1:12 Norwegian Sailing Pram - by Model Shipways

[kurtvd19]

 

New Shipwright’s Series from Model Shipways

 

NORWEGIAN SAILING PRAM  -  Kit #MS1471

   

Skill Level 2

    Scale 1:12 

 

Overall length 12 1/2 inches - Overall Height 15 1/2 inches  -  Baseboard 3 1/2 inches x 7 inches

This kit is the second in the new Shipwright’s Series of progressive model tutorials designed by David Antscherl for Model Shipways a division of Model Expo. These kits fill a void in our hobby for simple but good kits that teach the new model builders the necessary skills to enable them to move on to build bigger more complex kits.

 

                                                                                        Photo of finished model by Model Shipways

For many years, Midwest Model Products manufactured a great series of kits that were designated as Level 1 through Level 4 designed to teach the beginner wood boat modeler the basic skills a wooden boat modeler needs to learn. New ownership cancelled the line several years ago and the hobby has needed replacements which Model Shipways is now providing with the new Shipwright’s Series.

 

 

The Norwegian Sailing Pram kit is labeled as a Skill Level 2 kit and the instructions say, “For this second, intermediate kit, some previous knowledge is necessary in order to be successful”. The first kit in the series, labeled as a Skill Level 1 kit is a 1:24 scale Lowell Grand Banks Dory and the instructions say, “For this introductory kit, no previous knowledge is assumed or necessary”. (The Lowell Grand Banks Dory is reviewed separately here on MSW).

 

 

A nice feature of the kit series is the listing of all tools needed to build each kit. This kit lists the same tools as the Dory kit with several additional tools needed and a couple optional tools that while nice are not truly needed for this kit.

Unpacking the box finds a full color 43 page instruction manual, a list of all the parts contained in the box, nine sheets of laser cut Basswood, cloth for the sail, a plastic bag containing three diameters of nylon rigging line, a small sheet of photo etch, a bag of 16 Brass nails, a 3” piece of 24 gauge Copper wire, a 3” piece of 1/16” Bras rod, a 3” piece of 1/23” Brass rod and a 3” piece of Brass tube. Also included is a bag with four oarlocks and 3 rigging clips. These parts are of cast Britannia with the rigging clips being free of flash or mold lines and the oarlocks showing some very even and easily removed mold lines on the outer edges. Overall, the materials are very good.

 

The instructions for this kit like all the instructions for Model Shipways kits are downloadable as a pdf from the Model Expo website. https://modelexpo-online.com/

 

I highly recommend the new Shipwright series of kits from Model Shipways. I recommend this kit for the second kit to build from the series. If you are asked by a fledging modeler to recommend a good kit to start with I have no hesitation in recommending that they be told to look at the new Shipwright’s Series and that this kit be number two right after the Lowell Grand Banks Dory kit.

 

A separate paint kit is available from Model Shipways (#MS1471MS - Model Shipways Norwegian Sailing Pram Paint Set). The paint set Includes 4 1oz bottle of each color.  Colors included are Warm White, Hull Bottom Copper Red, Primer and Clear Satin Protective finish.