Artesania Latina

[WaltB]

I have a question about the Artesania Latina model kits. Is this a good line of kits? Good scale; parts; materials; plans; etc. i see a lot of them on this site. Their prices are so reasonable, it makes me wonder about their quality.

 

Thanks for any info.

Walt

[AntonyUK]

Hi Walt.

There has been a few issues lately with the quality of there plywood being very fragile and twisted.

I have seen a few build logs on MSW that the builders have had to replace items of plywood.

Make your choice and inspect the kit contents making sure that everything is there and is quality usable. If not take back to the shop were you purchased it.

I have there Bounty to build. My kit looks Very good.

 

So yes there kits are good for the bigginer at a good price as Brian pointed out.

Follow the purchasing rules. Check kit contents... Check quality... Remember that we the customers that have rights.

And don't put up with trash kits.

 

All the best.

Regards Antony.

[juhu]

On quality of materials you have got the info. Regarding the scale, historical accuracy and the overall representation of the ship, I believe one of the worst producers. Obviously the market share, number of sells and reasonable price are the keys. So it depends what do you want from the kit. My opinion.

[Keith_W]

Artesania has the following strengths:

 

- They have a range of models that suit everyone from beginners to more advanced builders. I can definitely recommend some of their easier kits as an introduction to the hobby.

 

- The instructions are decent. Not as good as some others, but they are OK. You usually get a booklet or sheet with colour photos, and another sheet of instructions in poorly translated English. These instructions are sometimes close to incomprehensible, especially if you are not familiar with nautical terms. The plans are also decent, but rigging instructions can be vague or poor.

 

- The wood is great quality for the price of kit you get. They normally supply mahogany, sapele, and walnut - all very attractive modelling woods.

 

- The accessories are packaged in nice plastic containers (a bit like a fishing tackle box), unlike some other kit makers where they are supplied in stapled plastic bags. For example, the Euromodel kit I am building is in the upper scale when it comes to kit pricing - yet the fittings are in plastic bags.

 

- They actually provide you with enough material to finish the model!

 

- No plastic! (I'm looking at you, Billings)

 

They also have some weaknesses:

 

- They recycle fittings between models. This may result in some models having over-scale balustrades or fittings, or too small blocks.

 

- Many of the fittings are so-so and would benefit from scratchbuilding or aftermarket replacements.

 

- Most of their ships are fictional and are not particularly historically accurate. It doesn't matter if you are only after a nice model (you will certainly get a nice model from an Artesania kit!) but it matters if you care about history.

[WaltB]

To all who answered my query about the Artesania kits. Thanks very much for the informative and frank answers.

 

I'm not a beginner; so i may try one of their upper tier kits as a test of their quality. I'm fairly creative with parts and wood; so i might be able to make a good model from a marginal kit. Worth a try at the price.

 

Thanks again for the great answers.

Walt

[Oliver24]

Which manufacturer do you consider most: Occre or AL? My main criterias would be: 1. Wood and other parts quality and quantity; 2. Detailed instructions.  

[modoatman99]

I've built several AL & Occres, Occres plans & instructions are a bit better, wood is on par. Both have really average rigging data. The final builds of both companies look nice. Occres non ship kits ( Trams / Railkits are great/).

 

 

 

 

[Sargon]

I picked up the San Juan Nepomuceno back in the early 2000s, and the kit was really good, even then. I think they have definitely improved, however, with the Santa Ana, the Hermione, etc... especially with wooden sterns, and lanterns with clear parts etc, instead of molded metal.  Sargon