prototype build HMS Sphinx 1775 by James H - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - 1:64

[chris watton]

3 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

I don’t think I was paying anything extra for a US shipment, does that change?

Nope, no change at all for all non UK customers. VAT only applies to the UK customers.

[Mike_H]

Oh my giddy aunt!  She looks absolutely magnificent, and the detail seems extraordinary - much more than I would expect from a 1:64 model. I’m sure that I won’t be able to resist, even with 20% VAT.  And while that 20% price hike might seem bad news for us in the UK, it is great news for model ship builders as it’s a sign of Vanguard prospering.

 

But a question: the closed gun ports are obviously shown with port lids (or they wouldn’t be closed).  Why are there no port lids on the open ports?

 

Mike

[chris watton]

Jim hasn't added the three gun port lids per side (last three gun ports have them) yet, but they are included (pre cut, of course)

[md1400cs]

Went back over the log  --- Chris stunning kit. The level of included details, the time saved from scratch building so much that is pre-included in this upcoming kit is spectacular.  

 

James  - amazing high quality work indeed 

 

 

[Old Collingwood]

I think if I was building one I would have to include  a full  crew of made and painted figures  as I  feel it would look Superb taht way.

 

OC.

[Chuck Seiler]

12 minutes ago, Old Collingwood said:

I think if I was building one I would have to include  a full  crew of made and painted figures

Sounds like a third-party after market kit opportunity to me.  😉

[Old Collingwood]

32 minutes ago, Chuck Seiler said:

Sounds like a third-party after market kit opportunity to me.  😉

Indeed  -  would so turn it into a living  space  and there are some Amazing  sculpts around the  28mm  scale  coming out.

 

OC.

[James H]

8 hours ago, Mike_H said:

But a question: the closed gun ports are obviously shown with port lids (or they wouldn’t be closed).  Why are there no port lids on the open ports?

 

Those will be added when the quarterdeck beams and deck itself is installed. I try to limit the number of fragile protrusions when some main hull construction work is still ongoing.

 

But, here are the lids:

 

[ObviousNewbie]

9 hours ago, chris watton said:

I have been told by my accountant that I have to now become VAT registered. Up until now, I was not liable for VAT registration in the UK, as turnover has to reach a certain amount be being legally required to. This means that all of my products I have sold this far have not had VAT added. This is about to change.

 

Now, when the UK was a part of the EU, EU and UK customers paid VAT and no import duty. The difference now is that EU customers do not pay the UK VAT but import duty instead.

 

For example, in the UK, a £300 kit would be £360 with the 20% VAT added, but EU and world wide customers will just pay the £300, and then whatever import duty costs your country has.

 

Thnx for the clarification Mr Watton, very helpful. I'm looking forward to seeing it appear as a finished model on the site 🙂

[Mike_H]

22 hours ago, chris watton said:

Jim hasn't added the three gun port lids per side (last three gun ports have them) yet, but they are included (pre cut, of course)

Aha - and he has shown a photograph with an entirely sensible explanation.  But why did/does she have only 3 (more) per side?

 

Mike

[Gregory]

The gun ports outside the forecastle and the quarterdeck are on the weather deck.  Port lids would serve no purpose..

Edited June 8, 2021 by Gregory

[James H]

15 minutes ago, Mike_H said:

Aha - and he has shown a photograph with an entirely sensible explanation.  But why did/does she have only 3 (more) per side?

 

Mike

Those ports are in the cabin areas, so lidded.

 

 

8 minutes ago, Gregory said:

The gun port outside the forecastle and the quarterdeck are on the weather deck.  Port lids would serve no purpose..

That's the way I see it too.

[LeoM]

Chris, What a magnificent kit you are making!

James, You are setting the mark rather high on how to write a build log.😉

 

Congratulations to both of you.

You make me proud to be a member of this fantastic community.

 

Leo

[Stephen schultz]

Jim,

Spectacular update as you promised.  You certainly delivered.  Your progress is looking crisp and fresh.  Love the overall colors.

 

I haven’t touched a model in 38 years.  I’m looking to reintroduce myself to this fabulous hobby.  I think I will take your advice and start with one of Chris’s Scottish fishing boats (Fifie or Zulu) to sharpen my skills and then perhaps this Sphinx…

 

Your work is striking and Chris’s kits are amazing.

 

I look forward to watching your progress.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Stephen

[Malcolm Greig]

Fantastic update.

 

There's been some interesting comments about rope. Amati rope has been supplied with a couple of kits I have and seems OK to me. But I'm no expert. Some of you don't seem that enthusiastic about it.  How good or bad is Amati rope?  or is it that Chuck's rope was a "Rolls Royce" type standard. 

 

Malcolm

[mtaylor]

1 hour ago, Malcolm Greig said:

Fantastic update.

 

There's been some interesting comments about rope. Amati rope has been supplied with a couple of kits I have and seems OK to me. But I'm no expert. Some of you don't seem that enthusiastic about it.  How good or bad is Amati rope?  or is it that Chuck's rope was a "Rolls Royce" type standard. 

 

Malcolm

I would say that Chuck's rope was the Rolls Royce of rope.   You can buy one of his ropewalks and make your own which with some practice should rival what he made since used the same ropewalk.

[Gregory]

On 6/6/2021 at 12:04 PM, glbarlow said:

Normally I replace kit rope with Syren products but that is no longer an option and I have little interest in making my own. 

I'm going to toss this out here..

 

I can make what I feel is very acceptable model rope..  However, I do not think I want to go into the model rope making business..

 

If someone has a particular project, with details in color and size, I would enjoy working with them to provide the rope they need.

 

The cost would basically be postage and materials.  I do not have the space to create 20 foot lengths like Syren used to do.

It would be more in the 4 to 5 foot range.

Of course, I could provide as many 5 foot pieces  as someone might think they need.

I never made anything for my own use that was more than a couple of feet.  No one line in a project was ever longer than that.

 

Send me a message if you would like to discuss this or get a sample..

[glbarlow]

22 hours ago, Malcolm Greig said:

Some of you don't seem that enthusiastic about it. 

I’ve used both, I’d say it’s more than Syren being the Rolls Royce, there is a big difference in quality. Enough that I consider it a big step down to fall back on Amati stuff. To me it’s more Amati being the KIA of rope. There doesn’t seem to be many options in between. 
 

I don’t want to make my own but I may have to learn how. 

[James H]

The Amati rope I have for Victory is actually very good. It's fuzz-free, a good colour and not too stiff.

[robdurant]

Meanwhile, in another thread.... (no personal connection... just happened to be reading  both.)

 

 

[James H]

As I'm about to fit out the upper deck shortly, here's an update on progress so far.

 

Over the last week, I've concentrated on getting the quarterdeck and forecastle beams in place, plus the decks. All beams are lettered to ID them, along with the timber they sit onto. All you might have to do is bevel an occasional end to get it to conform to hull shape. Along with the deck beams on quarterdeck, I've also add the optional hanging knees. These won't be seen too easily, but I've installed them for the sake of the manual.

 

 

 

All the beams are now fitted into place, along with the various carlings.

 

 

Before fitting any deck, the beams and carlings are also added to the forecastle area. Note the anchor hawse that's now added and tied back inside the bow. After the beams are fitted, the MDF ears from above deck level, are removed.

 

 

A drill bit is now wound with some medium grit paper and hand spun into the bowsprit hole, shaping this passage on the way down to the support which is plugged into the gun deck. This was a nice easy job due to the shape of parts and various cutouts. The 8mm dowel is then test fitted.

 

 

Before I can lay the forecastle deck, the fore jeer bitts need to be installed. Again, this is a simply task. I only glue these in at deck point so I have some play in the vertical posts.

 

 

The deck is supplied as 0.8mm maple veneer, laster etched. There is a ply part supplied as an alternative if you want to plank this yourself, but you'll need to source your own strip. Before the deck is glued, it's test fitted and sanded to make sure of an exact fit.

 

 

Inner bulwarks are now added. First the 1.5mm ones that butt up against the MDF bow former, then the outer 0.6 ones that run full length.

 

 

 

A sanding stick is then used to level up the tops of the bulwarks. Tape is laid down to protect the engraved deck and reduce any dust getting into the hull.

 

 

Now it's the turn of the quarterdeck to be fitted. Note that the beams are sanded of char where they can be seen through the deck cutouts etc.

 

 

The shallow bulwarks make the decks easy to 'pin' down around the edge using small clamps. Again, a sanding stick is used to level up the bulwark tops so the gunwales will be horizontal.

 

 

 

Bulwarks now fitted...

 

 

Seems such a shame to cover over so much of the detail, but now's time to cover yet more with the gangways. These are made from a layer of 0.8mm maple ply, with an underside in 0.6mm pear.

 

 

The gangway is temporarily added to model and the position of the adjoining gunwale is marked at each end. The gunwale is then sat over the gangway and then an edge drawn along the gangway. That area, which will differ slightly on different builds, is then removed from the gangway so the gunwale will recess into it.

 

 

All of the gangway knees are now painted and installed.

 

 

Then the gangways can be fitted. I use a small weight in the centre of the gangways to hold them into the gentle curve they need along the top of the knees.

 

 

Bulwark cleats are now added, as well as the stern knees. Before the stern knees are fitted, a 0.6mm drill is used to drill through two laser cut holes, to the outside stern. These are for mounting the lanterns. The knees will then cover the internal holes you drilled through.

 

 

 

And for the time being, this is where I'm at. My apologies for the lighting on this photo. I'll be retaking this one tonight. 

 

 

 

 

 

[DelF]

Simply stunning! 

 

17 minutes ago, James H said:

Seems such a shame to cover over so much of the detail

I quite like the fact that there's going to be lots of 'secret' detail only the builder will know about. Does that make me strange 🤪?

[Suzdal]

No it doesn't make you strange but I believe a way should be made to make it visible.

 

Richard

[Glenn-UK]

It is a fantastic build with secret areas.

[James H]

12 minutes ago, Suzdal said:

No it doesn't make you strange but I believe a way should be made to make it visible.

 

Richard

You can see some of that stuff through the deck cutouts, but not like an open deck ship such as Flirt.

[Neill]

This is shaping up to be a beautiful model.  So much so it has reinvigorated my model making mojo.  Time to start the Lady Nelson and keep an eye out for when Sphinx is released for sale.

[James H]

Here's a couple I did on my phone late last night. 

 

[Gregory]

1 hour ago, Suzdal said:

No it doesn't make you strange but I believe a way should be made to make it visible.

 

Richard

 The builder can make as much visible as they want to.

[Malcolm Greig]

Oh dear, I may have to purchase another Vanguard kit.  Great build. Fantastic details and quality. 

 

Malcolm 

[glbarlow]

13 hours ago, DelF said:

Does that make me strange 

That’s not what does😂🤣