Chris Watton and Vanguard Models news and updates Volume 2

[chris watton]

2 hours ago, hollowneck said:

It's true: Surprise has gone from clunky to amazing. Chris' hat size has increased by threefold over the last few months.😂

Not all all!  In fact, I am always filled with self doubt, wondering if I have done the right thing/gone too far and wondering if each new release will sell. I don't take anything for granted. I just strive to do my best, utilising the knowledge I have accumulated over the decades, and designing the kits in a way that if I were buying it, I would be more than happy with it. The only issue for me is the fact that these complex kits take a very long time to produce due to the sheer amount of cut/engraved parts. But if people enjoy the kits, for me, it is all worth it, as a kit should be a joy to build, not a chore.

1 hour ago, Vane said:

We shouldnt judge a 20 year old project too harsh. During the 90s, Caldercraft pushed the bounderies much and was one of the few companies that actually developed new kits. However, its a pity that most old classic manufactureers of shipmodels live on very old kits and have completely stopped making new kits. That is why we all also appreciate and follow Chris and Vanguard models. 20 new kits in just a few years and constantly new designs and solutions. Many was quite disappointed when the Surprise was never released. But now we can look forward to a kit that will soon be out on the market and way better than a kit what was designed 20 years ago.     

I don't really know much about this Surprise. My time there seems like many lifetimes ago, and that Surprise is well after my time there. (I was there from 1994 until late 2001, with the Nelson's Navy range starting in 1998 with Diana). 

 

Surprise is definitely the largest kit I can do that has no planking at all from the top of the main wale position up, above this, everything is laser cut/engraved - no cutting out the gun ports.  For this kit, I have had to order some very expensive pear sheets, 0.8x150x800mm, for the inner and outer bulwarks. As there are no fenders, the parts are full length as there is nothing along the sides to break this up.

 

I think I have another 2 months’ work on Surprise (CAD plans etc. plus I am still waiting for a couple of final things like stern lantern and Aubrey and Maturin) and in the meantime, start production and after this, make a start on Agamemnon, a subject I always meant to revisit and do it full justice. (I hope)
 

[alde]

First, this model is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to have one.

 

After reading through several Vangaurd kit build logs and reading some of the instructions available on the website and following this thread, Surprise looks like although a challenge would not be out of reach for someone with a couple of kits built. I currently have HMS Sphinx on my shelf. I'll take that on after I finish Syren and before Surprise. It's amazing how taking on new challenges builds the confidence to take on more difficult kits. 

[Ronald-V]

Man...a revised Agamemnon...that's going to be an epic kit 🤩

[chris watton]

2 hours ago, Ronald-V said:

Man...a revised Agamemnon...that's going to be an epic kit 🤩

I wasn't going to do it just yet, it was way further down the list, but Mary Montagu-Scott, the  Trustee of Buckler’s Hard Shipyard Trust, convinced me, so I will have their logo on the kit box too. They are currently excavating the building slip where the Agamemnon was built, and she has big plans for the future of this historical site.

[uss frolick]

Come on, Chris, just add another deck to the Indy, and no-one will be the wiser ... Easy-Peasy, lemon squeezy!

😇

 

(The preceding was a joke.)

[Morgan]

Chris,

 

I have the ordnance records for Agamemnon in 1804, given they are a mix of George 3 and George 2 cypher there were several pre 1760 guns, and hence an earlier pattern than Frederick-Armstrong they are probably the original as issued when launched. I believe she took these to her watery grave.

 

I’ll dig these out later and send them to you if you don’t have them.

 

Gary

[Mike_H]

What you call a mule, Chris, I'd call a thoroughbred.  She looks beautiful.  My heart screams "I can't wait", my head says "you are going to take your time with this one, so waiting is good".  Good thing I've got 4 months of travel planned in the next 6.  I might just be able to wait!

[chris watton]

I am very happy to tell you that igorcap (igorcap - Model Ship World™) is now my digital carver. Igor has already done the lower quarter drop for Surprise for me, and his first main project for me will be the decoration for my next development, Agamemnon.

 

Thank you, Igor!

[Kevin]

26 minutes ago, chris watton said:

I am very happy to tell you that igorcap (igorcap - Model Ship World™) is now my digital carver. Igor has already done the lower quarter drop for Surprise for me, and his first main project for me will be the decoration for my next development, Agamemnon.

 

Thank you, Igor!

great result

[chris watton]

OK, Surprise designs 100% complete (save any slight alterations I may need to do if Jim suggests any needed)

This morning I received my final STL (3-d print) file for one half of the Aubrey/Maturin duo - he is the final Maturin file (with thickened parts as per my request):

 

I am now just waiting for the Aubrey figure with instrument and the stern lantern files.

 

These figures will come as standard in the Surprise kit (2 x Aubrey poses and 1 x Maturin) Assuming of course, that I can get them to print OK.....

[chris watton]

And progress with the second Aubrey figure....

[Ronald-V]

Great figures, Chris! Are the raised front legs of the chair where Aubrey sits (which end in his pants) some kind of reinforcement for printing? I don't mean this to be critical, I just found it interesting

[chris watton]

1 minute ago, Ronald-V said:

Great figures, Chris! Are the raised front legs of the chair where Aubrey sits (which end in his pants) some kind of reinforcement for printing? I don't mean this to be critical, I just found it interesting

As I understand it, this figure is a work in progress, and sent to me just for comfirmation that the seating position is OK

[Pitan]

Those figures look great Chris.

I'm wondering about the front legs of Aubrey's chair, could the tops be a tad shorter?  Maybe just proud of the seat?
They look uncomfortable, digging into his right thigh (I doubt the change would affect Maturin's stance).
 

[Ronald-V]

3 minutes ago, Pitan said:

Those figures look great Chris.

I'm wondering about the front legs of Aubrey's chair, could the tops be a tad shorter?  Maybe just proud of the seat?
They look uncomfortable, digging into his right thigh (I doubt the change would affect Maturin's stance).
 

Chris literally answered the same question above your post  

 

 

[chris watton]

Not as bad as an enquiry I just had, asking what stain I used for the pear colour on the pear wood I use for the kits to give that pear wood colour, as I don't mention the stain at all!

[AnobiumPunctatum]

Hello Chris,

 

is it possible to buy these figurines and also some of the other from you in scale 1/36? As I build my models in this scale they will fit than perfectly to my models.

[chris watton]

1 hour ago, AnobiumPunctatum said:

Hello Chris,

 

is it possible to buy these figurines and also some of the other from you in scale 1/36? As I build my models in this scale they will fit than perfectly to my models.

Ask again in a couple of months, as I am knee-deep in Surprise development right now, I would need to set up new files just for your scale.

[uss frolick]

Further accessories: 🤣

 

Figures:

 

Killick carrying a tray of toasted cheese.

Padeen with a bad tooth in a head bandage, stealing a bottle of laudanum.

Midshipman Hollum holding a cannonball.

The Twins Sarah and Emily.

Maturin's Lemur, sipping rum from a pewter dish.

Optional "Wet Maturin", having fallen from the cutter, again.

Midshipman William Babbington, with Admiral Harte's daughter.

Joe Plaice spinning yarns, scaring the ship's boys.

Barret Bondon with a telescope, being ever vigilant.

Awkard Davies with a spittle of drool, and a cutlass.

Captain Howard of the Marines with a musket and an Albatros.

Optional "Wounded Maturin", shot by the above Howard.

Sir Joseph Blaine, with a beetle display cabinet.

Wray and Ledward, a two figure set with card table.

Optional "Vengeful Maturin", holding a scaple and Ledward's spleen.

"Portsmouth Brutes".

 

Items:

 

Aubrey's two private brass nine-pounders.

"The Thing", Diana's all-in-one custom piece of furniture, wrapped in blankets and placed in the hold.

The deception-raft from the film.

A 36-gun ship's mainmast.

 

[chris watton]

17 minutes ago, uss frolick said:

Further accessories: 🤣

 

Figures:

 

Killick carrying a tray of toasted cheese.

Padeen with a bad tooth in a head bandage, stealing a bottle of laudanum.

Midshipman Hollum holding a cannonball.

The Twins Sarah and Emily.

Maturin's Lemur, sipping rum from a pewter dish.

Optional "Wet Maturin", having fallen from the cutter, again.

Midshipman William Babbington, with Admiral Harte's daughter.

Joe Plaice spinning yarns, scaring the ship's boys.

Barret Bondon with a telescope, being ever vigilant.

Awkard Davies with a spittle of drool, and a cutlass.

Captain Howard of the Marines with a musket and an Albatros.

Optional "Wounded Maturin", shot by the above Howard.

Sir Joseph Blaine, with a beetle display cabinet.

Wray and Ledward, a two figure set with card table.

Optional "Vengeful Maturin", holding a scaple and Ledward's spleen.

"Portsmouth Brutes".

 

Items:

 

Aubrey's two private brass nine-pounders.

"The Thing", Diana's all-in-one custom piece of furniture, wrapped in blankets and placed in the hold.

The deception-raft from the film.

A 36-gun ship's mainmast.

 

A mere trifle, I'll get right on it!

[glbarlow]

3 hours ago, chris watton said:

what stain I used for the pear colour on the pear wood

Walnut, right? 🤣😂🤣

[woodartist]

i am sure that it is somewhere in this blog but i have not found it, when do you anticipate the Surprise being ready for sale?

[James H]

2 minutes ago, woodartist said:

i am sure that it is somewhere in this blog but i have not found it, when do you anticipate the Surprise being ready for sale?

Q1, 2026.

[AnobiumPunctatum]

6 hours ago, chris watton said:

Ask again in a couple of months, as I am knee-deep in Surprise development right now, I would need to set up new files just for your scale.

Thanks for the answer. It's not running away...

[flyer]

Thank you for enriching our hobby and I really admire the work you do for those figurines and make use of them as much as possible.

 

On my models I try to present everyday figures and preferably in a posture they could hold comfortably for a few minutes. (In railroad modelling I learned to place figures and cars in an unspectacular position, so that you wouldn’t be surprised to see them in just the same way a few minutes later. It adds reality. So only ballerinas standing on tiptoe and never somebody running or fighting; but people talking, standing or sitting.)

 

Therefore, I humbly suggest figures of sailors doing quietly usual tasks: E.g.

 

A lieutenant (could be Babbington)  being skipper on a cutter or standing watch with telescope under his arm .

A seaman (Barret Bonden?) serving as lookout or looking for albatrosses on the horizon.

An able seaman climbing slowly the shrouds.

A marine standing guard.

Somebody scrubbing the deck.

An able seaman steering.

…

 

But of course, only if you are no more than ankle deep in work.

And the Aubrey/Maturin pair will be a must for my future Surprise - they could be scratching away on their fiddles for hours.

 

Regards

Peter

[Pitan]

7 hours ago, uss frolick said:

Joe Plaice spinning yarns, scaring the ship's boys.

I was wondering when 18^C child labour would come up.
What age was Aubrey when he went to sea? I have him, in my head, at about 12 years old, but that may be a minimum age?

[chris watton]

Development costs for Surprise are already very high, as I have ordered, and still ordering the materials for production, so no more figures at release. (costs of the large 0.8mm pear sheets for the engraved bulwarks and the 0.1mm PE copper plates in particular are very high).

 

When I decided to develop Surprise, I envisioned from the start having an Aubrey and Maturin figure in the cabin, playing their instruments. I thought this would be a nice little touch, as you could see their silhouettes through the stern windows and upper deck beams. These figures are not cheap to commission (and lead times are very long), but I felt they would be worth the cost, as I always trust my initial decisions when working out how I want a new kit to be presented, and what's included as standard to enhance the experience for the modeller.
 

[Nipper]

17 hours ago, flyer said:

Thank you for enriching our hobby and I really admire the work you do for those figurines and make use of them as much as possible.

 

On my models I try to present everyday figures and preferably in a posture they could hold comfortably for a few minutes. (In railroad modelling I learned to place figures and cars in an unspectacular position, so that you wouldn’t be surprised to see them in just the same way a few minutes later. It adds reality. So only ballerinas standing on tiptoe and never somebody running or fighting; but people talking, standing or sitting.)

 

I agree completely with you on this - but Chris has explained the constraints on figure production and has understandably confined himself to the historic officers - Cochrane, Hornblower, Pellew etc and a few other crew figures.  For what you are describing, the best we have are the old Amati metal figures, but wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a specialist company that could produce in resin what is needed to create a realistic crew!

 

Nipper

[glbarlow]

Chris, do you send packages to the US via the Royal Mail?  I read they are now refusing to accept packages to the US until they launch a new system that charges more. 
 

I believe it was mentioned Ages of Sailis your US distributor but I don’t see your products on their website, did I misread that?

 

I am considering ordering Harpy, but not sure how I’ll get it. 

[chris watton]

15 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

Chris, do you send packages to the US via the Royal Mail?  I read they are now refusing to accept packages to the US until they launch a new system that charges more. 
 

I believe it was mentioned Ages of Sailis your US distributor but I don’t see your products on their website, did I misread that?

 

I am considering ordering Harpy, but not sure how I’ll get it. 

That is already done. We have sent small parcels via RM in the past couple of days to the US. The customer pays more in postage (done automatically on our 'Live' Royal Mail shipping system) to cover the new tax.

 

We do not send kits with Royal Mail, however, they only ship via UPS, as most parcels for kits are too large for them to accept.