General fittings etc.

[vossy]

Hi all. So i have now bought and finished to varying degrees 6 kits all from different manufactures. they range in price from 1k AUD down to about 300 AUD, my problem is this; how come most kits have the same fittings as other kits? i mean they have the same capstans, crap metal lifeboats, lanterns, cannons etc. etc. the list goes on. are there kits out there that actually reproduce a particular vessel as it was in the day? i am getting pretty sick of building the same vessel and just putting a different name under her when finished. anyway just a rant =)

 

cheers chris.

[allanyed]

I suspect the model kit industry is like many others. No one single factory makes everything, but rather assemble parts made by others.  Autos down to model kits.   You can find Michelin tires on many brands of cars because the auto companies cannot afford to make tires themselves.   It MAY be the same with kits.  Someone has the dies and casting tools and know-how to make a lot of pieces so the kit assemblers go to them for parts.   This may be totally off base reasoning, and is just one deduction from one person.......   To avoid poorly made parts, it would be better to make them yourself or go to a quality supplier of parts, such as Syren.

 

Allan

[mtdoramike]

It sounds more like to me, you bought kits of ships that have the same or similar hull design. But yep, most of your basic parts in your kits are or will be quite similar. There are only a few ways to make cap stands as well as deadeyes and blocks and even life boats. There are very few kits that are exact to the original ship. But there are a few such as Blue Jackets Constitution, Model Shipways Constitution. If you want to build a model exactly to the original from a kit, buy a kit from a ship that is still afloat today and then research, research, research to find how to build that particular model to the way or era that you want that ship to represent.

 

 

mike    

Edited July 15, 2015 by mtdoramike

[mtaylor]

The other thing is that it's a "one-size fits all" world in kit.  AL seems to use the same bits even on kits at a different scale.   It cuts costs on inventory, etc. 

[DanO]

Chris,

 

I feel that it has been that way for years but must mention the parts that come with the kits are so much better that way back when. Actually I should correct myself for back then one was expected to make much from scratch and this guy had little if any experience with that so got back into it in my later years, an engineer I am not.  I periodically check ebay for partially competed kits at a good price to build up my own inventory. Modelshipways, ModelExpo, Has a good selection of parts and an occasional 50% off sale, they have however cut way back on what they have available. As mentioned earlier Syren is also a great source.

 

Dan

[Jim Lad]

Easy solution, Chris - have a go at scratch building.

 

John

[hornet]

I agree with Jim. However, if you are not yet ready to have a go at a full scratch build, do what I've done and partially scratch build a kit. On my current build the Supply I have scratch built the windlass, capstan, ship's boat & oars, rudder (including gudgeons and pintels) tiller, stern facia and windows, skylight, railings to the stern deck, as well as tree nailing the deck, copper plating, modifying the gun carriages and adding water ways. I also made new anchor ropes because the ones that came with the kit were out of scale. I intend to modify the rigging using Peterson's book as a guide. There is a lot you can do to a bog standard kit to make it more interesting, challenging and authentic.

Edited July 15, 2015 by hornet