated via email, as far as I am aware. I have no idea who delivers it to you, I naturally assumed it is UPS all the way.

I am sure UK customers will get theirs by Tuesday, UPS wasn't as straight forward as I first hoped, but all sorted now.

That is good if it's delivered that quick! The 1x4mm was swapped out with the 1x5 strip. And Chris in Australia, the UPS postage was eye watering (was actually £56), I hope to get these shipping prices for some countries down soon, now we're up and running..

Here are some pics of contents, the second pic shows all of the laser and PE sheets for Alert. The laser has made some black marks on the acetate sheet, but this is just confined to the protective film, the actual parts are perfect.

Marvellous work, looking great!

They are for Speedy, I never said the guns for Alert were resin. I did change the winches on Alert from metal to resin (at quite an extra cost, as I had already had all of the castings made), as I wasn't happy with both the quality and amount of shrinkage. Cannon were OK. Resin castings cost a lot, lot more than white metal, so had to weigh up the costs for Alert as I wanted to keep it well under £200. There are 24 cannon barrels altogether for Alert, more than usual for such a small vessel. The only way I could add the resin cannon to replace castings is to change the wood strip from box wood and pear to Tanganyika (box wood is eye wateringly expensive). However, for future kits, I want to keep metal castings to an absolute minimum, and have worked the resin cannon cost into Speedy (this is what you probably read), as Speedy doesn't have a more expensive to make octagonal winch drum to put in the kit box. So, Speedy will have 20 x half pounder and 14 x 4 pounder cannon and Cochrane figure in resin. Essentially, I didn't want to price myself out of the market with my first kit, I was pushing it a bit using the woods. ETA - To show you what I mean when I said I wasn't prepared to put the metal castings in the kit, and decided to have them resin cast, I have attached some pics of the difference, both from the exact same 3-d file. I want to use white/Britannia metal as little as I possibly can in future..

Sorry, you are right. The kit has two sheets for keel and bulkheads in MDF and all other wooden laser cut parts are limewood (1mm, 1.5mm, 2mm and 3mm). The stand is in laser cut clear acetate. Seven laser cut sheets of different materials in all. There are three photo etched brass sheets, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6mm thicknesses (which includes a nameplate for the stand). First planking is 1.5x5 limewood, second planking and other hull strips is pear wood and deck planking is boxwood. Six different rigging threads, resin cast main and small winch drum, cast metal cannon and anchors, and a full colour 56 page plan and instruction manual with parts list in A3 format.

Thank you! I am trying so hard to get the UPS rates down right now, but cripes UPS are hard to deal with. I promise that if I can get the price down for your shipping, I will reimburse you the difference, and this applies to all orders (although US and UK are nigh on perfect - but Canada and Australia prices are mad!)

Thank you very much! Had a manic couple of days, but a good manic. For the next kit, I think we will have 20 made up kits ready to go before adding it for sale. Lesson learned there!

Thank you so much guys, I have literally spent all night on the UPS website raising shipping invoices, ready to ship the first batch! Haven't been able to carry on with my Speedy model tonight... lol

Thank you! The Alert is just under 640mm long and around 530mm high

Cheers guys, your comments are much appreciated! What's going on with the Like button being so far off to the right!

Fantastic kit.

Thank you! I appreciate it, scary and exciting time for me. Hope you like it, this has been one hell of a learning curve, and am sure things will become easier and more streamlined as I get used to it all.

Finally have everything here and first 10 kits are almost ready, so the website is now live. Still negotiating with UPS for better tariffs, which should be sorted very soon. The website is all thanks to Steve Urwin, who has helped me more than I could have hoped. My wife tells me that she has really enjoyed the time it takes in making up the rigging thread, and didn't curse me at all.... lol https://vanguardmodels.com/ Right, I can now carry on with Speedy...

Spent all day sorting all of the laser cut wood, phot etched sheets and wood strip. Here are a couple of pics of the strip and laser and PE sheets bagged up, ready to go in the first kit box. All of the wood strip will have its part number on the bag, so my wife tells me (she is packing the kits..)