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Well here goes, my first build log. The San Martin was the flagship of the King Phillip II 's commander the Duke of Medina Sidonia and is frequently mentioned in "The Defeat of the Spanish Armada" by Garrett Mattingly. It survived the battles and voyage and finally reached Santander after sailing around the north of Scotland and Ireland. An earlier incomplete build log of this model , with several photographs of the parts in box is shown in San Martin by Volkerbo - Occre - scale 1: 90 so I won't repeat. This is my first Occre kit and so far compares favourably with Corel efforts quality wise. The frames and false keel went together easily with only a little easing and first picture shows three of the decks planked, although only the main deck is glued in place which needed clamping it was straight whilst it lies curved. The planks were lightly sanded and given one coat of Danish oil and tree nails added in pencil. For this build I intend to sand, coat with one coat of Danish oil and rub in beeswax at the end. Noted a few oddities in the instructions already, one of which suggests bulkheads planked vertically with mahogany. Never seen this before so will plank horizontally as in many build logs. Also suggested this planking is done before the decks are added which I think would have needed trimming the planked decks. So will fit the decks and then plank the bulk heads. The only bashing I intend to do is to cut out more gun ports to replace the metal stick on castings. Will try the method used in Half Moon using stub cannons glued into a block fixed to the bulkheads. Aim is for the cannon barrels to protrude from dark shadowy gun ports. If I can't get the planking right around the ports or the effect doesn't look good can always debash the kit. Now for the fun, I have a decent camera but struggling to get a good lighting and spot in the house. All comments welcome and I hope its of interest to the members, signing off for now. Steve

1:65 HMS Terror OcCre Catalogue # 12004 Available from OcCre for 99,95€ HMS Terror was a Vesuvius-class bomb ship built over two years at the Davy shipyard in Topsham, Devon, for the Royal Navy. Her deck was 31 m (102 ft) long, and the ship measured 325 tons burthen. The vessel was armed with two heavy mortars and ten cannons and was launched in June 1813.Terror was a specialized warship and a newly developed bomb vessel constructed for the Royal Navy in 1813. She participated in several battles of the War of 1812, including the Battle of Baltimore with the bombardment of Fort McHenry. (It was at this battle where the "Star-Spangled Banner" was written by Francis Scott Key, which later became the American national anthem.) She was converted into a polar exploration ship two decades later, and participated in George Back's Arctic expedition of 1836–1837, the Ross expedition of 1839 to 1843, and Sir John Franklin's ill-fated attempt to force the Northwest Passage in 1845, during which she was lost with all hands along with HMS Erebus. For the conversion for polar exploration work in the mid-1830s, Terror was refitted. Her design as a bomb ship meant she had an unusually strong framework to resist the recoil of her heavy mortars; thus, she could withstand the pressure of polar sea ice, as well. On 12 September 2016, the Arctic Research Foundation announced that the wreck of Terror had been found in Nunavut's Terror Bay, off the southwest coast of King William Island. The wreck was discovered 92 km (57 mi) south of the location where the ship was reported abandoned, and some 50 km (31 mi) from the wreck of HMS Erebus, discovered in 2014. The wreck was found in excellent condition. A wide exhaust pipe that rose from the outer deck was pivotal in identifying the ship. It was located in the same location where the smokestack from Terror's locomotive engine had been installed. The wreck was nearly 100 km (62 mi) south of where historians thought its final resting place was, calling into question the previously accepted account of the fate of the sailors, that they died while trying to walk out of the Arctic to the nearest Hudson's Bay Company trading post. The kit OcCre’s new HMS Terror kit, simply labelled ‘Terror’ is packed into a relatively small box for the model’s finished size but is fairly weighty. The glossy box has a laser-printed product sheet taped to the lid, containing a full colour shot of the finished model, plus a couple of smaller detail shots of the deck area. The box is designed with a cutaway panel which shows off the clear plastic fittings tray and its contents. Lifting off the lid reveals that tray fully and a set of A3 sheets which contain a history of the vessel, parts list, written instructions and also some masting drawings. Underneath this is a split-partition box which needs to have its tape lock cut through before you can open up things to properly reveal the contents. This box is choc-stuffed with materials, and I know that it will be difficult to fit everything back in once it’s removed. However, let’s take a look OcCre’s kit spec, and then at the contents more closely. SCALE: 1:65 HEIGHT: 504 mm WIDTH: 195 mm LENGTH: 676 mm DIFFICULTY: Low DOUBLE PLANK: Yes My eyes are immediately drawn to the large bundle of timber for the first planking layer. Here we have 72 strips of Ramin, which are 5mm x 2mm x 400mm. All strip timber is 400mm long. This is certainly some thick first layer planking and thicker than I’ve been used to. Timber quality here is excellent with good, clean edges and no splintered wood or mis-cutting. Our second bundle of timber has material for the deck (again in Ramin, but 0.6mm thick), and some darker timber for the hull second planking. The latter timber is Sapele and is again 0.6mm x 5mm. The latter can tend to split/breakout at the edges, so take care with it. Thankfully, the quality of this is also extremely good as my sample doesn’t show any rough edges. With this model, options are shown for a bare timber/varnished hull, and also a more accurate, painted version. I would lean towards the latter as the second planking colour wouldn’t look right to me. The last bundle of timber has both strip wood and dowel of various diameters. Most strip wood is again in Ramin, but of various section sizes, plus one length of as yet unidentified darker timber. All dowel lengths are supplied as Ramin, and cleanly cut. All wood has good grain and isn’t at all flaky or with rough edges. All bundles are also held together with elastic bands instead of the tape we see in some kits. All other wooden parts are packaged into a sealed clear wrapping, along with a pre-sewn sail pack. Inside the pack, we see the false keel and main deck as items that are ready to use and don’t need removing from any sheets. Like the bulkheads and other main assembly components, these are laser-cut from plywood. A quick check down the length of the false keel shows that everything looks true, and without warp. Where parts need to be removed from their sheet, the small tags are thin enough to be able to just nip through with a craft knife. Also note that no parts have any engraving on them for identification. You should mark all parts manually, in accordance with the included parts plan. A slightly darker plywood of a higher grade is used for smaller components, such as the mast tops and the various support structures for them. Laser-cutting is clean and again, all parts should be easy to remove. Take care when doing so though as this sheet is absolutely packed out with parts. Here we see a walnut-stained piece of ply that contains the parts for the keel and rudder. Note the rudder is cut out to accept the propeller. Remember that Terror was steam as well as sail. Again, I’ll be painting my model, so the stained appearance of this ply won’t matter to me. Our final timber parts for the bulwarks and are made from thin ply. These are cut out to accept cannon etc. and are suitably thin enough to be able to shape to the curvature of the hull. No clean-up is required before installation. Some kits provide sail cloth whereas this provides actual sewn sails! I think you may need to sew a bolt rope to these, but that is it. You’ll also note that the sails are pre-aged, so no need to dunk them in vats of tea etc. A large zip-lock bag contains no less than SEVEN packets of nicely formed brass nails, all of which seems to be well-formed with good sharp tips and properly defined heads. Also inside this bag are 5 spools of natural colour rigging cord of various diameters and 6 more of dark brown, again in varying sizes. Material quality looks excellent and I can’t see a need to purchase extra material. The bow of Terror was plated in iron to help protect it against pack ice. This kit provides what appear to be either thin aluminium or zinc plates which can be formed around that area to represent the large plate sheathing that was utilised. As with many model kits these days, Terror is equipped with a sheet of photo-etch parts. This single, bare-brass fret is equipped with parts for the rear gallery windows and chainplates. Production is as good as any PE I’ve dealt with. You’ll need a razor saw or similar to remove the parts from the fret before use. Some cack-handed handling of my kit during shipping resulted in the clear box being broken in one corner, but thankfully, all the components within were ok, despite some being unintentionally redistributed within the main box! This box is very similar to how Artesania pack their components, and I quite like the format. Each compartment has numerous fixtures and fittings, from stock materials such as brass rod and stars/grating components, to cast items such as cannon, ship’s boats, anchors, drive propeller, ship’s wheels, wooden parts such as the deadeyes, brass pintles and chain, and flags etc. Essentially, this is where all the minor and major detail components are stored. Two sets of paper instructions are enclosed in this kit, printed on A3 paper and folded/stapled. The black and white sheets contain the vessel history, parts inventory, deck layout for parts placement, and some nice, clear masting drawings. The colour sheets show construction of Terror as a photographic experience, with simple and clear annotation. Illustrations also exist for masting and rigging, plus the parts map that you’ll need for marking the various laser-cut components. Conclusion For many years I’ve wanted to get my hands on an OcCre model kit to see just what they offer in terms of design, materials and quality. This new kit is quite apt as I’ve seen the fictional TV series mentioned online, plus I decided to visit Topsham on holiday next week, where Terror was built. I’m certainly not disappointed at all at this beautiful little offering from OcCre, and I can’t wait to dig into it in a few weeks, once I have some commitments. Materials quality is extremely nice, and the whole design is very pleasing and looks like it will be a joy to build. My sincere thanks to OcCre for sending out this kit for review/build on MSW. To purchase directly, click the link at the top of this article.

1:60 H.M.S. Beagle OcCre Catalogue # 12005 Available from Ages of Sail for $209.00USD HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, one of more than 100 ships of this class. The vessel, constructed at a cost of £7,803 (£613,000 in today's currency), was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom, and for that occasion is said to have been the first ship to sail completely under the old London Bridge. There was no immediate need for Beagle so she "lay in ordinary", moored afloat but without masts or rigging. She was then adapted as a survey barque and took part in three survey expeditions. The second voyage of HMS Beagle is notable for carrying the recently graduated naturalist Charles Darwin around the world. While the survey work was carried out, Darwin travelled and researched geology, natural history and ethnology onshore. He gained fame by publishing his diary journal, best known as The Voyage of the Beagle, and his findings played a pivotal role in the formation of his scientific theories on evolution and natural selection. The kit Hot on the heels of their H.M.S. Terror kit, reviewed HERE, OcCre have hit the ground running with H.M.S. Beagle, of Charles Darwin fame. Both Terror and Beagle are of course well-known for very different reasons, and their familiarity shows OcCre not straying too much from that comfort zone. As with Terror, Beagle is packaged into a standard-type OcCre box with a cut out to display the nice fittings box that is a feature of these kits. A large, printed product label is affixed to the lid, and the kit itself is packaged in shrink film to protect it. For your information, the finished model’s dimensions are given as: Length: 720 mm Width: 230 mm Height: 480 mm Lifting the robust lid reveals a protective lower box through which you can see the instructions, and this box then splits open to access the contents. One half of the box holds three substantial bundles of very nicely cut timber, held together gently with elastic bands. The most obvious bundle is the lime, which is used for the first layer of hull planking. This creamy-looking material is super sharp with no fuzzy or split edges and is consistent in size. Our next bundle holds all of the remaining strip wood of all persuasions and sizes. There is more lime here of course, but also the Tanganyika for the second layer of hull planking. Colour is consistent too. Lime is provided for the deck planking. The last bundle contains both strip and dowel. All of the remaining timber parts have been packaged onto a wrap of heat shrunk and sealed clear plastic. I do think this approach actually aids warpage as the boards have a curve induced in them due to the wrapping. Once the plastic is cut away and removed, we get to look at the false keel and assess it. This ply part does indeed have a warp along its length, so this will need to be steamed and left flat on a sheet of glass or similar. \ There is no warp in the next sheet. This one contains the fo'c'sle deck, main deck, poop deck, transom, windlass mount and various interlocking structural elements. All laser cutting on this kit is excellent, with only minimal scorching. This sheet is also, thankfully. Warp free, and it contains all of the hull bulkheads and bow profile parts. Three inserts are also included which fit perpendicularly to the false keel and provide mounting points for the masts. We have a mixed bag with this sheet, with parts from all over the ship, plus elements to help build the four wooden launches/supply boats. Note parts here for the mast tops, trestletrees, cannon carriages, forward cannon rotating ring, channels etc. As an aid to the modeller, the upper outside of the hull sides are produced as shaped ply parts, with the grain running short-ways to allow them to bend properly around the hull. These are cut with the cannon ports in situ, so there’s no awkward fumbling to try and locate the positions of these. The second planking will of course lay directly over these ply faces. This sheet seems to deal solely with parts needed for those timber launches, and contains jigs, false keels and bulkheads. Our last timber sheet is walnut-stained ply. Many parts on this are for the display base, but you’ll also find keep, stem and stern parts, as well as mast steps. My sample does have a slight warp in this sheet. A single fret of bare brass photo-etch (PE) is included with this release, containing such parts as chainwales etc. Manufacturing quality is excellent with good parts definition and small tabs to remove the various elements. If you like your models to be fitted out with sails, then you’ll be happy to know there are a full set included in this release. These already look a little antique in appearance and are quite neat. A little fuzziness can be seen on the edges in some places, but that is easily fixed with some trimming and dilute PVA. You will need to attach your own bolt ropes though. There’s plenty of rigging cord included, in both natural and brown, of various sizes. All is neatly spooled with the diameters clearly given. Cord quality is also very good with no fuzziness being apparent. All OcCre kits come with these snazzy fittings boxes which are well worth keeping even when the model is complete. They are a great way of keeping organised. Eleven compartments contain all kit fittings, plus four more spools of rigging cord that have been placed there to stop the metal fittings rolling around. The metal parts are made from a zinc alloy (Zamak) which gives the parts are real nice definition, as can be seen from the gear teeth on the windlass. There are some slight seams to remove, and a jeweller’s file will do that nicely. Note that the anchor stocks are also cast in metal instead of made from wood and these just slip over the anchor stem. There are also davits here for the launches, and a whole rake of brass wire in different diameters. A set of printed flags is also included. All belaying pins, deadeyes and rigging blocks are manufactured from a pale wood (box?) and are not at all shabby. A few of the blocks may need a drill passing through them to make a totally clean exit hole. The brass pins are fine, sharp and with no deformation. Quite happy with those. Here you see the parrel beads, closed heart blocks etc. Here we can see the various pintles, gudgeons, chain, rigging pins, all made from brass. As well as more blocks (this time single hole) and deadeyes, and more metal fittings, such as the cleats, figurehead, wheel, and strangely enough….the quarter galleries. An odd choice of material for a couple of things here, but they are manufactured with good definition. The last items here are also zinc alloy. Thee cannon do look excellent. Just a few minor seams to tackle. There are two sets of sheets that involve construction of Beagle. With the first, you see a series of drawings that concern the masting of the model, and there is also a comprehensive parts list. For the second set of sheets, a series of clear, colour photos take you through the build. These are pretty self-explanatory and shouldn’t provide any problem. Some drawings are interspersed with the photos. Thee last pages are taken over by rigging and masting illustrations, and also a deck plan for reference. Conclusion You get quite a lot of kit for your money with H.M.S. Beagle, and most certainly a lot of good quality material. My only real gripe is the packing of the ply parts and the ply they are specifically made from as there is warpage present. I know some modellers aren’t keen on MDF for these parts, but it sure doesn’t warp. Maybe they’ll consider this in future. Apart from that, there’s nothing really to criticise for a kit of this level. It’s also good to see that instead of packing white metal launches into this, all are made as separate projects in their own right. The use of zinc-based metal parts also lends itself to a far sharper end result, although the very minor seams will just take a little more work with a jeweller’s file. OcCre continue with their tradition of providing colour-photo driven instructions with accompanying text sheets, and these seem very simple to follow. All in all, this is a kit which could well provide an in-road for a modeller who wants to try their hand at wooden ships, or even as a nice subject for a more seasoned modeller. Another very nice release from OcCre. My sincere thanks to OcCre for the kit reviewed here on Model Ship World. To buy this kit from Ages of Sail, click the link at the top of the article.

Just recently I was fortunate of getting a free kit. This kit was already started with the framing and planking done. I am looking forward to continue this kit. The cannons and walkway are just dry-fitted so is the stem piece.

Hi All! After a short break from building my last wood ship model (30 years) I decided it was time to take on a new project. My previous build was The Bluenose II by ARTESANIA LATINA (below) I bought the Bluenose kit in 1987 and built it over a couple years as a Christmas gift to my father. I had naively thought I would give it to him the year I bought it, but building took far longer than I had anticipated. Somehow this model managed to survive 30 years in a house with several cats. Only once did it hit the floor, breaking the bowsprit, which was almost impossible to repair (can be seen in the image above). For my day job I own a company that produces a unique line of tools for model railroaders. Fast Tracks Hobbyworks Inc. so I'm not new to modeling, but probably an "advanced beginner" at best when it comes to ship building. Last year we bought another business that produces scale stripwood, mostly for model railroaders. Over the last several months I have developed a real urge to build something with wood (probably all that sawdust I've been sucking in since we bought a sawmill...). I decided to dive into a ship model to satisfy that craving. Having a shop full of laser cutters and specialized tools to make stripwood will probably come in handy during the project. Mt. Albert Scale Lumber Anyway, on with the build! After hunting around a bit online I settled on this kit, The Corsair by OcCre. Mainly because it is a bit of a "freelance" design and it would provide a good trial run build before I move onto a more advanced model, whatever that will ultimately be. (providing I get through this one...). Also, I just liked the size and lines of this model. Figured it was a good place to start. Bought this online from Amazon before I realized I could have bought it directly from OcCre on their site. I prefer to buy directly from the manufacturer if possible. I am impressed with the kit so far (starting this build log after working on it for several weeks, so I will have to catch up a bit). One thing I didn't realize is that the instructions in the kit I got are in Italian! Not speaking Italian this is a bit of a hurdle. The kit includes lots of pictures and drawings, so far I am getting by OK with those. But I am suspicious that I am missing some documents as the photo instructions seems to end abruptly when the rigging begins. Other than a 1/2 scale drawing for rigging, there is nothing. I've contacted OcCre to see if I can get English instructions and whether or not something is missing. (I've seen in others build videos that they received English instructions, so I know they exist). If anyone has these let me know! -T.

Hello! Iam posting this mid build after finding this amazing forum. I want to share my thoughts and progress even if i start mid build, Have not been great with documenting my progress so far but plan on documenting for the pourpose of this thread! Short about me, iam 26years old and am currently working away from my "home" so iam only able to build during my weekends and even so the ship has to fight with my spous and family over the few hours i do have at home each week! Building experience recap from the start to were i am today. I have been building plastic models since i was a child and do dare to call myself somewhat of a "handyman/savant" when it comes to most things fiddly and such and iam extremely tenacious and detail oriented. So i decided to occupy my free time after tearing a tendon to my left thumb with a wooden ship kit. Not just any ship would do! A simple little sail boat paah! No.. i was going big, i wanted sails, cannons and details! Something that would occupy a small table completely... And boy if i could smack myself in hindsight i would. I do not recommend anyone who is not entirely sure about their tenacious spirit and hard head to ever buy that "perfect" ship as the first one. Please do yourself a favour and buy a small one to finess all those techniques you have never tried before. Allthou in my case i managed to pull trough and overcome all those times when it was just to overwhelming. My worst memory is from the tediousness of the second layer of planking... but anyway, i have fallen in love with this kit. And the company. But enough talk for now, time for some pictures! I do apologize in advance since these pictures was not taken with documenting in mind but will have to do for now! Cheers and hope you like my Candelaria so far! Decided to go with the "fake nails" pencil trick this was how the hull looked after the first layer without a heating iron, like you can probably see a heating iron was bought after realizing how hard it was to plank thick planks without it. Yes there was a ton of sanding and filler used to smooth it out for the second layer of planking! decided to paint the "Galjonsfigur" swedish for the decoration in front of ships! I used vallejo's "old gold" paint with actuall metals in it. And some acrylics and washes. Ready the cannons! I do like the look of these directly from the box, been thinking about maybe blackening them with some washes maybe. Not decided yet. the wood has gotten a custom mix of stains. And here comes a long jump after spending enourmous amounts of time comming up with excuses to not sit down and finish the second layer of planking. This was were i had the hardest time getting through and finishing. But its now finished and boy am i proud! last picture for now. I got the brass etched upper stern galley and iam not gonna spend weeks dragging myself through planking 2 individual layers of wood with strakes and fillers to simply slap an etched piece of brass to the back of it and call it a day... so iam scratch building one from wood. If your intrested in how i made the decorations iam happy to pass on the experience, took me the better part of a day to finally find a way that worked for me haha! Wont be able to update untill next weekend untill then, Cheers!

Hello all, The Santísima Trinídad was built in Havana and launched on 2nd March 1769. It was the biggest warship of the 18th century, with 130 guns. After taking part in the naval campaigns of the late 18th and early 19th century, it last saw active service at the battle of Trafalgar, under the ensign of rear admiral Cisneros, where it was dismasted by the English fleet. Measurements: Length : 1060 mm Heigth : 876 mm Width : 415 mm Click here for more information about the Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad. I already cleared the workspace to make room for her. But alas, one piece of the keel and one frame were warped. The keel was so terribly warped, and I was so surprised by the look of it, that I totally forgot to take a picture. Sorry Enjoy, Sjors

all, My Halve Maen build was already on hold, but during our move to a new house in November 2015, she got lost because one of our friends put her box on the pavement instead of in our car. After that the enthusiasm to build was completely gone. I spent last year enjoying my other hobbies. But, as a Dutch saying goes: 'Blood is thicker than water' and the urge to build another ship came back. So, May I present to you the Spanish Galleon Nuestra Señora del Pilar De Zaragoza (Our lady of the pillar of Zaragoza), a Spanish Treasure Galleon. Measurements Length: 1110 mm Height: 970 mm Width: 520 mm History During the 17th and 18th centuries Spanish galleons served the Spanish crown as merchantmen and warships. Many of them sailed between Acapulco and Manila, transporting South American silver to the Philippines and exotic goods from Asia to Mexico, from where the treasures were sent back to Spain. Commisioned in 1731 and launched in 1733, Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza (Our Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza) was one of these Manila Galleons built of the finest Philippine wood, she was 112 feet on deck and displaced 1,000 tons. A 4th rate of the Cavogonda class, she was fitted with 50 cannon, two stern chasers and six swivel guns. She carried a crew of 385 men. For twenty years she sailed the route from Mexico to Manila and in 1750 underwent a complete refit in the Port of Cavite. In 1750, on her last voyage, she set sail from Manila bound for Acapulco. Despite being overloaded, and contrary to the opinion of both pilots and Master, her Captain insisted on weighing anchor at the beginning of September. En route for the Mariana Islands, in the Pacific, they began to have difficulties after sailing into a heavy storm, and she sank taking all of her crew down with her. Frames dry fit. Frames glued in place. Reinforcing pieces not glued yet. Frames glued in place. Last three frames fitted and glued. Reinforcing pieces glued. Close-up bow section Close-up stern section Enjoy and thank you for watching. Anja

1:24 Istanbul tram OcCre Catalogue # 53010 Available from OcCre for €96,45 Istanbul, the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, once had a large tramway network on both the Asian and the European sides. It first started as a horse tram in 1860 and was gradually converted to an electric tram system starting in 1912. Many additional routes were added to the tram system, in progressive stages over time. The network reached its most widespread extent in 1956 with 108 million passengers being carried by 270 tram-cars, on 56 lines. However reflecting developments in many cities around the world during the 1960s, the tram service began to be closed down in 1956 and was completely stopped in 1966. The Authority thought to re-introduce heritage trams in Istanbul using the same type of rolling stock which was running in European part until 1962, and in the Asian part until 1966. The original Istanbul tram network was almost completely destroyed, including depots, termini, electric power stations, etc., except for some of the rolling stock which had been preserved in transport museums. Using old photographs, people's memories, and other sources, some rolling stock was built for the European side resembling pre-1962 European-side tram stock, including the size, shape, interior, colour scheme etc. The prototypes had originally been built in 1915. Around 1990, the Istiklal Caddesi became a pedestrian zone, and the tram was restored and revived in 1990, in the form of the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway. After a 24-year absence, trams returned to Istanbul. The length of the line is 1.64 kilometres (1.02 mi) and there are 5 stops. The Istanbul nostalgic tramways are two heritage tramlines in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. The city has two completely separate heritage tram systems, one on the European side (the Taksim-Tünel Nostalgia Tramway, aka. T2 line), the other on the Asian side (T3 line, aka. the Kadıköy-Moda Nostalgia Tramway). The kit OcCre’s new Istanbul tram kit replicates one of those heritage trams mentioned in the passage above, and is packed into a slender, standard OcCre box, as per our Terror article that we published recently. A colour-printed wraparound label is affixed to this with tape, and a cut-out in the lid is designed to display the plastic tray of components within. Lifting the lid and removing the inserted component tray, we come to the main box and here you slice a few tape tags to open up the contents. All the timber parts are bundled with two sheets of photo-etch parts and are securely held together with a shrink wrap covering. This compact method of packaging ensures zero damage and all parts are pristine. Now we cut away the cellophane… This sheet of parts, all cleanly laser-cut, concerns the construction of the tram seating. Each seat is comprised of four parts, varying slightly, dependant on where in the tram it is installed. Note that no parts are engraved with numbers. Instead, you will need to refer to the printed parts plan that is a part of the assembly manual. Timber quality here is high, and all parts are only held in situ with small, easily cut tags. We now have an MDF sheet included. This one contains a number of parts for which removal of wood grain would have been a PITA, so this is a nice move. The largest part is the tram floor, with various slots and connecting tabs, roof side supports, roof end frames and roof support frames etc. Our next two plywood sheets are identical, containing frames, cabin ends and internal frameworks, more seat parts, door parts, bulkheads, etc. Each sheet contains over 30 parts, again, all cleanly cut in high-grade ply. Laser scorching is very low, and very localised, and char clean-up should be nice and easy. The next two sheets are also identical to each other, but instead of being produced from ply, these are also supplied as MDF. This is actually quite a savvy move as I mentioned, as a good number of these will go into building exterior areas of the tram, and of course, there will be no wood grain to remove. Here you can see the slab sides for the tram, more roof frames, boarding platform and chassis frames etc. A nice thick bundle of various size timber strip stock is included and bundled together with elastic bands. This material will form areas such as internal framing and the planked roof etc. Quality is very good, with only a little wispy material needing to be removed from some of the strip. That’s the last of the timber areas in this kit, as we now look at the two photo-etch sheets included here. The first one is made from brass, and includes the instantly obvious shutter gates, tram destination sign brackets, external window frame corner trims, etc. Etch quality is superb, with the removal tags being thin and narrow. The second PE sheet appears to be manufactured from some sort of nickel-alloy, and parts here include the boarding step housings, electric roof sheathing, cabin parts, ventilators, external footplates, and also hand rail mounting points. A number of lengths of thick brass wire are included for fashioning all manner of items, such as the trolley pole that catches the overhead electrical lines. Some of these items will need straight edges, so you’ll need to be careful when it comes to ensuring you straighten the wire suitably. I do think that some of these wire items will really lend themselves to being soldered, so if you are capable of that, it’s time to ready the hot iron! I admit that I didn’t really know how the exterior livery was going to be approached on this model, such as paint, decal etc., but OcCre have in fact included a nice, glossy sheet of self-adhesive panel stickers that should adhere nicely to the smooth MDF surfaces. These have the livery and text already in situ. You will need extreme care in applying these to ensure they line up perfectly, as I don’t know just how sticky they are. Printing quality is excellent, and this really will create the appearance of the tram you see in the photo at the start of this article. For the windows, a sheet of acetate is included, and for the internal ceiling, another printed sheet is included. This needs to be glued to the internal roof framework before fitting the various ceiling lights and ventilators etc. I do suggest you don’t use any glue which is too wet and would damage the thin paper sheet. Look at using a quality glue-stick instead. Now we can take a look at that neat plastic tray of components that we can see through the box lid. This is split into twelve compartments, with each holding either a singular type of item, or multiples of different elements. Many of the parts in here are made from cast white metal, such as leaf-spring suspension, interior lights, dampers, cabin components, wheels, couplings, lights, grab-rails etc. There are a small number of turned brass parts and screws in here too, as well as brass eyelets, washers, and a spool of rigging cord to simulate the electricity cable for the trolley pole. There is a small ply sheet too, with just four small parts for an external roof ventilation opening. As with the previous OcCre kit we looked at, the instructions for this release are all driven by clear colour photos of each stage, showing actual construction of the prototype model. This series of colour, foldedr A3 sheets goes through the building process in a clear and organised way. It’s also worth noting that the parts themselves are added to the mix in a sequential way, meaning it’s easy to trace where in construction a particular element is required. All stock timber sizes are also shown in dimensional form too, to ensure you use the correct material in the appropriate area. A set of written instructions is also included, referring to the specific photos. Conclusion This is certainly an unusual and well-executed little project from OcCre. There’s quite a lot of construction to be had here in both frame and PE, with a more than generous number of extra fittings thrown into the mix. A thoroughly detailed and nicely designed model of a famous heritage tram, and one that I image will be addictive to build. Just as well there’s a whole fleet of world heritage trams to choose from! Maybe we’ll look at a couple more soon. My sincere thanks to OcCre for the review sample seen here. To purchase directly, click the link at the top of this article.

1:24 Istanbul Diorama OcCre Catalogue # 53010D Available from OcCre for €60,95 If you’ve recently taken a look at our Istanbul tram review, you might like this particular review article. Yes, of course you can display your tram on a shelf, or in a cabinet, but what about outside Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar? That’s exactly what this new product from OcCre allows us to do, and with relative ease of construction. This is what OcCre have as their website product description: “The diorama is a representation of the entrance to the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, one of the largest in the world. Located inside the old “walled city", on the European side of Istanbul, between Nuruosmaniye, Mercan and Beyazıt, with more than 58 covered streets and 4,000 shops or stalls, every day the bazaar attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors. The bazaar offers a wide range of products, in particular jewellers, precious metal workers, spice shops and carpet shops. The stalls tend to be grouped together by type, following the tradition of the ancient guilds. The bazaar includes two Bedestens, or domed stone-built structures, which are used for the storage of merchandise. The first of these was built in 1464, by order of Mehmet II, although it then had to be mostly rebuilt in 1864, following the earthquake. This fabulous diorama combines perfectly with the tram of Istanbul, joining the nostalgic line of Taksim-Tunnel with the Grand Bazaar, in an effort to group two large emblems of the city of Istanbul.” The kit The Istanbul diorama is packaged into quite a plain, shallow corrugated cardboard box, with a colour product label attached. There is also a reasonable amount of weight here too, so you know there’s plenty of building material afoot. Upon opening the box, it ca be seen that the multitude of sheet material is wrapped in a heat-sealed sleeve that needs to be cut away. As the sheets in here are various sizes, and the internal box has no compartmentalisation, this is a good way of ensuring that damage risk is minimised. There are also a number of printed sheets which are rolled up, some strip timber and brass wire. A catalogue and sheet pointing to the instructions, are also included. More on the latter in a moment. The numerous sheets are made from MDF and are very neatly laser-cut. You will note how some of the parts have dovetail connections too. In essence, the entire diorama is built up from a series of wall panels that have the Islamic arch shapes that attach to them to create a 3D relief, and this is sat upon a base which is built from sections, to incorporate the ruts along which the tram lines would run. Oddly enough, there is no actual brass section strip to recreate the tram line itself, but instead, timber strip, painted silver, it what’s prescribed. Using some metal strip could be a nice enhancement, but you would need to purchase that yourself, measured against the OcCre tram wheels for best fit. The idea behind this diorama is that anyone can typically build it, simply out of the box contents. To decorate the walls and floors etc. a series of colour-printed textures are provided, on A4 sheets. These include stone, marble and parquet styles, and these need to be cut out to suit the various structures, and then glued into position with a glue stick, for example. Using wet glues may cause the sheets to ripple and not adhere as flat as they should, although the instructions do actually show brushed PVA as being the glue of choice. Sheets of paper are also supplied to simulate the Bazaar interior, with crowds of people and stalls etc. When it comes to depicting the exterior details, more printed sheets are supplied, with such things as Turkish rugs, flags etc, and these can be draped over the display stands that sit outside the various stalls on the exterior of the Bazaar. These stalls also have printed awnings to shelter them from the Turkish sun. To recreate the road itself, then a series of strip card is supplied. This needs to be cut into brick-sized sections, and then plastered over the road in a staggered manner. You can of course then paint and infill between them and add some airbrushed staining to weather things realistically. Brass wire is supplied for all manner of things, such as the random-looking electrical cables that run along the outside walls. OcCre supply no instructions for this kit. Instead, they provide an online build guide which is very comprehensive, showing everything right down to measuring out specific dimensions for everything. This multi-part guide is excellent, with the facility to be able to download each part as a PDF. To check out the guide, head to this link: http://www.occremania.com/diorama-de-istanbul-parte-8-2/ Conclusion Dioramas aren’t usually my thing, but this looks very tempting, just to see if I can make a reasonable attempt at it and add some airbrush work to make it look a little more lived in. There’s certainly a nice quantity of building material here, and all nicely produced. Recreating the street surface will also be quite absorbing, as well as those kerb stones that are cut from the thick strip timber. My sincere thanks to OcCre for providing the review sample seen here. To purchase directly, click the link at the top of the article.

hello im new at this wonderful hobby, i purchased my dos amigos occre kit a couple of years ago but until now i didnt have time, i started and im advancing pretty fast but i just realized i lost the plans and instructions for masts and sails and im just not smart enough to deduce everything by the booklet. I contacted occre but they havent responded i was wondering is someone could send me pics of the plans and instructions. I will post pics here of my ship once i figure this out. thanks in advance

Hi all, After a lifetime of building model railroads, model planes, cars, bikes and everything else, I've jumped into model ships. More of a return, having built a grand total of 1 ship 30 years ago, a Bluenose II. I remember buying the kit at a hobby show in Toronto in November of '87 and telling the vendor I intended to build it and give it to my father for Christmas. He said "This year?". He was right, he didn't get his ship for three years... Considering it's 25+ years old, it's stood up rather well, even survived a cat. Currently in Port Dover, Ontario. I own and operate a company that makes specialty tools for model railroaders and have been doing so full time for 15 years now. Last year we purchased a company that makes scale stripwood, again for the model railroad hobby and working with all that wood got me really craving a project from wood. So in a moment of impulsiveness, last month I bought a ship kit, The Corsair from OcCre. I'm a few weeks into it and really enjoying the challenge! To be honest I have not been challenged enough with model railroading as of late and was looking for something new to do. Also, as my day job for the last 15 years has been all trains all the time, I need something different to occupy my off time. Here is a link to my current model railroad project if you are interested... CNJ Bronx Terminal CNJ Bronx Terminal build on Facebook When I started the ship build I promised myself I would resist trying to improve on the kit. That lasted about 10 minutes... Having several laser cutters and a complete scale stripwood sawmill at my disposal it wasn't long before I started replacing items in the kit. I made some new deck planking, with pre-drilled holes on the laser to start with. Was pretty happy with how that turned out. Also replaced the few windows in the kit from cast metal to laser cut, which looks much better. Also made some wood wheels for the cannons, didn't really like the brass wheels included in the kit. Pretty happy with how the planks turned out, although in hindsight I made them a bit too narrow. Laser cut wood wheels for the cannons. The first layer of the hull is planked and am looking forward to doing the final layer. I'm learning a great deal from this group! Some very talented modelers and models here that I'm getting a lot of inspiration from! Looking forward to contributing in the future. Cheers! Tim Warris 20171030_120709.mp4

Hello and welcome to my first build of my first wooden ship. I got the Corsair brigantine from my wife for an early birthday present. My wife was also kind enough to set up a place for me to work and get me starter tools. This is my first attempt in this hobby so I will have plenty of questions and hope to get lots of help. I eagerly look forward to any and all comments. Here is the box that came..... And here it is laid out to attempt a count Thanks for stopping by, David

This is what I did waiting for shipments of DeAgostinis Vasa: The lisboa Tram and the Diorama by Occre. My Iphone is not happy with the yellow color of the tram....

Hello Everybody.. My Name is Saif - 26 - Egyptian Living in Kuwait and this is my very first Ship model i am currently working on with my father's help @mhegazi .. I'd like to share my work with you and i would appreciate any feedback and any inquiries.. I want to make sure that i got everything right and the methods used r the correct ones. Thank you very much

Hey guys, This is my first wooden ship model kit and log so I hope this turn out good There will be some mistakes of course but some tips will be appreciated. I love the view of pirate ships and the ones with cloths that's why I pick Corsair model kit. Plus for first kit I don't like to spent hundreds (or don't have spare money let's say ). Also bought some tools - cutters, file, hobby knife, glue, brush, sanding tool, hand drill and few others. So let's begin Here are few pics of the kit: In my kit the guide was only in Spanish and German which was kind a problem for me but after mailing the manufacture I've received English one Everything looks good in the manual but as soon as I start the build I hit my first trouble - the so called laser cut was not that precise so a lot of sanding was required... You can see that even after some sanding it was still pretty tight fit... At that point I was wondering am I doing something wrong or it's just this specific kit?! But we'll not give up in the beginning won't we? After initial pain I felt that it's not always necessary to be like that And once again I was crushed: With my good friend the file we got to work again (maybe a little bit too much somewhere... in the end...): After the sanding and fitting of the deck I start beatifying it: Need a little bit more work around the deck these days and I should go to the planking part which worries me the most Hope you like this log and eventually I'll try to post couple of times during the week

So I decided to start a small log of my progress on my Occre Xebec "Cazador". Mainly because there's no other log of any Xebec on MSW2. On the old MSW there where several, the log from Alexander Romaschenko has been a great help. Luckily Ilhan still had the pictures.... I'm not too happy with the quality of the Occre kit, I have the feeling it's not complete i'm missing quite some parts and as always there's not enough rope. I've thrown away quite some parts as well. All metal parts and plywood, precut parts. I've made the cannon carts and rigged them. Also i've put the cannons in Brass-black to make them look (they actually are) oxidized. I'm using pear and wallnut for remaking the plywood parts. I've started in 2009 and have been working on and off. I have 4 daughters so got my hands full from time to time 2010: So that's quite nice but not nice enough....... 2011: Current state:

Cheerio my friends and fellow modelers To my shame I must admit that I am a complete failure... After completing the Royal Caroline I wanted to take a break for about two months. Time to relax, to clean up the shipyard, to go to cinema or something like this. And then, after this over and over boring time I wanted to return to my desk and start a new project - the Endeavour by Occre. But I did some essential mistakes... First: I opend the box of the kit (which I bought some weeks ago as there was a special offer at my dealer); second: I opend the box; third: I opend the box. In the box there was so much material which I only wanted to control... If everything is ok, no damage etc. And there were the plans... I HAD to compare the drawings with the AOTS Endeavour as all of you will understand. I HAD to see how well-designed the kit is, how much of the Details will be featured and so on... Now I know that the kit seems to be well equipped with all needed timber, fittings, sails. And it came as it has to come... I just started to look at the parts for the keel, I just looked if the bulkheads are well laser-cut. In a very curios manner the parts came out of the plywood Sheets almost from alone... Should I let them be alone there on the desk? Wasn't it my duty to help them into a correct shape? To look if they fit together? I think you know the rest... :D Nevertheless I will know start the Endeavour although the Admiral was talking about craziness and all that nonsense The first impression of the kit after a Close-up: The plans seem to be very good. The rigging plans are full detailled, there is an overview from the top and from the side, there are detail-plans for the masts and yards with obviousley accurate drawings. The plans are very close to the AOTS by Mr Marquardt so that I think there will not be a great need for bashing. Perhaps I will get some other timber for the second planking. The provided lime wood is very cute for the decks and after sealing it with some semigloss varnish it shimmers very warm and smooth. According to the plans the hull should be colored in some kind of yellow which I will surely not do. I think about some oak tree or even teak (perhaps just staining the lime in a somehow teak color). I am not sure if I use the provided yarn, I will do a test before the rigging starts. The yarn seems to be some kind of raw material... The plywood is very thin only 4 mm, should be thicker (at least 5 or 6mm) but I can't change. To gain more stability to the frame I used some wooden blocks to fasten the bulkheads on the keel, I also broaded the stands for the masts. They are originally glued only onto the 4mm keel. I think this is not stable enough. I noticed that the parts are cut extreme accurate. There is almost no need to sand anything (yet) - but we will see. I will use the sails with this model - my first time. I am not sure how this will work... but I think there will be the one or the other to help me Well, that's it for the moment. The next weeks and months will be fulfilled with the Endeavour and - also very important to me - with the history of this ship, his Captain and dicoverer James Cook, with the journeys around the world and all the adventures and enormous knowledge that was collected in that time. See the first pics Cheerio Max

Hi there, I have gotten this Kit for my 16th birthday back in January. If someone would question me why I wished to have a model ship or how I came on the idea of model shipbuilding, I could not answer it. One morning I just woke up with it in my mind. It might have been a model that I have seen once, or some photos on the internet that gave me the Idea. Anyway I chose this kit because it was in a good price range and it was the only one with 2 mortars in the front. Once it had been ordered I searched eagerly on the web for more pictures of the finished ship. (a little late maybe ) Unfortunately there were only a few pictures and I only found two build logs (one in Russian and one in Portuguese). I might have taken another ship if I had known this before ordering it. I was wondering what other ship were available and this is how I stumbled on this site. Only after reading through build logs did I come on the Idea of modifying the kit. I never thought to improve it , but now that I have a log I will try to do modifications . This log may not be worthy of this site, but I hope to get excused because it is the only build log of this ship here. Anyway here are some pics: The first planking I did was terrible, because the instruction weren`t very clear, so I used lots of wood filler Now I just finished the second planking and started to cut out the gun holes (is that what they are called?)

Hello to my second wooden ship, i opted for the "San Martin 1580" by Occre. The ship My "Albatross 1840" was a modern sailing ship. In contrast, the "San Martin 1580" is a very archaic sailing vessel. It is an early form of a Galoene but also has similarity to the large carracks of former times. A short Galeon, very high side walls, only 2 square sails on the main mast and very high castles at the bow and stern are reminiscent of older ships. The bulbous shape is a nice contrast to modern ships. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Martin_(1580) The kit I bought the kit for 140, - € by Mail Order. For this price, the kit is well equipped and clearly arranged. The manual is designed color and multilingual. The instructions ares good and also suitable for novice modellers but the instructions for the Albatros (Constructo) was a bit more detailed . (but only a little) I am very grateful for tip's and help. Greetings Volker

Box arrived today as you can see the boxes (2 on top of eachother) are quit damaged as was mentioned by the seller. at first glance none of the pieces inside are damaged . mostly due to the fact that there is plenty of space in the boxes and everything actualy fits in one box as usual i started with markign and counting the parts OcCre does not make this easy as there are 2 seperate numberings going from 1 to over 200 with some parts coverd in both numberings after a first count of premade wood and metal parts i have 1 part missing and 2 others lacking the needed quantity i wil let the store wher i bought it know and that i will email them a detailed describtion of the missing parts this weekend the instructions consists of a booklet with colour pictures covering the hul and deck furniture assembly (first numbering) the book wiht the text going with these pictures is in spanish so i wil need to see if an english translation is available (if not with online translators and a bit of understanding of the language i have i should get a decent translation myself) finaly there are 23 A3 plans stapled together covering masts and rigging (the second numbering) both instructions seem to be an improvement from the AL instructions i have seen so far but the double numbering is a bit stupid

Hello, my first build and build log following along as I bang together the Albatros by OcCre. I've attempted to build two other models in the past but those ended in a pile of sawdust in the trash. This one I WILL finish. Quick kit information: ALBATROS - Built at the Baltimore shipyards in 1840, the Albatros was designed to defend our Atlantic coast. Her smooth, narrow hull and large sail area made her fast and easily maneuverable. Double plank-on-bulkhead Albatros kit by OcCre features laser-cut wooden parts. Accurately detailed fittings include boxwood blocks and deadeyes, brass eyebolts, rings and belaying pins, white metal winch and lifeboat, three diameters of rigging line and more. Eight antiqued metal cannon on serve as armament. OcCre model ship kit of the Albatros provides a full complement of sails that are pre-sewn and ready to rig. Wooden display cradle and a metal nameplate await your finished model. MFG Website Albatros by OcCre. I had already started the build before this post and did not take any pictures before or during those initial stages, however nothing stood out or was unusual. All parts and pieces where counted and sorted, the provided plans, instructions and picture book where examined. I am currently finishing up the 2nd planking of the hull, which I have learned a lot so far and already wish I can start from scratch but I really want to see this one through to the end. Plus although no where near perfect, I really like what I have done. A few quick pictures of my workbench in the garage, recently built just for this task. The deck looking aft from above and the hull as it sits. A quick question on finish. Once I finish the rails, hull planking and few other odds and ends the kit suggests that I varnish everything before continuing. Which products would you recommend? I was thinking of a wipe on poly, but I've never use the product and would like to use something that wont ruin what I have done so far. Thanks for looking!

i dont think i have come acros a build log of this model even on the old site i picked this up on ebay and am awaiting its delivery