Question on different manufacturers

[mike0879]

I would like to know about these different models. I have seen these for sale and need someones option on them.Scientific, Mamoli Master Modelcraft, Constructo.

I all looking for my next build as I am near the end of building the Mara Nostrum. 

I am looking for an intermediate to expert build and want one with detail and rigging.

Any ideas??

Michael

[mtaylor]

I guess more info in needed as every manufacturer has it's issues as well as it's good points. Also, even models of the same ships vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and present different challenges.   What ships interest you? would be a good place to start.

[mike0879]

one like the Morgan, constellation, cutty sark mostly tail ships

[donrobinson]

 The newest one on the market is the Revenge by Amati, lots of detail and rigging. It truly is a beautiful kit, EMELBE(Martin) has a log here you should check it out. He is doing a fantastic job on it, Ages of Sail did have a sale on it, I'm not sure if it is still on though.

 

I just checked, they are a sponsor here and their link is on the main page, the sale is still on $499. You just can't beat that price for a kit like this

Edited October 15, 2015 by donrobinson

[Papa]

My number one choice is Model Shipways. Second choice is JoTiKa. I believe they have the highest quality materials and the best instructions.

[mike0879]

Thanks for the responses. I have seen a lot of the scientific model around. Does anyone have any comments on these?  Ragove I have not heard of JoTika but I will check them out. 

[hornet]

Thanks for the responses. I have seen a lot of the scientific model around. Does anyone have any comments on these? Ragove I have not heard of JoTika but I will check them out.

 

Better known for selling Caldercraft kits. Edited October 16, 2015 by hornet

[toms10]

one like the Morgan, constellation, cutty sark mostly tail ships

Hi Mike,

I am currently building the Constellation.  It is my first wooden ship so I did find many challenges.  The detail is nothing special right out of the kit but that is something that the builder can build upon to the level he/she desires.  The price of this kit is a bit less than most which may hint toward the quality of detail and parts.  I did have to buy some supplemental pieces especially for the rigging which I am in the middle of now.  The kit was short on about 5 or 6 different items.  The instructions are sketchy and vague which is why this forum is such a wonderful place.  I have thoroughly enjoyed the build and have learned many techniques and would recommend this model for an intermediate modeler.

If you do a search there are several build logs on this sight that you can check out.

[GuntherMT]

I've only built 2.5 kits so far. My first was a Constucto, and the second Model Shipways. I also did a side build of a Midwest kit.

 

Constructo - cheaper kit, the bulkheads were too few and too far apart in my opinion. Not a bad kit overall, but the material was thin and easily broken. The wood types included were nice, and it did build into a decent looking model, although I replaced the oversized and extremely fuzzy rigging line. Instructions were terrible, and I don't know if I could have finished it without finding MSW.

 

Midwest canoe - Simple kit with decent wood and good instructions. Still some issues, but nothing show stopping. Not a lot of extra material if you make major mistakes.

 

Model Shipways - Armed Virginia Sloop - Frame and bulkheads tightly spaced and good quality basswood. Lots of extra material included. Instructions are quite decent. Some of the cast parts are quite decent, others fairly bad. Rigging line is terrible, and blocks are also pretty bad, I replaced both. Excellent customer service and parts replacement support. Don't get their paint, it's pretty bad. Overall a good quality kit, in my opinion.

[ccoyle]

Scientific is a brand that has long since gone out of business.  Their kits were not up to the standards set by the newer releases from Model Shipways, Amati/Victory Models, Caldercraft, and others.  As Mark suggested, the answer to your questions depends in part on what ship you actually decide to model, as there may be multiple offerings of that subject that vary substantially from one to the next.  Even within the same company's offerings, there is usually some variation in quality.  Sometimes it is significant variation.  Make sure to do all your homework before whipping out your debit card!

[bear]

Ahoy Michael

 

For you I would try to find a building group in the area where you live. And that's before you spend any of your hard earned money on any kit. Visit them and see what they are building and get what they know about the different kit makers and what kits are good and not and for what reasons.

 

Each kit maker has it's best kit and a lot of bad ones-that's for all of the kit makers. 

 

You need to crawl before you walk and then run in life. And it's the same in model ship building. You need a simple kit,and a good one. That is not inclusive with either qualities. There are a lot of simple BAD kits and a lot of complicated good ones.

 

I would recommend the Model Shipways Gunboat Philadelphia for a first build for these reasons-

 

The large scale for ease of working on and the size and space and type of rigging.

 

Simple shape of the hull. Flat bottom with all the types of planking required,but in easy shapes.

 

You will have to do all of the types of building in this kit that you will do in your future builds.

 

Our building group used this kit and there are ten started and of that 7 are finished with 1 still not finished and one member left our area. Out of this there were 6 guys that had little or no experence in building  wooden ship models or really any models for years. Our group ages where a couple under 50 years with all the rest from 60-90.

 

This kit is a great learning one and one that will be easy to complete without being too simple. Chech out our blog at www.woodenshipclass.blogspot.com

 

There are a lot of crap out there in kits. Find a group,get the right kit and after a couple of builds is when you will know what kit maker is the one for your favorite ship to build will be,but first you need to learn and more important is to start and complete  it with having fun threw the build. It will not be fun all the time. There are stages that I still do not like to do,but that's life.

 

And the most import thing is that you are doing it for yourself and not competeing with others in building skills or quality.

 

Have fun and learn a lot of new skills and maybe discover hidden ones you never knew you had. And just think of being able to sit back and look at what you did each day on your ship and the best time is after it's completed ,and looking at it with pride and with a new level of skills.

 

Keith

[Canute]

Well said, Keith.

[mike0879]

That you for all of your help. I am build the Mare Nostrum right now and am at the first part of the planking. This seems like a simple model as I have have done model work in 1/4 scale railroad buildings for several years both kits and scratch.

 

Michael

 

current build is the Mare Nostrum