Chris Watton and Vanguard Models news and updates

[hollowneck]

Oops, gentlemen! I meant 8 stern windows!

 

Brainfart; I hate when that happens...🤯

 

Ron

[Landrotten Highlander]

3 minutes ago, hollowneck said:

Brainfart

 

better out than in, I always say😁

[chris watton]

6 hours ago, hollowneck said:

Ed/Chris,

 

Ed: Might you have a web address for the "Perry Brothers" miniatures?

 

Chris: attached is a view of my HMS Ardent (64) that shows the 7 stern windows; I highly modified your Victory Aggy kit in 2014. Indy was a razeed 64 of the Ardent class as you/others have noted; as such, 7 windows would be accurate according to Rif Winfield's reference. If you produce the Indefatigable, you'll sell at least one to a Anglophile in Connecticut. Until then, if Amati/Victory decide to sell your Vic1/64-scale before the Indy is available, I remain interested to modify a big Vic into the HMS Temeraire.🤨

 

Speedy looks very nice. Good second kit choice IMHO.

 

I'm in the hull planking stage with yummy pear on your Alert at the moment. It's tricky business with the stem and stern piece configurations, but not unmanageable (with some finesse).

 

When I'm finished with the hull planking, I'll post a shot or two of the results.

 

Ron

Very nice model! I know Rif Winfield's reference, but the problem is that the original Admiralty plans show 7 windows for the only official contemporary lines for one of the (full two decked, not razee'd) Ardent class. This is the conundrum..

 

Funny you mention HMS Temeraire, I have been reading The Fighting Temeraire during my  tea breaks at work, and it is almost exactly like Victory, if a couple of inches longer. Not much of a career though, only Trafalgar and few much lesser actions.

 

I will be glad to move on from models that have very fragile sterns! But Speedy isn't too bad at all.

 

I designed that Aggy two decades ago, where does the time go....

[hollowneck]

...yep, tempest fugit!

 

I bought your Aggy kit from CALDERCRAFT and turned it into HMS Ardent - NOT Amati/Victory. Nonetheless, your design has long legs, Chris; it was excellent 20 years ago and remains so for this legacy kit.

 

Check the attached pics out: not my build, but a colleague's in my ship model club who completed it this year as a modified "dockyard" styled model.

[Vane]

Chris, I Think Speedy looks really nice and its definitely on my wishlist.  Perhaps you have already said it in previous posts but what size will it be in? Is it similar to Snake/Cruizer or much smaller? 

[chris watton]

3 hours ago, Vane said:

Chris, I Think Speedy looks really nice and its definitely on my wishlist.  Perhaps you have already said it in previous posts but what size will it be in? Is it similar to Snake/Cruizer or much smaller? 

Thanks

 

1:64th scale. A little smaller than the 18 gun Snake/Cruiser as this is a 14 gun brig.

[chris watton]

Well,

 

I did have my pre-prototype parts for the third development arrive today. Unfortunately, the 3mm MDF was cut in the wrong thickness, and was in fact 3.5mm. This meant I could not put all of the structural parts together, as too much filing/sanding was required. Instead, I now have to wait until next Tuesday for the replacement 3mm parts . I did managed to just put together the bare bulkheads and decks. But I was hoping to check out a different way I have designed certain aspects to allow for a proper rabbet for the second planking, and see what you good people thought. This will have to wait until next week now.

[Vane]

1 hour ago, chris watton said:

Well,

 

I did have my pre-prototype parts for the third development arrive today. Unfortunately, the 3mm MDF was cut in the wrong thickness, and was in fact 3.5mm. This meant I could not put all of the structural parts together, as too much filing/sanding was required. Instead, I now have to wait until next Tuesday for the replacement 3mm parts . I did managed to just put together the bare bulkheads and decks. But I was hoping to check out a different way I have designed certain aspects to allow for a proper rabbet for the second planking, and see what you good people thought. This will have to wait until next week now.

Nice... you are getting bigger and bigger but it looks smaller than HMS Bristol?

[chris watton]

It is smaller than Bristol.

 

When I shown the original plans to a friend, they strongly advised me to do this one third, and Bristol after. I could not disagree. Already have the figurehead and stern decoration sculpted..

[Edwardkenway]

This one looks interesting Chris! 

Smaller than the Bristol, looks like another to add to the wish/shopping list.

That's my budget plan down the swannee

[Vane]

Looks really interesting. Something in the same size as Pegasus?

[chris watton]

50 minutes ago, Vane said:

Looks really interesting. Something in the same size as Pegasus?

It is interesting, it caught my eye while perusing the NMM plans website.

 

By pure fluke, it is exactly the same length (hull-wise), to the millimetre, as Speedy, so a little shorter than a Swan class vessel. After this one though, the next (50 gun two decker) will be double the size.

[Vane]

Its kind of exciting to see how the various kits in ur business developes.  Thanks for keeping us all in the loop. I definitely will order a Vanguard kit when its time to add another kit to the shipyard. We will see what it will be but i definitely want to support you getting your shop on the way!

[Gregory]

Chris, did I miss where you named the last prototype you were showing pictures of ?

 

[ASAT]

Chris, what is a realistic timeframe for the release of Bristol? Any target price range yet?

[chris watton]

ASAT,

 

Bristol will be first half of next year.

 

I had to take a step back and be realistic. I know that Bristol will have the same new design principals as the large Amati Victory I did. The Victory took me two years to design, build the model and picture taking, and plans and instructions. This almost killed me! Although part of the time was trying to perfect the designs, so now that I know what's required, the next will not be so bad. Although Bristol is not as large as Victory, it will have fundamentally the same designs in the way it is built, a cross between Victory and Prince. I want Bristol as the forth kit and a frigate (or Swan class Atalanta) for the fifth. There is some overlap between each kit development, though. For example, I already have the correct shapes and number of bulkheads, decks and deck levels for Bristol, and same for the third kit, as I need to ensure the decoration at the stern and figureheads are going to fit perfectly. the best way to do this is to have the parts to which they will be attached to already complete, so no nasty surprises if I left it all to the last minute, and realised that what's shown on the original plans doesn't quite tally with how things should be - this happens often..

 

If I can develop three smaller kits first (Alert, Speedy and the one shown above, which I do not want to name yet), and they end up being successful, I can perhaps think about leaving my day job (which is also killing and restricting me right now), and concentrate fully on the larger, more complex and expensive developments. If working on such projects full time, they should take no longer than the smaller kits are taking me now, as I have an extra 40 hours per week to spend on them. Although I did design/develop the kits at Amati, Amati did format the instruction booklets and sort out the box art. It is only me now that does everything, from sourcing parts, getting the master carvings sorted, putting the plans and instructions together for publishable format, and sorting every other of the seemingly hundreds of things required to get even these smaller kits together. I am still getting used to this heavier workload, and am sure than when I get more used to it, it will become easier. But with working full time as well as doing this, there are only a set amount of hours per day, and the kits are not simple 'block models' anymore, there is a lot more to them.

 

As it stands at this moment however, I need my day job to pay the household bills and preserve my investment money. I am even putting some money into my business account from my wages each month, so every available Penny is being invested.

 

I should finish the Speedy hull assembly today, if I manage that, I will take some pics and post them, I now have the missing 0.4mm PE sheet!

Edited August 11, 2019 by chris watton

[chris watton]

OK, Speedy hull now complete.

 

I did have to reduce the length of the chainplates for the 5mm deadeyes by 2mm, as they should only be pinned to the main wale, so the ones shown are a little too low - but rectified for the kit.

 

Hand pumps finally in place, nice easy builds with PE parts, and the stove chimney is PE this time, to give the correct scale appearance. Everything is now glued down apart from the boat, which is simply pinned in place at this time. Boomkins are missing, but they will be added once bowsprit gammoning is in place (experience...)

 

I have also included half a dozen hatchets, which were used primarily to cut fouled rigging away.

 

[paulsutcliffe]

Chris

That looks awesome well done

[druxey]

Very nice, Chris! Love the hatchets.

[chris watton]

Thanks guys

because I did the hand pump in PE, I thought I'd give it a more elaborate design, although still in keeping with the period. And I imagine Speedy's pumps were shot away and replaced or repaired more than a few times during her career...

 

[chris watton]

I had the amended 3 and 0.8mm laser cut parts for third kit arrive yesterday, just before I had to go to work, so couldn't do anything with them until this morning. Everything is just quickly dry-fitted, no glue or pins at all. I have gone to town regarding the structural rigidity, no balsa filling blocks required for this! The decks fit into slots located on the inner sides of the bulkhead tabs, so no pins required for the edges and impossible for the edges of the decks to move, so deck line always follows the correct positions.

 

I am also trying out a new way to create a rabet, as you can see from the bow. This is a pre-prototype, it will not be used for building the model, it is just to check the critical hull assembly and making sure everything fits and interlocks as they should - and will be thrown away at some point..

[chris watton]

I have just realised, or just become made aware that my website has its own separate email address for the contact information, when you make queries from the website. To my utter horror, I realised just now that I have dozens of emails from customers asking questions and I have ignored them all, as I didn't know this separate email address existed!

 

If any of you who contacted me via the website and I haven't replied, I am sincerely sorry, I really had no idea! I will work my way through them over the next couple of days, although some date back from June!

Edited August 16, 2019 by chris watton

[dkuehn]

3 hours ago, SpyGlass said:

Its all  my fault grovel and apologies

 

 Steve

I just removed you from my Christmas card list. 

[amateur]

This third one looks interesting....

A bit yacht-like, I like the lines and the decks.

 

Jan

[dvm27]

it's like the movie "Groundhog Day". You just keep rebuilding the model until you get it right. Looks like it will be a great kit, Chris!

[Vane]

Is it just me or anybody else waiting for updates like a kid outside Toys R Ur? 😉

[ASAT]

I am! VM seems to be the only designer/company that is moving forward and utilizing new techniques to ensure accuracy and authenticity for the majority of model builders. Meticulous attention to detail will still be rewarded but the foundation is much more repeatable and reproducible resulting in more modelers moving beyond the “give up due to frustration” stage.

I have been waiting to see a teaser of HMS Bristol’s framework or maybe a CAD rendering, I have been agonizing over her as she gets pushed back in the production cycle, however I completely understand the logic and business sense of doing so - Especially if it allows Chris to lead this venture full time!

We need to send a message to all manufacturers out there by supporting VM in these efforts and they will have to step up into the 21st century as well......maybe.....🙂

[Edwardkenway]

I'm waiting patiently for Speedy and saving my pennies, because Christmas is coming also my birthday.

My family have been told😆

[chris watton]

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks for the comments (I have just got back from work, (it is 1.07am).

 

Speedy is coming on just fine, I am working on the prototype model. Masts and spars turned, blocked up, stepped and shrouds and ratlines added. Hundreds of construction pictures taken, which I will need to assemble into a manual once the model is finished. I have to complete the model first as I then need to get the box art done and sent off to the printers. Printing the box lids can take a while, so getting the model finished, and then box art, and then instruction manual is the order of priority. When building and taking pics, I am away from the PC. When at Amati, others sorted out putting the manuals together, box art and sorting materials. I have to do it all, as I am the only one...

 

I have nothing to update when building the model, I have to spend a lot of time on it to make me look half decent for the pics, but rest assured, because I have been quiet on here doesn't mean I have been twiddling my thumbs. Also, I don't want to keep adding pics that look mostly the same, with one small part or a yard added, that would be boring. The next pics I put up will be of the completed, or very nearly completed model.

 

I think it may be a good idea to offer the pearwood strip for the second planking as the primary material, rather than Tanganyika for Speedy. No one wants the Alert with the cheaper wood, so I assume Speedy (which is more expensive anyway) will be the same. There will be three options though, pear or cherry at the same price, or a cheaper Tanganyika version. I am about to order the 4 and 3mm wide pearwood for Speedy.

 

Regarding Bristol, when I first started doing this, I really wanted Bristol as my second kit, and I do have some parts already made and cast for this model, plus I have drawn the bulkheads, keel and decks. However, a couple more smaller kits makes more economic sense, as Bristol is a big kit, and will take 6 months at least (full time). I want to start developing new kits full time as soon as possible. If I have three kits released and they sell well, I can give up my day job (safety net) and concentrate fully on Vanguard Models. A model like Bristol would prolong this - but the smaller models are taking 3-4 months each at the moment, even with my day job. But it is very long hours, hence the lack of updates on here. Saying that, I do not mind, as I chose to do this, I just wanted to try and explain what is going on right now. 

 

Cheers,

 

Chris

 

(Ready for bed...)

 

[shortgrass]

Thanks for the update Chris.  Totally understand where you are coming from.  The Alert looks like a great model and I am sure the following kits be the same.