Chris Watton and Vanguard Models news and updates Volume 2

[Chuck]

Beautiful work Chris!!!

[EspenT]

6 hours ago, chris watton said:

On a separate note, I should have my shipments of Pavel Nitikin Viking ships and John Smiths Shallop kit arrive next week - I can tell you that the shipping costs were horrific...

I paid you 40USD to ship Sherbourne  across the north sea and I paid Pavel 60USD for shipping the Viking Ship from a warzone…

 

pretty fair if you ask me. 

Edited May 10 by EspenT

[Pitan]

On 5/10/2025 at 3:03 PM, chris watton said:

On a separate note, I should have my shipments of Pavel Nitikin Viking ships and John Smiths Shallop kit arrive next week - I can tell you that the shipping costs were horrific...

Oh, that sounds interesting.  The shallop was one of my first models, and the Viking ship is on my wish list.

[chris watton]

I finally have my Pavel Nitikin shipment! They will be live on the website later.

[chris watton]

OK, now in stock (Finally...)

 

The Viking ship "Oseberg" Version 3 (Ships of Pavel Nikitin) – Vanguard Models

 

Captain John Smith's Shallop - Ships of Pavel Nikitin – Vanguard Models

[Morten]

How is it going on with HMS Surprice ?

[chris watton]

5 minutes ago, Morten said:

How is it going on with HMS Surprice ?

It's going well! The more complex the designs, the longer these things take.

 

A lot of CAD work, so nothing to show as yet. I can tell you the decal sheet is done and has been delivered, and most of the resin print production is done.

 

It is quite a large and complex kit with many pre cut and pre engraved parts, the latter more than even Indy, and all of this takes time to develop. Once I start cutting my final designs and build it up, for Jim to follow, I can post pics of my final prototype build, but until then, it is all just on CAD, on my PC. This applies also to the photo etched files. I need to complete these at the same time the laser cut designs are more or less cooked, and those are 90% done.

 

Rest assured though, this is all I am working on, although I do get side tracked a lot due to having to produce more stock for current kits....

[hollowneck]

19 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Rest assured though, this is all I am working on, although I do get side tracked a lot due to having to produce more stock for current kits....

A problem, for sure. But – a good one to have.

[chris watton]

OK, the other day, I had my final STL file for one of the two Aubrey figures. Unfortunately, my white primner went a little 'bitty', so doesn't look the best, but you can see the general details - this will be included in the kit:

 

I also decided to design the hand pump bodies and brackets for 3-d printing, as having to make up 6 of these would be a little boring to do for the modeller.

 

My sample Surprise photo etched sheets are also now with me, all I have to do now is finish building up the hull and take pics for Jim to work from - Time is just melting away...

[Gregory]

5 hours ago, chris watton said:

I had my final STL file for one of the two Aubrey figures.

Does that resemble Russell Crowe, or is it just my imagination?

 

The chin looks right on.

Edited Saturday at 03:37 PM by Gregory

[Nipper]

49 minutes ago, Gregory said:

Does that resemble Russell Crowe, or is it just my imagination?

 

The chin looks right on.

YES!  And I guess that this is how Chris' buyers of Surprise picture Jack Aubrey and they will be well pleased.

 

To me however, having read the Aubrey/Maturin series several times before the film was made, neither Russell Crowe nor Paul Bettany looked right.  But I suppose this is inevitable when your mind's eye has created the characters and they've been in your imagination for several decades.  And it happens whenever a well-loved book is made into a movie, I think.

 

But I'm sure that the figure will sell in its hundreds - it looks amazing!

 

Nipper

 

 

[AJohnson]

11 minutes ago, Nipper said:

 

But I'm sure that the figure will sell in its hundreds - it looks amazing!

 

Nipper

 

 

At least hundreds, but not too many I don’t want Chris retiring before he has done Centurion! 😆

[chris watton]

6 minutes ago, AJohnson said:

At least hundreds, but not too many I don’t want Chris retiring before he has done Centurion! 😆

Or a much nicer and up to date kit of Eggs'n'Bacon!

 

Not sure if the figure looks like Russell Crowe - but bear in mind, at 64th (which will be the main scale), it is rather small.

 

No plans on retirement.....

[James H]

Can't beat an Eggs'n'Bacon

[ccoyle]

4 hours ago, James H said:

Can't beat an Eggs'n'Bacon

 

What, not even with spam spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam and spam? 🤔

[AJohnson]

53 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Or a much nicer and up to date kit of Eggs'n'Bacon!

 

Not sure if the figure looks like Russell Crowe - but bear in mind, at 64th (which will be the main scale), it is rather small.

 

No plans on retirement.....

Centurion/Agamemnon,  you absolutely have to do one, erm no, you have to do both of them!

As to Russell Crow at 1/64 scale,

with my eyesight passing for human will do! 🤣

Edited Saturday at 05:48 PM by AJohnson

[chris watton]

8 minutes ago, AJohnson said:

Centurion/Agamemnon,  you absolutely have to do one, erm no, you have to do both of them!

 

I agree!

[Morgan]

Malcom Darch cooked up his Eggs’n’Bacon with research assistance from the NMM - a nice recipe to try!

 

Gary

[uss frolick]

Toasted cheese.