Chris Watton and Vanguard Models news and updates

[Oboship]

What a detailed, superb manual!

 

Best regards
Uwe

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

 I have written only recently that the era of building large 18^th century square rigged warships was over for me, feeling perhaps 75 was too old to start such a project, coupled with where to put it issues.

 

However, despite my best resolve I have once again fallen victim to the siren song of Chris’s latest offering.

I spent yesterday evening looking at the eye candy photo’s provided by Chris’s fellow conspirator, James, looking for reasons not to wing £665 across to the Forest of Dean.

 

 All to no avail, even Mrs W said stop messing about and press the button.

 

So, Sphinx will be my next project, but there will be compromises; I will build her as a Navy Board Style model without masting and rigging, and with much of the decking left off to reveal the wealth of detail provided by Chris.

 

At least with this model, Chris has thoughtfully designed all the below decks detail so I won’t have to gut the innards as I did with Pegasus.

 

In the meantime, back to figure bashing for the barge.

 

B.E.

[Morgan]

And then there was only 1 left!

 

Just ordered the second but last, no fighting over the last one 🙂

[chris watton]

I am stunned, thank you all for your support. I never thought I would sell so many. I did enough for 50 in total, as I always order 50 PE sets (which weigh in at 20kg for Sphinx). But castings, thread and anything else non PE and laser cut, I ordered 100 kits worth.

 

I will add a couple more to stock, but damn, thank you!

 

I have put in a repeat order for the photo etched sets, and will start another production run of laser cut parts, each kit takes well over 6 hours cutting/engraving time..

 

And again, thank you!

[druxey]

A victim of your own success! Well done, Chris.

[Jasseji]

Hefty PDF, Downloading

[VTHokiEE]

1 hour ago, Blue Ensign said:

So, Sphinx will be my next project, but there will be compromises; I will build her as a Navy Board Style model without masting and rigging, and with much of the decking left off to reveal the wealth of detail provided by Chris

Oh boy, my time is very limited at the moment and I have projects on the shelf but this style of model is very interesting to me. I can’t wait to see what you do with her and who knows maybe (as with the Alert) I’ll be following in your footsteps again.

[Blue Ensign]

I'm looking forward to it Tim, I will have some reference guides to the style I am intending, Chuck's Winnie build, and Greg Herberts Pegasus build as  detailed in Vol 111 of the FFM.

 

B.E.

 

 

[Glenn-UK]

@chris watton much deserved success with the Sphinx venture. The standard of your previous kits proved without doubt your designs are cut above the others. The work undertaken by @James H in support aldo shows what is possible to build by mere mortals like me.

[Jasseji]

By Looking at the Manual, this Kit should be rated at Advanced Beginner and not Intermiediate (might drive the Sales up even more :P)

The amount of shortcuts implemented to ease the build seems enormous

 

[chris watton]

2 minutes ago, Jasseji said:

By Looking at the Manual, this Kit should be rated at Advanced Beginner and not Intermiediate (might drive the Sales up even more :P)

The amount of shortcuts implemented to ease the build seems enormous

 

I would say it is a kit most could build. BUT, they need to take their time at every stage and not rush anything.

 

The batch of 0.8x4mm pear strip I ordered for these kits is the best I have seen, nice and light, too, so will look fantastic under the blue and gold upper works. If I were building it again, I would use the planking under the upper half of the pre etched and cut sides.

[Jasseji]

19 minutes ago, chris watton said:

I would say it is a kit most could build. BUT, they need to take their time at every stage and not rush anything.

 

The batch of 0.8x4mm pear strip I ordered for these kits is the best I have seen, nice and light, too, so will look fantastic under the blue and gold upper works. If I were building it again, I would use the planking under the upper half of the pre etched and cut sides.

Pear for Planking you mean ?

[chris watton]

7 minutes ago, Jasseji said:

Pear for Planking you mean ?

Yes, there are only 2 lots of planking strip, the 1x5mm limewood for first planking, and the 0.8mm pear for second planking.

[Jasseji]

6 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Yes, there are only 2 lots of planking strip, the 1x5mm limewood for first planking, and the 0.8mm pear for second planking.

ah, yes, mixed it up

[Richard44]

11 hours ago, Blue Ensign said:

 I have written only recently that the era of building large 18^th century square rigged warships was over for me, feeling perhaps 75 was too old to start such a project, coupled with where to put it issues.

 

However, despite my best resolve I have once again fallen victim to the siren song of Chris’s latest offering.

I spent yesterday evening looking at the eye candy photo’s provided by Chris’s fellow conspirator, James,...

P

So, Sphinx will be my next project, but there will be compromises; I will build her as a Navy Board Style model without masting and rigging, and with much of the decking left off to reveal the wealth of detail provided by Chris.

 

Hi B.E.,

 

Like you, age (I'm 77) and space have had me thinking about what to build, if anything, after I finish Pegasus. Chris's Sphinx has slowly but surely risen to the top of the list. And like you, I would build it without masting.

 

It's too soon now to order one, not that there are any left, but sometime.

 

Thanks Chris and James.

 

Cheers

[glbarlow]

12 hours ago, Blue Ensign said:

build her as a Navy Board Style model without masting and rigging,

I will enjoy watching your build. Like you I just had to press the button. I may go also go without masts and rigging, I’ll wait till i get to that point and then decide. Either way, darn that Chris with his innovative design and that James with his photography. 
 

I’m thrilled Chris has sold 50 through pre-sales alone. 

[mtaylor]

Trigger pulled.... order made.   I think this build will be good for me...   I will do a build log once it's here.

[BobG]

1 hour ago, mtaylor said:

Trigger pulled.... order made.   I think this build will be good for me...   I will do a build log once it's here.

Congrats, Mark! I look forward to seeing all the build logs that are on their way once these kits arrive. I'll probably join the club in the near future.

[mtaylor]

1 hour ago, BobG said:

Congrats, Mark! I look forward to seeing all the build logs that are on their way once these kits arrive. I'll probably join the club in the near future.

I'd say go for it when you're ready.   I've been following the log and it makes a beautiful model.  I'm kinda' feeling iffy about my current scratch log and am thinking that this kit will get me back on the right path. 

[chris watton]

9 hours ago, glbarlow said:

I will enjoy watching your build. Like you I just had to press the button. I may go also go without masts and rigging, I’ll wait till i get to that point and then decide. Either way, darn that Chris with his innovative design and that James with his photography. 
 

I’m thrilled Chris has sold 50 through pre-sales alone. 

Have sold 39, so 11 left - but these were  originally kept back for trade (35 for direct sales and 15 for trade ). However, I am releasing the rest of what I have left and will do another batch as soon as I can. Already ordered another batch of PE. Looks like I will be living in the laser room for a while, not that I mind!

 

So, today, I will finish laser cutting another 4 Speedy Master Shipwright kits, and then back onto Sphinx laser cutting. The laser cutting is the main reason I could no longer have the two jobs...

Edited August 8, 2021 by chris watton

[Jasseji]

4 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Have sold 39, so 11 left - but these were  originally kept back for trade (35 for direct sales and 15 for trade ). However, I am releasing the rest of what I have left and will do another batch as soon as I can. Already ordered another batch of PE. Looks like I will be living in the laser room for a while, not that I mind!

Make Sure to use good Goggles while in the laser room

 

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by Jasseji

[chris watton]

Forgot to add (I think), for Sphinx, I sourced some scale black 'cannon balls', 1/16" (around 1.5mm), so they do actually fit in the barrels!

[Blue Ensign]

I replaced the provided (2mm) balls on the Alert kit with 1.5mm  diameter  ball bearings (natural iron)  but it did mean that I had to re-do the shot garlands.

 

1.5mm balls will be a much better scale fit, with presumably garlands cut to fit, you're leaving me very little to do Chris 😃

 

B.E.

 

[Richard44]

42 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Forgot to add (I think), for Sphinx, I sourced some scale black 'cannon balls', 1/16" (around 1.5mm), so they do actually fit in the barrels!

When I was a kid, we used to make cannons out of empty .303 cartridges, drill a hole in the end, put in gunpowder from a firecracker plus a wick add a ball  bearing, light the wick and let it rip!!!

 

Could we do this with the Sphinx cannons? 😆

[Jasseji]

42 minutes ago, Richard44 said:

When I was a kid, we used to make cannons out of empty .303 cartridges, drill a hole in the end, put in gunpowder from a firecracker plus a wick add a ball  bearing, light the wick and let it rip!!!

 

Could we do this with the Sphinx cannons? 😆

i think if you use swiss ffff black powder it could work, although getting a thin enough match for the touchhole might be a problem

 

[chris watton]

Here is the box label for the first 50 kits - at least you can overall dimensions of the model.

 

Just weighed the laser cut wood pack, almost 3kg, more than a whole Duchess kit!

Edited August 8, 2021 by chris watton

[glbarlow]

That’s a nice looking box  Well done!

[BobG]

13 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

That’s a nice looking box  Well done!

Did you get yours yet, Glenn? I'm already in line in anticipation of build logs from you and BE!

[glbarlow]

Mine is ordered, just yesterday…. It will be a fun build. 

[chris watton]

11 minutes ago, BobG said:

Did you get yours yet, Glenn? I'm already in line in anticipation of build logs from you and BE!

Sphinx kits will not start shipping until the week after next, as we are waiting for the print work, which was submitted on Friday. Kits are being made up now, though. Not a quick job, as parts have to be very carefully packaged - these are not mass produced goods...