Constructo - poor quality guns

[Iseaz]

Hello everyone,

 

I recently received the HMS Prince by constructo in 1/61, and I am sadly surprised by the poor quality of the guns. Unlike the other details, there are big traces of mouldings, they are not drilled and the axes are not even straight.

 

This does not look at all like what I see on the plan, and I looked at a lot of build logs but I never found this type of gun.

 

Are these pieces defective?

Maybe this is normal on the latest version of this kit?

Do you have any advice on how to fix it properly?

 

Unfortunately I don't think that my efforts would allow me to get a good result, especially since there are more than 80 guns to rework, on a model that I paid 400€.

 

The rest of the kit seems to me of good quality, especially the new sails which are much more beautiful than the ones on the pictures.

[ccoyle]

Wow, those are pretty bad! I hope you are able to resolve this quickly.

[Keith Black]

 Iseaz, see the following build log page 2, post #40. The cannon look like the cannon you received except they might be drilled a little more but not much more. Also, suppliers list this kit as discontinued?

 

 

 

[Iseaz]

Thank you for your answer,

I had looked a lot at this build log, and I'm sure that they are not the same type of cannons, especially considering the sharpness of the details (such as the reinforcement rings). Also, the general aspect of the cannon looks smoother. A detail that is not visible on this build log is that the cannons have no trunnion, as shown on the plan and unlike mine, which are not even straight. I think this is the old version of the kit.
 
I bought it on a French store website, which listed this kit as discontinued right after.

[allanyed]

Hate to say it but given the rest of the model is faithful to the Prince, maybe consider replacing the cannon.  The rings are out of scale and there are seven instead of five which would be appropriate for the 17th century.  The trunnions are in the wrong place and they are the wrong shape  (they should be tapered)  for the 17th century and far too long, there is no taper to the barrel and so forth.   If you can, make your own or send  STL drawings of  cannon for the 17th century in the dimensions for each of the calibers that you need to a 3D printer and get some resin printed pieces.   Most, not all, brass and cast cannon from suppliers will be the wrong shape and size as very few offer guns for the late 17th century.  The following drawings found in Lavery' s Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War, pages 100&102 show the difference between what the kit gave you and what they actually looked like. 

 

Allan

[Keith Black]

 If you can't get satisfaction from your supplier you may want to look into replacing the barrels. This link is barrels supplied by Cornwall Model Boats.

 

https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?SO=1_3_4_0&TB=O&SS=cannon barrel &PR=-1&SO=1_3_4_0&SO=1_3_4_0&SO=1_3_4_0&SS=cannon+barrel+&SS=cannon+barrel+&SS=cannon+barrel+&PN=0

 

 

[Iseaz]

Thanks for this information but to be honest I don't have enough knowledge yet for a historical inaccuracy like this to bother me, but indeed there is a big difference between the cannons of the kit and those of the real ship. 

 

Otherwise this website is very interesting, I found some cannons that would be more appropriate for the 17th century.

 

But first I'll try to contact Constructo to know if these parts are defective (maybe they'll even send me the right parts...).

[allanyed]

Do let us know what they do to help you.    It would be a shame to be stuck with those guns if the rest of the model is a good one!!

Allan

[Bill Morrison]

On 6/7/2021 at 3:45 PM, Iseaz said:

Hello everyone,

 

I recently received the HMS Prince by constructo in 1/61, and I am sadly surprised by the poor quality of the guns. Unlike the other details, there are big traces of mouldings, they are not drilled and the axes are not even straight.

 

This does not look at all like what I see on the plan, and I looked at a lot of build logs but I never found this type of gun.

 

Are these pieces defective?

Maybe this is normal on the latest version of this kit?

Do you have any advice on how to fix it properly?

 

Unfortunately I don't think that my efforts would allow me to get a good result, especially since there are more than 80 guns to rework, on a model that I paid 400€.

 

The rest of the kit seems to me of good quality, especially the new sails which are much more beautiful than the ones on the pictures.

Are any kit's guns accurate?  One big problem I have with all  kit guns I have seen is that they are not to scale and they do not accurately show the differences in any particular armament.  For example, no ship of the line model kit shows that these ships usually had 32 pounders on the lowest gunde ck, 24 pounders on the next deck, and 9 pounders to 16 pounders on the highest decks. Yet, kit manufacturers supply us with only one size for all decks.

 

In my humble opinion, they all need replacement to be more in scale.

 

Bill

[Bill Morrison]

55 minutes ago, Bill Morrison said:

Are any kit's guns accurate?  One big problem I have with all  kit guns I have seen is that they are not to scale and they do not accurately show the differences in any particular armament.  For example, no ship of the line model kit shows that these ships usually had 32 pounders on the lowest gunde ck, 24 pounders on the next deck, and 9 pounders to 16 pounders on the highest decks. Yet, kit manufacturers supply us with only one size for all decks.

 

In my humble opinion, they all need replacement to be more in scale.

 

Bill

I stand corrected with my HMS Prince kit.  In my kit, there are three different gun sizes, all barrels are beautifully molded and the barrels are clear.  All guns seem to be in scale.  However, such is not the case in some of my other ships of the line kits.

 

Bill

[allanyed]

Hi Bill,

If you would be so kind please post some photos of the barrels.  It sounds like you have a different kit than Iseaz as the ones he shows don't look remotely close to any cannons from the 17th century or later centuries for that matter.   It would great to see decent quality, accurately made, cannons in a kit.  

TIA

Allan